这一章依旧很有意思,让人忍俊不禁。
Chapter 2
Space Hotel ‘U.S.A.’
Mr Wonka’s Great Glass Elevator was not the only thing orbiting the Earth at that particular time. Two days before, the United States of America had successfully launched its first Space Hotel, a gigantic sausage-shaped capsule no less than one thousand feet long. It was called Space Hotel ‘U.S.A.’
本章开始就说并不是旺卡先生的升降机绕着地球轨道跑,美国也成功发射了一个太空飞船旅馆,像是一个大香肠,是太空时代的奇迹。it was the marvel of the space age.
launch都发射什么呢?
To launch a rocket, missile, or satellite means to send it into the air or into space. 发射 (火箭、导弹或卫星)
capsule除了平时说的胶囊外,还表示太空舱
But the launching had been a great success and now that the Space Hotel was safely in orbit, there was a tremendous hustle and bustle to send up the first guests.
太空旅馆虽然建好了,但是去旅行的人压根没有,因为人们担心安全问题。
现在它已经良好运行,第一批客人就可以接送了。
hustle and bustle固定表达,除了熙熙攘攘外,还可以表示忙乱。
里面有一个梗,说有一个美国富翁也订了票要来太空度蜜月,好像有过这个新闻太久远了。不过去的是空间站。
But you cannot send guests to an hotel unless there are lots of people there to look after them, ...There were managers, assistant managers, desk-clerks, waitresses, bell-boys, chambermaids, pastry chefs and hall porters.
客人到了必须有接待呀,各色服务人员登场,可以看出这里有很多职业。
look after 照顾,接待,一开始没反应过来这个词组的意思。退化了…
bell-boy 门童,礼宾生,chambermaid(收拾客房的)女服务生,pastry chef面点师,porter搬运行李工
‘In exactly one hour,’ said Shuckworth, speaking to the passengers over the loudspeaker, ‘we shall link up with Space Hotel “U.S.A.”.
Shuckworth是文中三大宇航员之一,另外两名Shanks and Showier
loud+speaker 扩音器,喇叭
link up with 对接
‘Holy rats!’ cried Shanks. ‘What in the name of Nebuchadnezzar is it!’
‘Quick! Give me the telescope!’ yelled Shuckworth. With one hand he focused the telescope and with the other he flipped the switch connecting him to Ground Control.
哈哈,最喜欢罗尔德大爷各种感叹词,我神圣的老鼠啊,我那去天堂的老姑妈啊,其实都表示惊叹,气急败坏等等的语气词,天啊之意。
Nebuchadnezzar尼布甲尼撒,巴比伦国王
focus在此处不是关注,是本意调焦聚
Ground Control地面控制站
They’re all floating about like fish in a tank!
这比喻太可爱了。
‘Because at least three of them are in nightshirts!’
‘Don’t be a fool, Shuckworth!’ snapped Ground Control. ‘Pull yourself together, man! This is serious!’
night+shirt→睡衣,之前见过nightie(女士睡袍),pajamas/pyjamas
Pull yourself together 也见过=calm down
snap有打响指的意思,用来人说话表示厉声说道。
eg. “Keep your hands off the lever,” snapped the elevator boy.
Jeepers, they’re older than Moses! They’re about ninety years old!
jeepers:(us, canadian, slang )a mild exclamation of surprise 天哪,表示温和的惊讶或惊奇
几个老人当然很老了,都有90多岁了。
Moses摩西(圣经中的人物,带领希伯来人逃出埃及的领袖)
there’s a funny little guy with a pointed beard wearing a black top-hat and a plum-coloured velvet tail-coat and bottle-green trousers…
这是上本书中就出现过的旺卡先生的形象。
Suddenly his voice was cut off and Shanks heard another quite different voice in his earphones. It was deep and rasping.
‘I’ll take charge of this,’ said the deep rasping voice. ‘Are you there, Shanks?’
突然地面控制台的声音切换了,总统接过了话语权。
rasping adj.锉磨声的,形容刺耳令人焦躁。
take charge of 掌管,承担
‘Of course I’m here,’ said Shanks. ‘But how dare you butt in. Keep your big nose out of this. Who are you anyway?’
Shanks还不知死活地说道“别把你的大鼻子插到这件事来”哈哈哈。想起了nosy这个词,都表示管闲事,爱打听。
‘This is the President of the United States,’ said the voice.
‘And this is the Wizard of Oz,’ said Shanks. ‘Who are you kidding?’
‘Cut the piffle, Shanks,’ snapped the President. ‘This is a national emergency!’
这一段对话也相当有意思。
the Wizard of Oz其实就是绿野仙踪里那个甩把戏的魔法师。
piffle n.废话,蠢话。
We’re outside the pull of gravity up here, Mr President. Everything floats. We’d be floating ourselves if we weren’t strapped down.
...
‘There’s a bed in it,’ said Shanks. ‘A big double bed and that’s floating too.’
我们现在脱离了地心引力。如果不是系着安全带我们也飘起来了。
Gravity is the force which causes things to drop to the ground. 重力; 地球引力
If you strap something somewhere, you fasten it there with a strap. 用带子系 (或绑、捆、扎)
eg. Please find a seat, strap yourself in.请坐好,系好安全带。
a big double bed 就是双人床
‘You must be loopy, Shanks,’ declared the President. ‘You’re dotty as a doughnut! Let me talk to Showier!’
loopy 多圈圈的就是晕乎乎的,糊涂的
你真是像面包圈一样没头脑,哈哈哈。多纳圈就是中间空的嘛。
‘It’s a bed all right, Mr President. I can see it through my telescope. It’s got sheets and blankets and a mattress…’
‘That’s not a bed, you drivelling thickwit!’ yelled the President.
sheets除了表示床单,在盖茨比中还表示被窝。
eg. I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.(出自盖茨比第二章)
drivel n. v.(说)胡话
thick+wit→笨蛋,没查到此词,但可以理解。
And down in the huge Control Room at Houston, one hundred controllers sat motionless in front of their dials and monitors, waiting to see what orders the President would give next to the astronauts.
dials此处表示仪表盘,在哈利波特第二本哈利和罗恩开飞车的时候出现过。
每个地台控制员都在等待进一步指示,总统还是很聪明的,他让宇航员们密切观察对面的大玻璃飞行器,连接了电视信号转播,查理一家子和旺卡先生后续如何就在下一章了。留个扣,哈哈。