2.【Unit-1】Text-I--Notes-from-a-Small-Island

【Unit1】TextINotesfromaSmallIsland1NotesfromaSmallIsland1BillBryson2【1】MyfirstsightofEnglandwasonafoggyMarchnightin1973whenIarrivedonthemidnightferry3fromCalais4.Fortwentyminutes,theterminalareawasNotes:1NotesfromaSmallIsland:ItisahumoroustravelbookontheUnitedKingdombyAmericanauthorBillBryson,firstpublishedin1995.ThetextistakenfromthePrologueofthebook.NotesfromasmallIslandwaswrittenwhentheauthorhaddecidedtomovebacktohisnativeUnitedStatesbutwantedtotakeonefinaltriparoundGreatBritain,whichhadbeenhishomeforovertwentyyears.In2003,BritishpeoplechosethisbookastheonewhichbestsumsupBritishidentityandthestateofthenation.2BillBryson:BillBrysonwasbornintheUnitedStatesin1951andstartedworkingasajournalistinEnglandin1977.BrysoneventuallybecamechiefsubeditorofthebusinesssectionofTheTimes,andthendeputynationalnewseditorofthebusinesssectionofTheIndependent.Heleftjournalismin1987andstartedwritingindependently.BrysonreturnedtotheUnitedStatesin1995andcamebacktoEnglandin2003.InthebookNotesfromaSmallIsland,Brysonprovideshistoricalinformationontheplaceshevisits,expressesamazementattheheritageinBritain,andreflectsonthehumbleself-effacingfortitudeofBritishpeopleundertryingtimessuchastheWorldWarsandGreatDepression,aswellasthevariouspeculiaritiesofBritain.“Brysonisunparalleledinhisabilitytocutacultureoffatthekneesinawaythatissohumorousandsoaffectionatethatthosebeingridiculedarelaughingtoohardtotakeoffense.”–TheWallStreetJournalonTheLifeandTimesoftheThunderboltKid“Brysonhasbecomeanenormouslypopulartravelwriterbycomingoffasthemostliteratetourguideyou’veeverhad.”–TheNewYorkTimes3ferry:Aferryisaboatthattransportspassengersandsometimesalsovehicles,usuallyacrossriversorshortstretchesofsea.渡船；渡轮4Calais:CalaisissituatedonthenorthcoastofFranceandistheclosestFrenchtowntotheUnitedKingdom–about90minutesbyferrytoDover,atownandmajor【Unit1】TextINotesfromaSmallIsland2aswarm5withactivityascarsandlorriespouredforth,customspeopledidtheirduties,andeveryonemadefor6theLondonroad7.ThenabruptlyallwassilenceandIwanderedthroughsleeping,low-litstreetsthreaded8withfog9,justlikeinaBulldogDrummond10movie.ItwasratherwonderfulhavinganEnglishtownalltomyself.【2】Theonlymildlydismaying11thingwasthatallthehotelsandguesthousesappearedtobeshutupforthenight.Iwalkedasfarastherailstation,thinkingI’dferryportinSouthEastEngland.ItissituatedonthemostfrequentedshippinglanesintheworldandhasbecomethebindingfactorfortradeandtourismbetweenFranceandEnglandviatheEnglishChannel.5aswarm:adj.fullofpeopleorthings充满的，拥挤的(P7)●aswarmofbees/locusts/flies(n.alargegroupofinsects,especiallybees,movingtogetherinthesamedirection)●Touristswereswarmingallovertheisland.(v.(oftendisapproving)(ofpeople,animals,etc.)tomovearoundinalargegroup)6makefor:tomovetowards●Herosefromhisseatandmadeforthedoor.7Fortwentyminutes,theterminalareawasaswarmwithactivityascarsandlorriespouredforth,customspeopledidtheirduties,andeveryonemadefortheLondonroad.Theferryportwasbusywithactivitiesfortwentyminutes.Alotofcarsandlorrieswentincontinuousstreamoutoftheport,customsofficerswerebusydoingtheirduties,andeverybodywasmovingtowardstheLondonroad.8thread:interwovenorornamentedwiththreads;tomoveormakesthmovethroughanarrowspace,avoidingthingsthatareintheway9streetsthreadedwithfog:metaphor10BulldogDrummond:Itisa1929detectivefilmwhichtellsthestoryofCaptainHugh“Bulldog”Drummond,awealthyformerWWIofficerofthefictionalLoamshireRegiment,who,afterthewar,spendshisnew-foundleisuretimeasaprivatedetective.ThecharacterfirstappearedinthenovelBulldogDrummond(1920),andthiswasfollowedbyalengthyseriesofbooksandadaptationsforfilms,radioandtelevision.11dismaying:adj.disappointing【Unit1】TextINotesfromaSmallIsland3catchatraintoLondon,butthestation,too,wasdarkandshuttered12.IwasstandingwonderingwhattodowhenInoticedagreylightoftelevisionfillinganupstairswindowofaguesthouseacrosstheroad.Hooray13,Ithought,someoneawake,andhastenedacross,planninghumbleapologiestothekindly14ownerforthelatenessofmyarrivalandimaginingacheery15conversationwhichincludedtheline16,“Oh,butIcouldn’tpossiblyaskyoutofeedmeatthishour.No,honestly–well,ifyou’requitesureit’snotrouble,thenperhapsjustaroastbeefsandwichandalargedill17pickle18withperhapssomepotatosaladandabottleofbeer.”Thefrontpathwaspitch19darkandinmyeagernessandunfamiliaritywithBritishdoorways,Itrippedonastep,crashingface-firstintothedoorandsendinghalfadozenemptymilkbottles12shuttered:adj.withtheshuttersclosed;withshuttersfitted关上卷闸门的(P7)13hooray:Peoplesometimesshout“Hooray!”whentheyareveryhappyandexcitedaboutsomething.好哇，好极了，万岁hip,hip,hooray!(alsolessfrequenthip,hip,hurrah/hurray!):usedbyagroupofpeopletoshowtheirapprovalofsb.Onepersoninthegroupsays“hip,hip”andtheothersthenshout“hooray”.●“Threecheersforthebrideandgroom:Hip,hip…”“Hooray!”14kindly:adj.[onlybeforenoun](old-fashionedorliterary)kind,caringandsympathetic15cheery:(informal)(ofapersonortheirbehaviour)happyandcheerful●acheeryremark/smile/wave16line:Aparticulartypeoflineinaconversationisaremarkthatisintendedtohaveaparticulareffect.（旨在取得某种效果的）话语●chat-uplineslike“You’veg