Listen to the tape then answer this question.

Who is only twenty-nine, and why is it so unclear?听录音，然后回答问题。谁只有29岁？为什么这件事如此含糊不清？

KATE：Can you recognize that woman, Liz?

LIZ：I think I can, Kate.

It must be Karen Marsh, the actress.

KATE：I thought so.

Who's that beside her?

LIZ：That must be Conrad Reeves.

KATE：Conrad Reeves, the actor?

It can't be.

Let me have another look.

I think you're right!

Isn't he her third husband?

LIZ：No. He must be her fourth or fifth.

KATE：Doesn't Karen Marsh look old!

LIZ：She does, doesn't she!

I read she's twenty-nine,

but she must be at least forty.

KATE：I'm sure she is.

LIZ：She was a famous actress

when I was still at school.

KATE：That was a long time ago, wasn't it?

LIZ：Not that long ago!

I'm not more than twenty-nine myself.

New words and expressions 生词和短语

famous /'feim+s/ adj．著名的

actress /'$ktris/ n．女演员

at least /+t-li:st/ 至少

actor /'$kt+/ n．男演员

read /ri:d/(read /red/ ,read) v．通过阅读得知

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 在It must be Karen Marsh ... 这一句中，must be是英文中用来表示根据事实所作的推论，往往译为“一定”。must be的否定式是can't be，如Kate的话“It can't be．”是对Liz的推论（“That must be Conrad Reeves．”）的否定。同时，请注意这里的can't be（表示不可能）和第45课中I can't type this letter.（表示能力）的区别。

2 Who's that beside her?

本句中that指人。

3 her fourth or fifth 后面省略了husband。

4 Not that long ago!

句中的that是副词，指像Kate所说的“那么”遥远，可译作“那样”，“那么”。课文中用斜体印刷表示一种强调，显然Liz对Kate的判断和对她本人年龄的估算很不满意。

参考译文

凯特：莉兹，你能认出那个女人吗？

莉兹：我想我认得出来，凯特。那一定是女演员卡伦·马什。

凯特：我也这样想。她旁边的那个人是谁？

莉兹：一定是康拉德·里弗斯。

凯特：康拉德·里弗斯，那个男演员吗？不可能是。让我再看一看。我想你是对的。他不是她的第3个丈夫吗？

莉兹：不，他一定是她的第4个或第5个丈夫。

凯特：卡伦看上去不显老嘛！

莉兹：是的，谁说不是呢！我从报上看到她是29岁，但她一定至少有40岁了。

凯特：我肯定她有40岁了。

莉兹：当我还是学生时，她就是个著名的演员了。

凯特：那是好久以前的事了，是吗？

莉兹：不，没有那么久。我自己现在还没29岁呢。