Te xt A
You Can’t Do It Because It Hur ts Nobody
勿以不损别人而为之
Study of the Text
1.If you believe that only tough guys commit crimes, you may have to
think again. 假如你认为只有粗野的家伙才犯罪, 你可能需要再考虑一下。
1 )tough 在这里是形容词, 意思是“ 粗鲁的, 强横的”。
There are some really tough children in the street.
在这条街上, 有一些真正蛮横的孩子。
He is too tough for you to play with. 他太凶你不宜与他玩耍。
2 )commit 是个动词, 在这里的意思是“ 犯(错误, 罪行), 干(坏事, 傻事)。”
They ha ve committed many horrible crimes against the American
people. 他们对美国人民犯下了许多可怕的罪行。
She felt she had committed a discourtesy. 她感到她失礼了。
2.Has anyone you know ever driven drunk？
你认识的人中有没有酒醉后驾车的？
1 ).you know 是省略了关系代词that(或whom)的定语从句。因为该关系代词在定语从句中充当宾语, 所以可以省略。
The man they are talking about is the leader of the company.
他们在谈论的那人是该公司的领导。
Do you know the book he spent two years writing？
你知道他花两年时间写的那本书吗？
2 )drunk 在这里是形容词, 在句中作状语, 可以理解为when drunk
或when he is drunk 的缩略形式。下列各句中的形容词或形容
词词组在含义上都相当于一个状语分句。
The apples were picked ripe. 苹果熟了就摘。
Mrs Brown gazed at him speechless for a moment.
布朗夫人一言不发地盯了他一会儿。
3.Are you aware that your parents may not always tell the truth when
they go through customs？
你有没有意识到你的父母在通过海关时说的话不全是实话？
1 )be aware that 意识到, 觉察到
You must be awa re that what you are doing is quite illegal.
你必须意识到你在干的事情是完全不合法的。
Everyone wa s awa re that they were in conflict.
每个人都知道他们有冲突。
be aware 后除跟that 引导的从句外, 还可以跟由of 引起的短语。
It was several minutes before I wa s awa re of what was happening.
几分钟后我才意识到在发生什么。
They became aware of the enemy’s approaching.
他们觉察到敌人靠近他们了。
2 )tell you the truth 说老实话, 说真的
To tell you the truth, we don’t have a very good opinion of him.
说实话, 我们对他印象不好。
I didn’t feel half sorry, to tell you the truth.
说实话, 我一点也不感到遗憾。
3 )go through 通过
Her application went through and she was hired.
她的申请通过了, 她被雇用了。
I hope the new law we want can go through Congress.
我希望我们需要的新法律国会能通过。
4 )customs 是custom 的复数形式。这个词作单数用时, 其基本意思是“风俗, 习惯”等。作复数用时, 意义为“ 海关, 关税”。
Every Saturday evening it was our custom to meet and review the
previous week’s work. 我们有一种习惯, 每周六晚上我们要聚会, 对头周的工作情况进行回顾。
It took us only four minutes to get through the customs.
我们只化了四分钟就通过了海关。
4.Won’t some of your friends admit that they have stolen an item from
a store？你的一些朋友难道没有承认他们曾经从商店里偷过东西？
1 )该句是一般疑问句的否定形式, 称为否定疑问句, 这时或是带有惊异情绪, 或是有点责难的口吻, 有时也表示一种赞叹, 有时可提出建议、邀请、看法。
Why are you driving so fast？Don ’t you know the traffic regulations？
为什么开这么快？难道你不懂交通规则？
Can’t you come and join us？你难道不能来和我们一道去？
2 )辨异: admit, confess v.
admit 意思是“ 承认, 承认某事属实或表示同意；允许、许可, ”
而当意思为“ 允许, 许可”时, 一般指的是场所方面的“ 允许”。
而confess 意为“ 不仅承认事实真相而且承认负有责任或有罪”。
He a dmitted that he saw the accident.
他承认看见这一事故的发生。
The servant opened the door and a dmitted me into the house.
仆人把门打开, 让我进去。
He confessed taking part in a plot to free the prisoner.
他承认参与了释放囚犯的计划。
3 )名词item 在这里可理解为“ 产品, 展品”。
The shops are well stocked with food, clothing and other consumer
items. 商店里有食物, 衣服和其他消费品。
Our former need for these items were mainly met by imports.
我们过去对这些产品的需求主要靠进口来满足。
5.In case you did not know, all of these acts are against the law.
如果你(以前)不知道, (那么现在你知道了)所有这些行为都是违法的。
1 )in case 在这里的意思是,“ 如果, 万一”, 相当于if, 引出一个条件状语从句。
In ca se I forget, please remind me about it.
如果我忘了, 请提醒我。
In ca se the house burns down, we’ll get the insurance money.
如果房屋烧毁, 我们就能得到保险金。
2 )be against 反对；违反, 违背, 不利于
It wa s a gainst all my principles to work with him.
与他共事违背我们的原则。
Almost everything wa s a ga inst him. 几乎一切都对他不利。
6.In the same way that diseases range from the common cold to fatal
forms of cancer, crimes vary in degree. 从普普通通的感冒到各种致命的癌症, 疾病有轻重缓急之分, 违法犯罪也同样有轻重大小之别。
1 )在“. + the same + 名词+ as(that)+ 从句”结构中, as (that)
所引导的从句内容与主句内容类似(相同)。
Meet me at the same place a s you did yesterday.
到昨天那个地方来见我。
You’ve made the same mistake a s last time (that you made last
time).你这次犯的错误与上次犯的完全一样。
2 )range from.to.从..到不等
Her children’s ages ra nge from three to eighteen.
她小孩的年龄从3 岁到18 岁不等。
Prices range from56 pence to 70 pence.
价格从50 便士到70 便士不等。
3 )vary 在这里是个不及物动词, 意思是“ 有差异, 变化”。
People va ry very much in their ideas.
人们在其观点方面很不相同。
His mood va ries from day to day. 他的情绪天天变化。
7.In addition to breaking the law themselves, people tolerate various
levels of crime. 人们不仅自己违法, 还不同程度地容忍犯罪。
1 )in addition to 除..之外(还有)
In a ddition to such subjects, the department also taught mathematics
and geography. 除了这些科目外, 这个系还教数学和地理。
I have ＄ 10 in hand in a ddition to the ＄ 6.
除了六美元外, 我手头还有十美元。
2 )辨异: bear , endure, stand, tolerate, vt.
这四个词都有“ 忍受, 容忍”的意思。bear, endure, stand 用在情态动词can 的否定句中, 这时意义上没有差别, 只是bear 和stand 更普通, 更一般, 而endure 语气更强烈。比如: I can ’t bear / stand / endure the new teacher.我不能容忍这位新老师。
这三个词还用于(尤其是endure)身体所受的巨大苦难和困苦。
比如: He endured / bore / stood the pain as long as he could. 他尽可能的忍受疼痛。而tolerate 则用于忍受人或行为, 而不指痛苦等。
I won’t tolera te your rudeness. 我没法忍受你的粗鲁。
You can tolera te him if you try. 如果你努力, 你能忍受他的。
8.We become used to seeing blood on the news on television, or in
full color in newspapers and magazines. 电视新闻里或报刊上的血淋淋的画面我们都已是见多了。
1 )be used to 后加名词或动名词, 意思是“习惯于”；used to 后加动词原形, 意思是“过去常常..”。
He’s become used to a vegetarian diet. 他已经习惯于吃素食。
They are used to treating patients this way.
他们习惯于这样对待病人。
We used to swim every day when we were children.
我们小时候习惯于每天游泳。
There used to be some trees in this field, didn’t there？
过去地里常常栽一些树吗？
2 )color 在这里是名词, 意思是“ 外貌, 外表；貌似真实”。如paint something in bright colors 把某事描绘得很鲜明；see something in its true colors 看清楚某事物的真相。
9.Instead, our minds may have a system of values that usually prevents
us from hurting other people to improve our lives. 相反地, 我们内心自有一套价值观念阻止我们不为谋私利而害人。
1 )instead 在这里是个副词, 作为“ 替代(..而)”“ 代替他(它)”
讲, 字面上常不译出来。instead of 也作“ 代替, 而不..”讲。
I don’t like this one, give me that instea d.
我不喜欢这个, 给我那个吧!
I am used to studying in the evening instea d of during the day.
我习惯于晚上学习而不是白天。
2 )prevent.from.阻止..做某事, 使..不做某事
Nothing can prevent us from doing so.
任何事情也不能阻止我们这样做。
Who prevents their plans from being carried out？
谁能阻止他们的计划得以实施？
3 )名词system 在这里的意思是“ 体系, 系统”。比如: a system of philosophy 哲学体系；an ideological system 思想体系。
10. While most people would not steal a wallet containing ＄ 50 , they may not mind cheating on taxes, because cheating on taxes does not hurt any one person. 尽管大多数人不会偷装有50 美元的钱包, 但他们可能并不在乎偷税漏税, 因为偷税并不伤害具体的某一个人。
1 )while 在这里是个连词, 意思是“ 虽然, 尽管”, 多用于句首。
While I admit his good points I can see his bad ones.
虽然我承认他的长处, 但我也明白他的不足之处。
While they are our neighbors, I don’t know them well.
尽管他们是我们的邻居, 我仍然不很了解他们。
2 )cheat on 意思是“ 对.. 进行欺骗”。on 在这里表示“ 针对”, “动作所及”。如to cheat on (或in)exam 考试作弊；to cheat on one’s wife 对妻子不忠等等。
3 )mind 在这里是动词, 意思为“介意, 在乎”。主要用于疑问句和否定句中。