Lesson 52 Mud is mud实事求是 虚拟语气 接续性分句

mud is mud ^{[idiom] 实话实说、坦白的说}

• call a spade a spade  ^{[idiom] 实话实说}
• tell it like it is ^{[idiom] 实话实说}

My cousin, Harry, keeps a large curiously-shaped bottle on permanent display in his study.

keep ^{v. have sth. in a particular place 在某处存放或放置某物}

• Where do you keep the cutlery?
• Always keep your driving licence in a safe place. 
• George kept a bottle of whiskey under his bed.

shaped ^{adj.形状的；和其他词放在一起构成复合形容词}

curiously-shaped: curiously shaped bits of metal

• oddly shaped forms
• She has a perfectly shaped figure.
• heart-shaped ^心形的
• pear-shaped ^梨形的
• V-shaped ^V形的

on display = on show ^{展示，陈列}

• A collection of photographs was on display in the hall.
• Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places.
• Her work is on temporary display at the gallery.
• The locomotive is kept on static display in the National Railway Museum.

造句：George keeps a gold medal on permanent display in his study. ^{乔治在书房里一直陈列着一枚金牌。}

Despite the fact that the bottle is tinted a delicate shade of green, an observant visitor would soon notice that it is filled with what looks like a thick, greyish substance.

despite the fact that ...^(fml.) = in spite of the fact that ...  ^(fml.) = tough / although / even though / while ...  ^尽管...

语法：介词 + 名词 + 同位语从句 = 普通从属连词

• Despite the fact that it was raining, they continued with the outdoor event. ^{尽管下雨，他们还是继续了户外活动。}
• In spite of the fact that he was tired, he stayed up late to finish the work. ^{尽管他很累，他还是熬夜完成了工作。}
• Although it was late, she kept working on her project. ^{虽然很晚了，她还是继续做她的项目。}

delicate / light  ^{adj. 颜色淡的，浅色的}

• Its large leaves often show a delicate purple tint.^{它的大叶子常现出一种柔和的淡紫色。}
• He is light haired with grey eyes. ^{他长着浅色的头发和灰色的眼睛。}

shade ^{n. a particular type of red, green, blue etc. 色度}

• In the mornings the sky appeared a heavy shade of mottled grey. ^{清晨，天空看上去是斑驳的深灰色调。}
• The walls were painted in two shades of green. ^{这些墙壁被涂成了两种色调不同的绿色。}

observant ^{adj. perceptive; eagle-eyed 善于观察的，敏锐的}

• That's a good description, Mrs. Drummond. You're very observant. ^{描述得很好，德拉蒙德太太。你很善于观察。}
• The husband is not usually so observant. ^{丈夫通常不那么善于观察。}

greyish ^(BrE) / grayish ^{(AmE) adj. 英文解释：slightly grey 浅灰色的，灰了吧唧的}

带有 "-ish" 后缀的形容词用于表示一种不完全是该颜色，而是带有轻微或模糊的色彩，类似于 “…了吧唧的”，带有一些随意或非正式的感觉。

• His skin had an unhealthy greyish tinge. ^{他的皮肤有些许不健康的淡灰色。}
• And a pond edged with grayish leaves. ^{还有四周灰叶的死水一池。}
• Its fur is grayish brown in the summer. ^{它的毛皮是灰棕色的夏天。}

If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud.

与未来趋势相反的虚拟

Were you to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud. ^（倒装）

perfumed ^{adj. pleasant to smell because perfume has been added or used 加香水的，有香味的}

• perfumed soap / candles

If you expressed doubt or surprise, he would immediately invite you to smell it and then to rub some into your skin.

虚拟语气if从句的虚拟

虚拟语气的倒装（只用于书面语）；if从句的虚拟语气中，出现were、had、should可用倒装；

rub sth. with sth. ^{用…的涂抹、摩擦…}

• She began rubbing her hair with a towel.
• A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George was firmly stuck.

The brief experiment would dispel any further doubts you might have.

dispel doubts / fears / worries / rumors / hesitations / prejudice … ^{驱散了… 、打消了…}

• His clear explanation helped to dispel my doubts about the project. ^{他的详细解释打消了我对这个项目的疑虑。}
• The positive results from the test dispelled her fears of failure. ^{测试的积极结果打消了她对失败的恐惧。}
• The doctor's reassurance dispelled our worries about the operation. ^{医生的安慰消除了我们对手术的担忧。}
• The company issued a statement to dispel the rumors about bankruptcy. ^{公司发布声明，驱散了有关破产的谣言。}
• The opportunity to learn new skills dispelled her hesitations about the job change. ^{学习新技能的机会打消了她对换工作的犹豫。}
• Their efforts to promote diversity helped to dispel prejudice in the community. ^{他们促进多样性的努力消除了社区的偏见。}

The bottle really does contain perfumed mud.

do + do ^{强调“的确”}

• Insects do need water. ^{昆虫确实需要水分。}
• I do want to be a film director specializing in, like, thrillers, kind of horror. ^{我希望能够成为专门拍摄惊险或恐怖片的电影导演。}
• She does like to have the last word in any discussion. ^{她的确喜欢在任何讨论中发表最终意见。}
• He did love me, and I know that. ^{他的确爱我，我知道的。}

How Harry came into the possession of this outlandish stuff makes an interesting story which he is fond of relating.

came into (the) possession of sth.  ^(fml.) = get sth. ^{得到某个东西}

• On her father's death, she came into possession of a vast fortune.
• How did the painting come into your possession ^{(= how did you get the painting)}? 

stuff ^{n. [U] (infml.) things 东西，玩意儿}

• I've got some sticky stuff on my shoe. 
• Do you call this stuff beer?

be fond of … ^{having a great liking for … 非常喜欢…}

• I've always been very fond of you.
• John's extremely fond of pointing out other people's mistakes. 

relate sth. (to sb.)^{（向某人）讲述某事}

• We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
• History does not relate whether his friend accepted his medical help, but in all probability he did. 

Furthermore, the acquisition of this bottle cured him of a bad habit he had been developing for years.

表达“此外、而且、还”^{（做状语）}

cure sb. ^治愈某人

• Will you be able to cure him, Doctor? ^{医生，你能把他治好吗？}
• Scientists around the world are working to discover a cure for AIDS. ^{全世界的科学家都在努力寻找治疗艾滋病的方法。}

heal a disease ×

develop / catch / acquire / form / cultivate / foster a habit ^{养成一个习惯}

• change / alter a habit ^{改变了一个习惯}
• correct a habit ^{纠正了一个习惯}
• abandon / give up / drop / discard / kick a habit ^{改掉、戒除坏习惯}

Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist.

expensive ^{adj.高档的}

• The expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were just opening.
• A woman in jeans stood at the window of an expensive shop.
• One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower. 

cosmetics ^{n. [pl.] 化妆品 （瓶瓶罐罐的化妆品）}

• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics. ^{习惯复数，但做定语时使用单数}

make a … request for … ^{要求得到某事}

• make repeated requests for help
• They have made an urgent request for international aid.

He would invent fanciful names on the spot.

would = used to do ^{类似，都可以表示过去习惯性的动作}

• One day in a week he would spend a whole day in silence. 
• We used to work in the same office and we would often have coffee together. ^{would 不能用在故事开头，往往在故事开头用 used to do，而后面换为 would do}

Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist. He would invent fanciful names on the spot. On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'. If a shop assistant told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out. He loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future date, but of course he never did.

Used to 用于故事开头：We are less credulous than we used to be. In the 19th century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences ― most of them wildly improbable.

do sth. on the spot = do sth. immediately ^{当场（立刻）做某事}

• He had to make a decision on the spot.
• To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately.

On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'.

on ^{prep. as soon as 刚一…（做时间状语）}

• What was your reaction on seeing him?
• The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.

insoluble ^{adj. cannot be dissolved; not soluble 不能溶解的}

• Carotenes are insoluble in water and soluble in oils and fats. ^{胡萝卜素不溶于水，但溶于油和脂肪。}
• Flaxseed's Linum usitatissimum are high in insoluble dietary fibre. ^{亚麻子粉富含不溶性纤维。}
• It is an almost insoluble problem. ^{这几乎是一个不可解决的问题。}

If a shop assistant told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out.

put out ^{adj. [Br.E.] [never before noun] annoyed 气愤的，不悦的（做表语）}

• He seemed a bit put out at not having been invited.
• The boys felt tired, so they put out the fire and crept into their tent. ^{扑灭(火，做动词)}

He loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future date, but of course he never did.

imaginary  ^{adj. 虚构的}

• Lots of children have imaginary friends. ^{许多孩子都有假想的朋友。}
• Many children invent an imaginary friend. ^{很多儿童都有一个假想朋友。}
• The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the earth. ^{赤道是一条假想的环绕地球腰部的线。}

temporarily  adv. 暂时，临时

• To make matters worse, the room is rather small, so I have temporarily put my books on the floor.
• Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway services.
• We regret this service is temporarily unavailable. ^{我们很抱歉暂时不能提供这一服务。}

in / out of stock^{（商店中）有/无现货的}

• Have you any grey pullovers in stock?
• I'm sorry, that swimsuit is temporarily out of stock in your size. 

faithfully ^{adv. 忠诚地，诚恳地}

• He had served the family faithfully for 40 years. 
• Ann faithfully promised never to tell my secret.

call ^{v. [Br.E.] to stop at a house or other place for a short time to see sb. or do sth. 在某处短暂停留以拜访某人或做某事}

• She called for a chat. ^她来吹水
• In the letter he was asked to call at the station.

at a … date    ^{a time in the past or future 在过去或未来的某时}

• The exact details of the plan will be worked out at a later date. 
• Johnson had agreed at an earlier date to take on the role of chairman.
• The election is scheduled to take place at an unspecified date in the autumn.

How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is quite beyond me.

keep a straight face  ^{stop oneself from smiling and laughing 板着脸，忍住不笑}

• Brian looked ridiculous in leather trousers, and I was desperately trying to keep a straight face. 

be beyond ^{sb. to be too difficult for someone to understand 无法理解}

• Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me.

Harry does not need to be prompted to explain how he bought his precious bottle of mud.

prompt ^{v.to encourage sb. to speak by asking them questions or suggesting words that they could say 提问或提示以鼓励某人说}

• 'And then what happened?' he prompted.
• The speaker was hesitant and had to be prompted occasionally by the chairman.

One day, he went to an exclusive shop in London and asked for 'Myrolite'.

exclusive ^{adj. 含义1：very expensive, and therefore available only to wealthy people 高级的，高档的}

• an exclusive store / restaurant / neighborhood
• inclusive ^{adj.包容广阔的} → exclusive ^{adj.不含…的；排外的；排斥的}
• import ^{v./n. 进口} → export ^v./n.出口
• input ^{v./n.输入、投入} → output ^{v./n.产出、输出}

The shop assistant looked puzzled and Harry repeated the word, slowly stressing each syllable.

stress ^{v.to pronounce a word or part of a word so that it sounds louder or more forceful 重读}

• The word 'machine' is stressed on the second syllable.

When the woman shook her head in bewilderment, Harry went on to explain that 'myrolite' was a hard, amber-like substance which could be used to remove freckles.

in bewilderment = in confusion  = in puzzlement  = in perplexity ^迷惑

• She looked at him in bewilderment.
• Matt stared at her in confusion. 
• She frowned in puzzlement.
• Jane looked about in perplexity.

This explanation evidently conveyed something to the woman who searched shelf after shelf.

convey sth. to sb. ^{向某人传达或表达…}

• Please convey my good wishes to your parents.
• If you see James, do convey my apologies to him.
• The poem perfectly conveys to the reader the poet’s feelings.

定语从句充当并列句 §

• This explanation evidently conveyed something to the woman and she searched shelf after shelf. 
• This explanation evidently conveyed something to the woman who searched shelf after shelf.

sth. after sth. ^{（一个又一个）}

• But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. 
• He fired shot after shot.  ^{一枪又一枪}
• Shelley sent him letter after letter to explain the delay.  ^{一封又一封}
• They sent regiment after regiment to attack us.
• In factory after factory we were shown machines built by the workers themselves.

She produced all sorts of weird concoctions, but none of them met with Harry's requirements.

produce ^{v. if you produce an object, you bring it out or present it, so that people can see or consider it 出示，拿出}

• Produce your ticket!
• They made no effort to hide their amusement whenever I produced a packet of sweets from my pocket.

all sorts / kinds / types of sth. ^{各种各样的，各式各样的…}

• all sorts of silly jokes
• all sorts of weird concoctions 
• all sorts of indignities

concoction ^{n. sth. that has been made out of several things mixed together 调制品，混合物}

• a concoction of honey, yogurt, oats, and apples

requirement ^{n.  (usually requirements) [pl.] something that you need or want 所需的（或所要的）东西}

• The new computer system will meet (with) all our requirements. 

When Harry put on his act of being mildly annoyed, the assistant promised to order some for him.

put on an act ^装模作样

• He wasn’t really angry; he just put on an act. 

Intoxicated by his success, Harry then asked for perfumed mud.

Intoxicated ^{adj.喝醉的；极度兴奋的 v.沉醉}

• He appeared intoxicated, police said. ^{他看上去好像是喝醉了，警察说。}
• My cousins seem to have become intoxicated by their success. ^{我的堂兄弟们好象已经被他们的成功陶醉了。}

He expected the assistant to look at him in blank astonishment.

blank ^{adj. showing no feeling, understanding or interest 茫然的(脸是空白的)}

• Steve looked blank and said he had no idea what I was talking about. 

However, it was his turn to be surprised, for the woman's eyes immediately lit up and she fetched several bottles which she placed on the counter for Harry to inspect.

it is one’s turn (to do sth.) ^{轮到某人做某事}

• It's your turn.
• It's our turn to drive the kids to school this week.

light up ^{if someone’s face or eyes light up, they show pleasure, excitement etc.（因喜悦、兴奋等脸上或眼中）露出光彩}

• His eyes lit up with laughter. 
• Her face lit up with pleasure.
• Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up.

定语从句充当并列句

• … she fetched several bottles and she placed them on the counter for Harry to inspect.
• … she fetched several bottles which she placed on the counter for Harry to inspect.

For once, Harry had to admit defeat.

(just) for once ^{used to say that sth. unusual happens, especially when you wish it would happen more often 这一回，这一次}

• Be honest for once.
• Just for once, let me make my own decision. 
• For once Colin was speechless.

accept / admit / concede defeat ^认输

• She is very determined, and will never admit defeat. 
• The prime minister conceded defeat and resigned.
• After he was arrested, the man admitted hiding in the box before the plane left London.
• When he asked if Mr. Lane lived there, the policeman on duty told him that since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad.

He picked up what seemed to be the smallest bottle and discreetly asked the price.

discreet ^{adj.careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret 言行小心谨慎的}

• The family made discreet enquiries about his background.
• They are very good assistants, very discreet — they wouldn't go shouting to the press about anything they discovered while working for you.

He was glad to get away with a mere ￡20 and he beat a hasty retreat, clutching the precious bottle under his arm.

a mere … ^仅仅…

beat a (hasty) retreat  ^{leave a place quickly in order to avoid an embarrassing or dangerous situation 赶紧走了}

• The cat beat a hasty retreat when it saw the dog was coming. ^{（避免危险）赶紧溜了}
• I saw my aunt coming and beat a hasty retreat.^{（避免尴尬）赶紧跑了}

clutch ^{v.to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it 紧紧抓住}

• She was clutching a bottle of champagne.

From then on, Harry decided that this little game he had invented might prove to be expensive.

from then on ^从那以后

• From then on he never trusted her again.^{从那时起，他再也不信任她了。}
• She left in 1984 and from then on he lived alone. ^{她于1984年离去，从那时起他便独自一人生活。}
• I stopped pretending from then on. ^{从那时起，我不再装了。}

decide  ^{不一定译为“决定”，而常常译为“（在考虑之后）确定，断定，认为”，尤其是其后加 that 引导的宾语从句时。}

• The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal, so they insured it for the trip.
• From then on, Harry decided that this little game he had invented might prove to be expensive. 
• I decided that I must have taken a wrong turning somewhere.
• Her first impulse was to go round all the rooms looking for the thieves, but then she decided that at her age it might be more prudent to have someone with her, so she went to fetch the porter from his basement.

The curious bottle which now adorns the bookcase in his study was his first and last purchase of rare cosmetics.

adorn ^{v. (fml.) to decorate sth. 装饰}

• The walls were adorned with paintings.