Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly three weeks before they could get it under control.
fight sth. 和…作搏斗
- More units to fight forest fires are planned. 已经计划增派部队来扑灭森林大火。
- He broke his nose in the fight.他打架时打断了鼻梁。
get it under control 表示“使它得到控制”，get 有“使…处于某种状态”的含义
- Get the room in order. “get + 宾语 + 介词短语 ” 作宾补
- The Government can no longer keep prices under control. 政府已控制不住物价。
| a short time before 不久以前（从过去某一点时间算） | a short time ago 不久以前（从现在算) |
|---|
| We arrived at the party a short time before it started.(从晚会开始前算)不久我们就到了 | He left the house a short time ago. (从现在算)他刚走不久 |
for miles around 方圆几英里（around 表示“在周围，向四周”）
- This is the only modern building for miles around.
| great (程度)重要性、杰出性 | big (体积)尺寸、规模 |
|---|
| great man 伟人(强调重要性) | big man 大个子 (强调面积、体积、规模上的大) |
Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate hills.
rise up (from) 升上来
- Elevators don't just rise up. 电梯不只是上升。
- Seven massive columns rise up from a marble floor.七根巨大的圆柱从大理石地面拔地而起。
smoke rise up (烟、雾)弥漫
- We see smoke rise straight up in the air. 我们看到烟雾直升到空中。
- The smoke rise from his cigarette 烟从他的香烟中升起
| Winter is coming 临冬(Winterfell 临冬城) | Winter was coming (on) 冬季即将来临 (季节的来临的通用表达式) |
| Spring is coming. 春天(即将)到来 | Spring was coming on (过去某个时刻) 春天(即将)到来 |
come on “到来，来临” 的过去进行时形式表示的是过去将来时，它在这里表示季节的
- When spring comes on, there will be flowers everywhere.
- I was still in the forest when night came on.
wash away 冲掉，冲走，洗掉
- A wooden bridge was washed away by the flood.
- I can’t wash the spot away.
| threatened B with A A威胁到B(B被A威胁) | threatened ... with destruction 对...具有destruction的威胁(使用destruction威胁...) |
|---|
| The attacker threatened them with a gun. 袭击者用枪威胁他们。 | Then whole village is threatened with destruction. 整个村子面临着毁灭的威胁。 |
| Winter was coming on | and | the hills threatened the surrounding villages with destruction | , for | heavy rain would not only wash away the soil | but would cause serious floods as well. |
| 并列句A | 并列 | 原因状语主句 | 因为 | 并列 I | 并列 II |
| 原因状语从句 |
| 并列句B |
When the fire had at last been put out, the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly.
put out 扑灭
The seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aeroplanes.
| quantity 单数时 表示“数量”，既可以用于表示多也可以用于表示少 | quantity 复数时 表示“大量” |
|---|
| They drank a large / great / small quantity of beer last night. | He bought books in (large) quantities. |
By then, however, in many places the grass had already taken root.
take root 表示“生根”，这个短语也可以表示某处思想/想法等“扎根”
- This type of grass takes root easily.
- The idea has taken root in his mind. 抽象“萌芽”
In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries patches of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.
| in place of 替代，取代 (只能指代位置、空间，原来放的东西现在不在了) | instead of 替代 + 没做的事 |
|---|
- In place of a cup , I put a vase there. 以前放的是茶杯，现在放的是花瓶。
- Jane answered the phone in place of Mary.
| Instead of staying home, I went to school.
（此句就不能用“in place of”，而指地点空间时，既可以用“in place of”也可以用“instead of”。） |
| soil 泥土(能让植物生长的)，土，土地，土壤 | ground 地表，地面(与土壤无关)，场地，土地 |
|---|
| We have the most fertile soil in the Midwest. 我们在中西部有最肥沃的土壤。 | The ground was soft and spongy.土地松软，像海绵似的。 |