READING: Water talk

Daisy was in the bathroom. She was brushing her teeth and the tap was on. Water was pouring into the washbasin and vanishing down the drain.

?黛西在浴室里。那時她正在刷牙，但是水龍頭開著。水流入水槽，消失在下水道中。

'Turn that tap off,' a voice said loudly. Daisy froze. She looked around, but saw no one. 'Turn that lap off. You're wasting water!' The voice sound impatient.

把水龍頭關掉，”一個響亮的聲音說道。黛西愣住了。她看了看四周，但沒看到任何人?！鞍阉堫^關掉。你正在浪費水！”這個聲音聽起來很不耐煩。

This time Daisy obeyed. 'Who... who are you?' Daisy's voice was faint.

這一次黛西聽從了它（聲音）?！罢l……你是誰？”黛西用微弱的聲音問道。

'I'm a drop of water. It's not easy for me to get here. Do you know where I'm from?'

“我是一滴水。我到這來很不容易。你知道我從哪里來的嗎？”

'From the tap, I suppose,' said Daisy.

“我猜是從水龍頭里來?！摈煳骰卮鸬?。

'Yes, but before that? 'Water said. 'A few days ago, I was floating comfortably in a cloud in Jiangxi, enjoying the view. Then the cloud dropped me into a stream and I sped down the mountain into the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River carried me into a lake. I relaxed there for a few days, and then I travelled a long way and ran into the Huangpu River. Then it was time to get cleaned up.'

“是的，但是在這之前呢？”水滴說，“幾天前，我舒舒服服地漂浮在江西上空的一片云里，欣賞著風景。然后，云朵把我扔進了小溪，我沿著山迅速地下降到揚子江里。揚子江把我?guī)肓艘粭l河。在那，我休息了幾天。然后，我游歷了很久，匯入了黃浦江。然后，我就被凈化干凈了?！?/div>

'Cleaned up?' Daisy sounded puzzled.

“凈化？”黛西聽起來很迷惑。

'Yes. I was dirty after my journey so they took me to a water treatment works. They gave me a thorough cleaning and added a few chemicals to me. Then I travelled in the pipes under the streets. I waited there until you called me, and here I am.'

是的。經(jīng)歷一番旅程后我身上很臟，因此他們把我?guī)У搅艘患易詠硭畯S。他們給我一次完全凈化，給我添加了一些化學試劑。然后，我經(jīng)過了街道的下水管道。我等待在此地直到你把我叫出來，就是我現(xiàn)在所在的地方?！?/div>

Daisy said, 'So this is the end of your journey.'

黛西說：“所以這是你最后的旅程嗎？”

'No. When you've finished with me, I'll go to a sewage plant. Then they'll pump me into the river and I'll be back in the sea again.'

“不。當你使用完了我，我將會到污水廠去。然后，他們會把我用泵抽到河里去。之后，我會再次回到海里。”

'Again?'

“再一次？”

'Yes. That's where I came from in the first place. Remember not to waste me or pollute me. I'm precious, like liquid gold. See you.'

“是的。我最初就是從那兒來的。記住不要浪費我或者污染我。我很珍貴的，就像液體黃金。再見啦?！?/div>

'Wait a minute. What do you mean by liquid gold?' But there was no reply. The water had gone.

“等一下，你所說的‘液體黃金’是什么意思？”但是沒有任何答復。水已經(jīng)走了。

Daisy came out of the bathroom. Her brother said, 'Who were you talking to?'

黛西從浴室里走出來。她的哥哥問：“你剛剛在和誰說話？”

'I was talking to the water,' Daisy said.

“我在和水說話。”黛西回答。

'Sometimes you're strange, Daisy,' her brother said.

“黛西，你有時真奇怪?！彼母绺缯f。

?

NOTES:

1 She was brushing her teeth and the tap was on.（那時）她正在刷牙，水龍頭開著。
句中的was brushing為動詞brush的過去進行式。
此外，句中的on為副詞，表示“處于工作狀態(tài)或使用中”，又如： He fell asleep with the light on.他睡著了，但燈還開著。

2 Water was pouring into the washbasin and vanishing down the drain．水流入水槽，消失在下水道中。

3 Turn that tap off.? 把水龍頭關掉。
句中的turn…off意為“關掉”，此句也可以說成：Turn off that tap.

4 Daisy froze.黛西愣住了。
句中的freeze意為“不動；停??；驚呆；嚇呆”。freeze還可意為“結冰”，如在7B Unit 10中學過：When water freezes, it turns into ice.

5 I'm a drop of water.我是一滴水。
句中的drop作名詞，意為“滴”。

6 A few days ago,1 was floating comfortably in a cloud in Jiangxi, enjoying the view. 幾天前，我舒舒服服地漂浮在江西上空的一片云里，欣賞著風景。

7 Then the cloud dropped me into a stream…然后，云朵把我扔進了小溪
句中的drop是及物動詞，后接賓語，意為“使降落；使落下”。在7B Unit 6中曾學過： The temperature's dropping.，此處drop為不及物動詞，后不接賓語，意為“降低”。

8 Then it was time to get cleaned up. 然后，該是把我凈化的時候了。

9 a water treatment works 自來水廠 a sewage plant 污水處理廠
注意：works和plant均表示“工廠”。

10 That's where I came from in the first place.我最初就是從那里來的。

11 What do you mean by liquid gold? 你所說的“液體黃金”是什么意思？ 當我們對某個信息不理解時，常用What do you mean by？來詢問。

12 But there was no reply.但是沒有任何答復。 句中的reply作名詞，意為“回答；答復”。reply也可作動詞。