Vicky的ScalersTalk第六轮新概念朗读持续力训练Da

练习材料：

The ideal servant Part-2

            理想的仆人

Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days, an enlightened policy, in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please. While she always criticized the fickleness of human nature, she carried on an unrelenting search for the ideal servant to the end of her days, even after she had been sadly disillusioned by Bessie.

    Bessie worked for Aunt Harriet for three years. During that time she so gained my aunt's confidence that she was put in charge of the domestic staff. Aunt Harriet could not find words to praise Bessie's industriousness and efficiency. In addition to all her other qualifications, Bessie was an expert cook. She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before Aunt Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'. After being absent from the Gables for a week, my aunt unexpectedly returned one afternoon with a party of guests and instructed Bessie to prepare dinner.

ðəʊ maɪ ɑːnt pəˈsjuːd wɒt wɒz, ɪn ðəʊz deɪz, ən ɪnˈlaɪtnd ˈpɒlɪsi, ɪn ðæt ʃiː ˈnɛvər əˈlaʊd hɜː dəʊˈmɛstɪk stɑːf tuː wɜːk mɔː ðæn eɪt ˈaʊəz ə deɪ, ʃiː wɒz ɪksˈtriːmli ˈdɪfɪkəlt tuː pliːz. waɪl ʃiː ˈɔːlweɪz ˈkrɪtɪsaɪzd ðə ˈfɪklnɪs ɒv ˈhjuːmən ˈneɪʧə, ʃiː ˈkærid ɒn ən ˌʌnrɪˈlɛntɪŋ sɜːʧ fɔː ði aɪˈdɪəl ˈsɜːvənt tuː ði ɛnd ɒv hɜː deɪz, ˈiːvən ˈɑːftə ʃiː hæd biːn ˈsædli ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒənd baɪ Bessie.

Bessie wɜːkt fɔːr ɑːnt ˈhærɪət fɔː θriː jɪəz. ˈdjʊərɪŋ ðæt taɪm ʃiː səʊ geɪnd maɪ ɑːnts ˈkɒnfɪdəns ðæt ʃiː wɒz pʊt ɪn ʧɑːʤ ɒv ðə dəʊˈmɛstɪk stɑːf. ɑːnt ˈhærɪət kʊd nɒt faɪnd wɜːdz tuː preɪz Bessie's ɪnˈdʌstrɪəsnəs ænd ɪˈfɪʃənsi. ɪn əˈdɪʃ(ə)n tuː ɔːl hɜːr ˈʌðə ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃənz, Bessie wɒz ən ˈɛkspɜːt kʊk. ʃiː ˈæktɪd ðə rəʊl ɒv ðə ˈpɜːfɪkt ˈsɜːvənt fɔː θriː jɪəz bɪˈfɔːr ɑːnt ˈhærɪət dɪsˈkʌvəd hɜː ˈlɪtl ˈwiːknɪs. ˈɑːftə ˈbiːɪŋ ˈæbsənt frɒm ðə ˈgeɪblz fɔːr ə wiːk, maɪ ɑːnt ˌʌnɪksˈpɛktɪdli rɪˈtɜːnd wʌn ˈɑːftəˈnuːn wɪð ə ˈpɑːti ɒv gɛsts ænd ɪnˈstrʌktɪd Bessie tuː prɪˈpeə ˈdɪnə.

姑妈待佣人在当时算是开明的，从来不让佣人每天工作超过8小时，但他们很难使她称心如意。她一方面总是批评人的本性朝三暮四，另一方面她又持之以恒地寻找一个理想的佣人。即使在贝西大大地伤她的心之后，她还在找，一直到她死去。

    贝西在哈丽特家干了3年。在此期间，她赢得了姑母的赏识，甚至当上了大管家。哈丽特不知该用什么言辞来赞扬贝西的勤奋与高效。贝西除了有各种本领以外，还是一个烹饪大师。她担任“理想仆人”角色3年之后，哈丽特终于发现她有“小小的弱点”。一次，姑妈有一个星期没在“山墙庄园”住。一天下午，她出其不意地回来了，带来一大批客人，吩咐贝西准备晚饭。

任务配置：L0、L3、L4

知识笔记：

单词与短语

fickleness/ˈfɪklnɪs/

fickle ：likely to change, especially due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; casually changeable:

unrelenting/ˌʌnrɪˈlɛntɪŋ/not relenting; not yielding or swerving in determination or resolution, as of or from opinions, convictions, ambitions, ideals, etc.; inflexible:

disillusioned/dɪsɪˈluːʒən/having lost one's ideals, illusions, or false ideas about someone or something; disenchanted

be put in charge of sth当上了某职位

industriousness/ɪnˈdʌstrɪəsnəs/working energetically and devotedly; hard-working; diligent:

In addition to除了，还是...

a party of guests一大批客人

练习感悟：坚持练习，今天感口齿更清晰了些。