二、课文精解

Text I

1．Significantly also, this great global communications revolution is also linked to the expansion of English, which has now become the leading international language. （Para.2）：句中expansion由expend变形而来，意为“扩展，扩张，膨胀”，extend和stretch也有该意，但expand着重于上下，左右，前后扩展，例如：A plant expands its leaves.植物的叶子四处延展。extend主要指时间和空间距离的加长，延伸，引申为“势力或影响范围的扩大”，例如：There is a proposal to extend the road to the next village.有人建议把这条公路延伸到下个村子。stretch主要指“绵延，延伸，拉长”，作宾语的物体具有一定的伸展性，如：He stretched his arms and yawned.他伸伸懒腰，打了个哈欠。表示“伸长脖子”可以用stretch one’s neck，但不可以说extend one’s neck.

2．Conferences and business meetings around the globe are held in English, regardless of whether anyone present is a native English speaker. （Para.2）：句中复合介词regardless of含有“不管，不顾，不注意，尽管”等让步意思，有形容词和副词两种形式，作形容词时表示“不注意的，不留心的，不关心的”，例如：I’ll take the job regardless of the pay. 作副词时表示“不顾一切地，不管怎样，无论如何”，例如：We tried to discourage him from going out in the storm, but he went regardless.我们试图阻止他在暴风雨中外出，但他仍然不顾一切。

3．…and for many people learning English is an essential stepping stone on the road to success. （Para.2）：stepping stone意为“基石，进身之阶”，例如：Like nothing else, literacy is a stepping stone away from poverty.识字是脱离贫困的基石，这是其它所无法比拟的。

4．Most fundamental is the profound relationship between language and culture that lies at the heart of society and one that we overlook at our peril. （Para.3）：at one’s peril意为“（尤指用于告诫别人）自担风险”，例如：You do it at your peril.你做这件事要自担风险。at the peril of one’s life不管自身危险，冒着生命安危：All soldiers rushed into the earthquake area at the peril of their lives.所有军人不顾自身安危冲向地震灾区。

5．How do you translate the image of the Lamb of God for a culture in which sheep do not exist? What exactly was the fruit that Eve picked in the Garden of Eden? （Para.5）：Lamp of God：在西方的说法中，上帝很喜欢羊，尤其是羔羊，它温顺听话，一切按上帝的旨意去行事，耶稣基督就是上帝的羔羊，所以耶稣基督被称为the Lamp。Adam and Eve：亚当与夏娃的典故出自《圣经》创世纪。自从上帝创造了亚当之后，对他关爱有加，让它主宰世间万物，还给他建造了伊甸园（Garden of Eden）。而后因为亚当太孤单了，上帝就取其肋骨一根塑成女状，取名为夏娃，从此亚当和夏娃就在伊甸园里过着快乐的生活。但上帝给他们的禁令是：不可摘取园中那两颗树上的苹果吃，否则必遭天谴。那两颗书上的苹果便是禁果（the forbidden fruit）。

6．What was the culture that swallowed Jonah, given that whales are not given to swimming in warm, southern seas? （Para.5）：Johan: 约拿，圣经里的一个人物。他本身是一个虔诚的基督教徒，并且一直渴望能够得到神的差遣，神终于给了他一个光荣的任务，去宣布赦免一座本来要被罪行毁灭的城市，约拿却抗拒这个任务，他逃跑了，不断躲避着他信仰的神。神的力量到处寻找他，唤醒他，惩戒他，甚至让一条大鱼吞了他。最后，他几经反复和忧郁，终于悔改，完成了它的使命——宣布尼尼微城的人获得赦免。given that意为“考虑到，假定”，例如：Given that he get another chance, he will surely successes. 假定再给他一次机会，他一定会成功的。

7．Those best placed to help that process may not be the ones with the latest technology and state of the art mobile phones, but those with the skills to understand what lies in, under and beyond the words spoken in many different languages. （Para.8）：state of the art意为“技术发展水平”，例如：Their reports gave us a general idea of the state of the art in certain fields.他们的报告使我们对某些领域的发展状况有了一个总的概念。

Text II

1．You may think that you are making yourself perfectly clear, but could your body language be telling the world a totally different story? （Para.1）：body language意为“肢体语言：身体的各种动作”，从而代替语言藉以达到传情达意的沟通目的。广义言之，肢体语言也包括前述之面部表情在内；狭义言之，肢体语言只包括身体与四肢所表达的意义。be telling the world a totally different story意为“所说的和事实上截然相反”。

2．…however cool and contained you think you are being, there is a host of little telltale gestures and expressions that give you away…（Para.2）：contained意为“泰然自若的，从容不迫的；平静的，有抑制力的”，例如：Her feelings seem very contained.她的心情似乎很平静。a host of意为“一大群，许多”，一般只能与复数名词连用，例如：From this theory came a host of remarkable predictions.从这个理论出发导出了许多惊人的预言。telltale意为“泄露秘密的，暴露实情的”，例如：I can see from the telltale look in her eyes that she loves him.我从她无法掩饰的眼神中可以看出她爱他。

3．…you’re a bundle of nerves. （Para.4）：你现在感到非常紧张。

4．invading your space （Para.5）：侵入到了你的空间。研究表明，人与人之间的交往有一定的界限，超越了这个界限就侵入到了别人的私人空间。“入侵”是指“以不受欢迎的或讨厌的方式影响别人”。Does that give you an excuse to invade my privacy? 你侵犯我的隐私有什么原因吗？

5．keep them at arm’s length （Para.5）：keep someone at one’s arm意为“和某人保持距离”，例如：If you are wise, you will keep Mrs. Jones at arm’s length. She is the worst gossip in the village.聪明的话就和琼斯太太保持距离，她可是村里最大的绯闻。

6．in your heart of hearts （Para.8）：in one’s heart of hearts意为“在某人的内心深处”，例如：Claire knew in her heart of hearts that she is deeply loved by her mom.内心深处，克莱尔知道母亲深深地爱着她。

7．trying to shield her listener from what she’s saying （Para.9）：她试图不让听众被她的语言伤害到。try to do sth意为“试图做”，例如：The government is trying to protect the civilian’s property to the largest extent.政府正在尽最大努力保护人民财产。

8．Touching the nose is an almost foolproof sign that you are telling porkies. （Para.10）：foolproof意为“（方法，计划，系统等设计地）十分简单的，十分安全的，肯定成功的”，例如：We are trying to work out a way to make the system foolproof.我们正努力想办法使这个系统简单易操作。porky是英国俚语，意为“谎话，谎言”。

9．In adults, this gesture has often evolves into head grooming, when the hair is smoothed downwards two or three times. It shows that you are in a quandary, and don’t know what to do for the best. （Para.13）：evolve意为“使进化，使演变”，例如：The British present political system has evolved over several centuries.英国的现行政治制度是经过几个世纪逐步发展而成的。groom意为“照料或梳洗（马等）”，例如：We watched two apes grooming each other.我们看着两种猩猩在互相理毛。quandary意思是“困窘，困惑，左右为难”，例如：The city council is in a quandary over whether to raise taxes or not.市议会在是否增税问题上左右为难。