38. Everything except the weather
Key words
Harrison 哈里森 the Mediterranean 地中海
retire v. 退休 settle down 定居
complain v. 抱怨 continually adv. 不断地
bitterly cold 刺骨地冷 get a shock 感到惊奇
as if 好像 in the end 最后
sunshine 阳光 Almost immediately 几乎立即
on text
My old friend，Harrison，had lived in the Mediterranean for many years before he returned to England. He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country. He had no sooner returned than he bought a fine house and went to live there. Almost immediately he began to complain about hte weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold, After so many years of sunshine, Harrison got a shock, He acted as if he had never lived in England before. in the end,it was more than he could bear, He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the country, The dream he had had for so many years ended there. Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.
Language points
the Mediterranean
the Mediterranean area.
settle down 安顿
- She settled herself down in a chair with a cup of tea.
- The situation has settled down. // 稳定下来
dreamed of 梦想的
for even though 因为即使
for 连词， even though, 即使，这一结构引出让步状语从句。
continually 不停地
continually：频率很高
continuously：连续不断
- The quarreled continually.
- They have quarreled continuously for more than an hour.
shock 吃惊、震惊，令人不安的事情
surprise： 惊喜，
- Harrison got a shock.
- The news of her death was a shock to me.
- Your letter came as a surprise.
as if = as though,好像,仿佛
- She looked at me as if I were a stranger. // were 虚拟语气
- It looked as though it were going to rain.
more than 超出
- My gratitude is more than I can express in words.
Key structures
no sooner [过去完成时] ... than... [过去时]
- I had no sooner entered the room than the telephone rang.
- No sooner had I entered the room than the telephone rang. // No sooner 放前面，had提前。
[过去完成时] hardly when [过去时]
- I had hardly known him well enough when he began to greet me like an old friend.
Note.
- Culture shork. 文化震惊
