Lesson 89 A slip of the tongue

【New words and expressions】（7）

slip n. 小错误

comedy n. 喜剧

present v. 演出；adj. 出席，到场的

queue v. 排队

dull adj. 枯燥，无味

artiste n. 艺人

advertiser n. 报幕员

★slip n. 小错误，失误，疏漏

You've made some slips (of the pen) in your report.

When he was nervous, he would sometimes make a slip of tongue.

【Text】

People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one. When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come. The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!"

参考译文

人们总要想尽办法看不花钱的演出--哪怕是拙劣的演出。当"皮尤"鸟食公司将在我们当地影院演出喜剧节目的消息传开后，我们都赶紧跑去观看。我们不得不排了好几个小时才进得场去。在演出开始前场内肯定已有好几百人了。不幸的是，这次演出是我们看过的最乏味的演出了。那些没能进到场内的人没有必要感到失望，因为很多应该出场的专业演员都没有来。那天晚上唯一有趣的事情是节目开始时那个报幕员的开场白。他显然非常紧张，局促不安地在麦克风前站了好几分钟。但他刚一开口说话，人们便哄堂大笑起来。我们都明白那个可怜的人应该说些什么，而他实际说的却是："这是'浦伊'鸟食公司，好女士们，晚上和先生们！"

【课文讲解】

1、A slip of the tongue

a slip of the tongue 口误，说走了嘴，失言

Are you sure that it was just a slip of tongue? 你确信那只是一时口误吗？

2、People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one.

anything用于肯定句时表示"不论什么，任何事情"，to see a free show表示目的，也可以用for +名词形式：

He will do anything to save his child's life.

He will do anything for the child.

3、When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it.

get round = get around/about 四处传遍，（消息、谣言等）传开

The word soon got round that there was buried treasure in that cave.

Bad news gets round quickly.

4、As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.

burst out 突然......起来（后面常接动名词，或in/into+名词）

When she heard that her father had died in the accident, she burst out crying.

At the sight of the drunk, everyone burst out laughing/in laughter.

【Special Difficulties】

Free and Single

free

① adj. 免费的，无偿的

She has got some free ticket to the comedy show.

The people are free to choose who will govern them.

② adj. 自由的，没束缚的，不受控制的，空闲的

You are free to make your own decision.

I'm free on Friday evening.

single adj. 单身的，独身的，未婚的

I enjoy being single.

Are you married or single?

a single parent 单亲（独自一人养育儿女的父亲或母亲）

Queue and Row

queue

① vi. 排队

We had to queue for hours to get in.

She has to queue for the bus every morning.

② n.（按顺序等待的人、车等的）行列、队（通常为纵队）

There's a long queue/line of people waiting for the bus.

We'd better join the queue for tickets.

row n.（人或物的）一排、一行（通常为横的）

You can see me in this old photo, standing in the back row.

Please put the desks in four rows.

Funny

① adj. 有趣的，滑稽的，逗人发笑的（与amusing同义）

He included a large number of funny stories in his speech.

② adj. 反常的，古怪的，奇怪的（口语）

I thought there was something funny about the parcel, so I phoned the police.

This morning I saw her wearing a funny hat which looked like a lighthouse.
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