二、課文精解

Text I

1．Significantly also, this great global communications revolution is also linked to the expansion of English, which has now become the leading international language. （Para.2）：句中expansion由expend變形而來，意為“擴展，擴張，膨脹”，extend和stretch也有該意，但expand著重于上下，左右，前后擴展，例如：A plant expands its leaves.植物的葉子四處延展。extend主要指時間和空間距離的加長，延伸，引申為“勢力或影響范圍的擴大”，例如：There is a proposal to extend the road to the next village.有人建議把這條公路延伸到下個村子。stretch主要指“綿延，延伸，拉長”，作賓語的物體具有一定的伸展性，如：He stretched his arms and yawned.他伸伸懶腰，打了個哈欠。表示“伸長脖子”可以用stretch one’s neck，但不可以說extend one’s neck.

2．Conferences and business meetings around the globe are held in English, regardless of whether anyone present is a native English speaker. （Para.2）：句中復合介詞regardless of含有“不管，不顧，不注意，盡管”等讓步意思，有形容詞和副詞兩種形式，作形容詞時表示“不注意的，不留心的，不關心的”，例如：I’ll take the job regardless of the pay. 作副詞時表示“不顧一切地，不管怎樣，無論如何”，例如：We tried to discourage him from going out in the storm, but he went regardless.我們試圖阻止他在暴風雨中外出，但他仍然不顧一切。

3．…and for many people learning English is an essential stepping stone on the road to success. （Para.2）：stepping stone意為“基石，進身之階”，例如：Like nothing else, literacy is a stepping stone away from poverty.識字是脫離貧困的基石，這是其它所無法比擬的。

4．Most fundamental is the profound relationship between language and culture that lies at the heart of society and one that we overlook at our peril. （Para.3）：at one’s peril意為“（尤指用于告誡別人）自擔風險”，例如：You do it at your peril.你做這件事要自擔風險。at the peril of one’s life不管自身危險，冒著生命安危：All soldiers rushed into the earthquake area at the peril of their lives.所有軍人不顧自身安危沖向地震災區。

5．How do you translate the image of the Lamb of God for a culture in which sheep do not exist? What exactly was the fruit that Eve picked in the Garden of Eden? （Para.5）：Lamp of God：在西方的說法中，上帝很喜歡羊，尤其是羔羊，它溫順聽話，一切按上帝的旨意去行事，耶穌基督就是上帝的羔羊，所以耶穌基督被稱為the Lamp。Adam and Eve：亞當與夏娃的典故出自《圣經》創世紀。自從上帝創造了亞當之后，對他關愛有加，讓它主宰世間萬物，還給他建造了伊甸園（Garden of Eden）。而后因為亞當太孤單了，上帝就取其肋骨一根塑成女狀，取名為夏娃，從此亞當和夏娃就在伊甸園里過著快樂的生活。但上帝給他們的禁令是：不可摘取園中那兩顆樹上的蘋果吃，否則必遭天譴。那兩顆書上的蘋果便是禁果（the forbidden fruit）。

6．What was the culture that swallowed Jonah, given that whales are not given to swimming in warm, southern seas? （Para.5）：Johan: 約拿，圣經里的一個人物。他本身是一個虔誠的基督教徒，并且一直渴望能夠得到神的差遣，神終于給了他一個光榮的任務，去宣布赦免一座本來要被罪行毀滅的城市，約拿卻抗拒這個任務，他逃跑了，不斷躲避著他信仰的神。神的力量到處尋找他，喚醒他，懲戒他，甚至讓一條大魚吞了他。最后，他幾經反復和憂郁，終于悔改，完成了它的使命——宣布尼尼微城的人獲得赦免。given that意為“考慮到，假定”，例如：Given that he get another chance, he will surely successes. 假定再給他一次機會，他一定會成功的。

7．Those best placed to help that process may not be the ones with the latest technology and state of the art mobile phones, but those with the skills to understand what lies in, under and beyond the words spoken in many different languages. （Para.8）：state of the art意為“技術發展水平”，例如：Their reports gave us a general idea of the state of the art in certain fields.他們的報告使我們對某些領域的發展狀況有了一個總的概念。

Text II

1．You may think that you are making yourself perfectly clear, but could your body language be telling the world a totally different story? （Para.1）：body language意為“肢體語言：身體的各種動作”，從而代替語言藉以達到傳情達意的溝通目的。廣義言之，肢體語言也包括前述之面部表情在內；狹義言之，肢體語言只包括身體與四肢所表達的意義。be telling the world a totally different story意為“所說的和事實上截然相反”。

2．…however cool and contained you think you are being, there is a host of little telltale gestures and expressions that give you away…（Para.2）：contained意為“泰然自若的，從容不迫的；平靜的，有抑制力的”，例如：Her feelings seem very contained.她的心情似乎很平靜。a host of意為“一大群，許多”，一般只能與復數名詞連用，例如：From this theory came a host of remarkable predictions.從這個理論出發導出了許多驚人的預言。telltale意為“泄露秘密的，暴露實情的”，例如：I can see from the telltale look in her eyes that she loves him.我從她無法掩飾的眼神中可以看出她愛他。

3．…you’re a bundle of nerves. （Para.4）：你現在感到非常緊張。

4．invading your space （Para.5）：侵入到了你的空間。研究表明，人與人之間的交往有一定的界限，超越了這個界限就侵入到了別人的私人空間。“入侵”是指“以不受歡迎的或討厭的方式影響別人”。Does that give you an excuse to invade my privacy? 你侵犯我的隱私有什么原因嗎？

5．keep them at arm’s length （Para.5）：keep someone at one’s arm意為“和某人保持距離”，例如：If you are wise, you will keep Mrs. Jones at arm’s length. She is the worst gossip in the village.聰明的話就和瓊斯太太保持距離，她可是村里最大的緋聞。

6．in your heart of hearts （Para.8）：in one’s heart of hearts意為“在某人的內心深處”，例如：Claire knew in her heart of hearts that she is deeply loved by her mom.內心深處，克萊爾知道母親深深地愛著她。

7．trying to shield her listener from what she’s saying （Para.9）：她試圖不讓聽眾被她的語言傷害到。try to do sth意為“試圖做”，例如：The government is trying to protect the civilian’s property to the largest extent.政府正在盡最大努力保護人民財產。

8．Touching the nose is an almost foolproof sign that you are telling porkies. （Para.10）：foolproof意為“（方法，計劃，系統等設計地）十分簡單的，十分安全的，肯定成功的”，例如：We are trying to work out a way to make the system foolproof.我們正努力想辦法使這個系統簡單易操作。porky是英國俚語，意為“謊話，謊言”。

9．In adults, this gesture has often evolves into head grooming, when the hair is smoothed downwards two or three times. It shows that you are in a quandary, and don’t know what to do for the best. （Para.13）：evolve意為“使進化，使演變”，例如：The British present political system has evolved over several centuries.英國的現行政治制度是經過幾個世紀逐步發展而成的。groom意為“照料或梳洗（馬等）”，例如：We watched two apes grooming each other.我們看著兩種猩猩在互相理毛。quandary意思是“困窘，困惑，左右為難”，例如：The city council is in a quandary over whether to raise taxes or not.市議會在是否增稅問題上左右為難。