He is therefore forgiven if late for a dinner party.

He is therefore forgiven if (he is) late for a dinner party.^课文补全

状语从句的省略 ^{状语从句中如果满足以下两个条件}

1. 状语从句的主语与主句主语一致。
2. 状语从句的谓语包含 be 动词。

例外：如果状语从句的主语是虚指的主语 it ，这个时候就可以把 be 动词和主语 it 同时省略，可以不考虑主句主语统一。

• Metals expand when (they are) heated and contract when (they are) cooled. ^时间
• Francis Preston Blair Jr., although (he was) born in Kentucky, lived and practiced in Missouri.  ^让步
• Judges, however wise or eminent (they are), are human and can make mistakes. 
• While (he was) on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman.
• We’ll resolve the Vladivostok issue with peaceful means when (it is) ever possible, with force when (it is) necessary. ^{从句的主语是虚指的主语 it} 

But people are often reproached for unpunctuality when their only fault is cutting things fine.

cut things fine ^{时间不留余地，掐钟点}

• He cut things fine by reaching the classroom only 20 seconds before the bell rang.
• They cut things fine by arriving just a minute before the meeting started. ^{他们在会议开始前一分钟才到，时间抓得很紧。}

It is hard for energetic, quick-minded people to waste time, so they are often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep an appointment.

be / feel tempted to do ^很想…

• I feel tempted to take a day off.
• Several times since, she has been tempted to ring him up. Her pride, however, would not let her to do so.
• I was tempted to skip the meeting and stay at home. ^{我很想跳过会议，待在家里。}

set out to do ^{begin a job, task, etc . with a particular aim or goal 带着目的去做某事}

• The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but he took a long time to send them.
• Dmitri at once set out to find the thief.
• The government set out to destroy the organization root and branch. ^{政府着手完全彻底地摧毁这个组织。}
• The band is now setting out to conquer the world. ^{这支乐队现在要去征服世界。}
• This is what you have been setting out to do in your other lives, in your past existences. ^{这正是你在你以往其他轮回中所设定要做的。}
  

have an appointment ^{有约（事务）}

• I have an appointment with my lawyer tomorrow. ^{我明天和律师有个约会。}
• She has an appointment with her accountant. ^{她和她的会计师有个约会。}
• I guess he already has an appointment with him right? ^{我想他是跟他约好了是吧？}

If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tyres, diversions of traffic, sudden descent of fog, they will be on time.

a flat / burst / punctured + tyre / tire ^…的轮胎

• I got a flat tyre on the way to work this morning. ^{今天早上上班途中，我的轮胎瘪了。}
• The driver lost control when a tire burst. ^{一只轮胎爆裂时司机失去了控制。}
• The tire punctured a mile from home. ^{在离家一英里处车胎被扎破了。}

diversion ^{n. (BrE.)} = detour ^{(AmE.) a different way that traffic is sent when the usual roads are closed （交通）改道}

• They turned back because of traffic diversions. 
•  He did not take the direct route to his home, but made a detour around the outskirts of the city. ^{他没有直接回家，而是在市郊绕了一段路。}
• A slight diversion in the road is causing major headaches for businesses along El Camino Real. ^{马路上的一小段绕行道让国王大道沿街的商家十分头疼。}

come down / descend ^下降

• A dense fog came down / descended in the afternoon. 
• The pilots were told to descend to 2-2,000 feet. ^{飞行员被告知要将飞机下降到2-2000英尺。}
• Clouds had come down and it was starting to drizzle. ^{云压了下来，开始下起了毛毛雨。}

lift / clear / disperse ^雾散

• The fog had lifted / cleared / dispersed by late morning. 
• The heavy fog didn't lift until noon. ^{到中午时分，大雾才消散。}
• Patches of fog will clear by mid-morning. ^{上午十时左右，团团浓雾将散去。}
• The fog began to disperse. ^{雾开始散了。}

They are often more industrious, useful citizens than those who are never late.

industrious ^{adj.勤劳的，勤奋的}

• We are industrious, creative beings. ^{我们是勤勉的，有创造力的人类。}
• They are known for their industrious nature. ^{它们因为勤劳的天性而出名。}
• Not only is he industrious, but he is also imaginative. ^{他不但勤奋，而且富有想象力。}
• We are more mellow, patient and industrious than men. ^{我们比男人更加柔美、更加耐心，也更加任劳任怨。}

The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual. ^同级比较

be a trail to sb. ^{令某人头疼讨厌}

• She was a trail to her parents when she was younger. 
• The constant noise from the construction site has been a real trial to the neighbors. ^{建筑工地的噪音一直让邻居们十分头疼。}
• Her unpredictable mood swings were a trial to everyone around her. ^{她那反复无常的情绪让身边的所有人都感到头疼。}
• Managing the team’s frequent delays has been a trial to the project leader. ^{处理团队的频繁延误对项目负责人来说是一件头疼的事。}
• The long commute to work every day is a trial to him. ^{每天长时间的通勤对他来说真是件令人头疼的事。}
• Dealing with his constant complaints has become a trial to the customer service team. ^{应对他不断的投诉已经成了客服团队的一大难题。}

as much as ... ^{和…一样；就等于…}

• That is as much as to say I am a liar.
• I hope you have as much fun as I did. 
• He is as much a bore as his father.
• She is as much a beauty as her mother.
• I've made as much as I've spent. ^{我挣的和花的一样多。}
• That was as much as ten years ago. ^{那和十年前一样多。}

The guest who arrives half an hour too soon is the greatest nuisance.

… too early / soon ^早了…

• He arrived ten minutes too early.
• She considers that it is too early to form a definite conclusion. ^{她认为现在下确切的结论还为时过早。}
• He exulted too soon. ^{他高兴得太早了。}
• It's too soon to give a definite answer. ^{现在给予明确答复还为时尚早。}

nuisance ^{n. a thing, person or situation that is annoying or causes trouble or problems 令人讨厌的人或事}

• I don't want to be a nuisance so tell me if you want to be alone.
• He could be a bit of a nuisance when he was drunk. ^{他喝醉时会是一个有点令人讨厌的人。}
• Sorry to be a nuisance. ^{对不起，麻烦一下。}

Some friends of my family had this irritating habit.

irritating = annoying ^{adj.令人恼火的，令人烦躁的}

• You must have found my attitude annoying.  ^{你一定觉得我的态度让人烦。}
• They also have the irritating habit of interrupting. ^{他们也有打断别人这个令人恼火的习惯。}
• She had an irritating habit of repeating everything I said to her. ^{她有个令人恼火的毛病，就是把我对她说的每一件事都告诉别人。}

The only thing to do was ask them to come half an hour later than the other guests.

动词不定式做表语时 ^{若前面出现了实义动词 “do”，则常去掉 “to”} 

• All I have to do is （to）dream.
• The best thing you can do now is （to）write her an apology.
•  All I wanted was to help him.
• The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas—legends handed down from one generation of story-tellers to another.

语法：动词不定式做“except / but”的宾语时, 表示“除了…之外”，若前面出现了实义动词 “do”, 则常去掉“to”