Lesson 49 The ideal servant理想的仆人并列句 部分倒装

It is a good thing my aunt Harriet died years ago.

It is a good thing (that) … ^幸亏…

• It is a good thing that we brought an umbrella.

If she were alive today she would not be able to air her views on her favourite topic of conversation: domestic servants.

If + S. + did / were …, S. + would / should / could / might + do …  ^{与现在事实相反的虚拟语气}

• they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds, if it were not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals. 
• if you ate more and talked less, we would both enjoy our dinner!
• The tunnel would be well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above sea level.

air ^{v. to express your opinions publicly 公开表达…}

• air one’s views / opinions / grievances / complaints (on …) ^{公开表达…}
• In an interview, the singer aired his views on family life.

At the meeting everyone will get a chance to air their views on the current situation. ^{在会上每个人都将有机会当前的局势发表看法。}

topic ^话题

• a topic of conversation / discussion / debate ^{一个交谈的/讨论的/辩论的话题}
• a sensitive / controversial topic ^{一个敏感的/引人争议的话题}

domestic servant   ^家仆

• A person employed to help, especially a farm worker or domestic servant.^{佣人， 雇工被雇佣来帮忙的人，尤指农场工人或家庭仆役。}

Aunt Harriet lived in that leisurely age when servants were employed to do housework.

leisurely ^{adj. & adv. done without hurrying 悠闲的/地，从容的/地}

• a leisurely bath / meal / stroll ^悠闲地…
• Couples strolled leisurely along the beach.

do (the) housework ^{表达“做家务”}

• do (the) household chores

She had a huge, rambling country house called 'The Gables'.

ramble ^闲逛 → rambling ^散乱的

• What is she rambling on about now? ^{她现在又在东拉西扯些什么呀？}
• Prune rambling roses when the flowers have faded. ^{花儿已经凋谢了的时候，修剪那些凌乱的蔷薇。}
• His actions were accompanied by a rambling monologue. ^{他的行动伴随着一串冗长含糊的独白。}
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. ^{在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。}

She was sentimentally attached to this house, for even though it was far too big for her needs, she persisted in living there long after her husband's death.

be attached to sb. / sth. ^{（感情上联系到一起）依恋}

to like someone or something very much, because you have known them or had them for a long time ^依恋…

• I've never seen two people so attached to each other. 
• The children are very attached to their grandparents.
• We've grown deeply attached to this house and would hate to move. 
• I am sentimentally attached to my old guitar.

much / far too … ^{（加强语气）实在是太…}

• Alice is far too young to get married. 
• He is finding his new work far more exciting.
• These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than people who work in offices.

persist ^{v. 含义1. to continue to do sth. in spite of difficulties or opposition, in a way that can seem unreasonable 坚持，执意}

• I will persist until I succeed.^{我会坚持不懈，直到成功。}
• Achievement only belongs to those who persist in their dreams.^{坚持梦想的人才能成功。}
• You should persist in your dream no matter what difficulties you meet.^{无论你遇到了什么困难，你都应该坚持自己的梦想。}

persist ^{v. 含义2. if sth. bad persists, it continues to exist or happen（坏事）持续（存在或发生）}

• If the pain persists, you must see a doctor.
• Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against community, still persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.

shortly before / after … ^{在…之前/之后不久}

• The accident happened shortly before midday. 
• I saw him shortly before he died.
• Police arrived at the scene shortly after midnight.
• Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to celebrate. 

Before she grew old, aunt Harriet used to entertain lavishly.

entertain ^{v. to invite people to eat or drink with you as your guests, especially in your home（在家中）宴客}

• I don't entertain very often.
• Bob and Liz entertained us to dinner last night. 

lavish ^{adj. very generous 慷慨的，大方的}

• He staged the most lavish productions of Mozart.  ^{他举办了最盛大的莫扎特作品演奏会。}
• The apartment building was lavishly decorated. ^{这幢公寓楼装修豪华。}
•  Critics attack his lavish spending and flamboyant style. ^{批评家们抨击他的挥霍无度和过分夸张的作风。}
• Reviewers are lavish in their praise of this book. ^{评论家们对于这本书大加赞赏。}

I often visited The Gables when I was a boy.

No matter how many guests were present, the great house was always immaculate.

be present ^到场的

• Neither synchronization method is present. ^{未提供任何一种同步方法。}
• John was present at the birth of both his children. ^{约翰的两个孩子出生时他均在场。}
• No one was present. ^{没有人在场。}

immaculate = spotless ^{adj. very clean and tidy 一尘不染的}

• Her kitchen was kept immaculate. ^{她的厨房保持得一尘不染。}
• She always looks immaculate. ^{她总是打扮得干净利落。}
• The goalie's performance was immaculate. ^{守门员的表现完美无缺。}
• Mr. Jorgensen was an immaculate dresser. ^{乔根森先生是个衣着考究的人。}

The parquet floors shone like mirrors; highly polished silver was displayed in gleaming glass cabinets; even my uncle's huge collection of books was kept miraculously free from dust.

parquet ^{n. [U] small flat blocks of wood fitted together in a pattern that cover the floor of a room 镶木地板}

• a parquet floor

silver = silverware ^{n. spoons, forks, dishes etc that are made of silver 银器，银餐具}

• It was my job to polish the silver. 

gleam ^{v. shine softly 发出柔和的光}

• He had polished the table-top until it gleamed. 
• gleaming windows
• his gleaming white teeth

cabinet ^{n.piece of furniture with drawers or shelves for storing or displaying things 储藏柜}

• She looked in the medicine cabinet and found some aspirin. ^{她在药橱中翻看了一下，找到几片阿司匹林。}
• The china was displayed in a glass cabinet.^{瓷器陈列在玻璃柜里。}
• She secreted the gun in the kitchen cabinet.^{她把枪藏在了厨房的橱柜里。}

miraculous ^{adj. like a miracle; completely unexpected and very lucky 奇迹般的}

• A teenage boy had a miraculous escape from death last night when he fell into an ice-cold river. 
• They miraculously survived the plane crash.

Aunt Harriet presided over an invisible army of servants that continuously scrubbed, cleaned, and polished.

preside over … ^掌管…

• He presided over the company for 10 years.
• Some people believe the Fates preside over man’s destiny.

army ^{n.a large number of people who are doing the same thing or in the same situation 一大群人….}

• Creating a future army of coders is not the sole purpose of the classes.^{培养一大批未来的程序员并不是这些课程的唯一目标。}
• An army of ants marched across the path.^{一大群蚂蚁浩浩荡荡地穿过小径。}

scrub ^{v. clean sth. thoroughly by rubbing hard, esp. with a brush and soap and water 彻底擦洗某物}

• The walls needed a good scrub. ^{这些墙需要一次好好的刷洗。}
• Surgeons began to scrub their hands and arms with soap and water before operating. ^{外科医生们在手术前开始用肥皂和水清洗他们的手和手臂。}
•  I started to scrub off the dirt. ^{我开始用力擦除污物。}

She always referred to them as 'the shifting population', for they came and went with such frequency that I never even got a chance to learn their names.

refer to A as B ^{表达“把A看成B”}

• People who work in offices are frequently referred to as 'white-collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work.
• She refers to her hometown as the best place in the world. ^{她把她的家乡称为世界上最好的地方。}

shifting ^{adj. always changing or moving 不停变化或移动的}

• The Croatian town of Ilok is a classic case of shifting populations. ^{伊洛卡的克罗地亚小镇就是人口不停流动的典型例子。}
• There is stir and life, and shifting colour everywhere. ^{到处是活动和生气，到处是变幻的色彩。}
• Game theory is pressed into service in studies of shifting international alliances. ^{博弈论被用于研究不断变化的国际联盟。}

… so frequently that … ^{（写法替换）}

• ...they came and went so frequently that I never even...

learn (of / about) sth. ^{to become aware of sth. by hearing about it from sb. else 获悉，得知}

• I learnt of her arrival from a close friend.
• How did they react when they learned the news?

Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days, an enlightened policy, in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please.

enlightened ^{adj. someone with enlightened attitudes has sensible, modern views and treats people fairly and kindly 开明的}

• an enlightened policy / attitude …
• His words have enlightened me.^{他的一番话使我开了窍。}
• The teacher's words made me at once become enlightened.^{老师的一席话使我顿开茅塞。}

domestic / medical / nursing / teaching / engineering / administrative staff^{（全体人员）}

• The domestic staff ensures that the household runs smoothly.^{家政人员确保家庭运转顺利。}
• The medical staff at the hospital is available 24/7.^{医院的医务人员24小时待命。}
  The nursing staff provides essential care to the patients.^{护理人员为病人提供基本护理。}
• The teaching staff at the school is highly qualified.^{这所学校的教学人员资质很高。}
• The engineering staff is responsible for maintaining the equipment.^{工程人员负责维护设备。}
• The administrative staff handles all the paperwork and office management.^{行政人员负责所有文书工作和办公室管理。}

While she always criticized the fickleness of human nature, she carried on an unrelenting search for the ideal servant to the end of her days, even after she had been sadly disillusioned by Bessie.

fickle ^{adj. often changing 反复无常的，多变的}

• a fickle lover ^花心情人
• the fickle finger of fate ^{（押韵）命运多变}

carry on sth. ^{to continue doing, pursuing, or operating 持续做某事，一直做某事}

• We have carried on a correspondence for years. 
• He carried on his baking business until he retired. 

unrelenting ^{adj. 非常坚决的，不屈不挠的}

• ...an unrelenting downpour of rain.  ^{…一场下不停的倾盆大雨。}
• The heat was unrelenting. ^{炎热没有减弱的迹象。}
• This time our chase will be unrelenting. ^{这一次我们将追踪到底。}

be disillusioned with / by … ^{对某人某事大失所望、幻想破灭}

• I'm disillusioned with my work. ^{我对这份工作很失望。}
• Coverdale quickly becomes disillusioned with farm work. ^{科弗代尔对农业劳动的幻想很快就破灭了。}
• As she grew older, Laura became increasingly disillusioned with politics.
• I feel utterly disillusioned by his refusal to take any action.

be very / extremely / completely / utterly / increasingly / sadly disillusioned with / by …^{（副词修饰）}

• She was very disillusioned with the lack of support from her colleagues. ^{她对同事们缺乏支持感到非常失望。}
• He became extremely disillusioned by the government's broken promises. ^{他对政府的失信承诺感到极其失望。}
• They were completely disillusioned with the education system. ^{他们对教育系统彻底失望了。}
• She felt utterly disillusioned by the reality of the situation. ^{她对现实情况感到完全失望。}
• The public is increasingly disillusioned with the political process. ^{公众对政治进程越来越失望。}
• He was sadly disillusioned by his friend's betrayal. ^{他对朋友的背叛感到痛心失望。}

Bessie worked for Aunt Harriet for three years.

work for ^为…工作

• He's gone to work for the opposition. ^{他去为竞争对手工作了。}
• There's masses of work for her to do. ^{她有一大堆的工作去做。}
• He got work for a while detailing cars. ^{他找到一个清洗汽车的临时工作。}
• I still do a certain amount of work for them. ^{我仍旧为他们做一定数量的工作。}
• Even unpaid work for charity is better than nothing. ^{甚至无偿的慈善工作也好过没事可做。}
• She treats the people who work for her as her equals. ^{她以平等的身份对待为她工作的人。}

During that time she so gained my aunt's confidence, that she was put in charge of the domestic staff.

be in charge of … ^管理…

• Peter is in charge of the company.
• Peter was put in charge of the company. ^被动

Aunt Harriet could not find words to praise Bessie's industriousness and efficiency.

could not find words to ... ^{表达“无法描述”}

• I cannot find words to describe the beauty of the West Lake. 
• The beauty of the West Lake is beyond words / description.
• The beauty of the West Lake defies description. ^{(defy v. 使…不可能)} 
• The beauty of the West Lake is more than words can describe. 

industrious ^{adj. 勤劳的}

•  the industrious ant
• She was an industrious and willing worker.  ^{她是个勤劳肯干的工人。}

In addition to all her other qualifications, Bessie was an expert cook.

in addition to …  ^{表达“除了…之外，还有…”}

• In addition to headaches, you may develop stomach ulcers as well. ^{除了头痛，你还可能患上胃溃疡。}
• In addition to these arrangements, extra ambulances will be on duty until midnight. ^{除了这些安排以外，另增救护车值班至午夜。}
• In addition to basic salary, there's a list of extra benefits. ^{除了基本工资外，还有一系列额外福利。}
• In addition to intelligence, they also symbolize affluence and wealth. ^{除了智慧，它们也象征着富足和财富。}

except ... / except for ... ^{表达“除了…（排除掉）”}

• Everyone was invited to the party except John. ^{除了约翰，其他人都被邀请参加聚会。}
• Nobody speaks except for one man.^{除了一个人没人说话。}
• I had nothing on except for my socks.^{我除了短袜什么都没穿。}

what is more / what’s more  ^{表达“此外、而且、还”：（副词短语）}

• He could not find his fifty pence piece anywhere, and what is more, he could not get his arm out. 
• You're wrong, and what's more you know it! ^{你错了！而且你明明知道你错了！}
• What's more, it is free! ^{而且，它是免费的！}

expert ^{adj. showing special skill or knowledge 熟练的，专家水平的}

• an expert gardener / driver
• The Japanese are expert at lowering manufacturing costs. ^{日本人在降低生产成本方面很在行。}

She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before Aunt Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'.

play / perform / act (the role / part of) … ^{扮演…的角色}

• He played / performed / acted (the role / part of) Othello.
• She played the role of Juliet in the school play.^{她在学校的戏剧中扮演了朱丽叶的角色。}
• He performed the part of Hamlet with great emotion.^{他非常投入地扮演了哈姆雷特的角色。}
• The actor acts the part of a villain in the movie.^{这位演员在电影中扮演反派角色。}

before ^{1).强调主句的时间很长时,译为“才”}

• It will be a long time before we meet again.
• She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before Aunt Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'.
• Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.

before ^{2).强调主句的时间很短时,译为“就”}

• I hadn’t waited long before he came. 

before ^{3).有时候翻译成“然后”}

• I shaved before I went to the party.
• Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney. 

weakness ^{含义1. 懦弱, 软弱 [U]}

• So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. ——John F. Kennedy

weakness ^{含义2. 弱点, 缺点 [C]}

• In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.

After being absent from The Gables for a week, my aunt unexpectedly returned one afternoon with a party of guests and instructed Bessie to prepare dinner.

be absent from … ^{不在…某个地方}

• They were pointedly absent from the news conference.^{他们有意缺席了那场新闻发布会。}
• I don't know the reason why you were absent from the meeting.^{我不知道你为什么缺席会议。}
• Love was totally absent from his childhood.^{他童年时根本没有得到过爱。}
• The pictures, too, were absent from the walls.^{那些照片也不在那些墙上了。}

party ^{n. 一群; 一队; 一组}

• a search / rescue party
• a party of tourists / sightseers
• The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter.

prepare / cook / fix dinner ^做晚饭

• She started to prepare dinner early in the evening.^{她傍晚早早就开始准备晚餐了。}
• He loves to cook dinner for his family on weekends.^{他喜欢在周末为家人做晚餐。}
• I’ll fix dinner tonight, so you can relax.^{今晚我来做晚饭，你可以放松一下。}

Not only was the meal well below the usual standard, but Bessie seemed unable to walk steadily.

not only … but … ^{表达“不但…而且…”}

• She is not only smart but kind. ^{她不仅聪明，而且善良。}

Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well. 

well ^{adv.a lot, or to a great degree 相当地，颇为，…得多}

• well before / after / over / above / below / worth …
• I don't know how old he is, but he looks well over forty. 
• Pete left the party well before you got there.
• The castle is well worth a visit. 

above / below (the) standard ^{高于/低于标准}

• Your work is above / below (the) standard. 

She bumped into the furniture and kept mumbling about the guests.

mumble ^{v. to say something too quietly or not clearly enough, so that people cannot hear what is said 小声咕哝}

• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

When she came in with the last course -- a huge pudding -- she tripped on the carpet and the pudding went flying through the air, narrowly missed my aunt, and crashed on the dining table with considerable force.

course ^一道菜

• The lunch was excellent, especially the first course. ^{午饭非常好吃，尤其是第一道菜。}
• The main course was roast duck. ^{主菜是烤鸭。}

trip / stumble over / on sth. ^{在…上绊倒}

• He tripped / stumbled over / on a rock. 

flying through ^{飞也似的穿过}

• Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade.
• Seeing a cake flying through the air, a lorry driver who was drawing up alongside the car, pulled up all of a sudden.

narrowly miss ^{勉强错过、险些撞上}

• The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense walk of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her.

Though this caused great mirth among the guests, Aunt Harriet was horrified.

mirth ^{n. [U] (fml.) happiness and laughter 欢笑}

• Her body began to shake with mirth.
• The performance produced much mirth among the audience. 
• That caused considerable mirth amongst pupils.

She reluctantly came to the conclusion that Bessie was drunk.

draw / come to / arrive at / reach a conclusion ^得出结论

• After analyzing the data, the scientists were able to draw a conclusion.^{在分析数据后，科学家们得出了结论。}
• After much discussion, they came to the conclusion that the project was feasible.^{经过多次讨论，他们得出了项目可行的结论。}
• The jury arrived at a conclusion after several hours of deliberation.^{陪审团经过数小时的讨论后得出了结论。}
• The investigation reached a conclusion after gathering all the evidence.^{在收集了所有证据后，调查得出了结论。}

bring … to a conclusion ^使…结束

• In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences — most of them wildly improbable.

The guests had, of course, realized this from the moment Bessie opened the door for them and, long before the final catastrophe, had had a difficult time trying to conceal their amusement.

catastrophe ^{n.灾难，灾祸；麻烦，困境；惨败}

• The telephone rings and this marks the prelude to an unforeseen series of catastrophes. 
• From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe.  ^{从各个方面来看，战争都会是一场灾难。}
• Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe. ^{提前发出的洪水水位上涨警报防止了又一次的重大灾害。}

have a difficult / hard time doing ^{做某事很困难}

• She had a difficult time adjusting to the new environment. ^{她在适应新环境时遇到了困难。}
• He had a hard time understanding the instructions. ^{他在理解这些指令时很吃力。}

The poor girl was dismissed instantly.

instantly ^{adv.立刻，马上}

• The man was killed instantly. ^{那人立即被杀死了。}
• I was instantly branded as a rebel. ^{我立刻被归为造反者。}
• I recognized it instantly and felt a quiver of panic. ^{我立刻认出它了，感到一阵惊恐的颤抖。}

After her departure, Aunt Harriet discovered that there were piles of empty wine bottles of all shapes and sizes neatly stacked in what had once been Bessie's wardrobe.

… of all shapes and sizes ^{各种形状的}

• Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory.

They had mysteriously found their way there from the wine cellar!

find one’s way ^{1.（人做主语）找到去…的路；2.（事物做主语）到达……}

• Very few of the fifty pence pieces and pound coins I have given him have found their way there.