新概念英語(yǔ)第二冊(cè)Lesson 87 A perfect alibi

Lesson 87  A perfect alibi 極好的不在犯罪現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的證據(jù)

First listen and then answer the question.
聽(tīng)錄音，然后回答以下問(wèn)題。
What was wrong with the man's story?
    
'At the time the murder was committed, I was travelling on the 8 o'clock train to London,' said the man.
'Do you always catch such an early train?' asked the inspector.
'Of course I do,' answered the man. 'I must be at work at 10 o'clock. My employer will confirm that I was there on time.'
'Would a later train get you to work on time?' asked the inspector.
'I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'
'At what time did you arrive at the station?'
'At ten to eight. I bought a paper and waited for the train.'
'And you didn't notice anything unusual?'
'Of course not.'
'I suggest,' said the inspector, 'that you are not telling the truth. I suggest that you did not catch the 8 o'clock train, but that you caught the 8.25 which would still get you to work on time. You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8 o'clock train did not run at all. It broke down at Ferngreen station and was taken off the line.'

New words and expressions 生詞和短語(yǔ)

alibi n. 不在犯罪現(xiàn)場(chǎng)
commit v. 犯（罪、錯(cuò)）
inspector n. 探長(zhǎng)
employer n. 雇主
confirm v. 確認(rèn)，證實(shí)
suggest v. 提醒
truth n. 真相
 
參考譯文

“在兇殺發(fā)生的時(shí)候，我正坐在8點(diǎn)鐘開(kāi)往倫敦的火車上。”那人說(shuō)。
“您總是趕這樣早的火車？”探長(zhǎng)問(wèn)。
“當(dāng)然是的，”那人回答。“我必須在10點(diǎn)鐘上班，我的雇主會(huì)證明我是按時(shí)到了那兒的。”
“晚一點(diǎn)兒的車也能送您按時(shí)上班嗎？”
“我認(rèn)為可以，但我從來(lái)不乘晚一點(diǎn)兒的車。”
“您幾點(diǎn)鐘到的火車站？”
“7點(diǎn)50分。我買了張報(bào)紙，等著車來(lái)。”
“您沒(méi)有注意到有什么異常情況發(fā)生嗎？”
“當(dāng)然沒(méi)有。”
“我提醒您，”探長(zhǎng)說(shuō)，“您講的不是實(shí)話。您乘的不是8點(diǎn)鐘的火車，而是8點(diǎn)25分的，這次車同樣能使您按時(shí)上班。您看，在兇殺發(fā)生的那天早晨，8點(diǎn)鐘的那次車根本沒(méi)有發(fā)。它在芬格林車站出了故障而被取消了。”

 

　　自學(xué)導(dǎo)讀
　　課文詳注 Further notes on the text
　　1．A perfect alibi，（標(biāo)題）極好的不在犯罪現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的證據(jù)。
　　alibi為法律用語(yǔ)，含義是“不在場(chǎng)證明”、“當(dāng)時(shí)不在場(chǎng)的申辯”，是可數(shù)名詞：
　　Ian had an alibi/alibis for that morning.
　　伊恩有那天上午不在場(chǎng)的證據(jù)/證明。
　　與它搭配的動(dòng)詞通常有offer，prove，set up等。
　　2．…I was there on time.……
　　我是按時(shí)到了那兒的。
　　on time為固定短語(yǔ)，表示“準(zhǔn)時(shí)”、“按時(shí)”（注意它與in time的區(qū)別）：
　　Can you arrive on time?
　　你能準(zhǔn)時(shí)到嗎？
　　Tom is never on time. He always keeps other people waiting.
　　湯姆從來(lái)不準(zhǔn)時(shí)。他總是讓別人等。
　　3．And you didn't notice anything unusual? 您沒(méi)有注意到有什么異常情況發(fā)生嗎？
　　這是一個(gè)陳述疑問(wèn)句，即它具備與陳述句同樣的基本語(yǔ)法結(jié)構(gòu)，但用升調(diào)提問(wèn)。這種句子在英語(yǔ)中不常用：
　　不定代詞如anything，something等被形容詞修飾時(shí)，形容詞必須跟在不定代詞之后：
　　This is something special.
　　這很特別。
　　This isn't anything important.
　　這并不重要。
　　I'd like something cheaper.
　　我想買點(diǎn)較為便宜的東西。
　　4．I suggest…that you are not telling the truth. 我提醒您……您講的不是實(shí)話。
　　I suggest（that）…在這里用于提出質(zhì)疑，譯為“依我看……”、“恐怕……”：
　　I suggest that he is not so honest as he looks.
　　依我看他并不像他看上去那么誠(chéng)實(shí)。
　　I suggest that the car crash was not accidental.
　　恐怕這起汽車撞車事故不是偶然的。
　　5．You see, on the morning of the murder, the  8 o'clock train did not run at all. 您看，在兇殺發(fā)生的那天早晨，8點(diǎn)鐘的那次車根本沒(méi)有發(fā)。
　　（1）you see在口語(yǔ)中經(jīng)常作為插入語(yǔ)出現(xiàn)，句首、句中或句尾均可以，表示“你知道”、“事實(shí)上”等含義：
　　He was not really interested in the film, you see.
　　事實(shí)上，他對(duì)那部電影并不是真的感興趣。
　　My leg isn't all right yet, you see, so I can't climb the hill with you.
　　你知道/你看，我的腿還沒(méi)有完全好，所以我不能和你（們）一起爬山。
　?。?）run可以指火車、公共汽車、船等“定時(shí)/定期行駛”、“（在兩地間）往來(lái)”：
　　Buses run every ten minutes here.
　　這里的公共汽車每10分鐘一班。
　　This ship runs between Dover and Calais.
　　這條船來(lái)往于多佛與加來(lái)之間。

　　詞匯學(xué)習(xí) Word study
　　1．commit vt.
　?。?）犯（罪），做（錯(cuò)事、壞事等）：
　　A murder was committed at 8 o'clock this morning.
　　今天早上8點(diǎn)鐘發(fā)生了一起兇殺案。
　　He has never committed any crime before.
　　他以前從來(lái)沒(méi)有犯過(guò)罪。
　?。?）承諾，使承擔(dān)義務(wù)，卷入（經(jīng)常與反身代詞連用）：
　　You should know each other better before committing yourselves to marriage.
　　在締結(jié)婚姻以前，你們應(yīng)該更好地互相了解。
　　He has committed his friend to taking part in the race.
　　他使他的朋友答應(yīng)參加比賽。
　　2．confirm vt.
　?。?）證實(shí)，確定：
　　My employer will confirm that I was there on time.
　　我的雇主會(huì)證明我是按時(shí)到那兒的。
　　His words are confirmed.
　　他的話得到了證實(shí)。
　?。?）鞏固，加強(qiáng)：
　　His experiences in that company confirmed his decision to have a factory of his own.
　　他在那家公司的經(jīng)歷堅(jiān)定了他想自己擁有一個(gè)工廠的決心。
　　What he saw and heard that night confirmed his belief that the pub was haunted.
　　那天晚上的所見(jiàn)所聞使他更加堅(jiān)信那個(gè)小酒店有鬼魂出沒(méi)。

　　練習(xí)答案 Key to written exercises
　　1．關(guān)鍵句型練習(xí)答案
　　A The man said that he was travelling on the eight o'clock train to London at the time the murder was committed. The inspector asked him if he always caught such an early train. The man said that he did because he had to be at work at ten o'clock, and that his employer would confirm that he was there on time. The inspector then asked him if a later train would get him to work on time. The man supposed that it would, but said that he never caught a later train. The inspector asked at what time he had arrived at the station. The man said that he had arrived at the station at ten to eight. He added that he had bought a paper and waited for the train. When the inspector asked him if he had noticed anything unusual, the man said he hadn't. The inspector suggested that he was not telling the truth and that he did not catch the eight o'clock train, but (caught) the eight twenty-five, which would still get him to work on time. The inspector pointed out that on the morning of the murder, the eight o'clock train did not run at all, as it had broken down at Ferngreen station and had been taken off the line.
　　2．多項(xiàng)選擇題答案
　　1c  2d  3c  4d  5a  6c
　　7c  8a  9d  10a  11a  12d