新概念英語第二冊Lesson 89 slip of the tongue
First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Who made the only funny joke that evening and why?
People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one. When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come. The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!"
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
slip n. 小錯誤
comedy n. 喜劇
present v. 演出；adj. 出席，到場的
queue v. 排隊
dull adj. 枯燥，無味
artiste n. 藝人
advertiser n. 報幕員
參考譯文
人們總要想盡辦法看不花錢的演出——哪怕是拙劣的演出。當“皮尤”鳥食公司將在我們當?shù)赜霸貉莩鱿矂」?jié)目的消息傳開后，我們都趕緊跑去觀看。我們不得不排了好幾個小時才進得場去。在演出開始前場內肯定已有好幾百人了。不幸的是，這次演出是我們看過的最乏味的演出了。那些沒能進到場內的人沒有必要感到失望，因為很多應該出場的專業(yè)演員都沒有來。那天晚上唯一有趣的事情是節(jié)目開始時那個報幕員的開場白。他顯然非常緊張，局促不安地在麥克風前站了好幾分鐘。但他剛一開口說話，人們便哄堂大笑起來。我們都明白那個可憐的人應該說些什么，而他實際說的卻是：“這是‘浦伊’鳥食公司，好女士們，晚上和先生們！”
自學導讀
課文詳注 Further notes on the text
1．A slip of the tongue，（標題）說走了嘴，失言。
slip在這里表示“不經心的錯誤”、“失誤”、“疏漏”：
You've made some slips (of the pen) in your report.
你的報告中有一些小錯（筆誤）。
When he was nervous, he would sometimes make a slip of tongue.
當他緊張時，他有時就會發(fā)生口誤。
Are you sure that it was just a slip of tongue?
你確信那只是一時口誤嗎？
2．People will do anything to see a free show…人們總要想盡辦法去看不花錢的演出……
anything用于肯定句時表示“不論什么”、“任何事情”，to see a free show表示目的，也可以用for+名詞形式：
He will do anything to save his child's life.
他要想盡辦法挽救他孩子的生命。
He will do anything for the child.
為了這孩子，他干什么都愿意。
3．When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company…當“皮尤”鳥食公司將在我們當?shù)赜霸貉莩鱿矂」?jié)目的消息傳開后……
?。?）when引導的這個時間狀語從句中含有一個同位語從句，即the news that…。由于that引導的同位語從句較長，便與它所修飾的news隔開了，放在謂語動詞之后，以免句子頭重腳輕。同位語從句中用了被動語態(tài)的過去將來時形式。
（2）get round在這里表示消息、謠言等“傳開”（也可以用get around/about）：
The word soon got round that there was buried treasure in that cave.
那個洞里有寶藏的消息很快便傳開了。
Bad news gets round quickly.
壞消息傳得快。
4．…there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began．……在演出開始前場內肯定已有好幾百人了。
Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come.
那些沒能進到場內的人沒有必要感到失望，因為很多應該出場的專業(yè)演員都沒有來。
must+have+過去分詞表示對過去發(fā)生的事進行推測（其否定式為can't+have+過去分詞，cf．第17課語法）；need+have+過去分詞表示過去不必做但實際已做了的事（cf．第41課語法）；should/ought to+have+過去分詞表示本來應該做而實際未做的事（cf．第65課語法）：
He had found five empty whisky bottles which the ghost must have drunk the night before.
他發(fā)現(xiàn)了5只空的威士忌酒瓶子，這肯定是鬼魂前天晚上喝的。
The examiner must have been pleased with my performance.
主考人對我的表現(xiàn)想必是滿意的。
You needn't have said that.
你沒必要這么說。（實際已經說了）
You needn't have told him about my plans.
你本不必把我的打算告訴他。（實際上已告訴了他）
He should have gone along a side street.
他應該走一條小街。（實際上他走了主要街道）
5．As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.
但他剛一開口說話，人們便哄堂大笑起來。
burst out為固定短語，其含義之一為“突然……起來”，后面通常接動名詞，也可以接in/into+名詞：
At the sight of the drunk, everyone burst out laughing/in laughter.
一看見那醉漢，大家便大笑起來。
When she heard that her father had died in the accident, she burst out crying.
當她聽說她父親在那次事故中喪生時便大哭起來。
6．We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was…
我們都明白那個可憐的應該說些什么，而他實際說的卻是……
用should+have+過去分詞表示過去應當做而并沒有做的事時，它后面經常跟but（actually）以形成對比：
I should have left home before 9 o'clock, but actually I didn't.
我本該在9點以前離開家，但實際上我沒有。
You should have written the word‘too’, but what you actually wrote was‘to’.
你本該寫“too”，但實際上你卻寫了“to”。
詞匯學習 Word study
1．free與single
?。?）free可以表示“免費的”、“無償?shù)?rdquo;：
The girl‘gave’her mother a free dress once a week!
那姑娘每星期“送”她母親一件免費的衣服！
She has got some free tickets to the comedy show.
她有這場喜劇表演的一些免費入場券。
free還可以表示“自由的”、“沒束縛的”、“不受控制的”、“空閑的”等含義：
You are free to make your own decision.
你有權作出自己的決定。
I'm free on Friday evening.
我星期五晚上有空。
?。?）single可以指人“單身的”、“獨身的”、“未婚的”：
I enjoy being single.
我喜歡獨身生活。
Are you married or single?
你結婚了還是單身？
There are more and more single women in modern cities.
現(xiàn)代城市里單身女人越來越多了。
a single parent單親（獨自一人養(yǎng)育兒女的父親或母親）
2．queue與row
（1）queue可以作不及物動詞，表示“排隊”：
We had to queue for hours to get in.
我們不得不排了好幾個小時隊才進了場內。
She has to queue for the bus every morning.
她每天早上都得排隊等公共汽車。（通常與for連用）
queue也可以作名詞，表示按順序等待的人、車等的“行列”、“隊”：
There's a long queue/line of people waiting for the bus.
人們排著長隊等公共汽車。
We'd better join the queue for tickets.
我們最好加入買票的隊伍。
?。?）row可以指人或物的“一排”、“一行”，通常為橫的（queue通常為縱隊）：
You can see me in this old photo, standing in the back row.
你可以在這張老照片中找到我，我當時站在后排。
Please put the desks in four rows.
請把課桌擺成4排。
3．funny adj.
（1）funny通常表示“有趣的”、“滑稽的”、“逗人發(fā)笑的”，與amusing同義：
I don't find Jim's jokes very funny.
我并不覺得吉姆的笑話很有趣。
He included a large number of funny stories in his speech.
他在演講詞里面加進了大量逗人的故事。
?。?）在口語中，funny也可以表示“反常的”、“古怪的”、“奇怪的”等含義：
I thought there was something funny about the parcel, so I phoned the police.
我覺得那個包裹有點古怪，所以就給警察打了電話。
This morning I saw her wearing a funny hat which looked like a lightouse.
今天上午我看見她戴了一頂滑稽的、看上去像個燈塔的帽子。
練習答案 Key to written exercises
1．關鍵句型練習答案
C 1 must not 2 need not
D 1 had to go 2 should have gone 3 should begin
2．難點練習答案
A 1 queue 2 single
B (sample sentences)
1 It was so funny that I still laugh whenever I think about it!
2 It's funny (that) he hasn't replied to your letter.
3．多項選擇題答案
1a 2a 3d 4a 5d 6d
7a 8d 9b 10d 11d 12b
