2024考研英语：《经济学人》中英读译Day172

英语阅读能力依靠什么？必然是词汇的积累，但，仅仅是词汇的积累是不够了，更应该了解英语句式，不同句型所表达意义。如何培养自己的阅读语感呢？那么就跟着聚创考研网小编每天学一点英语，一起为考研筑起坚实的地基。阅读是需要积累的，就像我们需要经常和人沟通才会促进我们的表达能力一样~小伙伴跟着小编一起，每天坚持打卡，培养英语阅读能力及语感，了解文章一些经典词汇的用法。

经济学人:妈妈,这个故事讲给你听(1)

There is a country-I read about it once-where the local custom is thatif you go to house and praise some small possession, the owners feel obliged to offer it to you as a gift.I don't remember the name of the country; the only other place I know of with such a custom is my mother's apartment.Knowing Mama, I have always been careful with my compliments, but that doesn't stop her.Mama senses admiration far more subtle than what's spoken.

译文

我曾经读过一篇文章，里面说有一个国家，当地的风俗是，如果你去到一幢房子那儿，对一些小财产夸奖一番，主人会觉得有义务把它作为礼物送给你。我不记得这个国家的名字了，我所知道的唯一有这种做法的地方是我母亲的公寓。我了解母亲，我总是很小心地恭维她，但这并不能阻止她。妈妈感受到的赞美远比表达出来的微妙得多。

If she catches me staring at anything small enough to put in a grocery sack, she hands it to me as I leave.It would do no good to protest."I was merely staring at that photograph of Mount Hood because I have one exactly like it in my living room."Mama would only nod and say, "Of course. You were thinking how nice it would be to have a set.If a mother doesn't understand, who does?"Sometimes, while visiting Mama and trying not to say anything complimentary,I reflect on what might have been had she ended up in, say, the White House."Here you are, Mr. Prime Minister, that nice picture of George Washington you were admiring so much, from the Blue Room.

译文

如果她发现我盯着任何小到可以放进购物袋的东西，她会在我离开时递给我。抗议没有好处。“我只是盯着胡德山的照片，因为我的客厅里有一张和它一模一样的照片。”妈妈只会点头说：“当然。你在想要是有一套该多好。如果母亲不明白，谁会明白？”有时，我去看望母亲时，尽量不说任何赞美的话，我会想如果她最终入主白宫会发生什么。“总理先生，这是你在蓝厅里欣赏的乔治·华盛顿的漂亮照片。

No, take it. You like it. What do I need it for?"Being with Mama is like watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie: I never know what's going to happen next.For instance, I have lasting memories of childhood walks with her.Mama noticed everything. We had to stop to admire a nice house, a nice tree, a nice flower.Mama regarded the people we saw (those who didn't look like her relatives) as portraits in a museum—no matter if people stared back."She was pretty once, but has seen tragedy," Mama would whisper, or, "Such a handsome man, but conceited to the core."Her sharpest epithet was "Minky," reserved for the type of woman Mama thought would wear a mink to the supermarket.

译文

不，拿着，你会喜欢它的，我要用它做什么呢？”和母亲在一起就像看希区柯克的电影：我永远不知道接下来会发生什么。例如，我一直记得童年和她一起散步，妈妈会注意到一切。我们会停下来欣赏漂亮的房子，挺拔的树，美丽的花。母亲把我们看到的人（那些长得不像她亲戚的人）当作博物馆里的肖像，不管那些人是否回头看。“她曾经很漂亮，但也遭遇过不幸，”妈妈会小声说，或者说，“这么英俊的男人，却自大到极点。”她起的苛刻的绰号“Minky”，留给那种母亲认为会穿着貂皮大衣去超市的女性。