Lesson 74 out of the limelight
【New words and expressions】（7）
limelight n. 舞台灯光
precaution n. 预防措施
fan n. 狂热者，迷
shady adj. 遮荫的
sheriff n. 司法长官
notice n. 告示
sneer n. 冷笑
【Text】
An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off. Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken special precautions so that no one should recognize them. But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect.
'This is a wonderful place for a picnic,' said Gloria Gleam.
'It couldn't be better, Gloria,' Brinksley Meers agreed. 'No newspaper men, no film fans! Why don't we come more often?'
Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had carried two large food baskets to a shady spot under some trees. When they had all made themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared. He looked very angry. 'Now you get out of here, all of you!' he shouted. 'I'm sheriff here. Do you see that notice? It says "No Camping" -- in case you can't read!'
'Look, sheriff,' said Rockwall, 'don't be too hard on us. I'm Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves.'
'Oh, is it?' said the sheriff with a sneer. 'Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam. Now you get out of here fast!'
参考译文
一辆古旧的汽车停在一条干涸的河床边，一群著名男女演员下了车。他们戴着墨镜，穿着旧衣裳，特别小心以防别人认出他们。但他们很快就发觉，化装的效果有时过分完美了。
“在这个地方野餐简直太妙了，”格格利亚.格利姆说。
“是再好不过的了，格格利亚。”布林克斯利.米尔斯表示同意，“没有记者，没有影迷！我们为什么不经常来这里呢？”
“此时，另外两位演员，罗克沃尔.斯林格和默林.格里夫斯，已经把两个大食品篮子提到了一片树荫下。当他们都已安排舒适时，一个陌生人出现了。他看上去非常气愤。“你们都从这里走开，全都走开！”他大叫着，“我是这里的司法长官。你们看到那个布告牌了吗？上面写着‘禁止野营’－－除非你们不识字！”
“好了，好了，司法官，”罗克沃尔说，“别使我们难堪。我是罗克沃尔.斯林格，这位是默林.格里夫斯。”
“噢，是吗？”那位司法长官冷笑一声说道，“好，我就是布林克斯利.米尔斯。我还有一个名字叫格格利亚.格利姆。现在你们赶快滚吧！”
【课文讲解】
1． Out of the limelight,（标题）舞台之外。
limelight的原义为舞台照明用的“石灰光”，其引申意义为“众人注目的中心”：
She has been in the limelight since she became an actress.
她自从成为一位演员后，一直引人注目。
Although he is a government official, he tries to keep out of the limelight.
尽管他是位政府官员，他还是避免引人注意。
2． An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a party of famous actors and actresses got off.一辆古旧的汽车停在一条干涸的河床边，一群著名男女演员下了车。
（1）ancient在这里表示“老式的”、“古旧的”，与old意思相近，但比old有幽默感：
Where did you find that ancient dress?
你在哪里找到这件老掉牙的衣服？
（2）river bed指河床，名词 river作形容词用，类似的还有 flower bed（花坛）等。
（3）party作量词用时表示“一行”、“一伙”、“一群”等，如 a party of tourists/boys（一群旅游者／男孩）等。
3． No newspaper men, no film fans! 没有记者，没有影迷！
这是个省略句，完整的句子为：There, are no newspaper men and no film fans! 这里的 no与用于公告牌上的 no是有区别的。
4． why don't we come more often? 我们为什么不经常来这里呢？ "Why+don't/doesn't+主语+动词+?"结构可用来提出建议：
I don't like this watch.
我不喜欢这块表。
Then why don't you change it?
那你为什么不换一块呢？
5. When they had all made the mselves comfortable…当他们都已安排舒适时……
许多动词都可以与宾语+宾语补足语连用，如drive, get, find, keep, leave, like, make, open, paint, prefer, pull, want, wipe 等：
Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad.
飞机正在逐渐把我逼疯。
He found the test difficult.
他发现考试不容易。
6. Now you get out of here…你们都从这里走开……
now在这里是加强命令口气的语气词，get out of here是语气较重的说话方式，表示“滚出去”、“滚开”。
7. in case you can't read,除非你们不识字。
in case表示“假使”、“万一……的话”、“免得”、“以防万一”。它通常用于引导条件或目的状语从句。当句子表示将来的时间时，in case后面必须用现在时态或should/might:
I'm taking a raincoat with me in case I need it.
我随身带着雨衣，以备不时之需。（表示目的）
In case he comes/should come, give him this letter.
假如／万一他来的话，把这封信给他。（表示条件）
8. don't be too hard on us,别使我们难堪。
be hard on表“对……（过分）严厉”，为固定短语：
Don't be too hard on that child.
别对那孩子太严厉。
He is always hard on his employees.
他对雇员总是很严厉。
9. Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam. 好，我就是布林克斯利·米尔斯。我还有一个名字叫格洛利亚·格利姆。
well在此处为语气词。这句话表示他不相信罗克沃尔的话，用的是讥笑的口气，即“如果你是……，那么我就是……”。
【Special Difficulties】
与get有关的一些短语动词
get out
① （使）出去/出来（反义词为get into）
Why don’t you get the dog out?
The door is locked. I can’t get out.
② 走开，滚开（常用于祈使句）
Now you get out of here fast!
get into 进来
I’ve lost my key. I can’t get into the house.
get on
① 前进，进展（与get along同义）
He is getting on quite well in his new job.
② 继续干；相处融洽（常与with连用）
Tom talked with his brother for a while, and then got on with his homework.
He’s so difficult. I can’t get on with him. 他这个人这么别扭，我无法和他相处。
get…off 脱下，除去/取下
Please help me to get the box off the boat.
When he got the lid off the box, he saw a man lying in it.
get off 没受重伤/重罚而逃脱（常与with连用）
Tom was punished, but Jim go off lightly.
I can hardly believe that the thief got off with just a warning.
get over
① 恢复过来，痊愈
Has your mother got over her illness?
② 解决/结束（某件不愉快但必要做的事）（常与with连用）
They wanted to get the job over as quickly as possible.
get though
① 通过（考试、测验等）
Have you got through your driving test last week?
② 吃掉，喝完，用光
Fancy Helen getting through all the food!
用于公共标语的no
公共标语通常字数很少，语言精练。在表示“禁止……”时往往用no+名词/动名词或名词短语，如
No Camping（禁止野营），
No Smoking（禁止吸烟），
No Parking（禁止停车），
No Left Turn（禁止左转弯）。
在真正的公告牌上，这些标语往往全部用大写字母，不加标点，如NO SMOKING等。
On public notices we write No Camping instead of Do not camp.
在公告牌上我们不用Do not camp，而用No Camping。
【Multiple choice questions】
5 Why don't we come more often? We____ come more often.
(a) could (b) would (c) might (d)should
why not do 表示一种建议
Why don't you go with me? = Why not go with me?
建议句型：
① you must/should 你必须/你应该（最好不要用）
② why don't we/why not
③ let's do
May I have your name?
Why not close the door?
Would you mind closing the door?
Let's go shopping
7 __a__ you look at the notice, you'll see it says ‘ No Camping ’ .
(a) If (b) Providing that (c) Whether (d)In the situation
providing that (过时，不用) = if =provided that（仍然在使用） 后面加从句。