Why did the police have to push Jumbo off the main street?
Last Christmas, the circus owner, Jimmy Gates, decided to take some presents to a children's hospital. Dressed up as Father Christmas and accompanied by a 'guard of honour' of six pretty girls, he set off down the main street of the city riding a baby elephant called Jumbo. He should have known that the police would never allow this sort of thing. A policeman approached Jimmy and told him ought to have gone along a side street as Jumbo was holding up the traffic. Though Jimmy agreed to go at once, Jumbo was refused to move. Fifteen policemen had to push very hard to get him off the main street. The police had a difficult time, but they were most amused. 'Jumbo must weigh a few tons,' said a policeman afterwards, 'so it was fortunate that we didn't have to carry him. Of course, we should arrest him, but as he has b good record, we shall let him off this time.'
New words and expressions 生词和短语
versus prep.对
Christmas n.圣诞节
circus n.马戏团
present n.礼物
accompany v.陪伴，随行
approach v.走近
ought verb.应该
weigh v.重
fortunate adj.幸运的
Notes on the text 课文注释
1 Dressed up as Father Christmas and accompanied by a 'guard of honour' of six pretty girls,打扮成圣诞老人，在由6位漂亮姑娘组成的“仪仗队”人陪同下。过去分词短语dressed up...和accompanied by作状语，说明伴随状态。
2 He should known,他本应知道。这里“should+have+过去分词”表示本应发生但实际上并未发生的事情。
3 he ought to have gone along a side street,他本应该走一条小路。ought 是助动词，“ought+have+过去分词”表示过去该做而没有做的事情。