September 10th, 2009 
ghostlei } The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred. I have always regarded the country as something (that) you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend.
} there‘s something that I have to talk to you about and everybody’s saying that I shouldn‘t tell you.
有点事情我想跟你谈一谈，大家都说不要跟你说的好。
this is something that I wanted since I was a little girl.
这是我从是小女孩的时候，我就梦想能得到的东西。
} 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.
} And if, somehow, I managed to get home again, I promised God and myself, that I would find a quiet piece of land someplace… and spend the rest of my life in peace.
美国的一个电视剧《兄弟连》第二集最后时，那个大兵看着战火连天，很感慨，旁白说了这样一段话。意思是：如果我能再回到家的话，我会向上帝和我自己承诺，我会找一个安静的地方，与世无争的度过余生。打过仗的人，一般都会有这样的心情。
} Superior to:
inferior to
} 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.
} part of the picture:/the whole pictureOk, I get the picture.
如果别人给你描述一件事情时，你说了这样一句话，就是说行了，我知道是怎么回事了；我知道是什么画面了，相当于“I got you”
you painted quite a picture.
你描述的东西让我感觉活灵活现，这样的意思
} VPS hosting virtual private server
虚拟主机，服务器。国外的服务器有很多种，这三种是比较常见的——
Shared hosting
这种主机是你和别人共享的，比较便宜的，配置也不是很好
Managed hosting
Dedicated hosting
有专人看护，专人呵护的，效果也比较好
} 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.
} the privilege of becoming white-collar workers. (lesson4）
privilege 在第四课我有说过，是表示一种特权，特惠
} Sexual pleasure
性的快感
} I am so glad that you could come over tonight.
it‘s my pleasure/pleasure/always a pleasure!pleasure.
这两段话是大家都很熟悉的表示谢意回答的话
Mark and Tina have made their declarations and it gives me great pleasure to declare them husband and wife.
Thanks so much for showing me around!
it was our
这是牧师主持婚礼的时候说的话
} 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.
} If I‘m not comfortable with it, I don’t have to be involved.
我要是不乐意，我可以不参与。Involved 是涉及到的意思
I don‘t want to get involved in
/in the middle of something so complicated.
这么复杂的事情我不想牵扯进来
Are you currently involved with anyone?
这是问别人有没有交男女朋友，有没有结婚，是不是单身这样的话
} 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.
} Film / movie
这两个都表示电影，没有美国英语和英国英语之分
I’m really not interested in seeing that film/movie.
film 还可以表示胶卷——
A:I’d like to pick this film up by 4 tomorrow afternoon.
B:I can have it for you at 2 if you like.
A: 我想明天下午4点来拿冲洗好的胶卷。
B: 我可以两点钟就给你做好，如果你想要的话。
} 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.
} go grocery shopping
买菜，买吃的
go shoe shopping
grocery可以用别的词替换，这个就是买鞋的意思
shopping mall
购物中心，注意Mall 的发音
do some comparison shopping
} Country/ village people
两者可代换
} 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.
} There is something:
这是there is something 后面gender较短小的定语从句——
There is something you should know.
There is something you can do.
There is something that I need to talk about with you.
} descend/fall on :
降落，降临。口语里边用fall 比较多
My birthday falls on Friday.
我的生日是这个星期五。
I wonder why they made Thanksgiving Day fall on Tuesday.
我在想为什么Thanksgiving Day 是星期四。
What day of the week does New Year’s Day fall on next year?
明年的新年是星期几呢？
} It has always been a mystery to me who city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
} a mystery to/for me
我理解不了；对我来说很难做到
A: Larry got a very high mark on this lab report.
B: How he managed that is a mystery to me.
A: Larry 这一次的实验报告分数很高。
B：他怎么做到的，我真搞不懂。
M:I stayed up all night studying for the test.
W:Again,How you get by with so little rest is a mystery for me.
A: 我昨天又熬夜了，就为了准备考试。
B: 有熬夜了？你休息那么少还撑得了我真搞不明白。
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