顯示具有 week2 標籤的文章。 顯示所有文章
顯示具有 week2 標籤的文章。 顯示所有文章

2009年11月20日 星期五

Week 2 Day 5

The Best Laid Plans
Gloria Rogers overslept and then had to sprint to catch the same Greyhound Bus that she boarded on the last Thursday of every month. After a three-hour uneventful ride, she finally arrived at the bus terminal where a courtesy van was ready to transport bus passengers to Visitors Day at State Penitentiary.
Words
1.sprint 奮力而跑,衝刺 v.
2.greyhound 灰狗 n.
3.uneventful 平靜無事的 adj.
4.terminal 總站,終站 n.
5.courtesy van 接駁車 n.
6.penitentiary 監獄 n.

Although Gloria tried to act casual, she was more than a little nervous. Her boyfriend, Art, a convicted felon, had managed to gain admittance to the prison’s hospital on the pretext of having a gall bladder attack. Under her own slacks and bulky sweater, Gloria was wearing a set of clothes that she removed in the hospital bathroom and passed on to Art. He planned to use them after making his escape in the back of the prison ambulance that was parked outside his ward.
Words
1. gall bladder 膽囊 n.
2. slack 寬鬆長褲 n.
3. ambulance 救護車 n.
4. ward 病房 n.

Art had spelled out his escape plan during Gloria’s last visit, spending an hour trying to cajole her into being his accomplice. All that she had to do was appear to have a seizure. Then she would fabricate a story about her epilepsy while Art, with the smuggled clothes concealed under his prison bathrobe, would slip out of the ward during the excitement. Unfortunately for the schemers, a vigilant hospital guard spotted Art climbing into the rear of the ambulance and quickly foiled the escape attempt. The result was that Art had three years added to his sentence and Gloria was imprisoned for her role in the misadventure.
Words
1. spell out 詳加說明 v.
2. accomplice 共犯 n.
3. seizure (病的)發作 n.
4. epilepsy 癲癇,羊癇風 n.
5. smuggle 走私,偷運 v.
6. bathrobe 浴衣 n.
7. schemer 計劃者,謀士 n.
8. foil 挫敗,阻擾 v.

2009年11月19日 星期四

Week 2 Day 4

You've Got to be a Football Expert
As an avid football fan, I try to see every game the Jets play. Whenever I can cajole my father into accompanying me, I try to do so. He has only a rudimentary knowledge of the game,and since I am steeped in it, I enjoy explaining its intricate details to him. It certainly does enhance your appreciation of football when you are aware of every nuance of the sport.

你必須要是橄欖球專家
身為一名死忠的橄欖球迷,我都會想盡辦法觀看每一場紐約噴射機隊的比賽。只要我能哄騙我父親陪我一起看,我都會這樣做。他只略懂橄欖球賽的皮毛,而既然我沉浸在橄欖球賽中,我非常樂意向我父親解釋所有複雜得小細節。當你知道橄欖球賽這個運動的每個小細節,你對球賽的鑑賞力必定會增加。

Words
1. avid 熱心的,熱情的 adj.
2. cajole 誘騙,勸誘 v.
誘騙某人做某事: cajole someone into Ving,用的是into這個介係詞,後面的動詞改用Ving的形式
3. rudimentary 基本的 adj.
4. enhance 提高,增加 v.
5. nuance 細微差別 n.
6. accompany 陪伴,伴隨 v.
7. steep 沉浸在... 中 adj.(Week 1 Day 1)
8. intricate 複雜精細的 adj.

Today's Idiom
to beard the lion in his den
beard這裡是捻鬍鬚的意思,den則是巢穴。這個片語是從聖經故事中的一個拉丁俗諺而來的。故事是說一個牧羊人David,因為一隻老虎偷走他的羊,便追著這隻老虎來到他的洞穴,然後抓住老虎的鬍鬚,把老虎給殺了。後來引申為在某人的領域中拜訪某人或對抗某人,帶有一點冒風險的意思。

Grammar 主詞藍色 動詞(片語)咖啡色 受詞綠色 連結詞橘色
1. As an avid football fan, I try to see every game the Jets play.
as的意思是身為...表示你是...,而like的意思是像...,所以這裡用的是as不是like,因為作者本身就是一名球迷,並不是像一名球迷。
every game the Jets play其實就是every game that the Jets play,當關係代名詞that代替的是一個受詞的地位,that可以省略。

2. Whenever I can cajole my father into accompanying me, I try to do so.
whenever是無論何時,跟when的差別在於whenever沒有限定哪個時間,隨時何時都可以,when後面一定加的是一段時間,是特定的時間點。whenever後面也可加子句,就像本句的樣子。這裡講的是只要是我能說服我爸跟我一起看球賽的任何時候,所以用whenever。
句末的so其實就是cajole my father into accompanying me,為了不要重複述說,就用so代替。

3.He has only a rudimentary knowledge of the game,and since I am steeped in it, I enjoy explaining its intricate details to him.
第三句其實是兩句單獨的句子合併寫在一起。前面部份就是說老爸只懂一點點球賽的皮毛,後面的since當作既然解,而既然我是球迷,我當然很了解規則,所以我很樂意解釋所有比賽的細節。enjoy這個動詞後面一定是加名詞,或是動詞改成Ving的形式。

4.It certainly does enhance your appreciation of football when you are aware of every nuance of the sport.
最後一句 it是虛主詞,表示後面句子中的aware of every nuance of the sport。這裡用了certainly和does兩個字,表示絕對,真的,的意思。兩字的意思其實是完全一樣,所以用了兩個字表示很強調。does enhance= really enhance。be aware of表示明白,了解,of後面加的是名詞,或是Ving。

2009年11月18日 星期三

Week 2 Day 3

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde
Under the pretext of being a surgeon he gained entry to the hospital. When interviewed by the director, he had to fabricate a tale of his medical experience, but he was so adroit at lying that he got away with it. It was not until the phony "doctor" began to gesticulate wildly with his scalpel, that a vigilant nurse was able to detect the fraud. In the annals of medical history there have been a number of such cases.

變身博士
他假藉是外科醫生的名義得以進入這家醫院。當他跟院長面談時,他必須編造過去的醫療經驗,但他實在是太精於說謊,因而騙過了院長如願以償進入醫院。一直到這名假醫生開始瘋狂揮舞著手術解剖刀的時候,警覺的護士才發覺這是個騙局。在醫學的歷史記載中,已經有過許多類似這樣的例子存在。
Words
1.pretext 藉口 n.
2.fabricate 偽造,杜撰,製造 v.
3.adroit 靈巧的,熟練的 adj.
4.gesticulate 作手勢 v.
5.vigilant 警戒的,警惕的 adj.
6.surgeon 外科醫生 n.
7.get away with 僥倖成功,逃脫
8.phony 假的 adj.
9.scalpel 解剖刀 n.
10.fraud 騙局 n.
11.annals 歷史記載 n.(Week 1 Day 3)

Today's Idiom
a wet blanket
這是由用濕的毯子來撲滅火源的動作引伸而來的,引申為掃興的人或物。

Grammar 主詞藍色 動詞(片語)咖啡色 受詞綠色 連接詞橘色
  • 標頭的 Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde就是一個很重要的人物。這其實是由作家Robert Louis Stevenson 在1886年所出版的一本書The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,中文翻譯為化身博士。這本書中主角Jekyll醫生原本是一個善人,但他個性中潛藏的邪惡促使他發明了一種藥水,可以讓人個性轉變身材改變而換成另一種身分而為所欲為。Jekyll醫生喝下藥水之後,搖身一變成為大家討厭的鄙俗男子Hyde。後來Jekyll and Hyde還被引用成為心理學雙重人格的代稱。而這篇文章用Dr. Jykell and Mr. Hyde的目的不是在說雙重人格的故事,而是指假扮成醫生的一場騙局。
1. Under the pretext of being a surgeon he gained entry to the hospital.
在什麼樣的藉口之下這個片語可以用under the pretext of...。 of後面接的要不是名詞,就是將動詞改成Ving的形式。

2. When interviewed by the director, he had to fabricate a tale of his medical experience, but he was so adroit at lying that he got away with it.
第二句原來的複雜形式為when he was interviewed by the director, he had to fabricate a story of his medical experience. 但因為when後面的子句跟主要子句的主詞是同一個人,可以將when後面的這個字句的主詞跟be動詞省略,變成when interviewed by the director。注意這邊的interviewed by the director其實就是被動語態,所以interview用的是 -ed 的模式,而不是 -ing的形式,因為這邊是他被面試,而不是他去面試其他人。have to 這個片語就是必須的意思,後面加原型動詞,這邊因為是過去的事情,所以用過去式had to 。
後面一句 but he was...是將前面的語氣作一個轉折,所以用but這個連接詞。意思就是說他雖然是假造故事來面試,但是實在是太會編了,所以連院長都被騙過去,以為是真的。so...that...的用法跟前面幾篇的文章用法都一樣,是一個非常實用的片語。
be adroit at的意思實際上就是 be good at的意思,凡是介係詞後面的動詞一定是Ving的形式。
lie這個字當做說謊時,動詞變化為 lie,lied, lied, 進行式為lying; 若lie這個字當躺,臥,放置時,動詞變化為lie, lay, lain,進行式一樣為lying。

3.It was not until the phony "doctor" began to gesticulate wildly with his scalpel, that a vigilant nurse was able to detect the fraud.

until跟not until的意思是不同的。until中文翻成直到...; not until中文翻成直到...才...。原句是倒裝句,原來應該可以寫成 a vigilant nurse was not able to detect the fraud until the phony doctor began to gesticulate wildly with his scalpel.。若我們要強調語氣時,就可以使用倒裝句,將 until(連同後面接的動作的句子)拿到句子前面,再加上it is這個虛主詞,原來句子前有 not的就要和until(連同後面的動作的句子)一起拿到句首,所以原來的直述句,就寫成了作者所寫的這個句子。
當until出現時,不論前面是否有not,都表示until前面所做的動作會一直持續到until後面的動作出現為止。以這一句來看,護士沒辦法查覺是騙子的這件事(until前面所做的動作)會一直持續到假醫生亂揮舞解剖刀(until後面的動作)為止,換句話說 就是直到假醫生亂揮舞解剖刀後,護士發覺這個人是一個大騙子。


4.In the annals of medical history there have been a number of such cases.
最後一句很簡單,只要注意中文的"有",在英文上未必是用have/has表達,在這裡要用 there is/are的方式來表達。這裡用現在完成式,表示這種例子已經有很多發生過了。

2009年11月17日 星期二

Week 2 Day 2

If I Had the Wings of Angel
Casting a furtive glance over his shoulder, the felon slipped out the main prison gate to be swallowed up in the British fog. A plethora of escapes from the supposedly secure prison embarrassed the hapless warden. To compound their problems, the city officials were badgered by irate citizens who accused the prison guards of accepting bribes from the convicts whose motto was:" Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage."
假如我有天使的翅膀
犯人探出頭偷偷的瞧了瞧,隨即逃離了監獄大門,被大霧所吞沒。理應戒備森嚴的監獄,卻出現多起逃獄事件,讓不幸的典獄長非常窘迫。憤怒的城市居民紛紛叨擾官員,投訴監獄的守衛接受囚犯的賄賂,更加重了問題嚴重性。而這些囚犯的座右銘正好就是:監獄的石牆關不住我,牢籠的鐵欄杆也關不住我。

Words
1. furtive 偷偷的 adj.
2. felon 重罪犯 n.
3. plethora 過多 n.
4. hapless 不幸的 adj.
5. irate 生氣的,憤怒的 adj.
6. warden 典獄長 n.
7. compound 增加,加重 v. (Week 1 Day 3)
8. badger 煩擾,糾纏 v. (Week 1 Day 4)
9. accuse 指控 v.
10. bribe 賄賂 n.
11. convict 囚犯 n.

Today's Idiom
Pyrrhic victory
西元前279年,羅馬軍隊和希臘北部Epirus的國王Pyrrhus率領的大軍在Asculum打仗,這一仗羅馬軍隊敗北,Pyrrhus勝利,但是他卻損失了許多重要的領袖官員及軍隊。Pyrrhus那時說了一句話,他說Another such victory and we are lost,意思就是雖然贏得勝利,但是因為損失很慘重,如果再來一役,必定慘敗。後來Pyrrhic victory就引申為代價相當昂貴的勝利。

Grammar 主詞藍色 動詞(片語)咖啡色 受詞綠色 連接詞橘色
1. Casting a furtive glance over his shoulder, the felon slipped out the main prison gate to be swallowed up in the British fog.
第一句話用V+ing開始,原句應該可以寫成 The felon casted a frutive glance....and he slipped out....。因為兩句的主詞一樣,做這個動作的人就是後面的主詞 the felon,所以前面可以省略主詞而改用V+ing的方式。

2.A plethora of escapes from the supposedly secure prison embarrassed the hapless warden.
a plethora of +N. 表示過多的.... 這邊表示越獄過多使典獄長難堪,而from the suppposedly secure prison則是以介係詞片語來形容escapes ,原句也可以用關係代名詞來表示,寫成 a plethora of escapes that are from.... 把that are省略就變成了這個句子的樣式。 embarrass是指害羞尷尬難堪,跟interest, confuse, bore, surprise, excite等情緒動詞使用方式一樣,若用動詞方式,一定是 something embarrasses someone,某事讓某人難堪。若是人感到難堪,會用someone be embarrassed with/by something 。

3.To compound their problems, the city officials were badgered by irate citizens who accused the prison guards of accepting bribes from the convicts whose motto was:" Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage."
第三句先用不定詞開頭,是什麼造成問題更多呢,就是後面的句子所提到的事情了。the city officials were badgered by irate citizens這句話是標準的被動語態,主詞+ be +p.p. +by ...,因為是在過去發生的,所以用過去式的be動詞。 那又是什麼樣的citizens 呢? 所以用關係代名詞who來形容citizens。也就是居民們控訴守衛收賄,後面的whose則是關係代名詞,代表誰的..。這裡指的是convicts的座右銘,所以用whose motto。後面這句motto則是一個倒裝句,原句應該是Stone walls do not make a prison; iron bars do not make a cage, either. 因為是用詩的形式,句子就可以倒裝,所以前一段話改成 stone walls do not a prison make, 後一段話用nor開頭, 因為形式都是一樣的,所以把動詞直接省略,就寫成了 nor iron bars a cage, 其實就是nor do iron bars make a cage。

2009年11月16日 星期一

Week 2 Day 1

To the Point
Calvin Coolidge, our thirtieth president, was named "silent cal" by reporters because of his laconic speech.One Sunday, after Mr. Coolidge had listened to an interminable sermon, a throng of reporters gathered around the Chief Executive.One intrepid reporter accosted him:"Mr. President, we know the sermon is on the topic of sin, what did the minister say?" "He was against it, " the reticent Coolidge replied.
簡潔扼要
因為他簡潔的言論,美國記者們給他們第十三任總統Calvin Coolidge取個沉默凱爾的綽號。某一個星期天,在Coolidge先生聽完一個永無止盡的佈道後,一群記者聚集在總統身旁。其中一個很勇敢的記者接近總統並發問:"總統先生,我們知道這次的佈道主題是關於罪惡,請問牧師怎麼闡述?"沉默的Coolidge回答說:"他反對罪惡"。
Words
1. laconic 簡潔的 adj.
2. throng 大群 n.
3. interpid 勇敢的 adj.
4. accost 接近與之攀談 v.
5. reticent 無言的,沉默的 adj.
6. to the point 扼要
7. interminable 永無止境的 adj. (Week 1 Day 4)
8. sermon 佈道 n.
9. Chief Executive 總統 n.
10. minister 牧師 n.

Today's Idiom
The sword of Damocles
這個片語源自於希臘傳說。Damocles是Syracuse的國王Dionysius的弄臣。Damocles曾向Dionysius阿諛的表示,能當像Dionysius這樣的國王實在是太美好了。國王被Damocles的阿諛給惹煩了,決定給Damocles一點教訓。國王為了Damocles舉辦了一場酒宴,要讓他盡情享受,可是當Damocles看到他的位置上方掛著一把只用一根馬毛懸掛的劍,就正好在他的頭正上方,Damocles的興致盡失,Damocles這才曉得原來像國王這樣可以享受一切的人,其實也是面臨著恐懼和威脅。後來這個片語就引申成為迫近的危險

Grammar 主詞藍色 動詞(片語)咖啡色 受詞綠色 連接詞橘色
1. Calvin Coolidge, our thirtieth president, was named "silent cal" by reporters because of his laconic speech.
第一句當中的Calvin Coolidge就是故事的主角,也是主詞,用兩個逗號所夾的名詞片語來說明他是誰,他就是美國第十三任總統。這裡用到被動語態的基本句型: 主詞 + be + p.p.+by +someone
被誰取暱稱會用被動語態,所以用was named by reporters ,取名叫做silent cal 就當named後面的受詞。後面還說明原因,用because of這個片語時,跟because的差異就在於 because of +名詞, because + 子句。

2.One Sunday, after Mr. Coolidge had listened to an interminable sermon, a throng of reporters gathered around the Chief Executive.
第二句開頭先說明時間,然後再用after這個連接詞來表達事情發生的狀況。had listened to 用過去完成式來表達,表示整個故事都是在過去的時間所發生的,而在過去那段時間中,Coolidge已經聽完一場佈道,所以用過去完成式。也就是聽佈道這件事,在過去某個時間已經完成,而整個故事是過去式表達,所以用過去完成式。

3.One intrepid reporter accosted him:"Mr. President, we know the sermon is on the topic of sin, what did the minister say?" "He was against it, " the reticent Coolidge replied.
第三句利用對話的方式完成,使用了引號(quotation mark)(" ")。當在寫引號中的句子時,就視同一般的普通句子來寫,也就是怎麼說就怎麼寫,不需要改變主詞動詞等等的位置。