True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves. They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary. This invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.
Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town. He was a shrewd and wealthy business-man, but the ordinary town-folk hardly knew anything about this side of his life. He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.
Dickie disliked snobs( 势利小人 ) intensely. Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it, preferring always to go on foot. Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella. One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower. He wanted to buy a &300 watch for his wife, but he was in such a bedraggled condition that an assistant refused to serve him. Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager. Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and ‘reprimanded the assistant severely. When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag. It contained &300 in pennies. He insisted on the assistant’s counting the money before he left 30,000 pennies in all! On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings. This exhibition received a great
deal of attention in the press, for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists, they had in fact been painted by Dickie. It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.
真正古怪的人从不有意引人注意。他们不顾社会习俗，意识不到自己所作所为有什么特殊之处。他们 总能赢得别人的喜爱与尊敬，因为他们给平淡单一的日常生活增添了色彩。
理查德 .科尔森生前是我们镇上最有名望的人之一。 他是个精明能干、 有钱的商人， 但镇上大部分人对 他生活中的这一个方面几乎一无所知。大家都管他叫迪基。早在他去世前很久，他的古怪行为就成了传奇
故事了。
迪基痛恨势利小人。尽管他有一辆豪华小轿车，但却很少使用，常常喜欢以步代车。即使大雨倾盆， 他也总是拒绝带伞。一天，他遇上一场瓢泼大雨，淋得透湿。他走进一家高级商店，要为妻子买一块价值
300 英镑的手表。但店员见他浑身泥水的样子，竟不肯接待他。迪基二话没说就走了。一会儿，他带着一 个大布口袋回到店里。布袋很沉，他重重地把布袋扔在柜台上。店员让迪基走开，他置之不理，并要求见 经理。经理认出了这位顾客，表示了深深的歉意，还严厉地训斥了店员。店员为迪基拿出了那块手表，迪 基把布口袋递给他，口袋里面装着 300 镑的便士。他坚持要店员点清那些硬币后他才离去。这些硬币加在 一起共有 30,000 枚! 还有一次，他邀请一些著名评论家来参观他私人收藏的现代画。这次展览引起报界 广泛注意，因为这些画名义上是名家的作品，事实上是迪基自己画的。他花了 4 年时间策划这出精心设计 的闹剧，只是想证明评论家们有时并不解他们所谈论的事情。
lovable [‘lʌvəbl]adj.(人或动物)可爱的
lovable / loveable
a lovable eccentric / actor / dog
adorable endearing winsome
cute
a cute baby / puppy / kitten
beloved
my beloved wife / husband
eccentric [ɪk’sentrɪk]
n. 古怪的人;adj. 异常的，古怪的
eccentric eccentricity
exhibit exhibition
One of his eccentricities is sleeping under the bed.
freak oddball weirdo sicko pervert
Phoebe: Oh that’s good, I guess she’ll have a choice between my guy and your weirdo. Chandler: Why would our guy be a weirdo?
Phoebe: Because that’s just your taste.
Rachel: Oh my God! That’s Monica!!
Joey: Oh no-no-no! No-no-no-no-no!
Rachel: You get away from me!! You sick, sick, sick, sicko!!
Ross: What’s going on?
Rachel: Joey has got a secret peephole!
Chandler: Oh no! No! No! No!
Rachel: Yes! He has a naked picture of Monica! He takes naked pictures of us! And then he eats chicken and looks at them!
Rachel: Look!
Ross: Dude! That’s my sister!
Monica: Give me that!
Phoebe: All right, wait! Just wait. Everybody just calm down. Okay? Let’s give our friend Joey a chance to explain why he’s such a big pervert!
Joey: No! I am not a pervert! Okay?
deliberately
on purpose
intentionally
set out to do: begin a job, task, etc with a particular aim or goal 带着目的去做某事
The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but he took a long time to send them.
Dmitri at once set out to find the thief.
We never set out to hurt you, Victor. And I’m sorry we did.
Are you done?
Yeah.
set out / off start out / off
Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, …
After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.
draw (one’s) attention
attract / capture / catch / arrest / command / get (one’s) attention
This attracted the attention of Richard Humphries who was then the most eminent boxer in England.
draw (one’s) attention
attract / capture / catch / arrest / command / get (one’s) attention
receive (one’s) attention
This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, …
disregard [dɪsrɪ’ɡɑ:d]
v. 漠视，不顾，不理睬
disregard ignore
You shouldn’t disregard / ignore safety problems.
When I saw Jane, I stopped and smiled, but she ________ me and walked on.
disregard neglect ignore overlook
The joys of travel, having long ____ the disabled, are opening up to virtually anyone who has the means.
pay no attention to …
take no notice of …
turn a deaf ear to …
turn a blind eye to …
convention [kən’venʃn]n. 习俗，风俗，惯例
social conventions
accepted conventions
international conventions
custom tradition institution practice
On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat—the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.
conventional
conventional values
conventional lifestyle
conventional measures
traditional customary
conscious [‘kɒnʃəs]
adj. 感觉到的，意识到的
be conscious of …
be conscious (of the fact) that …
be aware of …
be aware (of the fact) that …
be unconscious of …
be unconscious (of the fact) that …
be unaware of …
be unaware (of the fact) that …
without being conscious (of the fact) that …
without being conscious of …
without being aware (of the fact) that …
without being aware of …
People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so.
(being) unconscious (of the fact) that …
(being) unconscious of …
(being) unaware (of the fact) that …
(being) unaware of …
He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.
They disregard social conventions, quite unconscious / unaware of the fact that they are doing anything extraordinary.
造句: 他们无视安全问题, 意识不到自己的所作所为有什么危险之处。
They disregard safety problems, without being conscious that they are doing anything dangerous. They disregard safety problems, quite unconscious / unaware of the fact that they are doing anything dangerous.
consciousness
enhance people’s consciousness of public morality
win sb. sth.
win sth. for sb.
My sincerity won me her heart.
My sincerity won her heart for me.
add color to sth.
Intelligent use of metaphors can add color to your writing.
add luster / lustre to sth.
add flavor / spice to sth.
add variety to sth.
dull boring monotonous
造句: 网上冲浪总是能赢得年轻人的痴迷(fascination), 因为它给平淡的日常生活增添了一丝 亮色。
Surfing the Net invariably wins itself the fascination of the young, for it adds color to the dull routine of everyday life.
up to … / up until…
up till … / until
up to … / less than …
In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price.
notable
… ‘the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue’.
figure
One of the most colorful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza who was born in 1764.
“this side of his life”
“his shrewdness and wealthiness”
Harry is very thrifty, but in the presence of his friends he never shows this side of his life (= his thriftiness).
know sb./sth. as sth.
The disease is commonly known as Mad Cow Disease.
He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto.
造句:美国人把 Earvin Johnson 称为魔术师约翰逊 (Magic Johnson)。
Earvin Johnson is known to the Americans as ‘Magic Johnson’. 造句:中国人把李白称为诗仙 (poet immortal)。
Li Bai is known to the Chinese as ‘poet-immortal’.
Robin Hood is a legendary hero.
famous / well-known
the legendary Hollywood director Steven Spielberg
The Chinese are legendary for their hospitality.
造句:在上梁山前很久，武松的力量和勇敢就已经很有名了。
Wu Song ’s strength and courage had become legendary long before he joined the Liangshan rebels.
- Dickie hated / abhorred / detested / loathed / abominated snobs intensely.
- Dickie found snobs repellent / repulsive / revolting / disgusting.
- Snobs repelled / repulsed / revolted / disgusted Dickie intensely.
intensely [ɪn’tenslɪ]
adv. 强烈地
intense
intense heat / cold / pain
intense love / hatred / suffering
intensive
an intensive English course
two weeks of intensive negotiations
intensive reading
extensive reading
labor-intensive industry
capital-intensive industry
technology-intensive industry
knowledge-intensive industry
hardly ever / almost never
seldom rarely
prefer to do rather than do
…, preferring always to go on foot rather than go in his car.
造句:尽管他有几个保镖 (bodyguard)，但他很少让他们陪着他 (accompany him)，总是更喜 欢独自一个人 (on his own) 去散步 (take a stroll)。
Though he owned several bodyguards, he hardly ever asked them to accompany him, preferring always to take a stroll on his own.
It’s raining hard / heavily.
It’s pouring.
It’s raining cats and dogs.
be caught in …
He was caught in a storm / traffic jam.
be struck by …
In August, she was struck by a very heavy storm during which her rudder was torn away.
金钱 +worth of+ 物品
a £300 worth of watch
… but he was so bedraggled that …
His family was so impoverished that he could hardly afford his tuition.
His family was in such an impoverished condition that he could hardly afford his tuition.
serve sb. with sth.
serve sth. to sb.
… refused to serve him with the watch.
… refused to serve the watch to him.
take French leave
Dumb dogs are dangerous.
weigh a ton
The chair weighs a ton.
The chair is extremely heavy.
…, he dumped it on the counter.
He slammed the door.
We all clapped our hands.
The soldier clicked his heels.
Don’t clatter the dishes—you’ll wake the baby up.
I’ll smack your bottom if you don’t behave yourself.
Dickie ignored him.
Dickie took no notice of him.
Dickie turned a deaf ear to him.
Dickie turned a blind eye to him.
You’re requested not to smoke here.
You’re required not to smoke here.
She gave a lecture on modern American poetry and was attentively listened to.
The old professor wheeled himself to the platform and was warmly applauded by the students.
apologetic [əpɒlə’dʒetɪk]
adj. 道歉的，表示歉意的
be apologetic about …
He was apologetic about his late arrival.
apologize apologize to sb. for sth.
He apologized to me for his late arrival.
apology
make an apology to sb. for sth.
owe sb. an apology
say sorry to sb. for sth.
reprimand [‘reprɪmɑ:nd]
v. 训斥，批评
reprimand rebuke
reprimand / rebuke sb. for sth.
I was reprimanded / rebuked by my manager for being late.
accuse sb. of sth.
Dimitri immediately went to Aleko’s house and angrily accused him of stealing the lamb.
criticize sb. for sth.
He was criticized for his delay in dealing with the matter.
censure sb. for sth.
Ministers were censured for their lack of decisiveness during the crisis.
scold sb. for sth.
His mother scolded him for breaking her favorite vase.
reproach sb. for sth.
He reproached me for not answering his letter.
blame sb. for sth.
blame sth. on sb.
They blamed George for the failure.
They blamed the failure on George.
condemn A for / as B
The movie was condemned for its sexism.
The terrorist attack was condemned as an act of barbarism and cowardice.
present sb. with sth.
present sth. to sb.
He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.
He paid me in cash / dollars.
Write it in ink / pencil / English.
动名词的逻辑主语
一般来说，动名词的逻辑主语在正式文体中用属格(所有格)，在非正式文体中用普通格。 在《新概念英语》和考试中，均以正式文体为准。
Do you mind my smoking here?(正式)
Do you mind me smoking here?(非正式)
Your falling into the river was the climax of the whole trip.(正式)
You falling into the river was the climax of the whole trip.(非正式)
出 现 下 列情况时，即 使在正式文体中，动名词的逻辑主语 也习惯使用普通格。
1、逻辑主语为名词指物。
The children are looking forward to spring coming.
2、逻辑主语为多个名词。
Do you remember Mary and her mother coming to see us last June?
3、逻辑主语为以“s”结尾的名词。
It’s a disaster the bosses shutting all those factories.
4、逻辑主语与动名词分离。
I remember mother once telling us a story about the fox.
5、逻辑主语为不定代词，如:someone, everything, something; 或指示代词，
如:this, that They complained about everything going wrong.
He disapproved of that being said about Mary.
insist on …
insist that …
He insisted that the assistant (should) count the money before he left, …
Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
He always insisted on its being written out in full.
Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted.
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.
These young people, who love the peace of the mountains, always receive a warm welcome at St. Bernard’s monastery.
the press 新闻界
the freedom of the press 新闻自由
In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned.
… critics do not always talk sense.
… critics sometimes talk nonsense.
stage [steɪdʒ]
v. 组织，策划，举行，举办
stage: organize
stage a strike / a riot / a plot / a coup / an exhibition
China staged the 2008 Olympics.