Week 70
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Not all sounds made by animals serve as language, and we have only to turn to that extraordinary discovery of echo-location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role.
To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some recent human inventions. Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a mountainside, an echo will come back. The further off this solid obstruction, the longer time will elapse for the return of the echo. A sound made by tapping on the hull of a ship will be reflected from the sea bottom, and by measuring the time interval between the taps and the receipt of the echoes, the depth of the sea at that point can be calculated. So was born the echo-sounding apparatus, now in general use in ships. Every solid object will reflect a sound,varying according to the size and nature of the object. A shoal of fish will do this. So it is a comparatively simple step from locating the sea bottom to locating a shoal of fish.With experience,and with improved apparatus, it is now possible not only to locate a shoal but to tell if it is herring, cod, or other well-known fish, by the pattern of its echo.
It has been found that certain bats emit squeaks and by receiving the echoes, they can locate and steer clear of obstacles -- or locate flying insects on which they feed. This echo-location in bats is often compared with radar, the principle of which is similar.
MAURICE BURTON Curiosities of animal life
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Curiosities of animal life:A book which draws on the "striking, unusual, and extraordinary" to present natural history in an engaging way.
Maurice Burton(28 March 1898 – 9 September 1992) was a British zoologist and popular science author, who produced many natural history encyclopedias and books including a skeptical treatment of the Loch Ness Monster(尼斯湖水怪)
adj. 实用主义的;功利主义的(formal)
SYN
useful, functional, practical
英英释义:designed to be useful rather than attractive
eg. ugly utilitarian buildings 外表丑陋但很实用的建筑
有时有贬义意味
N.功利主义者
→拉丁语uti,使用,利用
→tarian ……主义的
vegetarian /ˌvedʒəˈteəriən/ 素食主义者
totalitarian 极权主义的
humanitarian 人道主义的
egalitarian 平等主义者
eg.
文雅:Three years elapsed.
口语:Three years went by / passed.
“lapse ” = slide,"col"=com/con一起一起向下滑→崩塌
collapse
relapse
eg. relapse into bad habits 染上恶习
interval between A and B
at … intervals 每隔……分
at intervals 每隔一段时间
at weekly / 20 minute intervals 每隔一周/每隔20分钟
a school / shoal of fish shoal→鱼群,一群
a flock of sheep / pigeons flock→本身就有羊的意思
a herd of cattle / deer / elephants herd→放牧
a drove of horses / cattle / sheep drove→驱赶,移动中的
a pack of wolves / tigers / lions/dogs pack→狼啊狗啊这种猛兽型
a swarm of flies / bees swarm→嗡嗡声,词源swer蜂鸣音
a colony of ants / termites colony→部落
1.v. & n. (发出)尖叫声,尖锐的声音,但声音不大
英英:make a short, high-pitched sound
the squeak of a mouse
The door opened with a squeak.
screech 尖锐
the screech of tire 火警的尖锐声
scream / shriek 女性情绪化的尖叫
2.to only just manage to win sth, pass a test, etc.
勉强通过;侥幸成功;险胜
eg. Wesqueaked into the finalwith a goal in the last minute.
我们靠最后一分钟的入球侥幸进入决赛。
Bats are interesting animals. They are famous for their echo-location ability. Echo-location in bats are often compared with radar.
=be used as…
=act as…
=function as…
eg. You have only to press the button to call the nurse.
have only to turn to sth. to do … 只需借助于……就可以……(口语/书面√)
adv. exactly and completely 是完全地,不是严格的!
eg. She is strictly a beauty.
To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some recent human inventions.
appreciation是“理解,了解”,不是“欣赏,感谢”
=… to fully appreciate what this means …
turn to sb 一般性的求助
resort to … 求助于(诉诸不愉快的手段,不得已最后的手段)
eg. We can solve this problem without resorting to legal action.
Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a mountainside, an echo will come back.
=in the neighborhood of …
close to …
near …
off … ……外
eg. off campus 校外,on campus 在校园里
= will come back
= will bounce back
sea bottom = sea bed = sea floor
… between the tapping and receiving the echoes …
adv. relatively
It is a small step from A to B.
It is a small step from loving a man to hating him.
It is a small step from loving a man to the bone to hating him to the core. 爱之深,恨之切。
with experience √ 随着经验的积累,因为经验本身就含有日益积累的情境
with accumulating experience X
with time √ 时间本来就在不断走
with passing time X
with seasons √ 季节更替
with changing seasons X
accelerate the speed of economic reform X accelerate本来就是“加速”,后面就不用the speed of 了
by
prep. according to …
emit: “e ”(out) + “mit ”(send) 发射出去
transmit: “trans ” (across)+ “mit ” 传输,传播
eg. sexually transmitted diseases 性传播疾病
eg. The US open will be transmitted live(现场直播)via satellite.
omit: “o ”=“ob ”(away) + “mit ”
submit: “sub ”(under) + “mit ” 上交
vomit: “vo ”(eat) + “mit ” (医)呕吐,口语就是throw up
= avoid …
= get around …
We tried to steer clear of political issues.
eg. I steered clear of the main roads where I might be recognized.
eg. Cows feed on hay(草料).
prey on sth.(+动物)
eg. Owls prey on mice. 捕食
live on sth.
This echo-location in bats is often compared with radar, the principle of which is similar.
2种情况:
1.区别明显的对比;
2.A,B可以相似
contrast A with B 指AB明显不同
not 与全部肯定词 all, every, everything, everyone, both 连用,多表示部分否定,“并非所有都是”
All that glitters is not gold. 闪光的不一定都是金子。
但是本身是有歧义的,只能通过上下文语境做逻辑判断
eg. All of the arrows didn’t hit the target.
为避免歧义,用none最好
eg. None of the arrows hit the target.
Not every sound made by animals serves as language.
“名词+介词+关系代词” 引导非限定性定语从句
the principle of which…
科技英语的行文特点:
1、倾向于将动词名词化。
2、倾向于更多地使用被动语态。