知识点1

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教师讲解：

"Hiroshima! Everybody off”. That must be what the man in the Japanese stationmaster's uniform shouted, as the fastest train in the world slipped to a stop in Hiroshima Station. I did not understand what he was saying. First of all, because he was shouting in Japanese. And secondly, because I had a lump in my throat and a lot of sad thoughts on my mind that had little to do with anything a Nippon railways official might say. The very act of stepping on this soil, in breathing this air of Hiroshima, was for me a far greater adventure than any trip or any reportorial assignment I'd previously taken. Was I not at the scene of the crime?

Q1: What do you know about Hiroshima?

A1: Hiroshima is a seaport, the capital of Hiroshima prefecture in southwest Japan. on August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was the first city to be struck by an atomic bomb, dropped by the U.S. Air force, directly killing an estimated 80,000 people.

Q2: What does the first part mainly talk about?

A2: It mainly talks about the arrival of the narrator at Hiroshima.

Q2: What can be known from this paragraph?

A4: It mainly tells the arrival of the narrator at Hiroshima railway station.

Q3: How do you paraphrase the following phrases or sentences?

1."Hiroshimal Everybody off!"(Para.1)

1) Everybody off Everybody should now get off the train.

2) These words were shouted by the stationmaster to inform the passengers that the train had arrived at its terminal destination and all passengers were to detrain."

2. That must be... slipped to a stop in Hiroshima station. (Para.1)

1) "Must' here expresses strong probability as the author did not understand Japanese and could not have been sure.

2) in the Japanese stationmaster’s uniform:

in: (of dress) wearing something

e.g. in white; in mourning; in rages; in silk

stationmaster: the official in charge of a railway station

3) slip to a stop: to come to a stop smoothly and effortlessly, in a gliding manner

4) slide, slip, glide: Slide implies accelerated motion without losing contact with the slippery surface.

Slip often suggests the action is involuntary rather than voluntary, sometimes even definitely implying a loss of footing and a fall.

Glide, rather close to slide, means to move smoothly, quietly and continuously as is characteristic of dances.

e.g. A plane glided down to the airfield.

3. And secondly, because I had a lump in my throat and a lot of sad thoughts. might say.(Para.1)

1) I had a lump in my throat: I was choked with emotion: I was so overcome with emotion that I could not speak or think clearly.

2) a lump in one's throat: a feeling of pressure in one's throat, caused by repressed emotion

3) a lot of sad thoughts on my mind: I was troubled about some sad events; I was occupied with some sad thoughts.

4) on one's mind: occupying one’s thoughts, especially as a source of worry

5) have to do with: to be a concern of; to be about; to be connected with

6) My sad thoughts had no connection with what the stationmaster might say.

4. The very act of stepping on this soil. any reportorial assignment. taken. (Para.1)

The fact that I was now in Hiroshima was in itself a much more exciting experience for me than any trip I had taken or any reporting work I had done in the past

1) very: itself and nothing else

2) stepping on this soil: putting my feet down on this soil; landing in Hiroshima

3) far greater: adverbial modifiers of adjective or adverb in the comparative degree e.g. far more; even more; still more; a lot more; much more; two years older; a head taller

4) adventure: an unusual journey or an exciting or remarkable experience

5) reportorial assignment: reporting work for a newspaper

5. Was I not at the scene of the crime? (Para.1)

I was now at the place where the first A-bomb was dropped.

1) scene: place of an actual event

2) the crime; the dropping of the A-bomb on Hiroshima

3) Rhetorical questions are usually asked only for effect, as to emphasize a point, no answer being expected.

Para. 2

The Japanese crowd did not appear to have the same preoccupations that I had. From the sidewalk outside the station, things seemed much the same as in other Japanese cities. Little girls and elderly ladies in kimonos rubbed shoulders with teenagers and women in Western dress. Serious-looking men spoke to one another as if they were oblivious of the crowds about them, and bobbed up and down repeatedly in little bows, as they exchanged the ritual formula of gratitude and respect:""Tomo aligato gozayimas."Others were using little red telephones that hung on the facades of grocery stores and tobacco shops.

Q1: What is the main idea of this paragraph?

A1: It focuses on the narrator’s observation of the Japanese at the railway station.

Q2: How do you paraphrase the following knowledge points?

1. The Japanese crowd... that I had. (Para.2)

1) did not appear to have: did not seem to have

2)Tme tor-could not have been absolutely sure that the Japanese crowd did not have the same preoccupations.

3) seem, look, appear:

Seem suggests a personal opinion based on evidence that satisfies the judgment

Look implies that the opinion is based on a visual impression.

Appear may convey the same implication as look. But it sometimes suggests a distorted impression produced by an optical illusion, restricted point of view, etc.

e.g. The setting sun made the spires appear ablaze.

2. From the sidewalk.… things seemed much the same as in other Japanese cities.

(Para.2)

1) sidewalk: chiefly used in the U.S.; (British) pavement;(New Zealand) footpath

2) much the same: about the same; "much" here tones down rather than emphasizes the word "same."

3) Seem is used to indicate that things are actually not so.

3. Little girls. in Western dress. (Para.2)

This sentence gives the impression that in Japan traditional style and Western style exist side by side.

1) elderly: approaching old age, past middle age

2) rub shoulders with:(informal) to meet and mix with(people)

e.g. The foreign visitors said that they would like to rub shoulders with ordinary Chinese people.

During those two terms at the boarding school, she rubbed shoulders with the rich.

This is not the sort of club where the great rub shoulders with the humble.

3) teenager: boy or girl from 13 to 19

4. Serious looking men."Tomo aligato gozayimas."(Para.2)

They were so absorbed in their conversation that they seemed not to pay any attention to the crowds about them.

1) be oblivious of/to: to be unaware of e.g. Oblivious of each other, the two men flashed past on their separate missions.

he seemed completely oblivious to the noise around her.

2) bob up and down repeatedly in little bows: to bow repeatedly

bob up and down: to move up and down automatically (humorous description of the bows)

3) ritual: all the rites or forms connected with a ceremony; particular form of any procedure regularly followed; here used as an adjective meaning “done as a rite"

4) formula of gratitude and respect: form of words used regularly such as “Thank you, “Excuse me"

5. Others were using little red telephones that hung on…shops. (Para.2)

1) facade: front or face of building toward a street or open place

2) grocery store: a store where tea, butter, sugar, tinned food and such household requirements as soap and soap powder are sold

Paras. 3－6

"Hi! Hi! “said the cab driver, whose door popped open at the very sight of a traveler. "Hi, “or something that sounds very much like it, means "yes." "Can you take me to City Hall?” He grinned at me in the rearview mirror and repeated "Hi!" "Hi!" We set off at top speed through the narrow streets of Hiroshima. The tall buildings of the martyred city flashed by as we lurched from side to side in response to the driver's sharp twists of the wheel.

Just as I was beginning to find the ride long, the taxi screeched to a halt, and the driver got out and went over to a policeman to ask the way. As in Tokyo, taxi drivers in Hiroshima often know little of their city, but to avoid loss of face before foreigners, will not admit their ignorance, and will accept any destination without concern for how long it may take them to find it.

At last this intermezzo came to an end, and I found myself in front of the gigantic City Hall. The usher bowed deeply and heaved a long, almost musical sigh, when I showed him the invitation which the mayor had sent me in response to my request for an interview.

"That is not here, sir, “he said in English. “The mayor expects you tonight for dinner with other foreigners on the restaurant boat. See? This is where it is." He sketched a little map for me on the back of my invitation.

Q1: What can be known from these paragraphs?

A1: It focuses on the way to the restaurant

Q2: What do you understand the following knowledge points?

1. Cab driver (para 3)

(mainly American English) taxi driver

We might infer from the use of such words as "sidewalk” "store" and "cab driver" that the author is most likely an American.

2… whose door popped open at the very sight of a traveler. (Para.3)

As soon as the taxi driver saw a traveler, he immediately opened the door.

1) pop open: to burst open with a short, sharp, slightly explosive sound

2) at the sight of: on seeing

3. City Hall (Para.3)

a building which houses the offices of a municipal government

4. He grinned at me in the rearview mirror. (Para.3)

1) grin: to smile broadly as to show teeth, originally expressing amusement, foolish satisfaction or contempt, etc., but in current English, tending to imply naive cheerfulness

2) rearview mirror: driving-mirror inside a motor-vehicle for seeing out of the rear window

5. We set off at top speed. (Para.3)

The taxi-driver drove very fast.

set off: to start a journey, race, etc.

6. The tall building of the martyred city… in response to… the wheel. (Para.3)

The high buildings passed swiftly and when the driver made abrupt changes of direction, we sometimes swung to one side, sometimes to the other side in response to the swaying motion of the car.

1) martyred city: the city that has been made to suffer

2) flash by: to pass swiftly

3) lurch: to roll or sway suddenly forward or to one side

4) in response to: as a response to

5) sharp twist: abrupt change of direction

7. Just as I was beginning to find the ride long… went over to a policeman to ask the way. (Para.4)

1) ride: a period of travel, especially a journey by horse, car, bicycle, bus, etc.

2) the taxi screeched to a halt: The taxi stopped with a harsh piercing sound as when the brakes were suddenly applied.

screech: to make a harsh, piercing sound (cf. slip to a stop; come to a stop; grind to a stop)

8.… but to avoid loss of face.… how long it may take them to find it. (Para.4).

1) loss of face: inability to keep up dignity, self-respect, prestige; loss of reputation; humiliation. Saving face is considered as a common trait of Eastern cultures.

2) will accept any destination without concern for: will agree to go where they are asked to without caring

9. At last this intermezzo came to an end, and I found myself… City Hall. (Para.5)

1) intermezzo: a short, light dramatic, musical or ballet entertainment between the acts of a play or opera; here the word is used figuratively to refer to anything that fills time between two events-the cab ride that took place between his arrival at Hiroshima and his planned meeting with the mayor.

2) I found myself: This pattern gives the idea of "suddenness “and ""unexpectedness”; I suddenly discovered that I was in front of the gigantic City Hall.

10. The usher bowed deeply… in response to my request for an interview. (Para.5)

The usher uttered a sigh perhaps because many people had gone there wrongly before the author and he had to explain once again.

1) usher: someone who shows people to their seats at a theater, cinema, a wedding, etc.

2) heave a sigh: to utter a sigh

23. sketch a map (Para.6)

to draw roughly and quickly with outlines but little detail

11. Thanks to his map... with a roof like one on a Japanese house was moored.

(Para.7)

1) thanks to: on account of; because of

2) embankment: a raised bank built to confine a river or canal

3）barge: a large flat-bottomed boat for carrying goods or people on rivers or canals

4）a sort of: used to suggest that what is referred to does not fully deserve the name；a kind of；something like a…

5）moor: to secure a boat with cables