Mrs. Anne Sterling did not think of the risk she was taking when
she ran through a forest after two men. They had rushed up to her while she was having a picnic at the edge of a forest with her childrenand tried to steal her handbag. In the struggle, the strap broke and, with the bag in their possession, both men started running through the trees. Mrs. Sterling got so angry that she ran after them. She was soon out of breath, but she continued to run. When she caught up with them, she saw that they had sat down and were going throughthe contents of the bag, so she ran straight at them. The men got such a fright that they dropped the bag and ran away. ‘The strap needs mending,’ said Mrs. Sterling later, ‘but they did not steal anything.’
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New words and expressions 生词和短语
forest (title) /'fɔrəst/n.森林
possession (1.5) /pə'zeʃən/n.所有
risk (1.1) /risk/n.危险，冒险
breath (1.7) /breθ/n.呼吸
picnic (1.3) /'piknik/n. 野餐
contents (1.9) /'kɔntent/n.(常用复数)内有的物品
edge (1.3) /edʒ/n.边缘
mend (1.10) /mend/v.修理
strap (1.4) /stræp/ n.带，皮带
Notes on the text 课文注释
1 the risk she was taking，她所冒的风险， take the risk 有“冒……风险”的意思。
2 when she ran through a forest after two men，当她穿过森林追赶两个男人时。run after，追赶。
3 with the bag in their possession，包落到他们手里。 in one’s possession，为……所有。
4 Mrs．Sterling got so angry that she ran after them．斯特林夫人非常气愤，向着他们追了过去。句中含有so…that…的句型，意思是“如此……以至于……”。
5 out of breath，喘不上气，上气不接下气。
6 When she caught up with them，当她追上他们时。catch up with，赶上，追上。
7 going through，翻看。
8 The Strap needs mending，背带需要修理。当 need作“需要”讲时，后面接的动名词有被动的含义。
参考译文
安·斯特林夫人在穿过森林追赶两个男人时，她并没有考虑到所冒的风险。刚才，当她和孩子们正在森林边上野餐的时候，这两个人冲到她跟前，企图抢走她的手提包。在争抢中，手提包的带断了，包落入这两个人手里，他们拔腿跑进了树林。斯特林夫人非常气愤，向着他们追了过去。只追了一会儿便上气不接下气了，但她还是继续追赶。当她赶上他们时，发现他们已经坐了下来，正翻着包里的东西。于是她直冲过去。这两个人吓了一跳，扔下提包逃跑了。“这提包带需要修理，”斯特林夫人事后说道，“不过他们什么也没偷走。”