Notes on the text課文注釋
1 Only in a sparsely-populated…is it possible…，這是一個(gè)倒裝句，因?yàn)閛nly放在句首。
2 for the matter in hand，為手中的事。
3 if late for a dinner party，
在以if，when，though等連詞引導(dǎo)的從句中，當(dāng)其謂語為be時(shí)，而主語又與主句的主語相同，從句中往往可以將主語和謂語省去。上句if后就省略了he is。
4 cut things fine，把時(shí)間安排得不留余地。
5 The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual .
到得過早的人和遲到的人同樣使人無法忍受。as much as，和……一樣。
6 half an hour too soon（= half an hour earlier），早到半個(gè)小時(shí)。
7 in good time，作“適當(dāng)?shù)亍?、“及時(shí)地”講。
參考譯文
準(zhǔn)時(shí)是文明社會(huì)中進(jìn)行一切社交活動(dòng)時(shí)必須養(yǎng)成的習(xí)慣。不準(zhǔn)時(shí)將一事無成，事事都會(huì)陷入混亂不堪的境地。只有在人口稀少的農(nóng)村，才可以忽視準(zhǔn)時(shí)的習(xí)慣。在日常生活中人們可以容忍一定程度的不準(zhǔn)時(shí)。一個(gè)專心鉆研某個(gè)復(fù)雜問題的知識(shí)分子，為了搞好手頭的研究，要把一切都協(xié)調(diào)一致、組織周密。因此，他要是赴宴遲到了會(huì)得到諒解。但有些人不準(zhǔn)時(shí)常常是因?yàn)槠婞c(diǎn)所致，他們常常會(huì)受到責(zé)備。精力充沛、頭腦敏捷的人極不愿意浪費(fèi)時(shí)間，因此他們常想做完一件事后再去赴約。要是路上沒有發(fā)生如爆胎、改道、突然起霧等意外事故，他們是決不會(huì)遲到的。他們與那些從不遲到的人相比，常常是更勤奮有用的公民。早到的人同遲到的人一樣令人討厭?？腿颂崆鞍胄r(shí)到達(dá)是令人討厭的。我家有幾個(gè)朋友就有這種令人惱火的習(xí)慣。的辦法就是請他們比別的客人晚來半小時(shí)。這樣，他們可以恰好在我們要求的時(shí)間到達(dá)。
如果趕火車，早到總比晚到好，哪怕早到一會(huì)兒也好。雖然早到可能意味著浪費(fèi)一點(diǎn)時(shí)間，但這比誤了火車、等上一個(gè)多小時(shí)坐下一班車?yán)速M(fèi)的時(shí)間要少，而且可以避免那種正好在火車駛出站時(shí)趕到車站，因上不去車而感到的沮喪。更難堪的情況是雖然及時(shí)趕到站臺(tái)上，卻眼睜睜地看著那趟火車啟動(dòng)，把你拋下。一個(gè)小姑娘第單獨(dú)出門就碰到了這種情況。
在火車進(jìn)站20分鐘前她就進(jìn)了車站。因?yàn)樗母改冈偃f，如果誤了這趟車，她的東道主朋友就得接她兩趟，這是不應(yīng)該的。她把行李交給搬運(yùn)工并給他看了車票。搬運(yùn)工說她早到了兩個(gè)小時(shí)，她聽后大吃一驚。她從錢包里摸出一張紙條，那上面有她父親對這次旅行的詳細(xì)說明，她把這張紙條交給了搬運(yùn)工。搬運(yùn)工說，正如紙條上所說，確有一趟火車在那個(gè)時(shí)刻到站，但它只停站裝郵件，不載旅客。姑娘要求看時(shí)刻表，因?yàn)樗嘈鸥赣H不能把這么大的事給弄錯(cuò)。搬運(yùn)工跑回去取時(shí)刻表，同時(shí)請來了站長。站長拿著時(shí)刻表一揮手，指著那趟列車到站時(shí)刻旁邊的一個(gè)很小的圓圈標(biāo)記。這個(gè)標(biāo)記表示列車是為裝郵件而停車。正在這時(shí)，火車進(jìn)站了。女孩淚流滿面，央求讓她不聲不響地到押車員車廂里去算了。但站長態(tài)度堅(jiān)決，規(guī)章制度不能破環(huán)，姑娘只得眼看著那趟火車消逝在她要去的方向而撇下了她。
Multiple choice questions多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions:
Comprehension理解
1 The only people who can afford to neglect the exercise of punctuality are ______ .
a．ordinary citizens who have nothing to do with publicity
b．people who live in remote places where there are few people
c．intellectuals who have to deal with unexpected problems
d．people who are forced to work overtime in order to finish a job
2 People who cut things fine are usually ______ .
a．delayed by accidents on the roads
b．energetic, quick-minded people
c．no more irritating than the over-punctual
d．reproached for being late for appointments
3 The girl was very upset when the train came into the station because ______ .
a．her parents would not forgive her for missing it
b．she had two hours to wait before the next train arrived
c．she was going to have to make a second journey to reach her destination
d．the station master insisted that passengers were not allowed on to it Structure結(jié)構(gòu)
4 Without it, it would be impossible ______ to a conclusion. (1. 2)
a．to have ever brought anything
b．ever to bring anything
c．to bring nothing ever
d．nothing to be brought ever
5 The time you ______ waste through being early will be less than … (1. 17)
a．must
b．might
c．should
d．can
6 If you are catching a train, you ______ comfortably early than … (11. 16-17)
a．a(chǎn)re better being
b．would be better
c．had better be
d．will be better to be
7 ---- the frustration of arriving ______ the train is drawing out … (11. 18-19)
a．just as
b．immediately that
c．in a while
d．a(chǎn)s soon as
8 And she had to watch that train disappear towards her destination ______ . (1. 33)
a．a(chǎn)nd left her behind
b．a(chǎn)nd leave behind her
c．leaving her behind
d．while it left behind her
Vocabulary詞匯
9 In ordinary living, unpunctuality can be tolerated ______ …(11. 4-5)
a．out of kindness
b．on occasion
c．to a certain extent
d．in varying degrees
10 The over-punctual can be just as ______ to others as the unpunctual. (1. 12)
a．detestable
b．trying
c．provident
d．inconsiderate
11 ---- since her parents had ______ that it would be unforgivable … (11. 22-23)
a．stressed the point
b．given the impression
c．marked it down
d．given notice
12 ______ the train came into the station. (1. 31)
a．Only then
b．Instantly
c．At that very moment
d．Precisely
1 Only in a sparsely-populated…is it possible…，這是一個(gè)倒裝句，因?yàn)閛nly放在句首。
2 for the matter in hand，為手中的事。
3 if late for a dinner party，
在以if，when，though等連詞引導(dǎo)的從句中，當(dāng)其謂語為be時(shí)，而主語又與主句的主語相同，從句中往往可以將主語和謂語省去。上句if后就省略了he is。
4 cut things fine，把時(shí)間安排得不留余地。
5 The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual .
到得過早的人和遲到的人同樣使人無法忍受。as much as，和……一樣。
6 half an hour too soon（= half an hour earlier），早到半個(gè)小時(shí)。
7 in good time，作“適當(dāng)?shù)亍?、“及時(shí)地”講。
參考譯文
準(zhǔn)時(shí)是文明社會(huì)中進(jìn)行一切社交活動(dòng)時(shí)必須養(yǎng)成的習(xí)慣。不準(zhǔn)時(shí)將一事無成，事事都會(huì)陷入混亂不堪的境地。只有在人口稀少的農(nóng)村，才可以忽視準(zhǔn)時(shí)的習(xí)慣。在日常生活中人們可以容忍一定程度的不準(zhǔn)時(shí)。一個(gè)專心鉆研某個(gè)復(fù)雜問題的知識(shí)分子，為了搞好手頭的研究，要把一切都協(xié)調(diào)一致、組織周密。因此，他要是赴宴遲到了會(huì)得到諒解。但有些人不準(zhǔn)時(shí)常常是因?yàn)槠婞c(diǎn)所致，他們常常會(huì)受到責(zé)備。精力充沛、頭腦敏捷的人極不愿意浪費(fèi)時(shí)間，因此他們常想做完一件事后再去赴約。要是路上沒有發(fā)生如爆胎、改道、突然起霧等意外事故，他們是決不會(huì)遲到的。他們與那些從不遲到的人相比，常常是更勤奮有用的公民。早到的人同遲到的人一樣令人討厭?？腿颂崆鞍胄r(shí)到達(dá)是令人討厭的。我家有幾個(gè)朋友就有這種令人惱火的習(xí)慣。的辦法就是請他們比別的客人晚來半小時(shí)。這樣，他們可以恰好在我們要求的時(shí)間到達(dá)。
如果趕火車，早到總比晚到好，哪怕早到一會(huì)兒也好。雖然早到可能意味著浪費(fèi)一點(diǎn)時(shí)間，但這比誤了火車、等上一個(gè)多小時(shí)坐下一班車?yán)速M(fèi)的時(shí)間要少，而且可以避免那種正好在火車駛出站時(shí)趕到車站，因上不去車而感到的沮喪。更難堪的情況是雖然及時(shí)趕到站臺(tái)上，卻眼睜睜地看著那趟火車啟動(dòng)，把你拋下。一個(gè)小姑娘第單獨(dú)出門就碰到了這種情況。
在火車進(jìn)站20分鐘前她就進(jìn)了車站。因?yàn)樗母改冈偃f，如果誤了這趟車，她的東道主朋友就得接她兩趟，這是不應(yīng)該的。她把行李交給搬運(yùn)工并給他看了車票。搬運(yùn)工說她早到了兩個(gè)小時(shí)，她聽后大吃一驚。她從錢包里摸出一張紙條，那上面有她父親對這次旅行的詳細(xì)說明，她把這張紙條交給了搬運(yùn)工。搬運(yùn)工說，正如紙條上所說，確有一趟火車在那個(gè)時(shí)刻到站，但它只停站裝郵件，不載旅客。姑娘要求看時(shí)刻表，因?yàn)樗嘈鸥赣H不能把這么大的事給弄錯(cuò)。搬運(yùn)工跑回去取時(shí)刻表，同時(shí)請來了站長。站長拿著時(shí)刻表一揮手，指著那趟列車到站時(shí)刻旁邊的一個(gè)很小的圓圈標(biāo)記。這個(gè)標(biāo)記表示列車是為裝郵件而停車。正在這時(shí)，火車進(jìn)站了。女孩淚流滿面，央求讓她不聲不響地到押車員車廂里去算了。但站長態(tài)度堅(jiān)決，規(guī)章制度不能破環(huán)，姑娘只得眼看著那趟火車消逝在她要去的方向而撇下了她。
Multiple choice questions多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions:
Comprehension理解
1 The only people who can afford to neglect the exercise of punctuality are ______ .
a．ordinary citizens who have nothing to do with publicity
b．people who live in remote places where there are few people
c．intellectuals who have to deal with unexpected problems
d．people who are forced to work overtime in order to finish a job
2 People who cut things fine are usually ______ .
a．delayed by accidents on the roads
b．energetic, quick-minded people
c．no more irritating than the over-punctual
d．reproached for being late for appointments
3 The girl was very upset when the train came into the station because ______ .
a．her parents would not forgive her for missing it
b．she had two hours to wait before the next train arrived
c．she was going to have to make a second journey to reach her destination
d．the station master insisted that passengers were not allowed on to it Structure結(jié)構(gòu)
4 Without it, it would be impossible ______ to a conclusion. (1. 2)
a．to have ever brought anything
b．ever to bring anything
c．to bring nothing ever
d．nothing to be brought ever
5 The time you ______ waste through being early will be less than … (1. 17)
a．must
b．might
c．should
d．can
6 If you are catching a train, you ______ comfortably early than … (11. 16-17)
a．a(chǎn)re better being
b．would be better
c．had better be
d．will be better to be
7 ---- the frustration of arriving ______ the train is drawing out … (11. 18-19)
a．just as
b．immediately that
c．in a while
d．a(chǎn)s soon as
8 And she had to watch that train disappear towards her destination ______ . (1. 33)
a．a(chǎn)nd left her behind
b．a(chǎn)nd leave behind her
c．leaving her behind
d．while it left behind her
Vocabulary詞匯
9 In ordinary living, unpunctuality can be tolerated ______ …(11. 4-5)
a．out of kindness
b．on occasion
c．to a certain extent
d．in varying degrees
10 The over-punctual can be just as ______ to others as the unpunctual. (1. 12)
a．detestable
b．trying
c．provident
d．inconsiderate
11 ---- since her parents had ______ that it would be unforgivable … (11. 22-23)
a．stressed the point
b．given the impression
c．marked it down
d．given notice
12 ______ the train came into the station. (1. 31)
a．Only then
b．Instantly
c．At that very moment
d．Precisely