新概念3-第7部分

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hen　I　boarded　the　train；　I　could　not　help　noticing　that　a　great　many　local　people　got　on　as　well。　At　the　time；　this　did　not　strike　me　as　odd。　I　reflected　that　there　must　be　a　great　many　people　besides　myself　who　wished　to　take　advantage　of　this　excellent　service。　Neither　was　I　surprised　when　the　train　stopped　at　Widley；　a　tiny　station　a　few　miles　along　the　line。　Even　a　mighty　express　train　can　be　held　up　by　signals。　But　when　the　train　dawdled　at　station　after　station；　I　began　to　wonder。　It　suddenly　dawned　on　me　that　this　express　was　not　roaring　down　the　line　at　ninety　miles　an　hour；　but　barely　chugging　along　at　thirty。　One　hour　and　seventeen　minutes　passed　and　we　had　not　even　covered　half　the　distance。　I　asked　a　passenger　if　this　was　the　Westhaven　Express；　but　he　had　not　even　heard　of　it。　I　determined　to　lodge　a　complaint　as　soon　as　we　arrived。　Two　hours　later；　I　was　talking　angrily　to　the　station…master　at　Westhaven。　When　he　denied　the　train's　existence；　I　borrowed　his　copy　of　the　time…table。　There　was　a　note　of　triumph　in　my　voice　when　I　told　him　that　it　was　there　in　black　and　white。　Glancing　at　it　briefly；　he　told　me　to　look　again。　A　tiny　asterisk　conducted　me　to　a　footnote　at　the　bottom　of　the　page。　It　said：　'This　service　has　been　suspended。'　

Lesson38　The　first　calendar
Future　historians　will　be　in　a　unique　position　when　they　come　to　record　the　history　of　our　own　times。　They　will　hardly　know　which　facts　to　select　from　the　great　mass　of　evidence　that　steadily　
accumulates。　What　is　more　they　will　not　have　to　rely　solely　on　the　written　word。　Films；　gramophone　records；　and　magnetic　tapes　will　provide　them　with　a　bewildering　amount　of　information。　They　will　be　able；　as　it　were；　to　see　and　hear　us　in　action。　But　the　historian　attempting　to　reconstruct　the　distant　past　is　always　faced　with　a　difficult　task。　He　has　to　deduce　what　he　can　from　the　few　scanty　clues　available。　Even　seemingly　insignificant　remains　can　shed　interesting　light　on　the　history　of　early　man。　
Up　to　now；　historians　have　assumed　that　calendars　came　into　being　with　the　advent　of　agriculture；　for　then　man　was　faced　with　a　real　need　to　understand　something　about　the　seasons。　Recent　scientific　evidence　seems　to　indicate　that　this　assumption　is　incorrect。　Historians　have　long　been　puzzled　by　dots；　lines　and　symbols　which　have　been　engraved　on　walls；　bones；　and　the　ivory　tusk　of　mammoths。　The　nomads　who　made　these　markings　lived　by　hunting　and　fishing　during　the　last　Ice　Age；　which　began　about　35；000　B。C。　and　ended　about　10；000　B。C。　By　correlating　markings　made　in　various　parts　of　the　world；　historians　have　been　able　to　read　this　difficult　code。　They　have　found　that　it　is　connected　with　the　passage　of　days　and　the　phases　of　the　moon。　It　is；　in　fact；　a；　primitive　type　of　calendar。　It　has　long　been　known　that　the　hunting　scenes　depicted　on　walls　were　not　simply　a　form　of　artistic　expression。　They　had　a　definite　meaning；　for　they　were　as　near　as　early　man　could　get　to　writing。　It　is　possible　that　there　is　a　definite　relation　between　these　paintings　and　the　markings　that　sometimes　accompany　them。　It　seems　that　man　was　making　a　real　effort　to　understand　the　seasons　20；000　years　earlier　than　has　been　supposed。

Lesson39　Nothing　to　worry　about
The　rough　road　across　the　plain　soon　became　so　bad　that　we　tried　to　get　Bruce　to　drive　back　to　the　village　we　had　come　from。　Even　though　the　road　was　littered　with　boulders　and　pitted　with　holes；
Bruce　was　not　in　the　least　perturbed。　Glancing　at　his　map；　he　informed　us　that　the　next　village　was　a　mere　twenty　miles　away。　It　was　not　that　Bruce　always　underestimated　difficulties。　He　simply　had　no　sense　of　danger　at　all。　No　matter　what　the　conditions　were；　he　believed　that　a　car　should　be　driven　as　fast　as　it　could　possibly　go。
As　we　bumped　over　the　dusty　track；　we　swerved　to　avoid　large　boulders。　The　wheels　scooped　up　stones　which　hammered　ominously　under　the　car。　We　felt　sure　that　sooner　or　later　a　stone　would　rip　a　hole　in　our　petrol　tank　or　damage　the　engine。　Because　of　this；　we　kept　looking　back；　wondering　if　we　were　leaving　a　trail　of　oil　and　petrol　behind　us。　What　a　relief　it　was　when　the　boulders　suddenly　disappeared；　giving　way　to　a　stretch　of　plain　where　the　only　obstacles　were　clumps　of　bushes。　But　there　was　worse　to　come。　Just　ahead　of　us　there　was　a　huge　fissure。　In　response　to　renewed　pleadings；　Bruce　stopped。　Though　we　all　got　out　to　examine　the　fissure；　he
remained　in　the　car。　We　informed　him　that　the　fissure　extended　for　fifty　yards　and　was　two　feet　wide　and　four　feet　deep。　Even　this　had　no　effect。　Bruce　engaged　low　gear　and　drove　at　a　terrifying　speed；　keeping　the　front　wheels　astride　the　crack　as　he　followed　its　zig…zag　course。　Before　we　had　time　to　worry　about　what　might　happen；　we　were　back　on　the　plain　again。　Bruce　consulted　the　map　once　more　and　told　us　that　the　village　was　now　only　fifteen　miles　away。　Our　next　obstacle　was　a　shallow　pool　of　water　about　half　a　mile　across。　Bruce　charged　at　it；　but　in　the　middle；　the　car　came　to　a　grinding　halt。　A　yellow　light　on　the　dash…　board　flashed　angrily　and　Bruce　cheerfully　announced　that　there　was　no　oil　in　the　engine！

Lesson40　Who鈥檚　who
It　has　never　been　explained　why　university　students　seem　to　enjoy　practical　jokes　more　than　anyone　else。　Students　specialize　in　a　particular　type　of　practical　joke：　the　hoax。　Inviting　the　fire…brigade　to　put　out　a　non…existent　fire　is　a　crude　form　of　deception　which　no　self…respecting　student　would　ever　indulge　in；　Students　often　create　amusing　situations　which　are　funny　to　everyone　except　the　victims。　When　a　student　recently　saw　two　workmen　using　a　pneumatic　drill　outside　his　university；　he　immediately　telephoned　the　police　and　informed　them　that　two　students　dressed　up　as　workmen　were　tearing　up　the　road　with　a　pneumatic　drill。　As　soon　as　he　had　hung　up；　he　went　over　to　the　workmen　and　told　them　that　if　a　policeman　ordered　them　to　go　away；　they　were　not　to　take　him　seriously。　He　added　that　a　student　had　dressed　up　as　a　policeman　and　was　playing　all　sorts　of　silly　jokes　on　people。　Both　the　police　and　the　workmen　were　grateful　to　the　student　for　this　piece　of　advance　information。　
The　student　hid　in　an　archway　nearby　where　he　could　watch　and　hear　everything　that　went　on。　Sure　enough；　a　policeman　arrived　on　the　scene　and　politely　asked　the　workmen　to　go　away。　When　he　received　a　very　rude　reply　from　one　of　the　workmen；　he　threatened　to　remove　them　by　force。　The　workmen　told　him　to　do　as　he　pleased　and　the　policeman　telephoned　for　help。　Shortly　afterwards；　four　more　policemen　arrived　and　remonstrated　with　the　workmen。　As　the　men　refused　to　stop　working；　the　police　attempted　to　seize　the　pneumatic　drill。　The　workmen　struggled　fiercely　and　one　of　them　lost　his　temper。　He　threatened　to　call　the　police。　At　this；　the　police　pointed　out　ironically　that　this　would　hardly　be　necessary　as　the　men　were　already　under　arrest。　Pretending　to　speak　seriously；　one　of　the　workmen　asked　if　he　might　make　a　telephone　call　before　being　taken
to　the　station。　Permission　was　granted　and　a　policeman　accompanied　him　to　a　call…box。　Only　when　he　saw　that　the　man　was　actually　telephoning　the　police　did　he　realize　that　they　had　all　been　the　victims　of　a　hoax。　

Lesson41　Illusions　of　Pastoral　peace
The　quiet　life　of　the　country　has　never　appealed　to　me。　City　born　and　city　bred；　I　have　always　regarded　the　country　as　something　you　look　at　through　a　train　window；　or　something　you　occasionally　visit　during　the　week…end。　Most　of　my　friends　live　in　the　city；　yet　they　always　go　into　raptures　at　the　mere　mention　of　the　country。　Though　they　extol　the　virtues　of　the　peaceful　life；　only　one　of　them　has　ever　gone　to　live　in　the　country　and　he　was　back　in　town　within　six　months。　Even
he　still　lives　under　the　illusion　that　country　life　is　somehow　superior　to　town　life。　He　is　forever　talking　about　the　friendly　people；　the　clean　atmosphere；　the　closeness　to　nature　and　the　gentle　pace　of　living。　Nothing　can　be　compared；　he　maintains；　with　the　first　cock　crow；　the　twittering　of　birds　at　dawn；　the　sight　of　the　rising　sun　glinting　on　the　trees　and　pastures。　This　idyllic　pastoral　scene　is
only　part　of　the　picture。　My　friend　fails　to　mention　the　long　and　friendless　winter　evenings　which　are　interrupted　only　by　an　occasional　visit　to　the　local　cinema…virtually　the　only　form　of　entertainment。　He　says　nothing　about　the　poor　selection　of　goods　in　the　shops；　or　about　those　unfortunate　people　who　have　to　travel　from　the　country　to　the　city　every　day　to　get　to　work。　Why　people　are　prepared　to　tolerate　a　four　hour　journey　each　day　for　the　dubious　privilege　of　living　in　the　country　is　beyond　my　ken。　They　could　be　saved　so　much　misery　and　expense　if　they　chose　to　live　in　the　city　where　they　rightly　belong。　
If　you　can　do　without　the　few　pastoral　pleasures　of　the　country；　you　will　find　the　city　can　provide　you　with　the　best　that　life　can　offer。　You　never　have　to　travel　miles　to　see　your　friends。　They　invariably　live　nearby　and　are　always　available　for　an　informal　chat　or　an　evening's　entertainment。　Some　of　my　acquaintances　in　the　country　come　up　to　town　once　or　twice　a　year　to　visit　the　theatre　as　a　special　treat。　For　them　this　is　a　major　operation　which　involves　considerable　planning。　As　the　play　draws　to　its　close；　they　wonder　whether　they　will　ever　catch　that　last　train　home。　The　city　dweller　never　experiences　anxieties　of　this　sort。　The　latest　exhibitions；　films；　or　plays　are　only　a　short　bus　ride　away。　Shopping；　too；　is　always　a　pleasure。　There　is　so　much　variety　that　you　never　have　to　make　do　with　second　best。　Country　people　run　wild　when　they　go　shopping　in　the　city　and　stagger　home　loaded　with　as　many　of　the　necessities　of　life　as　they　can　carry。　Nor　is　the　city　without　its　moments　of　beauty。　There　is　something　comforting　about　the　warm　glow　shed　by　advertisements　on　cold　wet　winter　nights。　Few　things　could　be　more　impressive　than　the　peace　that　descends　on　deserted　city　streets　at　week…ends　when　the　thousands　that　travel　to　work　every
day　are　tucked　a　way　in　their　homes　in　the　country。　It　has　always　been　a　mystery　to　me　why　city　dwellers；　who　appreciate　all　these　things；　obstinately　pretend　that　they　would　prefer　to　live　in　the　country。　

Lesson42　Modern　Cavemen
Cave　exploration；　or