Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man.

… as he was a young man ^{状语从句的省略}

前提：1. 从句主语和主句主语一致；2. 从句中需有 be 动词。省略时需把从句主语和 be 动词一起省略。从句：when /if/though /although/once /unless/wherever + (主语 + be) + 形容词 / 分词 可以直接删掉 主语 + be。

1. He fell asleep when he was doing his homework.
2. When I was surfing the net, the power was off. ^{不可省略(主语不一致)}
3. His father died when he was only three. ^{不能省略（主语不一致）}
4. He always wet the bed when he was a boy. 
5. When I say I love you, I mean it. ^{不能省略（没有 be 动词）}
6. While (he was) waiting, he read a newspaper. ^{他等候的时候看报纸。}
7. Unless (you are) invited, don’t come in. ^{除非受到邀请，否则不要进来。}
8. Once (they are) found, the mistakes must be corrected. ^{错误一旦发现就必须改正。}
9. Though (she was) tired, she kept working. ^{虽然很累，她仍然继续工作。}
10. If (you are) asked, please tell the truth. ^{如果被问到，请讲真话。}

特例：当从句主语是 it 后有 be 动词时，也可以把 it 和 be 一起省略。

• Call me when it is necessary. ^{（从句主语是虚义 it，所以 it is 可省）}
• Come early if (it is) possible. ^{有可能的话早点来。}
• Don’t speak unless (it is) required. ^{除非要求，否则不要发言。}
• Fill in the blanks where (it is) appropriate. ^{在合适的地方填空。}
• When (it is) in doubt, ask the teacher. ^{有疑问就问老师。}

tell sb. about sb./sth. ^{向某人讲述关于某人/某物的情况}

• He has been telling me about you. ^{他一直在跟我说起你。}
• —It’s so hard. —Tell me about it. ^{——这太难了。——可不是嘛。}

Before he retired, Frank was the head of a very large business company, but as a boy he used to work in a small shop. §

the head of + 名词 ^{…的老板，头、负责人}

• John is the head of the family. ^一家之主
• Frank is the head of the firm. ^{弗兰克是那家公司的总裁。}

used to do sth. ^{过去常常, 但是现在不做(可替代过去时)}

I used to think I had the answers to everything but now I know life doesn’t always go my way, yeah...

• My teacher used to live there. ^{我的老师过去住在那(现在不住了)}
• I used to drink a lot of coffee. ^{我过去常常喝咖啡}
• We used to live in the countryside. ^{我们过去常常住乡下}
• People used to be happy when they were young. ^{人们年轻的时候是幸福的。}

as a boy = as he was a boy ^{as 的意思是“当…的时候”}

• He was as a young man. ^{当他年轻的时候}
• … as he was a young man ^{状语从句的省略}

* It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day.

at that time = just then = at that moment ^那时

• At that time, I lived in a small village. ^{在那时，我住在一个小村庄。}
• I was about to leave. Just then, the phone rang. ^{我正要离开，就在那时电话响了。}
• At that moment, I knew I was wrong. ^{在那一刻，我知道我错了。}

He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own.

用 of one's own 或 one's own 由被修饰词的位置决定, 如果被修饰名词在前边, 用of one's own, 如果被修饰名词在后边, 用 one's own。

of one's own ^{自己的，属于自己的（own 为代词）}

• Do you have a house of your own? ^{属于你自己的房子}
• I need a room of my own.
• We have problems of our own.

In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.

in one's -ies ^{在某人几十岁的时候}

in one's twenties/thirties/forties/fifties/nineties，十的倍数的复数形式可用于表达近似的、非确定的数量，与所有格形容词连用时表示大约的年龄。

• in my fifties ^{在我五十多岁的时候}
• In his fifties, he learned the second language. ^{他五十多岁了才学习第二语言}

In a few years the small workshop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people.

has become ^成长为…

• Health and fitness have become big business.^{保健已经成为大生意。}
• Wearing fur has become unfashionable. ^{穿裘皮服装已经变得不流行了。}
• He had become a midshipman at age sixteen. ^{他16岁就已经成了一名海军学校学生。}

in a few years ^{在一些年之后}

• In a few years he had climbed to the top of his profession. ^{他在几年内攀上了职业的巅峰。}
• Do you remember that play I was in a few years ago? ^{你还记得几年前我参演的那出戏吗？}

…factory which employed… ^{工厂雇佣…（除了人可以雇佣外，工厂、公司也可以这样表达)}

• Nearby was a factory which exuded a pungent smell. ^{附近是一家散发出一种刺鼻气味的工厂。}
• This is the factory which I visited. ^{这就使我参观过的工厂。}
• The factory which produces cars is over there. ^{生产汽车的那家工厂就在那边。}

Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success.

one’s hard early years = early in one’s hard life ^{某人的早年艰辛（生活）}

• the long road to success ^{通往成功的长路}
• There is a long way to go. ^{还有很长的路要走。}

remember ^{v. 记得, 回忆起}

• I did remember, but only dimly. ^{我的确记得，只是记不太清楚了。}

She wanted him to repair their grandson's bicycle!

• chain: The bike chain moves whenever I start pedaling.
• gears: As the ground became flatter, I changed gears.
• tyre/tire: Both my tyres need more air.
• brake: I used the brake to stop the bike.
• reflector: I was able to see the cyclist because of his reflector.
• saddle: The saddle on my bike was too high, so I got James to lower it.
• crossbar: I put my leg over the crossbar and started to pedal.
• pump: I used the pump to put air in my tyres.
• bell: I ring the bell to let people know I’m behind them.
• brake lever: I wanted to stop, so I pressed the brake lever.
• handlebars: I put my hands on the handlebars and started to cycle.
• spokes: The wheels were turning so quickly that I couldn’t see the spokes clearly.
• valve: The valve on the bike regulates the air coming in and out of the tyres.
• stand: The bike will fall over if you don’t put down the stand.
• pedal: I put my feet on the pedals and started to cycle.