Lesson 38 Everything except the weather唯獨沒有考慮到天氣
First listen and then answer the question.聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Why did Harrison sell his house so quickly?
My old friend, Harrison, had lived in the Mediterranean for many years before he returned to England. He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country. He had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there. Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold. After so many years of sunshine, Harrison got a shock. He acted as if he had never lived in England before. In the end, it was more than he could bear. He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country. The dream he had had for so many years ended there. Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.
參考譯文
我的老朋友哈里森在回到英國以前曾多年居住在地中海地區。過去他常幻想退休后到英國，并計劃在鄉間安頓下來。他剛一回到英國便買下了一幢房子住了進去。但 緊接著他就開始抱怨那里的天氣了。因為即使那時仍為夏季，但雨總是下個不停，而且常常冷得厲害。在陽光下生活了那么多年的哈里森對此感到驚奇。他的舉動就 好像他從未在英國生活過一樣。最后，他再也忍受不住，還沒等安頓下來就賣掉了房子，離開了這個國家。他多年來的幻想從此破滅。哈里森把每件事情都考慮到 了，唯獨沒想到天氣。
New words and Expressions生詞和短語
except
prep. 除了
Mediterranean
n. 地中海
complain
v. 抱怨
continually
adv. 不斷地
bitterly
adv. 刺骨地
sunshine
n. 陽光
Lesson 38 自學導讀First things first
課文詳注 Further notes on the text1．He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country．過去他常幻想退休后到英國，并計劃在鄉間安頓下來。
（1）dream of 在這里不表示具體的做夢，而是“幻想”、“向往”的意思：
Frank used to dream of having a car of his own.
弗蘭克過去常幻想擁有一輛自己的車。
（2）settle down 是個固定短語，可以表示“定居”、“安身”、“安頓”等含義：
They settled down in Australia in 1988.
他們1988年在澳大利亞定居了。
After two years of travelling, I want to settle down now.
旅行了兩年之后，我現在想過安定的日子了。
2．Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold. 但緊接著他就開始抱怨那里的天氣了。 因為即使那時仍為夏季，但雨總是下個不停，而且常常冷得厲害。
（1）for 在這里為連詞，
為所陳述的事說出原因。它與 because不同，不能用于句首。并且在for后面必須重復主語：
I don't have a car, for I can't afford it.
我沒有車，因為我買不起。
（2）連詞even though引導的是讓步狀語從句，
表示“即使”、“雖然”：
Even though we were very tired, we went on with the work.
雖然我們已非常累了，我們仍然繼續干活。
3．He acted as if be had never lived in England before．他的舉動就好像他從未在英國生活過一樣。
連詞 as if/ though 引導方式狀語從句，通常跟在描述行為舉止的動詞之后，如act, appear, feel, look, smell, sound等后面：
She acted as if she were mad.
她的舉動像瘋了一樣。
It feels as if/ though it's going to rain.
這天氣給人的感覺好像是要下雨。
4．In the end, it was more than he could bear. 最后，他再也忍受不住。
more than在這里表示“超過……的范圍”：
This piece of news is more than I can believe.
我無法相信這條消息。
這種用法與它通常表示“比……更多”的用法稍有不同：
There were more than ten people in the room.
房間里不止10個人。
語法 Grammar in use
過去完成時
在第14課的語法中，我們學習了過去完成時的構成和基本用法。它經常與一般過去時連用，表示在過去某個動作發生前完成的動作：
When I arrived, Jane had left.
我到時，簡已經走了。（走發生在我到達之前）
與過去完成時連用的表示時間的詞或詞組有when, after, as soon as, (not) until, by that time, (never) before, already, for, since, just等，另外它還常與連詞no sooner…than和 hardly…when連用。（cf．詞匯學習）過去完成時不能與副詞ago 連用（ago只能與一般過去時連用）：
He hadn't finished it by yesterday evening.
到昨天晚上他還沒做完。
詞匯學習 Word study
1．no sooner…than與 hardly…when
這兩組連詞意義都與 as soon as相近，但都比 as soon as正式。
它們通常都與過去完成時連用。當 no sooner和 hardly位于句首時，后面的主謂結構都要顛倒順序，即句子變為 no sooner/hardly+助動詞+主語+動詞形式的語序：
He had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there.
他剛一回來便買下了一幢房子住了進去。
No sooner had he returned than he bought a house and went to live there.
（譯文同上）
No sooner had he begun speaking than he was interrupted.
他剛一開始講話就被打斷了。
He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country.
他還沒等安頓下來就賣掉了房子，離開了這個國家。
Hardly had he had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country.
（譯文同上）
Hardly had he got into the bus when it began moving.
他剛剛登上那輛公共汽車它就開了。
no sooner…than與 hardly…when 都是固定詞組， than與when不可混用。
2．country與 countryside
country的意義比較廣，它可以有“國家”、“祖國”或“鄉下”等多種含義：
He had planned to settle down in the country.
他原計劃在鄉下定居。
He sold the house and left the country.
他賣掉房子，離開了這個國家。
country 作“鄉下”講時，
通常與the連用，作“國家”講時則不一定：
We are going to spend the weekend in the country.
我們打算去鄉下過這個周末。
Which country do you come from?
你來自哪個國家？
countryside主要指“農村地區”、“鄉下”：
I grew up in the countryside.
我在農村長大。
3．continuously與 continually
這兩個副詞都與動詞 continue（繼續，持續）有關。它們的區別在于continuously （不斷地，連續地）指動作中間沒有間斷，而continually （頻繁地，反復地）則指動作中間有間斷但又持續很久：
It rained continually.
天總是/頻繁地下雨。（有間斷）
This plane can fly continuously for twenty hours.
這架飛機可以連續飛行20小時。（中間沒有間斷）
Why does he come here continually?
他為什么老是到這里來？
You mustn't watch TV for such a long time continuously.
你不能這么長時間連續地看電視。
Lesson 38 課后練習和答案Exercises and Answer
