ACT 2-1 “就决定在明天上午吧。”
【故事梗概】
Grandpa和Nat决定自己动手，继续活动中心翻新的工作。 Robbie和Alexandra也表示愿意帮忙。他们决定去集合各自的朋友，第二天再碰一次面，讨论具体的工作。
Nat: There is a way, Malcolm. We get our friends to roll their sleeves up and get to work.
Grandpa: It’s certainly a good idea. If I could take a look at the place, I could probably tell what it requires to fix it up. How much paint, how many hours of work …
Nat: That’s what I came to ask you to do, Malcolm. If you would supervise the refurbishing, I’ll find the people to help do it.
Robbie: I’ll help too, Mr. Baker. I can get some of my friends to go around the neighborhood and collect the furniture we need.
Alexandra: I’ll help.
Grandpa: Tomorrow. Yes. We’ll meet tomorrow morning, right here.
Robbie: Can we help?
Alexandra: I’d really like to.
Grandpa: Sure.
Nat: We might need you to come through with your friends, Robbie. Not just to go around the neighborhood asking for furniture, but to help with the paint job. That’s backbreaking work and may be too much for us.
Robbie: I’ll do it. I’ll talk to them.
Alexandra: And tomorrow morning we’ll all meet here to discuss the plan?
Grandpa: Tomorrow morning it is.
【语言点精讲】
1. We get our friends to roll their sleeves up and get to work.
我们可以找我们的朋友，大家一起卷起袖子干起来。
roll one’s sleeves up: 卷起袖子；准备做艰苦的工作。
2. If I could take a look at the place, I could probably tell what it requires to fix it up.
如果我能去看一看那个地方，我或许能够判断要把它整修好都需要什么。
fix (it) up: 整修。
3. If you would supervise the refurbishing, I’ll find the people to help do it.
如果你肯监督整修的工作，我就去找人帮忙干。
supervise: 监督。
refurbishing: 整修，再刷新。
4. We might need you to come through with your friends, Robbie. Not just to go around the neighborhood asking for furniture, but to help with the paint job. That’s backbreaking work and may be too much for us.
我们可能会需要你把你的朋友们找来，Robbie，不光是在邻里四处求人给家具，而且还要帮忙油漆粉刷。那是很累人的活儿，我们老头们可能干不下来。
come through with: 意谓办到自己答应的或别人指望自己的事。这里指答应找人来，确实找来。
backbreaking work: 很累人的活，很辛苦的活。
too… for…: 表示负面意思，即过分如何而使人不能办到。
5. Tomorrow morning it is.
就决定在明天上午吧。
这个倒装句表示经过商量后作出的决定，含有痛快明确的意思。
ACT 2-2 “我确信他们本意是好的。”
【故事梗概】
第二天，Grandpa和Nat的朋友都到齐了。但是Robbie和Alexandra却没有露面。
[The doorbell rings.]
Grandpa: [He answers the door.] Come in, come in. Please, come in.
Nat: I’d like you to meet my friend Malcolm Stewart. Malcolm, this is Joanne Thompson.
Grandpa: Hello, Joanne. [He shakes her hand.] Nice to meet you.
Joanne: My pleasure, Malcolm.
Nat: And this is Abe Lucas. You must remember Abe. He ran the drugstore and used to play drums with the jazz band on weekends.
Grandpa: Oh, sure I do. Hi, Abe. [He shakes his hand.]
Abe: Hello, Mr. Stewart.
Grandpa: Malcolm, please.
Abe: Hello, Malcolm
Grandpa: Sit down, sit down, Have some coffee. And I’ve got some delicious Danish pastry for you.
Nat: Where’s your grandson Robbie and his friend Alexandra? Weren’t they going to be here this morning?
Grandpa: I thought so, too. I’m surprised they’re not here. Robbie left early this morning to meet Alexandra. Frankly, I thought they’d be here, but…
Nat: It’s OK. I’m sure they meant well, but they probably had other things on their minds.
【语言点精讲】
1. He answers the door.
他去开门。
2. My pleasure, Malcolm.
“My pleasure.”相当于“It’s my pleasure.”在对万表示“幸会，叨扰，感谢款待”时，常用这句客气话回答。
3. He ran the drugstore and used to play drums with the jazz band on weekends.
他过去经营那家杂货店，并曾在周末爵士乐队中当鼓手。
drugstore: 药店，杂货店。
used to do: 用于表示过去常常，过去惯常。
play drums with the jazz band: 在爵士乐队中打鼓。
4. Malcolm, please.
在别人称自己的姓并加上Mr., Mrs.等尊称时，自己这样说以表示“就叫我Malcolm好了”，因为直呼其名更亲近一些。也可以说: Malcolm to you.
对方为表示接受这种安排，可以把自己的寒喧话重复一下，而改用新的称谓，因此Abe又说了一次“Hello, Malcolm.”
5. And I’ve got some delicious Danish pastry for you.
我还为你们准备了一些可口的丹麦点心。
Danish pastry: 丹麦点心。
6. I’m sure they meant well, but they probably had other things on their minds.
我确信他们本意是好的，不过他们可能还有别的事。
meant well: 用意善良，本意是好的。
have other things on their minds: 注意 mind在这里因指不止一人，用复数。to have something on one’s mind是“心上有件事”或甚至“有令人发愁的心事”的意思。
ACT 2-3 “我没问题。”
【故事梗概】
Grandpa和Nat以及他们的朋友开始讨论翻新改造废弃的图书馆成为社区活动中心所需要做的工作。
Joanne: I understand you used to be in the construction business, Malcolm.
Grandpa: I was, indeed.
Joanne: I wonder if you would take a look at the old library and make sure that it is in good condition so that we don’t have to worry about any structural problems.
Grandpa: When can I do that? I’d be happy to.
Abe: We’ve got permission to go inside the old building during the week — Tuesday or Wednesday.
Grandpa: That’s fine with me. I can do it either day.
Joanne: That would be very helpful.
Nat: I think the building just needs a good cleaning.
Abe: And a good paint job.
Joanne: Then we have to furnish it.
Grandpa: I wish Robbie and Alexandra had come to this meeting. They had some ideas about getting the place fixed up.
【语言点精讲】
1. I understand you used to be in the construction business.
听说你过去从事建筑业。
understand: 这里指“获悉，得知，听说”。
2. I wonder if you would take a look at the old library and make sure that it is in good condition so that we don’t have to worry about any structural problems.
我想知道你肯不肯去看一下旧图书馆大楼，确认它状况良好，好让我们不必为任何结构上的问题担心。
I wonder if: 我想知道是否……
in good condition: 状况良好。类似的短语有in fine/poor/terrible condition等。
worry about: 担心。
structural: 结构上的。
3. We’ve got permission to go inside the old building during the week — Tuesday or Wednesday.
我们已经获准在不是周末的日子到那老房子里去——星期二或星期三都行。
get permission to do sth.: 得到许可去做某事。
4. That’s fine with me. I can do it either day.
我没问题，这两天中哪一天我都可以去。
either day: （两天中）哪一天都可以。也可以说on either day或者either on Tuesday or on Wednesday。
5. Then we have to furnish it.
然后我们得给它放上家具。
furnish : 这里指放家具。
6. I wish Robbie and Alexandra had come to this meeting. They had some ideas about getting the place fixed up.
Robbie和Alexandra要是来开会就好了，他们对怎样装修这个地方有些主意。
I wish … had come … : 这是wish引导的过去虚拟语气。表示所希望的是与过去发生过的事情相反的。
get this place fixed up: get+宾语+过去分词补语，表示使某物受到某种处理或对待。
ACT 2-4 “请讲吧。”
【故事梗概】
Grandpa和Nat以及他们的朋友的讨论已经快要结束了，Robbie和Alexandra还是没有露面。Grandpa觉得很奇怪，因为爽约并不是Robbie的作风。
Joanne: Perhaps they’ll show up. In the meantime, let me give you some additional thoughts and ideas I have.
Grandpa: OK.
Nat: Go ahead, Joanne.
Joanne: As I said, mostly the building just needs a good cleaning.
[A little later.]
Nat: This place can be developed with one real intergenerational program.
Grandpa: That’s an idea I like. A community center with the kinds of programs that fit everyone.
Nat: And programs that don’t leave anyone out.
Joanne: It’s asking a lot. But we can’t do it without talking to the young people. Finding out what they want.
Grandpa: If only Robbie and Alexandra were here.
Nat: Don’t be upset, Malcolm. We’ll have a chance to talk to them later.
Grandpa: It’s not like Robbie. If he says he’s going to be here, he’s here. I wonder what the problem is.
【语言点精讲】
1. Perhaps they’ll show up. In the meantime, let me give you some additional thoughts and ideas I have.
也许一会儿他们会来的，现在请允许我把我的一些另外的想法和主意告诉你们。
show up: 出现，露面。
additional: 附加的，另外的。
2. Go ahead, Joanne.
Joanne, 请讲吧。
3. As I said, mostly the building just needs a good cleaning.
正如我说过的那样，那楼房主要只缺好好打扫一下。
mostly: 在这里修饰全句，指这句话一般来说是符合事实的。
4. This place can be developed with one real intergenerational program.
这个地点可以依照一个真正的把几代人都包括在内的计划建设起来。
intergenerational: 跨世代的。为不同年龄或世代人的。
5. And programs that don’t leave anyone out.
这些活动计划要不使任何人被排除在外。
leave sb. out: 不包括某人，排除某人。
6. It’s asking a lot.
这需要考虑很多；这（工作）要求的条件很多。
7. If only Robbie and Alexandra were here.
要是Robbie和Alexandra在这儿就好了。
If only…were here. : 要是……在这儿该有多好。这是由If only 引导的表示现在的虚拟语气，表示所希望的事情与现在的事实相反，此时be动词要用were，其他动词使用一般过去时。
8. It’s not like Robbie. If he says he’s going to be here, he’s here. I wonder what the problem is.
Robbie平常不是这样的，如果他说来，就一定会来，我不知道发生了什么问题。
It’s not like sb. : 这不像是某人所为。某人应该不会这样的。
I wonder what the problem is. : 我不知道发生了什么问题。这是一个间接疑问句，疑问词所引导的从句，语序和陈述句一样（what the problem is）。若是改为直接问句，则be动词要放在主词前: What is the problem?