Lesson 26 The past life of the earth地球上的昔日生命

It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.

强调句；强调属格 ^{Emphatic sentence; emphasizing possessive}

it is / was … whose …

remains ^{残余物，遗址，废墟}

• The body of one statue was found among remains dating from the fifteenth century B.C. ^{一尊雕像的残骸是在公元前十五世纪的遗址中发现的。}
• In his mouth were the remains of fir trees ― the last meal that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back. ^{他嘴里有冷杉树的残余物——那是他在掉进冰隙摔断脊背前的最后一餐。}
• Archaeologists discovered ancient remains of a forgotten city. ^{考古学家发现了一座被遗忘的古城的遗址。}

remains ^{尸体，遗骸}

• His mortal remains are buried in the churchyard. ^{他的遗骸被安葬在教堂墓地里。}
• The forensic team identified the human remains. ^{法医团队辨认出了人类遗骸。}
• The ancient tomb contained the remains of a king. ^{这座古墓里有国王的遗骸。}

be likely / unlikely to do sth. ^{可能/不可能做某事}

• This is a pity, because noise abatement really is a good cause, and it is likely to be discredited if it gets to be associated with bad science. ^{这很可惜，因为降噪确实是一项好的事业，如果它与糟糕的科学联系起来，就可能会被抹黑。}
• As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans. ^{碰巧，在欧洲安全的剃须刀不太可能电死美国人。}
• It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated. ^{后来，很明显兔子正在对这种疾病产生一定程度的抵抗力，因此兔子数量不太可能被完全消灭。}

课文仿写 ^{text imitation}

• 造句：住在叙利亚 (Syria) 及附近的难民的申请最有可能获得批准。
• It is refugees who live in or near Syria whose applications are most likely to be approved. ^{正是居住在叙利亚或其附近的难民，他们的申请最有可能获得批准。}

写作：书面语正式表达；使用名词 ^{Formal written expression; use of nouns}

… for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, …

silt ^淤泥

• Heavy rains caused river banks to overflow with silt. ^{大雨导致河岸淤泥泛滥。}
• The dredging operation removed a large amount of silt from the harbor. ^{疏浚作业清除了港口大量的淤泥。}
• The ancient city was buried under layers of mud and silt. ^{这座古城被埋在层层泥土和淤泥之下。}

continually ^{不断地；频繁地；（含贬义，不希望发生的事总是发生）}

• He is continually being late. ^{他老是迟到。}
• He is continually asking me for money. ^{他老是向我要钱。}
• They're continually arguing. ^{他们老是争吵。}
• Everything around him was full of her presence, continually reopening the wound. ^{他周围的一切都充满了她的身影，不断地揭开伤疤。}

continuously ^{连续不断地 （强调一刻不停，一直持续下去的）}

• He has lived and worked in France almost continuously since 1961. ^{自1961年以来，他几乎一直在法国生活和工作。}
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. ^{这些灯持续闪烁，就像疯了的红绿灯一样。}
• Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold. ^{他几乎立刻就开始抱怨天气，因为尽管还是夏天，却连绵不断地下雨，而且常常冷得要命。}

be continually / always doing ^老做某事

• She's continually complaining about her job. ^{她老是抱怨她的工作。}
• My brother is always borrowing my clothes without asking. ^{我哥哥老是未经允许借我的衣服。}
• They are continually making noise late at night. ^{他们晚上老是制造噪音。}

deposit ^沉积

• layers of sediment that were deposited on the ocean floor ^{沉积在海底的沉积物层}
• The river deposited fine sand along its banks. ^{河流沿岸沉积了细沙。}
• Minerals were deposited over millions of years to form rocks. ^{矿物质经过数百万年的沉积形成了岩石。}

and the like / and such like ^{等等 ， 诸如此类}

• Soldiers, policemen, and the like were all called in to help with the emergency. ^{士兵、警察等等都被召来帮助处理紧急情况。}
• tools, machines and what not ^{工具、机器等等}
• He enjoys reading novels, poetry, and so on. ^{他喜欢读小说、诗歌等等。}
• The grocery store sells fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and so forth. ^{杂货店出售水果、蔬菜、奶制品等等。}
• We discussed plans for the trip, accommodation, itinerary, etc. ^{我们讨论了旅行计划、住宿、行程等等。}

But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them.

circumstances ^{条件；环境；状况}

• It is almost always due to some very special circumstances ^特殊情况 that traces of animals survive.
• A man without an education is an unfortunate victim of adverse circumstances ^{不利的环境}.
• Under no circumstances ^{任何情况下} should you leave the door unlocked.

fraction ^一小部分

• His shares are now worth a fraction ^一小部分 of their former value.
• All of them together kill only a fraction ^极少部分 of the number destroyed by spiders.
• A mere fraction ^{很小的部分} of available wind energy is utilized.

set in ^{（不愉快的事）开始并可能持续}

• Further economic decline set in during the 1930s. ^{经济衰退在1930年代开始。}
• Despair seems to have set in among the team. ^{绝望似乎已经在团队中蔓延。}
• A cold winter set in early this year. ^{今年寒冬提前开始。}

After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided.

live by doing ^{靠……为生}

• He lives by writing. ^{他靠写作为生。}
• They live by hunting and fishing. ^{他们靠打猎捕鱼为生。}
• She lives by teaching. ^{她靠教书为生。}

语法点：whether it be... ^{让步状语从句中的虚拟语气}

• Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise is intrigued. ^{无论是鸟、鱼还是兽，海豚都感兴趣。}
• Though he be the President, he shall listen to us. ^{即使他是总统，他也要听我们说。}
• Be they administrators or teachers, they are under pressure. ^{不管是行政人员还是教师，他们都承受压力。}

by chance ^偶然地

• We met by chance in Paris. ^{我们在巴黎偶然相遇。}
• The discovery happened by chance. ^{这个发现是偶然发生的。}
• He avoided disaster by chance. ^{他侥幸避免了灾难。}

The remains of plants and animals that lived on land are much more rarely preserved, for there is seldom anything to cover them over.

cover ... over ^覆盖住

• The female lays a single egg and covers it over. ^{雌鸟下一个蛋并将其盖住。}
• Snow covered over the entire village. ^{雪覆盖了整个村庄。}
• He quickly covered over the hole with a board. ^{他迅速用木板盖住洞。}

When you think of the innumerable birds that one sees flying about, not to mention the equally numerous small animals like field mice and voles which you do not see, it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body, except, of course, on the roads.

innumerable / numerous / countless ^{无数的；数量众多的}

• Innumerable stars filled the sky. ^{无数星星布满天空。}
• We have numerous reasons to believe her. ^{我们有很多理由相信她。}
• There are countless books on the topic. ^{关于这个话题的书多得数不清。}

let alone ^更不用说

• I can’t afford a bike, let alone a car. ^{我连自行车都买不起，更不用说汽车了。}
• She can barely walk, let alone run. ^{她几乎走不动，更别说跑了。}
• They don’t have enough food, let alone medical supplies. ^{他们连吃的都不够，更不用说医疗用品了。}

It is almost always due to some very special circumstances that traces of land animals survive, as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse, like the Siberian mammoths, when the whole animal is sometimes preserved, as in a refrigerator.

强调句 ^{用于突出句子某部分}

• It is...that ^{强调句型结构}
• It is due to... ^强调原因
• It is almost always due to special circumstances ^{几乎总是由于特殊情况}

as (省略句) ^{作为方式状语从句}

• The fossils are sometimes preserved, as in ice caves. ^{正如在冰洞中一样}
• They behave as expected. ^{他们如预期般行事}
• The child reacted as his mother would. ^{这孩子像他母亲一样反应}

crevasse ^冰川裂缝

• The climber fell into a crevasse. ^{登山者掉进了冰川裂缝}
• They crossed a dangerous crevasse. ^{他们穿越了一条危险的冰缝}
• Snow hid the deep crevasse. ^{雪覆盖了深深的裂缝}

mammoth ^猛犸象

• The mammoth lived thousands of years ago. ^{猛犸象生活在几千年前}
• A frozen mammoth was discovered. ^{一只冻住的猛犸象被发现}
• Mammoth bones were unearthed. ^{猛犸象骨骼被挖掘出土}

This is what happened to the famous Beresovka mammoth which was found preserved and in good condition.

表语从句 ^{解释主语内容}

• This is what I meant. ^{这就是我想说的}
• That was what he experienced. ^{那就是他所经历的}
• Here is what they discovered. ^{这是他们发现的内容}

In his mouth were the remains of fir trees -- the last meal that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back.

全部倒装 ^{谓语提前使句式更强调}

• Gone are the days of innocence. ^{天真无邪的日子一去不返}
• On the floor were toys and clothes. ^{地板上散落着玩具和衣服}
• Happy is the man who learns from failure. ^{能从失败中学习的人是幸福的}

The mammoth has now been restored in the Palaeontological Museum in St. Petersburg.

restore ^修复

• The painting was restored to its original state. ^{这幅画被恢复成原来的样子}
• The old car has been restored. ^{这辆旧车已被修复}
• The museum restored the ancient artifacts. ^{博物馆修复了古代文物}

Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed cats, and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles.

trap ^困住

• Miners were trapped underground. ^{矿工被困在地下}
• He was trapped in a burning car. ^{他被困在燃烧的车中}
• The tourists were trapped by the flood. ^{游客被洪水困住了}

tar pit ^{天然沥青坑}

• The fossil was found in a tar pit. ^{化石在沥青坑中被发现}
• Tar pits can preserve bones. ^{沥青坑可以保存骨骼}
• Many ancient animals were trapped in tar pits. ^{许多古动物被困在沥青坑中}

Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar.

collect ^聚集

• Rain collected in the bucket. ^{雨水聚集在桶中}
• Water collected at the bottom of the pit. ^{水聚集在坑底}
• Snow collected on the branches. ^{雪积在树枝上}

bog ^{沼泽/使陷入泥沼}

• The jeep was bogged down in mud. ^{吉普陷入了泥中}
• They got bogged during the hike. ^{他们在徒步中陷入泥地}
• The tank bogged in the wet field. ^{坦克陷入湿地}

And then, when they were dead, the carnivores, like the sabretoothed cats and the giant wolves, came out to feed and suffered exactly the same fate.

suffer a ... fate ^{遭遇...命运}

• They suffered the same fate as their ancestors. ^{他们遭遇了和祖先一样的命运}
• The animals suffered a cruel fate. ^{这些动物遭遇了残酷命运}
• The whole village suffered a tragic fate. ^{整个村庄遭遇了悲惨的命运}

There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar as well.

There are... ^存在句型

• There are many stars in the sky. ^{天上有许多星星}
• There were hundreds of people at the concert. ^{音乐会有数百人}
• There will be a storm tomorrow. ^{明天将有风暴}