Lesson 58 A blessing in disguise?是因禍得福嗎?

First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Why does the vicar refuse to cut down the tree?
The tiny village of Frinley is said to possess a 'cursed tree'. Because the tree was mentioned in a newspaper, the number of visitors to Frinley has now increased. The tree was planted near the church fifty years ago, but it is only in recent years that it has gained an evil reputation. It is said that if anyone touches the tree, he will have bad luck; if he picks a leaf, he will die. Many villagers believe that the tree has already claimed a number of victims. The vicar has been asked to have the tree cut down, but so far he has refused. He has pointed out that the tree is a useful source of income, as tourists have been coming from all parts of the country to see it. In spite of all that has been said, the tourists have been picking leaves and cutting their names on the tree-trunk. So far, not one of them has been struck down by sudden death!
參考譯文
據(jù)說弗林利這個小村里有一棵“該詛咒的樹”。就因為報上提到過這棵樹，所以現(xiàn)在來弗林利參觀的人越來越多。該樹是50年前栽在教堂附近 的，但只是近 幾年才得到了一個壞名聲。據(jù)說，誰要是觸摸了這棵樹，誰就會交上惡運；如果誰摘了一片樹葉，誰就會死去。很多村民相信此樹已經(jīng)害了不少人。人們曾請求教區(qū) 的牧師叫人把樹砍掉，但他直到現(xiàn)在也沒有同意。他指出，由于人們從全國各地紛紛前來參觀這棵樹，它成了一個有用的財源。盡管有上述種.種說法，但游客們還是照常摘樹葉和把他們的名字刻在樹干上。然而到目前為止，還沒有一個人暴死呢！

New words and expressions 生詞和短語
blessing
n. 福分，福氣

disguise
n. 偽裝

tiny
adj. 極小的

possess
v. 擁有

cursed
adj. 可恨的

increase
v. 增加

plant
v. 種植

church
n. 教堂

evil
adj. 壞的

reputation
n. 名聲

claim
v. 以......為其后果

victim
n. 受害者，犧牲品

vicar
n. 教區(qū)牧師

source
n. 來源

income
n. 收入

trunk
n. 樹干

Lesson 58 自學(xué)導(dǎo)讀First things first

　　課文詳注 Further notes on the text
　　1．The tiny village of Frinley is said to possess a‘cursed tree’.據(jù)說弗林利這個小村里有一棵“該詛咒的樹”。
　?。?）主語+ be said+…這種結(jié)構(gòu)通常譯為“據(jù)說……”，是對不太
　　有把握的事發(fā)表看法時一種謹(jǐn)慎的說法。（cf．本課語法）
　　（2）of在這里表示同位關(guān)系，如 the city of London/New York（倫
　　敦/紐約市）；at the age of twenty（20歲時）； a height of three feet（3英尺的高度）。

　　2．…the number of visitors to Frinley has now increased.……現(xiàn)在來弗林利參觀的人越來越多。
　　the number of表示“……的數(shù)量/總數(shù)”，它作主語時謂語動詞要用單數(shù)，雖然visitors是復(fù)數(shù)。注意它與a number of（許多，若干）的區(qū)別：
　　The number of patients in this hospital has increased.
　　這家醫(yī)院的病人越來越多。
　　A number of patients have asked to see you.
　　許多病人要求見您。（動詞用復(fù)數(shù)形式）

　　3．…it is only in recent years that it has gained an evil reputation.……只是近幾年才得到了一個壞名聲。
　　句中的 it is…that是個強調(diào)句型。如果我們想要強調(diào)某個詞或某個短語，我們可以用 it is/was+被強調(diào)的成分+that/ who(m)結(jié)構(gòu)。這樣組成的句子叫分裂句，因為it結(jié)構(gòu)把一個簡單句劈開，使其分裂成兩個分句。被強調(diào)的成分可以是主語、賓語、狀語等。課文中這句話強 調(diào)的是時間狀語。從簡單句到強調(diào)句變化如下：
　　Frank phoned Jack last night.
　　弗蘭克昨晚給杰克打了電話。（簡單句，沒有強調(diào)什么）
　　It was Frank who phoned Jack last night.
　　是弗蘭克昨晚給杰克打了電話。（強調(diào)是弗蘭克而不是別人打的電話）
　　It was Jack who (m) Frank phoned last night.
　　是杰克昨晚接到弗蘭克打來的電話。（強調(diào)電話是打給杰克而不是打給別人）
　　It was last night that Frank phoned Jack.
　　是昨天晚上弗蘭克給杰克打了電話。（強調(diào)是昨天晚上而不是其他時間）

　　4．It is said that if anyone touches the tree, he will have bad luck; if be picks a leaf, he will die.據(jù)說，誰要是觸摸了這棵樹，誰就會交上惡運；如果誰摘了一片樹葉，誰就會死去。
　　it是這個句子的先行主語，其真正主語是that引導(dǎo)的兩個條件句（都是第1類條件句），這兩個條件句在結(jié)構(gòu)上一樣。

　　5．…the tree has already claimed a number of victims.……此樹已經(jīng)害了不少人。
　　claim可以表示疾病、意外等“奪去（生命）”：
　　The accident claimed a few lives.
　　那次事故奪走了幾條人命。

　　6．The vicar has been asked to have the tree cut down, but so far he has refused.人們曾請求教區(qū)的牧師叫人把樹砍掉，但他直到現(xiàn)在也沒有同意。
　?。?）在 to have the tree cut down這個短語中， have表示“使……”，即叫別人完成某動作，cut down為過去分詞短語。（cf．第66課語法）
　?。?）so far為固定短語，其含義之一為“迄今為止”，常與現(xiàn)在完成時連用：
　　He hasn't returned my books so far.
　　迄今為止他還沒有還我的書。

　　7．point out，指出。
　　這個短語可分開用：
　　I realized that he had made a mistake, so I pointed it out to him immediately。
　　我意識到他犯了個錯誤，所以我立即就向他指了出來。
　　He pointed out that it was a mistake not to help them.
　　他指出不幫助他們是錯誤的。

　　8．in spite of,盡管，雖然；不顧，不管。
　　He set off in spite of the heavy rain.
　　盡管下著大雨，他還是出發(fā)了。
　　In spite of what you have told me, I still believe(that) he has stolen the money.
　　雖然你對我說了這些，我還是認(rèn)為他偷了那筆錢。

　　9．So far, not one of them has been struck down by sudden death!
　　然而到目前為止，還沒有一個人暴死呢！
　?。?）not one of them表示“一個人也沒有……”，其語氣比none of them或 no one要強。
　　（2）strike down為固定短語，在這里表示“使……生重病”、“殺死”（通常用被動語態(tài)）：
　　Many people were struck down in that war.
　　許多人在那場戰(zhàn)爭中死去了。
　　He was struck down by cancer last year.
　　他去年死于癌癥。

　　語法 Grammar in use
　　被動語態(tài)（5）
　　（1）在第34課的語法中，我們講過如果說話人想避免用不明確的詞（如someone, a person等）作主語，就常常使用被動語態(tài)：
　　Mary was told to meet us.
　　瑪麗被告知來接我們。
　　The window has been mended.
　　窗子已被修好。
　?。?）如果我們需要把話說得謹(jǐn)慎些或“保險”些，也可以用被動語態(tài)。主動語態(tài)往往表示對事實確有把握：
　　Debbie Hart swam across the English Channel when she was a girl.
　　黛比·哈特還是個姑娘時曾經(jīng)橫渡過英吉利海峽。
　　如果這句話用 It is said that…結(jié)構(gòu)表達(dá)，則說話者的把握就小了一些。用于這種被動語態(tài)的動詞除了say之外，還有believe, know, find, fear, think等：
　　It is feared that many lives have been lost in the train crash.
　　在這次列車事故中，恐怕有不少人喪生。
　　It is said that there is a great deal of oil in Africa.
　　據(jù)說非洲有大量的石油。
　　It is said that Dan is the most intelligent student in his class.
　　據(jù)說丹是他們班上最聰明的學(xué)生。
　　除It is said that…這種結(jié)構(gòu)外，上面的句子還可以變成另一種形式的被動句，其意義不變。它的結(jié)構(gòu)為There/名詞主語/代詞主語+被動語態(tài)+帶to的不定式：
　　There is said to be a great deal of oil in Africa.
　　據(jù)說非洲有大量石油。
　　Debbie Hart is said to have swum across the English Channel when she was a girl.
　　據(jù)說黛比·哈特還是個姑娘時曾經(jīng)橫渡過英吉利海峽。
　　Dan is said to be the most intelligent student in his class.
　　據(jù)說丹是他們班上最聰明的學(xué)生。
　　后一種結(jié)構(gòu)在口語中更常用，因為它更簡潔：
　　They say that church's old.
　　人們說那座教堂年歲久遠(yuǎn)。
　　It's not as old as it's said to be.
　　它并不像人們所說約那么古老。
　　（3）在第34課的語法中我們講過，動詞+賓語+不定式結(jié)構(gòu)中既可以動詞用被動語態(tài)，也可以在不定式中用被動語態(tài)：
　　They told Mary meet us.
　　他們讓瑪麗接我們。(主語不明確)
　　Mary was told to meet us.
　　瑪麗被告知去接我們。
　　（4）在另一種句型即“動詞+間接賓語+直接賓語”中，這兩個賓語都可以成為被動句的主語。不過，由于間接賓語通常是人，所以間接賓語成為被動句主語的時候要多些：
　　The film gave Sam a gold watch.
　　那家公司贈給薩姆一塊金表。
　　San was given a gold watch.
　　薩姆被贈給一塊金表。(間接賓語為主語)
　　A gold watch was given to Sam.
　　一塊金表被贈給薩姆。(直接賓語為主語)

　　詞匯學(xué)習(xí) Word study
　　1．increase與grow
　　increase無論是作及物動詞還是不及物動詞，其主要意思都是“增加”、“增大”、“增長”、“增強”等：
　　The firm has increased his salary.
　　公司已給他加了薪。
　　His salary has increased.
　　他的薪金增加了。
　　The number of visitors to Frinley has now increased.
　　現(xiàn)在來弗林利參觀的人越來越多。
　　grow也可以表示“增長”等含義：
　　The number of vistors to Frinley has now grown.（譯文同上）
　　The students in this university has grown in number.
　　這個大學(xué)的學(xué)生人數(shù)增加了。
　　但grow的主要意思是“長”、“成長”、“生長”等：How tall you've become! How you've grown!
　　你變得這么高了！你長了真不少！

　　2．gain與earn
　　作為及物動詞，它們都可以表示“獲得”、“得到”：
　　It has gained/earned an evil reputation.
　　它得到了一個壞名聲。
　　earn可以表示通過工作“賺（錢）”，gain沒有這個含義：
　　Try to save as you earn.
　　掙了錢時要設(shè)法存起來。
　　She earns ￡500 a month.
　　她一個月賺500英鎊。
　　gain可以表示“受益”、“獲益”，earn則不可以：
　　Jane has gained much from her year in Australia.
　　簡在澳大利亞這一年獲益匪淺。

　　3．pick與cut
　　pick的含義之一為“采摘”、“采集”：
　　They are busy picking apples.
　　他們正忙著摘蘋果。
　　The children picked a lot of flowers yesterday.
　　昨天孩子們采了許多花。
　　cut的主要含義為“切”、“割”、“剪”等：
　　She cut an apple in two.
　　她把一個蘋果切成兩半。
　　Can you cut your own hair?
　　你能給自己剪頭嗎？
　　The tourists have been picking the leaves and cutting their names on the tree-trunk.
　　游客們一直摘樹葉，并把他們的名字刻在樹干上。

Lesson 58 課后練習(xí)和答案Exercises and Answer