11Aprivateconversation私人谈话LastweekIwenttothetheatre.Ihadaverygoodseat.Theplaywasveryinteresting.Ididnotenjoyit.Ayoungmanandayoungwomanweresittingbehindme.Theyweretalkingloudly.Igotveryangry.Icouldnotheartheactors.Iturnedround.Ilookedatthemanandthewomanangrily.Theydidnotpayanyattention.Intheend,Icouldnotbearit.Iturnedroundagain.'Ican'thearaword!'Isaidangrily.'It'snoneofyourbusiness,'theyoungmansaidrudely.'Thisisaprivateconversation!'2Breakfastorlunch?早餐还是午餐?ItwasSunday.InevergetupearlyonSundays.Isometimesstayinbeduntillunchtime.LastSundayIgotupverylate.Ilookedoutofthewindow.Itwasdarkoutside.'Whataday!'Ithought.'It'srainingagain.'Justthen,thetelephonerang.ItwasmyauntLucy.'I'vejustarrivedbytrain,'shesaid.'I'mcomingtoseeyou.''ButI'mstillhavingbreakfast,'Isaid.'Whatareyoudoing?'sheasked.'I'mhavingbreakfast,'Irepeated.'Dearme,'shesaid.'Doyoualwaysgetupsolate?It'soneo'clock!'3Pleasesendmeacard请给我寄一张明信片Postcardsalwaysspoilmyholidays.Lastsummer,IwenttoItaly.Ivisitedmuseumsandsatinpublicgardens.AfriendlywaitertaughtmeafewwordsofItalian.Thenhelentmeabook.Ireadafewlines,butIdidnotunderstandaword.EverydayIthoughtaboutpostcards.Myholidayspassedquickly,butIdidnotsendcardstomyfriends.OnthelastdayImadeabigdecision.Igotupearlyandboughtthirty-sevencards.Ispentthewholedayinmyroom,butIdidnotwriteasinglecard!4Anexcitingtrip激动人心的旅行Ihavejustreceivedaletterfrommybrother,Tim.HeisinAustralia.Hehasbeenthereforsixmonths.Timisanengineer.HeisworkingforabigfirmandhehasalreadyvisitedagreatnumberofdifferentplacesinAustralia.HehasjustboughtanAustraliancarandhasgonetoAlicesprings,asmalltowninthecentreofAustralia.HewillsoonvisitDarwin.Fromthere,hewillflytoPerth.Mybrotherhasneverbeenabroadbefore,soheisfendingthistripveryexciting.5Nowrongnumbers无错号之虞Mr.JamesScotthasagarageinSilburyandnowhehasjustboughtanothergarageinPinhurst.PinhurstisonlyfivemilesfromSilbury,butMr.Scottcannotgetatelephoneforhisnewgarage,sohehasjustboughttwelvepigeons.Yesterday,apigeoncarriedthefirstmessagefromPinhursttoSilbury.Thebirdcoveredthedistanceinthreeminutes.Uptonow,Mr.Scotthassentagreatmanyrequestsforsparepartsandotherurgentmessagesfromonegaragetotheother.Inthisway,hehasbegunhisownprivate'telephone'service.6PercyButtons珀西.巴顿斯IhavejustmovedtoahouseinBridgeStreet.Yesterdayabeggarknockedatmydoor.Heaskedmeforamealandaglassofbeer.Inreturnforthis,thebeggarstoodonhisheadandsangsongs.Igavehimameal.Heatethefoodanddrankthebeer.Thenheputapieceofcheeseinhispocketandwentaway.Lateraneighbourtoldmeabouthim.Everybodyknowshim.HisnameisPercyButtons.Hecallsateveryhouseinthestreetonceamonthandalwaysasksforamealandaglassofbeer.7Toolate为时太晚Theplanewaslateanddetectiveswerewaitingattheairportallmorning.TheywereexpectingavaluableparcelofdiamondsfromSouthAfrica.Afewhoursearlier,someonehadtoldthepolicethatthieveswouldtrytostealthediamonds.Whentheplanearrived,someofthedetectiveswerewaitinginsidethemainbuildingwhileotherswerewaitingontheairfield.TwomentooktheparcelofftheplaneandcarrieditintotheCustomsHouse.Whiletwodetectiveswerekeepingguardatthedoor,twoothersopenedtheparcel.Totheirsurprise,thepreciousparcelwasfullofstonesandsand!8Thebestandtheworst最好的和最差的JoeSandershasthemostbeautifulgardeninourtown.Nearlyeverybodyentersfor'TheNicestGardenCompetition'eachyear,butJoewinseverytime.BillFrith'sgardenislargerthanJoe's.BillworksharderthanJoeandgrowsmoreflowersandvegetables,butJoe'sgardenismoreinteresting.Hehasmadeneatpathsandhasbuiltawoodenbridgeoverapool.Ilikegardenstoo,butIdonotlikehardwork.EveryyearIenterforthegardencompetitiontoo,andIalwayswinalittleprizefortheworstgardeninthetown!9Acoldwelcome冷遇OnWednesdayevening,wewenttotheTownHall.Itwasthelastdayoftheyearandalargecrowdofpeoplehadgatheredunder2theTownHallclock.Itwouldstriketwelveintwentyminutes'time.Fifteenminutespassedandthen,atfivetotwelve,theclockstopped.Thebigminutehanddidnotmove.Wewaitedandwaited,butnothinghappened.Suddenlysomeoneshouted.'It'stwominutespasttwelve!Theclockhasstopped!'Ilookedatmywatch.Itwastrue.ThebigclockrefusedtowelcometheNewYear.Atthatmoment,everybodybegantolaughandsing.10Notforjazz不适于演奏爵士乐Wehaveanoldmusicalinstrument.Itiscalledaclavichord.ItwasmadeinGermanyin1681.Ourclavichordiskeptinthelivingroom.Ithasbelongedtoourfamilyforalongtime.Theinstrumentwasboughtbymygrandfathermanyyearsago.Recentlyitwasdamagedbyavisitor.Shetriedtoplayjazzonit!Shestruckthekeystoohardandtwoofthestringswerebroken.Myfatherwasshocked.Nowwearenotallowedtotouchit.Itisbeingrepairedbyafriendofmyfather's.11Onegoodturndeservesanother礼尚往来IwashavingdinneratarestaurantwhenTonySteelecamein.Tonyworkedinalawyer'sofficeyearsago,butheisnowworkingatabank.Hegetsagoodsalary,buthealwaysborrowsmoneyfromhisfriendsandneverpaysitback.Tonysawmeandcameandsatatthesametable.Hehasneverborrowedmoneyfromme.Whilehewaseating,Iaskedhimtolendmetwentypounds.Tomysurprise,hegavemethemoneyimmediately.'Ihaveneverborrowedanymoneyfromyou,'Tonysaid,'sonowyoucanpayformydinner!'12Goodbyeandgoodluck再见,一路顺风Ourneighbour,CaptainCharlesAlison,willsailfromPortsmouthtomorrow.We'llmeethimattheharbourear