Te xt A
The Gr eat Amer ican Gar age Sale
美国的庭院甩卖, 棒极了
Study of the Text
1.Sorting through their possessions, they came up with some 1 500 old, unwanted items-all sort of things they wanted to get rid of.
在整理东西时, 他们挑出大约1 500 件旧的, 多余的东西-- 都是他们想扔掉的。
1 )分词短语sorting through their possessions 在这里充当时间状语,相当于when they were sorting through their possessions。
2 )sort through 整理, 把..分类
I ’ve been sorting through these old papers to see what can be thrown away.
我一直在清理这些旧报纸, 看看哪些可以扔掉。
She got a job sorting through letters in the Post Office.
她在邮局找到了一份分理信件的工作。
3 )come up with 想出, 拿出, 提出；提供, 供给
Can you come up with a good idea？你能不能拿出一个好主意来？
They have come up with a workable plan at the meeting.
在会上他们提出了一个可行的计划。
We can always count on Mr Zhang to come up with help of one kind or another.我们总是可以指望张先生提供这样或那样的帮助。
4 )get rid of 摆脱, 解脱, 除去
I can’t get rid of this cold. 我伤风总是不好。
How can we get rid of all these flies in the kitchen？
我们怎么能除掉厨房里的这些苍蝇？
2.The Ericksons needn’t have worried.
艾里克逊一家本来用不着担心。
need 在这里是个情态动词, 意思是“ 必要”；其否定式为need not, 意为“ 不必, 没有必要”。后接动词完成形式, 表示“ 本来用不着担心”, 但内含“他们担心了。”试比较:
You needn’t do the job, since somebody has done it.
你不必做了, 因为已经有人干完了。
You needn’t have come here.
你本来不必来这儿的(但内含你来了这儿)。
3.Eager buyers bought all but 50 of the items in one weekend, leaving
the family ＄442 richer.除了50 件东西没人要以外, 其余全部被踊跃前来的买主买走了, 艾里克逊一家人增加了442 美元的收入。
1 )分词短语leaving the family ＄442 richer 在这里作状语, 表示结果。现在分词短语可以在句中作结果状语。
The war went on for years, killing thousands upon thousands of people. 战争持续了数年, 死了成千上万的人。
The farmers used a new insecticide (农药), raising the average yields by 15 percent. 农民们使用了一种新的农药, 使平均产量提高了15% 。
2 )all but 在这里相当于all except, 意思是“ 除.. 以外的所有东西”。but 在这里作介词。此外, all but 还有“ 几乎, 差点”的意思, 但but 在这里作副词。试比较:
He could find a ll but one of his books.
他的书全能找到, 只有一本除外。
I all but fell into the well. 我几乎跌下井去。
4.Garage sale, yard sale, basement sale-whatever they ’re called and wherever they’re held, Americans are having them in ever - increasing numbers. 车库里甩卖, 庭院里甩卖, 地下室里甩卖--不论如何称呼, 不论在何处举办, 美国人越来越多地时兴这种方式的甩卖活动。
1 )whatever they are called 和wherever they are held 都是让步状语从句。相当于no matter what they are called 和no matter where they are held。
Wha tever it is, I’ll take it. 无论什么, 我都要。
Wherever you are, I’ll follow you. 不管你在哪儿, 我都要跟着。
2 )in number 在数量方面；在数量上
The enemies were much stronger than us in number.
敌人在数量上比我们强大得多。
How can we express it in number？我们怎么用数字来表达？
5.The variety of things put up for sale is really wonderful.
可供甩卖的东西种类之多确实令人惊叹。
1 )put up 在句中是过去分词短语, 起定语的作用, 相当一个被动结构的定语从句which are put up for sale。
2 )for sale 出售的。put up for sale 可以看成是一个固定短语, 意思是“ 拿去拍卖”。
The things put up for sale are of little value to the sellers, but they may mean much to the buyers. 拿来拍卖的东西对卖主来说无多大价值, 但对于买主来说意义可就大了。
6.Why would Americans want to shop by searching among someone else’s cast-offs？为什么美国人愿意购买别人不用的东西呢？
1 )介词by 在这里的意思是“ 靠, 用, 通过；借助于”, 表示方法、手段。
He earned his living by writing. 他靠写作为生。
He took the book by force. 他用武力夺取了那本书。
2 )cast-off 在这里是个名词, 意思是“ 被人抛弃的东西”, 特别指“被抛弃的衣服”。此外它还可以作形容词, 意思是“ 被抛弃的, 不再要的”。
She gave her ca st-offs to her younger sister.
她把不要的东西(衣服)给了她妹妹。
She always gives her ca st-off clothes to her younger sister.
她总是把不要的衣服给她妹妹。
7.Rising living costs are considered by almost everyone as a reason both for holding sales and for attending them. 绝大多数人认为生活费用的增加是举办和参加这类甩卖的原因之一。
1 )动词consider 在这里的意思是“ 认为, 以为”。后可接that 引导的从句, 也可接as., to be. 等, 意思是“ 把(某人、某事)看做.., 认为(某人、某事)如何”。此外其后跟动词的“ -ing“ 形式, 意为“ 考虑做某事”。也可以接wh-形式。
He considered that everything should be ready for the meeting.
他认为开会的一切事情都应准备好。
They all consider the reform as a revolution.
他们都认为改革是一场革命。
She considers him (to be)a fool. 她拿他当傻瓜。
I’m considering changing my job. 我正在考虑变换工作。
We’ve decided to move but are still considering where to go.
我们已经决定搬家, 但仍然在考虑搬到哪儿去。
2 )a reason for 是..的理由或原因
There are reasons for believing that the earth is round.
有理由相信地球是圆的。
They gave rea sons for that fact that the film is worth seeing.
他们说明了那电影值得看的理由。
8.The seller makes a little extra money and the buyer saves quite a lot, since garage-sale items usually are priced at a very small part of their original cost. 卖主略有盈利, 而买主却节省了一大笔开支, 因为甩卖的东西标价通常比原来低得多。
1 )连词since 在这里的意思是“ 因为”。在表示原因的几个连词中, 语气最强的是because, 其次是since, 再其次是as、for。
Since force is no remedy, let us try conciliation.
武力既不中用, 就想法和解吧。
Why are you coming here？Because I want to buy a book.
你为什么来这儿？因为想买一本书。
He is likely to fail the exam, for he hasn’t prepared for it.
他没作准备, 考试很可能不及格。
As I am ill, I won’t go. 我有病不去了。
2 )cost 是个名词, 意思是“ 成本, 价格, 代价；牺牲, 损害, 损失”。
前面和at 相连构成固定介词短语。
The doctors are trying to save the child at any cost.
医生们不惜代价救小孩。
The soldier saved the drowning child at the cost of his own life.
那士兵救下了那落水的小孩, 却牺牲了自己的生命。
3 )original 在这里是个形容词, 意思是“ 原来的, 本来的”。
Whatever they do against us, we will stick to our original plan.
无论他们怎样反对, 我们都要坚持原来的计划。
The original owner of the house was a Frenchman.
房子原来的主人是位法国人。
9.Many of the younger buyers say they are turned off by the poor
quality of modern goods and are looking for remnants of a stronger and firmer era, when things were built to last. 许多年轻的买主说
他们不喜欢劣质的现代商品, 他们要寻找以这个经久耐用、坚固结实为上的那个时代的物品。
1 )when things were built to last 在这里是定语从句, 修饰先行词“era”。when 是个关系副词引导一个定语从句。
At the age of sixty-five, an age when many men retire, he began the greatest voyage of his life. 在65 岁的时候--许多人在这个年龄已退休, 他开始了他一生中最了不起的航行。
On evenings when such talk becomes unnecessary, the family can sit around together watching TV. 在这类交谈没有必要进行的晚上, 全家人可以围坐在一起看电视。
2 )turn off(使)不再喜欢(人或事物)；(使)厌烦
Popular music really turns me off. 流行音乐确实使我厌烦。
It really turns me off to see you biting your toenails.
看见你咬自己的脚趾甲真使我恶心。
3 )last 在这里是个动词, 意思是“ 继续；耐久；够用；经受住”。
Our money will la st till we get home. 我们的钱足够到家了。
This cloth will not last long. 这种布不耐穿。
This watch will la st me a lifetime. 这只表够我用一辈子。
10. Some people have made garage-sale shopping into a hobby；they spend their weekends going from sale to sale, hoping to run across a real treasure. 有些人去买甩卖的东西已成癖好, 他们利用周末穿梭于一个又一个卖点, 希望碰到一件真正的宝贝。
1 )hoping to run across a real treasure 是分词短语, 在这里作spend 的伴随状语。
run across 偶然碰见, 偶然发现
I ran across an old friend in the street.
我在街上遇到了一位老朋友。
I wish I could run across that grammar book in the bookstore.
希望能在书店买到那本语法书。
2 )make into 使..转变成
I am going to ma ke this material into a skirt.
我要把这料子做成裙子。
They are planning to ma ke the play into a film.
他们打算把这剧本改编成电影。
3 )辨异: spend, take, cost, v.