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21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册 Unit4

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(单词翻译)

Unit 4

Text A

Listening

First Listening
Before listen to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

wrinkled
有皱纹的

laundry
付洗衣物

bundle
捆,包

complain
抱怨

respond
回答

Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1. Which of the following best describes the washwoman?
A) Tall and strong.
B) Tall, but weak.
C) Small, old, and weak.
D) Small and old, but strong.
2. Why did the family appreciate the washwoman so much?
A) She charged the lowest price for laundry.
B) She was reliable and independent.
C) She was funny and entertaining.
D) They liked to hear her tell stories.
3. Why did the family become worried about the washwoman?
A) She did not reappear with their laundry.
B) They heard that she was sick.
C) She threatened to quit.
D) She drank too much tea.
4. What happened to the washwoman at the end of the story?
A) She decided1 to raise her prices.
B) She decided to move to another city.
C) She went to live with her son.
D) She never returned for more laundry.

Pre-reading Questions

1. Think of a person you know who continues to work hard in his/her old age. Describe this person to your classmates. What is he/she like? What does he/she do? Why do you think he/she still works?
2.This short story is about a woman who continued to work hard in her old age because she "did not want to become a burden." What do you suppose this phrase means?

The Washwoman

Isaac Bashevis Singer

She was a small woman, old and wrinkled. When she started washing for us, she was already past seventy. Most Jewish women of her age were sickly and weak. All the old women in our street had bent2 backs and leaned on sticks when they walked. But this washwoman, small and thin as she was, possessed3 a strength that came from generations of peasant forebears. Mother would count out to her a bundle of laundry that had accumulated over several weeks. She would then lift the bundle, put it on her narrow shoulders, and carry it the long way home.
She would bring the laundry back about two weeks later. My mother had never been so pleased with any washwoman. Yet she charged no more than the others. She was a real find. Mother always had her money ready, because it was too far for the old woman to come a second time.
Laundering5 was not easy in those days. The old woman had no running water where she lived but had to bring in the water from a pump. And the drying! It could not be done outside because thieves would steal the laundry. So it had to be carried up to the attic6 and hung on clotheslines. Only God knows what the old woman had to endure each time she did a wash!
She could have begged at the church door or entered a home for the penniless and aged7. But there was in her a certain pride and love of labor8 with which many members of the labor force have been blessed. The old woman did not want to become a burden, and so she bore her burden.
The woman had a son who was rich. He was ashamed of his mother, and never came to see her. Nor did he ever give her money. The old woman told this without bitterness. When the son got married, the wedding took place in a church. The son had not invited the old mother to his wedding, but she went to the church anyway and waited at the steps to see her son lead the bride to the altar.
One day the washwoman, now nearly eighty years old, came to our house. A good deal of laundry had accumulated during the past weeks. Mother gave her a pot of tea to warm herself, as well as some bread. The old woman sat on a kitchen chair trembling and shaking, and warmed her hands against the teapot. Her fingernails were strangely white. These hands spoke9 of the stubbornness of mankind, of the will to work not only as one's strength permits but beyond the limits of one's power. It was sad to watch the old woman stagger out with the big bundle and disappear.
Usually the woman brought back the wash after two or, at the most, three weeks. But three weeks passed, then four and five, and nothing was heard of the old woman.
For us the washwoman's absence was a catastrophe10. We needed the laundry. We did not even know the woman's address. It seemed certain that she had collapsed12, died. Mother declared she had had a premonition that we would never see our things again. We mourned, both for the laundry and for the old woman who had grown close to us through the years she had served us so faithfully.
More than two months passed. One evening, while Mother was sitting near the lamp mending a shirt, the door opened and a small puff13 of steam, followed by a huge bundle, entered. Under the bundle tottered15 the old woman, her face as white as a linen16 sheet. Mother uttered a half-choked cry, as though a corpse17 had entered the room. I ran toward the old woman and helped her unload her bundle. She was even thinner now, more bent. She could not utter a clear word, but mumbled19 something with her sunken mouth and pale lips.
After the old woman had recovered somewhat, she told us that she had been ill, very ill. In fact, she had been so sick that someone had called a doctor, and the doctor had sent for a priest. Someone had informed the son, and he had contributed money for a coffin20. But God had not yet wanted to take this poor soul to Himself. She began to feel better, she became well, and as soon as she was able to stand on her feet once more, she resumed her washing. Not just ours, but the wash of several other families too.
"I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash," the old woman explained. "The wash would not let me die."
"With the help of God you will live to be a hundred and twenty," said my mother.
"God forbid! What good would such a long life be? The work becomes harder and harder ... my strength is leaving me ... I do not want to be a burden on any one!" The old woman muttered, crossed herself, and raised her eyes toward heaven. After getting paid, she left, promising21 to return in a few weeks for a new load of wash.
But she never came back. The wash she had returned was her last effort on this earth. She had been driven by a strong will to return the property to its owners, to fulfill22 the task she had undertaken.
(898 words)

New Words

washwoman
n. 洗衣妇

wrinkled
a. having or showing small folds or lines in the skin 有皱纹的

*wrinkle
vi. (esp. of the skin) form into lines, folds, etc. 起皱纹
n. 皱纹

Jewish
a. of the Jews 犹太人的

sickly
a. often ill 常病的

possess
vt. own, have 拥有,具有

generation
n. a single stage or step in family descent 代,一代

for(e)bear
n. [常用复数] 祖先

bundle
n. (of) a number of articles tied, fastened or held together, usu. across the middle 捆,束,包

laundry
n. 1. clothes, sheets, etc., that need to be washed or have just been washed 付洗衣物;已洗好的衣物
2. a place or business where clothes, etc., are washed and ironed 洗衣房,洗衣店

accumulate
vi. gradually increase in numbers or amount until there is a large quantity in one place 积累,积聚

launder4
vi. wash and iron clothes, sheets, etc. 洗熨衣物

pump
n. 泵,抽(水)机

attic
n. 阁楼;顶楼

clothesline
n. 晾衣绳

endure
vt. suffer, undergo (pain, hardship, etc.) 忍受(痛苦、困难等),耐住

penniless
a. 身无分文的

*bless
vt. (with) 使具有,使有权得到

bear(bore, borne)
vt. take (responsibility, etc.) on oneself 承担(责任等)

wedding
n. a marriage ceremony, esp. with a party or meal after a church service 婚礼

bride
n. 新娘

altar
n. (教堂内的)圣坛,祭坛

kitchen
n. 厨房,灶间

teapot
n. 茶壶

fingernail
n. 指甲

stubbornness
n. 倔强;顽强

*stubborn
a. 1. 顽固的, 倔强的
2. 顽强的, 坚持的

*stagger
vi. have trouble standing23 or walking; move unsteadily on one's feet 摇晃着移动; 蹒跚
n. 摇晃不稳的动作; 蹒跚

*catastrophe
n. a terrible event that causes great suffering, misfortune, or ruin 灾难,灾祸,大祸

collapse11
vi. (健康等)垮掉;倒坍

premonition
n. 预感

*mourn
vi. (for, over) feel and/or show grief, esp. for the death of someone; be sorrowful(尤指对某人的亡故)感到悲痛;哀悼

faithfully
ad. 1. with faith 忠实地
2. exactly 如实地;确切地

faithful
a. 1. loyal and true (to sb., to a cause, etc.) 忠实的,忠诚的
2. true to the facts or to an original 如实的

puff
n. a sudden short rush of air, smoke, etc.(空气、烟雾等的)一阵,一股

totter14
vi. walk with weak unsteady steps 蹒跚,踉跄

*linen
a. 亚麻(布)的
n. 亚麻布(或线);亚麻织品(床单、被单、桌布等)

utter
vt. make (a sound); say 发出(声音);说,讲

half-choked
a. 半哽住的

*corpse
n. 死尸,尸体

unload
vt. 1. have (a load) removed 卸(货)
2. remove a load from (sth.) 从 … 卸下货物
vi. 卸货

mumble18
v. speak (words) unclearly 含糊地说(话),咕哝

sunken
a. 下陷的;凹陷的

recover
vi. (from) return to the usual state of health, strength, ability, etc. 痊愈,复原;恢复

somewhat
ad. by some degree or amount; a little 稍微,有点

priest
n. 牧师,神父

inform
vt. (of, about) tell, give information to 告诉,通知

contribute
vt. join with others in giving (money, help, etc.) 捐(款),贡献,提供(帮助)

coffin
n. 棺材

resume
vt. begin (sth. or doing sth.) again after a pause (中断后)重新开始,继续

*mutter
vt. 轻声含糊地说

load
n. 一包(洗的衣物);负荷,负载
vt. 装(货或人);把货物(或人)装上(车、船、飞机等)

property
n. 财产;所有物

fulfil,-fill
vt. do or perform (a duty, task, etc.) 履行,完成

*undertake(undertook,undertaken)
vt. accept responsibility for (a piece of work) and start to do it 承担

Phrases and Expressions

lean on
rest in a sloping position on for support 靠在 …上,倚在 …上

count out
count one by one 逐一数出

be blessed with
be fortunate in having 有幸得到,具有

take place
举行,进行;发生,产生

a (good /great) deal of
quite a lot of 大量

speak of
suggest the idea of; show clearly that sth. happened or that it exists 显示;表明

at (the) most
not more than (the stated amount) 至多

hear of
receive news about (sb. or sth.) 获知…的消息,听到…的消息

stand /be on one's feet
站起;(病后)恢复健康

with the help of
在 … 的帮助下

God forbid!
May it not happen! 上天不容!

Proper Names

Isaac Bashevis Singer
艾萨克·巴希维兹·辛格(1904 - 1991,生于波兰的美国犹太作家)


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1 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
2 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
3 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
4 launder A93z6     
v.洗涤;洗黑钱(把来路可疑的钱弄得似乎合法)
参考例句:
  • She wore a freshly laundered and starched white shirt.她穿一件刚刚浆洗熨烫过的白色衬衣。
  • The gang launders the steal money through their chain of restaurants.这帮匪徒通过他们的连锁饭店洗赃款。
5 laundering laundering     
n.洗涤(衣等),洗烫(衣等);洗(钱)v.洗(衣服等),洗烫(衣服等)( launder的现在分词 );洗(黑钱)(把非法收入改头换面,变为貌似合法的收入)
参考例句:
  • Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 attic Hv4zZ     
n.顶楼,屋顶室
参考例句:
  • Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
  • What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理?
7 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
8 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
9 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
10 catastrophe WXHzr     
n.大灾难,大祸
参考例句:
  • I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
  • This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。
11 collapse aWvyE     
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷
参考例句:
  • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
  • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
12 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
13 puff y0cz8     
n.一口(气);一阵(风);v.喷气,喘气
参考例句:
  • He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
  • They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。
14 totter bnvwi     
v.蹒跚, 摇摇欲坠;n.蹒跚的步子
参考例句:
  • He tottered to the fridge,got a beer and slumped at the table.他踉跄地走到冰箱前,拿出一瓶啤酒,一屁股坐在桌边。
  • The property market is tottering.房地产市场摇摇欲坠。
15 tottered 60930887e634cc81d6b03c2dda74833f     
v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠
参考例句:
  • The pile of books tottered then fell. 这堆书晃了几下,然后就倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wounded soldier tottered to his feet. 伤员摇摇晃晃地站了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 linen W3LyK     
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的
参考例句:
  • The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
  • Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。
17 corpse JYiz4     
n.尸体,死尸
参考例句:
  • What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
  • The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
18 mumble KwYyP     
n./v.喃喃而语,咕哝
参考例句:
  • Her grandmother mumbled in her sleep.她祖母含混不清地说着梦话。
  • He could hear the low mumble of Navarro's voice.他能听到纳瓦罗在小声咕哝。
19 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
20 coffin XWRy7     
n.棺材,灵柩
参考例句:
  • When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
  • The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。
21 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
22 fulfill Qhbxg     
vt.履行,实现,完成;满足,使满意
参考例句:
  • If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了,你就要履行你的诺言。
  • This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。
23 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

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