Unit 4   Section A        College sweethearts

 1 I smile at my two lovely daughters and they seem so much more mature than we, their parents, when we were college sweethearts. Linda, who's 21, had a boyfriend in her freshman year she thought she would marry, but they're not together anymore. Melissa, who's 19, hasn't had a steady boyfriend yet. My daughters wonder when they will meet "The One", their great love. They think their father and I had a classic fairy-tale romance heading for marriage from the outset. Perhaps, they're right but it didn't seem so at the time. In a way, love just happens when you least expect it. Who would have thought that Butch and I would end up getting married to each other? He became my boyfriend because of my shallow agenda: I wanted a cute boyfriend!

1 我微笑着看着我那两个可爱的女儿，她们似乎比她们的父母还是大学情侣那会儿更为成熟。琳达，21岁，在大学一年级交过一个男友，她曾以为会跟那个男孩结婚，但他们已不再来往了。梅丽莎，19岁，还没有一个固定的男友。我的女儿不知何时才能遇到她们的那个“唯一”，她们伟大的爱。她们认为她们的父亲和我有着一段经典的、童话般的浪漫史，从一开始就直奔婚姻的殿堂。也许，她们是正确的，但在那时似乎并不是那么回事。在某种程度上，爱神恰恰在你最没准备时来临。谁曾想到，布奇和我最终会结婚呢？他之所以成为我男友，只是因为当时我那肤浅的打算：我要找一个可爱的男友！ 

2 We met through my college roommate at the university cafeteria. That fateful night, I was merely curious, but for him I think it was love at first sight. "You have beautiful eyes", he said as he gazed at my face. He kept staring at me all night long. I really wasn't that interested for two reasons. First, he looked like he was a really wild boy, maybe even dangerous. Second, although he was very cute, he seemed a little weird.

2 我们通过我的大学室友介绍在大学食堂相识。在那个命中注定的夜晚，我只是好奇，但对他而言，我认为是一见钟情。他凝视着我的脸，说：“你有一双美丽的眼睛。”他整个晚上一直盯着我。我真的对他没那么感兴趣，其原因有二。首先，他看起来就像是一个野小子，甚至还有些危险。其次，虽然他很可爱，却似乎有点怪异。

3 Riding on his bicycle, he'd ride past my dorm as if "by accident" and pretend to be surprised to see me. I liked the attention but was cautious about his wild, dynamic personality. He had a charming way with words which would charm any girl. Fear came over me when I started to fall in love. His exciting "bad boy image" was just too tempting to resist. What was it that attracted me? I always had an excellent reputation. My concentration was solely on my studies to get superior grades. But for what? College is supposed to be a time of great learning and also some fun. I had nearly achieved a great education, and graduation was just one semester away. But I hadn't had any fun; my life was stale with no component of fun! I needed a boyfriend.Not just any boyfriend. He had to be cute. My goal that semester became: Be ambitious and grab the cutest boyfriend I can find.

3 他骑着自行车经过我的宿舍，装作与我“偶遇”，看到我时还假装惊讶。我喜欢被重视的感觉，但对他的野性和充满活力的个性却小心谨慎。他很会说话，这会迷倒任何女孩。当我开始爱上他时，恐惧向我袭来。他那令人激动的“坏小子形象”简直太诱人了。究竟是什么吸引了我？我，一直口碑极好。为了获得优异的成绩，我的注意力只专注在自己的学习上。但又怎么样呢？大学应该是学习的好时间，可也应该有一些乐趣。我已几乎达成了伟大的教育目标，离毕业只有一学期之遥了。但我却还没有享受过任何乐趣，我的生活乏味，没有一点新鲜感！我需要一个男朋友，当然不是任何男朋友。他必须很可爱。于是我那个学期的目标就成为：雄心勃勃，抓住一个我能找到的最可爱的男友。

4 I worried what he'd think of me. True, we lived in a time when a dramatic shift in sexual attitudes was taking place, but I was a traditional girl who wasn't ready for the new ways that seemed common on campus. Butch looked superb! I was not immune to his personality, but I was scared. The night when he announced to the world that I was his girlfriend, I went along with him. And then I suddenly thought: "Oh my gosh! Am I his girlfriend? How did that happen?" Then he whispered sweet words in my ear and said, "I'm going to marry you one day and I will be a lawyer. You will see."

4 我担心他会怎么看我。不错，我们生活在一个性观念正在发生戏剧性转变的时代，但我是一个传统的女孩，对在校园里似乎常见的新方式还没有心理准备。布奇看上去很出色！我对他的个性毫无免疫力，但我对此很害怕。那天晚上当他向大家宣布我是他女友时，我是同意的。但我随后突然清醒：“噢，我的天哪！我是他女友吗？这是怎么回事？”紧接着，他在我耳边低声地甜言蜜语：“有一天我要娶你，我会成为一名律师。你会看到这一天的。”

5 I was laughing inside and said to myself, "I'd never marry this guy. He's a rebel without a good future. He's my boyfriend because I hate my boring student life. I just want to have fun."

5 我笑着对自己说：“我绝不会嫁给这个家伙。他是一个没有前途的叛逆者。他是我男朋友，只因为我恨枯燥的学生生活。我只想得到乐趣而已。” 

6 Sure enough, the following month, I found out he had failed all his courses. Consequently, he was going to be expelled from the university. To my disgust, he seemed resigned to his fate. I knew there was hope, so I led him to the college secretary for reconsideration.

6 果然，一个月后，我发现他所有的课程都不及格。因而，他将被大学除名。令我厌恶的是，他似乎屈从了自己的命运。我知道还有希望，所以我让他去学院的秘书那儿进行复议。 

7 "You are going to graduate with a BA in political science from UPenn and proceed to the College of Law," I told him, lodging an appeal on his behalf, which was approved. Butch was granted reconsideration. And, once we became steadies, he coordinated his studies and social life, passing all of his classes. He eventually studied law.

7 我告诉他：“你要先从宾夕法尼亚大学拿到政治学学士学位，然后进入法律学院。”我以他的名义递交了呈请书，结果被批准了。校方同意复议布奇的情况。我们的男女朋友关系一经确定，他就协调了他的学习和社交生活，结果各门课都通过了。他最终学了法律。

8 Despite Butch's somewhat wild character, at his core, he is always a perfect gentleman and deserves a lot of credit for that. True, he'd sometimes take the liberty of displaying his love by planting a kiss on my lips right in front of my astonished friends who watched and disapproved. But the truth is we had a pure and responsible relationship for seven full years. Sitting by the palm trees, hand in hand, we would listen to romantic songs, watch the sunset, and weave dreams of being together with children of our own, forever.  

8 尽管布奇的性格有点野，但他在骨子里却是一个完美的绅士，这值得高度赞扬。的确，他有时会在我朋友面前亲吻我的嘴，擅自表达他的爱。我的朋友看到了很惊讶，也很不以为然。但事实上，我们在整整七年的恋爱关系中一直是纯洁和负责的。我们坐在棕榈树下，手牵着手，听着浪漫的歌曲，观赏着日落，编织着和我们自己的孩子在一起的美梦，一直到永远。

9 Two years passed in a blur. One day, Butch took me by surprise as he knelt down and proposed marriage holding a dozen red roses! Filled with deep emotion, I confessed my love for him, "How roooomaaaantic!!" Then my brain woke up from fantasy land. I cried out, "Good heavens. No! We're too young to tie the knot. We haven't even graduated from college yet!" I really loved him but was pessimistic about our chances for success.

9 两年糊里糊涂地过去了。一天，布奇出其不意地手捧着一打红玫瑰跪下向我求婚。我心中充满了深情，也坦诚了对他的爱：“太太太太太浪漫了！！”可我随即从幻想中惊醒。我大喊出来：“天哪。不！我们现在结婚还太早了。我们甚至还没有大学毕业呢！”我真的很喜欢他，但我对我们感情修成正果的机率却持悲观态度。 

10 We married five years later.

10 五年后，我们结了婚。

11 Our faithful journey of love and learning took us down rocky roads of hardship and on smooth easy-going highways. It is a long, romantic, sometimes crazy, love story that sums up a 29-year long honeymoon together as a couple who are still madly in love with each other. Our love commenced with a casual attraction but bloomed into a mature love and rich life.

11 我们忠实的爱和学习之旅带我们走过艰难崎岖的岩石路，走上平坦易行的公路。它是一个永久、浪漫，有时又疯狂的爱情故事。它诠释了一对仍在疯狂地爱着对方的夫妇如何一起度过了29年之久的蜜月。我们的爱从漫不经心的互相吸引开始，但最终却发展出成熟的爱情和富足的生活。

Detailed Study of Words

1.classic 

· a.

· (usu. before noun) admired by many people, and having a value that has continued for a long time 经典的

· The Coca-Cola bottle is one of the classic designs of the last century. 可口可乐瓶子是上个世纪的经典设计之一。●

2.romance 

· n.

· 1 [C] a story about the love between two people 爱情故事

· She is a compulsive reader of romances. 她热衷于阅读爱情故事。

You'll be in the joy of creation when writing a children's story, a novel, or a romance. 当你写一部儿童故事、一部小说，或一部爱情故事时，你会感受到创作的喜悦。

· 2 [U] love or a feeling of being in love 爱情；恋爱

· Many people believe that marriage is not an ever-lasting romance but like a business. 很多人认为，婚姻不是一个浪漫的结合，而是一种商业的行为。●

3.cute 

· a.

· very pretty or attractive 漂亮的；可爱的

· Mathew is so delighted because he's got a really cute baby brother. 马修如此高兴是因为他有了一个很可爱的小弟弟。●

3.gaze 

· vi.

· look at sb. or sth. for a long time, giving it all your attention, often without realizing you are doing so （常指无意识地）凝视，盯着看

· He spent hours gazing out of the window when he was supposed to be working. 在应该工作的时候，他却茫然地凝视着窗外好几个小时。●

4.weird 

· a.

· (infml.) very strange and unusual, and difficult to understand or explain 古怪的；奇异的

· We were a little afraid when we walked into the weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这座诡异的老房子到处嘎吱作响，我们走进去时有点儿害怕。●

5.cautious 

· a.

· careful to avoid danger or risks 小心的；谨慎的；慎重的

· Many scientists are cautious about interpreting function and behavior of "Black Holes". 许多科学家对如何解释“黑洞”的功能和活动都持谨慎的态度。●

6.dynamic 

· a.

· 1 full of energy and new ideas, and determined to succeed 精力充沛的；有创新思想的；志在成功的

· He seemed a dynamic and energetic leader. 他似乎是一个充满朝气和活力的领导者。

· 2 continuously moving or changing 不断移动的；不断变化的

· Markets are dynamic and companies must learn to adapt to the constant economic changes. 市场是动态的，公司必须学会适应持续不断的经济变化。●

7.charm 

· vt.

· attract sb. and make them like you, sometimes in order to make them do sth. for you 迷住；吸引

· Almost all of the young women in the room were charmed by his boyish manner. 房间里几乎所有的年轻女性都被他那男孩子气的举止迷住了。

· n.

· [C, U] a special quality sb. or sth. has that makes people like them, feel attracted to them, or be easily influenced by them 魅力；魔力；吸引力；可爱之处

· These lovely old towns have a charm you couldn't find in the big cities. 这些可爱的老城镇有你在大城市找不到的魅力。●

8.tempt 

· vt.

· try to persuade sb. to do sth. by making it seem attractive 怂恿；利诱

· They tempted him to join their company by offering him a large salary and a company car. 他们为他提供高薪和一辆公司的汽车来利诱他加入他们的公司。●

tempting 

· a.

· used for describing sth. that makes you feel you would like to have it or do it 诱人的；吸引人的

· At first glance, the contract was tempting; however, upon closer examination it became clear that the contract had many problems. 乍一看，合同是诱人的，但仔细检查后发现该合同有许多问题。●

9.reputation 

· n.

· [C] the opinion that people have about sb. or sth. because of what has happened in the past 名誉；名望

· The company has a worldwide reputation for quality. 这个公司的质量享誉全球。●

10.superior 

· a.

· better, more powerful, more effective, etc. than a similar person or thing, esp. one that you are competing against 更好的；更强的；更有效的

· She got the job because she was the superior candidate. 她得到了此工作，因为她是更好的候选人。●

11.semester 

· n.

· [C] one of the two periods of time that a year at high schools and universities is divided into, esp. in the US （尤指美国中学和大学的）一学期，半学年

· the first / second semester 第一 / 第二学期

the spring / fall semester 春季 / 秋季学期●

12.stale 

· a.

· 1 not interesting or exciting any more 不再有趣的；没有新意的；乏味的

· Many marriages might go stale, but not the marriage of her parents. 很多婚姻可能会变得乏味，但她父母的婚姻不会。

· 2 bread or cake that is stale is no longer fresh or good to eat 不新鲜的

· French bread goes stale (= becomes stale) very quickly. 法式面包会很快变得不新鲜。●

13.component 

· n.

· [C] one of several parts that together make up a whole machine, system, etc. 机器、系统等的零件；成分；组成部分

· The course has four main components: business law, finance, computing and management skills. 该课程有四个主要组成部分：商务法、金融、计算机和管理技能。

Nutrition is one of the most important components of a healthy body. 营养是一个健康的身体最重要的组成部分之一。●

14.ambitious 

· a.

· determined to be successful, rich, powerful, etc. 有抱负的；有雄心大志的；野心勃勃的

· She is a very ambitious woman and plans to expand her business as soon as possible. 她是一个很有野心的女人，并计划尽快扩大自己的生意。●

15.sexual 

· a.

· relating to the physical activity of sex 性的；与性（生活）有关的

· Many elderly people continue to have a satisfying sexual life. 很多年长者仍继续有着满意的性生活。●

16.superb 

· a.

· extremely good 极好的；出色的；卓越的

· Gifted with a superb voice, she became a famous opera singer. 她天生一副好嗓子，成为了一位出名的歌剧演员。●

17.immune 

· a.

· 1 (not before noun) not influenced or affected by sth. 不受影响的

· Few women were immune to his charm. 很少有女人对他的魅力无动于衷。

Japan was by no means immune from continental influences. 日本决不可能不受到亚洲大陆的影响。

· 2 safe from a disease, because you cannot be infected by it 免疫的；有免疫力的

· Most people who've had chickenpox once are immune to it for the rest of their lives. 大多数曾经出过水痘的人都会终生对水痘有免疫力。●

18.consequently 

· ad.

· as a result 结果；因此；所以

· The rain was heavy and consequently the land was flooded. 雨下得很大，结果土地被水淹没了。●

19.disgust 

· n.

· [U] a strong feeling of dislike, annoyance, or disapproval 厌恶；气愤；反感

· I threw the book aside in disgust. 我气愤地把书扔在一边。

A look of disgust came over his face. 厌恶的神色写在了他的脸上。●

20.proceed 

· vi.

· 1 (fml.) continue to do sth. that has already been planned or started 继续进行；继续做

· The city government was running out of money but was determined to proceed with repairing all of the roads as planned. 市政府的钱快用完了，但政府决定继续按计划修复所有该修的道路。

Before proceeding further, we must clearly define our terms. 我们必须先给术语下定义，然后再继续。

· 2 move in a particular direction （向某一方向）前进，移动

· When the airplane from San Francisco landed in New York, passengers for Madrid were instructed to proceed to gate 26 for boarding. 当从旧金山来的飞机在纽约降落后，去马德里的乘客被要求继续前往26号登机口登机。●

21.lodge 

· vt.

· formally make sth. such as a complaint or claim 正式提出（投诉、要求等）

· He has a month in which to lodge an appeal. 他在一个月内可提出上诉。

US lodged a formal protest against the arrest of their reporters. 美国提出了正式抗议，反对他们的记者遭到逮捕。

· v.

· live somewhere temporarily, usu. paying rent to live in sb. else's house, or provide sb. with a place to live （通过付住宿费）借住；（为某人）提供住宿

· All the travelers lodged in a three-star hotel. 所有的旅客都住在一家三星级的酒店。●

22.behalf 

· n.

· (on sb.'s ~ / on ~ of sb.) instead of sb., or as their representative 代表某人

· On behalf of the entire company, I would like to thank you for all of your excellent contribution. 我代表整个公司对您所做的卓越贡献表示感谢。

Unfortunately, George cannot be with us today, so I am pleased to accept this award on his behalf. 不幸的是，乔治今天不能与我们在一起，所以我很高兴代表他接受这个奖项。●

23.approve 

· vt.

· officially accept a plan, proposal, etc. 批准；认可

· The court approved the sale of the property. 法院批准出售这一房产。

We had to wait months for the council to approve our plans to increase the size of the house. 我们得等待数月，等委员会批准我们扩大住房的计划。

· vi.

· think that sb. or sth. is good, right, or suitable 赞许；赞成；同意

· I approve of your trying to make some money, but please don't neglect your studies. 我赞成你赚一些钱，但请不要忽视你的学业。●

24.grant 

· vt.

· (fml.) give sb. sth. or allow them to have sth. that they have asked for 给予；准予

· The European Union could grant Spain's request for financial assistance. 欧盟可能会同意西班牙提出的有关提供财政援助的要求。

I would love to be able to grant her wish. 我很想能够满足她的愿望。

If a government does not want a person to enter the country, it can refuse to grant that person a visa. 如果一个政府不希望某个人进入该国，可以拒绝给予那个人发放签证。

The authorities at the consulate have refused to grant him a visa to visit the U.S. 领馆当局一直拒绝给他发放访美的签证。

· n.

· [C] an amount of money given to sb., esp. by the government, for a particular purpose （尤指政府发给的）补助金，拨款

He was awarded a grant which enabled him to successfully finish his research at the university. 他获得了政府发的补助金，这使他能够成功地完成他在大学的研究。● 

25.coordinate 

· vt.

· organize the different parts of a job or plan so that the people involved work together effectively 调节；协调

· A senior embassy official is coordinating efforts to free the captives. 大使馆的一位高级官员正在协调各方为释放俘虏所作的努力。

26.core 

· n.

· [C] the most important or most basic part of sth. 最重要（或最基本）的部分；核心

· The lack of government funding is at the core of the problem. 缺乏政府拨款是问题的核心。●

27.deserve 

· vt.

· 1 have earned sth. by good or bad actions or behavior 应得，应受到（奖赏或惩罚）

· People who confront their difficulties bravely are people who deserve respect. 勇于面对困难的人是值得尊敬的人。

I think we deserve a rest after all that hard work. 做了这么多辛苦的工作后，我想我们应该休息一下了。

· 2 if a suggestion, idea, or plan deserves consideration, attention, etc., it is good enough to be considered, paid attention to, etc. （建议、观点或计划）值得考虑、注意等

· The suggestions that you have put forward deserve serious consideration. 你提出的建议值得认真考虑。28.liberty 

· n.

· 1 [sing.] sth. you do without asking permission, esp. which may offend or upset sb. else 擅自的行为；冒犯的举动；放肆的行为

· It would be taking too much of a liberty if one of my friends used my house while I was away. 如果我不在时，我的一个朋友用了我的房子，那就太过分了。

· 2 [U] the freedom and the right to do whatever you want without asking permission or being afraid of authority 自由；自由权

· He firmly believes that liberty is inseparable from social justice. 他坚定地认为，自由与社会公正是分不开的。

29.display 

· vt.

· clearly show a feeling, attitude, or quality by what you do or say 显示，显露（某种情感、态度或特质）

· She displayed no emotion on the witness stand. 她在证人席上面无表情。

· n.

· [C] an arrangement of things for people to look at or buy 展览；陈列；展示

· There is a display of photos of the theater from its early days in the lobby. 大厅里展出了剧院早期的照片。

30.disapprove 

· vi.

· think that sb. or their behavior, ideas, etc. are bad or wrong 不赞同；反对

· He was certain that she would disapprove of his plan to spend the summer doing research at the North Pole. 他很肯定她会反对他利用暑假在北极做研究的计划。

I knew my parents would disapprove, but I went anyway. 我知道我父母会反对，但我还是去了。

31.palm 

· n.

· [C] (also ~ tree) a tropical tree which grows near beaches or in deserts, with a long straight trunk and large pointed leaves at the top 棕榈树

32.weave 

· v. (wove, woven)

· 1 put many different ideas, subjects, stories, etc. together and connect them smoothly 编造（故事等）

· The author weaves a complicated plot of romance and intrigue in her new novel. 作者在她的新小说里编造了复杂的故事情节，充满浪漫和阴谋。

· 2 make cloth, a carpet, a basket, etc. by crossing threads or thin pieces under and over each other by hand or on a loom 织；编织

· This type of wool is woven into a fabric which will make jackets. 这种类型的羊毛被织成了做夹克的面料。

Only a few of the women still know how to weave. 只有很少的妇女还知道如何编织。

33.blur 

· n.

· [C, usu. sing.] sth. that you cannot remember clearly 模糊的记忆；记不清的事情

· I was hurt badly, and the day after the accident went by in a blur. 我受了重伤，出事的那天只剩下一片模糊的记忆。

· v.

· become difficult to see, or make sth. difficult to see, because the edges are not clear （使）模糊；（使）看不清

· The street lights were blurred by the fog. 街灯在迷雾的笼罩中变得昏暗了。

34.kneel 

· vi.

· (also ~ down) (knelt, knelt) be in or move into a position where your body is resting on your knees 跪着；跪下

· She knelt down on the grass to examine a flower. 她跪在草地上仔细观察一朵花。

35.propose 

· v.

· ask sb. to marry you, esp. in a formal way （尤指正式向某人）求婚

· I still remember the night your father proposed to me. 我仍记得你父亲向我求婚的那天晚上。

· vt.

· (fml.) suggest sth. as a plan or course of action 提议；建议

· I propose delaying our decision until the next meeting. 我建议将我们的决定推迟到下次的会议。

36.confess

· v.

· admit sth. that you feel embarrassed about 承认（使自己尴尬的事情）

· I have to confess (that) when I first met Ian I didn't think he was very bright. 我必须承认，当我第一次见到伊恩时，我并不认为他非常聪明。

I found it all very confusing; I must confess. 我发现这一切都非常令人困惑，我必须承认。

The director confessed that he himself was puzzled by the company's losses. 导演承认他自己对公司遭受的损失感到迷惑。

When asked how he liked the movie, Jack confessed to having slept through most of the film. 当杰克被问到他对这部电影的评价时，他承认大部分时间他都在睡觉。

37.knot

· n. [C]

· 1 a part where one or more pieces of string, rope, cloth, etc. have been tied or twisted together （线、绳、布等打成的）结

· It is not easy for small children to learn how to tie a knot in their shoelaces. 小孩子学习如何系鞋带并不容易。

Are you any good at tying knots? 你擅长打结吗？

Thread the string through the hoop and tie it in a knot. 把线从环上穿过，并打成结。

· 2 a tight uncomfortable feeling in your stomach, etc., caused by a strong emotion such as fear or anger （恐惧、愤怒等导致的）紧张（感）

· Her stomach was in knots. 她的心揪得紧紧的。

38.pessimistic

· a.

· expecting that bad things will happen in the future or that sth. will have a bad result 悲观的；悲观主义的

· Due to the economic slowdown, the tone of the meeting was very pessimistic. 由于经济衰退，这次会议的基调非常悲观。

39.faithful

· a.

· remaining loyal to a particular person, belief, political party, etc. and continuing to support them （对某人、信念、政党等）忠诚的，忠实的

· His faithful old dog accompanied him everywhere he went. 他所到之处，都有他那条忠实的老狗陪伴着。

40.honeymoon

· n.

· [C] a holiday taken by two people who have just got married 蜜月

· Many couples take a honeymoon, a one-to-two-week trip, to celebrate their marriage. 许多新人会去度蜜月，即一到两个星期的度假旅行，以庆祝他们的婚姻。

In the U.S., Niagara Falls is a traditional and popular honeymoon destination for newly-weds (just married couples). 在美国，尼加拉大瀑布是一个传统与流行的新婚夫妇的蜜月地。

41.commence

· v.

· (fml.) begin or start sth. 开始；着手

· Construction of the new bridge will commence as soon as our company receives the down payment for this large project. 我们公司一收到这个大项目的首期付款，就会马上开始新桥梁的建设。

We will commence building work in August of next year. 我们将在明年8月开始兴建工作。

42.bloom

· vi.

· if a plant or a flower blooms, its flowers appear or open 开花；（花）盛开

· The plant has a beautiful orange flower, which blooms in May every year. 这种植物在每年的五月都会开出一种美丽的橙色花朵。

43.head for

· go or travel toward a particular place, esp. in a deliberate way （朝…）前进；（向…）去

· The ship was heading for Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean. 船只正航向古巴，它是一个位于加勒比海的岛国。

44.gaze at 

· look at sb. or sth. with one's eyes fixed at sth. often without knowing （常指无意识地）凝视，盯着看

· He was standing on the bridge gazing down at the river beneath. 他站在桥上，双眼凝视着桥下的河。

45.stare at

· look at sth. or sb. with eyes widely open for a long time without moving 凝视；盯着看

· In many cultures, it's rude to stare at people. 在许多文化中，直愣愣地盯着人看是粗鲁的行为。

46.by accident  

· in a way that is not planned or intended 偶然；意外地

· The trigger of the gun must be locked so that it cannot be fired by accident. 枪的发射扳机必须被锁住，这样就不会意外地擦枪走火。

47.pretend to do sth. 

· behave as if sth. is true when in fact you know it is not 假装…；装作…

· I didn't pretend to be an expert on the subject because I must be honest. 我没假装我是这方面的专家，因为我必须诚实。

48.come over sb. 

· if a feeling comes over you, it suddenly affects you in a strong way （某种感情）突然攫住，突然影响

· A wave of sleepiness came over me. 一阵倦意向我袭来。

49.immune to 

· not affected by sth. 不受…影响的；对…有免疫力的

· Most people who've had chickenpox once are immune to it for the rest of their lives. 大多数曾经出过水痘的人都会终生对水痘有免疫力。

50.go along with sb. / sth. 

· agree with or support sb. or sth. 同意；支持

· Kate's already agreed to visit my parents, but it's going to be harder persuading Mike to go along with it. 凯特已经同意去看望我的父母，但要说服迈克也同意会更难。

51.expel sb. from sth. 

· officially force sb. to leave a school or organization （从学校或组织中正式）开除

· Each year more than 10 students are expelled from the university for cheating on their exams. 每年有超过10名学生因为考试作弊被该大学开除。

52.proceed to sth. 

· if you proceed to the next part of an activity, job, etc., you do or take part in the next part of it 进而做（参加）某事（活动）

· He accepted my invitation and then proceeded to the comment that people shouldn't own cars because they damage the environment. 他接受了我的邀请，然后继续他的评论：人们不应该拥有汽车，因为汽车会破坏环境。

53.take the liberty of doing sth. 

· do sth. without permission 擅自做某事

· I hope you won't mind that I took the liberty of booking theater seats for us. 我希望你不会介意我擅自给我们预订了剧院的座位。

I took the liberty of booking a cruise for us for the spring break. 我擅自为我们的春假预订了邮轮票。

54.take sb. by surprise 

· happen unexpectedly 出乎某人意料

· The question took her by surprise, and she did not know what to say. 这个问题完全出乎她的意料，她不知道该说些什么。

55.propose marriage 

· (fml.) ask sb. to marry you 求婚

· He was a bit shy at first, but then he got the courage to propose marriage to her. 他起先有点不好意思，但后来就鼓起勇气向她求婚了。

56.be filled with 

· be full of 充满；装满

· He looked at me without speaking, and for the first time I could see that his eyes were filled with pride. 他看着我没有说话，我第一次看见他的眼里充满了骄傲。

His eyes were filled with tears as he looked at her with love. 他深情地看着她，眼里充满了泪水。

57.tie the knot 

· get married 结婚

· Mary was curious and wanted to know when Jane was going to tie the knot. 玛丽很好奇，想知道简什么时候结婚。

58.be pessimistic about 

· have a pessimistic view of sth. 对…持悲观看法（意见）

· The doctors are pessimistic about his chance of recovery from the injury. 医生对他伤势的恢复持悲观的态度。

I. 单词前测

II. 单词后测

试着在课文中找出下列短语的英文表达：

Reference：

Detailed study of the text

1 I smile at my two lovely daughters and they seem so much more mature than we, their parents, when we were college sweethearts. (Para. 1)

Meaning beyond words: Married to her college sweetheart, the author now is happy with her family and two grown daughters.

Note: College sweethearts refer to someone with whom one is in love and by whom one is loved at college; sweetheart is equivalent to lover,darling, beloved, or dear.

For example:

Well done, sweetheart, we are all so proud of you. 做得好，宝贝，我们以你为荣。

My husband is the greatest guy in the world; he was my college sweetheart.

我丈夫是世界上最棒的，大学时他就是我的恋人。

He tries to locate his former sweetheart Melina from whom he has heard nothing for a very long time.

他在努力寻找他以前的恋人梅利娜，他已经很久没有她的消息了。

2 Linda, who’s 21, had a boyfriend in her freshman year she thought she would marry, but they’re not together anymore. Melissa, who’s 19, hasn’t had a steady boyfriend yet. My daughters wonder when they will meet “The One”, their great love.(Para. 1)

Meaning beyond words: Her two daughters are at the age of just dating, but they seem to be very mature wondering when they will meet their true love.

3 They think their father and I had a classic fairy tale romance heading for marriage from the outset. (Para. 1)

Meaning beyond words: Her daughters consider their parents’ marriage a typical conventional romance because they think it aimed at marriage from the very beginning.

Usage note: classic, classical

1 classic 用作形容词表示“经典的；精彩的；一流的”。例如：

Death on the Nile is one of the classic works of Agatha Christie. 《尼罗河上的惨案》是阿加莎·克里斯蒂的经典作品之一。

口语中也会用到classic 这个词。当你看到一场精彩的演出时，就可以说“That’s classic!”来表达赞美。

classic 用作形容词也表示“典型的；标准的”。例如：

London is the classic example of the scattered city. 伦敦是标准分散型的城市。

This statement was a classic illustration of British politeness. 这项陈述是对英国礼貌的一个典型说明。

classic 也可用作名词，表示“文学名著；经典作品；杰作”。例如：

We have all the standard classics of Hayao Miyazaki at home. 我们家有宫崎骏的所有的经典作品。

2 classical 不能用作名词，只能用作形容词，表示“古典的；经典的”。例如：

I spend a lot of time reading and listening to classical music. 我花了很多时间阅读和聆听古典音乐。

Classical music is music written by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven.

像莫扎特和贝多芬所创作的音乐称为古典音乐。

莫扎特和贝多芬所创作的音乐属于古典音乐(classical music), 但这些古典音乐经久不衰，有永久的意义和价值，所以这些音乐也可称为经典的音乐（classic music）。反之，在前面有一例中说可口可乐瓶子的设计是精彩的，一流的，所以是经典（classic）之作，但很明显可口可乐瓶子的设计不是古典的（classical）设计。所以，经典的（classic）作品不一定就是古典的（classical）作品。

Note: Classic fairy-tale romance is used to describe a romance blessed with unusual happiness. Colloquially, a fairy tale can also refer to any story extremely unlikely to be true.

4 Perhaps, they’re right but it didn’t seem so at the time. (Para. 1)

Meaning: My daughters’ perception may be right, yet our romance back then was actually not like what they have assumed.

5 In a way, love just happens when you least expect it. Who would have thought that Butch and I would end up getting married to each other? He became my boyfriend because of my shallow agenda: I wanted a cute boyfriend! (Para. 1)

Meaning: Love comes your way when you don’t really expect it. No one thought that Butch and I would finally get married. He became my boyfriend simply because I would like to fulfill my shallow wish: to have an attractive boyfriend in college.

Meaning beyond words: Here is the suspense of the story – the author gives a broad hint that she will tell us how she and her husband got married at last.

6 We met through my college roommate at the university cafeteria. That fateful night, I was merely curious, but for him I think it was love at first sight. (Para. 2)

Meaning: At the school dining hall that important night, we were introduced to each other through my roommate. I met Butch just out of curiosity, but he seemed to fall in love with me as soon as he saw me.

7 “You have beautiful eyes,” he said as he gazed at my face. (Para. 2)

Meaning beyond words: The author was obviously attractive to Butch since he tried to please her by praising her eyes.

8 He kept staring at me all night long. (Para. 2)

Note: Both gaze at and stare at mean “looking at something fixedly for a long time because of being attracted, surprised, or thinking, etc.”. Stare at usually has the additional

meaning of”with eyes widely open”. Also, it usually implies”with great attention”; gaze at usually implies”in a dreamy and unaware state of mind”.

9 I really wasn’t that interested for two reasons. First, he looked like he was a really wild boy, maybe even dangerous. Second, although he was very cute, he seemed a little weird. (Para. 2)

Meaning beyond words: She wasn’t interested in him because she got the impression that he was wild and strange, which illustrates that she didn’t know much about him at the beginning. Therefore, it’s not true that their romance was heading for marriage from the start.

10 Riding on his bicycle, he’d ride past my dorm as if “by accident” and pretend to be surprised to see me. I liked the attention but was cautious about his wild,dynamic personality. (Para. 3)

Meaning beyond words: She understood his little trick: trying to see her by manufacturing excuses. Though she was happy to be the focus of his attention, she was also very alert to his wild and dynamic personality.

11 He had a charming way with words which would charm any girl. (Para. 3)

Meaning: He knew how to please and attract girls because what he said was always pleasant to their ears.

12 Fear came over me when I started to fall in love. His exciting “bad boy image”was just too tempting to resist. What was it that attracted me?(Para. 3)

Meaning: I was in an awkward position: I started to fall in love with him, but I was also afraid of that. His bad boy image was too attractive to resist, but at the same time it was somewhat fearful. So, what exactly was it in him that attracted me?

当我开始爱上他时，恐惧向我袭来。

句型提炼：Sth. (a feeling) comes over sb. when sb. does sth.

用于表达“某人在特定情境下突然受到某种情感的影响”。

典型例句：

当他得知放假回不了家时，一阵可怕的孤独感攫住了他。

A terrible sense of loneliness came over him when he learned that he could not returned home for the holiday.

Note: Tempting is a present participle of the verb tempt, used as an adjective to describe the effect that something has on someone’s feelings.

For example,if you find something tempting/charming/disgusting/frightening,it means it tempts/charms/disgusts/frightens you.

 In English there are a group of words describing an effect that something has on your feelings and ideas.

For example:

a tempting job offer 一个诱人的工作机会

an alarming increase in racial hostility 种族仇视的惊人增长

a welcoming smile 热情的微笑

a surprising number of 数量惊人的

13 I always had an excellent reputation. My concentration was solely on my studies to get superior grades. But for what? (Para. 3)

Meaning: I was an outstanding student who only concentrated on studies in order to get excellent grades. But so what? Shouldn’t a good student also have fun?

14 College is supposed to be a time of great learning and also some fun. I had nearly achieved a great education, and graduation was just one semester away. But I hadn’t had any fun; my life was stale with no component of fun! I needed a boyfriend. (Para. 3)

Meaning: College is definitely a nice place for education but should have some fun as well. Throughout my years at college, I had devoted all my time to study but hadn’t had any fun yet. Now that I was graduating, I wanted to have a boyfriend to enrich my college life.

15 Not just any boyfriend. He had to be cute. My goal that semester became: Be ambitious and grab the cutest boyfriend I can find. (Para. 3)

Meaning: The one I wanted to date was not just an ordinary boy; he had to be handsome, pleasant and attractive. My ambition for that semester, therefore, was to find the cutest boyfriend at college.

16 I worried what he’d think of me. (Para. 4)

Meaning beyond words: Her concern about how Butch would look at her shows that she was becoming more interested in him and cared about his real thinking.

17 True, we lived in a time when a dramatic shift in sexual attitudes was taking place, but I was a traditional girl who wasn’t ready for the new ways that seemed common on campus. (Para. 4)

Meaning: It is true that we lived in an era when sexual attitudes were changing dramatically, but since I was traditional, I wasn’t ready for the new sexual practice seemingly common on campus.

不错，我们生活在一个性观念正在发生戏剧性转变的时代，但我是一个传统的女孩，对在校园里似乎常见的新方式还没有心理准备。

句型提炼：True, …,but sb. does sth. /the truth is…

用于通过让步的方式，表达“某人与某种普遍认同观点相异的情况”。

典型例句：
      不错，大城市的生活便利、愉快，但在乡下，我们可以接触大自然，享受更多乐趣。

True, life in big cities is convenient and enjoyable, but in the countryside, we could get in touch with nature and had more fun.

18 Butch looked superb! I was not immune to his personality, but I was scared.(Para. 4)

Meaning: Butch looked extremely wonderful. I was surely influenced by his personality,but I felt scared.

19 The night when he announced to the world that I was his girlfriend, I went along with him. (Para. 4)

Meaning: That night when my boyfriend announced publicly I was his girlfriend, I did not have any objection.

Meaning beyond words: She has apparently changed her perception of Butch, from being merely curious about him at first to becoming cautious about his wild, dynamic personality later; from being fearful of failing to resist his “bad boy image” to approving of being his girlfriend.

20 And then I suddenly thought: “Oh my gosh! Am I his girlfriend? How did that happen?” (Para. 4)

Meaning beyond words: All of a sudden, she realized that she had made a mistake because she was not really ready to have a boyfriend yet.

Note: “Gosh”, as an interjection, is used to express surprise.

For example:

Gosh, I didn’t expect to see you here! 天哪，我没想到在这里见到你！

Gosh, it’s so cold. 天哪，太冷了！

Gosh, there’s a lot of noise. 天哪，这儿真吵。

21 Then he whispered sweet words in my ear and said, “I’m going to marry you one day and I will be a lawyer. You will see.” (Para. 4)

Meaning: Then he quietly said sweet words in my ear and said that he would marry me and I could eventually see him become a lawyer.

22 I was laughing inside and said to myself, “I’d never marry this guy. He’s a rebel without a good future. He’s my boyfriend because I hate my boring student life. I just want to have fun.” (Para. 5)

Meaning: Though I agreed to be his girlfriend, from my heart, he was just a rebellious boy without a bright future. Therefore, I was not very serious about our relationship. To me, the only purpose to date him was to get away from my boring student life.

23 Sure enough, the following month, I found out he had failed all his courses. (Para.6)

Meaning: Just as I had expected, he didn’t pass any of his courses.

24 Consequently, he was going to be expelled from the university. (Para. 6)

Meaning: As a consequence, the university was going to dismiss him from the school.

25 To my disgust, he seemed resigned to his fate. I knew there was hope, so I led him to the college secretary for reconsideration. (Para. 6)

Meaning: What upset me was that he seemed to accept his fate. As I knew there was still a hope, I took him to the college secretary to see whether the decision could be changed.

26 “You are going to graduate with a BA in political science from UPenn and proceed to the College of Law,” I told him, lodging an appeal on his behalf, which was approved. (Para. 7)

Meaning beyond words: What she did for her boyfriend indicated their relationship had come to a new stage. Besides encouraging him to consult with the college secretary and submitting the appeal on his behalf, she also planned for his future career. She told him he had to continue his studies at law school.

Note: Besides a noun, “proceed to” can also be followed by a verb phrase.

For example:

Having said how much she liked my idea, she then proceeded to make critical comments about it.   说完她是多么喜欢我的点子，她接着就提出了批评性的意见。

27 Butch was granted reconsideration. And, once we became steadies, he coordinated his studies and social life, passing all of his classes. He eventually studied law. (Para. 7)

Meaning beyond words: Here we see the turning point of the relationship between the two. Her suggestions did work well with Butch since he was granted reconsideration. As Her suggestions did work well with Butch since he was granted reconsideration. As soon as they became steady lovers, Butch balanced his studies and social life and passed every course. Finally, he studied law as had been planned.

Note: Steady can also be used as a noun, as is in the text. It’s an old-fashioned American way to describe a boyfriend or girlfriend that someone has been having a romantic relationship with.

28 Despite Butch’s somewhat wild character, at his core, he is always a perfect gentleman and deserves a lot of credit for that. (Para. 8)

Meaning: In spite of Butch’s a little wild character, he was always a perfect gentleman in essence, for which he should be given recognition.

尽管布奇的性格有点野，但他在骨子里却是一个完美的绅士，这值得高度赞扬。

句型提炼：Despite sth., at one's core, sb./sth. is … 用于表达“某人/物最本质的一面”。

典型例句：

尽管她举止优雅温柔，但在她的骨子里，她是一位意志坚强、果敢刚毅的人。

Despite her elegant and gentle manner, at her core, she is strong-willed and resolute.

29 True, he’d sometimes take the liberty of displaying his love by planting a kiss onmy lips right in front of my astonished friends who watched and disapproved. (Para.8)

Meaning: Without my permission, sometimes he would press a kiss on my lips to show his love in front of my friends, who were astonished and resented what he did.

Note: “Plant a kiss” is a figurative use of the word plant, which means an intimate and publicly demonstrative kiss showing his love to all who are watching.

30 But the truth is we had a pure and responsible relationship for seven full years.Sitting by the palm trees, hand in hand, we would listen to romantic songs, watch the sunset, and weave dreams of being together with children of our own, forever.(Para. 8)

Meaning beyond words: Butch showed much respect for her conservative perception of love. For seven years, they just enjoyed their romance in a traditional way.

31 Two years passed in a blur. One day, Butch took me by surprise as he knelt down and proposed marriage holding a dozen red roses! (Para. 9)

Meaning: Two years passed so quickly that I didn’t really remember everything clearly. One day, I was startled when Butch, holding a dozen red roses, knelt down to propose marriage.

Note: propose to sb. = propose marriage to sb.

32 Filled with deep emotion, I confessed my love for him, “How roooomaaaantic!!”(Para. 9)

Meaning: I admitted my love for him with deep affection. It was super romantic!

Meaning beyond words: She was so happy and thrilled to accept Butch’s marriage proposal that she said the word romantic in a slow and exaggerated way.

Note: In informal writing, people would emphasize something in a similar way.

For example:

Thank you soooooo much! 真是太太太感谢您了！

33 Then my brain woke up from fantasy land. I cried out, “Good heavens. No! We’re too young to tie the knot. We haven’t even graduated from college yet!” I really loved him but was pessimistic about our chances for success.(Para. 9)

Meaning beyond words: All of a sudden, she woke up from the romantic scene. Though she already accepted love from Butch and confessed her love for him, she was not sure whether they would get married and have a happy ending as they were still college students.

Note: It isn’t clear whether this expression tie the knot derives from an actual knot used in marriage ceremonies or whether the knot is merely symbolic of a lasting unity. Knots have a place in many cultures and usually symbolize unbreakable pledges. Actual knots have certainly been used in marriage ceremonies for some time. The word knot, although not in the phrase tie the knot, has been associated with marriage since at least the 13th century.

34 We married five years later. (Para 10)

Meaning beyond words: Though she was pessimistic about their chance for success of love, she accepted Butch’s proposal. They got married five years later, which illustrates their deep and true love for each other.

35 Our faithful journey of love and learning took us down rocky roads of hardship and on smooth easy-going highways. (Para. 11)

Meaning: Our devoted and faithful love guided us both in times of happiness and also in times of hardship.

Note: The word rocky comes from the noun rock combining with -y. A rocky road refers to a road full of rocks, uneven or not flat. Words of this group include: muddy, stony, grassy, snowy, rainy, etc.

36 It is a long, romantic, sometimes crazy, love story that sums up a 29-year long honeymoon together as a couple who are still madly in love with each other. (Para.11)

Meaning beyond words: She felt very proud of her long-lasting romantic, sometimes even crazy love, which was just like a 29-year long honeymoon for her and her husband.

37 Our love commenced with a casual attraction but bloomed into a mature love and rich life. (Para. 11)

Meaning beyond words: Completely beyond her expectation, love came to her as she started with a casual date but ended up growing into a mature love and rich life.

Note: We usually use commence doing sth. or commence with sth. Also, in the US, the official college/university graduation ceremony is called “commencement”. The word refers to the completion of one’s education and the beginning of one’s new adult life.

Note: The phrase “bloomed into a mature love and rich life” in the text is used figuratively, meaning their love was just like blossoms on a tree.

All dormitory rooms are equipped with high speed internet access.宿舍所有的房间都配备了高速互联网。