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

关键句型 "If + subject + were to + verb, subject + would + verb"

定义

此句型是一种条件句的表达形式，用于描述不太可能发生或假设性的未来情况，常用于礼貌或正式的语言中。结构为：If + subject + were to + verb（条件从句）+ , + subject + would + verb（主句）。根据《剑桥英语语法》教材，这种句型属于虚拟语气的一种，强调假设或低概率事件，类似于“如果……将要……，那么……会……”。

它常用于表达建议、警告或推测，帮助学习者处理不确定性场景。

例如，在文章中：“If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud。”

用法

此句型主要用于假设未来的可能性较小的事件，常见于正式对话、故事叙述或礼貌请求中。规则：条件从句使用 were to + verb 来表示虚拟的未来，强调不真实性；主句则用 would + verb 表示结果。

在语法体系中，它属于条件句的第二类（unreal future conditions），与一般条件句（如 "If it rains, I will stay home"）形成对比。横向比较：与 "If + simple present, will + verb"（真实条件句）不同，此句型更正式和礼貌，因为 were to 暗示事件不太可能发生；与 "If + past simple, would + verb"（对过去的假设）相比，它更侧重未来。

跨语法联系：它与情态动词 would 紧密相关，学生可扩展到其他条件句类型，如混合条件句（e.g., "If I had money now, I would buy it tomorrow"），帮助建立更全面的条件句知识框架。

此句型在故事中如文章所示，用于生动描述潜在场景，提升叙述的趣味性。

注意事项

学生容易犯的错误包括：混淆 were to 和 was to 的使用（例如，在第一人称或第三人称中错误使用 was to）；或将主句的 would 替换为 will，导致句意从虚拟转为真实。纠正建议：记住 were to 适用于所有主语（I, you, he 等），并通过练习区分真实与虚拟条件。

另一个常见偏误是遗漏逗号或不正确连接从句，导致句子结构混乱。提供具体例句：

错误示例：If you ask Harry, he would tell you.  // 错误，因为条件从句应为虚拟形式。
正确示例：If you were to ask Harry, he would tell you.  // 正确，强调假设性。

练习时，注意语调的柔和，以避免听起来过于正式。

练习

原创例子：假设你在计划旅行，可以说：“If I were to win the lottery, I would travel around the world.” 学生可以替换关键词，如将 "win the lottery" 换成 "get a promotion"，变成：“If I were to get a promotion, I would buy a new car.” 这能帮助学生应用到个人生活场景中，例如在讨论梦想时使用。

通过这种替换，学生能加深对句型的掌握，并练习在对话中的自然表达。

额外内容

背景知识：这种句型源于英语的虚拟语气传统，起源于17世纪的文学作品，如莎士比亚的戏剧，用于表达不确定性。对比分析：与中文的“假如……会……”类似，但英语通过 were to 的结构强化礼貌和假设性；相比法语的条件句（如 "Si j'étais à ta place"），英语版本更简洁，不需复杂的动词变位。

了解此句型能丰富学生的叙述技巧，尤其在讲故事时，如文章中Harry的经历，帮助他们在英语中更自信地表达创意想法。