3.shade[?e?d]n.荫；阴凉处
例句 The trees give some welcome shade from the sun.
这些树遮住了阳光，很舒适凉快。
4.mischance[，m?st?ɑ?ns]n.不幸；坏运气
例句 By mischance，I dialed a wrong number.
很倒霉，我拨错了电话号码。
5.come upon 偶遇；邂逅
例句 I came upon an old friend in the street today.
今天我在街上遇到了我的老朋友。
6.naked[ne?k?d]adj.裸体的
例句 These little boys swim naked in the river.
这些小孩光着身子在河里游泳。
7.boast[b?ust]v.自夸；自吹自擂
例句 Thats nothing to boast about.那没有什麽值得自吹的。
8.cast[kɑ?st]v.扔；投；掷；抛
例句 The storm cast the little rowboat onto the rocks.
风暴把这条小划艇抛到岩石上。
9.utter[?t?（r）]v.说；讲
例句 He never uttered a word of protest.
他从来没说一句反对的话。
10.curse[k??s]n.咒；咒语
例句 The witch put a curse on him.女巫念咒诅咒他。
11.antler[?ntl?（r）]n.鹿角
例句 The deer has a fine pair of antlers.那只鹿有一对完美的鹿角。
12.stag[st?g]n.（成年的）牡鹿
例句 The hounds will soon hunt down the stag.
猎狗不要多久就会追到那头牡鹿。
13.terror[ter?（r）]n.恐怖；惊骇
例句 His terror is so great that he can do nothing.
他惊骇万分以致什么事都不能做。
14.confusion[k?nfju??n]n.迷乱；惶惑
例句 He gazed in confusion at the strange sight.
他惶惑地凝视着这种奇怪的景象。
15.groan[gr?un]n.呻吟；叹息
例句 She groaned with pain.她痛苦地呻吟。
16.distress[d?stres]n.极大的痛苦、悲伤、苦难等（的缘由）
例句 Towards the end of the marathon，several runners showed signs of distress.马拉松赛接近终点时，有些参赛者显出极难受的样子。
17.spot[sp?t]v.（从许多人或事物中）找出，瞥见；发觉
例句 He finally spotted the shirt just he wanted.
他最后找到了他想要的衬衫。
18.recognize[rek?gna?z]v.认出或识别某人/某事物
例句 I recognized her by her red hat.
我根据她的红色帽子认出了她。
19.alert[?l??t]v.使（士兵等）警戒，戒备
例句 Why werent the police alerted？为什么警方没戒备起来？
20.irony[a??r?n?]n.有讽刺意味的情况、事情等
例句 He inherited a fortune but died a month later；one of lifes little ironies.他继承一笔遗产后一个月就死了，有点时乖命蹇吧。
21.witness[w?tn?s]v.当场见到（某事物）；目击
例句 Did anyone witness the traffic accident？
有谁目击了这场交通事故？
22.magnificent[m?gn?f?snt]adj.（口语）出色的；了不起的
例句 What a magnificent project！多么了不起的工程啊！
23.pounce[pauns]v.突然袭击；猛扑
例句 The hawk pounced on its prey and carried it off.
那只鹰向那小动物猛扑过去把它叼走了。
44.The Gordian Knot
According to the legend，there was a period of history when the people of Phrygia in Greece lacked a king.An oracle declared that the next person to ride into the city on a cart should become the king.A peasant named Gordias drove into the city on an ox-cart.Because of the oracles prophecy，he was made king of all the Phrygians.He was so happy that he dedicated his cart to Zeus.To keep it safe，he secured it with an incredibly complex knot known as the Gordian knot.An oracle then predicted that whoever could untie the Gordian knot would rule all Asia.
Centuries later，Alexander of Macedonia had already begun his conquest of Greece and Asia.He arrived in Phrygia and heard the story of the Gordian knot.He went to where the cart was tied and carefully examined the knot.Then he pulled out his sword and sliced through the rope，freeing the cart.While some may have viewed this as cheating，Alexander did go on to conquer large parts of Asia，proving the prophecy true.
The Gordian Knot 戈耳狄俄之结
44.戈耳狄俄之结
传说，有一段时间弗利基亚的人们没有国王。一位圣人宣称下一个赶着大车进城的人便是他们的国王。名叫戈耳狄俄的农民赶着牛车来到这座城里，因为圣人的预言，他成为了弗利基亚人的国王。他很高兴，把牛车献给宙斯。为了安全起见，他把它用相当复杂的结系起来，被称作戈耳狄俄之结。而后，圣人预言说，谁能解戈耳狄俄之结即可统治整个亚洲。
几个世纪以后，马其顿国王亚历山大大帝远征希腊和东方，他到达弗利基亚，听到戈耳狄俄之结的故事。他来到系牛车的地方，仔细观察了这个结，然后他拔出佩剑，一下子把这绳砍开了，释放了牛车。然而有些人认为这是欺骗的方法，但是亚历山大确实征服了大部分亚洲，证明了预言是真的。
单词短语透视
1.lack[l?k]v.没有（某事物），缺乏，缺少
例句 She is considered to lack experience.人们认为她经验不足。
2.declare[d?kle?（r）]v.正式宣布（某事），表明
例句 I declare the meeting closed.我宣布会议结束。
3.peasant[peznt]n.农民
例句 The peasant led us down the hill.那个农民带我们朝山下走。
4.because of 因为；由于
例句 The dog was panting because of the hot weather.
因为天热这只狗不停地喘气。
5.cart[kɑ?t]n.（通常为马拉的两轮或四轮的）大车
例句 He put the white horse to the cart.
他把那匹白马套上车。
6.secure[s?kju?（r）]v.将（某物）固定住，缚住，系住
例句 He secures the ladder with ropes.他用绳子把梯子捆好。
7.incredibly[?nkred?bl?]adv.非常地；极端地
例句 I find these chairs incredibly uncomfortable.
我觉得这些椅子非常不舒服。
8.knot[n?t]n.结
例句 My dead fingers could not untie the knot.
我的手指麻木了，解不开结。
9.conquest[k??kwest]n.征服（如某国家及其人民）；击败
例句 They succeeded in the conquest of the city.
他们成功地征服了这座城市。
10.examine[?gz?m?n]v.仔细观察；检查
例句 You must examine the matter in its entirety.
你应该全面地仔细观察这件事。
11.pull out 拔出
例句 Can you pull the nail out of my shoe？
你可以把我鞋上的钉子拔出来吗？
12.sword[s??d]n.剑，刀
例句 He came into the room with a sword in his hand.
他手里拿着剑走进了房间。
13.slice[sla?s]v.将某物切下
例句 Please slice me a piece of bread.请给我切一片面包。
14.slice through sth.（干净利落地）切，割
例句 The axe sliced through the wood.斧头一下子把木头劈开了。
15.rope[r?up]n.（由多股拧成的）粗绳
例句 The kids tied a piece of rope to the tree and used it as a swing.
孩子们把（一根）绳子系在树上当作秋千玩。
16.view[vju?]v.考虑或认为某事物
例句 How do you view your chances of success？
你认为你获得成功有多大把握？
17.conquer[k??k?（r）]v.以武力占领，征服（某事物）
例句 The Normans conquered England in 1066.
诺曼人于1066年征服了英国。
神话背后的习语
Gordian knot 喻指“难办的事”或“棘手的问题”
戈耳狄俄是小亚细亚佛律基亚（Phrygia）的国王，传说他原先是个贫苦的农民。一天，他在耕地的时候，有只神鹰从天而降，落在他马车的轭上，久不飞走。戈耳狄俄就赶着马车进城去请求神示。那时，弗利基亚的老王突然去世，一国无主，上下****不安，于是人们请求神示由谁来做国王。
神示说：“在通向宙斯神庙的大ti上，你们遇到的第一个乘马车者就是新王。”恰好这时戈耳狄俄正乘着牛车前往宙斯的神庙，人们看见巍然屹立在车轭上的神鹰，认为这是掌握政权的象征，就一致拥戴戈耳狄俄为国王。
戈耳狄俄当了国王后，就把那辆象征命运的马车献给宙斯，放置在宙斯庙中。他用绳索打了个非常复杂的死结，把车轭牢牢得系在车辕上，谁也无法解开。
由此，人们常用a Gordian knot比喻a knot difficult or impossibe to unite；the difficult problem or task.
例如 The deceased old man did not leave a will and the distribution of his property was a Gordian knot.去世的老人没有留下遗嘱，他的财产分配是一个大难题。
cut the Gordian knot 以大刀阔斧的办法解决问题
根据上面的传说，后人就用Gordian knot 喻指“难办的事”或“棘手的问题”，用cut the Gordian knot比喻“以大刀阔斧的办法解决问题”，这个成语与汉语成语“快刀斩乱麻”“大刀阔斧、果断处置”十分相似。有时将Gordian一词略去，亦作cut the knot。
例如 We must try to solve the problem even if it is really a Gordian knot.我们必须努力解决这个问题，即使很棘手。The new manager found that none of the senior staff liked him，but he soon cut that knot by dismissing them all.新上任的经理发现高级职员都不喜欢他，可是他采取果断处置，把他们全都免职了。