“声”化武器杀人于无形 |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/03/28 09:48 世博英语 |
本课您将学到:形容词后缀-less,关于婚姻的短语,怎样区分because, for, since和as 它无色无味,无影无形,杀人不见血,让你求生不得求死不能……这不是萨达姆的生化武器,也不是什么高科技产品,它随着人类的诞生而诞生,随着人类的发展而发展,look! Here it comes… Hello. You know me. I am in your office, at your parties, and on your phone. For amusement(消遣), I will break your heart and cause you to have sleepless(失眠的) nights. I have made governments collapse(瓦解) and marriages fall apart. Since I have no face, you have no protection against becoming my victim(牺牲者). Who am I? I am Gossip(流言). I have existed(存在) since people could talk, and I will be there long after you are gone. So remember to ask yourself the next time you repeat a story about somebody: Is it true? Is it fair? If the answer to either of these questions is no, then perhaps you should keep quiet. 【世博读书笔记】 打个招呼,除了hello,还可以说Hi! Hi, guys/folks!这个藏匿在我们的办公室,出现在聚会和电话中的家伙,表面看起来似乎挺懂礼貌。可事实上,它会为了消遣,让我们心力憔悴,夜不能寐。(For amusement, I will break your heart and cause you to have sleepless nights.) less是形容词后缀,意思是“没有…的”,那么sleepless就是“没有休息的”,也就是“无眠的”意思。类似的词还有fearless无畏的,useless无用的,endless没完没了的…… 它还有过瓦解政府(made governments collapse)和拆散婚姻(made marriages fall apart)的“劣迹”。fall是“落下”的意思,当一个物品从高处落下,并且摔成apart(拆开地)的样子,显然就是“破碎”了。接下来,我们学习几个跟婚姻有关的短语: 两个人关系破裂,看来只有一条路可走,就是分手(break up) A: Nancy and Steve are breaking up. (Nancy和Steve正闹分手呢。) B: It's really a shame. I've heard that they quarrel, but they've always made up afterward.(真是太遗憾了。我听说他们吵架了,但后来他们和好了。) B说的make up就是“和好如初”的意思。如:Would they make up if they didn't resent each other? (如果他们不彼此怨恨,会不会和好如初呢?) 它没有脸,你毫无防备,就成为它的牺牲品。protection against是“保护……以避免……”的意思,比如:A thick jacket is a protection against cold.(厚夹克可以御寒。)protection against becoming my victim就是“保护(人们)以避免成为牺牲品”的意思,可以加上前面的you have no,就变成了否定,意思是,“你没有这种保护你避免成为牺牲品的东西”。 说了这么多,它到底是什么呢?就是“流言”。(Gossip注意:这里把它大写是为了强调,就好像中文里加上双引号一样。) 从人们可以说话起,它就一直存在;(I have existed since people could talk)我们过世了,它却仍将长存。(I will be there long after you are gone)想一想人们在戴安娜王妃死后的喋喋不休吧,真是“人言可畏”啊! 所以,下一次在你打算讲某人的闲话时候,(the next time you repeat a story about somebody)不妨问问自己:这是真的吗?这公平吗?(Is it true? Is it fair?) 如果其中有一个答案是“不”,(If the answer to either of these questions is no)那么也许你就该保持沉默。(then perhaps you should keep quiet) either指两者中的任意一个。又一个词和它很相近,就是neither。这两个词都可用于表示两个人或物。neither表示否定意义,意为“两者中的每一个都不”;而either则表示肯定意义,意为“两者中有一个”。如: Neither of them can speak Chinese.他们俩都不会说汉语。 Either of them can speak Chinese.他们俩有一个会说汉语。 【世博资料库】 perhaps与maybe perhaps意为“也许”,“可能”,是副词,含有“也许是如此,也许不是如此”的意味,如: But perhaps they don't know that yet.但是他们可能还不知道。He will perhaps succeed.他也许会成功。(不成功的可能性较大) maybe意为“或许”、“大概”是副词,为美国英语,主要用于非正式场合,口语中常用。如:Maybe they will let me go.或许他们会让我走。Maybe he will succeed.他也许会成功。 注意:may be是情态动词may+be,常用作谓语动词,有“可能是”的意思,要注意与maybe的区别,如: You may be right.你可能是对的。 Maybe you are right.或许你是对的。 【世博语法小教室】 because, for, since和as 这四个词作为连词,都有“因为”的意思,都可以用来作为一个动作或情况提供原因或理由,但它们在用法上有区别: because是从属连词,接表示直接原因的从句,往往放在句末(有时也放在句首),直接明白地说明因果关系。因此,在回答why的提问时或原句有just, only, not…but all等副词强调原因时必须用because. for是并列连语。接表示间接原因的并列分句,所说的理由是一种补充。说明for引导的句子一般放在句尾。试比较: He isn't here today because he is ill.因为他病了,所以他今天没有来。 He must be ill, for he isn't here.他今天没来,看来一定是生病了。 since和as是从属连词,说明的是已为人们所知和理由。since的语气比because弱,但比as强。since和as引导的从句一般放在句子的开头。 Since he was busy, he didn't come. 他因为忙,所以没来。 As I have a day off today, I'll write to you. 因为我今天有一天假,所以就给你写信。 此外,since也可以述说推断的理。如: It must have rained, since the ground is wet. 一定下过雨,因为地是湿的. (本栏目是由世博英语(360abc.com)大妮子原创编写!从零开始,循序渐进,地道英语,轻松入门!未经书面授权,请勿转载!) |
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