---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/56-our-neighbour-the-river.md
description: 新概念英语第三册：Our Neighbour, the River。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 河流，我们的邻居

## 课文学习台 {#study}

### 第1段

The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives. Without it we could not make a living. There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house, so we have to pump from the river for farm use. We tell the river all our secrets. We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.

中文理解：形成我们农场东部边界的一条河流一直在我们生活中发挥着重要的作用。没有这条河，我们就无法维持生计。泉水只能满足家庭生活用水，因此我们必须从河里抽水以用于农业生产。我们向河流倾诉我们的秘密。我们天生懂得，就像养蜂人和他的蜜蜂，要是我们不告诉河流生活中的大事，就可能招来厄运。

* **played an important part**：发挥作用；说清在哪件事中起作用，再解释作用如何发生。

* **make a living**：作决定 / 犯错 / 努力等；名词决定是否加冠词：progress 不可数，decision 通常可数。

#### 这一段的读法与用法

注释：①instinctively = without having to be told。②overtake = happen (to us) suddenly。

### 第2段

We have special river birthday parties in the summer. Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater, sometimes we have our party at the boathouse, which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving. In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all. We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring, holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn, and throwing a holly wreath into the current in the winter.

中文理解：夏天，我们为这条河举办特殊的生日宴会。有时，我们溯流而上来到我们喜爱的回水河汊举办；有时在船坞举办。那船坞是以前的一个农场主在一块草地上盖的，草地紧挨着一个专供游泳、跳水的深水池。天气炎热时，我们便选择在半夜举办生日聚会，这种聚会是最令人激动的。我们在河边迎接一年四季。春天在河边为最年轻的姑娘戴上花冠，夏天在河边欢庆 “仲夏前夜”，秋天在河边为丰收感恩，冬天向河中投入一个冬青花环。

#### 这一段的读法与用法

注释：①predecessor = previous owner。②hard by = close to, very near to。 ③in a heat wave = in a period of unusually hot weather。

### 第3段

After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks. This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes. We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are effected by flooding, but other farms are less favourably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.

中文理解：淫雨霏霏之后，河水溢漫河堤。但是在我们这里，气候很少发生异常，河水极少泛滥。值得庆幸的是，只有低洼农地受到洪水影响。低洼地在我们农场所占的比例很小，其他农场的位置就没有这么有利，洪水有时会给农场主带来灾难。

#### 这一段的读法与用法

注释：①in that（由于之意）引导的原因状语从句中含有一个which 引导的定语从句修饰fields。②a rare occurrence = a very unusual event。③goes to extremes = gets extremely hot or extremely cold。④favourably = pleasantly, well。

### 第4段

One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows. All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little. We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbors, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district. As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing. From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours, and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point. The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down. Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted. Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, a cat, and a bird in a cage. We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood, for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged. The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank. We still think it a miracle that they were able to do so.

中文理解：有一年冬天，天气不好，我们眼看着河水浸没了地势较低的草场。所有的牛都已提前转移到畜圈里，预计我们的损失不会很大。不过，我们很为我们的近邻担心。他们的农场地势低洼，而且他们又初来乍到。由于洪水造成了电话中断，我们无法了解他们的情况。从顶楼窗口看去，我们农场与他们农场接壤处的那段河流一览无余。在最紧急的时刻，我们轮流监视那段河流的险情。灾难的第一迹象是一只死羊顺流而下，接着一匹活马勇敢地与水搏击。但我们担心，洪水的力量将使它在上岸之前就筋疲力尽。突然，出现了一只筏子，看起来很像诺亚方舟，上面载着他们全家老小，还有几只母鸡、几只狗，一只猫与一只鸟笼，那里头有一只小鸟。我们意识到他们一定是被不断上涨的洪水吓坏了。因为他们的房子地基牢固，即使洪水几乎灭顶也不会倒塌。我们家的男人们手拿船篙，蹚过被水淹没的草场，希望能够钩住筏子一角，将它拽出激流，拖回岸边。他们终于成功了，至今我们仍认为这是个奇迹。

* **find out**：查明；弄清；用于发现信息或原因；寻找具体物品通常用 look for。

* **even if**：以便或以致 / 尽管 / 即使 / 仿佛；先判断两部分的关系；even though 说已知情况，even if 常说假设。

* **were able to**：能够 / 无法；结合时间判断是一般能力还是某次实际做到；unable 带否定。

#### 这一段的读法与用法

注释：①creep up = covered by water。

#### Summary 摘要

One winter, the river rose alarmingly, and we were worried about our new neighbours. The floods had put the telephone out of order, so we couldn't contact them. We were watching their land when we saw the first sign of trouble, a dead sheep, and then a swimming horse. Then a raft came down, complete with the family and animals. They had clearly been frightened by the rising flood. Our men waded out and pulled the raft to the bank. (80 words)

#### Composition 作文 (鬼故事一则)

\[1]It was a dark and gloomy street. I was on my way home from a friend's party and had decided to take a short cut. I had just turned the corner from the main street and had started walking towards the light at the end of the short street.

\[2]Suddenly, almost by magic, I thought, there was someone standing at the far end, under the lamplight. Most people would have been frightened, perhaps terrified. I wasn't at all frightened. Perhaps I should have been. There was someone there. I felt somehow that the person—and I couldn't see whether it was a man or a woman—did not mean to harm me. Although I wasn't frightened, I still wasn't sure what to do. Should I walk on towards the end of the street and towards the light and towards the person? Or should I go back the way I had come? I decided to walk on towards the light.

\[3]The "guide", as I called the person later, stood and seemed to wait until I was halfway down the street, and then started walking ahead of me. Even now I couldn't describe him or her: he or she seemed to be dressed in a long gown, but there was a dim glow all around him/her. Certainly I felt safe and followed the person down several streets that I did not know. It was a part of town, I realized, that I had been warned about—but nothing happened to me—and as soon as we were near the bright lights of the main road, my "guide" just disappeared.

## 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201—204页，2022年2月第3版。*