Week 66

NCE4 Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them good sport, and the more difficult it is, the more highly it is regarded. In the pioneering days, however, this was not the case at all. The early climbers were looking for the easiest way to the top, because the summit was the prize they sought, especially if it had never been attained before. It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought, but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement. They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top!

It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the pioneers. Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular, Alpine villages tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains. Such inns as there were were generally dirty and flea-ridden; the food simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all washed down with coarse wine. Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could -- sometimes with the local priest (who was usually as poor as his parishioners), sometimes with shepherds or cheese-makers. Invariably the background was the same: dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable. For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home, the change to the Alps must have been very hard indeed.

Walter Unsworth Matterhorn Man

文章背景

This article comes from a book entitled “Matterhorn Man: The Life and Adventures of Edward Whymper”.

About this book:The Matterhorn, the most spectacular mountain in the Alps, was first climbed by Whymper in 1865. In this anniversary volume, Walter Unsworth, himself a climber, tells the story of all that led up to the ascent, from the earliest attempts to the final successful tragic expedition.

Alps：

The Alps are the highest and most extensivemountain range system that lies entirely inEurope,stretching approximately 1,200 kilometres (750mi) across eightAlpine countries(from west to east):France,Switzerland,Italy,Monaco,Liechtenstein列支敦斯登 ,Austria,Germany, andSlovenia. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasiantectonic plates构造板块 collided. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marinesedimentary rocksrising bythrustingandfolding (geology) into high mountain peaks such asMont Blanc and theMatterhorn. Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at 4,810m (15,781ft) is the highest mountain in the Alps. The Alpine region area contains about a hundred peaks higher than4,000 metres (13,000ft).

Matterhorn

Mont Blanc 法文

Zermatt

Panorama View of Summits:

Chamonix—the cradle of modern mountaineering

panorama view of this valley:

表达积累

alpinist /'ælpɪnɪst/

n. （阿尔卑斯山的）登山者

alpinist / Alpinist

mountain climber/mountain climbing

mountaineer/mountaineering

alpinism / Alpinism

the Alps

Alpine / alpine

alpine villages

pioneer

n. 先驱，探索者

eg. Young Pioneers 少先队

v.开拓，探索

eg. in the pioneering days 起步时

break new ground

ground-breaking educational reforms 开拓性的

=lead the way 探索

The company has led the way in developing environment-friendly products.

summit /'sʌmɪt/

n. 山顶，顶点；最高级别峰会

summit / peak 都可指抽象事物的顶点，但峰会只能用summit，不能用peak

peak往往指抽象事物，峰值，the peak price最高价，peak rate高峰费率

eg. the summit / peak of his career

事业的巅峰

at the peak of the morning rush hour

在交通早高峰的最繁忙时期

eg. Economies have peaks and troughs.

经济有高峰，也有低谷。

crest尖/pinnacle 尖顶、塔尖、尖岩

wave crest / mountain crest

the crest/pinnacle of one’s career

apex /eipek/任何顶点，抽象

the apex of a triangle

the apex of one’s career

zenith 巅峰状态；天顶（太阳月亮在天空中的最高点）

At the zenith of its power, the Yuan Dynasty ruled almost all of the Eurasian continent亚欧大陆.

perilous /'perələs/

adj. 非常危险的，险象环生的

peril n. 随时可能发生危险，严重危险；祸害，险情

eg. The ship was in grave peril. 陷入了严重危机

hazardous/ˈhæzədəs/

危险的（一般没事，保不齐哪天有事）

风投：a hazardous investment

hazard n. 隐患

a health / safety / fire / traffic hazard

be / present / pose / constitute a hazard to … 对……构成隐患

shudder/'ʃʌdə(r)/

v.（人）不寒而栗 (因担忧、恐惧、厌恶或寒冷)发抖，打颤，战栗；(机器、交通工具等)强烈震动，剧烈抖动；担忧;恐惧;害怕

eg. send/cause a shudder 引起担忧

use the right word：shake,tremble,shiver,quiver,vibrate,shudder

这些动词均含“震动，颤抖”之意。

shake最普通用词，含义广。指人或物不自主地颤动、摇摆，常侧重剧烈和无规律。

tremble指由于寒冷、虚弱、愤怒或恐惧等而发抖、战栗。

eg. Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain went down to see what had happened.

shiver指因寒冷或情绪突变而出现的短时间的轻微和快速的颤抖。

eg. When I kiss your lips, ooh I start to shiver

quiver多用于指事物，（人/声音/嘴唇等身体部位），指物体像乐器的弦一般地轻微而急速地颤动。 词根qu-模仿松软，颤动或颤抖的声音

eg. Can’t control the quivering inside. 心弦

vibrate指急速地连续震动，也指钟摆等的来回摆动。

shudder着重指由于恐惧、震惊等而引起的全身突然而强烈地战栗。

court /kɔ:rt/

n.法庭；古代宫廷；球场；诉讼；发表意见的机会（day in court）；(因为有趣或出名)引人注目，被人围观 （hold court in a place）；庭外，不经法庭

(因观点或想法可笑而)对…一笑置之，对…不予考虑 If youlaughsomeoneout of court, you say that their opinions or ideas are so ridiculous that they are not worth considering.

eg.

A friend in court is better than a penny in purse.

朝中有人比囊中有钱好。

courtesy n.礼节

courteous adj. 有礼节的=polite

go to court 打官司，注意无冠词修饰

settle sth. out of court 私了

a tennis / basketball court 中号运动比赛场

V.

1.(为使某人、团体或国家按自己的意愿做某事而)试图取悦，讨好

eg. Some businessmen court only wealthy clients.

2.追求(异性)；向…求爱;恋爱

eg. John has been courting Mary for 3 years.

3.试图获得，追求(关注或声望)

eg. court fame and gain

4.招致，酿成，导致(不愉快的事)

eg. Pride courts failure.

solitary /'sɒlətri/

adj. 唯一的

They had a single aim, a solitary goal—top !同义连用，加强语气

n.

solitude 独处，（享受）单独

loneliness （感觉）孤独

I love tranquil/ˈtræŋkwil / solitude. 一个人静静的独处

in solitude 独处的状态

词根：“sol ” = alone

sole 单独的，唯一的

solo /ˈsəuləu/ 独自的，单独的；独奏，独舞

soliloquy / səˈliləkwi / 独白

impoverish/ɪm'pɒvərɪʃ/

v. 使贫困 （钱少）

The EU trade policies will impoverish developing countries.

deplete（不一定是钱）枯竭，（大量）减少，消耗

词根：de-不，反；ple满的，把满的倒空→耗尽

impoverished贫的，避讳说poor

destitute赤贫的；贫困的；一无所有的（不光荣）

词根：de-, 不，非，使没有。-stit, 站，词源同stand, institute. 即使无立足之地，引申义贫困。

SYN贫穷的

deprived

disadvantaged

underprivileged

eg. underdeveloped countries / regions …穷国

仅指国家、地区欠发达

flea-ridden [fli: 'rɪdn]

adj. 布满跳蚤的

flea跳蚤

同音词：flee (fled, fled) to leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible danger · 迅速离开；(尤指害怕有危险而)逃避，逃跑

“-ridden ”: full of sth. unpleasant

debt-ridden countries 负债累累的国家

disease-ridden slums 疾病丛生的贫民窟

“-infested ” =full of something harmful or unpleasant，比如常指充满讨厌的动物

eg. a rat-infested house

eg. a crime-infested city

boast [bəʊst]

v. （人做主语）炫耀，自夸；有，拥有（值得骄傲的成就或财产）

boast of / about sth.

boast that …

China and France boast sound bilateral relations.

enjoy享有；

eg. The city at one time must have been prosperous, for it enjoyed a high level of civilization.

be blessed with … 有好的……

eg. They were blessed with two children, a boy and a girl.

be endowed with … 强调天生拥有

eg. She is endowed with both brains and beauty.

cherish 怀念，有pleasant emotions产生的

He cherished the memory of his late wife.

be free from…没有不好的东西

parishioner [pə'rɪʃənə(r)]

n. 教区居民

parishioner

parish/ˈpæriʃ /小教区都有一个church小教堂

一个个parish小教区构成diocese大教区

diocese/ ˈdaiəsis /大教区可能有一个cathedral/ kəˈθiːdrəl / 宏伟大教堂

sport n. [U] fun; amusement

eg. He tormented虐 the cat only for sport.

重难点

…the more difficult it is, the more highly it is regarded.

前从后主

eg. I play (the) better, the more I practice.

后从前主，注意区分主从句！

The more I practice, the better I play.

… this was not the case at all. 全然不是这样

This is/was not always the case. 不总是这样

This is indeed the case. 确实如此

This is not necessarily the case. 不必这样

This might not be the case. 可能是这样

It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought, but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement.

It is / was true that … , but …

=Admittedly, / Granted, … but …

It is true that / admittedly, / granted, …, but / yet确实……但是……，欲抑先扬

• that is not to say that …

• it does not necessarily mean that …

• we cannot ensure / guarantee that …

• there is no guarantee that …

be faced / confronted with …with后面是状态，表示现在存在的一种状态，不一定要马上解决

若换成face/confront 用动词表示动态，“面临”，得马上解决

eg. China is faced / confronted with the problem of overpopulation.

of a … nature"某种类型的"，adj的另一种描述方法，写作时可用

questions of an academic nature 学术类型的问题

articles of a technical nature 科技类型的文章

shudder at the thought of当固定搭配来用

at the … of … 一……就……

… they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country …

go out of one’s way (to do …)特地，不怕麻烦

eg. Please don’t go out of your way for me.

eg. It was very kind of you to go out of your way to meet us at the airport.

They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top!

I’m sick and tired of your silliness愚蠢.

He is never one to pick and choose.

She is always complaining of her aches and pains.

Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular, Alpine villages tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains.

except for / but for / if it were not for … 若没有……的话 +虚拟语气

eg. except for / but for / if it were not for your support, I would be in big trouble now.

except / but (that) …

eg. I would buy a Mercedes except / but (that) I am poor. =if I were rich.

tend to do

倾向于，往往，客观倾向；不排除特例的存在

=have a tendency to do

be cut off from

be out of touch with+civilization

be isolated from

be separated from

Such inns（ as there were ）were generally dirty and flea-ridden; the food （was）simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all washed down with coarse wine.

such as，as不能用which替换

；并列句，后面不用加连词，后半句里省略了相同的谓语。

Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could --

find one's way

人或物做主语，译法不同，体会不同含义

人find one's way 找路

物find its way there 物到达了某地

人threaten to 人威胁……

物 threaten to 物面临……的危险

人promise to do 承诺……

物promise to do 有可能会……

eg. While it will be fun, the seminar also promises to be most instructive.

这次的研讨会不仅会有趣，而且有可能会颇具启发意义。

Invariably the background was the same: dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable.

invariably总是

后面两个部分dirt and poverty与very comfortable 分别做the same的同位语，基于一个理念：adj可以作为n的同位语，但是由于adj和n的词性不同，所以中间又加了一个and作区分。

For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home,…

be accustomed to sth. / doing 习惯于

=be used to sth. / doing

=be in the habit of sth. / doing