教学内容解析
Lesson 53
1.本课标题 Journey into the unknown. 译成“走向未知世界的旅程”,其中的 the unknown是“the+过去分词”结构,意思是 the place which is unknown to the travellers(旅行者所不知道的去处)。文章描述了非洲黑人被贩运至美洲当奴隶的残酷景象。这是美国黑人作家哈利的著名作品《根》中关于他的祖先如何来到美国的故事。
在英语中,有些形容词可以加上定冠词the来代表整个类别的人,或代表其抽象概念。例如:
the old=old people老人
the blind= blind people盲人
the beautiful= beautiful things美的东西(抽象的)
ths good= good things好的东西(抽象的)
“the+过去分词”同“the+形容词”一样,也可以代表整个类别的人或某一抽象概念。
例如:
the wounded= wounded people伤员
the unemployed= unemployed people失业者
the unknown=the unknown world 未知的世界
2.Born a tree man, he was now in chains. 他生来本是个自由人,如今却戴上了镣铐。
“Born a free man…”是一个过去分词短语,作状语,相当于一个表示让步的状语从句“Though he had been born a free man,…”。
“be born + adj./n. ”结构表示“生来就是……”,“天生就是……”的意思。例如:
He was born blind/ deaf/ poor. 他生来就眼瞎/耳聋/穷。
He was born a poet/a soldier/a singer. 他天生就是一个诗人/军人/歌手。
3.Kunta knew it was the middle of the night, for through the small open window high in the wall he could see stars. 孔塔知道已经是半夜了,因为通过墙的上方开着的小窗,他能看到星星。
句中的for作“因为”解,是并列连词,连接两个并列的分句,表示附加的或推断的理由。孔塔之所以知道是半夜了,是根据“看到了星星”而推断出来的。
注意 because和 for的区别。 because和for都有“因为”的意思,但 because是从属连词,连接表示原因的状语从句,它所表示的原因是直接的理由;而 for是并列连词,连接两个并列的分句,它所表示的原因是附加的或推断的理由。试比较:
The light went out, because the oil was out. 因为油完了,所以灯灭了。(直接的原因)
The oil must be out, for the light went out. 油想必用完了,因为灯灭了。(推断的理由)
He is loved by all, because he is honest. 因为他很诚实,所以大家都喜欢他。(直接的原因)
He must be honest, for he is loved by all.他想必很诚实,因为大家都喜欢他。(推断的理由)
4.Kunta had been seized in the forest and then hit on the head with a hard object. 孔塔在森林里被抓住以后,他的头部就被一个硬的东西打了一下。
句中的hit是过去分词,作“被打”、“被击中”解。本句的后半句相当于一个被动句:…and then Kunta had been hit on the head with a hard object. 它的主动句应是:…and then somebody had hit him on the head with a hard object. (某人用一个硬的东西打了他的头部。)
注意上述主动句中的“hit him on the head”结构。这是英语的习惯表达法。汉语说:“打某人的头/肩/背/脸/眼……”,英语则常常用“hit+sb.+on/in+the+身体部位”这样的结构(其中的定冠词不可用物主代词代替)。如果打在坚硬结实的部位(如head, shoulder, back等),前面常用介词on;如果打在柔软多肉的部位,前面常用介词in。
例如:
John hit him on the head/ shoulder/back. 约翰打了他的头/肩/背。(不用 on his head…)
John hit him in the face /eyes/right leg. 约翰打了他的脸/眼/右腿。(不用in his face…)
5.The men took him in their boat to the castle on the coast where he was now held prisoner. 这些人用船把他送到海岸上的城堡里,如今他被囚禁在这儿。
be held prisoner 是“被监禁”的意思。也可以说 be kept prisoner。在名词 prisoner 前不用冠词。例如:
He was held (kept) prisoner on a small island. 他被囚禁在一个小岛上。
此外,be taken prisoner 是“被俘”的意思。例如:
He failed to run away and was taken prisoner. 他没有逃跑得了,被俘了。
6.What was to become of them all, he wondered.他们这些人会怎么样呢?他感到很纳闷。
become of(人或事物的)结果,情况,遭遇。只用在直接问句或间接问句中,表示“(某人/某事)情况怎么样”的意思。例如:
What has become of Jack?后来杰克的情况怎么样了?
I don't know what will become of me when I am out of work. 我不知道我失业以后会怎么样。
They wondered what had become of him. 他们想知道他后来怎么样了。
What has become of the book I put here yesterday? 我昨天放在这儿的书哪儿去了?
7.Worse was to come. 更糟的事就要发生了。
句中的 worse 是不可数名词,作“更糟的事/情况”解。例如:
I have worse to tell you. 我还有更糟的情况要告诉你。
I am sorry to say that he is going from bad to worse. 很遗憾,他的情况每况愈下。
He lost all his money, but worse followed. His house was burned down. 他的钱全部丢失了,但是接着又发生了更糟的事,他的房屋又被烧毁了。
worse 通常是作形容词 bad/ ill的比较级,作“更坏”、“(病情)更重”解。例如:
I got cold that day,and soon I got worse. 那天我感冒了,不久就更历害了。
The situation is getting worse and worse. 情况越来越糟了。
8. A few days later about 140 black people were taken and put on a tall sailing ship waiting off the coast. 几天以后,大约 140名黑人被带到一艘停靠在海岸边的大帆船上。
句中 waiting off the coast 是-ing形式短语,作定语,修饰前边的名词 ship。这个短语相当于一个限制性定语从句 which was waiting off the coast。例如:
Do you see the boy standing under the tree?(=Do you see the boy who is standing under the tree?)你看见站在树下的那个男孩吗?
The ship sailing along the coast is from London.(=The ship which is sailing along the coast is from London.)那艘沿海岸航行的大船是从伦敦开来的。
-ing 形式短语作定语时,总是位于它所修饰的名词后;但是单个的-ing形式作定语时,通常位于它所修饰的名词前。本句的“a tall sailing ship”中的 sailing就是位于它所修饰的名词ship之前。 a sailing ship=a ship for sailing(帆船)。又如:
a sleeping car=a car for sleeping(卧车)
a walking stick=a stick for walking(手杖)
a swimming pool=a pool for swimming(游泳池)
9.Once on the boat,they were taken below and their chains were fixed to two bars that ran the length of the ship. 一上船,他们就被带入底舱,他们的镣铐被拴在两根从船的一头伸到另一头的铁杆上。
1)Once on the boat,… 是时间状语从句 Once they were on the boat, … 的省略。 once是连词,作“一(旦)……就……”解(as soon as)。例如:
Once( you are) in Tianjin, you should go to meet George at once. 你一到天津,就应马上去见乔治。
Once(he was)in the examination hall,he forgot everything,including some key rules. 他一进入考场就把什么都忘了,包括一些主要的规则。
2)… that ran the length of the ship 是限制性定语从句,修饰先行词 bars。从句中的动词 run作“延伸”解(=stretch/extend)。这个定语从句可以释义为:…(bars) thatstretched as long as the ship。
动词run的词义很多,基本词义是“跑”、“逃”。其引伸的词义可作“扩展”、“延伸”解。例如:
The road runs across the plain for about 20 kilometres.这条大路在平原上延伸约20公里。
The stream runs through the village. 这条小河穿过村庄。
The shelves run round the walls. 书架绕墙而立。
10 . Once in a while sailors came down, Kunta thought, to carry sick men upstairs for treatment. 偶尔水手下来,孔塔猜想是把生病的人抬上去治疗。
1)句中的Kunta thought是插入语,用以对句子作附加的解释。说明“水手抬病号到上面去治疗”只是孔塔的想法。插入语可以插在句子中间,也可以放在句子后面。例如:
The performance,I think, was very interesting. 那场演出我觉得很有趣。
That will be a good beginning,I hope. 我希望这是一个良好的开端。
This is all we have left, you see. 我们就剩下这些了,你瞧。
2) Once in a while 偶尔(occasionally);有时(sometimes but not very often);每隔一些时候(from time to time)。例如:
We go out for a walk once in a while. 我们间或出去散散步。
Once in a while there was a noise outdoors. 隔不多久,门外就有一阵嘈杂声。
Once in a while he would cry with pain,but usually he remained in silence.有时他会痛得喊叫,但通常他总是沉默不语。
Lesson 54
1.本课标题Roots《根》是70年代美国一本畅销书的书名。它是由美国作家亚历克斯·哈利(Alex Haley)根据他在非洲探寻家族渊源的故事写成的小说式家史。这部作品衍生出“根现象”。改编成电视剧后,激发了上百万美国人的寻根意识。
亚历克斯·哈利(Alex Haley)1921年8月11日出生于纽约。 1939年加入美国海岸警备队,并同时学习写作。1959年退役后,成为专职作家。60年代中期,哈利开始研究他的家史,深入非洲各地寻根,最后于1976年出版了跨越七代人的长篇小说《根》, 1977年获普利策奖,一举闻名于世。
2.Gambia(冈比亚)是非洲大陆最小的独立国,位于非洲西海岸,面积只有10,690平方公里,人口约为80万(根据1988年统计)。冈比亚过去是英国的一块殖民地,于1965年2月18日独立。
3. His newspaper provided him with some money in order that he might travel to Gambia for his research. 他的报社给他提供了一些资金,以便他可以去冈比亚进行研究。
1)provide sb. with sth. 给某人提供某物。例如:
The school provides the children with books and food. 这所学校给孩子们提供书籍和食物。
The government is trying to provide the unemployed with jobs. 政府正力图给失业者提供就业机会。
We are well provided with clothing. 我们的衣服供给充足。
关于 provide的用法,参见 TB3A 教学参考资料 L.4—1。
2)in order that 为了,以便,目的在于。that后引导一个表示目的的状语从句。在过去时的句子中,in order that 后的从句中一般用 should/could/would,偶尔也用 might (用于较正式的文体中)。例如:
He came in quietly in order that he shouldn't wake the children. 他轻轻地进来,为了不把孩子们吵醒。
I took some money with me in order that I could buy something I needed. 我随身带了一点钱,以便购买我需要的东西。
Builders worked day and night in order that the hospital might be finished in time. 建筑工人日以继夜地干活,希望及时把医院建成。
We are calling you now in order that you may be ready for the travel. 我们现在打电话给你,以便你作好旅行的准备。
in order to 和 in order that 都作“为了”、“以便”解,但前者跟动词原形,后者跟从句。这两个结构可以互换。如上面第一、二个例句可以用 in order to 改写:
He came in quietly in order not to wake the children.
I took some money with me in order to buy something I needed.
但是,如果从句的主语和主句的主语不同,则只能用 in order that。
4.The moment he reached the country, he started his search. 他一到达冈比亚,就开始探寻工作。
本句中的“the moment”起连词作用,意思是“一……就……”。相当于as soon as的用法,用来连接一个表示时间的状语从句。例如:
I recognized him the moment he appeared in the street. 他在街上一露面,我就认出他来了。
Telephone me the moment you get the money. 你一弄到了钱,就请打电话告诉我。
The moment he spoke, I knew that there was no hope. 他一开口说话,我就知道没有希望了。
The moment he got into the office, he told us the bad news. 他一走进办公室,就告诉了我们这个坏消息。
the moment 原本是名词词组,但可以起连词作用。类似的词组如 the minute, the second 也可以这样用。上述例句中的 the moment 都可以用 the minute 或 the second代替。此外,在英国英语中,副词 immediately 也可以用作连词,与 as soon as 的用法一样。
例如:
Please let me know immediately you get the results. 你一得到结果,请立即告诉我。
Immediately they got there, they started to work. 他们一到达那儿,就立即开始工作。
5.A few people in each group are given the task of remembering the group's family history that goes back over centuries. 每一个家族都有几个人担任记忆延续了几个世纪的家史的任务。
that goes back over centuries 是限制性定语从句,修饰先行词 family history。从句中的短语动词 go back 作“追溯”解,有“从过去某个时候延续至今”的意思(to have lasted since an earlier time)。例如:
My family goes back 300 years, while his family goes back to the 15th century. 我的家族延续了300年,而他的家族可追溯到15世纪。
go back 还有“回顾”的意思(return in time, in one's thoughts)。例如:
Whenever Grandpa talks, he always likes to go back to his younger days. 爷爷一谈起话来,总喜欢回顾他的年轻时代。
6.在本课的第3部分(Interview)中有一句:One of you plays the role of Haley, and the other the role of a reporter. (你们中有一人扮演哈利,另一个扮演记者。)
句中的 role 作“(戏剧中的)角色”解,常构成 take/play the role of… 结构,意为“扮演……的角色”。例如:
I wish to take the role of a soldier. 我想扮演士兵。
Jenny played the leading role. 珍妮演主角。 |