The Westhaven Express 開往威斯特海溫的快車
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; air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall 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.'
13.Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals.
因為即便是特別快車也可能被信號攔住。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:can be held up by signals是典型的被動語態(tài)的用法。
14.But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder.
但是，當(dāng)火車一站接著一站往前蠕動時，我便產(chǎn)生了懷疑。
語言點1:dawdle一詞在此的用法是夸張修辭格。
語言點2:station after station的意思是“一站又一站”。
15.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.
我突然感到這趟快車并沒以時速90英里的速度呼嘯前進，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，時速僅30英里。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:it指代火車開得慢的事實。Not…but…的意思是“不是…而是…”。
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; air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall 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.'
13.Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals.
因為即便是特別快車也可能被信號攔住。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:can be held up by signals是典型的被動語態(tài)的用法。
14.But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder.
但是，當(dāng)火車一站接著一站往前蠕動時，我便產(chǎn)生了懷疑。
語言點1:dawdle一詞在此的用法是夸張修辭格。
語言點2:station after station的意思是“一站又一站”。
15.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.
我突然感到這趟快車并沒以時速90英里的速度呼嘯前進，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，時速僅30英里。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:it指代火車開得慢的事實。Not…but…的意思是“不是…而是…”。