新视野大学英语读写教程2-Unit1

Unit1 SectionA

Time-Conscious Americans

Detailed study of the Text

1. Americans believe no one stands still.(Para.1) Meaning:Americans believe no one keeps motionless;everyone moves. →Here “stand” means “keep or stay in a particular position or state”.In this sense, “stand” is followed by adjectives.More examples: The room stands idle .这房间闲置着。

Stand firm-don’t let them tell you what to do.要坚定，不要让他们对你指手画脚。 They stand opposed to the new law.他们反对这项新法律。

2. …you are falling behind. (Para.1)

★ fall behind : move more slowly than other people so that one is behind them. fall behind in science在科学方面落后

fall behind one’s competitors落后于竞争对手。

The student has been working hard for fear that he shuold fall behind .这个学生一直很努力， 唯恐落后。 3. This attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching ,experimenting and

exploring. (Para.1) Meaning:This way of thinking and doing things causes Americans to devote their time and ennergy to researching , experimenting and exploring. result in : make something happen; cause

Acting before thinking always results in failure.做事不事先考虑总会导致失败。 The accident resulted in the death of two people.这场事故造成两人死亡。 ★ compare:

result from:be caused by something that has happened previously Nothing has resulted from his efforts.他的努力终成泡影。

The child’s illness resulted from eating unclean food.孩子生病是由于吃了不干净的事物。 4. Time is one of the two elements that Americans save carefully ,the other being labor. (Para.1) Meaning:Americans use two things with great care(or:Americans never waste two things ):One is time and the other is labor. →Notice here we have a special type of adverbial clause : “the other being labor”.The structure is: subject+V-ing(or:V-ed).This type of clause can also be put at the beginning of the whole sentence. No further discussions arising ,the meeting was brought to an end.没有作进一步讨论，会议就结束了。

Lunch finished ,all the guests returned to the sitting room.吃完午饭，所有客人都回到了起居室。

5. We are slaves to nothing but the clock…(Para.2) Meaning:We are under the control of time only and nothing else,or we are only dominated by time… ★ slave to sth: a person who is being completely influenced or dominated by something

a slave to drink酒鬼

a slave to money金钱的奴隶 ★ nothing but:only

He’s nothing but a criminal. 他只不过是个罪犯。

He did nothing but complain.他只是抱怨，别的什么都不干。

6. We budget it ,save it ,waste it ,steal it ,kill it ,cut it ,account for it ;we also charge for it.

(Para.2) Meaning:We plan how to spend it ,save it ,waste it ,spend it more efficiently ,find ways to pass it quickly ,reduce it ,explain how we use it ;we also money for it. →In this sentence ,“time” is used metaphorically as something of real value. ★ budget:v.plan carefully how much of something will be needed

She has made so many commitments that she has to budget her time very carefully.她答应下 来的事太多，因而不得不精心安排自己的时间。

By the time he learned to budget his resources , it was too late.到他学会理财时，已经太迟 了。

vi.plan the spending of money carefully

She budgeted for buying a new car.她为买新汽车而计划节省开支。

The government has budgeted for two bridges in the city.政府计划在该城市建造两座桥，并 为此制定了预算。

n.［C］the amount of money a person or organization has to spend on something a family/week’s budget 家庭/每周预算

It is important to balance this year’s budget .重要的是要平衡今年的预算开支。 ★ kill it (=kill time):make time pass quickly by finding something to do.

We killed time by playing cards.我们用打纸牌来消磨时间。

He drove to the club to kill a couple of hours.他驾车去俱乐部消磨了几个小时。 ★ account for:

1)explan the cause of something解释原因

Jenny had to account to her husband for every penny she spent.珍妮得向丈夫说明每一分是 怎样花的。

The man charged with the crime couldn’t acount for the fact that the money was found in his house.被告无法解释在他家里找到钱这个事实。

2)make up a particular amount or part of something占据的比例

North sea oil accounts for a high proportion of British trade earnings.北海石油占英国贸易 收入的很大一部分。

Paying rent accounts for half of my expenditures.我的开销中租金占了一半。 ★ charge:v.ask somebody for amount of money for a service

How much do you charge for washing a car?你们洗一部车要收多少钱？ We charge $200 a night for a single room.单人房每晚收费200美元。

7. Many people have a rather acute sense of the shortness of each lifetime. (Para.2) Meaning:Many people have a very strong feeling that life is short. →Notice the use of “sense” in the following examples: a sense of humor/duty/direction 幽默感/责任感/方向感 have a rather acute sense of:深刻感受到 深感知识匮乏的人，往往会有更大的动力去学习。

lack of knowledge/tend to/have a great motive to do sth.

He who has a rather acute sense of lack of knowledge tends to have a greater motive to learn . 8. Once the sands have run out of a person’s hourglass,they cannot be replaced. (Para.2)

→Notice that the whole sentence is a metaphor,which means:Once time has passed ,it will not return. ★ run out:

1)(of food ,money ,etc.)there is none left

Their supplies soon ran out .他们的补给很快就耗尽了。 Time is running out.时间快到了(或：时间不多了。) My pocket is running out quickly.

2)use all of something and not have any left

I’m afraid we’ve run out of gas.我们的汽油恐怕已用完了。 I’m running out of patience.我快没耐心了。 ★ replace:vt.

1) put something back where it was before Replace the caps on the bottles.把瓶盖盖好。

Replace the book on the shelf.把书放回到书架上。 2) take the place of

George has replaced Edward as the personnel manager.乔治接替爱德华担任人事部经理。 3) change some person or object for another ,often better ,newer ,etc.

We’ll have to replace those old computers with new ones.我们必须用新电脑替换那些旧电脑。

9. We want every minute to count. (Para.2) Meaning:We want every minute to be put into good use(since it is precious). 10. …everyone is in a rush—often under pressure. (Para.3) Meaning:…everyone is doing things in a hurry, because they are often under pressure to do so. ★ in a rush:in a hurry

Don’t be in such a rush;you’ve only just now arrived .别这么急，你才刚刚到。

Why is she always in a rush?为什么她总是匆匆忙忙的？ 王进喜生前常说，井没压力不出油；人没压力轻飘飘。

during one’s lifetime/under no pressure/produce oil/under no stress/grow light-headed

During his life time ,Wang Jinxi used to say ,“A well ,under no pressure ,does not produce oil ,while a man ,under no stress ,grow light-headed .”

11. …restlessly seeking attention in a store ,or elbowing others…(Para.3) Meaning:…impatiently trying to get service in a store , or pushing others out of the way by their elbows… ★ restless:a.unable to keep still because one is nervous ,bored ,or impatient.

The passengers grew restless after waiting for half an hour at the bus stop.乘客们在汽车站等 了半个小时，变得不耐烦起来。

With a month after he returned home ,Billy had been restless,thinking about getting on the road again.回家一个月后，比利坐立不安，又想着上路外出了。

★ restlessly:ad.in a restless manner;impatiently

The manager paced the floor of his office restlessly with so many problems on his mind.心头压着许多问题，经理在办公室里不安地走来走去。

The man repeatedly looked at his watch while walking up and down restlessly in the room.那人一边不耐烦地在屋子里走来走去，一边一遍又一遍地看手表。

★ elbow:v.push others out of the way using elbows

She elbowed her way through the crowd.她从人群中挤了过去。

The old brands have been elbowed out of the home market.老品牌已经被挤出了国内市场。 12. Racing through daytime meals（一日三餐）is part of the pace of life(=rhythm of life) in this country. (Para.3) Meaning:Eating their meals hurriedly during the day is part of America’s fast pace of life. ★ race through:do something in a hurry

The child raced through his homework in order to watch the football match on TV.为看电视 转播的足球赛，那孩子匆匆做完了作业。 13. Don’t take it personally. (Para.3) Meaning:Don’t let it upset you(because they treat everybody this way;or because they are not doing this to you in particular). ★ take…personally:feel that a failure or unpleasant situation is your fault and be upset about it

You mustn’t take her negative comments of your plan personally.你不应该把她对你计划的 批评当做对你个人的攻击。 不得当地，不得体地：beyond a certain appropriate point 14. Many new arrivals in the States will miss the opening exchanges of a business call（商业访谈）… (Para.4) Meaning:Many newcomers to the United States will be sad to find that there is no polite small talks at the beginning of a business call… ★ opening:a.first;beginning;starting

the opening words开场白

They returned to take part in the season’s opening game.他们回来参加本赛季首场比赛。

n.

1) [C] the beginning or first part of something The opening of a book/film书/电影的开头(部分)

2) [C] an occasion when a new building ,road , etc. is used for the first time ,esp. one that involves a ceremony

Three hundred people swarmed at the front door for the store’s grand opening .有300人聚集 在商店前门庆祝商店的盛大开业。

3) [C] a position that is available in a business or firm

There were a few openings at the company , so he applied .那家公司有几个空缺职位，所以 他申请了。

He inquired at the front desk about openings in the marketing department.他在接待处询问营 销部空缺职位的情况。

15. They will miss the ritual interaction that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee that may

be a convention in their own country. (Para.4) Meaning:They will be sad because they will not have the usual exchanges(with the person who invited them)that go with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee.These exchanges may be a common practice on similar occasions in their own country. ★ go with:exist or take place at the same time with something else

Rights always goes with obligations.权利总是伴随着义务。