新概念英语第三册41课笔记(逐句)

The quiet

life

of

the

country

has

never

appealed

to

me.

City

born

and

city

bred.

I

have

always

regarded

the

country

as

something

you

look

at

through

a

train

window,

or

something

you

occasional visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into

raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only

one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even

he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever

talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace

of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cock crow, the twittering of birds

at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllic pastoral scene is

only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front

of the TV -- virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of

goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the

city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day

for

the

dubious

privilege

of

living

in

the

country

is

beyond

me.

They

could

be

saved

so

much

misery

and

expense

if

they

chose

to

live

in

the

city

where

they

rightly

belong.

If

you

can

do

without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the

best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles

to see your friends. They invariably

live

nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my

acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special

treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws

to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never

experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride

away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make

do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home

loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of

beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet

winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city

streets

at

weekends

when

the

thousands

that

travel

to

work

every

day

are

tucked

away

in

their

homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all

these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred.

appeal

[

?

'pil]

vi.

appea l

的基本意思是强烈的请求他人注意某事或希望他人认真考虑自己的请求

,

即“呼吁”

“恳求”呼吁；有吸引力；求助；诉请< /p>

;

appeal to sb.

(

吸引某人

)

appeal to the court

(

向法院上诉

)

，

appeal to history

(

弓

|

证历史

)

，

appeal to the public

(

向大众呼吁

)

，

appeal to patriotism

(

引起爱国心

)

，

appeal to force

(

求助于武力

)