True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves. They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary. This invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.
Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town. He was a shrewd and wealthy businessman, but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life. He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.
Dickie disliked snobs intensely. Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever曾经 used it, preferring always to go on foot. Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella. One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower. He wanted to buy a ￡300 watch for his wife, but he was in such a bedraggled condition that an assistant refused to serve him. Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager. Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and reprimanded the assis-
tant severely. When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag. It contained ￡300 in pennies. He insisted on 坚持要求the assistants counting the money before he left---- 30,000 pennies in all总计! On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings. This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, for though the pictures were supposed假设 to be the work of famous artists, they had in fact been painted by Dickie. It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.

【课文讲解】

deliberately: on purpose
set out to do = set about doing = start doing / to do sth.
draw attention to 吸引对......的注意
capture/attract/hold/catch/arrest/receive/draw attention to 吸引对……的注意力

He made a mistake without being conscious of the fact
invariably = always
Her fine character quickly won her the friendship of her colleagues

win sb sth 为某人赢得……
add colour to 增添色彩
Eccentrics add colour to our dull life.
背诵第一自然段。

up to the time of his death: before he died. 完成时
notable: famous
this side of his life 生活的这一面

L31-03 end 11’00”

L31-04 begin 11’10”

Dickie disliked snobs intensely / violently
preferring 现在分词做伴随状况状语

be caught in a heavy shower   遇到瓢泼大雨
be caught in a heavy snow      遇到大雪
be caught in a heavy storm   遇到风暴

pay no attention to sb = ignore sb = take no notice of sb = turn a deaf ear to sb对……不予理睬
Dickie took no notice of him
dickie turned a deaf ear to him.
refuse to listen to

request 求见（非常正式而有礼貌的用词，语气相当强烈，假如你request某件东西的话，通常你有权利得到你想要的。）
I requested the headmaster.
Every student can request assistance of their teachers.’
demand 在语气上还要强烈，假如你demand某件东西的话，你坚决认为你有权利得到你想要的，且不愿意接受否定的回答。
I demand my rights. 我要求我的权力。
ask 口头或写信介到某物
I asked to get the book.
he asked me for help.
realizing or recognizing 在这里现在分词做原因状语
most = very much

present sb. with sth. or present sth. to sb. 把......交给

insist on doing / insist that
He insisted that the shop assistant should count the money before he left.

背诵：receive a great deal of attention in the press 引起了报界广泛注意

simply to prove = only to prove