---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/37-the-westhaven-express.md
description: 新概念英语第三册：The Westhaven Express。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 开往威斯特海温的快车

## 课文学习台 {#study}

### 第1段

We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables. Ships may be delayed by storms; flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.

中文理解：我们已经习惯于相信火车总是准点的。经过多年的适应，大多数人对火车时刻表产生了一种不可动摇的信念。轮船船期可能因风暴而推延，飞机航班可能因恶劣天气而取消，唯有火车必然是准点的。只有非同寻常的大雪才可能暂时打乱铁路运行。因此，一旦铁路上真出了问题，人们便不加思索地责备铁路当局。事实上，很可能是我们自己，而不是铁路当局出错了。

* **because of**：由于；先确认后面是名词性内容；because 后才可以直接接句子。

* **on time**：高速 / 绕圈 / 准时 / 说真话；按原句识别是在说明方式、时间还是话语是否真实。

#### 这一段的读法与用法

注释：①punctual = on time。②unshakable = a firm belief or trust。③delayed = made late。④cancelled = called off。⑤temporarily dislocate = disrupt for a short time。⑥这里的翻译很明显是依照上下文的意思对代词进行了还原。

### 第2段

After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it. I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven. When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said: "This service has been suspended."

中文理解：我查看了列车时刻表，满意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海温的快车。这是趟直达车，旅途总共才需1小时17分。上车后，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。一开始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快车之便捷的也一定大有人在。火车开出几英里即在一个小站威德里停了下来。对此，我不觉得奇怪，因为即便是特别快车也可能被信号拦住。但是，当火车一站接着一站往前蠕动时，我便产生了怀疑。我突然感到这趟快车并没以时速90英里的速度呼啸前进，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，时速仅30英里。1小时17分过去了，走了还不到一半路程。我问一位乘客，这是不是开往威斯特海温的那趟快车，他说从未听说过有这么一趟快车。我决定到目的地就给铁路部门提意见。两小时后，我气呼呼地同威斯特海温站站长说起此事。他说根本没有这趟车。于是我借来了他本人的列车时刻表，带着一种胜利者的调子告诉他那趟车白纸黑字印在时刻表上。他迅速扫视了一眼，让我再看一遍。一个小小的星形符号把我的目光引到了那页纸底部的一个说明上。上面写着：“此班列车暂停运行。”

* **take advantage of**：利用机会或条件；占便宜；对象不同，褒贬不同；利用某人常带负面意味。

* **Neither**：不仅 / 两者都不 / 是否；找齐成对结构的两端；不是看见 not only 就一律倒装。

* **determined to**：投入使用 / 决心做 / 一大笔钱；注意一件东西投入使用，与人决定采取行动是不同的结构。

* **as soon as**：一……就……；把两个动作的先后关系说清；谈未来时，时间从句通常用一般现在时。

#### 这一段的读法与用法

注释：①consulting = reading, looking at(for information)。②a mere = only, just。③ asterisk = star，即\*，可用作动词，标上星。

#### Summary 摘要

When many local people boarded the train with the writer, he was not surprised. Nor was he surprised when the train stopped at Widley. But when it stopped at each station, he began to wonder why it was going so slowly. Finally, when the train reached Westhaven, the writer spoke to the station master who denied the existence of an express. They argued and the writer was shown this timetable footnote, which said:"This service has been suspended." (79 words)

#### Composition 作文 A Disastrous Train Journey 糟透了的火车旅行

\[1]When I finally boarded the train, I was looking forward to a pleasant journey to the village of Slowleigh where my friends live. I sat in my seat, got out a book and was already reading when the train started.

\[2]According to the timetable, the train was due to arrive in Slowleigh at 4:30. I had been so interested in my book that I had a shock when I looked at my watch. It was almost 4:30. I closed my book and waited for the train to slow down. It didn't. In fact, the train was going very fast—and that was Slowleigh, wasn't it?! The train went straight on. I asked the other passengers why the train hadn't stopped and they told me it was the express to the city. I didn't believe it.

\[3]Then the ticket collector came along. He looked at my ticket and I tried to explain, but in the end I had to pay the full fare to the city.

\[4]By the time we arrived in the city it was six o'clock. The journey had lasted two hours and I was miles away from my original destination. I rang my friends and said I would get a fast train back. Then I checked the timetable: there was no fast train back to Slowleigh, only a slow one, at 7 o'clock. By the time I finally reached Slowleigh Station, it was nine o'clock at night. My pleasant little train journey had taken 4.5 hours! (250 words)

## 学完这一课

保留原段的推进关系，换成自己的经历，写或说一段四五句的话。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-3/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文与解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及本站首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第122—124页，2022年2月第3版。*