41_Illusions_of_Pastoral_Peace

41 Illusions of Pastoral Peace¶

The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV--virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.

If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special treat. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away. Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.

Words¶

City /ˈsɪti/ born /bɔrn/ and /ənd/ city /ˈsɪti/ bred /brɛd/ 培育
raptures /ˈræptʃɚz/ 欣喜
extol /ɪkˈstol/ 赞美
illusion /ˌɪˈluʒən/ 幻觉
superior /suˈpɪriɚ/ 优越的
cockcrow /ˈkɑkˌkro/ 鸡叫
twittering /ˈtwɪtɚɪŋ/ 鸟叫
glinting /ˈɡlɪntɪŋ/ 闪烁
pastures /ˈpæstʃɚz/ 牧场
idyllic /aɪˈdɪlɪk/ 田园诗的
virtually /ˈvɝtʃuəli/ 几乎
dubious /ˈdubiəs/ 可疑的
misery /ˈmɪzɚi/ 苦难
acquaintances /əˈkwentənsɪz/ 熟人
treat /trit/ 享受
dweller /ˈdwɛlɚ/ 居住者
stagger /ˈstæɡɚ/ 摇晃
exotic /ɪɡˈzɑtɪk/ 外来的
glow /ɡlo/ 白炽光
tucked /tʌkt/ 隐藏
obstinately /ˈɑbstɪnətlɪ/ 固执的

Expressions¶

under the illusion that+句子误以为……
born and bred 土生土长
go into raptures 欣喜若狂
extol the virtues/benefits of something 赞美某物的优点/好处
be superior to ... 优于……
It’s virtually impossible to… 几乎不可能……
be dubious about 对……半信半疑
the privilege of doing something 做某事的特权
make somebody’s acquaintance 结识某人
as a special treat … 作为特别的款待
descend on/upon/over 降临；突然来到
be tucked away… 被藏起来
at the mere mention of 一提到……
be compared with 与……相比
be prepared to 准备；愿意
tolerate for 忍受
beyond me 超出我的理解范围
do without 没有……也行
travel miles to do sth. 长途跋涉去做某事
be available for 可用于……；有空
come up to 走到……跟前；达到
draw to a close 即将结束
make do with 凑合着用
run wild 放肆；撒野
few things could be more impressive than… 很少有比……更令人印象深刻的
it has always been a mystery to me why... 我一直不明白为什么……