Mud is mud 实事求是

原文

My cousin, Harry, keeps a large curiously-shaped bottle on permanent display in his study. Despite the fact that the bottle is tinted a delicate shade of green, an observant visitor would soon notice that it is filled with what looks like a thick, grayish substance. If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud. If you expressed doubt or surprise, he would immediately invite you to smell it and then to rub some into your skin. This brief experiment would dispel any further doubts you might have. The bottle really does contain perfumed mud. How Harry came into the possession of this outlandish stuff makes an interesting story which he is fond of relating. Furthermore, the acquisition of this bottle cured him of a bad habit he had been developing for years.

Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist. He would invent fanciful names on the spot. On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'. If a shop assistant told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out. He loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future date, but of course he never did. How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is quite beyond me.

Harry does not need to be prompted to explain how he bought his precious bottle of mud. One day, he went to an exclusive shop in London and asked for 'Myrolite', the shop assistant looked puzzled and Harry repeated the word, slowly stressing each syllable. When the woman shook her head in bewilderment, Harry went on to explain that 'myrolite' was a hard, amber-like substance which could be used to remove freckles. This explanation evidently conveyed something to the woman who searched shelf after shelf. She produced all sorts of weird concoctions, but none of them met with Harry's requirements. When Harry put on his act of being mildly annoyed, the assistant promised to order some for him. Intoxicated by his success, Harry then asked for perfumed mud. He expected the assistant to look at him in blank astonishment. However, it was his turn to be surprised, for the woman's eyes immediately lit up and she fetched several bottles which she placed on the counter for Harry to inspect. For once, Harry had to admit defeat. He picked up what seemed to be the smallest bottle and discreetly asked the price. He was glad to get away with a mere twenty pounds and he beat a hasty retreat, clutching the precious bottle under his arm. From then on, Harry decided that this little game he had invented might prove to be expensive. The curious bottle, which now adorns the bookcase in his study, was his first and last purchase of rare cosmetics.

译文

我的表弟哈里，在他的书房里，永久地陈列着一个形状奇特的、大瓶子。尽管这个瓶子染上了淡绿色的色调，但一个细心的参观者很快就会注意到，里面装着一种看来像是浓厚的、灰色的物质。如果你问哈里瓶子里装的是什么，他会告诉你那里面是香水泥。如果你表示怀疑或惊奇，他会立刻请你闻闻它，然后往皮肤上擦一些。这种简短的实验会消除你可能有的任何进一步的怀疑。瓶子里确实是香水泥。哈里是如何得到这种奇异的东西的，这是一个有趣的故事，他喜欢讲它。而且，得到这个瓶子治好了他多年来养成的一个坏习惯。

哈里过去认为到昂贵的化妆品商店去要一些不存在的商品是件大玩笑。他会当场编造一些奇妙的名字。一进商店，他就会要一种叫“芳香阴影”的新香水，或是“难溶的浴盐”。如果店员告诉他没听说过，他就会假装大为恼火。他喜欢听人说他的想象中的产品暂时缺货，他会诚心诚意地答应改天再来，当然他从来没有去过。在这些表演中，哈里是如何保持正经面孔的，我实在无法理解。

哈里无须别人提醒就会解释他是如何买到他那宝贵的香水泥瓶子的。有一天，他到伦敦的一家高档商店去要“麦罗莱特”，女店员显得困惑，哈里慢慢地、加重每个音节地重复了一遍那个字。当那个女人迷惑地摇摇头时，哈里接着解释说“麦罗莱特”是一种硬的、像琥珀样的物质，可以用来除去雀斑。这个解释显然使那个女人明白了什么，她在架子上搜寻了一个又一个。她拿出了各种各样稀奇古怪的混合物，但没有一样符合哈里的要求。当哈里装出有点儿生气的样子时，店员答应为他订购一些。被他的成功冲昏了头脑，哈里接着要香水泥。他原以为店员会对他瞠目结舌。然而，轮到他吃惊了，因为那个女人的眼睛立刻亮了起来，她拿来几个瓶子，放在柜台上让哈里查看。哈里不得不认输了。他拿起看来最小的一个瓶子，小心翼翼地问了价格。他庆幸只花了二十英镑就脱身了，他急忙退了出去，胳膊下夹着那个宝贵的瓶子。从那以后，哈里决定他发明的这个小游戏可能会很昂贵。现在那个奇特的瓶子装饰着他的书房的书架，这是他第一次也是最后一次买稀有化妆品。

词汇表

observant

形容词

英:/əbˈzɜːvənt/

美:/əbˈzɝːvənt/

定义

1. 观察力强的 - Quick to notice things around you.

例子: An observant student always spots the small details in the experiment.

例子: She is an observant driver who notices changes in traffic patterns.

2. 遵守的 - Adhering to rules or traditions.

例子: He is observant of religious customs during holidays.

例子: The observant employee follows company policies strictly.

近义词

attentive: 强调主动关注和集中注意力，与 'observant' 类似，但更侧重于心理状态而非实际观察。

perceptive: 更强调直觉和洞察力，'observant' 则更注重视觉或感官观察。

vigilant: 带有警觉或防范的意味，'observant' 则更中性，专注于观察细节。

反义词:

inattentive, oblivious, unobservant

用法

常用于描述善于注意细节的人或行为，常见于正式语境，如描述侦探或艺术家；在文化中，常与科学或安全相关。

形式:

副词形式: observantly

深入解析：关键句型 "If you were to + verb"

定义

这个句型是一种条件句的变体，常用于表达假设性的未来情况或不太可能的条件，结构为 If + subject + were to + verb，后跟主句。它的含义是表示一种虚拟或推测性的条件，类似于第二类条件句（unreal future）。例如，在权威教材如《新概念英语》或《剑桥英语语法》中，这种结构被定义为一种更正式或文学化的表达方式，用于强调假设的可能结果。核心是 were to 代替一般过去时或 will，增强礼貌性和不确定性，如文章中的 "If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle"，意思是 "如果你问Harry瓶子里是什么"。

用法

此句型主要用于正式场合、叙述故事或表达对未来的假设场景中。规则是：If 引导从句，使用 were to + verb 来表示条件，主句通常用 would + verb 来描述结果。在语法体系中，它属于条件句的一部分，链接到虚拟语气，类似于 "If I were you" 的结构，但更侧重未来可能性。例如，它可以与第一类条件句（真实条件）区分开来，后者使用 will 或 present simple。与其他语法点联系，如助动词 would，帮助学生从简单条件句过渡到更复杂的叙述，如在故事中描述假设情景。使用场景包括建议、警告或虚构故事，如文章中用于描述潜在互动。

注意事项

学生易犯的错误包括将 were to 误用为一般过去时（如说 "If you asked" 而非 "If you were to ask"，导致语气不正式）；或忘记主句的 would，导致句子不完整。另一个常见偏误是将其与真实条件句混淆，使用在不可能的场景中。纠正建议：多练习区分不同条件句类型，通过朗读文章中的例子来强化。还需注意，在口语中，这种结构较正式，避免在 casual 对话中使用，以免显得生硬。

练习

一个额外的例子："If you were to travel to London, you would visit many historic sites." 学生可以尝试替换 verb 和主句，如 "If you were to miss the train, you would be late."，并在实际对话中应用这个句型来表达假设。

额外内容

背景知识：这个句型源于英语的虚拟语气，常见于文学作品中，如莎士比亚的戏剧。对比分析：与美式英语的 "If you should + verb" 类似，但 were to 更正式。在学习中，它能帮助学生丰富表达方式，过渡到更高级的条件句，如混合条件句，增强语言的精确性和魅力。

深入解析：关键句型 "used to + verb"

定义

这个句型用于描述过去经常发生的习惯或状态，但现在已不再存在，结构为 used to + base form of verb。它的含义是表示过去的反复行为或情况，如文章中的 "Harry used to consider it a great joke"，意思是 "Harry过去常常认为这是一件有趣的笑话"。在权威教材如《新概念英语》中，它被定义为一种表示过去习惯的特殊结构，与一般过去时不同，强调变化或消失。

用法

此句型常用于叙述个人经历、故事或对比过去与现在。规则是：used to 后直接跟动词原形，用于肯定、否定或疑问句（如 "Did you use to...?"）。在语法体系中，它链接到过去时态，类似于 "would + verb" 用于过去习惯，但 used to 更强调状态的改变，而 would 强调动作的反复。例如，文章中它与 "He would invent" 结合使用，帮助学生建立从过去习惯到当前状态的联系。使用场景包括自传式写作或对话中回顾过去。

注意事项

学生易犯的错误包括将 used to 与 use to 混淆（如在疑问句中说 "Used you to...?" 而非 "Did you use to...?"）；或误用为现在习惯（如说 "I used to go every day" 却意指现在）。另一个偏误是忘记否定形式（"didn't use to"）。纠正建议：通过记忆公式并练习转换句子，如将一般过去时改为 used to，学生可以避免这些问题。同时，注意在英国英语中更常见，避免与美式英语的变体混淆。

练习

一个额外的例子："I used to play football every weekend, but now I don't." 学生可以尝试修改为自己的经历，如 "She used to live in Beijing."，并在写作或口语练习中应用，以强化过去与现在的对比。

额外内容

背景知识：这个句型起源于中古英语，演变为现代英语的习惯表达。对比分析：与 "would + verb" 不同，used to 可以用于状态（如 "I used to be shy"），而 would 仅用于动作。这能帮助学生在学习中扩展到其他时态，如现在完成时，丰富叙述能力。