平常地

Songs were often resorted to in dairies hereabout as an enticement to the cows when they showed signs of withholding their usual yield; and the band of milkers at this request burst into melody - in purely business-like tones, it is true, and with no great spontaneity; the result, according to their own belief, being a decided improvement during the songs continuance.

当奶牛一出现出奶量比平常减少的迹象，人们往往就采取在牛奶场唱歌的办法，想用这种办法把牛奶引出来；老板要求唱歌，这群挤牛奶的工人们就放开喉咙唱起来--唱的完全是一种应付公事的调子，老实说，一点也没有自愿的意思；结果，就像他们相信的那样，在他们不停地唱歌的时候，出奶的状况的确有了改变。

"It was different and unusual, certainly not a project you'd be expecting," Mr. Hofmann, now 31, of Phoenix, remembered recently of the class. The biggest part was just the freedom to explore things.

"这是有区别的、不平常的研究项目，当然不是我们所期待发生的，"31岁任职凤凰的霍夫曼恩回忆那些课程，最棒的是可以自由地探索世界。

But coming near him she stopped, breathing hard, and letting her hands hang lifelessly, exactly in the same pose in which she used to stand in the middle of the room to sing, but with an utterly different expression.

他心中想道，她会像平常一样向他伸出手来，但是她走近跟前以后停步了，喘不过气来，呆板地垂下一双手，她那姿态俨如走到大厅中间来唱歌一般，但是她脸上流露着完全不同的表情。

I speak in a more explicit way, but when I am in Madeira or when I am in the presence of my family I change my accent completely, but in an unconscious way.

有趣的是，在平常，我说话的口腔是很正式的，但当我在 Madeira 或者和家人在一起的时候，我的口音就会不自觉地完全改变。

Arguments and evidence cited against a miraculous origin of the shroud images include a letter from a medieval bishop to the Avignon pope claiming personal knowledge that the image was cleverly painted to gain money from pilgrims; radiocarbon tests in 1988 that yielded a medieval timeframe for the cloths fabrication; and analysis of the image by microscopist Walter McCrone, who concluded ordinary pigments were used.

争论和证据却与裹尸布的神奇起源相反，包括一封中世纪的主教写给教宗阿维尼翁的信，声称肖像是有人运用容貌知识聪明地印上去，为了从朝圣者身上获得金钱；1988年，碳的放射性同位元素测试得出这是一块中世纪时期制造的伪造物；分析肖像的显射镜技术人员沃尔特指出，这只是使用了一种平常的颜料。

A,an=not ab,abs=away ad,a,ac,ad,af,al,an,ap,as,at=to;at ambi=both ana=up ante=before anti=against auto=self be=do bene=good cata=complete cent=hundred circum=around co,com,con=together contra=against de=down,off dec,deka=ten dia=across dis=apart duo,di,twi=two dys=bad en=make ento=inside epi=upon equi=equal eu=good ex,ec,e=out fore=ahead hetero=different holo=complete homo=same hyper=above hypo=below in,il,im,ir=inside;not infra=below inter,intel=between intra,intro=within iso=same macro=big mal=bad medi=middle mega=giant meta=change micro=small mis=wrongly mono=one multi,poly=many neo=new nona,ennea=nine ob,oc,of,op=toward oct=eight omni=all orth=straight pan=all para=beside per=through peri=around post=after pre,pri=before prin=first pro=forward quad,tetra=four quint,penta=five re=back retro=back se=apart semi,demi,hemi=half sept,hepta=seven sext,hexa=six solo=alone sub,suc,suf,sug,sum,sup,sur,sus=under super,sur=over supra=above syn,sym=same tele=far trans,tra=across tri,ter=three un,ne,non=not uni=one ultra=beyond

成年人学英文的第一课和第二课刊出后，有数位读者写E-mail给我。有一位说道：「一篇文章的每一个单字都查到解释了，但整篇文章就是看不懂，怎麼办？」另一位说：「我的文法很差，没办法写完整的英文句子，要如何补救？」当发音和字汇都掌握住学习要领之后，剩下的就是「读」和「写」了，这才符合学习英文的正确步骤：听→说→读→写。台湾传统的学习方式由「写」开始，再「读」，然后才「说」，最后再去补救「听」力，可以说是背道而行，难怪效果不彰。那麼学习「读」的要诀是什麼呢？当然最重要的是能够了解整个句子的涵义。记得初中的时候背了很多文法规则，考试的分数虽然很高，但是对「读」的能力没有帮助。连那个时候流行的「英语九百句型」，也从来没有耐心读完过。然而我们今天能够看懂中文的文章，难道是因为我们熟悉中文的文法吗？答案是否定的。同样地，一个美国人虽然能阅读报纸，但是要求他做「英文文法分析」，他可能也会傻眼。英文的句子其实不需要去靠文法书中的规则去了解，文法书只应当作参考书，在有疑惑的时候才去查阅。平常应养成「约定成俗」的习惯，就是看别人怎麼用，然后「依样画葫芦」，日积月累，文法规则就化为无形了。因此，要训练「读」的技巧，不应该是靠文法规则，而是要多读。但是在读之前，要具备「了解句子」的基本能力，这就是我们的第三课─了解英文句子的要诀。了解英文句子的关键，在於先抓住「主词」和「动词」。看到一句很长的英文句子，不要害怕：先找主词，再找动词。动词如果是「及物动词」，再去找「受词」。主词、动词、受词之外，剩下的通通当做修饰语，有的修饰主词，有的修饰动词，有的修饰受词，有的修饰全句；任何两个完整的句子都可以用连接词连接起来。以上简单几句话，就是了解英文句子的基本观念。了解英文句子的第二步是熟悉英语的五种基本句型，其中前两种与不及物动词有关，后三种与及物动词有关。以下的句子中，用大括号表示{主词}或{受词}，中括号表示，剩下的部份都是修饰语。第一种与不及物动词有关的基本句型叫做「简单不及物句型」（Intransitive Verb，简称I），请背住以下五个句子

Ordinarily before you commit you'd want to know exactly what you're dealing with.

平常在你做出承诺前，你想要知道你正处理的事确切地发生了什么。

The amiable countenance of Mr. Pickwick was fast recovering its customary expression.

匹克威克先生的和蔼的脸孔在很快地恢复着平常的表情。

"I very ashamed to mean, point toilet classmate have, people that frightened, afford to prevaricate:"Do you go to the toilet to fetch water to drink usually?

"我同学很惭愧的指指厕所，那人大惊，支支吾吾地问："你们平常就到厕所里打水喝啊？

But our task should be done ritually and evidently in this world. It is so ridiculous and so frequent in our life.

渐渐地，每当我面对这一切，竟然感到这是如此的自然，如此的合乎情理，因为这一切实在是太渺小，太平常。

As she looked at Warrington's manly face, and dark, melancholy eyes, she had settled in her mind that he must have been the victim of an unhappy attachment.

每逢看到沃林顿那刚毅的脸，那乌黑、忧郁的眼睛，她便会相信，他一定作过不幸的爱情的受害者。

Maybe they'll disappear into a pothole.

也许他们将在壶穴里消失