Lesson 23 One man's meat is another man's poison各有所爱 虚拟语气

Listen to the tape then answer the question below: What was it about snails that made the writer collect them for his friend on that day in particular?

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.

在决定什么能吃而什么不能吃的时候,人们往往变得不合情理。

If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.

比如,如果你住在地中海地区,你会把章鱼 视作美味佳肴,同时不能理解为什么有人一见章鱼就恶心。

On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat — the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.

另一方面,你一想到动物油炸土豆就会反胃,但这在 北方许多国家却是一种普通的烹饪方法。

The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.

不无遗憾的是,我们中的大部分人,生来就只吃某几种食品,而且一辈子都这样。

No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.

没有一种生物所受到的赞美和厌恶会超过花园里常见的蜗牛了。

Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.

蜗牛加酒烧煮后,便成了世界上许多地方的一道珍奇的名菜。

There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.

有不计其数的人们从小就知道蜗牛可做菜。

My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.

但我的朋友罗伯特却住在一个厌恶蜗牛的国家中。他住在大城市里的一所公寓里,没有自已的花园。

For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.

多年来,他一直让我把我园子里的蜗牛收集起来给他捎去。

The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants.

一开始,他的这一想法没有引起我多大兴趣。后来有一天,一场大雨后,我在花园里漫无目的地散步,突然注意到许许多多蜗牛在我的一些心爱的花木上慢悠悠地蠕动着。

Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert.

我一时冲动,逮了几十只,装进一只纸袋里,带着去找罗伯特。

Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.

罗伯特见到我很高兴,对我的薄礼也感到满意。

I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.

我把纸袋放在门厅里,与罗伯特一起逬了起居室,在那里聊了好几个钟头。

I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.

我把蜗牛的事已忘得一干二净,罗伯特突然提出一定要我留下来吃晚饭,这才提醒了我。

Snails would, of course, be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.

蜗牛当然是道主菜。我并不喜欢这个主意,所以我勉强跟着罗伯特走出了起居室。

To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall!

使我们惊愕的是门厅里到处爬满了蜗牛:它们从纸袋里逃了岀来,爬得满厅都是!

I have never been able to look at a snail since then.

从那以后,我再也不能看一眼蜗牛了。
20个相关单词

与课文关联的单词

poison

/ˈpɔɪz(ə)n/n. 毒药

illogical

/ɪˈlɒdʒɪkl/adj. 不合逻辑的,无章法的

octopus

/ˈɒktəpəs/n. 章鱼

delicacy

/ˈdelɪkəsi/v. 美味,佳肴

repulsive

/rɪˈpʌlsɪv/adj. 令人反感的,令人生厌的

stomach

/ˈstʌmək/n. 胃

turn *

/tɜːn/v. 感到恶心,翻胃

fry

/fraɪ/v. 油炸

fat *

/fæt/n. (动物、植物)油

abuse

/əˈbjuːs/n. 辱骂,责骂

snail

/sneɪl/n. 蜗牛

luxury

/ˈlʌkʃəri/n. 奢侈品,珍品

associate

/əˈsəʊsieɪt/v. 联想到

despise

/dɪˈspaɪz/v. 鄙视

appeal

/əˈpiːl/v. 引起兴致

shower

/ˈʃaʊə(r)/n. 阵雨

stroll

/strəʊl/n. 溜达,散步

impulse

/ˈɪmpʌls/n. 冲动

dozen

/ˈdʌz(ə)n/n. 12 个,一打

fancy

/ˈfænsi/v. 喜爱,喜欢

交待背景 更新于:2024-05-20 11:39:21

One man's meat is another man's poison直译:一个人的食物、另一个人觉得特别难吃(萝卜白菜各有所爱)
There's no accounting for taste.人各有所好:这个短语表示每个人的品味和喜好都是不同的,无法用统一的标准来衡量。
Why did she marry someone like that?One man's meat is another man's poison. / There's no accounting for taste.

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.

People become quite illogical when it comes to deciding what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. 替换

If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. §

表示地区要加定冠词“The”

  • the Mediterranean
  • the Near East 近东(以英国为坐标)
  • the Middle East 中东(沙特、阿联酋...)
  • the Far East 远东(中国、日本...)

与现在事实相反的“IF”型的虚拟语气

从句 (一般过去)主句(4 + 1)例句
if + S.didS.woulddoif you ate more and talked less, we would both enjoy our dinner!
shouldIf I were in your position,I should act differently.
werecouldIf it rained,it could not be hot。
mightIf I were you, I might accept their offer.
造句:If you lived in Beijing, you would consider Douzhir a great delicacy. 如果你住在北京,你就会把豆汁儿当作一道美味佳肴。
造句:If you lived in the Northeast of China, you would consider skating a great pleasure.如果你住在中国东北地区,你就会非常喜欢滑冰。

You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. 接上面的虚拟语气做主句

repulsive adj.排斥的;令人厌恶的;击退的;冷淡的

  • ... find it repellent / disgusting / revolting. 写作替换
  • None of it is repulsive to Me.我不排斥任何一端。

On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.

on the one hand ... on the other (hand)... 一方面...另一方面

for one thing ... for another ... 一个原因是...另一个原因是...

  • "Why won't you come to New York with me?" "For one thing, I don't like flying, and for another, I can't afford it."

not that ..., but that ... 不是因为...而是因为...

  • Not that I love Caesar less, but that I love Rome more. — Shakespeare 'Julius Caesar'
  • Not that I love you less, but that I love liberty more. 不是我不爱你,而是我更爱自由。
  • Not that I love my teacher less, but that I love truth more.

at the ... of ... —⋯就⋯

practice custom 习俗 / traditio 传统,惯例

  • a bad practice 不正之风
  • That is not to say that media queries are a bad practice这并不是说媒体查询是一种不良实践。

The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we stick to them all our lives.

sad unfortunate 不幸的、遗憾的 / regrettable 令人懊悔的

  • He made a sad mistake. 他犯了一个不可接受的错误。
  • a happy discovery 幸运的发现
  • the happy few 少数幸福的人(幸运的少数)
bring up / raise sb. 把某人拉扯大(抚养成人)He was brought up / raised by his step-mother.
be brought up to do 从小就...
  • We have been brought up to fear insects. NCE3-54
  • I have been brought up to believe that it is proper to make contributions to charity.
  • And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better.

certain foods = certain kinds of food 某些食物

  • There are certain foods which should never be stored in the fridge.有些食物绝对不能放进冰箱储存。
  • Don't banish certain foods不要杜绝特定食品。
stick to sth. 坚持某事(忠于)I managed to stick to the diet and keep off sweet foods.我设法坚持节食,不吃甜食。
keep to sth. 专注于某事One should keep to one's promise. 一个人应当信守诺言。
all one's life = throughout one's life 终身Most cats remain suspicious of humans all their lives.

举例 更新于:2024-05-20 13:56:10

No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. 否定比较级表达最高级

receive + n. 受到....;得到...遭到....

否定比较 = 最高级 没有什么比...更...


Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world.

in various parts of the world 世界各地

  • all over the world 世界各地
  • throughout the world 遍及全世界的
  • the world over 全世界的每个地方
  • all parts of the world 全世界各地

There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food.

ever since 搭配完成时使用,可做副词、介词、连词

associate A with B 把A和B联系起来

动词名词
  • ... have learned to connect snails with / to food.
  • ... have learned to link snails with / to food.
  • ... have learned to relate snails with / to food.
  • ... have made a connection between snails and food.
  • ... have established a link between snails and food.
  • ... have established a relationship between snails and food.

My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.

As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.

.. of one's own 某人自己的….


For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.

collect gather 收集

  • Gather rose-buds while you may. 及时采玫瑰花蕾(人不风流彺少年、花开堪析直须析,莫待无花空析枝)

The idea never appealed to me very much,

appeal to sb. 吸引某人

 but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants.

happened to do 碰巧

主句(进行时 / be about to do) + when.. “when”应译为“这时”或“突然"

take a stroll / walk 散步


Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. 

连续使用动词并列 突出紧迫感


Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.

delighted very pleased 非常高兴


I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.

Having left the bag in the hall... 非谓语动词(强调先发生)

  • I accompanied Robert into the living room... 非谓语动词的逻辑主语是谓语的主语
Robert and I went into the living room and we talked for a couple of hours there. → Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. 使用定语从句简写句子

I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner.

... when Robert suddenly proposed that I (should) stay to dinner. 替换

stay to / for + 三餐名 留下吃饭

  • Won't you stay to / for dinner? 难道留下吃晚上吗?

Snails would, of course, be the main dish.

main dish / course 主菜

  • The main course could be a dish with a good rich sauce.主菜可以是一道带有稠厚酱汁的菜肴。
  • The next dish is the main course. 下一道菜是主菜。

 I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.

... and I unwillingly followed Robert out of the room. 替换
... and I followed Robert out of the room with reluctance. 名词

To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall!

take possession of ... 占据…It can take possession of your life and your senses. 它占有你的生活和判断力。
be in possession of .. 拥有…No longer is the possession of information confined to a privileged minority.信息的掌握不再局限于享有特权的少数人。

I have never been able to look at a snail since then.

  • Once bitten, twice shy. 一朝被蛇咬,十年怕井绳:形容因受过一次伤害而变得过分谨慎或害怕再次受伤的心理。