90_What's_for_Supper

90 What's for Supper?¶

Fish and chips has always been a favourite dish in Britain, but as the oceans have been overfished, fish has become more and more expensive. So it comes as a surprise (to learn that giant fish are terrifying the divers on North Sea oil rigs). Oil rigs have to be repaired frequentlyand divers, who often have to work in darkness a hundred feet under water, have been frightened out of their wits by giant fish bumping into them as they work. Now they have had special cages made to protect them from these monsters. The fish are not sharks or killer whales, but favourite eating varieties like cod and skate (which grow to unnatural sizes, sometimes as much as twelve feet in length). Three factors have caused these fish to grow so large: the warm water round the hot oil pipes under the sea; the plentiful supply of food (thrown overboard by the crews on the rigs); the total absence of fishing boats around the oil rigs. As a result, the fish just eat and eat and grow and grow in the lovely warm water. Who eats who?

Words¶

giant /ˈdʒaɪənt/ 巨大的
terrifying /ˈtɛrəˌfaɪɪŋ/ 使害怕
divers /ˈdaɪvɚz/ 潜水员
oil /ɔɪl/ rigs /rɪɡz/ 石油钻塔
frequently /ˈfrikwəntli/ 频繁地
been /bɪn/ frightened /ˈfraɪtənd/ out /aʊt/ of /ʌv/ their /ðɛr/ wits /wɪts/ 理智
bumping /ˈbʌmpɪŋ/ 撞击
cages /ˈkedʒɪz/ 笼子
sharks /ʃɑrks/ 鲨鱼
whales /welz/ 鲸鱼
varieties /vɚˈaɪətiz/ 种类
cod /kɑd/ 鳕鱼
skate /sket/ 鳐鱼
factors /ˈfæktɚz/ 因素
plentiful /ˈplɛntəfəl/ 大量的
supply /səˈplaɪ/ 供应
crews /kruz/ 全体人员

Expressions¶

be scared/frightened out of sb’s wits 吓得魂飞魄散
a variety of 各种各样的
it comes as a surprise to learn that 得知……令人惊讶
protect a. from b. 保护 A 免受 B
in length… 长度为……
the total absence of ... 完全没有……
as a result... 结果……