新概念英语第二册第26课(英音音频+视频)

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Lesson 26 The best art critics

最佳艺术评论家

First listen and then answer the question.

＊听录音，然后回答以下问题。

Who is the student's best critic?

I am an art student and I paint a lot of pictures. Many people pretend that they understand modern art. They always tell you what a picture is 'about'. Of course, many pictures are not 'about' anything. They are just pretty patterns. We like them in the same way that we like pretty curtain material. I think that young children often appreciate modern pictures better than anyone else. They notice more. My sister is only seven, but she always tells me whether my pictures are good or not. She came into my room yesterday.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

'I'm hanging this picture on the wall,' I answered. 'It's a new one. Do you like it?'

She looked at it critically for a moment. 'It's all right,' she said, 'but isn't it upside down?'

I looked at it again. She was right! It was!

New words and expressions

art[ɑ:t] n.艺术

critic ['kritik] n.评论家

paint [peint] v.画

pretend [pri'tend] v.假装

pattern ['pætn] n.图案

curtain ['kə:tən] n.窗帘，幕布

material[mə'tiəriəl] n.材料

appreciate[ə'pri:ʃieit] v.鉴赏

notice ['nəutis] v.注意到

whether['weeə] conj.是否

hang [hæŋ] v.悬挂，吊

critically['kritikəli] ad.批评地

upside down['ʌpsaid-'daʊn] 上下颠倒地

Notes on the text

1 art student, 学艺术的学生。

2 They always tell you what a picture is ‘about’. 他们总是告诉你一幅画的“意思”是什么。很明显，作者认为那些自以为懂得现代艺术的人的评论根本不着边际。因此，把about（“对画的分析”）这个词放在引号里，以示一种讽刺的口吻。

3 It’s a new one. 这是一幅新画。句中的one用来代替前一句中的名词picture, 以免重复。

参考译文
我是个学艺术的学生，画了很多画。有很多人装成很懂现代艺术的样子，总是告诉你一幅画的“意思”是什么。当然，有很多画是什么“意思”也没有的。它们就是些好看的图案，我们喜爱它们就像我们喜欢漂亮的窗帘布一样。我觉得小孩子们往往比任何人都更能欣赏现代绘画，他们观察到的东西更多。我的妹妹只有7岁，但她总能说出我的画是好还是坏。昨天她到我房里来了。

“你在干什么呢？”她问。

“我正把这幅画挂到墙上去。 ”我回答说， “这是幅新画，你喜欢吗？”她用挑剔的眼光看了一会儿。“还可以吧。”她说，“不过是不是挂倒了？”我再次看了看画。她说对了！是挂倒了！‍

Comprehension questions:

1. What do you do?

2. Do you paint many pictures?

3. What do many people pretend to understand?

4. What do they always tell you?

5. Are all pictures ‘about’ something?

6. What are many pictures?

7. Do you think young children appreciate modern pictures more than grown-ups do?

8. Why do they?

9. How old is your sister?

10. What does she always tell you?

11. When did she come into your room?

12. What were you doing?

Fill the blanks

I am an               and I paint a lot of pictures. Many people                that they understand             . They always tell you         a picture is 'about'. Of course, many pictures are not 'about' anything. They are just             . We like them in the same way that we like pretty            material. I think that young children often                modern pictures better than anyone else. They notice more. My sister is only seven, but she always        me whether my pictures are good        . She came into my room yesterday.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

'I'm             this picture on the wall,' I answered. 'It's a new one. Do you like it?'

She looked at it             for a moment. 'It's all right,' she said, 'but isn't it               ?'

I looked at it again. She was right! It was!

Tell the story

1. student----paint-----pictures

2.people-----pretend---modern art

3. many---not ‘about’ anything

4. children---appreciate---better----

5.sister----seven---tells---good or not

6. room---yesterday

7. I---hanging---picture—wall

8.looked---critically---moment

9. asked me---upside down

10.I---again---she---right

视频（英音）

Topics for discussion

1. How is your room at home decorated? What do you have on your walls?

2. Name some ‘modern’ painters. Explain why you like or dislike their work.

3. Do you think artists should try to ‘please’ other people? Why/Why not?