Te xt A
Diamonds
钻石
Study of the Text
1.And only another diamond can make a slight cut in a diamond.
只有另一钻石能在钻石上留下轻微划痕。
1 )cut 在这里用作名词, 其含义为“ 划痕、割伤”。
He had a slight cut on his face. 他脸上有轻微划伤。
There’s a deep cut in his leg. 他腿上有一深的割伤。
cut 通常用作动词, 其含义为“ 切割, 割破”。
He cut his face while shaving. 他在刮胡子时把脸割破了。
Please cut a slice of cake for me. 请切一块蛋糕给我。
2 )slight 用作形容词, 在这里的含义为“ 轻微的, 细小的”。
I have a slight cold. 我患了轻微的感冒。
It is a slight error. 这只是一个小失误。
3 )辨异: other, another adj.
它们都有“另一的”的意思。other 另一的, 剩下的。它主要指两个中的另一的, 或者是三者以上中剩下的, 前面常加定冠词
“the”。
Where is the other glove？另一只手套在哪里？
These two apples are rotten, but the other ones are all good.
这两个苹果虽然腐烂了, 但剩下的都完好。
another 另一个的, 别的, 不同的。主要指除此以外另外的, 别的, 其他的等。
I’ll give you another example. 我再给你举个例子吧。
Show me another tie, please. 请给我看看别的领带。
2.Such heat and pressure exist only in the hot, liquid mass of molten
rock deep inside the earth.
这样的高温高压仅存在于地球内部深处炽热的液态熔岩中。
1 )exist in 存在于..中, 生存
The idea exists only in the minds of poets.
这观念只存在于诗人的心中。
How do they exist in such wretched conditions？
在这样的恶劣环境中他们是怎么生存的？
2 )mass 用作名词, 在这里指“ (不成形的)块、堆”。其后常跟介词“of”。
There are ma sses of dark clouds in the sky. 天上乌云密布。
A ma ss of snow and rock broke away and started an avalanche.
一大堆雪和岩石裂开了就开始了雪崩。
3 )molten 是melt 的过去分词用作形容词, 在这里是“ 熔化的”之
意, 它也有“ 由熔化金属铸成的”的含义。例如: molten steel 钢水；molten image 金属铸像。
3.It is thought that millions of years ago this liquid mass pushed upward
through cracks in the earth’s crust.
据认为, 数百万年前, 这些液态熔岩通过地壳裂缝向上涌动。
1 )“It is thought that.”这是一个以“ it”作形式主语引起的一种句型, 真正的主语是that 引导的从句。通常可将这种句型翻译为:“ 据认为..”。类似的表达如:
It is reported that.据报道..；It is said that.据说..；
It is believed that.据信..；It is claimed that.据称..；It is
announced that. 据宣布..；It is decided that.据决定.. 等。
2 )push through 挤进去, 挤过去, 勉强通过
He tried in vain to push through the crowd.
他怎么也无法从人群中挤过去。
We’re trying to push legislation through before the Christmas recess.
我们力争在圣诞节休会前通过这些法令。
3 )upward 在这里是一个副词, 其含义为“ 向上, 朝上”。“ -ward" 是一个形容词和副词后缀, 表示“ 向.. 的”,“ 向.., 朝..”。例如: downward 向下的, 朝下；southward 向南的, 朝南；
outward 向外的、向外；inward 向内的, 向内；sunward 向阳的, 向
太阳；northward 向北的, 朝北。
4.In the 1600 ’s, travelers from Europe brought back these beautiful
stones from India.
17 世纪时, 欧洲的旅行者从印度把这些漂亮的钻石带回欧洲。
1 )bring back 带回来, 拿回来
If you’re going to the market please bring me back a dozen eggs.
如果你要到市场去, 请给我带一打鸡蛋回来。
Please bring the reference books back tomorrow.
明天请将这些参考书还回来。
2 )stones 在这里即指“ diamonds”(钻石)。stone 本身即有“ 宝石、玉石”的含义。
5.India’s supply of diamonds was finally running out after 2 500 years
of mining the stones.
经过2 500 年的开采, 印度的钻石供应也行将萎缩殆尽。
1 )run out 用尽, 用光；失去
Our provisions are running out. 我们的粮食快吃完了。
Her patience is running out. 她渐渐失去了耐心。
We’re fast running out of beer. 我们的啤酒快用完了。
2 )supply 在这里用作名词, 其含义为“ 供给, 供应, 供应物”。
We obtain the chief supply of coffee from Brazil.
我们的咖啡主要依赖巴西供应。
They have an inadequate coal supply. 他们的煤供应不足。
supply 也常用作动词, 其含义为“ 供给, 满足”等。
They supply him with food. 他们供应食物给他。
It is hard to supply the demand for more meat.
很难满足更多的肉类需求。
6.People would pick up handfuls of gravel from the bottom of the
streams and sort out the diamonds.
人们从河底捡起一把一把的烁石再筛选出钻石。
1 )pick up 拾起, 捡起, 搭人
The little boy picked up a purse on the street.
那男孩在街上拾到一个钱包。
The train stopped to pick up passengers. 火车停下来让乘客上车。
2 )handful 在这里用作名词, 其含义为“ 一把、一小撮、少数”如: a
handful of rice 一把米；a handful warmongers 一小撮战争贩子等。“-ful”是一个名词和形容词后缀, 常加在名词后, 构成名词, 表示充满时的量。例如: spoonful 一匙的量；houseful 一屋子；cupful 一满杯；dishful 一碟的量；boatful 一船所载的量。
构成形容词时, 表示“ 富有..的, 充满.. 的, 具有.. 性质的”等。例如:
shameful 可耻的；dreamful 多梦的；useful 有用的；truthful 真实的；forgetful 健忘的；skillful 熟练的；fruitful 有结果的。
3 )sort out 整理, 分类, 归类
She spent a happy afternoon sorting out her coins and stamps.
她整理钱币和邮票, 愉快地度过了一个下午。
We must sort out the good apples from the bad.
我们必须把好的苹果与坏的分开。
The boy was sorting out the foreign stamps he had collected.
那男孩在整理他所收集的外国邮票。
7.These diamonds were probably carried from where they were formed to India by great sheets of moving ice that covered parts of the earth 20 000 years ago. 这些钻石也许是通过两万年前覆盖地球某些地区的大块大块移动的冰从钻石形成的地方将它们带到印度来的。
1 ).from.to.从..到..。介词from 引导的短语表起始点, to 引导的短语表目的地或终点。
He traveled from London to Rome. 他从伦敦旅行到罗马。
There are bees going from flower to flower.
有很多逐花飞行的蜜蜂。
2 )“ .where they were formed”在这里作介词from 的宾语, 它是一个以where 引起的名词从句, 在这里表地点。
3 )辨异: bring, carry, take, v.
它们均有“将人或物运送一段空间, 距离”的意思。
bring 带来、拿来。它表示由彼处向此处的移动, 常接双宾语。
Bring the dessert to the table. 请把甜食端上桌来。
He brought a friend with him. 他带了一个朋友来。
carry 搬运、运送、携带。它主要表示动态, 指将某一物运往另一处, 不强调重量。
I ca rried the bag up the stairs. 我拎着提包上楼。
The bus ca rried us to the beach. 那汽车载送我们去海岸。
take 拿去, 带去。指把某物或某人从说话处带到他处。
Who ha s taken today’s newspaper？谁把今天的报纸拿走了？
He often takes his wife and child to the cinema on Sundays.
星期六他常常带妻子和孩子去看电影。
8.Then the rocks are carefully crushed so that the diamonds are not
destroyed. 然后这些岩石被小心地压碎, 以免钻石被弄坏。
1 )so that 是一个复合连词, 在这里引导一个目的状语从句, 其含义为“ 以便, 为了”。
The policeman raised his hands so that the traffic would stop.
警察举手示意停止通行。
Speak clearly so that they may understand you.
讲清楚点, 好让他们听懂。
so.that.引导一个结果状语从句, 其含义为“ 如此.. 以至于”。
We were so tired that we could not walk any farther.
我们太累了, 没法再走路。
He is so weak physically that he can hardly move.
他身体太虚弱了, 几乎不能动了。
2 )辨异: destroy, damage, ruin, v.
它们均有“毁损、破坏”之意。
destroy 毁坏, 摧毁。它用于指某件东西被击毁成碎片或拆毁。
常用于被动结构。
An atom bomb would destroy a city.
一颗原子弹将会摧毁一座城市。
The forest was destroyed by fire. 森林被大火烧毁。
damage 损害, 毁坏。它是一个常用词。多指直接对外观、价值, 使用性和完好性的破坏。
A lot of houses were damaged by the flood. 洪水冲毁了许多房屋。
Her heart was slightly damaged as a result of her long illness.
由于长期患病, 她的心脏受到轻微损害。
ruin 毁坏、破坏。它主要指彻底损害以致到了不能修复的程度, 因而失去了原有的价值。
Too much smoking and drinking will ruin your health.
吸烟和饮酒过度会损害你的身体。
An earthquake ruined the city. 一场地震毁坏了这座城市。
9.Since diamonds stick to grease, they are left behind by the rocks
and mud which flow down the table. 因为钻石粘油脂, 所以当岩石泥浆流下冲洗台, 钻石就留了下来。
1 )since 作为连词, 在这里引导一个原因状语从句, 其含义为“ 因为, 既然, 由于”。
Since he is busy, I won’t trouble him.
既然他很忙, 我就不打扰他。
Since we’ve no money, we can’t buy it.
因为我们没钱, 我们买不起(它)。
2 )stick to 粘附, 坚持, 忠于
The gum stuck to my fingers. 泡泡糖粘住了他的手指。
He stuck to his ideal. 他忠实于自己的理想。
If you stick to it, you will succeed. 如果你坚持, 你就会成功。
3 )leave behind 留下, 忘记带走, 把..丢在后面
The great statesman left behind a good name.
这位伟大的政治家流芳百世。
Some rulers have left behind no lasting memorial.
有些统治者没有留下什么永恒的纪念物。
If you don’t study hard, you’ll be left behind.
你要是不努力, 就会落后于别人。
10. But some people have carried around an unusual pebble for weeks