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But perhaps，when you take off the receiver，you give your number or your name.But you don’t even know whom you are giving it to！Perhaps you have been indiscreet enough to have your name and number printed in the telephone directory，a book with a large circulation，a successful book so often reprinted as to make any author envious，a book more in evidence than Shakespeare or the Bible，and found in all sorts of private and public places.By your self?advertisement you have enabled any stranger，bore，intruder，or criminal to engage you in conversation at a moment’s notice in what ought to be the privacy of your own home.
【解说】
本文选自英国现代作家William Plomer（1903—）写的On Not Answering the Telephone一篇随笔中的一节。文笔中讽刺与幽默并用，再加上日常说的谚语，写来极为生动有趣。作者生于非洲，虽曾回国入Rugby私立公校，因水土不合又回返他的出生地去了。他在非洲从商，又从事农业，后与诗人Roy Campbell合办一个文学杂志。第二次世界大战中从军，在海军部服务。作品涉及长篇小说，短篇小说，诗歌，传记各方面，以短篇小说最为有名。
【注释】
（1）ignore不理睬。（2）important message for you，有重要的消息告诉你。（3）sooner or later迟早。（4）think of想到，忆及。例如I can’t think of his name at the moment，我一时想不起他的名字。（5）“Ill news travels apace”恶事传千里。travels一字，又常用runs或flies等字。apace有fast的意思，如The hours and days speed apace时日飞逝。（6）The truth will out.真相终将水落石出。will表示习性。out为come out的简略说法，单此一副词即可作自动词用。同样的俗语有Murder will out,谋杀案隐藏不住，终将泄露出来。（7）receiver电话的听筒。（8）total stranger完全不认识的陌生人。（9）a thing用作和上文同格的名词，这一件事即指对一个陌生人照呼。（10）think twice about再思（而后行）的意思的陈句。（11）doing in public公开的去做，在人前做。（12）if you were English如果你是英国国民的话。the English指英国全体的国民，单独的个体则说an Englishman，复数为three Englishmen，但普通说国籍时常把冠词略去，如I am Chinese.（我是中国的国民）。比较：I am a Chinese.（我是中国人）。They are Italian.（他们都是意大利的国民）。比较：They are Italians.（他们是意大利人）。if you were English的English是如上Italian同样的用法。（13）indiscreet轻率的。（14）telephone directory电话簿。（14）a book with a large circulation一本销数很广大的书。（15）make any author envious使任何作家妒羡。（16）in evidence是一个有conspicuous（显著的）之意的成语，例如She likes to be much in evidence她很爱出风头。Smith was nowhere in evidence.史密斯显然不见了。（17）self?advertisement自作广告，自我宣传。指把自己的姓名住址登在电话簿上。一种讽刺的说法。（18）bore令人讨厌的人。（19）intruder闯入者。（20）criminal罪犯。（21）engage you in conversation来和你交谈。（22）at a moment’s notice=immediately在此场合的notice可作“预告”解。（23）in the privacy of your own home.在你自己家里的私生活中。in privacy秘密地，隐秘地。例如He likes to live in privacy.他喜欢与人无所接触的生活。他喜欢离群索居。I tell you this in strict privacy.此事绝对秘密。in the privacy of one’s thoughts在心灵深处。 (来源：英语博客 http://space.englishcn.com)
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