【課文】
Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places. Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have got quite used to them. Some so-called 'modern' pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.
In spite of this, some people -- including myself -- were surprise by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: 'Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!' The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended form the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody. These objects, however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time. In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights. These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!
【課文翻譯】
現(xiàn)代雕塑不再使我們感到驚訝了。那種認為現(xiàn)代藝術只能在博物館里才能看到的觀點是錯誤的。即使是對藝術不感興趣的人也不會注意到在公共場所展示的現(xiàn)代藝術品。公園里、大樓和商店外豎立著的奇形怪狀的雕塑，對這些，我們已經(jīng)司空見慣了。有些所謂的“現(xiàn)代”藝術品在那里已經(jīng)陳列了近80年了。
盡管如此，近舉辦的現(xiàn)代雕塑展覽還是使一些人(包括我在內(nèi))大吃了一驚。走進展廳首先看到的是一張告示，上面寫著“切勿觸摸展品，某些展品有危險!”展品都是些活動的雕像。人們所熟悉的是懸掛在天花板上、造型奇特、隨風飄蕩的雕塑品。這些展品卻使人大開眼界?？繅ε帕兄S多細長的電線，而電線又連著金屬球。金屬球經(jīng)過磁化，互相之間不停地相互吸引或相互排斥。展廳中央是裝有彩色燈泡的許多高高的構(gòu)件，燈泡一刻不停地閃爍著，就像失去了控制的紅綠燈。小黑盒子里迸出火花，紅色燈泡發(fā)怒似地忽明忽暗。這兒倒像是在展覽古老的電子設備。好像設計這些奇形怪狀的展品不僅是為了給人感情上的強烈刺激，而且還想給人以電擊似的!
【生詞和短語】
current n. 電流
sculpture n. 雕塑
mistaken adj. 錯誤的
gallery n. 美術館
exhibit n. 展品，陳列品
oddly adv. 古怪的
attach v. 連，系
sphere n. 球體
magnetize v. 使磁化
repel v. 排斥
flicker v. 閃爍
emit v. 放射
flash v. 閃光
prehistoric adj. 史前的，老掉牙的
electronic adj. 電子的
peculiar adj. 奇異的
shock v. 令人震驚，刺激人
emotionally adv. 感情上
【知識點】
詞匯
【oddly】
還原：odd→oddly
例句：
1. Oddly, most newspapers failed to mention that.
奇怪的是，大多數(shù)報紙對此只字不提。
2. The word is misused and sorts oddly with the heading above it.
這個詞使用不當，因而同它上面的標題很不協(xié)調(diào)。
【flicker】
英英：flash intermittently
例句：
1.Watch the flames flicker in the room.
注視著火焰在屋里閃爍。
2.Gigolo even not come, Milky Way still flicker.
牛郎即使不來，銀河依舊閃爍。
3.Two faint hopes flicker in the sodden gloom left by the earthquake.
在地震過后的滿目瘡痍里閃爍著兩線模糊的希望。
【emit】
英英：give off, send forth, or discharge; as of light, heat, or radiation, vapor, etc.
例句：
1.Since they emit light directly, OLED displays do not need a backlight.
由于也是自身發(fā)光，OLED顯示器可以不用背光燈。
2.Industries that emit carbon dioxide would have to buy permits to do so.
排放二氧化碳的產(chǎn)業(yè)必須要購買排放量之類的。
3.Earthquakes emit three types of waves which have their own characteristics.
地震發(fā)出兩種波，它們有各自的特征。
近義：deliver, ray
【prehistoric】
還原：history→prehistory→prehistoric
例句：
1.The beginning of libraries came after the end of the prehistoric era.
圖書館起源于史前時代結(jié)束之后。
2.His ideas on morals are really prehistoric .
他的道德觀念真是太陳腐了。
【peculiar】
例句：
1.Old World woodpecker with a peculiar habit of twisting the neck.
東半球有特殊的扭脖子習慣的啄木鳥。
2.This fluorescent lighting certainly gives the food a peculiar color , doesn't it?
這螢光燈當然增添了食物特別的色彩，你說是不是?
近義：specific, distinct, unique, strange, individual
【shock】
英英：surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off
例句：
1.They were shocked by her rudeness.
他們對她的無禮感到震驚。
2.His deeds shocked her out of making friends with him.
他的行徑使她大為震驚,不想與他交朋友了。
3.His sudden death shocked us all.
他的猝死使我們都震驚了。
近義：blow, stroke, strike, hit
搭配
【take interest in】
【get used to】
【move in response to a gust of wind】
Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places. Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have got quite used to them. Some so-called 'modern' pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.
In spite of this, some people -- including myself -- were surprise by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: 'Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!' The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended form the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody. These objects, however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time. In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights. These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!
【課文翻譯】
現(xiàn)代雕塑不再使我們感到驚訝了。那種認為現(xiàn)代藝術只能在博物館里才能看到的觀點是錯誤的。即使是對藝術不感興趣的人也不會注意到在公共場所展示的現(xiàn)代藝術品。公園里、大樓和商店外豎立著的奇形怪狀的雕塑，對這些，我們已經(jīng)司空見慣了。有些所謂的“現(xiàn)代”藝術品在那里已經(jīng)陳列了近80年了。
盡管如此，近舉辦的現(xiàn)代雕塑展覽還是使一些人(包括我在內(nèi))大吃了一驚。走進展廳首先看到的是一張告示，上面寫著“切勿觸摸展品，某些展品有危險!”展品都是些活動的雕像。人們所熟悉的是懸掛在天花板上、造型奇特、隨風飄蕩的雕塑品。這些展品卻使人大開眼界?？繅ε帕兄S多細長的電線，而電線又連著金屬球。金屬球經(jīng)過磁化，互相之間不停地相互吸引或相互排斥。展廳中央是裝有彩色燈泡的許多高高的構(gòu)件，燈泡一刻不停地閃爍著，就像失去了控制的紅綠燈。小黑盒子里迸出火花，紅色燈泡發(fā)怒似地忽明忽暗。這兒倒像是在展覽古老的電子設備。好像設計這些奇形怪狀的展品不僅是為了給人感情上的強烈刺激，而且還想給人以電擊似的!
【生詞和短語】
current n. 電流
sculpture n. 雕塑
mistaken adj. 錯誤的
gallery n. 美術館
exhibit n. 展品，陳列品
oddly adv. 古怪的
attach v. 連，系
sphere n. 球體
magnetize v. 使磁化
repel v. 排斥
flicker v. 閃爍
emit v. 放射
flash v. 閃光
prehistoric adj. 史前的，老掉牙的
electronic adj. 電子的
peculiar adj. 奇異的
shock v. 令人震驚，刺激人
emotionally adv. 感情上
【知識點】
詞匯
【oddly】
還原：odd→oddly
例句：
1. Oddly, most newspapers failed to mention that.
奇怪的是，大多數(shù)報紙對此只字不提。
2. The word is misused and sorts oddly with the heading above it.
這個詞使用不當，因而同它上面的標題很不協(xié)調(diào)。
【flicker】
英英：flash intermittently
例句：
1.Watch the flames flicker in the room.
注視著火焰在屋里閃爍。
2.Gigolo even not come, Milky Way still flicker.
牛郎即使不來，銀河依舊閃爍。
3.Two faint hopes flicker in the sodden gloom left by the earthquake.
在地震過后的滿目瘡痍里閃爍著兩線模糊的希望。
【emit】
英英：give off, send forth, or discharge; as of light, heat, or radiation, vapor, etc.
例句：
1.Since they emit light directly, OLED displays do not need a backlight.
由于也是自身發(fā)光，OLED顯示器可以不用背光燈。
2.Industries that emit carbon dioxide would have to buy permits to do so.
排放二氧化碳的產(chǎn)業(yè)必須要購買排放量之類的。
3.Earthquakes emit three types of waves which have their own characteristics.
地震發(fā)出兩種波，它們有各自的特征。
近義：deliver, ray
【prehistoric】
還原：history→prehistory→prehistoric
例句：
1.The beginning of libraries came after the end of the prehistoric era.
圖書館起源于史前時代結(jié)束之后。
2.His ideas on morals are really prehistoric .
他的道德觀念真是太陳腐了。
【peculiar】
例句：
1.Old World woodpecker with a peculiar habit of twisting the neck.
東半球有特殊的扭脖子習慣的啄木鳥。
2.This fluorescent lighting certainly gives the food a peculiar color , doesn't it?
這螢光燈當然增添了食物特別的色彩，你說是不是?
近義：specific, distinct, unique, strange, individual
【shock】
英英：surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off
例句：
1.They were shocked by her rudeness.
他們對她的無禮感到震驚。
2.His deeds shocked her out of making friends with him.
他的行徑使她大為震驚,不想與他交朋友了。
3.His sudden death shocked us all.
他的猝死使我們都震驚了。
近義：blow, stroke, strike, hit
搭配
【take interest in】
【get used to】
【move in response to a gust of wind】