B3U6课文及语言点
Unit 6
On hisgraduation, Mitch Albom, the narrator, told his favorite professor, MorrieSchwartz, that he would keep in touch. However, Mitch didn’t resume the contactwith his old professor until one night on TV when he saw Morrie being interviewedin a wheelchair. It turned out that Morrie had developed ALS (重症肌无力), a terminal disease (不治之症). Soon Mitch realized thathe still had a lot to learn from his teacher. He visited Morrie every Tuesdayuntil the fourteenth one, when Morrie passed away.On those Tuesdays he had “classes”, where Morrie gave lessonsand wisdom to him. The text youare going to read is the eighth Tuesday’s class where Morrie talks about whatrole money or material things are supposed to play in life.
The Eighth Tuesday We Talk About Money
Mitch Albom
1 I held up the newspaper so that Morrie could see it:
2 “IDON’T WANT MY TOMBSTONETO READ
INEVER OWNED A NETWORK.”
3 Morrie laughed, then shook his head.The morning sun was coming through the window behind him, falling on the pinkflowers of the hibiscus plant that sat on the sill. The quote was from TedTurner, the billionaire media mogul, founder of CNN, who had been lamenting his inability to snatchup the CBS network in a corporate megadeal. I had brought the story to Morriethis morning because I wondered if Turner ever found himself in my oldprofessor’s position, his breath disappearing, his body turning to stone, hisdays being crossed off the calendar one by one —would he really be crying over owning a network?
4 “It’sall part of the same problem, Mitch,” Morrie said. “We put our values in thewrong things. And it leads to very disillusioned lives. I think we should talkabout that.”
5 Morriewas focused. There were good days and bad days now. He was having a good day. The night before, he had been entertained by a local a cappella groupthat had come to the house to perform, and he relayed the story excitedly, asif the Ink Spots themselves had dropped by for a visit.Morrie’s lovefor music was strong even before he got sick, but now it was so intense that itmoved him to tears. He would listen to opera sometimes atnight, closing his eyes, riding along with the magnificent voices as they dipped and soared.
6 “You should have heard this group lastnight, Mitch. Such a sound!”
7 Morriehad always been taken with simple pleasures, singing, laughing, dancing. Now,more than ever, material things held little or no significance. When peopledie, you always hear the expression “You can’t take it with you.” Morrie seemedto know that a long time ago.
8 “We’vegot a form of brainwashing going on in our country,” Morrie sighed. “Do youknow how they brainwash people? They repeat something over and over. And that’swhat we do in this country. Owning things is good. More money is good. Moreproperty is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good. Werepeat it — and have it repeated to us — over and over until nobody bothers toeven think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all this that hehas no perspective on what’s really important anymore.
9 “WhereverI went in my life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up anew car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it. ‘Guess what I got? Guess whatI got?’
10 “Youknow how I always interpreted that? These werepeople so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They wereembracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works.You can’t substitute material things for love orfor gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship.
11 “Moneyis not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute fortenderness. I can tell you, as I’m sitting here dying, when you most need it,neither money nor power will give you the feeling you’re looking for, no matterhow much of them you have.”
12 Iglanced around Morrie’s study. It was the same today as it had been the firstday I arrived. The books held their same places on the shelves. The paperscluttered the same old desk. The outside rooms had not been improved orupgraded. In fact, Morrie really hadn’t bought anything new — except medicalequipment — in a long, long time, maybe years. The day he learned that he wasterminally ill was the day he lost interest in his purchasing power.
13 So theTV was the same old model, the car that Charlotte drove was the same oldmodel, the dishes and the silverware and the towels — all the same. And yet thehouse had changed so drastically. It had filled with love and teaching andcommunication. It had filled with friendship and family and honesty and tears.It had filled with colleagues and students and meditation teachers andtherapists and nurses and a cappella groups. It had become, in a very real way,a wealthy home, even though Morrie’s bank account was rapidly depleting.
14 “There’sa big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need,” Morriesaid. “You need food, you want a chocolatesundae.You have to be honest with yourself. You don’t need the latest sports car, youdon’t need the biggest house.
15 “Thetruth is, you don’t get satisfaction from those things. You know what reallygives you satisfaction?” What?
16 “Offeringothers what you have to give.”
17 Yousound like a Boy Scout.
18 “Idon’t mean money, Mitch. I mean your time. Your concern. Your storytelling.It’s not so hard. There’s a senior center that opened near here. Dozens ofelderly people come there every day. If you’re a young man or young woman andyou have a skill, you are asked to come and teach it. Say you know computers.You come there and teach them computers. You are very welcome there. And theyare very grateful. This is how you start to get respect, by offering somethingthat you have.
19 “Thereare plenty of places to do this. You don’t need to have a big talent. There arelonely people in hospitals and shelters who only want some companionship. Youplay cards with a lonely older man and you find new respect for yourself,because you are needed.
20 “Rememberwhat I said about finding a meaningful life? I wrote it down, but now I canrecite it: Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your communityaround you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purposeand meaning.
21 “Younotice,” he added, grinning, “there’s nothing in there about a salary.”
22 Ijotted some of the things Morrie was saying on a yellow pad. I did this mostlybecause I didn’t want him to see my eyes, to know what I was thinking, that Ihad been, for much of my life since graduation, pursuing these very things hehad been railing against — bigger toys, nicer house. Because I worked amongrich and famous athletes, I convinced myself that my needs were realistic, mygreed trivial compared to theirs.
23 Thiswas a smokescreen. Morrie made that obvious. “Mitch, if you’re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you’re trying to showoff for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status willget you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you tofloat equally between everyone.”
24 Hepaused, then looked at me. “I’m dying, right?” Yes.
25 “Why doyou think it’s so important for me to hear other people’s problems? Don’t Ihave enough pain and suffering of my own?
26 “Ofcourse I do. But giving to other people is what makes me feel alive. Not my caror my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I give my time, when Ican make someone smile after they were feeling sad, it’s as close to healthy as I ever feel.
27 “Do thekinds of things that come from the heart. When you do, you won’t bedissatisfied, you won’t be envious, you won’t belonging for somebody else’s things. On the contrary,you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back.”
28 Hecoughed and reached for the small bell that lay on the chair. He had to poke a few times at it,and I finally picked it up and put it in his hand.
29 “Thankyou,” he whispered. He shook it weakly, trying to get Connie’s attention.
30 “ThisTed Turner guy,” Morrie said, “he couldn’t think of anything else for his tomb stone?”
相约第八个星期二：关于金钱
米奇·阿尔博姆
1 我举起报纸，让莫里能看见这句话：
2 “我不愿意我的墓碑上刻着
‘我不曾拥有一个广播电视公司’。”
3 莫里笑了，然后摇摇头。早晨的阳光从他身后的窗户照进来，落在窗台上那株木槿的粉红色花朵上。那句话出自特德·特纳之口。特纳是个亿万富翁、媒体巨头，是有线电视新闻网（CNN）的创始人，因未能在一次公司的巨额交易中攫取哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）而哀叹唏嘘。今天早上，我把这条新闻带给莫里，因为我想知道，如果特纳身处我的老教授的境地——呼吸渐渐衰竭，身体慢慢僵硬，日子一天天从日历上划掉——他真的会因一个广播公司未得手而悲恸吗？
4 “这完全属于同一个问题，米奇，” 莫里说。“我们的价值观错了，这导致生活的幻想破灭。我想我们该探讨这个话题。”
5 莫里精神集中。他近来光景时好时坏。这天状态不错。前一天晚上，当地的一个无伴奏演唱组来到他家表演，他很快乐。他兴致勃勃地讲述这件事，仿佛上门来表演的是墨水点乐队。莫里在生病前就酷爱音乐，现在这种热爱更加强烈，他会感动得热泪盈眶。他有时候夜里听歌剧，闭上眼睛，仿佛乘着抑扬美妙的歌声，时而俯冲，时而翱翔。
6 “昨晚你该来听听这个乐队，米奇。如此棒的声音！”
7 莫里一直喜爱简单的乐事，如唱歌、大笑、跳舞。现在与以往相比，物质的东西更加不重要了。当人死的时候，你总会听到这句话：“生不带来，死不带去。”莫里似乎早就明白了这个道理。
8 “在全国范围内，我们一直接受某种形式的洗脑，”莫里叹口气说，“你知道他们如何给人洗脑的吗？他们对你一遍一遍地重复，这就是我们这个国家的做法。拥有东西是好的。钱越多越好，财产越多越好。商业行为越多越好。越多越好。越多越好。我们对别人这么重复着——也让别人这么对着我们重复着——一遍又一遍，直到人人都懒得换一个思路。每个人都被这一切雾一般地笼罩着，再也看不清什么才是重要的。
9 “我这一生无论去哪里，都遇到渴望占有新东西的人。急速买辆新车。迅速获得一笔财产。慌忙购得最新式的玩具。他们接着就想向你炫耀，‘猜我买了什么？猜我买了什么？’
10 “你知道我对此是如何理解的吗?这些人渴望得到爱，于是就接受替代品。他们满心欢喜地接受着物质东西，期待类似于拥抱的感情回报。可是，不管用。你无法用物质代替爱、柔情、温情、甚至是志同道合的感觉。
11 “金钱无法替代温情，权力也无法替代温情。我作为将死之人坐在这里，可以对你说，当你最需要温情时，金钱或权势，无论你拥有多少，都无法把你正在寻觅的这份情感给予你。”
12 我环顾莫里的书房，和我第一次来的时候没有两样。书放在书架上同样的地方。资料同样堆在那张旧书桌上。外面的房间也未曾有什么改善。事实上，在很长的时间，也许是好多年，除医疗器械以外，莫里真的没买过一样新东西。从他知道自己得了绝症的那一天起，他就对自己的购买力不再有兴趣。
13 因此，还是那个老款式的电视机，夏洛特还开着那辆老款汽车，碟子、餐具、毛巾——一切如旧。然而，这座房子却发生了巨大的变化。它充满了爱、教诲和交流；充满了友情、亲情、真诚和眼泪；充满了同事、学生、冥想师、治疗专家、护士和无伴奏组合。从真正的意义上说，它成了一个非常富有的家，尽管莫里银行账户里的金额在迅速减少。
14 “在我们国家，我们严重地混淆了想要什么和需要什么。”莫里说，“你需要的是食物，
可结果你想要的却是巧克力圣代冰激凌。你必须对自己诚实。你不需要最新款式的跑车，你也不需要最大的房子。
15 “事实是，你不能从这些东西上得到满足。你知道什么才能给你真正的满足吗？”是什么？
16 “把该付出的给与别人。”
17 听起来像个童子军说的话。
18 “我不是说金钱，米奇。我说的是，你花时间关心别人，和别人交谈。这没有那么难。这附近开了一个老人中心，每天有几十位老人去那里。如果你年轻，且有一门才艺，你就会受邀来这儿上课。比如，你懂得计算机，你去那里教他们计算机。他们非常欢迎你，感激你。你奉献你有的东西，就这样，你开始赢得尊重。
19 “有许多地方可以这样做。你不需要有很高的天赋。医院和收容所里那些孤独的人们，他们只需要有人陪伴。和一个年老而孤独的人打打牌，你就能重获尊重，因为有人需要你。
20 “还记得我曾说过的关于寻找人生意义的那几句话吗？我写下来了，而且现在能背诵：奉献自己，关爱他人；奉献自己，为社区作贡献；奉献自己，营造有目的、有意义的人生。
21 “你会发现，”他露齿一笑，继续说，“这里没有提及薪水。”
22 我在黄色便签簿上记下莫里说的一些话。我这么做，主要是因为我不想让他看见我的眼睛，看透我的心思，看出我毕业后大半生中一直是何等人——一直追求他所斥责的每一样东西：更大的玩具，更好的房屋。因为我在闻名而富有的运动员当中工作，我曾深信，和他们相比，我的需求实实在在，而我的贪心微不足道。
23 这是一道烟幕，而莫里一手拨开了烟雾。“米奇，如果你试图向社会顶层的人炫耀，别抱希望。他们无论如何都会鄙视你。如果你试图向社会底层的人炫耀，也打消这个念头。他们只会嫉妒你。社会地位帮不了你，只有一颗敞开的心能让你自在而平等地与人共处。”
24 他停下来，然后看看我。“我要死了，是吗？” 是的。
25 “你想，为什么倾听别人的难处对我这么重要？难道我自己没有足够的疼痛和苦难？
26 “当然有。但是对别人付出让我感到自己活着。车，房子，镜中的模样，都给不了我这种感觉。当我付出时间，使原本悲伤的人脸上绽放笑容，我感到自己几乎又健康如初了。
27 “所做的事情必须发自内心。这么做，你就不会流露不满，不会嫉妒，不会渴望得到别人的东西。相反，如果这么做了，你会因为回报而激动不已。”
28 他咳嗽起来，伸手要拿椅子上的小铃铛。他的手试了几次，最后我拿起铃铛，放在他手里。
29 “谢谢，”他低声说。他无力地摇摇铃铛，想叫康妮过来。
30 “那个叫特德·特纳的家伙，”莫里说，“难道他不能为自己的墓碑想点别的什么吗？”
Good Usage (Para. 3)
snatch up
a corporate megadeal
found himself in my old professor’sposition
his body turning to stone
his days being crossed off the calendarone by one
crying over
Good Usage (Paras. 4-5)
It’s all part of the same problem.
put our values in the wrong things
disillusioned lives
relayed the story
dropped by for a visit
moved him to tears
dipped and soared
Good Usage (Paras. 6-7)
been taken with simple pleasures
held little or no significance
Good Usage (Paras. 8-9)
nobody bothers to even think otherwise
is so fogged up
has no perspective on
gobble up something new
Good Usage (Paras. 10-11)
(were) hungry for
accepting substitutes
substitute material things for love
a sense of comradeship
is not a substitute for tenderness
Good Usage (Para. 12)
the same today as it had been the firstday I arrived
held their same places on the shelves
was terminally ill
his purchasing power
Good Usage (Para. 13)
changed so drastically
in a very real way
bank account
Good Usage (Paras. 14-17)
be honest with
Good Usage (Paras.18-19)
a senior center
Good Usage (Paras. 20-21)
Devote yourself to
creating something that gives youpurpose and meaning
Good Usage (Paras.22-23)
railing against
show off for people at the top
look down on
people at the bottom
Status will get you nowhere.
Good Usage (Paras.24-27)
feel alive
it’s as close to healthy as I ever feel
Do the kinds of things that come fromthe heart.
On the contrary, you’ll be overwhelmedwith what comes back.
Good Usage (Paras.28-30)
poke a few times at it
Useful Expressions from Text A | Chinese Equivalences |
drop by for a visit | 登门拜访 |
move sb. to tears | 使某人感动得热泪盈眶 |
be taken with simple pleasures | 喜爱简单的乐事 |
gobble up something new | 渴望占有新东西 |
show off for people at the top | 向社会顶层的人炫耀 |
come from the heart | 发自内心 |
on the contrary | 相反 |
Useful Expressions from Text B | Chinese Equivalences |
and on and on and on | 等等等等 |
train of thinking | 思路 |
be measured in dollars | 用金钱来衡量 |
have nothing to do with money | 和金钱无关 |
cultivate friendship | 培植友谊 |
beyond the wildest dreams of sb. | 超乎某人的想象 |
That is it. | 就是这么回事。 |
Key Words and Expressions for Text A
holdup support sth. and stop it from falling 举起；支撑
e.g. 1. He held up hishands and shouted “Don’t shoot!”
2. There are two large wooden supportsthat hold up the roof.
有两根大木柱支撑着房顶。
lamentvt. feel or express deep sorrow for 痛惜；哀悼
e.g. 1. Let bygones bebygones. It’s no use lamenting the loss of your glory and power.
2. People lament the passing of the good olddays.
人们惋惜过去好时光的流逝。
snatch vt. take hold of sth. with a sudden quick often violent movement 强夺；攫取
e.g. 1. Before I knew it,the thief snatched my purse and quickly ran away.
2. She clutched her purse tightly, fearing that a thiefmight snatch it.
她紧紧抓着自己的钱包，生怕小偷把包抢去。
CF : grab, grasp,seize, snatch & catch
grab, grasp, seize, snatch 与catch都有“抓住”的意思。
grab表示突然地、粗鲁地抓住。例：
* He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the path of the car.
grasp表示牢牢地抓住，重点强调牢牢。例：
* Susan never understood what had driven her to grasp the oar at the lastmoment.
seize指突然用力抓住使不逃脱。例：
* Above all, we must seize every opportunity to improve our operationalefficiency.
snatch表示迅速地拉扯，出其不意地“抓取”。例：
* She made a dive for the rejected clothes and began to snatch them this wayand that.
catch是普通用语，含有“设法抓住、捉住”的意思。例：
* He ran fast enoughto catch the thief.
crossoff remove (from) by drawing a line through 划掉；删除
e.g. 1. We can cross hername off the list, as she’s not coming.
2. He crossed off the unnecessary parts inhis essay.
他把论文中不必要的部分都划掉了。
cry over weep because of;feel sad because of因为……哭泣；对……感到悲伤
e.g. 1. Mary was sosentimental that she often cried over her misfortune.
2. He was no doubt a great hero so people couldn’t helpbut cry over his death.
他毫无疑问是个伟大的英雄，所以人们才为他的去世禁不住地感到悲伤。
relay vt. [(to)] pass (a message) from one person toanother [常与to连用]传达；传递（信息）
e.g. 1. He quickly relayedthe good news to the other members of the staff.
2. Will you relay a message to him when you seehim?
你见到他时，给他传个口信好吗？
drop by pay an informal visit to a person or a place 顺便访问
e.g. 1. Sometimes I woulddrop by to see how he was getting on and whether he needed any help.
2. Only very close friends will just drop byunannounced.
只有很熟的朋友才会未经通知就突然造访。
dip vi. drop down or sink out of sight suddenly 下降；忽然消失
e.g. 1. We often go to thebeach and watch the sun dip below the horizon.
2. The night before setting off, thetemperature dipped and snow fell.
出发前的那个夜晚，气温下降，雪花飘飘。
soar vi. rise rapidly or to a very high level 骤升；腾飞
e.g. 1.With unemployment ratesoaring, some young people have decided to give up hunting for jobs and go backto school for further education.
2. Great trees soar above to cut out most ofthe light.
大树参天，挡住了大部分光线。
interpret vt. [(as)] understand thelikely meaning of a (statement, action, etc.) [常与as连用]把（话语、行动等）理解为；解释
e.g. 1. I interpret hersilence as acceptance.
2. We interpret handshake as a signof friendliness.
我们把握手理解为友好的表示。
substitute vt. put(sth.) in place of another 用（某物）代替（另一物）
e.g. 1. We substitutedhoney for sugar in making the cake and it tasted much better.
2. If you cannot go yourself, please find someoneto substitute you.
你如果不能亲自去，请找人代替你。
Collocations:
substitute as 代替为……
substitute ... for ... 用……代替……
deplete vi. fml lessen greatly in amount, contents, etc. 〖正式〗大大减少；枯竭
e.g. 1. The Earth’snatural resources are depleting, so we must take effective measures to conservethem.
2. He had been spending without restraint and his bankaccount was rapidly depleting.
他一直挥霍无度，银行账户里的资金迅速减少。
trivial a. notimportant or serious不重要的；琐碎的
e.g. 1. I don’t know whyhe should get so upset about something that is utterly trivial.
2. Who could have thought a trivial matterwould cause such a stir?
谁会想到一件琐碎小事竟会引起这样一场轩然大波。
show off derog behave so as to try to get attention and admiration for oneself, one’sabilities, etc. 〖贬〗炫耀；卖弄
e.g. 1. Like those rich,vain ladies, Dianna likes to show off her jewelry and fine clothes.
2. Although he wants to make a hit, I think he hasn’t gotmuch to show off.
虽然他想大出风头, 不过我认为他没有什么可炫耀的。
look down on infml regard sb. withcontempt; consider sb. inferior to oneself 〖非正式〗轻视；看不起
e.g. 1. Even though he’sfrom a rich family, he never looks down on anyone who is less fortunate.
2. I wish you wouldn’t look down on thiskind of job.
我希望你不要看不起这种工作。
envious a. [(of)] feeling or showingenvy [常与of连用]嫉妒的；羡慕的
e.g. 1. Do not displayyour treasures, or people will become envious.
2. Tom was envious of his brother’s success inbusiness.
汤姆羡慕（或嫉妒）他哥哥事业上的成功。
on the contrary the opposite is true; not at all与此相反；正相反
e.g. 1. —I hear you are enjoying doing your new job.
—On the contrary, Ifind it rather dull.
2. You didn’t bother me. On the contrary,I like your company.
你没有打扰我，相反地，我喜欢有你作伴。
poke at make repeatedsmall pushing movements at sth. 反覆轻推某物
e.g. 1. From the way hepoked at the food, we could see the little boy wasn’t hungry.
2. Don’t poke at that poisonous spiderwith your finger!
不要用手指去戳那只有毒的蜘蛛！
Text B
Key Words:
mode n. | temporary a. | short-term a. | extravagant a. |
spiritual a. | scale n. | cultivate vt. | attractive a. |
rewarding a. | excel vi. | truthful a. | tax vt. |
diminish vt. | inform vt. | contentment n. | simple-minded a. |
incredibly ad. |
mode n. [(of)] fmla way of behaving, living, operating, etc. [常与of连用]〖正式〗方式，样式
e.g. 1. You’ll have to change your mode of life now that you’re unemployed.
2. He suddenly became wealthy,which changed his whole mode of life.
temporary a. lasting only for a limited time 暂时的，临时的
e.g. 1. Some students aretaking part-time or temporary jobs to support themselves.
2. He affordeda temporary shelter for the needy.
short-term a. concerning a short period of time 短期的，暂时的
e.g. 1. The short-term trainingclass has been run three times.
2. What areyour short-term goals? What about in five years from now?
extravagant a. derog wasteful, esp. of money〖贬〗奢侈的；（尤指对钱财）浪费的
e.g. 1. She’s very extravagant — she spends all her money on clothes.
2. It’s very extravagant of usto buy strawberries — they are not in season now.
spiritual a. of the spirit rather than the body 精神的；心灵的
e.g. 1. Listening toGrandpa talk about his miserable life in the past is a truly spiritualexperience.
2. He could not comprehend themental or spiritual force of the island people.
scale n. [C] a set of numbers or standards formeasuring or comparing; [C; U] size or level in relation to other things or towhat is usual （用于计量或比较的）标准；等级，级别；规模，程度，范围
e.g. 1. The force of thewind is measured on a standard scale of 0-12.
2. The electronic industry isdeveloping on a large scale.
cultivate vt. improve or develop (esp. the mind, a feeling,etc.) by careful attention, training, or study 陶冶，培养；修习
e.g. 1. As teachers, theyaim to cultivate the minds of all the children they teach.
2. Weshould cultivate the good habits of diligence and frugality.
attractive a. able toattract; causing interest or pleasure 有吸引力的，引人注目的，诱惑人的
e.g. 1. Cliff is notgood-looking in the conventional sense, but women find him attractive.
2. A good ad can bring aboutthe attractive features of a product.
rewarding a. giving satisfaction, but perhaps not much money; (of an experience oraction) worth doing or having 令人满意的，可喜的；（经验等）有益的；（行动等）值得做的
e.g. 1.The agricultural practice became a challengingand rewarding vocation.
2. One of the advantages ofteaching is that it’s so rewarding to work with children.
excel vi. [(at, in) not in progressive forms]fml be the best or better than [常与at或in连用][不用进行式]〖正式〗优于；擅长
e.g. 1. Her son excels inmusic and art while her daughter is good at sports.
2. Those who are “numbers andlogic smart” excel at math and science.
truthful a. (of a person) who habitually tells the truth;(of a statement, account, etc.) true （人）一向说实话的，诚实的；（讲话、记述等）真实的，如实的
e.g. 1. Lucy’s a truthful girl. I think you can believe her.
2. You can count on him fora truthful report of the accident.
tax vt. charge a tax on 对……征税，向……课税
e.g. 1. If the peopleare taxed much more, they’ll begin tocomplain.
2. The greater the tax rate,the more those who are being taxed try to avoid it.
diminish vt. causeto become or seem smaller 使减少；使变小
e.g. 1. Nothingcould diminish her enthusiasm for the project.
2. The opposition is tryingto diminish our achievements.
inform vt. [(of,about)] usu. fml give information orknowledge to; tell [常与of或about连用]〖一般正式〗通知；告知
e.g. 1. I informed himthat I would not be able to attend the meeting.
2. I’m very pleasedto inform you that your application has been accepted.
contentment n. [U] a feeling of happiness orsatisfaction满意；满足
e.g. 1. The old man spenthis old age in contentment.
2. Hefound contentment in reading novels.
simple-minded a. having little ability to think or understand,or little experience of the world 头脑简单的；愚蠢的
e.g. 1. Heis simple-minded, but daring and charming in nature.
2. It’s unwise of her to takea simple-minded approach to the problem.
incredibly ad. very;extremely; in a way that is hard to believe 非常，极其；难以置信地，不可思议地
e.g. 1. Incredibly, no onehad ever thought of such a simple idea before.
2. The whole story was exceedinglyremarkable, almost incredibly.
Expressions:
fact of life | wear out |
other than | have nothing/sth./a lot, etc. to do with |
work out | (have) a clear conscience |
fact of life sth.that exists and that cannot (easily) be changed 不会/不易改变的现实
e.g. 1. It’s a fact oflife that success grows out of hard work.
2. We must all die some time:that’s just a fact of life.
wear out (cause to) be reduced to a useless state by longuse; tire greatly （把……）用坏；穿破；使疲乏，使精疲力竭
e.g. 1. I wore out twopairs of shoes on a walking tour in the mountains.
2. She has worn out aftera long hard day.
other than [usu. innegatives] except; apart from［一般用于否定句］除了
e.g. 1. The train wasdelayed, so there was nothing we could do other than wait.
2. I have not studied foreignlanguages other than English.
havenothing/sth./a lot, etc. to do with haveno/some/a lot of, etc., connection with 与……没有/有些/有很大关系
e.g. 1. What he said justnow has little to do with the question under discussion.
2. I am afraid we cannotentertain your claim as it has nothing to do with us.
work out infml exercise to improve physical fitness〖非正式〗锻炼，健身
e.g. 1. To prepare for thematch, the boxer worked out in the gym every day.
2. If you want to keep fit youmust work out every day.
(have) a clearconscience feel or afeeling that one has done nothing wrong 问心无愧
e.g. 1. I haven’t done anything wrong — I’ve got a clear conscience.
2. You have nothing to worryabout as long as you have a clear conscience.
either…or, neither…nor, both…and的用法
1. either...or...意为“或者……或者……；不是……就是……”之意。表示两者之一，连接句子中两个并列的成分。例如：
When the girl ishappy, she either sings or dances.
either...or...连接两个主语时，其谓语动词应与最近的一个主语在人称和数上保持一致，这就是我们通常说的“就近原则”。例如：
Either you or Iam going there tomorrow.
2. neither...nor...表示“既不……也不……”。其含义是否定的，可连接任意两个并列的成份。例如：
She likes neither butter norcheese.
当neither...nor...连接两个主语时，也应遵循“就近原则”。例如：
Neither dad normum is at home today.
3. both...and...“两者都”，连接名词或代词作主语时，谓语动词用复数形式，不受“就近原则”的限制。例如：
Both Li Ming andWei Hua are good at English.
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