$课文89 口误
981. People will do anything to see a free show -- even if it is a bad one.
人们总要想尽办法看不花钱的演出--哪怕是拙劣的演出。
982. When the news got round that a comedy show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company,
当“皮尤”鸟食公司将在我们当地影院演出喜剧节目的消息传开后，
983. we all rushed to see it.
我们都赶紧跑去观看。
984. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just before the show began.
我们不得不排了好几个小时才进得场去。在演出开始前场内肯定已有好几百人了。
985. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen.
不幸的是，这次演出是我们看过的最乏味的演出了。
986. Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed, as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come.
那些没能进到场内的人没有必要感到失望，因为很多应该出场的专业演员都没有来。
987. The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programme.
那天晚上唯一有趣的事情是节目开始时那个报幕员的开场白。
988. He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before the microphone.
他显然非常紧张，局促不安地在麦克风前站了好几分钟。
989. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.
但他刚一开口说话，人们便哄堂大笑起来。
990. We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was:
我们都明白那个可怜的人应该说些什么，而他实际说的却是：
991. 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!"
“这是‘浦伊’鸟食公司，好女士们，晚上和先生们！”
$课文90 晚餐吃什么？
992. Fish and chips has always been a favourite dish in Britain,
油煎鱼加炸土豆片一直是英国人喜爱的一道菜，
993. but as the oceans have been overfished, fish has become more and more expensive.
但是随着海洋里的滥捕滥捞，鱼已经变得越来越昂贵。
994. So it comes as a surprise to learn that giant fish are terrifying the divers on North Sea oil rigs.
因此，听说北海石油钻井平台上的潜水员受到巨型鱼类的恐吓，确实很让人吃惊。
995. Oil rigs have to be repaired frequently and divers, who often have to work in darkness a hundred feet under water,
钻井平台需要经常修理，潜水员常常要在水面100英尺以下摸黑工作，
996. have been frightened out of their wits by giant fish bumping into them as they work.
他们曾在工作时被撞到他们身上的大鱼吓得惊惶失措。
997. Now they have had special cages made to protect them from these monsters.
现在他们有了特制的笼子，用来保护他们免受大鱼的侵袭。
998. The fish are not sharks or killer whales,
这些鱼并不是鲨鱼或逆戟鲸，
999. but favourite eating varieties like cod and skate which grow to unnatural sizes, sometimes as much as twelve feet in length.
而是深受人们喜爱的食用鱼品种，如鳕鱼和鳐鱼，只不过它们长得出奇地大，有时长达12英尺。
1000. Three factors have caused these fish to grow so large:
这些鱼能长得这么大是由3个因素造成的：
1001. the warm water round the hot oil pipes under the sea;
海底热的输油管道附近的温暖的海水；
1002. the plentiful supply of food thrown overboard by the crews on the rigs;
钻井平台工作人员抛到海里充足的食物；
1003. the total absence of fishing boats around the oil rigs.
钻井平台周围根本没有捕鱼船只。
1004. As a result, the fish just eat and eat and grow and grow in the lovely warm water. Who eats who?
结果是，这些鱼就在可爱的温暖的水流中吃呀吃，长呀长。究竟谁吃谁呢？
$课文91 三人同篮
1005. A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby.
一个飞行员发现了一只气球，它像是正飞往附近的一个皇家空军基地。
1006. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery.
他马上把情况报告了该基地，但那里的人没有一个能解释这到底是怎么回事。
1007. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft.
控制塔上的官员得知这一消息后，非常气愤，因为气球有可能给飞机造成极大的危险。
1008. He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object.
他说可能有人正对基地进行侦察，因此命令那个飞行员跟踪那个奇怪的飞行物。
1009. The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time.
飞行员设法绕着气球飞了一阵。
1010. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars.
他看清了气球下面有3个人呆在一只筐里，其中一个举着望远镜。
1011. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs.
当气球飞临基地上空时，飞行员看见有一个人在拍照。
1012. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield.
不久，气球开始降落，在一个停机坪附近着了陆。
1013. The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone,
警察被召来了，但他们却不能逮捕任何人，
1014. for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station!
因为筐里是两名国会*和一名基地的指挥官！
1015. As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!
正如指挥官后来解释的那样，基地的这半边不知道那半边正在干什么！