SEFC 3A unit 1 That must be a record!
1. In 1951, the then director of the Guinness Brewery, Sir Hugh Beaver, wanted to settle an argument about the fastest bird in Europe. 1951年，当时吉尼斯啤酒厂的厂长毕伟休先生很想解决欧洲哪一种鸟飞的最快这一争论。
① settle: vt. 解决;处理
e.g. I’d like to get it settled today while we’re at it. 既然我们大家都关注这件事, 我很想今天就把他解决了。
② argument: n. 辩论;争论
e.g. They got into quite a heated argument.他们进行了十分热烈的争论。
2. Instead, the editors of the book set down the records and keep track of them in other ways. 然而，本书的编辑们会写下该纪录，随后设法跟踪了解它们。
① set down写下; 放下; 让下车; 规定
e.g. I’ll set down one or two points while they are fresh in my mind. 趁我记忆犹新我得写下一两个要点。
② keep track of （继续）了解…的情况; 记住…的情况
e.g. Mr. Steven kept track of his business by telephone when he was in hospital. 史蒂芬先生住院期间，通过电话了解他的生意。
3. The records are put into different categories. 纪录被分为两类。
① category: n. [C] 类（属）; 范畴
e.g. Helen groups all people into two categories: those she likes and those she dislikes. 海轮把人们分为两类：一类是她喜欢的，一类是她不喜欢的。
4. And there are also strange records, like the Englishman who balanced a small car weighing 159.6 kilograms on his head for thirty-three seconds! 也会有些奇怪的纪录，譬如，一个英国人曾头顶159.6 公斤的一个小汽车坚持了33秒。
① balance: vt.&vi. 保持平衡；使平衡
e.g. In order to balance their trade, they would have to buy less goods in the United States. 为了让他们的贸易保持平衡，他们将必须减少购买美国的货物。
② weighing 159.6 kilograms on his head for thirty-three seconds! 现在分词短语做定语。
5. Among the brilliant athletic achievements, a few records stand out because of the moving life stories behind them. 在非常优秀的运动员的成绩档案里， 有几个纪录是由于这些成绩的后面那动人的生命故事而引人注目的。
① stand out: 显得突出; 显眼; 引人注目
e.g. your red pullover really stands out in that photograph. 你的红毛衣在那张照片中非常显眼。
② because of 由于
e.g. He realized that she was crying because of what he had said. 他意识到她是因为他所说的话而在哭泣。
③ moving: adj. 动人的; 感人的
e.g. The beggar told her such a moving story that she almost wept. 乞丐讲述了一个几乎令她流泪的动人的故事。
6. Impressive as the record is, it fades next to the story of Armstrong’s struggle against disease. 尽管这纪录给人流下了非常深刻的印象，但是与阿姆斯特朗同疾病斗争的故事比起来它就变的黯然失色了。
① as: conj. 尽管; 虽说：引导让步状语从句，注意该句型要倒装。
e.g. Intelligent as she was, she had not much insight. 尽管她很聪明，但是她没有多少洞察力。
② fade: vi. 退色; 逐渐消失：
e.g. As evening came the coastline faded into darkness. 随着夜幕的降临，海岸线消失在黑暗中。
7. He went on to set the speed record and achieve his goal of winning the Tour de France six times in a row in 2004. 他继续创造着世界纪录，并且在2004年他连续6次实现了他的目标：赢得了环法大赛冠军。
① achieve: vt. 取得（胜利，成就）; 实现（目标，目的等）
e.g. Nothing would stop me from achieving my ambition. 没有任何事情会阻止我去实现我的目标。
② in a row 一个接一个地； 连续不断
e.g. The children stood in a row in front of the row of chairs. 孩子们一个接一个地站在那排椅子的前面。
8. Part of the reason for our interest is probably the same curiosity that led Sir Hugh to write The Guinness Book of World Records in the first place. 最初可能正是我们兴趣中那一部分好奇心促使休先生开始写这本吉尼斯世界纪录一书的。
① let sb. to do 使得某人做某事
e.g. The news leads me to believe that they will come.这则消息让我相信他们会回来的。
② in the first place （用于列举理由等时）首先；第一；原先
e.g. The thing for me to have done was to have married her to him in the first place. 对我来说所做的一件事就是首先把她许配给了他。
9. We want to know what is possible and find out just how far we can push ourselves. 我们想知道什么是可能的，也想弄明白我们的极限是多远。
① find out 了解; 弄清楚
e.g. We must find out the truth of the matter. 我们必须弄明白事情的真相。
One morning the baby found out for the first time that she could walk. 一天早上，婴儿第一次发现她会走了。
10. Clearly, we are also entertained by accounts of strange and unusual deeds and facts. 显然，这些奇怪而不寻常的行为和事实的描述也使我们感到很开心。
① entertain: vt.款待；招待（客人）；提供消遣；使高兴
e.g. Every summer they entertain the neighbors at an outdoor party. 每年夏天，他们会举办户外聚会来招待邻居们。
The magician entertained the children with a variety of tricks. 魔术师变各种各样的戏法来逗孩子们开心。
② account: n. [C] 叙述；报道；账目；银行户头
e.g. The accounts I have received of Australia are not particularly encouraging. 我所得到的关于澳大利亚的报道并不令人欢欣鼓舞。
11. The editors will decide if your idea is suitable and then send you rules and the form you need to apply for the record. 编辑们会决定是否你的想法很合适，然后会寄给你申请这个纪录所需要的规则和表格。
① suitable: adj. 合适；适合
e.g. Those shoes are not suitable for walking in the country.这鞋不适合在乡间走路。
Have you a suitable book for a young child? 你是否有适合小孩子读的书。
② apply: 申请; 应用
e.g. I applied at the local police station for a peddler’s certificate. 我在当地警察局申请了商贩执照。
12. Afterwards, if all goes well, a Guinness official will come to inspect your attempt. 之后， 如果一切进展顺利的话，吉尼斯办公室会来检查你尝试的情况。
① inspect: vt. 检查；视察
e.g. They inspected the whole house for traces of damp. 他们来检查整个房子的潮湿的证迹。
All factories and mines are inspected by government officials. 政府官员检查所有工厂和煤矿。
13. If you are successful, the official will confirm the record and you will get a certificate from The Guinness Book of World Records stating that you are a world record holder. 如果你成功了, 吉尼斯官员会确认你纪录, 而且你会得到吉尼斯世界纪录证书, 并声明你是世界纪录的保持者。
① confirm: vt. 批准；肯定
e.g. When do you think the President will confirm you in office? 你认为什么时候总统会批准你执政。
② state: vt. 陈述；声明
e.g. State your opinion of the new school rules. 请陈述你对学校新规则的看法。
The stated facts conflict with what actually happened. 这些已经说明的事实与真实发生的情况相矛盾。
14. All of our schoolmates were here, as well as many of our parents and other kids from the neighborhood. 我们的校友, 我们的父母以及来自附近的孩子们全来了
① as well as 同，和，也
e.g. It is important for you as well as for me. 这对你对我都重要。
The conflict spread everywhere, into villages, as well as into the cities. 冲突到处在蔓延, 进了村庄,也进了城市。
15. A new generation of sports is capturing the hearts and minds of people who are willing to try something new. 新一代的体育运动占据了想尝试新鲜事物的人们的所有心思。
① capture: vt. 捕获；占领；赢得
e.g. Our task was to capture a number of these monkeys alive. 我们的任务是活捉许多猴子。
He captured first place in the men’s broad jump with a leap of 7.51 meters. 他以7.51米的成绩取得了男子跳远的第一名。
② be willing to 愿意做某事
e.g. She’s willing to help in any way she can. 她愿意尽可能地帮助别人。
16. These new sports are called “extreme sports” and all center on the “X-factor”---the pure joy of doing something that you didn’t think you could do and overcoming your fears. 这些新的体育运动被称作为极限运动, 所有这些运动都以难预测的因素为中心---
① center on 以…为中心。
e.g. The discussion centered on the most important question. 讨论以最重要的问题为中心。
②overcome: vt. 克服; 抑制
e.g. He succeeded in his efforts to overcome his fatal weakness. 他成功地克服了他最致命的弱点。
③ doing something that you didn’t think you could do and overcoming your fears. and 连接的并列动名词短语做of 的宾语。
17. I get excited and my hearts beats faster.
① get: link-v 变得
e.g. Hugh got engaged to her when traveling last winter. 在去年冬天的旅行中休与她订了婚。
18. Then my mind becomes clear and I concentrate on the way my body moves in the air. 当时我的头脑很清醒而且全身心的投入在空中移动身体的方法上。
① concentrate on/upon 聚精会神; 集中思想
e.g. He tried to concentrate on his clinical research at the hospital. 他试图专注于医院的临床研究。
19. We don’t let anyone try a dangerous trick unless we know that they are skilled enough to perform it safely. 如果我们不确定他们能够熟练且安全地进行这个项目, 我们就不会让他们去尝试危险的特技表演。
① perform vt.& vi. :进行; 执行；表演；表现
e.g. One should always perform what one promises. 一个人应该履行他的诺言。
The engine performs well in cold weather. 这发动机在寒冷的天气也表现很好。