【难点解析】

    1、A stand-up comedian may make fun of an audience member, or he or she might decide to tell different jokes in response to the reactions of an audience.

    单口喜剧演员可以拿某一观众开玩笑，或是根据观众的反应讲不同的笑话。

    （1）短语make fun of意思是“开……的玩笑，嘲笑……”。如：

    I am not making fun of you. I admire what you did.

    我不是在嘲笑你，我钦佩你的所作所为。

    Don’t make fun of him, or he will feel offended.

    别戏弄他，否则他会被激怒的。

    —Why do you look so sad?  你看起来怎么这么难过？

    —Everyone made fun of my new haircut!  大家都在取笑我的新发型！

    （2）短语in response to意思是“回答，响应，做出反应”。如：

    I e-mailed her in response to her questions.

    我用电子邮件回复了她的问题。

    In response to your inquiries, we regret to inform you that we cannot help you in this matter.

    对于您的问题，我们很遗憾地通知您我们对此无能为力。

    The law was passed in response to public pressure.

    这项法律由于公众的压力而得以通过。

    2、If you hear a comedian telling jokes about the way people behave when they queue up in lines, or asking why it only rains when you forget your umbrella, you are listening to an observational comedian.

    当你听到一个单口喜剧演员针对人们排队时的举止说笑话，或者问为什么总是在下雨时才忘了带雨伞，你就是在听一个观察评论类单口喜剧演员在表演。

    （1）该句为复合句，其中telling jokes about the way people behave when they queue up in lines和asking why it only rains when you forget your umbrella是if条件从句中a comedian的宾语补足语；people behave为定语从句，修饰先行词the way。

    （2）短语queue up意思是“排队（等候）”。如：

    We had to queue up for ages to get served.

    我们得排好长时间的队才能得到服务。

    We queued up for the bus.

    我们排队等候公共汽车。

    queue做名词意为“(人或车辆等的)行列,长队”。如：

    The queue at the ticket window extended all the way to the street corner.

    售票窗口的队伍一直排到街角。

    3、If a comedian points to a computer tennis game and says, ‘I’ve been playing tennis every day for a month. I don’t understand why I am not losing weight！’，he or she is using the computer as a prop.

    如果单口喜剧演员指向电脑网球游戏说：“一个月来我每天都打网球，我就弄不懂为什么我还没瘦下来！”，这位演员是在把电脑当作道具使用。

    （1）句子I’ve been playing tennis every day for a month.中使用了现在完成进行时，该时态表示一动作从过去开始一直持续到现在，且可能继续下去。如：

    Here you are at last! We have been waiting for you for hours.

    你终于来了！我们等你几个小时了。

    It has been raining for four hours．

    雨已经下了四个小时了。

    She has been learning her lessons since morning．

    她从早上起一直在学习功课。

    （2）短语point to意思是“指向”。如：

    The hands of the clock pointed to half past one.

    时针指向一点半。

    The man pointed to the high mountain far away.

    那人指着远处的高山。

    （3）短语lose weight意思是“减轻体重”。如：

    She looks a lot thinner. Has she lost weight?

    她看上去瘦多了。她是不是减肥了？

    I think she might have lost a bit of weight.

    我想她体重可能减轻了一些。

    4、Only a few stand-up comedians have become famous as television and film actors later on in life. One such person is Billy Crystal.

    只有少数单口喜剧演员后来成为著名的影视演员，其中之一便是比利·克里斯托。

    （1）短语later on意思是“后来，过些时候”。如：

    Later on, he got a job as a government official.

    后来他找了一份政府官员的工作。

    —How cold it is today!  今天好冷啊！

    —Yes, but it’s going to be warmer later on.  是的，但以后天气将会变暖和的。

    辨析：later和later on

    later作副词用，意为“后来”，“以后”，往往用以前或现在的时间为基准，因此，常用于一般过去时或一般将来时。如：

    Later he learned how to repair television sets.

    后来，他学会了怎样修理电视机。

    The radio says the sun will come out later.

    收音机广播说太阳过些时候就会出来的。

    later常和一个表示时间的名词连用，构成“段时间＋later”结构。如：

    He came back a week later.

    一星期后他回来了。

    Half an hour later she woke up.

    半小时之后她醒了。

    注意：“段时间＋later”不可用于现在算起的若干时间以后。说“从（现在）起......之后”，应该用“ in＋段时间”。试译：

    两天后我再来拜访。

    误：I shall call again two days later.

    正：I shall call again in two days.

    later on作副词短语使用，也是“后来”，“以后”的意思，有时可与later互换。如：

    That happened later (on).

    后来那件事发生了。

    At first things went well, but later on we ran into trouble.

    开始事情进展得很顺利，后来出现了麻烦。

    later on 只可单独使用，不能用于“段时间＋later on”结构。

    （2）such为形容词，意思是“那样的，这样的，如此的”。与数词或不定代词any、some、many、all、no等连用时，常置于它们之后；但与不定冠词连用时，则置于它们之前。如：

    There is no such thing as a free lunch.

    没有免费的午餐。

    You gave me such a fright！

    你吓了我一跳！

    5、He has hosted the show eight times. Each time, he performs his stand-up routine even in front of millions of people when the show is broadcast live on TV.

    他主持过八次奥斯卡颁奖典礼。每一次电视直播时，全世界有上百万观众都能看到他现场表演的单口喜剧。

    live可作副词或形容词，意思是“现场的，直播的”。如：

    There are live football matches on TV every Sunday.

    每个星期天电视里都有现场直播的足球比赛。

    It wasn’t a recorded show, it was live.

    这不是录音表演，这是现场转播。

    6、One little-known fact is that when Crystal is the host of the Academy Awards, he always keeps a toothbrush in his pocket for good luck!

    鲜为人知的是，为了带来好运，克里斯托主持奥斯卡颁奖庆典的时候，口袋里总是放着一把牙刷。

    one little-known fact为该句主语，that引导表语从句。

    They are just what I’m looking for.

    他们正是我在寻找的。

    We hope that the telephone charges will get less and less expensive.

    我们希望电话费能越来越便宜。

    I didn’t go to the party. The truth is that I had to meet my sister at the airport.

    我没有去参加晚会。事实上是我不得不去机场接我妹妹。

    7、He says it is because when he started practising stand-up as a child, he told himself jokes while standing in front of the mirror, brushing his teeth!

    他说这是因为他小时候开始练习单口喜剧时，总是站在镜子前面边刷牙边对自己讲笑话。

    says后是宾语从句。从句中it为主语，because引导表语从句。要表示因果，可用it, this, that等代词作主语，其后用because, why等词引导表语从句。如：

    They say this is because when you laugh, your brain sends chemicals around your body that are good for you.

    他们说这是因为当你笑的时候，大脑向你全身传送有利于健康的化学物质。

    I lost the key to my bike. That is why I am late.

    我丢了自行车的钥匙，所以我迟到了。

    This is because each year millions of smokers die form the habit.

    这是因为每年有好几百万吸烟者因吸烟而死去。

    That is why Einstein and his family left Europe for the USA in 1933.

    那就是爱因斯坦和他的家人于1933年离开欧洲去美国的原因。

    8、Instead of telling the joke he had planned, Crystal made up a new one.

    克里斯托没有讲预先准备好的笑话，而是即兴编了一个。

    短语make up的意思是“编造，杜撰”。如：

    The teacher asked the children to make up a story about a trip to the Moon.

    老师叫孩子们编写一个去月球旅行的故事。

    Our teacher asked us to make up a dialogue in groups.

    老师要求我们按小组来编对话。

    The whole story is made up.

    整个故事都是编造的。

    9、He said, ‘It seems appropriate that he got his start in silent films!’

    他说：“看来，他不愧是从无声电影起步的啊！”

    start是名词，意思是“事业的起步，开端”。如：

    Jack got his start on stage before becoming a famous film star.

    杰克在舞台上开始了他的事业，后来他又成了著名的影星。

    He opposed the scheme from the start.

    他一开始就反对这个计划。

    10、He hopes to follow in the footsteps of other famous comedians, such as Bob Hope and George Burns, who lived to be 100 years old and kept working until the end of their lives.

    他希望可以效仿其他著名单口喜剧演员，如鲍勃·霍普和乔治·伯恩斯，他们都活到100岁，并且一直工作到他们的生命结束。

    短语follow in the footsteps of意思是“走……的道路，照……的样子干”。如：

    He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a scientist.

    他追随他父亲，成了一名科学家。

    11、Doctors have been researching what effect stand-up and other forms of comedy have on us.

    医生们一直在研究单口喜剧以及其他形式的喜剧对我们会产生什么样的影响。

    短语have (a/an)…effect on/upon意思是“对……产生影响”。如：

    The incident had a huge effect on his family.

    那个事件对他的家庭产生了巨大影响。

    The advertising didn’t have much effect on sales.

    这些广告对销售额没起到多大作用。

    12、表演相关词汇：

    cast   全体演员   director  导演            lines  台词     script  剧本

    stage  舞台       stage direction 舞台说明   act   一幕      scene 一场

    13、In an interview, he told us that he is always happy to take on new foreign students.

    在一次采访中，他告诉我们说他随时都乐于接收外国学生。

    短语take on意思是“招收；雇用”。如：

    We are not taking on any more staff at present.

    我们现在不再招收员工。

    He is unwilling to take on heavy responsibilities.

    他不愿承担重任。

    14、Of course. (moves over as if to make room)

    当然。（挪过去，好像是要腾出空间。）

    （1）短语as if意思是“就像……似的，仿佛……似的”, 后接虚拟语气。如：

    He stopped working, as if to say something.

    他停下工作，似乎想说些什么。

    He talks as if he had been there many times.

    他谈话的样子好像是他已经去过那里好多次了。

    When a pencil is partly in a glass of water, it looks as if it were broken.

    当一支铅笔部分放入一杯水中，它看起来就像是断了似的。

    （2）短语make room意思是“腾出地方，让出地方”，其中room是不可数名词。如：

    Please move along and make room for the old man.

    请挪一下，给老人让个位子。

    Can you make room for them?

    你能给他们让一下位置吗？

    He swept aside the papers on his desk to make room for the large book.

    他把桌上文件推开以便空出地方放那本大书。

    15、Mind if I sit down?

    我坐这儿你不介意吧？

    该句为省略句，常用于口语中，其完整形式应为：Do you mind if I sit down?

    Would / Do you mind…? 是提出请求的表达方式，后面一般直接跟动词的-ing形式或跟if从句。

    在回答时，如果不反对，也就是表示愿意时，可用Certainly not.(或Certainly)No, go ahead. Not at all. I don’t/won’t。

    但是表示反对或不愿意时，显得不太客气，因此一般说I afraid you can’t. I’d rather you didn’t或者用you’d better not.等表示较委婉的语气。如：

    —Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

    如果你不介意的话，我问你几个问题可以吗？

    —Certainly not, go ahead.

    当然可以，请问吧。

    —Would you mind if I sat here?   我坐在这儿你介意吗？

    —I afraid you can’t.   恐怕不能。

    另外需要注意的是在Would you mind if I sat here? 句中，如果前面用了would，if从句中通常用一般过去时，但它不表示过去，而是表示说话人的礼貌与委婉的语气。

    在Do/would you mind…?这一结构中，除了后面用if从句外，还可以用动词的-ing形式。这时表示说话人请求对方做某事，动作的执行者仍是主语you,因此也不用if从句。但是mind后面的动作不是主语you的动作时，用动词-ing时，前面须有人称代词宾格或物主代词，这一人称代词宾格或物主代词便是动词-ing形式的逻辑主语，也就是动词-ing形式的动作执行者。如：

    Would you mind opening the windows?

    请您把窗子打开好吗？

    Would you mind my opening the windows? (或Would you mind if I opened the Windows?)

    我打开窗子您不反对吧？

    这类问句的回答同前所述。

    16、I must have forgotten to tell you.

    我一定是忘了告诉你了。

    must have forgotten“肯定忘记了”的意思。“must + have十过去分词”结构表示对过去或已完成动作的肯定判断或推测。如：

    Karl knows a lot about Star Wars. He must have seen it a hundred times.

    卡尔对《星球大战》很熟悉，他一定看过一百遍了。

    She must have told you.

    她一定给你讲了。

    The ground is wet. It must have rained last night.    

    地是湿的，昨夜一定下雨了。

    17、It’s an emergency!

    情况紧急。

    emergency是个可数的常用名词，其词义是：紧急事件。

    emergency exit紧急出口／太平门

    emergency section急诊部；

    emergency passage紧急通道

    Ring the bell in an emergency．

    紧急关头就按这个铃。

    Seconds count in an emergency.

    紧急情况下分秒必争。

    18、It is your duty to bring them to His Majesty at once.

    立即送达国王陛下是你的责任。

    本句是it做形式主语的主语从句，真正的主语是to bring them to His Majesty at once。

    主语从句太长时，如果放在句首，会使句子显得笨重。因此，我们常用it作形式主语，而把主语从句挪到后面去。可用it作形式主语的主语从句常见结构有：

    ①It is adj./n. that-clause

    It’s a pity that…    遗憾的是……

    It’s possible that…  可能是…….

    ②It is said/reported that…   据说/据报道…

    ③It seems/happened that…  似乎/碰巧……

    如：

    It’s a pity that she had made such a mistake.

    她犯了这样的错误实在是遗憾。

    It is possible that he misunderstood what I said.

    他可能误解了我说的话。

    It is reported that many people are homeless after the floods.

    据报道洪水过后很多人无家可归。

    It happened that I was free that day.

    碰巧那天我有空。

    19、Servants burst in, next to Queen, empty-handed, shrugs shoulders.

    仆人冲了上来，来到王后身边，两手空空，耸耸了肩膀。

    （1）burst在此意为“冲，闯”，如：

    Her door was thrust open, and Mrs. Page burst in.

    她的门被猛地推开,佩奇太太冲了进来。

    另外burst 还强调包裹不住而破裂，爆发。如：

    The bloom burst into pieces.

    气球裂成了碎片。

    Her T-shirt almost burst out.

    她的T恤几乎要绷破了。

    All of us wondered why she burst into tears all at once．

    我们大家都不明白她为什么突然失声痛哭。

    （2）shrug耸肩

    Don’t just shrug your shoulders. Say something.

    不要光耸肩。你讲讲话呀。

    He shrugged his low opinion of the occupant of the room.

    他耸耸肩表示对那房间的住户不屑一顾。

    He shrugged at my suggestion.

    他对我的建议只是耸耸肩。

    20、He glares at Queen.

    他瞪着王后。

    glare v.怒目而视，强调怀有敌意或在气愤的情绪下看；眩目地照射。

    The woman glared at the man after he shouted rudely at her.

    那男人粗暴地冲她大声喊叫，她也怒目而视。

    She glared at the naughty boy.

    她瞪了那个淘气的男孩一眼。

    辨析：stare，glare和glance

    它们三个词都是不及物动词，都需在后面加上at在加宾语，但它们的中文含义有所不同。

    stare指盯着，入神地看

    He stared at the beautiful painting without hearing me.

    他出神地盯着那幅油画没有听到我讲话。

    glare指盯着，但更侧重于怒视

    He glared at me because of my bad behavior.

    由于我恶劣的行为他狠狠瞪着我。

    glance指瞥见，一瞥

    He glanced at the dishes on the table.

    他瞥见了桌上的菜。

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