leeshumei的部落格

轉自蘋果派生活美語

●Reading 閱讀美語
The Great Gatsby is the story of Jay Gatsby’s 1)pursuit of the love of his life, the 11)socialite Daisy Buchanan. Separated by World War I, Gatsby returns to find Daisy already married to Tom Buchanan, an 2)arrogant millionaire with more money than 3)morals. After making his own fortune by illegal means, Gatsby moves into a 4)mansion across the bay from the Buchanans. With his lavish weekly parties, he’s soon the center of attention, even though nobody seems to know anything about him. Over the course of a summer, Gatsby tries to win back Daisy’s love.
Unfortunately, the course of love is never smooth. Towards the end, she sits idly by as her husband blames Gatsby for the death of his 5)mistress, Myrtle, who Daisy herself has accidentally killed.

●中譯

《大亨小傳》是傑伊蓋茲比追求畢生所愛（社會名流黛西布坎南）的故事。因一次世界大戰分隔兩地，蓋茲比回鄉後發現黛西已經嫁給湯姆布坎南——一個有錢但沒什麼道德的傲慢富翁。蓋茲比以非法手段致富後，搬進布坎南家海灣對岸的豪宅。每星期都舉辦奢華派對的他，很快就成為矚目焦點，儘管似乎沒人知道他的來歷。整個夏天，蓋茲比都在試著贏回黛西的芳心。
可惜，求愛過程老不順利。最後，她只是呆坐著聽任丈夫將情婦蜜托之死歸咎於蓋茲比，但其實是黛西誤殺的。

英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank

1) pursuit (n.) 追蹤，追求
The bank robbers were caught by the police after a high-speed pursuit.
2) arrogant (a.) 傲慢的，自大的
It’s arrogant to think you’re smarter than everybody else.
3) morals (n.) 道德倫理
(n./a.) moral寓意；道德倫理
Parents should teach their children good morals.
4) mansion (n.) 豪宅
The streets of Beverly Hills are lined with mansions.
5) mistress (n.) 情婦
Many wealthy men have mistresses.

文法解析 Grammar Mater
though 的用法

連接詞
1. 雖然，儘管（可放句中或句首，但句首多用 Although）
Though/Even though I was tired, I couldn’t fall asleep.
雖然我很累，但我還是睡不著。
2. 但，不過（通常放在句中，表示語氣的減弱）
School starts next month, though I don’t know which day.
學校下個月開學，但我不知道是哪一天。
副詞（通常放在句尾當作補充語氣）
I know Lisa; I haven’t seen her in years though.
我認識莉莎，但我已經很久沒看到她了。

 轉自蘋果派生活美語

●Reading 閱讀美語

“Whenever you feel like 1)criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the 2)advantages that you’ve had.” This is the advice from his father that Nick Carraway recalls at the beginning of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous novel. Nick is the story’s narrator, and for the most part he
manages to follow this advice. Readers, however, are usually less successful. The story, set in 1920s America, involves characters so 3)shallow and 4)superficial that they 5)practically beg for 1)criticism.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely considered to be one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Born in 1896 to Irish-Catholic parents in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was named after distant cousin Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics to the U.S. national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

●中譯

「每當你想批評別人，請記得不是世上每一個人都有你掌握的優勢。」這是史考特費茲傑羅最著名的小說《大亨小傳》開場時，尼克賈拉威所回憶父親的忠告。尼克是故事的敘述者，大多時候他都盡力遵照父親的訓示，但讀者通常比較沒辦法做到。這本以一九二○年代美國為背景的故事，裡頭的角色膚淺又表面，幾乎招來全面的批評。
史考特費茲傑羅被公認為二十世紀最偉大的美國作家之一。一八九六年出生於明尼蘇達州聖保羅市，雙親為愛爾蘭天主教徒，他的名字是取自遠房表親法蘭西斯史考基伊，也就是美國國歌〈星條旗〉作詞人。

英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank

1) criticize (v.) 批評，指責
The police were criticized for not preventing the riot.
2) advantage (n.) 優勢，優點
The company has a strong competitive advantage.
3)shallow (a.) 膚淺的
I thought the novel was rather shallow.
4)superficial (a.) 膚淺的，表面的
Nick always seems to date pretty but superficial women.
5)practically (adv.) 幾乎，差不多；實際上
We were practically the only people in the restaurant.

文法解析 Grammar Mater

●recall 還是 remind？
◎remind 人 about sth. 提醒某人……
I’m calling to remind you about your dental appointment tomorrow.
我打電話來提醒你明天跟牙醫有約。
◎remind 人 of sb./sth. 使人想起……
This song always reminds me of our first date.
這首歌總是使我回想起我們第一次約會。
◎recall + N/that 子句 回憶、想起……
I wanted to write, but I couldn’t recall your address.
我想要寫信，但我想不起你的地址。