高教自考英语二完整讲义：第四章精讲(二)

　　Text B　Return of The Chain Gang

　　I.New Words

　　Title翻译：又返回到用铁链子把囚犯们拴在一起干活的时代了

　　1.gang n. 1.一队，一族；2.（囚犯，歹徒等）一群，一帮

　　2.eyewitness n. 目击者；见证人

　　3.unison n. 一致；协调

　　4.interstate a. [主美]州际的

　　5.BBC（=British Broadcasting Corporation） 英国广播公司

　　6.correspondent n. 1.对应物；2.新闻通讯员，记者，通信者

　　7.shackle n. 1.[常pl.]镣铐；2.[pl.]束缚，枷锁

　　8.ditch n. 沟，沟渠

　　vt./vi. 开渠；筑渠

　　9.weed n. 1.杂草，野草；2.水生植物

　　vt. 除草，拔草

　　10.deny vt. 1.否定，否认；2.拒绝接受，拒绝给予

　　11.re-introduction n. 重新采用，重新引入

　　12.gap n. 裂口，裂缝

　　13.toilet n. 盥洗室；厕所

　　14.circus n. 1.马戏团，杂技团；2.马戏场，杂技场

　　15.degrade vt. 1.降级，贬代；2.堕落；3.退化

　　16.plantation n. 1.种植园，大农场；2.植树造林

　　17.spokesman （[复] spokesmen） n. 发言人；代言人

　　18.racist n. 种族主义者

　　a. 种族主义的；种族歧视的

　　19.racial a. 种族的

　　20.inhumane a. 不人道的，残忍的

　　21.ineffective a. 无效的；不起作用的

　　22.civil a. 1.国民的；民用的；2.国内的，民间的

　　23.union n. 1.工会，协会；2.结合，联合

　　24.liberty n. 1.自由，自由权；2.冒昧，失礼；

　　3.[常pl.]特许权，特权

　　25.punishment n. 1.处罚，罚，刑罚；2.折磨，损害

　　26.disaffection n. 不满

　　27.argument n. 1.争论，辩论；2.论据，理由

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　1.to watch over 看守，照管，监视

　　2.in unison 完全一致地

　　3.to call up 1.打电话；2.使想起，使忆起

　　Porper Names

　　Huntsville　亨茨纬尔

　　Alabama　阿拉巴马

　　Clare Bolderson　克莱尔。博尔德森

　　Georgia　佐治亚

　　Don Claxton　唐。克莱克斯顿

　　Alvin Bronstein　阿尔文。布朗斯坦

　　Arkansas　阿肯色

　　重点词汇精讲：

　　1.deny ： 否认，否定

　　用法：deny 后要加动名词作宾语

　　Neil denies breaking the window， but I‘m sure he did. 内尔否认打破了窗户，但我肯定是他干的。

　　2.degrade ： v. 降级，贬低

　　派生词：grade n. 等级，级别

　　de- 是前缀表示 “reduce， remove， down， showing an opposite”的意思。

　　相关词汇构词法： code - decode ； value - devalue ； form - deform ； merit - demerit；

　　3.ineffective： 无效的

　　反义词：effective a. 有效的；

　　II.课文分析

　　Eyewitnesses say is was a scene straight out of a black and white movie from the 1950s. As the sun rose over the fields of Huntsville， Alabama， in the American South， the convicts got down from the trucks that had brought them there. Watched over by guards with guns ，they raised their legs in unison and made their way to the edge of the highway， Interstate 65. The BBC‘s Washington correspondent Clare Bolderson was there and she sent this report：

　　1.chain gang 用铁链拴在一起劳动的囚犯队

　　2.Eyewitnesses say it was a scene straight out of a black and white movie from the 1950s.

　　目击者说这仿佛是直接取自20世纪50年代黑白电影的一幕。

　　句中宾语从句省略了引导词that . straight为副词，意为“直接地”

　　3.Watched over by guards with guns， they raised their legs in unison and made their way to the edge of the highway， Interstate 65. 他们在荷枪实弹的警卫的看守下，步伐一致地迈动双腿，向着65号州际公路路边走去。

　　watched over 为过去分词短语作伴随状语。

　　make one‘s way to 去往，朝…走去

　　the highway，interstate 65 （美国）65号州际公路

　　“They wore white uniforms with the words ‘Chain Gang’ on their backs and ，in groups of five， were shackled together in leg irons joined by an eight-foot chain. The prisoners will work for up to 90 days on the gang： they‘ll clear ditches of weeds and mend fences along Alabama’s main roads. While they are working on the sang， they‘ll also live in some of the harshest prison conditions in the United States. There’ll be no televisions or phone calls； many other day-to-day privileges will be denied.”

　　The authorities in Alabama say there is a lot of support for the re-introduction of chain gangs in the State after a gap of 30 years （the last gangs were abolished in Georgia in the early 1960s）。 Many people believe it is an effective may to get criminals to pay back their debt to society.

　　4.Many people believe it is an effective way to get criminal to pay back their debt to society.

　　许多人相信这是一种让罪犯向社会还清债务的有效途径。

　　it是形式宾语，不定式to get criminal to pay back their debt to society为实际宾语

　　The prisoners stay shackled when they use toilets .They reacted sharply to the treatment they are given：

　　5.They reacted sharply to the treatment they are given. 他们强烈反抗他们所受到的待遇。

　　they are given 为定语从句，修饰 the treatment

　　Prisoner one ： “This is like a circus . A zoo . All chained here to a zoo .We‘re all animals now.”

　　6.All chained here to a zoo.

　　此句为省略句，谓语动词are 被省略 ， 应为all are chained here to a zoo.意为：所有的人都被锁链拴住，这里成了动物园。

　　Prisoner two： “It‘s degrading. It’s embarrassing.”

　　Prisoner three： “In chains. It‘s slavery！”

　　Six out of every ten prisoners in chains are black ， which is why the chain gangs call up images of slavery in centuries gone by ， when the black people were brought from Africa in leg irons and made to work in plantations owned by white men. Not surprisingly， although three-quarters of the white population of Alabama supports chain gangs， only a small number of black people do. Don Claxton， spokesman for the State Government of Alabama， insists that the system is not racist：

　　7.Six out of every ten prisoners in chains are black， which is why the chain gangs call up images of slavery in centuries gone by， when black people were brought from Africa in leg irons and made to work in plantations owned by white men.

　　which引导非限定性定语从句，修饰前句话。

　　gone by过去分词短语，修饰 centuries.

　　when引导另一个定语从句，修饰centuries.

　　句中并列谓语是were brought ，（were） made to work是主语补语，因此不可以省略不动式符号to

　　“This isn‘t something that’s done for racial reasons， for political reasons. This is something that‘s going to help save the people of Alabama tax money because they don’t have to pay as many officers to work on the highways. And it‘s going go help clean up our highways and it’s going to help clean up the State.”

　　However， the re-introduction of these measures has caused a great deal of strong disagreement. Human rights organizations say that putting prisoners in chains is not only inhumane but also ineffective. Alvin Bronstein， member of the Civil Liberties Union， says that study after study has shown that you cannot prevent people from committing crimes by punishment or the threat of punishment： “What they will do is make prisoners more angry ， more hostile， so that when they get out of prison， they will increase the level of their criminal behaviour.”

　　8.“What they will do is make prisoners more angry， more hostile， so that when they get out of prison， they will increase the level of their criminal behavious.”

　　what引导的主语从句中有do，则在表语中不定式省略to

　　so that 引导结果状语从句

　　Civil liberties groups say that chaining people together doesn‘t solve the causes of crime ，such as poverty or disaffection within society. What it does is punish prisoners for the ills of society. They say the practice takes the United States back so the Middle Age ， and that it is a shame to American society. But that’s not an argument likely to win favour among many people in the Deep south of the United states. Alabama‘s experiment is to be widened to include more prisoners， and other States， such as Arkansas and Arizona， will very probably introduce their own chain gang schemes.

　　9.What it does is punish prisoners for the ills of society.

　　同上句 what引导的主语从句中有do，则在表语中不定式省略to，

　　10. But that‘s not an argument likely to win favour among many people in the Deep South of the United States.

　　划线部分为形容词短语作定语，修饰argument.

　　win favour 意为“赢得赞同”

　　be not likely to 不可能

　　favor 喜欢

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