Week 20
DAY96
L24-1: A skeleton in the cupboard
We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard '. At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.
知识点:
Skeleton in the cupboard是一条起源于英国的成语。关于这条成语,还流传著一个故事。 传说有一个年轻貌美的女人,因丈夫长年在外,不堪寂寞,于是趁丈夫不在之时,每晚在家和情人幽会。有一天晚上,正当她和情人幽会之时,她的丈夫突然回来了,妻子大惊失色,手忙脚乱地把情人藏入了家中的一个大木柜中。丈夫进得屋来,二话不说用砖把木柜垒在一堵墙内。天长日久,那位情人变成了一具骷髅。 所以,Skeleton in the cupboard的含意就是“不可外扬的家丑,隐情”。
单词:
skeleton /'skɛlɪtn/
1.n. 骨架,骨骼;纲要;骨瘦如柴的人
2.adj. 骨骼的;骨瘦如柴的;概略的
Skeleton Key 万能钥匙;骷髅钥匙;全能钥匙
skeleton staff 基干人员基千人员
seemingly /'simɪŋli/
adv. 看来似乎;表面上看来
respectable /rɪ'spɛktəbl/
1.adj. 值得尊敬的;人格高尚的;相当数量的
2.n. 可敬的人
conceal /kən'sil/
v. 隐藏,隐瞒
conceal monster 隐身术有隐身魔法书
possess /pə'zɛs/
vt. 控制;使掌握;持有;迷住;拥有,具备
possession n. 财产;所有物
在日常英语中,人们表示某人有某事物一般说has或has got,而不说possesses
vivid /'vɪvɪd/
1.adj. 生动的
eg. He sketched the situation in a few vivid words. 他用几句生动的语言简述了局势。
dramatic /drə'mætɪk/
2.adj. 戏剧的;急剧的;引人注目的;激动人心的
dramatic increase/rise/fall/drop/reduction
eg. Universities have suffered a dramatic drop in student numbers. 大学里学生的数量急剧减少。
reputation /,rɛpju'teʃən/
n. 名声,名誉;声望
enjoy a reputation(=have it) 享有名声
have a good/bad etc reputation 有美名/恶名等
build/develop a reputation 树立名声
live up to its reputation(=be as good as people say it is) 名副其实
辨析reputation, image, name, standing, prestige, stature
1.reputation 名誉,名望
the opinion that people have about a person, organization etc because of what has happened in the past
eg. She was a good lawyer with a reputation for honesty and diligence. 她是个优秀的律师,以诚实和勤奋著称。
eg. The school had an excellent reputation. 那所学校享有盛誉。
2.image 〔尤指通过新闻报道、广告等建立的〕形象
the idea that people have about what something is like, especially when this is created through newspaper stories, advertising etc
eg. A PR campaign was launched in an effort to improve the company’s image. 为提升公司形象发起了一场公关运动。
eg. Boxing has rather a negative image . 拳击运动形象相当不佳。
3.name 名声〔尤用于以下短语〕
the reputation that a person, organization etc has – used especially in the following phrases
eg. The company is anxious to protect its good name . 该公司急于保护自己的声誉。
eg. Cyclists who ignore traffic rules give other cyclists a bad name . 无视交通法规的骑车人让其他骑车人士背上了恶名。
4.standing 名望,地位
someone’s reputation and position compared to other people in a group or society, based on other peoples’ opinion of them
eg. The class system in Great Britain encourages people to be very aware of their social standing . 英国的等级制度使得民众相当在意自己的社会地位。
eg. He needs to improve his standing among female voters. 他需要提升自己在女性选民中的声望。
5.prestige 〔公司、机构、团体等的〕声望,威望
the good reputation that a company, organization, group etc has, which makes people respect and admire them
the prestige of a carmaker such as Rolls-Royce 劳斯莱斯等汽车制造商的声望 Does Stanford University carry the same prestige as Harvard or Yale? 斯坦福大学与哈佛、耶鲁等齐名吗?
6.stature 声望
the importance and respect that a person or organization has, because of their achievements or their influence
eg. As he got older, Picasso’s stature as an artist increased. 随着年岁的增长,毕加索作为艺术家的声望越来越高。
eg. an actor of international stature 一位享有国际声誉的演员
ruin /'ruɪn/
1.n. 废墟;毁坏;灭亡
be on the road to ruin 正在走向毁灭
an interesting old ruin 一处有意思的古老废墟
eg. Her marriage was in ruins. 她的婚姻破裂了。
2.v. 毁灭;使破产
eg. This illness has ruined my life. 这个病毁掉了我的生活。
DAY97
L24-2: A Skeleton in the cupboard
The reader’s hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands. It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.
知识点:
单词:
heroine UK /ˈher.əʊ.ɪn/ US /ˈher.oʊ.ɪn/ n
1.a woman who is admired for having done sth very brave or having achieved sth great 女英雄
2.the main female character in a book or film who is usually good 女主角
eg. the heroine of her latest novel
3.a woman who you admire very much “女神”
poison /ˈpɔɪ.zən/
1.to kill a person or animal or make them very ill by giving them poison
eg. Four members of the family had been poisoned, but not fatally.
2.to put poison in someone’s food or drink
eg. He said that someone had poisoned his coffee.
3.to add dangerous chemicals or other harmful substances to sth. such as water or air
eg. The chemical leak had poisoned the water supply.
4.to spoil a friendship or another situation, by making it very unpleasant.
eg. The long dispute has poisoned relationships between the two countries.
fiction /'fɪkʃən/
n. 小说;虚构,编造;谎言
romantic fiction 爱情小说
historical fiction 历史小说
fantasy fiction 奇幻小说
science fiction 科幻小说
varying /'vɛəriŋ/
adj. 不同的;变化的
v. vary 变化,改变
n. variety 多样性
词组:
one's hair stands on end when …. 当···某人感到毛骨悚然
in one's youth 在某人年轻时候
to varying degrees 在不同程度上
句式:
It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.
这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。
长难句、语法:
The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
当读者到小说最后几页了解到书中女主人公,那位一向待大家很好的可爱的老妇人年轻时一连毒死了她的5个丈夫时,不禁会毛骨悚然。
成分分析:
主句是the reader's hair stands on end,when引导了一个时间状语从句。
novel 后面that又引导了一个宾语从句解释说明小说最后几页的内容。
the heroine是从句主语,译为女主角, a dear old lady...to everybody是同位语从句修饰the heroine;who had always been so kind to everybody是定语从句,修饰 a dear lady, 翻译为那个总是对所有人都很友好的高贵的年长妇人。
had poisoned 是the heroine 的谓语,译为下毒毒死,every one of her five husbands 是宾语,是下毒的对象,翻译为曾经毒死了她的五任丈夫。
in her youth 是插入语,可以拆出来单独看,翻译为在她年轻时。
精妙翻译:
To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.
尽管我们人人都有各种大小秘密,连最亲密的朋友都不愿让他们知道, 但我们当中极少有人有柜中骷髅。
Which引导了一个定语从句,中心词是secrets,甚至不希望最亲密的朋友知道的秘密
DAY98
L24-3: A skeleton in the cupboard
The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.
知识点:
单词:
guestroom /'gestrum/
n. (家庭中的)来客住房,客房
词组:
be proud of 对...感到骄傲
eg. I am proud of you!
pride n.
take/show/feel pride in sth 对...感到骄傲
eg. The mother takes pride in her son!
这个母亲对她的儿子感到很骄傲!
put one's pride in pocket (pride n.这里指自尊)夹着尾巴做人
pride v.
pride oneslef on sth. 为自己...很得意(骄傲)
eg. The young writer prides himself on his virgin piece.
这个年轻的作家对自己的作品很满意。
as proud as a peacock 骄傲的像个大公鸡
instead of 往往表示出一正一反,肯定一个否定一个。instead of 后面的往往是被事实否定的。
eg. The heavy rain, instead of bringing any good as expected, caused a lot of harm to the crops. 那场大雨非但没有带来什么好处,反而造成了极大的损失。
eg. Taking exercises everyday makes him look younger instead of older. 每天锻炼身体使他显得年轻而不见老。
detective stories 侦探小说
类似表达: detective fiction
精妙翻译:
I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house.
有一次,我在他家里度周末,过得很不愉快。这事我永远不会忘记。
Once 有一次,曾经
which 引导的定语从句修饰weekend,但是翻译的时候却并没有这样说,翻译是先描述完事件,然后对事件评价——我永远不会忘记。
George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.
乔治把我领进客房,说这间很少使用。
从语法上说,he said 应该算是插入语,感觉我们口语表达上可能会常常这样用。
DAY99
L24-4: A skeleton in the cupboard
He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.
知识点:
单词:
unpack /,ʌn'pæk/
vt. 卸下…;解除…的负担
vi. 打开包裹
un-词根,多表示否定,如:unfold 打开
stack/stæk/
1.n.垛,干草堆; (一排)烟囱; 层积; 整个的藏书架排列;
eg.A stack of files awaited me on my desk. 我桌上有一堆文件正待我去处理
2.vt/vi.堆成堆,垛; 堆起来或覆盖住; 洗牌作弊; 秘密事先运作;
eg. He ordered them to stack up pillows behind his back.他命令他们把几个枕头叠放在自己的背后。
petrify/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/
吓呆,使麻木
eg.Slogans petrify our thinking. 口号僵化了我们的思想.
词根 petr=stone,表示"石头"
petrify 石化,僵化,吓呆 petr石头+ify化→石化
dangle/dangle/
1.vt/vi.悬荡,垂着摆动; 尾随,追逐;
eg. Or bend over and let your arms dangle , relaxing all your muscles.或者弓腰垂臂,让手臂垂下摆动, 松驰筋肉.
underclothes /'ʌndɚ'kloðz/
n. 内衣,贴身衣物
又作underclothing 、 underwear
drawer /drɔr/
n. 抽屉;开票人;出票人;起草者;酒馆侍
top drawer 社会最上层的;最上层抽屉;最高级的
bottom drawer 嫁衣
draw up the first set of rules 起草第一份规则
长难句、语法:
stand in front of it petrified
站在柜前吓呆了
stand表示处于某种状态,起系动词的作用,后面常接形容词、介词短语或过去分词,表示主语处于某种状态中的特征,可视作表语。
DAY100
The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.
知识点:
单词:
sway
1.to move slowly from one side to another (从一边到另一边)摆动(左右的方向)
eg. Willows are swaying gently in the breeze. 杨柳在微风中轻轻摆动。
2.to influence sb. Who has not yet decided about something so that they change their opinions. 使摇动
eg. His determination swayed by the difficulties waiting in front. 他的决心被眼前的困难动摇了。
unsympathetic 无动于衷的
not understanding someone else’s problems and not giving them any help.
sympathetic adj.富含同情心的。
用法:be sympathetic to /towards 对…表示同情
eg. We are sympathetic to their unfortunate experience.
我们对他们不幸的经历深表同情。
sympathy n.同情心
用法:have sympathy for sb.
Feel sympathy for sb.
eg. All of her neighbors feel a lot of sympathy for the poor widow who brought up 5 kids on her own.
邻居们对那个独自一人养大五个儿女的寡妇表示深深的同情。
offer sympathy 表示同情
sympathy letter 慰问信(安抚信)
leap 英 /liːp/ 美 /lip/
v. to jump forward
look before you leap 三思而后行
leap at a chance、leap at an opportunity
这两个短语都表示(急切地)抓住一个机会
leap year 润年
Common year 平年
By leaps and bounds 突飞猛进
eg. His German is improving by leap and bounds. 他的德语有了突飞猛进的进步。
hop, step, jump 三级跳
Hop:单脚跳
Step:空中走步
Jump:纵身一跃
Job hopper 跳槽者
medical /'mɛdɪkl/
adj. 医学的;药的;内科的
n. 医生;体格检查
medical record 病历
a medical studen 医学生
medical insurance 医疗保险
medicine 英 /ˈmedsn/ 美 /ˈmedɪsn/
n. 药;医学;内科;巫术
vt. 用药物治疗;给…用药
western medicine 西医
Chinese medicine 中医
Chinese herbal medicine 中药;中草药
tradition medicine 传统医学
词组:
leap out
1.跃出;跳出来:
The lion leaped out from behind a tree and captured its prey. 狮子从树后跳出来抓住了猎物。
2.引人注意:
The banner headline leaped out at me from the newspaper. 报纸上的通栏标题跃然映入我的眼帘
句式:
it gave me the impression that…它给我这样一种感觉(印象)
同义表达:it leaves me the imprison that…
that后面是同位语
相关表达:be under the impression that (wrong believe that something is a fact because of the way the situation seems.)误以为,好像…
eg. Wives are always under the impression that their husband can put things right whenever they go wrong. 妻子们总是以为他们的丈夫总能在东西坏的时候把他们修好。
补充:
be under the illusion
be under the delusion
上面两个短语都表示“妄想着…”
eg. Mary was under the illusion that marriage can change her husband for the better.
Mary 总是幻想着婚姻会使她的丈夫变得好一点。
it was about to leap out at me
1)Be about to do sth. (说话)就要,眼看就要
eg. Don’t go out now-we’re about to have lunch. 现在别出去了,我们要吃午饭了。
eg. They are about to leave China for home. 他们就要离开中国回国了。
2)not about to do sth. 不愿意
eg. I’m not about to pay 30 dollars for a dress like that. 我不愿意花30美元买这条裙子。
长难句、语法:
Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.
Dropping my suit,现在分词做状语
分词和分词短语作状语时,可以表示时间、原因、行为方式等意义。表示时间和原因的分词短语相当于对应的状语从句。
现在分词的动作和位于动作同时或几乎同时发生,意思是主动的,该动作是由句子的主语发出的。
过去分词的动作发生在谓语动作之前,且及物动词的过去分词意思是被动的,该动作是施加到句子主语上的。
he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend
他笑着说道,俨然在谈论一位老朋友。
as if,好像,后面接的是条件状语从句,使用虚拟语气,表示与现在事实相反的假设。
通常,条件状语从句中的谓语动词用“过去式(be动词的过去式用were)”,而主句中的谓语动词用“would / should/ could / might + 动词原形”。如:
eg. If I were a boy, I would join the army.
eg. If I were you, ...
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