新概念英语第二册第38课:Everything except the weather
Lesson 38 Everything except the weather唯独没有考虑到天气
First listen and then answer the question.听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did Harrison sell his house so quickly?
My old friend, Harrison, had lived in the Mediterranean for many years before he returned to England. He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country. He had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there. Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold. After so many years of sunshine, Harrison got a shock. He acted as if he had never lived in England before. In the end, it was more than he could bear. He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country. The dream he had had for so many years ended there. Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.
参考译文
我的老朋友哈里森在回到英国以前曾多年居住在地中海地区。过去他常幻想退休后到英国，并计划在乡间安顿下来。他刚一回到英国便买下了一幢房子住了进去。但 紧接着他就开始抱怨那里的天气了。因为即使那时仍为夏季，但雨总是下个不停，而且常常冷得厉害。在阳光下生活了那么多年的哈里森对此感到惊奇。他的举动就 好像他从未在英国生活过一样。最后，他再也忍受不住，还没等安顿下来就卖掉了房子，离开了这个国家。他多年来的幻想从此破灭。哈里森把每件事情都考虑到 了，唯独没想到天气。
New words and Expressions生词和短语
except
prep. 除了
Mediterranean
n. 地中海
complain
v. 抱怨
continually
adv. 不断地
bitterly
adv. 刺骨地
sunshine
n. 阳光
Lesson 38 自学导读First things first
课文详注 Further notes on the text1．He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country．过去他常幻想退休后到英国，并计划在乡间安顿下来。
（1）dream of 在这里不表示具体的做梦，而是“幻想”、“向往”的意思：
Frank used to dream of having a car of his own.
弗兰克过去常幻想拥有一辆自己的车。
（2）settle down 是个固定短语，可以表示“定居”、“安身”、“安顿”等含义：
They settled down in Australia in 1988.
他们1988年在澳大利亚定居了。
After two years of travelling, I want to settle down now.
旅行了两年之后，我现在想过安定的日子了。
2．Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold. 但紧接着他就开始抱怨那里的天气了。 因为即使那时仍为夏季，但雨总是下个不停，而且常常冷得厉害。
（1）for 在这里为连词，
为所陈述的事说出原因。它与 because不同，不能用于句首。并且在for后面必须重复主语：
I don't have a car, for I can't afford it.
我没有车，因为我买不起。
（2）连词even though引导的是让步状语从句，
表示“即使”、“虽然”：
Even though we were very tired, we went on with the work.
虽然我们已非常累了，我们仍然继续干活。
3．He acted as if be had never lived in England before．他的举动就好像他从未在英国生活过一样。
连词 as if/ though 引导方式状语从句，通常跟在描述行为举止的动词之后，如act, appear, feel, look, smell, sound等后面：
She acted as if she were mad.
她的举动像疯了一样。
It feels as if/ though it's going to rain.
这天气给人的感觉好像是要下雨。
4．In the end, it was more than he could bear. 最后，他再也忍受不住。
more than在这里表示“超过……的范围”：
This piece of news is more than I can believe.
我无法相信这条消息。
这种用法与它通常表示“比……更多”的用法稍有不同：
There were more than ten people in the room.
房间里不止10个人。
语法 Grammar in use
过去完成时
在第14课的语法中，我们学习了过去完成时的构成和基本用法。它经常与一般过去时连用，表示在过去某个动作发生前完成的动作：
When I arrived, Jane had left.
我到时，简已经走了。（走发生在我到达之前）
与过去完成时连用的表示时间的词或词组有when, after, as soon as, (not) until, by that time, (never) before, already, for, since, just等，另外它还常与连词no sooner…than和 hardly…when连用。（cf．词汇学习）过去完成时不能与副词ago 连用（ago只能与一般过去时连用）：
He hadn't finished it by yesterday evening.
到昨天晚上他还没做完。
词汇学习 Word study
1．no sooner…than与 hardly…when
这两组连词意义都与 as soon as相近，但都比 as soon as正式。
它们通常都与过去完成时连用。当 no sooner和 hardly位于句首时，后面的主谓结构都要颠倒顺序，即句子变为 no sooner/hardly+助动词+主语+动词形式的语序：
He had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there.
他刚一回来便买下了一幢房子住了进去。
No sooner had he returned than he bought a house and went to live there.
（译文同上）
No sooner had he begun speaking than he was interrupted.
他刚一开始讲话就被打断了。
He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country.
他还没等安顿下来就卖掉了房子，离开了这个国家。
Hardly had he had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country.
（译文同上）
Hardly had he got into the bus when it began moving.
他刚刚登上那辆公共汽车它就开了。
no sooner…than与 hardly…when 都是固定词组， than与when不可混用。
2．country与 countryside
country的意义比较广，它可以有“国家”、“祖国”或“乡下”等多种含义：
He had planned to settle down in the country.
他原计划在乡下定居。
He sold the house and left the country.
他卖掉房子，离开了这个国家。
country 作“乡下”讲时，
通常与the连用，作“国家”讲时则不一定：
We are going to spend the weekend in the country.
我们打算去乡下过这个周末。
Which country do you come from?
你来自哪个国家？
countryside主要指“农村地区”、“乡下”：
I grew up in the countryside.
我在农村长大。
3．continuously与 continually
这两个副词都与动词 continue（继续，持续）有关。它们的区别在于continuously （不断地，连续地）指动作中间没有间断，而continually （频繁地，反复地）则指动作中间有间断但又持续很久：
It rained continually.
天总是/频繁地下雨。（有间断）
This plane can fly continuously for twenty hours.
这架飞机可以连续飞行20小时。（中间没有间断）
Why does he come here continually?
他为什么老是到这里来？
You mustn't watch TV for such a long time continuously.
你不能这么长时间连续地看电视。