SEFC 3A unit 1 That must be a record!
1. In 1951, the then director of the Guinness Brewery, Sir Hugh Beaver, wanted to settle an argument about the fastest bird in Europe. 1951年，當時吉尼斯啤酒廠的廠長畢偉休先生很想解決歐洲哪一種鳥飛的最快這一爭論。
① settle: vt. 解決;處理
e.g. I’d like to get it settled today while we’re at it. 既然我們大家都關注這件事, 我很想今天就把他解決了。
② argument: n. 辯論;爭論
e.g. They got into quite a heated argument.他們進行了十分熱烈的爭論。
2. Instead, the editors of the book set down the records and keep track of them in other ways. 然而，本書的編輯們會寫下該紀錄，隨后設法跟蹤了解它們。
① set down寫下; 放下; 讓下車; 規定
e.g. I’ll set down one or two points while they are fresh in my mind. 趁我記憶猶新我得寫下一兩個要點。
② keep track of （繼續）了解…的情況; 記住…的情況
e.g. Mr. Steven kept track of his business by telephone when he was in hospital. 史蒂芬先生住院期間，通過電話了解他的生意。
3. The records are put into different categories. 紀錄被分為兩類。
① category: n. [C] 類（屬）; 范疇
e.g. Helen groups all people into two categories: those she likes and those she dislikes. 海輪把人們分為兩類：一類是她喜歡的，一類是她不喜歡的。
4. And there are also strange records, like the Englishman who balanced a small car weighing 159.6 kilograms on his head for thirty-three seconds! 也會有些奇怪的紀錄，譬如，一個英國人曾頭頂159.6 公斤的一個小汽車堅持了33秒。
① balance: vt.&vi. 保持平衡；使平衡
e.g. In order to balance their trade, they would have to buy less goods in the United States. 為了讓他們的貿易保持平衡，他們將必須減少購買美國的貨物。
② weighing 159.6 kilograms on his head for thirty-three seconds! 現在分詞短語做定語。
5. Among the brilliant athletic achievements, a few records stand out because of the moving life stories behind them. 在非常優秀的運動員的成績檔案里， 有幾個紀錄是由于這些成績的后面那動人的生命故事而引人注目的。
① stand out: 顯得突出; 顯眼; 引人注目
e.g. your red pullover really stands out in that photograph. 你的紅毛衣在那張照片中非常顯眼。
② because of 由于
e.g. He realized that she was crying because of what he had said. 他意識到她是因為他所說的話而在哭泣。
③ moving: adj. 動人的; 感人的
e.g. The beggar told her such a moving story that she almost wept. 乞丐講述了一個幾乎令她流淚的動人的故事。
6. Impressive as the record is, it fades next to the story of Armstrong’s struggle against disease. 盡管這紀錄給人流下了非常深刻的印象，但是與阿姆斯特朗同疾病斗爭的故事比起來它就變的黯然失色了。
① as: conj. 盡管; 雖說：引導讓步狀語從句，注意該句型要倒裝。
e.g. Intelligent as she was, she had not much insight. 盡管她很聰明，但是她沒有多少洞察力。
② fade: vi. 退色; 逐漸消失：
e.g. As evening came the coastline faded into darkness. 隨著夜幕的降臨，海岸線消失在黑暗中。
7. He went on to set the speed record and achieve his goal of winning the Tour de France six times in a row in 2004. 他繼續創造著世界紀錄，并且在2004年他連續6次實現了他的目標：贏得了環法大賽冠軍。
① achieve: vt. 取得（勝利，成就）; 實現（目標，目的等）
e.g. Nothing would stop me from achieving my ambition. 沒有任何事情會阻止我去實現我的目標。
② in a row 一個接一個地； 連續不斷
e.g. The children stood in a row in front of the row of chairs. 孩子們一個接一個地站在那排椅子的前面。
8. Part of the reason for our interest is probably the same curiosity that led Sir Hugh to write The Guinness Book of World Records in the first place. 最初可能正是我們興趣中那一部分好奇心促使休先生開始寫這本吉尼斯世界紀錄一書的。
① let sb. to do 使得某人做某事
e.g. The news leads me to believe that they will come.這則消息讓我相信他們會回來的。
② in the first place （用于列舉理由等時）首先；第一；原先
e.g. The thing for me to have done was to have married her to him in the first place. 對我來說所做的一件事就是首先把她許配給了他。
9. We want to know what is possible and find out just how far we can push ourselves. 我們想知道什么是可能的，也想弄明白我們的極限是多遠。
① find out 了解; 弄清楚
e.g. We must find out the truth of the matter. 我們必須弄明白事情的真相。
One morning the baby found out for the first time that she could walk. 一天早上，嬰兒第一次發現她會走了。
10. Clearly, we are also entertained by accounts of strange and unusual deeds and facts. 顯然，這些奇怪而不尋常的行為和事實的描述也使我們感到很開心。
① entertain: vt.款待；招待（客人）；提供消遣；使高興
e.g. Every summer they entertain the neighbors at an outdoor party. 每年夏天，他們會舉辦戶外聚會來招待鄰居們。
The magician entertained the children with a variety of tricks. 魔術師變各種各樣的戲法來逗孩子們開心。
② account: n. [C] 敘述；報道；賬目；銀行戶頭
e.g. The accounts I have received of Australia are not particularly encouraging. 我所得到的關于澳大利亞的報道并不令人歡欣鼓舞。
11. The editors will decide if your idea is suitable and then send you rules and the form you need to apply for the record. 編輯們會決定是否你的想法很合適，然后會寄給你申請這個紀錄所需要的規則和表格。
① suitable: adj. 合適；適合
e.g. Those shoes are not suitable for walking in the country.這鞋不適合在鄉間走路。
Have you a suitable book for a young child? 你是否有適合小孩子讀的書。
② apply: 申請; 應用
e.g. I applied at the local police station for a peddler’s certificate. 我在當地警察局申請了商販執照。
12. Afterwards, if all goes well, a Guinness official will come to inspect your attempt. 之后， 如果一切進展順利的話，吉尼斯辦公室會來檢查你嘗試的情況。
① inspect: vt. 檢查；視察
e.g. They inspected the whole house for traces of damp. 他們來檢查整個房子的潮濕的證跡。
All factories and mines are inspected by government officials. 政府官員檢查所有工廠和煤礦。
13. If you are successful, the official will confirm the record and you will get a certificate from The Guinness Book of World Records stating that you are a world record holder. 如果你成功了, 吉尼斯官員會確認你紀錄, 而且你會得到吉尼斯世界紀錄證書, 并聲明你是世界紀錄的保持者。
① confirm: vt. 批準；肯定
e.g. When do you think the President will confirm you in office? 你認為什么時候總統會批準你執政。
② state: vt. 陳述；聲明
e.g. State your opinion of the new school rules. 請陳述你對學校新規則的看法。
The stated facts conflict with what actually happened. 這些已經說明的事實與真實發生的情況相矛盾。
14. All of our schoolmates were here, as well as many of our parents and other kids from the neighborhood. 我們的校友, 我們的父母以及來自附近的孩子們全來了
① as well as 同，和，也
e.g. It is important for you as well as for me. 這對你對我都重要。
The conflict spread everywhere, into villages, as well as into the cities. 沖突到處在蔓延, 進了村莊,也進了城市。
15. A new generation of sports is capturing the hearts and minds of people who are willing to try something new. 新一代的體育運動占據了想嘗試新鮮事物的人們的所有心思。
① capture: vt. 捕獲；占領；贏得
e.g. Our task was to capture a number of these monkeys alive. 我們的任務是活捉許多猴子。
He captured first place in the men’s broad jump with a leap of 7.51 meters. 他以7.51米的成績取得了男子跳遠的第一名。
② be willing to 愿意做某事
e.g. She’s willing to help in any way she can. 她愿意盡可能地幫助別人。
16. These new sports are called “extreme sports” and all center on the “X-factor”---the pure joy of doing something that you didn’t think you could do and overcoming your fears. 這些新的體育運動被稱作為極限運動, 所有這些運動都以難預測的因素為中心---
① center on 以…為中心。
e.g. The discussion centered on the most important question. 討論以最重要的問題為中心。
②overcome: vt. 克服; 抑制
e.g. He succeeded in his efforts to overcome his fatal weakness. 他成功地克服了他最致命的弱點。
③ doing something that you didn’t think you could do and overcoming your fears. and 連接的并列動名詞短語做of 的賓語。
17. I get excited and my hearts beats faster.
① get: link-v 變得
e.g. Hugh got engaged to her when traveling last winter. 在去年冬天的旅行中休與她訂了婚。
18. Then my mind becomes clear and I concentrate on the way my body moves in the air. 當時我的頭腦很清醒而且全身心的投入在空中移動身體的方法上。
① concentrate on/upon 聚精會神; 集中思想
e.g. He tried to concentrate on his clinical research at the hospital. 他試圖專注于醫院的臨床研究。
19. We don’t let anyone try a dangerous trick unless we know that they are skilled enough to perform it safely. 如果我們不確定他們能夠熟練且安全地進行這個項目, 我們就不會讓他們去嘗試危險的特技表演。
① perform vt.& vi. :進行; 執行；表演；表現
e.g. One should always perform what one promises. 一個人應該履行他的諾言。
The engine performs well in cold weather. 這發動機在寒冷的天氣也表現很好。