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第七课

一、课文原文

Mutilated Ladies

We all know that money can be a source of trouble, but few people realize that it can also be a source of comfort. This is especially true for the staff of the Bank of England's Special Department, who are responsible for identifying and reimbursing people who have lost money through accident or misfortune. They are affectionately known as 'Mutilated Ladies', a nickname derived from the fact that they deal with damaged notes.

One of their most unusual cases involved a woman who had accidentally put her savings in the washing machine. When she took the clothes out, she found that the notes had been reduced to a mass of pulp. She was devastated, but the Mutilated Ladies were able to piece the fragments together and identify over £2,000 worth of notes. The woman was so grateful that she sent them a box of chocolates.

Another case involved a man who had buried his money in the garden to protect it from thieves. Unfortunately, he forgot where he had hidden it, and the notes had rotted away. The Mutilated Ladies had to use special chemicals to restore the ink on the surviving fragments. In the end, they managed to save £500.

These stories may seem trivial, but for the people involved, they are a matter of great importance. The Mutilated Ladies not only restore the money, but also restore people's faith in the system. As one of the staff members said, 'We don't just deal with paper; we deal with people's livelihoods.'

二、核心词汇与词组精讲、拓展及例句

1. Reimburse

  • 英文释义：To pay back money to someone who has spent it or lost it.
  • 中文释义：偿还；赔偿；报销。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • compensate（补偿，多指损失或伤害）：The company compensated him for his injury.
    • refund（退款，多指商品或服务）：I'd like a refund for this defective product.
    • repay（偿还，多指债务）：He promised to repay the loan within a year.

2. Mutilate

  • 英文释义：To damage something severely, especially by cutting or tearing off parts of it.
  • 中文释义：毁坏；损毁（多指残缺不全）。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • damage（损坏，最通用）：The storm damaged several houses.
    • destroy（毁灭，彻底破坏）：The fire destroyed the evidence.
    • deface（污损，多指表面）：Someone defaced the monument with graffiti.

3. Pulp

  • 英文释义：A soft, wet, shapeless mass, especially of plant fiber or paper.
  • 中文释义：纸浆；果肉；糊状物。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • paste（糊，浆糊）：Mix the flour with water to make a paste.
    • sludge（泥浆，淤泥）：The river was full of toxic sludge.
    • residue（残留物，残渣）：Wipe away the residue with a damp cloth.

4. Devastate

  • 英文释义：To cause severe shock, distress, or grief to someone; to destroy completely.
  • 中文释义：使震惊；使极度悲伤；彻底摧毁。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • shock（震惊，程度较轻）：The news shocked everyone.
    • crush（压垮，使绝望）：She was crushed by the rejection.
    • wreck（毁坏，多指计划或健康）：The scandal wrecked his career.

5. Restore

  • 英文释义：To bring something back to its original condition; to give back something that was lost or stolen.
  • 中文释义：修复；恢复；归还。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • recover（恢复，多指健康或能力）：He is recovering from surgery.
    • renew（更新，续期）：We need to renew our passport.
    • revive（复兴，苏醒）：The economy is beginning to revive.

6. Livelihood

  • 英文释义：A means of securing the necessities of life; a way of earning money.
  • 中文释义：生计；谋生手段。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • living（生活，生计，较口语）：He makes a living as a teacher.
    • income（收入）：Her income has doubled in five years.
    • subsistence（勉强维持生活）：They live at subsistence level.

7. Affectionately

  • 英文释义：In a way that shows fondness or tenderness.
  • 中文释义：深情地；亲切地。
  • 词汇拓展与例句：
    • fondly（深情地，多指回忆）：She remembered him fondly.
    • tenderly（温柔地）：He held her hand tenderly.
    • warmly（热情地，亲切地）：They were warmly welcomed.

三、特别语法点拨（长难句）

derived from 作后置定语

  • 原句：... A nickname derived from the fact that they deal with damaged notes.
  • 解析：derived from 是过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰 nickname，相当于一个省略了的定语从句 which is derived from...。这种结构在书面语中非常常见，能让句子更加紧凑、正式。注意 derive from 表示“源于、来自”，强调来源。
  • 对比：如果用 coming from，则更口语化，且强调“正在来自”的动态感，不如 derived from 强调“固有来源”的静态属性。

四、智慧版写作指导

1. 用“拟人化称呼”拉近与读者的距离

  • 写作指导：在介绍一个机构、部门或群体时，如果直接使用官方名称，会显得冷冰冰。使用昵称或拟人化称呼，能瞬间让文章充满人情味，让读者产生亲切感。
  • 课文示范：They are affectionately known as 'Mutilated Ladies'...（把冷冰冰的“残钞鉴别组”变成了有温度的“残钞女士们”。）
  • 实战仿写：The IT support team is affectionately called 'The Tech Angels' by the staff.（IT 支持团队被员工亲切地称为“技术天使”。）

2. 用“具体场景”代替“抽象概括”

  • 写作指导：在说明一个部门的工作内容时，不要只说“他们帮助人们挽回损失”。通过1-2 个具体、生动的案例，让读者自己感受到工作的价值和意义。案例越具体，说服力越强。
  • 课文示范：One of their most unusual cases involved a woman who had accidentally put her savings in the washing machine...（洗衣机里的钞票，画面感极强，立刻让人理解他们的工作有多“神奇”。）
  • 实战替换：
    • 不说 They help people in need. → 说 They once helped a single mother pay for her child's surgery after she lost her job.
    • 不说 The service is very useful. → 说 Last week, they saved a family's vacation fund that was accidentally thrown in the trash.

3. 用“升华句”点明文章主旨

  • 写作指导：在文章结尾，不要只是简单总结。用一句富有哲理或情感的话，将具体的事件上升到普遍的人性、社会价值或情感层面，让文章余韵悠长。
  • 课文示范：We don't just deal with paper; we deal with people's livelihoods.（从“处理纸张”升华到“守护生计”，瞬间拔高了立意。）
  • 实战仿写：
    • 写清洁工：They don't just sweep the streets; they sweep away the chaos of our daily lives.
    • 写老师：They don't just teach math; they teach children how to think.

注意

以上内容由AI生成，请自主辨明是否存在问题。