新概念英语第二册第15课:Good news
Lesson 15 Good news佳音
First listen and then answer the question.听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What was the good news?
The secretary told me that Mr Harmsworth would see me. I felt very nervous when I went into his office.
秘书告诉我说哈姆斯沃斯先生要见我。我走进他的办公室，感到非常紧张。我进去的时候
He did not look up from his desk when I entered. After I had sat down, he said that business was very bad.
他连头也没抬。待我坐下后，他说生意非常不景气
He told me that the firm could not afford to pay such large salaries. Twenty people had already left.
他还告诉我，公司支付不起这么庞大的工资开支，有20个人已经离去
I knew that my turn had come.
我知道这次该轮到我了
'Mr Harmsworth' I said in a weak voice.
“哈姆斯沃斯先生” 我无力地说
'Don't interrupt' he Said.
“不要打断我的话” 他说
Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra &1000 a year!
然后他微笑了一下告诉我说，我每年将得到1,000 英镑的额外收入！
New words and expressions 生词和短语
secretary
n. 秘书
nervous
adj. 精神紧张的
afford
v. 负担得起
weak
adj. 弱的
interrupt
v. 插话，打断
Notes on the text课文注释
1 look up，抬头看。
2 could not afford to…，不可能支付，afford为“有能力做,常和can, could连用。
3 I knew that my turn had come.我知道这次该轮到我了。my turn指上文中有人被公司解雇这件事。
Lesson 15 自学导读First things first
课文详注 Further notes on the text1．The secretary told me that Mr. Harmsworth would see me. 秘书告诉我说哈姆斯沃斯先生要见我。
would 在这里不是表示单纯的过去将来时，而是表示“想……”、“要……”的意思：
What would you like to have?
你想要吃（喝）什么？
John wouldn't lend me his bicycle.
约翰不愿意把他的自行车借给我。
2．He did not look up from his desk when I entered. 我进去的时候，他连头也没抬。
在这句话的look up中，look是它的本义“看”、“瞧”。look up一般表示原先在埋头干什么之后抬头看：
He looked up(from his book)when he heard a noise.
他听到声音后就抬起了头。（原先在读书）
3．I knew that my turn had come. 我知道这次该轮到我了。
turn在这里是名词，意为“轮流”、“轮班”、“（依次轮流时各自的）一次机会”：
I have already asked two questions. Now it's your turn.
我已经问了两个问题。该轮到你了。
When his turn came, he couldn't speak any word.
轮到他时，他却一个字也说不出来。
4．‘Mr. Harmsworth,’I said in a weak voice.“哈姆斯沃斯先生，”我无力地说。
weak在这里不是指身体虚弱，而是指声音“微弱”、“无力”，因为怕被开除而感到紧张。
5．Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra thousand pounds a year!
然后他微笑了一下告诉我说，我每年将得到1，000英镑的额外收入。
（1）extra 表示“额外的”、“外加的”、“份外的”：
On Sundays, I usually get some extra sleep.
星期天我通常要多睡一会儿。
Last month, he was paid an extra hundred pounds.
他上个月多得了100英镑。
（2）a在这里可译为“每一”：
I went to London once a month.
我每月去一次伦敦。
Jack telephoned Pauline four times a day.
杰克每天给波琳打4次电话。
语法 Grammar in use
间接引语（Indirect speech）
把某人所说的话告诉另外一个人时，应该使用间接引语（有的语法书称之为“转述引语”）。引述动词（如say，tell）可能是现在时，也可能是过去时 （最常用）。间接陈述句的时态往往受引述动词的影响。引述陈述句时最常用的动词是say和tell。它们之间的区别是tell后面必须跟表示人称的间接宾 语（tell sb….），而say后面则可跟或不跟to +讲话对象。如果需要提到听话者，tell +间接宾语通常比say + to +sb. 更常用。在say和tell后面一般不可加逗号。如果间接引语中的引述动词是现在时，那么其后的时态通常与原来口头陈述句的时态相同。转述刚刚说完的话时 通常如此；引述动词如果是过去时，那么间接引语中的时态通常要“往回移”（即“倒移”）。一条普遍的规则是“现在时变为过去时，过去时变为过去完成时”。 直接引语：
‘I can see him now!’
“我现在可以见他！”
间接引语：
Didn't Mr.Smith see you?
史密斯先生没见你吗?
No,his secretary told me / said that he had gone home.
没有，他的秘书(告诉我)说他已经回家了。
词汇学习 Word study
1．nervous adj.
（1）神经质的，神经紧张的：
She is a nervous woman. Do you see that nervous smile on her face?
她是个神经质的女人。你看见她脸上那种神经质的微笑了吗？
（2）紧张的，担心的，情绪不安的：
I feel very nervous before exams.
我在考试前感到非常紧张。
He had never spoken in public, so he was very nervous.
他从未当众讲过话，因此他非常紧张。
（3）与nervous容易混淆的另一个词是 irritable（易怒的，急躁的）：
Our teacher is an irritable old lady. She gets angry easily.
我们的老师是位脾气急躁的老太太。她很容易生气。
2．afford vt.
（1）买得起（常与can连用）：
We can/can't afford a car this year.
我们今年买得起/买不起小汽车。
（2）担负得起（损失、后果等），花得起（时间）（常与can连用）：
I can't afford to be ill again.
我不能再病了。
I can only afford one week for the trip.
我只能为这次旅行抽出一周的时间。
（3）提供，给予：
Joe afforded us a room for the night.
那天晚上乔为我们提供了一个房间过夜。