新概念英语第二册第83课:After the elections
Lesson 83 After the elections大选之后First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why did Patrick keep on asking the same question?
The former Prime Minister, Mr. Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections. He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad. My friend, Patrick, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr. Lane's Radical Progressive Party. After the elections, Patrick went to the former Prime Minister's house. When he asked if Mr. Lane lived there, the policeman on duty told him that since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad. On the following day, Patrick went to the house again. The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance, when Patrick asked the same question. Though a little suspicious this time, the policeman gave him the same answer. The day after, Patrick went to the house once more and asked exactly the same question. This time, the policeman lost his temper. 'I told you yesterday and the day before yesterday,' he shouted, 'Mr. Lane was defeated in the elections. He has retired from political life and gone to live abroad!"
'I know,' answered Patrick, 'but I love to hear you say it!'
参考译文
前首相温特沃兹.莱恩先生在最近的大选中被击败。他现在退出了政界，到国外去了。我的朋友帕特里克一直是莱恩先生的激进党的强烈反对者。大选结束后，帕特里克来到了前首相的住处。当他询问莱恩先生是否住在那里时，值班的警察告诉他这位前首相落选后出国去了。第二天，帕特里克再次来到首相的住处。昨天的那位警察正从门口慢慢走过，帕特里克上前问了和昨天同样的问题。虽然那位警察这次有点疑心，但还是对他作了同样的回答。第三天，帕特里克又去了，提出了同前两天完全一样的问题。这一次警察火了。“我昨天和前天都告诉
过您了，”他大叫着，“莱恩先生在大选中被击败了，他已经退出了政界去国外了！”
“这我都知道，”帕特里克说，“可我就是喜欢听你说出这句！”
New words and expressions 生词和短语
election
n. 选举
former
adj. 从前的
defeat
v. 打败
fanatical
adj. 狂热的
opponent
n. 反对者，对手
radical
adj. 激进的
progressive
adj. 进步的
ex- prefix
（前缀，用于名词前）前......
suspicious
adj. 怀疑的
Lesson 83 自学导读First things first 课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．The former Prime Minister, Mr. Wentworth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections. 前首相温特沃兹·莱恩先生在最近的大选中被击败。
（1）former在这里表示“以前的”、“从前的”或“前任的”，后面需要跟名词：
Yesterday, he received a letter from his former wife/English teacher.
昨天他收到了他前妻／以前的英语老师的一封信。
（2）election指一般选举时用单数，指全国性的选举时用复数：
An election will be held next month.
下月将举行一次选举。
He hopes to defeat his rival in next year's elections.
他希望在明年的大选中击败对手。
2．…the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad.……这位前首相出国去了。
前缀ex-加在名词前表示“以前的”（相当于former），如ex-husband（前夫）， ex-wife（前妻），ex-taxi-driver（前出租汽车司机），ex-manager（前任经理），ex-headmaster（前任校长）等。
3．Though a little suspicious this time…虽然那位警察这次有点疑心……
这是一个省略了主语和连系动词的让步状语从句。通常，如果从句的主语与主句的相同而谓语带系动词be，则主语+be可省略（原因状语从句例外）：While at college, she wrote a novel.
她上大学时写了一部小说。
He acted as if certain of success.
他的举止就像一定会成功一样。（方式）
