书城外语大学英语自学教程(上册)疑难详释与题解
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第24章 Unit 9(1)

Te st A

Learned Wor ds and Popular Wor ds

学术词汇与普通词汇

Study of the Text

1.Such words may be called“ popular”, since they belong to the

people at large and are not the possession of a limited class only.

这类词汇可以称为“ 普通词”, 因为他们属于普通大众, 并非仅属于某个有限阶层人士所有。

1 )连词since 在这里引导一个原因状语从句, 其含义为“ 因为, 由于, 既然”等。

Since he is busy, I won’t trouble him.

因他很忙, 我就不打扰他了。

Since we’ve no money, we can’t buy it. 因为没钱, 我们买不起。

2 )belong to 属于, 拥有

Does this house belong to Mr. A?

这栋房屋是属于A 先生所有吗?

I belong to the Tennis Club. 我是网球俱乐部的会员。

3 )at large 在这里是“ 一般的, 普通的”的含义。

The people at large are against war. 一般人都反对战争。

Did the people a t large approve of the government’s policy?

一般的老百姓赞成政府的政策吗?

4 )possession 是一个名词, 其含义为“ 所有, 占有”,“所有物”。

The jewels are in the possession of my father.

那些宝石是我父亲拥有的。

Knowledge is a valuable possession. 知识是贵重的宝物。

possess 用作动词, 其含义为“ 拥有, 占有”。

He possesses a large house. 他拥有一栋巨宅。

He is possessed of intelligence. 他有聪明才智。

2.Our first acquaintance with them comes not from our mother ’s lips or from the talk of our classmates, but from books that we read, lectures that we hear, or the more formal conversation of highly educated speakers who are discussing some particular topic in an elevated style.

我们第一次接触这些词汇并不是通过母亲之口, 也不是通过同学间的交谈, 而是通过我们所读的书、所听的讲座, 或是受过高等教育者的更正式的谈话, 这些人以严肃的风格讨论某一特定的题目。

1 )该句是由并列连词not. but 引导的一个并列结构, 可译为“ 不是..而是..”, 表示语义的转折和对比。

This coat is not mine but yours. 这大衣不是我的而是你的。

She is not my sister but my niece. 她不是我妹, 而是我侄女。

2 )acquaintance with 知习, 相识

I had some previous a cquaintance with the subject.

我过去对这个问题有所了解。

He has only a limited acquainta nce with the matter.

他对这个问题不甚了解。

acquaint 是个动词, 其含义为“ 使熟悉, 使了解、通知”等。

Are you fully a cquainted with the latest developments?

你对最新发展情况完全了解吗?

I’m not personally a cqua inted with him. 我个人与他并不熟悉。

3 )辨异: particular , special, peculiar, adj.

这组词都有“特别”的含义。

particular 其含义为“ 特别的, 特有的”, 含有个别的和分别考虑的意味, 并且指从众多事物中选出一个。

The stores are closed on that pa rticula r day. 商店就在那天关门。

There is nothing pa rticular in the newspaper.

报上没有特别的消息。

special 含义为“ 特别的, 特殊的”。它是一个一般用语, 指与普通的、平常的、一般的东西在某些方面不相同。

As it’s a special occasion, let’s have a bottle of wine with our dinner. 既然今天是特殊日子, 让我们吃饭时喝瓶酒吧。

He has a specia l way of baking bread.

他烤面包有一套独特的方法。

peculiar 含义为“ 特殊的, 特别的”。它主要指某个物体具有和同类的其他物品相异的特性。

There is something peculia r about him. 他这个人有点特别。

The book has a peculiar value. 这本书有特殊的价值。

3.We cannot remember a time when we did not know it, and we feel sure that we learned it long before we were able to read. 我们可能记不得曾经有不认识这个词的时候, 但我们确信在读书以前早就学会了。

1 )when 是一个关系副词, 在这里引导一个定语从句, 其先行词为time, 表时间。

I ’ll never forget the day when my son died.

我永远忘不了我儿子死的日子。

Tuesday is the day when I am busiest. 星期二是我最忙的日子。

2 )辨异: long before, before long

它们的用法与含义均不相同。

long before 很久以前

He had left long before you came. 他在你来以前很久就出去了。

That happened long before. 那是很久以前发生的。

before long 不久

She will be back before long. 她不久就会回来。

We’ll see that film before long. 我们不久将要看那部电影了。

4.The terms“ popular”and“ learned”, as applied to words, are not

absolute definitions.“ 普通的”和“ 学术的”这两个术语当用于给词分类时, 并不具有绝对明确的定义。

1 )apply to 在这里指“适用, 把..用于”的意思。

This rule can be a pplied to any case.

这种规则可能适用于任何情形。

This rule doesn’t apply to children. 这种规则不适用于孩子。

apply for 申请

He applied for the post.

他申请那份工作。

She applied for the degree of Master of Science.

她申请工科硕士学位。

2 )terms 在这里的含义为“ 术语”。例如:

technical terms 专门术语;medical terms 医学术语;legal terms 法律术语等。

5.Still, the classification into“ learned”and“ popular”is convenient

and sound. 然而,“ 普通的”和“学术的”这种词的分类还是方便的和有道理的。

1 )classification 是名词, 其含义为“分类”,“ 类别”等。

“-fication“ 是一个名词后缀, 与动词后缀“ -fy”相对应, 主要构成抽象名词, 表示“ ..化”、“ 做..”、“ 使成为..”等意义。

例如: beautification 美化;uglification 丑化;electrification 电气化;intensification 加强;simplification 简化。

2 )sound 在这里用作形容词, 其含义为“ 有道理的、明智的, 正确的”等。

Is he sound on national defence?他对国防的看法正确吗?

We’ve made a sound decision. 我们作出了一个正确的决定。

It is a sound advice. 这是一个忠告。

6.Different opinions may come up as to the classification of any particular work, but there can be no difference of opinion about the general principle. 至于一个特定词的分类, 可能会有分歧意见, 但对于大体原则是不可能有分歧意见的。

1 )as to 至于, 关于, 就..而言

He said nothing as to money. 至于金钱问题, 他什么都没说。

As to your brother , I will deal with him later.

至于你弟弟, 我以后再对付他。

2 )come up 出现, 发生

I expect something to come up soon. 我预料不久就会发生什么事。

We shall write to you if a vacancy comes up.

如果有空我们会给你写信的。

7.We must be careful, however, to avoid misconception.

然而我们必须谨慎以免形成错误印象。

1 )avoid 用作动词, 意为“ 避免”。它后面只能跟名词、动名词作宾语而不能用不定式。

We only just avoided an accident. 我们幸免于一场灾祸。

You can hardly avoid meeting her if you both work in the same office.

如果你们俩在一个办公室上班, 你就几乎免不了要见到她。

2 )misconception 用作名词, 其含义为“ 误解、错误想法, 错误印像。”“mis-”是一个前缀, 意为“ 误、错、恶、不”等。例如: misuse 滥用;misunderstand 误解;mistranslate 错译;misdoing 恶行、坏事;misfortune 不幸;mistreat 虐待等。

8.When we call a word“ learned”we do not mean that it is used by learned persons alone, but simply that its presence in the English vocabulary is due to books and the cultivation of literation rather than to the actual needs of ordinary conversation. 我们称一个词为“ 学术的”, 并不意味着只是有学问的人才使用它, 而只是说它在英语词汇中的存在是由于书籍和文学修养而不是日常谈话的实际需要。

1 )该句的结构为we do not mean that ., but that. 其含义为“ 我们不是说..而是..”, 这是一个由not.but 引起的一个并列结构。

2 )rather than 而不是, 而非, 与其..(不如)

These shoes are comfortable rather than pretty.

这些鞋子谈不上漂亮, 但穿起来很舒适。

I rather than you, should do the work.

该做这工作的是我, 而不是你。

3 )辨异: due to, because of

这两个词均有“由于”之意。

due to 因为, 由于。它属于形容词短语, 一般用作表语或后置定语, 它一般不放在句首, 但在现代科技文章和口语中, 它也被看成复合介词, 相当于because of。That accident was due to the driver’s carelessness.

那次车祸是由于驾驶员粗心造成的。

The delay was due to power failure. 耽搁是因停电引起的。

because of 因为, 由于, 它是一个复合介词。

Because of the bad weather , they had to give up their picnic.

因天气很糟糕, 他们只好放弃野餐。

He was absent because of sickness. 由于生病他没来。

Te xt B

How Should You Build up Your Vocabular y?

如何扩大词汇量?

Study of the Text

1.When students in a college class were asked what should be done when they came across a new word in their reading, 84 percent said, “Look it up in the dictionary. ”如果问大学生们阅读时遇到生词怎么办, 84% 的学生说“ 查字典”。

1 )come across 邂逅, 偶然遇到

I came a cross him in London. 我在伦敦偶然遇到了他。

Did you come a cross any old photographs of the family when you were looking through the lumberroom?你查看贮藏室时, 发现过这个家庭的旧照片吗?

2 )look up(在词典、参考书中)查寻

It is a good habit to look up new words in a dictionary.

在词典里查生词是一个良好的习惯。

Can you look up the time of the next train to Beijing?

你能查一查下一班开往北京去的火车开车时间吗?