英翻汉。 1. We were about to start the race when it rained. 2. In winter, it’s cold in the north. In contrast, it’s pretty warm in the south. 3. John was absent from class because he was ill, but it was different in your case. 4. With regard to your request, I’m afraid I can’t give you an immediate reply. 5. The reality, though, is that air-couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign coutries. 6. In contrast, if a package is sent in the mail, it could be in customs for many days while offcials decide if the item needs to be taxed. 7. The number of tickets sold for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent every year. 8. First, as you can see in Brian's case, an air-courier usually can't check any luggage; he carries very few personal items along.