e noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
• even though = even if = though/although
• squint v.眯着（眼）看, 瞄 • squint one's eyes眯着眼睛 • -- He squinted his eyes and looked at the letter.
• • • • • • • •
dim adj.昏暗 -- The room is too dim so I can't read the letter. gloomy adj.(天气,心情)抑郁的 -- The weather is gloomy today. / He is in gloomy mood. dusky adj.(天色)漆黑的, 黑暗的 -- Towards evening it’s getting dusky. murky adj.黑暗的, 阴沉的 -- I can't go out at murky night.
• look on 旁观, 观看 • anxious 形容词短语做伴随状况状语
• The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. • stare at 凝视, 盯住
• Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'. • ing形式做方式状语, 伴随状况状语
• cast (cast, cast) v.选派…扮演角色 • -- The actor was cast in the role of hero.
• imprison v.关押（= put sb in prison） • -- He was imprisoned for 10 years.
• imprisonment n.关押 • -- sentence sb to life imprisonment 判名人终生监禁
• prison = jail = gaol n.监狱 • -- send sb to prison / put sb in prison /throw sb into prison
• in prison 坐牢（不加the） • -- He is in prison/jail/gaol.
• reveal v.使显露, 揭露, 揭穿 • -- The secret hasn't been revealed. • A curtain was up and revealed the beautiful scenery.
• • • • • • • •
heart and soul adv.全心全意的, 全身心的 -- serve the customers heart and soul. take heart 鼓起勇气, 恢复信心 lose one’s heart 失去信心 put one's heart into sth 致力于某事 -- Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. have one's heart in one's boots 提心吊胆 -He had his heart in his boots when he went out along at night.
• Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire, I must get my glasses.'
• 现在分词做状语
• insist（vt.坚决要求）, suggest（vt.建议） • order（vt.命令）, demand（vt.要求）, require（vt.要求） • 表示建议／要求／希望的动词加that宾语从句时, that从句必须使用should+动词 原形的 • 虚拟语气（should可以省略）。
• revealable • revealer adj.可展现的 n.探测器
• • • •
disclose vt.公开，揭露 -- disclose the truth discover vt.发现 uncover vt.揭开具体的盖子
• cell
n.单人监房, 监号；细胞
• blank adj.空白的 n.空格
• • • • • • • •
proceed v.继续进行 （停顿之后的继续） proceed to/with 进行继续某事 -- Let's proceed to business. -- You must proceed with your work. proceed from… 从…着手开始继续 -- They proceed from lesson one. proceed against sb 起诉某人 -- He decided to proceed against his neighbour.
• role • character
• falter v.支吾, 结巴说 • -- He has practised the poem several times, so he has no cause to falter.
• stammer v.口吃, 结巴着说出, 结结巴巴地说
• falter vi.蹒跚而行蹒跚踉跄, 摇摆 • = stagger v.摇晃, 蹒跚, 交错, 摇摇摆摆 • -- He faltered home.
• Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner. • much用来加强语气 • He laughs best who laughs last. 笑到最后的, 才是笑的最 好的。
Lesson 22 By heart
Han Jiajia
• run (ran, run) v.（戏剧, 电影等）连演，连映 • The film is so successful that it runs for several weeks.
• lines n.（剧本中的）台词 • part n.剧中的角色, 台词
• on end = continuously adv.连续的（位于具体的时间之后） • -- He sat there for hours on end. • -- We had hardly anything to eat for days on end. • on end = upright adv.竖着 • -- The cat's fur stood on end. • -- I got a big shock, so my hair stood on end.
• The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. • on the final act = in the last act • behind bars 铁窗之后
• Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
• He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.
• present sth to = hand to = pass to
• It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
• in full = fully = completely
• One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his
colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. • play a joke/cheek on sb 开某人玩笑 （cheek n.脸颊, 面颊）
• One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter. • learn/know sth. by heart 把什么牢记在心 • -- The sentence is so important that you must learn it by heart.