Section_ⅣLearning_about_Language_&_Using_Language
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Act Two, Scene Ⅰ MAKING THE BET①
It is 11 am in Henry Higgins' house the next day. Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering are sitting deep in② conversation③.
H:Do you want to hear any more sounds?
CP:No, thank you. I rather fancied myself④ because I can pronounce twentyfour distinct vowel⑤ sounds; but your one hundred and thirty beat me. I can't distinguish⑥ most of them.
H:(laughing) Well, that comes with practice.
There is a knock and Mrs Pearce⑦ (MP), the housekeeper⑧, comes in with cookies⑨, a teapot⑩, some cream⑪ and two cups.
MP:(hesitating) A young girl is asking to see you.
H:A young girl! What does she want?
MP:Well, she's quite a common kind of girl with dirty nails⑫. I thought perhaps you wanted her to talk into your machines.
H:Why⑬? Has she got an interesting accent? We'll see. Show her in⑭, Mrs Pearce.
MP:(only half resigned⑮ to it) Very well, sir. (goes downstairs)
H:This is a bit⑯ of luck. I'll show you how I make records⑰ on wax⑱ disks⑲ ...
MP:(returning) This is the young girl, sir. (Eliza comes into the room shyly following Mrs Pearce⑳. She is dirty and wearing a shabby\s\up1(21(21) dress. She curtsies\s\up1(22(22) to the two men.) ①bet n.& vt.打赌
②deep in 专心于;深陷;全神贯注
③deep in conversation是形容词短语,在句中作伴随状语。
④fancy oneself自负;自命不凡
⑤vowel/'vaʊəl/n.元音;元音字母
⑥distinguish vt.& vi.显示......的差别;使......有所不同;辨别
⑦Pearce/'pIəs/皮尔斯(姓)
⑧the housekeeper是Mrs Pearce的同位语。
⑨cookie/'kʊkI/n.饼干
⑩teapot/'tiːpɒt/n.茶壶
⑪cream/kriːm/n.奶油;面霜
⑫nail/neIl/n.指甲;钉子
⑬此处why用作感叹词,表示惊奇或出乎意料,可译为"怎么了""怎么""啊唷"等。
⑭show ... in带或领......进来
⑮resign vt.使顺从;安于现状
⑯a bit有点儿;稍微
⑰make records录音
⑱wax/wæks/n.蜡;蜜蜡 vt.上蜡
⑲disk/dIsk/n.磁盘
⑳现在分词短语following Mrs Pearce作状语,表示方式或伴随。
\s\up1(21(21)shabby/'ʃæbI/adj.破旧的;寒酸的
\s\up1(22(22)curtsy/'kɜːtsI/vi. (also curtsey)行屈膝礼 n.(女子行的)屈膝礼