高中新概念英语第三册-Lesson24（课文）

　　Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”

　　We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard '. At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.

　　It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.

　　Language points

　　(Attention： The following points are not covered by the video. It is better for you to watch the video or listen to the MP3 first and try to take notes on your own. Then you may check here to get more details. )

　　1, We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years

　　how引导宾语从句

　　has some terrible secret

　　which 引导的定语从句，修饰说明secret

　　seemingly: 9=from appearence )从表⾯上看来，

　　a seemingly respectable person:表⾯上受尊重的⼈

　　2, At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.

　　ruin 泛指概念，表⽰毁坏的过程不是⼀下完成的 (spoil )

　　The rain ruined / spoiled our holiday.

　　destroy: 把凭借某种外⼒来破坏和摧毁事物，完全摧毁

　　The earthquake destroyed almost entired city.

　　damage: 侧重强调把…弄坏，但是可以修复

　　3， The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands

　　one's hair stands on end :某⼈感到⽑⾻悚然的

　　I thought I was alone in my room until I heard the mysterious noice again, and my hair stands on .

　　4, It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction

　　occur: 某个事件出乎意料的发⽣(正式)

　　happen:

　　⼀个事件出乎意料发⽣　　take place: 事件根据安排“举⾏”

　　Eg.: When did the accident happen / occur?

　　It occured to me that / to do.

　　It occured to me to open the window.

　　When will the wedding take place

　　5, To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn

　　learn: 了解某个事实，学习某种知识、技能

　　know: 知道某个事实，具有某⽅⾯的知识、技能，认识、了解某个⼈(状态动词，不能⽤于进⾏时态)

　　I learned that I had passed the test.

　　She knows about computers.

　　She is learning about computers.

　　instead of + doing----表⽰相反、没有、取⽽代之的是.......

　　6, I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.

　　stood in front of sth. petrified: 站在…前，⽬瞪⼝呆

　　frightened: 在某个特定的场合下，受到惊吓

　　terrified:表⽰惊吓的程度，更加强烈，感到恐怖

　　afraid (of ): 表⽰⼀种状态，永久性的恐惧

　　7, The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.

　　it gave me the impression that:给某⼈以印象

　　make a lasting impression on sb: 给某⼈以不可磨灭的印象

　　have a false impression of sb: 对某⼈有错误的看法

　　give sb impression that: 给某⼈印象

　　impress sb with sth ⽤…给某⼈留下印象.

　　8, The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.

　　be about to do sth.: 即将，就要。暗⽰动作即将发⽣(多与when连⽤)

　　I was about to go to bed when there was a knock at the door.

　　Key structures

　　定语从句(三)

　　定语从句⼜分为限定性定语从句和⾮限定性定语从句。

　　限定性定语从句把它的先⾏词限定在特定的意义之内，对先⾏词起限定的作⽤、是先⾏词必不可少的修饰语，没有它，整个句⼦的意思就会受到影响、就不完整。

　　⾮限定性定语从句不对先⾏词起限定的作⽤，不是先⾏词必不可少的修饰语，只对先⾏词起补充说明的作⽤，没有它，整个句⼦的意思不会受到影响、仍然完整。⾮限定性定语从句相当于⼀个分句，翻译时也是把它当作分句处理的。⾮限定性定语从句和它的先⾏词之间要⽤逗号隔开;⽽限定性定语从句和它的先⾏词之间不能⽤逗号隔开。⾮限定性定语从句中除了不⽤that以外，其它关系词都可使⽤，使⽤⽅法与限定性定语从句⼀样

　　例如：The supermarket which was opened two months ago is now closed down　　两个⽉前开的那家超市现在已经倒闭了。(限定)

　　⼤家学得怎么样?我们来测试⼀下吧!(选择题每题5HY,翻译题每题15HY)

　　Exercises

　　Multiple choices

　　1 In what respect does fact differ from fiction concerning the secrets that people keep to themselves?

　　a. They are rarely so terrible as to ruin out reputations if revealed.

　　b. People’s closest friends do not even suspect them of having them.

　　c. People who have ‘skeletons in the cupboard’ are rarely found out.

　　d. People who have skeletons in their cupboards are very proud of the fact

　　2 Before opening the cupboard door, the writer had _____ .

　　a. unpacked and gone down for dinner

　　b. changed into some new clothes

　　c. put his shirts and his underwear in a couple of drawers

　　d. hung one of the two suits he had brought with him

　　Translation

　　3，She is a respectable young woman from a good famliy.

　　4，他突然做了⼀个夸张的动作。

　　5，学校毁于⼀场⼤⽕。

　　以下句⼦翻译后请指明是限定还是⾮限定

　　6，The book(which) you’re reading is mine .

　　7，The supermarket, which was opened two months ago, is now closed down

　　8，The book, which you’re reading, is mine