# 第三册 Lesson 37 The Westhaven Express 开往威斯特海温的快车

## 一、课文原文

We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables. Ships may be delayed by storms; flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.

After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it. I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven. When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said: 'This service has been suspended.'

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| punctual | /ˈpʌŋktʃuəl/ | adj. | 准时的 | trains will be punctual 火车会准时 |
| conditioning | /kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ/ | n. | 条件反射，习惯 | after years of conditioning 多年习惯后 |
| unshakable | /ʌnˈʃeɪkəbl/ | adj. | 不可动摇的 | unshakable faith 坚定不移的信念 |
| dislocate | /ˈdɪsləkeɪt/ | v. | 扰乱，使混乱 | dislocate railway services 扰乱铁路服务 |
| dawdle | /ˈdɔːdl/ | v. | 慢吞吞地走 | dawdle at station after station 一站一站地磨蹭 |
| chug | /tʃʌɡ/ | v. | 嘎嚓嘎嚓地缓慢行驶 | barely chugging along 勉强嘎嚓前行 |
| dawn | /dɔːn/ | v. | 渐渐明白 | it dawned on me that 我渐渐明白 |
| lodge | /lɒdʒ/ | v. | 提出（投诉等） | lodge a complaint 提出投诉 |
| triumph | /ˈtraɪʌmf/ | n. | 胜利，得意 | a note of triumph 得意的语气 |
| asterisk | /ˈæstərɪsk/ | n. | 星号（*） | a tiny asterisk 一个小星号 |
| conduct | /kənˈdʌkt/ | v. | 引导 | conduct sb. to 引导某人到 |
| suspend | /səˈspend/ | v. | 暂停，中止 | service has been suspended 服务已暂停 |
| deny | /dɪˈnaɪ/ | v. | 否认 | deny the train's existence 否认这趟车的存在 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 否定倒装

> **Neither was I** surprised when the train stopped at Widley.

neither/nor置于句首时，主谓部分倒装。

| 正常语序 | 倒装语序 |
|---------|---------|
| I was not surprised either. | Neither was I surprised. |
| I did not know either. | Nor did I know. |

### 2. It dawns on sb. that... 某人渐渐意识到……

> It suddenly **dawned on me that** this express was not roaring down the line...

类似结构：It occurs to sb. that... 某人突然想到

### 3. cannot help doing 忍不住做某事

> I **could not help noticing** that a great many local people got on as well.

= could not but notice; 无法不注意到

### 4. more likely to... than... 比起……更可能……

> When mistakes occur, they are **more likely to be** ours **than** theirs.

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. in black and white 白纸黑字
> I told him that it was there **in black and white**.

指写在纸上、有文字为证，强调证据确凿。

### 2. strike sb. as odd 使某人觉得奇怪
> This did not **strike me as** odd.

strike sb. as + adj. 给某人以……印象

### 3. hold up 耽搁，阻滞
> Even a mighty express train can be **held up** by signals.

### 4. 长难句分析
> A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page.

简洁有力的结尾句。asterisk（星号）是关键线索，将作者从自信引向尴尬。

## 五、课文翻译

我们已经学会了期望火车会准时。经过多年的习惯，我们大多数人已经对火车时刻表产生了不可动摇的信任。船可能因风暴而延误，航班可能因天气恶劣而取消，但火车必须准时。只有异常大的降雪才可能暂时扰乱铁路服务。当出了问题时，我们太容易责怪铁路当局了。事实是，当错误发生时，更可能是我们的错而不是他们的错。

查阅了火车时刻表后，我满意地发现有一班开往威斯特海温的快车。它从我当地的车站直达，旅程仅需一小时十七分钟。当我上了火车，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。当时我并不觉得奇怪。我心想，除了我之外一定还有许多人想利用这趟优质服务。当火车在威斯特海温线上的小站威德利停靠时，我也没有感到意外。即使是强大的快车也可能被信号拦住。但当火车一站一站地磨蹭时，我开始疑惑了。我突然意识到这趟快车并没有以每小时九十英里的速度呼啸前进，而是勉强以每小时三十英里的速度嘎嚓嘎嚓地慢行。一小时十七分钟过去了，我们连一半的路程都没走完。我向一位乘客询问这是不是开往威斯特海温的快车，但他根本没听说过。我决定一到站就提出投诉。两个小时后，我正在愤怒地和威斯特海温的站长说话。当他说没有这趟车时，我借了他的时刻表。我告诉他这白纸黑字写得清清楚楚，语气中带着得意。他瞥了一眼，让我再看一遍。一个小小的星号把我引到了页面底部的一个脚注。上面写着："此服务已暂停。"

## 六、语言点精讲

### 写作手法
1. **欲扬先抑**：先写对铁路的坚定信任，再写被现实打脸
2. **戏剧性转折**：从信心满满到发现脚注，形成强烈反差
3. **幽默讽刺**：结尾以一个小小星号化解了作者的全部自信

### 文化背景
- 英国铁路系统（British Rail）曾以经常晚点著称
- 英国火车时刻表中的脚注和星号标注是常见做法
- "in black and white"源自印刷术，指正式的文字记录

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **倒装句**：neither/nor开头的否定倒装
2. **情态动词**：cannot help doing; be likely to
3. **词汇搭配**：lodge a complaint, in black and white, dawn on
4. **写作练习**：写一段经历，运用欲扬先抑的手法，结尾出人意料

## 八、本课小结

本课讲述因忽略火车时刻表脚注而闹出的笑话，说明错误往往出在自己身上。语法重点是否定倒装、cannot help doing和it dawns on sb. that结构。词汇方面掌握punctual、dawdle、lodge a complaint、in black and white等核心表达。写作上学习欲扬先抑和戏剧性转折。