练习材料：

Lesson 52-2 Mud is mud

            实事求是

Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist. He would invent fanciful names on the spot. On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'. If a shop assistant told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out. He loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future date, but of course he never did. How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is quite beyond me.

    Harry does not need to be prompted to explain how he bought his precious bottle of mud. One day, he went to an exclusive shop in London and asked for 'Myrolite', the shop assistant looked puzzled and Harry repeated the word, slowly stressing each syllable.

ˈhæri juːzd tuː kənˈsɪdər ɪt ə greɪt ʤəʊk tuː gəʊ ˈɪntuː ɪksˈpɛnsɪv kɒzˈmɛtɪk ʃɒps ænd meɪk aʊtˈreɪʤəs rɪˈkwɛsts fɔː gʊdz ðæt duː nɒt ɪgˈzɪst. hiː wʊd ɪnˈvɛnt ˈfænsɪfʊl neɪmz ɒn ðə spɒt. ɒn ˈɛntərɪŋ ə ʃɒp, hiː wʊd ɑːsk fɔːr ə njuː ˈpɜːfjuːm kɔːld ˈsɛntɪd ˈʃædəʊ ɔː fɔːr ɪnˈsɒljʊbl bɑːθ kjuːbz. ɪf ə ʃɒp əˈsɪstənt təʊld hɪm ʃiː hæd nɒt hɜːd ɒv ɪt, hiː wʊd prɪˈtɛnd tuː biː kənˈsɪdərəbli pʊt aʊt. hiː lʌvd tuː biː təʊld ðæt wʌn ɒv hɪz ɪˈmæʤɪnəri ˈprɒdʌkts wɒz ˈtɛmpərərɪli aʊt ɒv stɒk ænd hiː wʊd ˈfeɪθfʊli ˈprɒmɪs tuː kɔːl əˈgɛn æt sʌm ˈfjuːʧə deɪt, bʌt ɒv kɔːs hiː ˈnɛvə dɪd. haʊ ˈhæri ˈmænɪʤd tuː kiːp ə streɪt feɪs ˈdjʊərɪŋ ðiːz pəˈfɔːmənsɪz ɪz kwaɪt bɪˈjɒnd miː.

ˈhæri dʌz nɒt niːd tuː biː ˈprɒmptɪd tuː ɪksˈpleɪn haʊ hiː bɔːt hɪz ˈprɛʃəs ˈbɒtl ɒv mʌd. wʌn deɪ, hiː wɛnt tuː ən ɪksˈkluːsɪv ʃɒp ɪn ˈlʌndən ænd ɑːskt fɔː 'Myrolite', ðə ʃɒp əˈsɪstənt lʊkt ˈpʌzld ænd ˈhæri rɪˈpiːtɪd ðə wɜːd, ˈsləʊli ˈstrɛsɪŋ iːʧ ˈsɪləbl.

    哈里曾认为走进一家名贵化妆品商店，荒唐地提出要买一种根本不存在的商品是件开心的事儿。他会当场编造出一些稀奇古怪的货名。他走进商店后，会提出要一种名叫“香影”的新型香水或什么“不溶浴皂”。要是女售货员告诉他从未听说过这些东西，他会装出十分遗憾和不安的样子。他爱听售货员说他想像出来的那种东西暂时脱销，于是他就煞有介事地许诺改天再来光顾。当然，他再也不会来了。我实在想像不出哈里在这些表演中是怎样装出一本正经的样子的。

    毋须暗示哈里就会向你讲起他买下那瓶珍贵香水泥的经过。一天，他去伦敦一家高级商店要买一种叫“密诺莱特”的东西，店员露出诧异的神色。哈里又慢慢地，一字一顿说了一遍这个词，那个女售货员还是迷惑不解地摇了摇头。

任务配置：L0、L3、L4

知识笔记：

单词与短语

on the spot现场

temporarily out of stock暂时性脱销

faithfully /ˈfeɪθfʊli/

faithful:reliable, trusted, or believed.

keep a straight face 装出一本正经的样子

expensive cosmetic shops/an exclusive shop一家名贵化妆品商店/名贵商店

exclusive/ ɪksˈkluːsɪv/limited to the object or objects designated:

练习感悟：每天的练习完成时间往后推迟了20分钟。