Lesson 19 Sold out
票已售完
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
When will the writer see the play?
'The play may begin at any moment,' I said.
'It may have begun already,' Susan answered.
I hurried to the ticket office.
'May I have two tickets please?' I asked.
'I'm sorry, we've sold out,' the girl said.
'What a pity!' Susan exclaimed.
Just then, a man hurried to the ticket office.
'Can I return these two tickets?' he asked.
'Certainly,' the girl said.
I went back to the ticket office at once.
'Could I have those two tickets please?' I asked.
'Certainly,' the girl said,
'but they're for next Wednesday's performance.
Do you still want them?'
'I might as well have them,' I said sadly.
生词和短语
hurry v. 匆忙
ticket office 售票处
pity n. 令人遗憾的事
exclaim v. 大声说
return v. 退回
sadly adv. 悲哀地，丧气地
课文注释
1 The play may begin at any moment，剧马上就要开演了。在这句话中，说话人指的并不是一种确信不疑的事实，而是可能发生的事情，因此用了may+动词的结构。
2 It may have begun already.可能已经开始了。这句话同样表示可能发生的事情，但与上句的区别在于它指的是可能已经发生的事情，因此，要用"may+动词的完成时"的结构。
3 we've sold out，票已售完。
4 What a pity!真遗憾!
5 at once，立刻。
6 Could I...please?这里could是代替can的一种比较委婉地提出请求的用法。在时间上和can没有区别。
7 might as well...作“还是……好”、“不妨”讲，与may as well的意思完全相同，只是前者更为委婉。
参考译文
“剧马上就要开演了，”我说。
“也许已经开演了呢，”苏珊回答说。
我匆匆赶到售票处，问：“我可以买两张票吗？”
“对不起，票已售完。”那位姑娘说。
“真可惜！”苏珊大声说。
正在这时，一个男子匆匆奔向售票处。
“我可以退掉这两张票吗？”他问。
“当然可以，”那姑娘说。
我马上又回到售票处。
“我可以买那两张票吗？”我问。
“当然可以，不过这两张票是下星期三的，您是否还要呢？”
“我还是买下的好，”我垂头丧气地说。
