Bats
蝙蝠
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
In what way does echo…location in bats play an utilitarian role？
Not all sounds made by animals serve as language； and we have only to turn to that extraordinary discovery of echo…location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role。
To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some recent human inventions。 Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a mountainside； an echo will e back。 The further off this solid obstruction； the longer time will elapse for the return of the echo。 A sound made by tapping on the hull of a ship will be reflected from the sea bottom； and by measuring the time interval between the taps and the receipt of the echoes； the depth of the sea at that point can be calculated。 So was born the echo…sounding apparatus； now in general use in ships。 Every solid object will reflect a sound； varying according to the size and nature of the object。 A shoal of fish will do this。 So it is a paratively simple step from locating the sea bottom to locating a shoal of fish。 With experience； and with improved apparatus； it is now possible not only to locate a shoal but to tell if it is herring； cod； or other well…known fish； by the pattern of its echo。
It has been found that certain bats emit squeaks and by receiving the echoes； they can locate and steer clear of obstacles or locate flying insects on which they feed。 This echo…location in bats is often pared with radar； the principle of which is similar。
MAURICE BURTON Curiosities of animal life
New words and expressions生词和短语
bat
n。 蝙蝠
strictly
adv。 明确地
utilitarian
adj。实用的
appreciation
n。 理解
elapse
v。 障碍物
hull
n。 消逝
interval
n。 船体
receipt
n。 间隔
apparatus
n。 收到
shoal
n。 仪器
herring
n。 鱼群
cod
n。 鳕鱼
squeak
n。 尖叫声
参考译文
动物发出的声音不都是用作语言交际。我们只要看一看蝙蝠回声定位这一极不寻常的发现，就可以探究一下声音在什么情况下有绝对的实用价值。
要透彻理解这句话的意义，我们应先回顾一下人类最近的几项发明。大家都知道，在墙壁或山腰附近发出的喊声，就会听到回声。固体障碍物越远。回声返回所用时间就越长。敲打船体所发了的声音会从海底传回来，测出回声间隔的时间，便可算出该处海洋的深度。这样就产生了目前各种船舶上普遍应用的回声探测仪。任何固体者反射声音，反射的声音因物体的大小和性质的不同而不同。鱼群也反射声音。从测定海深到测定鱼群，这一进展比较容易。根据经验和改进了的仪器，不仅能够确定鱼群的位置，而且可以根据鱼群回声的特点分辨出是鲱鱼、鳕鱼，这是人们所熟悉的其他鱼。
人们发现，某些蝙蝠能发出尖叫声，并能通过回声来确定并躲开障碍物，或找到它们赖以为生的昆虫。蝙蝠这种回声定位常常可与雷达相比较，其原理是相似的。
Lesson 8
Trading standards
贸易标准
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What makes trading between rich countries difficult？
Chickens slaughtered in the United States； claim officials in Brussels； are not fit to grace European tables。 No； say the American： our fowl are fine； we simply clean them in a different way。 These days； it is differences in national regulations； far more than tariffs； that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries。 It is not just farmers who are plaining。 An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States； and an American…made dialysis machine needs the EU's okay before is hits the market in Europe。
As it happens； a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans。 So； ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic； why have two lots of tests where one would do？ Politicians agree； in principle； so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double…test many products。 They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and the EU on May 28TH。 Although negotiators are optimistic； the details are plex enough that they may be hard…pressed to get a deal at all。
Why？ One difficulty is to construct the agreements。 The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and them hammer out different pacts covering； say； electronic goods and drug manufacturing。 The EU following fine continental traditions wants agreement on general principles； which could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries。
From： The Economist； May 24th； 1997
New words and expressions 生词和短语
slaughter
v。 屠宰
fit
adj。 适合
grace
v。 给。。。增光
tariff
n。 关税
standard
n。 标准
dialysis
n。 分离，分解；透析，渗析
electrocute
v。 使触电身亡
eliminate
v。 消灭
accord
n。 协议
device
n。 仪器，器械
hammer out
v。 推敲
pact
n。 合同，条约，公约
参考译文
布鲁塞尔的官员说，在美国屠宰的鸡不适于用来装点欧洲的餐桌。不，美国人说，我们的家禽很好，只是我们使用了另一种清洗方式。当前，是各国管理条例上的差异，而不是关税阻碍了发达国家之间的贸易。并不仅仅是农民在抱怨。一把符合欧洲联盟安全标准的电动剃须刀必须得到美国检测人员的认可，方可在美国市场上销售；而美国制造的透析仪也要得到欧盟的首肯才能进入欧洲市场。
碰巧在欧洲使用安全的剃须刀不大可能使美国人触电身亡，因此，大西洋两岸的企业都在问，当一套测试可以解决问题时，为什么需要两套呢？政治家在原则上同意了， 因此，美国和欧洲一直在寻求达成协议，以便为许多产品取消双重检查。他们希望尽早达成协议，为5月28日举行的美国和欧洲贸易的最高通级会议作准备。然谈判代表持乐观态度，但协议细节如此复杂，他们所面临的困难很可能使他们无法取得一致。
为什么呢？困难之一是起草这些协议。美国人很愿意就医疗器械的标准达成一个协议，然后推敲出不同的合同，用以涵盖 比如说 电子产品和药品的生产。欧洲人遵循优良的大陆传统，则希望就普遍的原则取得一致，而这些原则适用于许多不同产品，同时可能延伸到其它国家。
Lesson 9
Royal espionage
王室谍报活动
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What important thing did King Alfred learn when he penetrated the Danish camp of Guthrum？
Alfred the Great acted his own spy； visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel。 In those days wandering minstrels were wele everywhere。 They were not fighting men； and their harp was their passport。 Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth； and could vary his programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring。
While Alfred's little army slowly began to gather at Athelney； the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum； the mander of the Danish invaders。 There had settled down for the winter at Chippenham： thither Alfred went。 He noticed at once that discipline was slack： the Danes had the self…confidence of conquerors； and their security precautions were casual。 They lived well； on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions。 There they collected women as well as food and drink； and a life of ease had made them soft。
Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney。 The force there assembled was trivial pared with the Danish horde。 But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit for prolonged battle： and that their missariat had no organization； but depended on irregular raids。
So； faced with the Danish advance； Alfred did not risk open battle but harried the enemy。 He was constantly on the move； drawing the Danes after him。 His patrols halted the raiding parties： hunger assailed the Danish army。 Now Alfred began a long series of skirmishes and within a month the Danes had surrendered。 The episode could reasonably serve as a unique epic of royal espionage！
BERNARD NEWMAN Spies in Britain
New words and expressions 生词和短语
espionage
n。 间谍活动
Alfred
公元871…899 年间任英国国王
Danish
adj。 丹麦的，丹麦人的，丹麦语的
minstrel
n。 中世纪的吟游歌手
wandering
adj。 漫游的
harp
n。 坚琴
ballad
n。 民歌
acrobatic
adj。 杂技的
conjuring
n。 魔术
Athelney
n。 阿塞尔纳（英国一个小岛）
Chippenham
n。 切本哈姆（英国一个城市）
thither
adv。 向那里
Dane
n。 丹麦人
slack
adj。 涣散的
conqueror
n。 征服者
casual
adj。 马虎的，随便的
precaution
n。 预防，警惕
proceeds
n。 所得
assemble
v。 集合
trivial
adj。 微不足道的
prolonged
adj。 持久的
missariat
n。 军粮供应
episode
n。 一个事件，片断
epic
n。 史诗
harry
v。 骚扰
assail
v。 袭击
skirmish
n。 小规模战斗
参考译文
阿尔弗雷德大帝曾亲自充当间谍。他扮作吟游歌手到丹麦军队的营地里侦察。当时，浪迹天涯的吟游歌手到处受欢迎，他们不是作战人员，竖琴就是他们的通行证。阿尔弗德年轻时学过许多民歌，并能穿插演一些杂技和小魔术使自己的节目多样化。
阿尔弗雷德人数不多的军队开始在阿塞尔纳慢慢集结时，他亲自潜入丹麦入侵司令官古瑟罗姆的营地。丹麦军已在切本哈姆扎下营准备过冬，阿尔弗雷便来到此地。他马上发现丹麦军纪律松弛，他们以征服者自居，安全措施马马虎虎。他们靠掠夺附近的地区的财物过着舒适的生活。他们不仅搜刮吃的喝的，而且抢掠妇女，安逸的生活已