学文网【导读】 《坎特伯雷故事集》（The Canterbury Tales）是英国作家杰弗里・乔叟（Geoffrey Chaucer, 1343~1400）的代表作。这部诗体短篇小说集以英国各阶层30人前往坎特伯雷朝圣为框架，记录了朝圣者途中所讲的故事。《坎特伯雷故事集》再现了当时英国社会的风貌，揭露了宗教的堕落和贵族的奢靡，洋溢着人文主义的光辉。乔叟是第一位用中古英语写作的诗人，他以伦敦方言为基础，奠定了现代英语文学语言的基础，被德莱顿称为“英国诗歌之父”。选篇是《坎特伯雷故事集》总引部分对修女的描写。
There also was a nun（修女） who wore a very simple and shy smile. Her greatest promise was only “By Saint Loy！” Called Madame Eglantine, this nun did extremely well in singing when church services were held, singing songs through her nose melodiously（悦耳的）. And she could speak French quite fluently after studying at the school of Stratford. She had learnt all table manners because she would not let small pieces of food fall from her lips nor let her fingers get wet in the juice. She lifted her food so well that she would never get a single drop of food fall upon her breast. At politeness she really did her best. She wiped her upper lip so clean that not one bit of grease（油脂） was ever seen upon her drinking cup. She was careful and never reached for the meat in an improper way. And certainly she was a good company（同伴）, so pleasant and so friendly. In her manner she would took pains to follow the ways of court and the dignity of state. And for this she was praised by all for her worthiness.
Now I shall tell you of her moral consciousness. Her charity was so great that to see a little mouse caught in a trap would be enough to make her cry, if dead or bleeding. She had some little dogs that she was feeding with roasted meat or milk and fine white bread. And she would weep if one were dead or if someone should beat it with a stick. Her heart was kind and her wimple（修女用的头巾） suited her status well. She had a well formed nose, a pair of eyes gray as glass and a little mouth that was soft and red. And it?蒺s for sure she had a fair forehead. It must have been a handbreadth（一手宽） wide for hardly was the lady undergrown. The beauty of her cloak（斗篷） I hadn?蒺t missed. She wore a rosary （念珠） around her wrist that was made out of coral（珊瑚） beads（珠子） all colored green and from it hung a pin of golden color. On the pin there was a letter“A” surrounded with flowers. She brought along another nun to be her priest.
（Chaucer著，Ronald L. Ecker & Eugene J. Crook译，本文作者改写。）
I. Words and Expressions.
1. wear a smile 面带微笑
拓展wear a tie 戴领带；wear a necklace 戴项链；wear a beard 蓄胡须。
Better wear out than rust out. 与其闲死，不如忙死。
2. do well in.../be good at... 在……方面做得好，擅长……
3. table manners 餐桌礼仪
拓展have no manners 没有礼貌
4. upper adj. 较高的，上部的，上游的
the upper lip 上唇；
the upper reaches of the Yangtze River 长江上游。
拓展have/gain the upper hand (over) 对……取得优势，例：
Our team gained the upper hand in the second half of the game.
5. improper adj. 不恰当的，不得体的
拓展① im?鄄否定前缀表示否定的词：impolite, impossible, impatient, improbably, immeasurable；
② il?鄄否定前缀表示否定的词：illegal 非法的，illogical 不合逻辑的；
③ ir?鄄否定前缀表示否定的词：irregular 不规则的，irresponsible 不负责的，irresistible 不可抗拒的；
④ in?鄄否定前缀表示否定的词：inappropriate 不恰当的，inaccurate 不精确的，inaccessible 达不到的，inactive 不活动的，inauthentic 假的。
6. take pains to do something尽力做某事
拓展No pains, no gains. 不劳无获。
7. consciousness n. 意识，知觉
拓展subconscious 潜意识的；unconscious 无意识的；lose one?蒺s consciousness 失去知觉；recover one?蒺s consciousness 恢复知觉；collective consciousness 集体意识。
8. bring along 带来
拓展bring about 引起，导致；bring back 使回忆起；bring down 使落下，使降低；bring forward 提出；bring in 引进；bring out 显示，揭露；bring up 提出，养育。
II. Grammar and Sentences.
1. Called Madame Eglantine, this nun did extremely well in singing when church services were held, singing songs through her nose melodiously.
注释本句中有两处涉及非谓语动词现象：“called Madame Eglantine”是非谓语动词中的过去分词作状语，如：
Praised by his English teacher, Chen Qi worked harder in English.
而“singing songs through her nose melodiously”是非谓语动词中的现在分词作状语，如：
Song Xiao went out of the classroom, singing Fairy Tale.
非谓语动词是高中语法的重点，需要着重掌握。
2. And she would weep if one were dead or if someone should beat it with a stick.
注释本句是非真实条件句的虚拟语气，是对与现在事实相反情况的虚拟，从句用过去时（be动词一律用were），主句用“主语＋should/would/could/might＋do”。如：
If I were you, I would read English every morning.
若是对过去事实相反情况的虚拟，则从句用过去完成时，主句用“主语＋should/would/could/might＋have done”。如：
If I had taken my mother?蒺s advice, I would not have made such a stupid mistake.
虚拟语气是高中语法的重点，需要系统掌握。
3. It must have been a handbreadth wide for hardly was the lady undergrown.
注释本句有两点需要注意：
① must对过去情况的肯定推测；
② hardly提前时句子的倒装。must用于对过去的肯定推测时，用must＋have done sth.结构，如：
She must have read Chaucer?蒺s The Canterbury Tales for she could understand it very well.
另外也要掌握如下结构：should＋have done sth.（过去应该做某事而没做）；shouldn?蒺t have done sth.（过去不该做某事而做了）；could have done sth.（过去可以做某事而没做）；couldn?蒺t have done sth.（过去不可能做了某事）；might have done sth.（过去本可以做某事而未做）；ought to have done sth.（过去本应该做某事却未做）；oughtn?蒺t to have done sth.（过去本不该做某事却做了）。
III. Complete the following sentences, using the suitable words from the passage.
1. Joyce is a happy girl. No matter where she goes, she always ________ a big smile.
2. The boy always says dirty words. The neighbors say he has no ________.
3. You will not succeed if you do nothing. As people say, “No pains, ________”.
4. The old man fell to the ground and lost his ________.
5. The old houses were ________ down to make way for new buildings.
IV. Fill in the following blanks according to the passage.
Madame Eglantine could speak French quite 1.________ and she had learnt all 2. ________. She never reached for food in an 3. ________ way. Also she has great 4. ________ consciousness. She would 5. ________ if one of her dogs were beaten.
V. True or False.
Read the passage and mark the statements T (True) or F (False).
1. ____ The nun sang songs through her mouth melodiously.
2. ____ Eglantine lifted her food very well.
3. ____ The nun wiped her lower lip very clean.
4. ____ Eglantine did not like to follow the ways of the court.
5. ____ The nun had a pair of blue eyes.
VI. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 乔叟的英语是如此之难以至于很多人都读不懂。
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2. 如果没有水和空气，地球上就不会有生物。
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3. 你不该和你继母吵架，她一直待你如同己出。
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4. 心中充满了希望和恐惧，哈利波特走进了密室。
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5. 在《坎特伯雷故事集》中，修女被描述成一个面带微笑、有着良好餐桌礼仪和极强道德意识的人。
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Keys:
III. 1. wears 2. manners 3. no gains 4. consciousness 5. brought
IV. 1. fluently 2. table manners 3. improper 4. moral 5. weep
V. 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F
VI. 1. Chaucer?蒺s English was so difficult that many people couldn?蒺t understand it.
2. If there were no air or water, there would be no living things on the earth.
3. You shouldn?蒺t have quarrelled with your stepmother; she has always treated you as if you were her own son.
4. Filled with hope and fear, Harry Potter entered the chamber of secrets.
5. In The Canterbury Tales, the nun is described as a person who wears a smile and has good table manners and great moral consciousness.