# 第三册 Lesson 41 Illusions of pastoral peace 宁静田园生活的遐想

## 一、课文原文

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 occasionally 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 cockcrow, 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.

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| pastoral | /ˈpɑːstərəl/ | adj. | 田园的 | pastoral peace 田园的宁静 |
| extol | /ɪkˈstəʊl/ | v. | 赞美，颂扬 | extol the virtues 颂扬优点 |
| rapture | /ˈræptʃə/ | n. | 狂喜 | go into raptures 狂喜 |
| cockcrow | /ˈkɒkkroʊ/ | n. | 黎明，鸡鸣 | first cockcrow 第一声鸡鸣 |
| twitter | /ˈtwɪtə/ | v. | （鸟）吱吱叫 | twittering of birds 鸟的啁啾声 |
| glint | /ɡlɪnt/ | v. | 闪烁 | glinting on the trees 在树上闪烁 |
| idyllic | /ɪˈdɪlɪk/ | adj. | 田园诗般的 | idyllic pastoral scene 田园诗般的景色 |
| dubious | /ˈdjuːbiəs/ | adj. | 令人怀疑的 | dubious privilege 令人怀疑的特权 |
| tolerate | /ˈtɒləreɪt/ | v. | 忍受 | tolerate a four-hour journey 忍受四小时的旅程 |
| stagger | /ˈstæɡə/ | v. | 蹒跚而行 | stagger home loaded with 踉踉跄跄地回家 |
| exotic | /ɪɡˈzɒtɪk/ | adj. | 异国情调的，奇异的 | exotic items 异国物品 |
| obstinately | /ˈɒbstɪnətli/ | adv. | 固执地 | obstinately pretend 固执地假装 |
| make do with | /meɪk duː wɪð/ | phr. | 凑合，将就 | make do with second best 将就用次好的 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 过去分词短语作状语

> **City born and city bred**, I have always regarded the country as something...

= Born and bred in the city（出生并成长在城市）

### 2. 虚拟语气在if从句中

> **If you can do without** the few pastoral pleasures...（现在时，真实条件）
> They **could be saved** so much misery **if they chose to** live in the city.（虚拟，与现在事实相反）

### 3. Nor引起的倒装

> **Nor is the city without** its moments of beauty.

nor置于句首，主谓部分倒装，表示"城市也不乏……"。

### 4. 比较级的否定表达最高级

> **Few things could be more impressive than** the peace that descends on deserted city streets.

= The peace is the most impressive thing. 否定+比较级=最高级。

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. go into raptures 狂喜
> They always **go into raptures** at the mere mention of the country.

at the mere mention of 仅仅提到就……

### 2. live under the illusion that 活在……的幻想中
> He still **lives under the illusion that** country life is somehow superior.

### 3. beyond me 我无法理解
> Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey... **is beyond me**.

= beyond my understanding/comprehension

### 4. 长难句分析
> 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.

that descends on...修饰peace；when引导时间状语从句；that travel to work修饰thousands；tucked away意为"安顿在"。

## 五、课文翻译

乡村的宁静生活从未吸引过我。我生在城市长在城市，总是把乡村看作是透过火车窗户看到的东西，或是偶尔在周末去访问的地方。我的大多数朋友住在城市，然而他们一提到乡村就欣喜若狂。虽然他们极力赞美宁静生活的种种好处，但其中只有一个人去乡下住过，不到六个月就回到了城里。即使他仍然生活在乡村生活比城市生活好得多的幻想中。他总是谈论友善的人们、清新的空气、贴近自然和悠闲的生活节奏。他坚持说，没有什么比得上第一声鸡鸣、黎明时鸟儿的啁啾、初升的阳光在树木和牧场上闪烁的景象。这田园诗般的景色只是画面的一部分。我的朋友没有提到在电视前度过的漫长而孤独的冬夜——这几乎是唯一的娱乐方式。他没有说商店里商品的贫乏，也没有说那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城里上班的不幸的人们。为什么人们愿意每天忍受四小时的旅程来换取住在乡下这个令人怀疑的特权，我无法理解。如果他们选择住在他们应该住的城市里，可以省去很多痛苦和花费。

如果你能放弃乡村那一点点田园乐趣，你会发现城市可以提供生活中最好的东西。你不必走很远的路去看朋友。他们总是住在附近，随时可以进行非正式的聊天或晚间的娱乐。我在乡下的一些熟人一年到城里一两次看戏，当作一种特殊的享受。对他们来说这是一项重大活动，需要做相当多的计划。当剧快要演完时，他们就担心能否赶上末班火车回家。城市居民从未经历过这种焦虑。最新的展览、电影或戏剧只需坐很短路的公共汽车就能到达。购物也总是一种享受。品种如此丰富，你不必将就用次好的东西。乡下人到城里购物时简直疯狂，满载着尽可能多的稀奇物品踉踉跄跄地回家。城市也不乏美丽的时刻。寒冷潮湿的冬夜里广告牌散发的温暖光芒有一种令人安慰的感觉。当每天乘车上班的成千上万的人安顿在乡下的家中时，降临在空旷的城市街道上的那种宁静，很少有比这更令人印象深刻的了。城市居民明明欣赏这一切，却固执地假装更喜欢住在乡下，这对来说一直是个谜。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 写作手法
1. **对比论证**：城市生活vs乡村生活的全方位对比
2. **反讽**：赞美乡村的人其实并不愿意住在乡村
3. **双重否定**：Nor is the city without... 城市也不乏……

### 文化背景
- 英国人的"乡村情结"（rural idyll）是深入骨髓的文化传统
- 伦敦人周末逃离城市去乡间是常见的社交话题
- "city born and city bred"是英语中的对偶表达

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **虚拟语气**：if条件句中的虚拟用法
2. **倒装句**：nor引起的倒装
3. **词汇搭配**：go into raptures, make do with, beyond me
4. **写作练习**：写一篇城市vs乡村生活的对比文章

## 八、本课小结

本课以犀利笔触批评了城市居民对乡村生活的不切实际幻想。语法重点是过去分词作状语、虚拟条件和nor倒装。词汇方面掌握extol、rapture、dubious、make do with等核心词。写作上学习对比论证和反讽手法。