41 Illusions of pastoral peace
The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in towns within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastorals. This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evening in front of the TV---virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selections of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they choose to live in the country where they rightly belong.
If you can do without the few pastoral pleasure of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see you friends. They are invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. They city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting abou the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
Vocabulary
illusion /ɪ'l(j)uːʒ(ə)n/ n.幻想,幻觉
a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses.
pastoral /'pɑːst(ə)r(ə)l/ adj. 牧师的；牧人的；田园生活的；乡村的
n. 牧歌；田园诗；田园景色
(especially of land or a farm) used for or related to the keeping or
grazing of sheep or cattle.
breed /briːd/ v. 繁殖,饲养,产生 n. [生物] 品种；种类，类型
cause (an animal) to produce offspring, typically in a controlled and organized way.
rapture /'ræptʃə/ n. 兴高采烈 vt. 使…狂喜
a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.
extol /ɪk'stəʊl; ek-/ vt. 颂扬；赞美；赞颂
praise enthusiastically.
superior /suːˈpɪərɪə/ adj. 上级的；优秀的，出众的；高傲的
n. 上级，长官；优胜者，高手；长者
higher in rank, status, or quality.
cockcrow /'kɒkkrəʊ/ n. 黎明；鸡叫，公鸡的啼叫
dawn.
twitter /'twɪtə/ n. 微博客，鸟叫声 vt. 吱吱叫；嘁嘁喳喳地讲
a series of short, high-pitched calls or sounds.
(of a bird) give a call consisting of repeated light tremulous sounds.
glint /glɪnt/ n. 闪烁；闪光 vi. 闪烁；（光线）反射；闪闪发光 vt. 使闪光；使发光
pasture /'pɑːstʃə/ n. 草地；牧场；牧草 vt. 放牧；吃草
land covered with grass and other low plants suitable for grazing animals,
especially cattle or sheep.
idyllic /ɪ'dɪlɪk/ adj.牧歌的,田园诗的,悠闲的
(especially of a time or place) like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or
picturesque.
virtually /ˈvəːtʃʊəli/ adv. 事实上，几乎，差不多；实质上
nearly; almost.
dubious /'djuːbɪəs/ adj. 可疑的；暧昧的；无把握的；半信半疑的
hesitating or doubting.
previlege /ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ/ n. 特权；优待 vt. 给与…特权；特免
a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular
person or group of people.
misery ˈ/mɪzərɪ/ n. 痛苦，悲惨；不幸；苦恼；穷困
a state or feeling of great distress or discomfort of mind or body.
acquaintance /ə'kweɪnt(ə)ns/ n. 熟人；相识；了解；知道
a person's knowledge or experience of something.
treat /triːt/ n.难得的乐事,享受
an event or item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure.
"he wanted to take her to the movies as a treat."
dweller /'dwɛlɚ/ n. 居民，居住者
indweller, inhabitant, denizen, habitant
stagger /'stægə/ vt. 蹒跚；使交错；使犹豫
vi. 蹒跚；犹豫
n. 蹒跚；交错安排
adj. 交错的；错开的
an unsteady walk or movement.
"she walked with a stagger."
exotic /ɪg'zɒtɪk; eg-/ adj. 异国的；外来的；异国情调的
originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country.
glow /gləʊ/ vi. 发热；洋溢；绚丽夺目
n. 灼热；色彩鲜艳；兴高采烈
a steady radiance of light or heat.
descend /dɪ'send/ vi. 下降,下去；下来,遗传,屈尊 vt. 下去,沿…向下
move or fall downward.
tuck /tʌk/ vt. 卷起；挤进；用某物舒适地裹住；使有褶裥；收拢；大口吃；使隐藏
n. 食物；船尾突出部；缝摺；抱膝式跳水；活力；鼓声
vi. 缝褶裥；缩拢；舒服地裹在里面；大口吃
push, fold, or turn (the edges or ends of something, especially a garment
or bedclothes) so as to hide them or hold them in place.
obstinately /'abstənitli/ adv. 顽固地；固执地
obdurately, stubbornly, mulishly, pig-headedly
Notes on the text
city born and city bred , 城里生，城里长
这是由 "名词+过去分词"构成的合成形容词，此处作原因状语
go into raptures,变得欣喜若狂起来
at the mere mention of ，一提到....
be under an illusion,作“有一种错觉”讲，that引导的是同位语从句
beyond me，我所无法理解的
do without...， 没有...也行
draw to a close，结束，告终
you never have to make do with second best，你从来不必用二等品来凑合
make do with...，凑合着用
宁静的乡村生活从来没有吸引过我。 我生在城市，长在城市，总认为乡村是透过火车车窗看到的那个样子，或偶尔周末去游玩一下的景象。 我的许多朋友都住在城市，但他们只要一提到乡村，就变得欣喜若狂起来。 尽管他们都交口称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种有点，但其中只有一人真正去过乡村住过，而且不足6个月久回来了。 即使他也仍存有幻觉，好像乡村生活就是比城市生活优越。 他滔滔不绝地大谈友好的农民、洁净的空气、贴近大自然的环境和悠闲的生活节奏。 他坚持认为，凌晨雄鸡第一声啼叫，黎明时分小鸟吱喳欢叫，冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木、牧场，此番美景无与伦比。 但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一个侧面。 我的朋友没有提到电视机前漫长寂寞的冬夜----电视是唯一的娱乐形式。 他也不说商店货物品种单调，以及那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城市里工作的不幸的人们。 人们为什么情愿每天在路上奔波4小时去换取值得怀疑的乡村间的优点，这是我无法理解的。 要是它们愿意住在本来就属于他们的城市，则可以让他们省去诸多不便与节约大量开支。
如果你愿意舍弃乡下生活那么一点点乐趣的话，那么你会发现城市可以提供生活中最美好的东西。 你去看你去看根本不用跋涉好几英里，因为他们都住在附近，你随时可以同他们聊天或在晚上一起娱乐。 我在乡村有一些熟人，他们每年进城来看一回或几回戏，并把此作为一种特殊的享受。 看戏在他们是件大事，需要精心计划。当戏快演完时，他们又为能否赶上末班火车回家而发愁。 这种焦虑，城市人时从未体验过的。坐公共汽车几站路，就可以看到最新的展览、电影、戏剧。 买东西也是种乐趣。 物品种类繁多，从来不必用二等品来凑合。 乡村人进城采购欣喜若狂，每次回家时都买足了外来商品，直到拿不动方才罢休，连走路都是摇摇晃晃。 城市也并非没有良辰美景。 寒冷潮湿的冬天夜里，广告灯箱发出的暖光，会给人某种安慰。 周末当成千上万进城上班的人回到他们的乡间寓所之后，空旷的街道笼罩着一种宁静的气氛，没有什么能比此时的宁静更令人难忘了。 城里人对这一切心里很明白，却偏要执拗地装出他们喜欢住在乡村的样子，这对我来说一直是个谜。
Comprehension
- What is the main difference between the writer and most of his friends ?
(a) They often visit the country but he only spend one week there.
(b) Unlike them,being brought up in the city,he can appreciate its worth.
(c) In contrast to them,he finds city people friendlier than country people.
(d) He thinks them hypocritical to maintain a preference for country life.
(
/,hɪpə'krɪtɪkl
think sb. hypocritical / 认为某人很虚伪
maintain a preference for sth. 坚持一种想法
)
2.What advantage has the city dweller over the country dweller in terms of entertainment?
(a) He can entertain his country friends more often than they can him.
(b) His choice of entertainment is wider and within easy reach of him.
(c) As he travels by bus and not by train,he can see the latest plays.
(d) He does not need a major operation when planning a visit the the theatre.
( have advantage over sb./sth 比...更具有优势
within reach of sb. 方便，容易到达
)
- When he speaks of the beauty to be found in the city,the writer _____
(a) alludes to the comparative cheerlessness of the winter nights in the country.
(b) means that if more people settle in the city they would find peace.
(c) advertises that fact that the city is a warmer place than the country.
(d) implies that the country is less peaceful than the city in the weekends.
(allude to = mean )
Structure
-
I _____ and bred in the city and have always regarded..
(a) being born (b) had been born (c) was born (d) am born -
He _____ talking about the friendly people...
(a) never tires of (b) is never tiring of (c) is never tired (d) is never tiring when
( tire of 厌倦 )
- The latest exhibitions, films or plays are only ______.
(a) by bus a short distance away. (b) a short distance by bus away
(c) a short distance away by bus (d) the distance of a short bus away
7.-and stagger home loaded with _________ exotic items as they can carrry.
(a) as many of the (b) as many
(c) so many (d) the most
( many of the 许多物品中的许多)
- I have always been mystified _______ city dweller, who ...
(a) why (b) by the fact that
(c) for what (d) with
（ be mytisfied by 被....所迷惑，被....所困扰 ）
Vocabulary
- _______ the only form of entertainment
(a) pretty well (b) altogether
(c) certainly (d) in particular
（
virtually 几乎,== almost,nearly
altogether 总共，完全
certainly 肯定的，当然的
in particular 尤其是
）
-
If you can ______ without the few pastoral pleasures of the country..
(a) make (b) manage
(c) succeed (d) pass
( do ... without , go ... without , manage ... without ) -
As the play _______ .
(a) reaches its climax (b) near its end
(c) ends its run (d) draws the curtain
(
near its end 临近尾声==draw to its close
reaches its climax 达到高潮
) -
Few things can have such an _______ at the peace ...
(a) impact (b) imposition
(c) imprint (d) impression
(
imposition 强人所难
impose v.强加
imprint n.印记，印痕, v.加印记，加印痕
impression n. 印象
)
