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。那时她正在刷牙，但是水龙头开着。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.

把水龙头关掉，”一个响亮的声音说道。黛西愣住了。她看了看四周，但没看到任何人。“把水龙头关掉。你正在浪费水！”这个声音听起来很不耐烦。

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

这一次黛西听从了它（声音）。“谁……你是谁？”黛西用微弱的声音问道。

'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。我到这来很不容易。你知道我从哪里来的吗？”

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

“我猜是从水龙头里来。”黛西回答道。

'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，但是在这之前呢？”水滴说，“几天前，我舒舒服服地漂浮在江西上空的一片云里，欣赏着风景。然后，云朵把我扔进了小溪，我沿着山迅速地下降到扬子江里。扬子江把我带入了一条河。在那，我休息了几天。然后，我游历了很久，汇入了黄浦江。然后，我就被净化干净了。”

'Cleaned up?' Daisy sounded puzzled.

“净化？”黛西听起来很迷惑。

'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。经历一番旅程后我身上很脏，因此他们把我带到了一家自来水厂。他们给我一次完全净化，给我添加了一些化学试剂。然后，我经过了街道的下水管道。我等待在此地直到你把我叫出来，就是我现在所在的地方。”

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

黛西说：“所以这是你最后的旅程吗？”

'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。当你使用完了我，我将会到污水厂去。然后，他们会把我用泵抽到河里去。之后，我会再次回到海里。”

'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。我最初就是从那儿来的。记住不要浪费我或者污染我。我很珍贵的，就像液体黄金。再见啦。”

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

“等一下，你所说的‘液体黄金’是什么意思？”但是没有任何答复。水已经走了。

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

黛西从浴室里走出来。她的哥哥问：“你刚刚在和谁说话？”

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

“我在和水说话。”黛西回答。

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

“黛西，你有时真奇怪。”她的哥哥说。

 

NOTES:

1 She was brushing her teeth and the tap was on.（那时）她正在刷牙，水龙头开着。
句中的was brushing为动词brush的过去进行式。
此外，句中的on为副词，表示“处于工作状态或使用中”，又如： He fell asleep with the light on.他睡着了，但灯还开着。

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.  把水龙头关掉。
句中的turn…off意为“关掉”，此句也可以说成：Turn off that tap.

4 Daisy froze.黛西愣住了。
句中的freeze意为“不动；停住；惊呆；吓呆”。freeze还可意为“结冰”，如在7B Unit 10中学过：When water freezes, it turns into ice.

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

6 A few days ago,1 was floating comfortably in a cloud in Jiangxi, enjoying the view. 几天前，我舒舒服服地漂浮在江西上空的一片云里，欣赏着风景。

7 Then the cloud dropped me into a stream…然后，云朵把我扔进了小溪
句中的drop是及物动词，后接宾语，意为“使降落；使落下”。在7B Unit 6中曾学过： The temperature's dropping.，此处drop为不及物动词，后不接宾语，意为“降低”。

8 Then it was time to get cleaned up. 然后，该是把我净化的时候了。

9 a water treatment works 自来水厂 a sewage plant 污水处理厂
注意：works和plant均表示“工厂”。

10 That's where I came from in the first place.我最初就是从那里来的。

11 What do you mean by liquid gold? 你所说的“液体黄金”是什么意思？ 当我们对某个信息不理解时，常用What do you mean by？来询问。

12 But there was no reply.但是没有任何答复。 句中的reply作名词，意为“回答；答复”。reply也可作动词。