Week 32
DAY156
Lesson36-1:A chance in a million
We are less credulous than we used to be. In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences --most of them wildly improbable. Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother. A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall. And so on.
知识点：
单词：
credulous 英 /ˈkredjələs/ 美 /ˈkredʒələs/
ADJ-GRADED 轻信的；易受骗的
If you describe someone as credulous, you have a low opinion of them because they are too ready to believe what people tell them and are easily deceived.
eg. quack doctors charming money out of the pockets of credulous health-hungry citizens. 从那些渴望健康而又容易上当受骗的市民那里骗钱的江湖郎中。
novelist 英 /ˈnɒvəlɪst/ 美 /ˈnɑ:vəlɪst/
1.N-COUNT 小说家
A novelist is a person who writes novels.
eg. a romantic novelist. 浪漫派小说家
coincidence 英 /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/ 美 /koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/
N-VAR 巧合；巧事
A coincidence is when two or more similar or related events occur at the same time by chance and without any planning.
eg. Mr. Berry said the timing was a coincidence and that his decision was unrelated to Mr. Roman's departure.贝里先生说这是时间上的巧合，他的决定与罗曼先生的离开没有关系。
presume/prɪ'zum/
1.v.（不肯定地）认为，相信，推测
If you presume that something is the case, you think that it is the case, although you are not certain.
2.v.冒昧；擅自主张；妄行
If you say that someone presumes to do something, you mean that they do it even though they have no right to do it.
3.v.假设；假定
If an idea, theory, or plan presumes certain facts, it regards them as true so that they can be used as a basis for further ideas and theories.
long-lost
adj.失去已久的；久违的；久别的
You use long-lost to describe someone or something that you have not seen for a long time.
improbable 英 /ɪmˈprɒbəbl/ 美 /ɪmˈprɑ:bəbl/
1.ADJ-GRADED 不大可能的；未必会(发生)的
Something that isimprobable is unlikely to be true or to happen.
eg. a highly improbable coincidence 几率非常小的巧合。
obscure 英 /əbˈskjʊə(r)/ 美 /əbˈskjʊr/
1.ADJ-GRADED 无名的；鲜为人知的；默默无闻的
If something or someone is obscure, they are unknown, or are known by only a few people.
eg. The origin of the custom is obscure 这一习俗的起源鲜为人知。
maidservant 英 /meid ˈsə:vənt/ 美 /med ˈsɚvənt/
NOUN 女仆；女佣；侍女（old-fashioned）
1.a female servant in a house.
wickedly 英 /'wɪkɪdlɪ/ 美 /'wɪkɪdlɪ/
1.ADJ-GRADED 缺德的；邪恶的；恶毒的
You use wicked to describe someone or something that is very bad and deliberately harmful to people.
eg. She described the shooting as a wicked attack. 她称那次枪击为恶意袭击。
2.ADJ-GRADED 淘气的；恶作剧的
If you describe someone or something as wicked, you mean that they are rather naughty, but in a way that you find attractive or enjoyable.
eg. She had a wicked sense of humour. 她有种古灵精怪的幽默感。
plot 英 /'plɒt/ 美 /'plɒt/
1.N-COUNT 阴谋；密谋
A plot is a secret plan by a group of people to do something that is illegal or wrong, usually against a person or a government.
eg. Security forces have uncovered a plot to overthrow the government. 安全部队揭露了一起推翻政府的阴谋。
2.VERB 图谋；密谋
If people plot to do something or plot something that is illegal or wrong, they plan secretly to do it.
eg. Prosecutors in the trial allege the defendants plotted to overthrow the government. 检方在审判中指称被告密谋推翻政府。
3.VERB 计划；制订
When people plot a strategy or a course of action, they carefully plan each step of it.
eg. Yesterday's meeting was intended to plot a survival strategy for the party. 昨天的会议旨在制订使该党能够继续存在下去的策略。
4.N-COUNT （戏剧、电影或小说的）次要情节，从属情节，小插曲
The sub-plot in a play, film, or novel is a story that is separate from and less important than the main story.
eg. ... a fascinating sub-plot to the main drama. 重头戏中精彩的小插曲
5.N-COUNT （尤指作特殊用途的）一小块（土地）
A plot of land is a small piece of land, especially one that has been measured or marked out for a special purpose, such as building houses or growing vegetables.
eg. I thought that I'd buy myself a small plot of land and build a house on it . 我想我该给自己买一小块地，在上面建一座房子。
6.VERB 绘制……的曲线
When someone plots something on a graph, they mark certain points on it and then join the points up.
eg. We plot about eight points on the graph. 我们在图表上绘制出大约8个点的曲线。
downfall 英 /ˈdaʊnfɔ:l/ 美 /ˈdaʊnˌfɔl/
1.N-COUNT 衰落；衰败；垮台
The downfall of a successful or powerful person or institution is their loss of success or power.
eg. His lack of experience had led to his downfall. 经验不足导致了他的下台。
2.N-COUNT 失败(或垮台)的原因
The thing that was a person's downfall caused them to fail or lose power.
eg. His honesty had been his downfall. 他败在诚实。
presume, suppose, assume同义词辨析：
这三个词都有猜测猜想的意思，不过他们之间还是有所不同的。
presume 推断，依据现实的
suppose 猜测（确定性不高）；与愿望相反的猜想
assume 武断推测或不合逻辑的推理，毫无根据。
presume>suppose>assume 推断结论正确的可能性排名
1.presume 【释义】 to believe something to be true because it is very likely, although you are not certain 假定，推定某事，根据现实的某些感觉把某事认定为是事实，即使不足够确定 【例句】 I presume that they're not coming, since they haven't replied to the invitation. 鉴于他们没有回复邀请，我认为他们不会来了。 （依据“他们没有邀请函”这个事实，推断出“他们不会来了”这个结论）
2.suppose 猜，推测 【释义】 ① to think that something is likely to be true 认为可能，料想，猜想 ② used to show that you think something is true, although you wish that it were not 用于表示与愿望相反的估计（这个意思其他两个词不具有） 【例句】 ① Dan didn't answer his phone, so I suppose that he's busy. 我给丹打电话，但是没人接，所以我想他应该是出门了。 （根据“打电话没人接”多做出的猜测） ② I suppose that all the tickets will be sold by now. 我想现在所有的票恐怕都已经卖完了。 （自己的愿望是“买票”，但做出“票卖光”这个与自己愿望相反的猜测）
3.assume 【释义】 to accept something to be true without question or proof 假定，假设；臆断，想当然地认为即使没有证据支持 【例句】 ① I assumed that you knew each other because you went to the same school. 你们不是上的同一所学校嘛？我还以为你们两个认识呢。 （假定“同一所学校，两人认识”，并不是强有力的推断，而是说话者自己的臆断） ② Let's assume that they're coming and make plans on that basis. 我们还是假定他们会来，并以此来作出计划。 （没有证据证明“他们会来”，但还是依次做出判断，属于臆断）
词组：
used to be 过去曾经是
eg. I used to be a very heavy gambler, but not any more. It's a mug's game.
我曾经是个赌棍，但现在再也不赌了，那是傻瓜的游戏。
and so on 如此等等，诸如此类
eg. Cut down on animal fats found in red meat, hard cheeses and so on.
减少摄入存在于红色肉类、硬干酪等中的动物脂肪。
bring sth to a conclusion 给某事下结论
eg. These examples bring us to a conclusion: There is no picture- or theory-independent concept ofreality.
这些事例给我们一个结论：没有独立于图像或理论之外的事实概念。
长难句、语法：
In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences—most of them wildly improbable.
在19世纪，小说家常在小说结尾处给读者准备一系列的巧合—大部分是牵强附会，极不可能的。
by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences 作方式状语，交代如何“给小说结尾”，破折号后面的内容起进一步解释说明的作用。
wildly improbable 的意思是“极其不可能的”，比 impossible 的程度更深。
Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother.
当时的读者却愉快地接受这样一些事实，一个低贱的女佣实际上是主人公的母亲。
that引导同位语从句，解释说明 fact 是什么。
本句中的 hero 不做“英雄”来理解，而是指“主人公”。
精妙翻译：
We are less credulous than we used to be.
我们不再像以往那样轻易相信别人了。
A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall.
主人公一位长期失散的兄弟，大家都以为死了，实际上一直活着，并且正在策划暗算主人公。
DAY157
Lesson36-2:A chance in a million
Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable. Yet, in real life,circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible. A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman, recently found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before. While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman.
单词：
incredible /ɪnˈkrɛdəbl/ adj.
1.impossible or very difficult to believe 不能想象的，难以置信的
eg. It seemed incredible that she had been there a week already.
真让人难以相信，她已经在那里待了一个星期了。
2.extremely good or extremely large 极好的，极大的
eg. The hotel was incredible. 这家旅馆棒极了。
tour n. /tʊə/
a journey made for pleasure during which several different towns,countries,etc. are visited 旅行，旅游
eg. a walking/sightseeing tour 徒步/观光旅行
conspire /kən'spaiɔ/ vi.
1.共谋；密谋；阴谋策划：
eg. The criminals conspired to rob a bank.
这些罪犯阴谋策划抢劫银行。
2.协力，合作，一致行动；凑在一起造成：
eg. They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people.
他们协力促成两人的会面。
3.to seem to work together to make sth bad happen 似乎共同导致（不良后果）
conspire against sb/sth
conspire to do sth
长难句、语法：
Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible.
不过，在现实生活中，有时确实会出现一些巧合，这些巧合除了19世纪小说家外谁也不会相信。
语言点1:句子结构分析:which引导定语从句，修饰先行词coincidences,说明巧合是什么。
语言点2:do sometimes conspire中的do为助动词，对谓语conspire起强调作用。
语言点3:but不表示“但是”，而是作“除…之外”来理解。
While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman.
一次， 他与妻子徒步旅行。途中，停下来与一个工人交谈。
语言点:While on a walking tour with his wife放在句首，是一个省略式的时间状语从句，可还原为:while he was on a walking tour with his wife。
DAY158
Lesson36-3: A chance in a million
After they had gone on, Mrs Bussman commented on the workman's close resemblance to her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz poured scorn on the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs Bussman was fully acquainted with this story, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right.
知识点：
单词：
resemblance/rɪˈzɛmbləns/
n. the state of looking or being like someone or something else; similarity of appearance, or, sometimes, of character; likeness 相似,形似
eg. He bears/has a close/striking/strong/uncanny resemblance to his father. [=he looks a lot like his father]
eg. I noticed some resemblances between them. [=I noticed some ways in which they resemble each other]
辨析resemblance, likeness, alikeness, similitude, simalirity
likeness: 1) the fact or quality of being alike; resemblance. 2) a portrait or representation. 画像,肖像
alikeness: the state or quality of being similar. (uesd rarely很少用)
similitude: 1) a person or thing resembling another; counterpart; facsimile 2) a simile, allegory, or parable相似,比拟
similarity: 1) the state or quality of being similar; resemblance or likeness; 2) a point, feature, or instance in which things are similar
scorn/skɔːn/
1.n. a feeling and expression of contempt or disdain for someone or something. 鄙视，轻蔑
eg. I do not wish to become the object of scorn.
eg. Why do you always pour/heap scorn on (= criticize severely and unfairly) my suggestions?
2.v. feel or express contempt or disdain for. 轻视，蔑视
eg. So does he respect the press and media, or does he secretly scorn them?
3.v. to refuse advice or an offer because you are too proud 不屑做
eg. She scorned all my offers of help.
acquaint/əˈkweɪnt/
1.v. make someone aware of or familiar with.
词组: acquaint yourself with somethingeg.
eg. New staff should be acquainted with fire exit routes.
2.v. to give someone information about something 通知,告知
词组: acquaint somebody with something
eg. Acquaint him with your plans.
辨析despise, scorn, look down upon
despise: 指由于卑鄙、软弱，渺小或无价值等而被轻视。
scorn: 语气较强，指极端的蔑视，常伴有愤怒或恼怒的情感。
(词组: hold in scorn 蔑视, think scorn of 蔑视,藐视)
look down upon: 指自视地位优越而蔑视他人或事。
辨析inform, acquaint, notify, advise
inform: 普通用词，指传达事实或信息，或指经过研究或调查而获得的事实或信息。
acquaint: 指提供有关信息或情况使某人熟悉某些过程或复杂的情况。
notify: 指正式通知需要注意的事情。
advise: 指正式通知某件重要事，所通知的事情与被通知的人有关。
词组：
comment on 说，对...加以评论
close resemblance to 与...很像
pour scorn on the idea 对……不屑一顾，嗤之以鼻，讥笑=pour contempt/ridicule on
to say a person or thing is stupid and not worth anything
pour oil on troubled waters
to do or say something in order to make people stop arguing and become calmer. 调停争端
eg. My husband's always arguing with my father, and I'm the one who has to pour oil on troubled waters.
be killed in action during the war 在战争中阵亡
be fully acquainted with this story 熟知这个情况
句式：
point out that...
指出
she thought that there was a chance in a million that......
她认为自己的想法有百万分之一的可能性……
精妙翻译：
After they had gone on, Mrs Bussman commented on the workman's close resemblance to her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother.
接着他们继续往前走去。巴斯曼夫人说那工人与她丈夫相貌很像，甚至猜测他可能就是她丈夫的兄弟。
after……这句话是和前面一起翻译的，而不是按照句号来划分翻译
英语说的表达有很多种，这里comment on一般是“评论”的意思，巴斯曼太太评论工人的外貌，也就是“说”
suggest的意思是cause one to think that (something) exists or is the case.查了英文释义后觉得“猜测”翻译得很恰当）
Though Mrs Bussman was fully acquainted with this story, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right.
尽管巴斯曼夫人熟知这个情况，但她仍然认为自己的想法仍有百万分之一的可能性。
fully acquainted翻译成“熟知”，后面的句子属于意译，译者使用了“可能性”这个词。
DAY159
Lesson36-4:A chance in a million
A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit.
知识点：
单词：
reunite /ˌriːjuːˈnaɪt/ verb /intransitive, transitive/
to come together again or to bring people, parts of an organization, political party, or country together again 使团聚
be reunited with somebody
The children were finally reunited with their families. 注意：当reunite用作及物动词时，常用被动语态。
词组：
needless to say 不用说，当然
long-lost 失散多年的
separated from 与…分开
长难句、语法：
A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman.
几天后，她派了一个男孩去问那人是否叫汉斯.巴斯曼。
语言点1:句子结构分析:动词不定式短语to ask…作目的状语，即“派男孩去目的地是为了让他去问…”。
语言点2:if his name was Hans Bussman为宾语从句，作ask的直接宾语，him是间接宾语。
When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.
兄弟俩团聚之时，汉斯说明了他活下来的经过。
语言点1:句子结构分析:when引导时间状语从句。how it was that he was still alive为宾语从句，说明explained的内容，其中it是形式主语，that引导的从句是真正的主语，这句话改写成正常语序应该是he was still alive was how。
语言点2:注意were reunited不可译为“被团圆”，而应译为主动语态。
精妙翻译：
Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz's long-lost brother.
不出巴斯曼夫人所料，那人的名字真是汉斯.巴斯曼，他确实是弗朗兹失散多年的兄弟。
needless to say 字面意思“不用说”翻成了成语“不出所料”不落俗套，我觉得翻成“无需多言”“毋庸置疑”亦可。
long-lost 字面意思“失去了很长时间的”翻成“失散多年”，言简意赅。
When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.
When...were reunited 翻成团聚之时，既表达出when的时间指示，又将were翻出了主动语态，而不是“被团聚/团圆”的被动语态。
After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit.
战争即将结束时，他负伤被送进医院，并与部队失去联系。
翻译时，先把end of the war的时间段单独提前，having been wounded翻译成“负伤”，“be separated from”的意思是“被与…分开”，文中此处翻成了失去联系，也是神来之笔。
感觉这一整段的特色就是，虽然几乎没有生词，但翻译用词都非常精准，具有文学色彩。
DAY160
Lesson36-5:A chance in a million
The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants. Assuming that his familyhad been killed during an air raid, Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.
知识点：
单词：
inhabitant /ɪn'hæbɪtənt/
可数名词 居民
The inhabitants of a place are the people who live there.
assume/ə'sum/
1.v.假定;以为;假设
If you assume that something is true, you imagine that it is true, sometimes wrongly.
2.v.掌管，夺取，取得（权力）；承担（责任）
If someone assumes power or responsibility, they take power or responsibility.
3.v.呈现，具有，显露（某种特质）
If something assumes a particular quality, it begins to have that quality.
4.表现出（某种表情）；装出，做出（某种样子）
If you assume a particular expression or way of behaving, you start to look or behave in this way.
raid/red/
1.v.（入室）抢劫；打劫；扫荡（冰箱、食品柜等处）的食物
2.air raid 空袭（该词通常为受袭方所使用）
eg. An air raid is an attack by military aircraft in which bombs are dropped. This expression is usually used by the country or group that is suffering the attack.
词组：
make one's way back into的意思是“设法返回…”（即回到以前生活的地方）
family home 故里，家乡
settle down的意思是“定居”（长期居住在某地而不随意搬家）
ever since 从那时起，自那以后
句式：
Assuming sth/that
假设···；基于怎样的假设，然后发生了一些事
类似句子：Let us assume those clubs actually win something. Then players will receive large bonuses...倘若那些俱乐部真的赚了，那么球员就会获得一大笔奖金。
长难句、语法：
Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed.
与此同时，他所在部队被击溃，他的所有档案材料全部毁于战火。
语言点1: 句子结构分析:was lost本意为“不见了，找不到了”，在此引申为“被击溃”。
语言点2: had been destroyed强调战争的严酷性，造成的毁坏几乎无法修复。
Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants.
汉斯重返故里，但他的家已被炸毁，左邻右舍谁也不知原住户的下落。
语言点1: 句子结构分析:but后面的分句说明汉斯返回家乡后看到的情景。What引导宾语从句。
语言点2: family home的意思是“故里，老家”，相当于hometown。
语言点3: become of在此理解为“遭受的情况是…”。
精妙翻译：
his unit was lost
他所在的部队被击溃 (野蛮翻译不知道lost应该怎么翻译)
最后，分段复述：
我们不再像以往那样轻易相信别人了。在19世纪，小说家常在小说结尾处给读者准备一系列的巧合——大部分是牵强附会，极不可能的。当时的读者却愉快地接受这样一些事实，一个低贱的女佣实际上是主人公的母亲;主人公一位长期失散的兄弟，大家都以为死了，实际上一直活着，并且正在策划暗算主人公;如此等等。
现代读者会觉得这种天真的结局完全无法接受。不过，在现实生活中，有时确实会出现一些巧合，这些巧合除了19世纪小说家外谁也不会相信。当我是个孩子的时候，我祖父给我讲了一位德国出租汽车司机弗朗兹。巴斯曼如何找到了据信已在20年前死去的兄弟的事。
一次，他与妻子徒步旅行。途中，停下来与一个工人交谈，接着他们继续往前走去。巴斯曼夫人说那工人与她丈夫相貌很像，甚至猜测他可能就是她丈夫的兄弟。弗朗兹对此不屑一顾，指出他兄弟已经在战争中阵亡了。尽管巴斯曼夫人熟知这个情况，但她仍然认为自己的想法仍有百万分之一的可能性。
几天后，她派了一个男孩去问那人是否叫汉斯.巴斯曼。不出巴斯曼夫人所料，那人的名字真是汉斯.巴斯曼，他确实是弗朗兹失散多年的兄弟。兄弟俩团聚之时，汉斯说明了他活下来的经过。
战争即将结束时，他负伤被送进医院，并与部队失去联系。医院遭到轰炸，汉斯步行回到了西德。与此同时，他所在部队被击溃，他的所有档案材料全部毁于战火。汉斯重返故里，但他的家已被炸毁，左邻右舍谁也不知原住户的下落，汉斯以为全家人都在空袭中遇难，于是便在距此50英里外的一座村子里定居下来，直至当日。
Last updated
Was this helpful?