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L3.PubTalkandtheKing’sEnglish(酒吧闲谈与标准英语)HenryFairlie(亨利·费尔利)1.Conversationisthemostsociableofallhumanactivities.Anditisanactivityonlyofhumans.Howeverintricatethewayinwhichanimalscommunicatewitheachother,theydonotindulgeinanythingthatdeservesthenameofconversation.人类的一切活动中，闲谈是最具交际性的sociable（主题句），也是人类特有的。而动物之间的信息交流，无论其方式何等复杂intricate，也是称不上交际的。1.Anditisanactivityonlyofhumans.(para1)并且它是人类特有的一种活动。Andconversationisanactivitywhichisfoundonlyamonghumanbeing．Sociable[ˈsoʊʃəbl]adj.随和的，好交际的，友善的friendlyoragreeable,eapeciallyinaneasy,informalway(用书）intricate(adj):hardtofolloworunderstandbecausefullofpuzzlingparts，details，orrelationships错综复杂的；难以理解的，难懂的Indulge:任凭自己沉溺于……；耽于toallowyourselftohaveordosththatyoulike,eapeciallysththatisconsideredbadforyou----indulgeinsth,indulgeyourself.例：Womendonotindulgeintothesameextentasmen.deserve:值得；应得2.Thecharmofconversationisthatitdoesnotreallystartfromanywhere,andnoonehasanyideawhereitwillgoasitmeandersorleapsandsparklesorjustglows.Theenemyofgoodconversationisthepersonwhohas“somethingtosay.”Conversationisnotformakingapoint.Argumentmayoftenbeapartofit,butthepurposeoftheargumentisnottoconvince.Thereisnowinninginconversation.Infact,thebestconversationalistsarethosewhoarepreparedtolose.Suddenlytheyseethemomentforoneoftheirbestanecdotes,butinaflashtheconversationhasmovedonandtheopportunityislost.Theyarereadytoletitgo.2.闲谈的引人入胜之处就在于它没有一个事先设定好的主题。它时而迂回meander前进，时而奔腾leap起伏，时而火花四射sparkle，时而热情洋溢glow，话题最终会扯到什么地方去谁也拿不准。感觉“有话想说”的人是一个“完美闲谈”的最大敌人。闲谈不是为了争论，尽管争论常常是闲聊的一部分，不过其目的并不是为了说服对方。闲谈之中是不存在什么输赢胜负（convince说服）的。事实上，真正的闲聊高手往往是随时准备让步（lose输掉）的。他们也许会偶然间觉得该把自己最得意的奇闻轶事anecdote选出一件插进来讲一讲，但一转眼inaflash大家已谈到别处去了，插话的机会随之丧失，他们也就听之任之了。meander:n.(比喻）proceedinanaimlessway;ramble漫谈，闲聊例：Thediscussionmeanderedonforhours.讨论会漫无边际的进行了几个小时。makeapoint:explainfullywhatoneisproposing.表明一种看法，证明一个论点例：Allfight，you’vemadeyourpoint；nowkeepquietandlettheotherssaywhattheythink．好啦，你已经把话说清楚了；那就别说了，让别人谈谈看法。Conversationalist:n.健谈的人Sparkle:v.befulloflifeandwit活力和才智换发。Shealwayssparklesatparties.在聚会上，他总是神采奕奕。Glow:glowwithpride/joy/pleasure.Anecdote:[ˈænɪkdoʊt]n.奇闻轶事(关于真人真事的短小有趣的事）inaflash:suddenly，veryquickly瞬间，非常突然。Withoutanydelay例：Justwaithere．I’vbebackinaflash．就在这儿等我，我马上就回来。2.Conversationisnotformakingapoint.(para2)交谈并不是为了表明一种看法。Conversationisnotforpersuadingotherstoacceptourideaorpointofview．（说服convincing,takingsb.over）3.Infact,thebestconversationalistsarethosewhoarepreparedtolose.(para2)实际上，最好的交谈者，是那些准备输的人。Infactapersonwhoreallyenjoysandisskilledatconversationwillnotarguetowinorforceotherstoaccepthispointofview．meander(v.):wanderaimlesslyoridly；ramble漫步；闲逛conversationalist(n.):apersonwhoconverses；esp．，onewhoenjoysandisskilledatconversation交谈者；(尤指)健谈者anecdote(n.):ashort，entertainingaccountofsomehappening，usuallypersonalorbiographical轶事，逸事3.PerhapsitisbecauseofmyupbringinginEnglishpubsthatIthinkbarconversationhasacharmofitsown.Barfriendsarenotdeeplyinvolvedineachother’slives.Theyarecompanions,notintimates.Thefactthattheirmarriagesmaybeontherocks,orthattheirloveaffairshavebrokenoreventhattheygotoutofbedonthewrongsideissimplynotaconcern.TheyarelikethemusketeersofDumaswho,althoughtheylivedsidebysidewitheachother,didnotdelveintoeachother’slivesortherecessesoftheirthoughtsandfeelings.3.或许是从小混迹于(upbringingn.培养，养育)英国小酒吧的缘故吧，我觉得酒馆里的闲聊是别有韵味的。酒馆里的朋友们对彼此的生活毫不了解（involvein使牵扯到），他们只是临时的伙伴，相互之间并无深交（intimate密友，知己）。这些人之中，也许有人的婚姻面临破裂（ontherock婚姻的破坏），有人恋爱受挫，有人碰到别的什么不顺心的事儿（gooutofbadonthewrongside），但这些都无关紧要。他们就像大仲马笔下的三个火枪手（musketeer火枪手）一样，虽然朝夕相处，却从来不过问（delve发掘）彼此的私事（recess私事），也不去打探别人内心的秘密。4.Barfriendsarenotdeeplyinvolvedineachother'slives.(para3)酒吧友人没有深层次地涉及彼此的生活。Peoplewhomeeteachotherforadrinkinthebarofapubarenotintimatefriendsfortheyarenotdeeplyabsorbedorengrossedineachother’slives．（closefriends密友）intimate(n.):aclosefriendorcompanion密友，知己ontherocks:inorintoaconditionofruinorcatastrophe(婚姻)破坏的，失败的例：Tim’smarriageisontherocks．提姆的婚姻亮起了红灯。delve(v.):investigateforinformation；search发掘；调查(研究)recess(n.):asecluded，withdrawn，orinnerplace幽深处getoutthebedonthewrongside:tobecrossorgrouchy早晨起来便心情不好Loveaffair:naromanticsexualrelationship,usuallybetweentwopeoplewhoarenotmarriedtoeachother.4.Itwasonsuchanoccasiontheotherevening,astheconversationmoveddesultorilyhereandthere,fromthemostcommonplacetothoughtsofJupiter,withoutanyfocusandwithnoneedforone,thatsuddenlythealchemyofconversationtookplace,andallatoncetherewasafocus.Idonotrememberwhatmadeoneofourcompanionssayit–sheclearlyhadnotcomeintothebartosayit,itwasnotsomethingthatwaspressingonhermind–butherremarkfellquitenaturallyintothetalk.4.有一天晚上的情形正是如此。当时人们正在漫无边际地东拉西扯，从最普通的家常琐事聊得有关木星的科学趣闻。完全没有一个特定的主题。可突然间中心话题奇迹般地出现了，大伙的话题都集中到了一处。我不记得其中一个伙伴的那句话是什么情况下说出来的–不过，显然她并没有特意地准备什么，那也算不上是什么非说不可的要紧话–那只不过是随着大伙儿的话题十分自然地脱口而出的。desultorily(adv.):aimlessly；atrandom随意地；无目的地alchemy(n.):anearlyformofchemistry，whosechiefaimsweretochangebasermetalsintogold：amethodorpoweroftransmutation;esp.theseeminglymiraculouschangeofathingintosomethingbetter炼金术；变化物质的方法或魔力5.“Someonetoldmetheotherdaythatthephrase,‘theKing’sEnglish,’wasatermofcriticism,thatitmeansl