Fifty pence worth of trouble

原文

Children always appreciate small gifts of money. Mum or dad, of course, provide a regular supply of pocket money, but uncles and ants are always a source of extra income. With some children, small sums go a long way. If fifty pence pieces are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money boxes. Only very thrifty children manage to fill up a money box. For most of them, fifty pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.

My nephew, George, has a money box but it is always empty. Very few of the fifty pence pieces and pound coins I have given him have found their way there. I gave him fifty pence yesterday and advised him to save it. Instead he bought himself fifty pence worth of trouble. On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it bounced along the pavement and then disappeared down a drain. George took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and pushed is right arm through the drain cover. He could not find his fifty pence piece anywhere, and what is more, he could no get his arm out. A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap and butter, but George was firmly stuck. The fire brigade was called and two fire fighter freed George using a special type of grease. George was not too upset by his experience because the lady who owns the sweet shop heard about his troubles and rewarded him with large box of chocolates.

译文

孩子们总是很感激小额的金钱礼物。当然,父母提供固定的零用钱,而叔叔阿姨总是额外收入的来源。有些孩子,小笔钱能用很久;如果50便士硬币不拿去换糖果,它们就会在储钱罐里叮当作响数月。只有非常节俭的孩子才能把储钱罐装满。对他们大多数人来说,50便士不过是买一大块巧克力的小小代价。

我的侄子乔治有一个储钱罐,但它总是空的。我给他的50便士硬币和1英镑硬币很少有存进去的。昨天我给了他50便士,并劝他存起来。结果他却给自己买了价值50便士的麻烦。在去糖果店的路上,他掉了那枚50便士硬币,它沿着人行道弹跳,然后消失在下水道里。乔治脱掉夹克,卷起袖子,把右臂伸进下水道盖。他找不到那枚50便士硬币,而且更糟糕的是,他无法把胳膊抽出来。一群人围拢过来,一位女士用肥皂和黄油揉他的胳膊,但乔治牢牢卡住了。消防队被叫来,两名消防员用一种特殊的油脂解救了乔治。乔治对这次经历并不太沮丧,因为糖果店的老板娘听说了他的麻烦事,奖励了他一大盒巧克力。

词汇表

appreciate

动词
英:/əˈpriːʃieɪt/
美:/əˈpriːʃieɪt/
定义
1. 欣赏/感激 - To value or recognize the worth of something, often with gratitude.

例子: Children always appreciate small gifts of money.

例子: I appreciate your advice on saving money.

2. 理解/认识到 - To understand or realize the full implications of something.

例子: He appreciates the importance of saving for the future.

例子: She appreciates how quickly money can disappear.

近义词
value: 强调内在价值或重要性,较中性,而 appreciate 更带情感色彩。
cherish: 更侧重情感依恋和珍视,常用于人和事物,而 appreciate 更广泛适用于抽象概念。
admire: 焦点在赞美或敬佩,常用于品质或成就,而 appreciate 包括感激的层面。
反义词:
disregard, dislike, undervalue
用法
常用于表达感激或理解,常与介词 'for' 或 'as' 搭配,如 'appreciate for help';在非正式语境中常见,尤其在家庭或日常对话中。
形式:
过去式: appreciated, 现在分词: appreciating, 名词形式: appreciation

关键句型 "If + present simple, main clause"

定义

此句型是条件句的一种,常用于表达一般事实、习惯或可能的条件结果。结构为:If + present simple(现在简单时)+ 主句(通常用一般现在时或will + 动词原形)。根据《剑桥英语语法》教材,这种句型表达假设或真实条件,强调如果某事发生,结果会怎样。它是英语中第一条件句的典型形式,帮助学习者讨论现实可能性。

例如,文章中的 "If fifty pence pieces are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money boxes." 展示了这种结构。

用法

此句型主要用于描述普遍真理、习惯或可能的未来情况,常在日常对话、建议或警告中出现。规则:If 从句用现在简单时,主句可根据语境用现在简单时(表示一般事实)或will + 动词原形(表示未来结果)。

在语法体系中,它属于条件句家族,与其他类型如第二条件句(If + past simple, would + verb)形成对比。横向比较:与第二条件句不同,此句型讨论现实或可能发生的事,而非假设(如 "If I were rich, I would travel");与时间状语从句相比,它更强调因果关系,而非单纯时间顺序。同时,它可与祈使句结合,如 "If you see him, tell me."

跨语法联系:学习此句型后,学生可以扩展到其他从句,如though从句或when从句,建立更全面的句子结构知识。

注意事项

学生常犯的错误包括:主句错用过去时(如 "If it rains, I went home" 应为 "If it rains, I will go home");或if从句用错时态(如用过去时表示一般事实)。纠正建议:记住,if从句通常用现在时表示一般或未来情况,并练习时态一致性。

另一个常见偏误是遗漏逗号或误用连接词。提供例句:

错误示例:If you eat too much chocolate, you feels sick.  // 错误:主句动词应为第三人称单数形式。
正确示例:If you eat too much chocolate, you feel sick.  // 一般事实。

练习

一个原创例子:假设你在教孩子理财,可以说 "If you save your pocket money, you can buy a toy later." 学生可以替换关键词,如将 "save your pocket money" 换成 "study hard",并改成 "If you study hard, you will get good grades." 这能帮助他们在实际场景中应用,例如在家庭讨论中表达建议。

通过这种替换,学生能加深对句型的灵活性,增强自信。

额外内容

背景知识:这种句型起源于英语的古形式,用于逻辑推理,在现代英语中广泛用于教育和日常对话。对比分析:与中文的 "如果...就..." 类似,但英语更依赖时态来区分真实性和假设性(如法语的si从句也需时态变化)。了解此点能让学生更好地比较母语和目标语,丰富跨文化理解。