牧羊少年奇幻之旅

今日关键语导读 Today’s Key Points

《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》是巴西著名作家保罗·柯艾略的一部寓言式小说。故事讲述了牧羊少年圣地亚哥连续两次做了同一个梦，梦见埃及金字塔附近藏有一批宝藏，在撒冷之王的引导下卖掉羊群前往埃及寻找宝藏的经历。

障碍词先听为快 Words and Expressions

crystal [ˈkristl]　adj. 水晶的；透明的，清澈的

merchant [ˈməːtʃənt]　n. 商人，批发商；店主

entire [inˈta]　adj. 全部的，整个的；全体的

mumble [ˈmʌmbl]　vi. 含糊地说话

commission [kəˈmiʃən]　n. 委员会；佣金；犯；委任；委任状

calculate [ˈkælkjuleit]　vt. 计算；预测；认为；打算

bottom [ˈbɔtəm]　n. 底部；末端

shepherd [ˈʃepəd]　n. 牧羊人；牧师；指导者

attraction [əˈtrækʃən]　n. 吸引，吸引力；引力；吸引人的事物

好英文娓娓动听 Beautiful stories

The boy had been working for the crystal merchant for almost a month, and he could see that it wasn’t exactly the kind of job that would make him happy. The merchant spent the entire day mumbling behind the counter, telling the boy to be careful with the pieces and not to break anything.

But he stayed with the job because the merchant, although he was an old grouch, treated him fairly; the boy received a good commission for each piece he sold, and had already been able to put some money aside. That morning he had done some calculating: if he continued to work every day as he had been, he would need a whole year to be able to buy some sheep.

“I’d like to build a display case for the crystal,” the boy said to the merchant. “We could place it outside, and attract those people who pass at the bottom of the hill.”

“I’ve never had one before,” the merchant answered. “People will pass by and bump into it, and pieces will be broken.”

“Well, when I took my sheep through the fields some of them might have died if we had come upon a snake. But that’s the way life is with sheep and with shepherds.”

The merchant turned to a customer who wanted three crystal glasses. He was selling better than ever… as if time had turned back to the old days when the street had been one of Tangier’s major attractions.

“Business has really improved,” he said to the boy, after the customer had left. “I’m doing much better, and soon you’ll be able to return to your sheep. Why ask more out of life?”

“Because we have to respond to omens,” the boy said, almost without meaning to; then he regretted what he had said, because the merchant had never met the king.

“It’s called the principle of favorability, beginner’s luck.Because life wants you to achieve your destiny,” the old king had said.

长难句解析

The boy had been working for the crystal merchant for almost a month, and he could see that it wasn’t exactly the kind of job that would make him happy.

这个男孩已经为水晶商人工作近一个月了，他知道这不是那种可以使他开心的工作。

had been doing过去完成进行时，表示动作从过去开始并持续；and连接并列分句，第一个that引导宾语从句，后面一个that引导定语从句；the kind of表种类。

The merchant spent the entire day mumbling behind the counter, telling the boy to be careful with the pieces and not to break anything.

商人花了一整天在柜台后面喃喃自语，告诉男孩要小心，不要破坏任何东西。

telling 现在分词作伴随状语；spend time in doing sth. 花费时间做某事。

That morning he had done some calculating: if he continued to work every day as he had been, he would need a whole year to be able to buy some sheep.

那天早上他做了一些计算：如果他继续每天为他工作，他需要一整年才能够买一些羊。

had done 表示过去完成时；if后连接一个条件状语从句。

We could place it outside, and attract those people who pass at the bottom of the hill.

我们可以把它放在外面，去吸引那些通过山底部的人。

could是can的过去式，后接动词原形；who引导定语从句修饰people；place意为放置。

As if time had turned back to the old days when the street had been one of Tangier’s major attractions.

仿佛时间已经回到过去，当时街道已经成为丹吉尔的主要景点之一。

as if 虚拟语气用法，表示好像，仿佛；when引导一个时间状语从句。