Lesson 30 Exploring the sea-floor海底勘探独立主格 倒装句

Exploring the sea-floor ^{科普文体 Science Writing Style}

• The text uses precise, professional terminology and clear sentence structures. ^{课文使用精确的专业术语和清晰的句法结构。}
• Scientific writing avoids emotional language, focusing on objective descriptions. ^{科学写作避免情感语言，注重客观描述。}
• The exploration of the sea-floor employs a scientific style to convey factual information. ^{海底探索采用科学文体传递事实信息。}

课文用到了准确专业的术语，清晰的句法结构，而且注重各种客观描述，不带任何感情色彩。

Our knowledge of the oceans 100 years ago was confined to the two-dimensional shape of the sea surface and the hazards of navigation presented by the irregularities in depth of the shallow water close to the land. ^后置定语

confine … to … ^{把…局限于…}

• This attitude seems to be confined to the upper classes. ^{这种态度似乎局限于上层阶级。}
• He had had a long and uncomfortable trip, for he had been confined to the wooden box for over eighteen hours.
• Her research was confined to a single species. ^{她的研究局限于单一物种。}

hazard ^隐患

• Shallow waters posed a hazard to navigation. ^{浅水区对航行构成隐患。}
• Smoking is a serious health hazard. ^{吸烟是严重的健康隐患。}

be a health / safety / fire / traffic hazard ^…隐患

• Piles of oily rags in the basement are a major fire hazard. ^{地下室堆积的油抹布是重大的火灾隐患。}

be / present / pose / constitute a hazard to … ^{对… 构成隐患}

• The busy traffic entrance is / presents / poses / constitutes a hazard to pedestrians.
• The broken glass on the playground poses a serious hazard to children. ^{操场上的碎玻璃对孩子们构成了严重的隐患。}

The open sea was deep and mysterious, and anyone who gave more than a passing thought to the bottom confines of the oceans probably assumed that the sea bed was flat.

give thought / consideration to sth. 考虑某事

• She gave thought to changing her career path. ^{她考虑改变职业道路。}
• We must give thought to the environmental impact. ^{我们必须考虑环境影响。}
• I need to give some serious thought to your proposal before making a decision. ^{在做出决定之前，我需要认真考虑一下你的提议。}

passing ^{adj.brief and not serious 暂时的；瞬间的}

• It was just a passing thought, not a serious plan. ^{那只是一个暂时的想法，不是认真的计划。}
• She gave the issue a passing glance. ^{她对这个问题只是匆匆一瞥。}
• The craze for that toy was only passing. ^{对那个玩具的狂热只是暂时的。}

more than ^{比…稍微仔细一些;比…好一些}

• It is impossible to make more than the wildest guess at how many they kill , …
• He gave more than a passing thought to the project. ^{他对这个项目不仅仅是随便想想。}
• Her analysis was more than a quick review. ^{她的分析不仅仅是快速浏览。}

confines ^{n. limits 范围}

• It did not remain within the confines of his estate.
• The discussion stayed within the confines of the topic. ^{讨论保持在话题范围内。}
• Exploration beyond the confines of known waters was rare. ^{超越已知水域范围的探索很少见。}

assume ^{假设（含贬义，暗示错的）}

• Historians assumed calendars began with agriculture. ^{历史学家假设日历始于农业。}
• Some women assume their husbands will fix things. ^{一些女性假设她们的丈夫会修理东西。}
• Debaters weaken their case by assuming too much. ^{辩论者因假设过多而削弱了他们的论点。}
• Some debaters weaken their case by assuming too much. 

Sir James Clark Ross had obtained a sounding of over 2,400 fathoms in 1839, but it was not until 1869, when H. M. S. Porcupine was put at the disposal of the Royal Society for several cruises that a series of deep soundings was obtained in the Atlantic and the first samples were collected by dredging the bottom.

H.M.S. (HMS) ^{皇家舰艇(Her or His Majesty’s Ship)}

• ABBREVIATION for His (or Her) Majesty's Service ^{效力于英皇}
• One of these survey ships was to be named H.M.S. Beagle. ^{其中一艘勘测船将被命名为英国舰队贝格尔号。}
• H.M.S. Beagle and Adventure return to England at Plymouth. ^{英国舰队贝格尔号和开拓号返回英国普利茅斯港。}

at one’s disposal / at the disposal of sb. ^{归某人使用}

• He put / placed his house at my disposal during my holiday.
• He put his house at my disposal during my holiday. ^{他在我的假期中将房子供我使用。}
• The ship was at the disposal of the Royal Society. ^{这艘船归皇家学会使用。}
• Resources were at their disposal for the experiment. ^{实验资源供他们使用。}

it was not until …, that … ^{强调句(强调时间状语)}

• It was not until his third match in 1790 that he finally beat Humphries and became Champion of England.
• It was not until 1869 that deep soundings were obtained. ^{直到1869年才获得深海测深数据。}

it was not until …, when …, that … and ... 

It was not until the foundation of the United States of America in 1776 that the American people were finally liberated and became masters of the country. ^{直到 1776} 年美国人民才最终获得了解放并且成了国家的主人。
It was not until 1949, when Chairman Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People's Republic of China, that the Chinese people finally achieved liberation and became masters of the country. ^{直到1949年毛主席宣布中华人民共和国成立，中国人民才最终获得了解放并且成了国家的主人。}

Shortly after this the famous H. M. S. Challenger expedition established the study of the sea-floor as a subject worthy of the most qualified physicists and geologists.

shortly before / after ^{在…之前/之后不久}

• The accident happened shortly before midday. ^{事故发生在中午前不久。}
• Police arrived shortly after midnight. ^{警察在午夜后不久到达。}

establish … as … ^{确立…为…; 确立了…的某个地位}

• He had established himself as a musician by the 1980s. ^{他在1980年代确立了自己作为音乐家的地位。}
• Zhen He’s expeditions established Ming as a naval power. ^{郑和的远征确立了明朝作为海军强国的地位。}
• The expedition established sea-floor study as a scientific field. ^{这次远征确立了海底研究作为科学领域。}

worthy ^{adj.值得的}

• The matter is worthy of consideration. ^{这件事值得考虑。}
• The study was worthy of the most qualified scientists. ^{这项研究值得最有资质的科学家参与。}
• Her achievements are worthy to be celebrated. ^{她的成就值得被庆祝。}

qualified ^{adj.having finished a training course, or having particular skills, etc. . 有资格的，有资质的}

• Tim is now a qualified architect. ^{蒂姆现在是一名合格的建筑师。}
• He tried to pass himself off as a qualified doctor. ^{他企图冒充自己是一名合格的医生。}
• She is qualified to give advice on legal matters. ^{她有资格提供法律建议。}
• This training will qualify you for a better job. ^{这项培训将使你有资格获得更好的工作。}

A burst of activity associated with the laying of submarine cables soon confirmed the Challenger's observation that many parts of the ocean were two to three miles deep, and the existence of underwater features of considerable magnitude.

burst ^{v.爆发（出）}

• One more bite, and I’ll burst. ^{再吃一口，我就撑爆了。}
• The buds are all bursting in spring. ^{春天里，芽儿都在爆开。}
• As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.

Today, enough soundings are available to enable a relief map of the Atlantic to be drawn and we know something of the great variety of the sea bed's topography.

be available to do ^{（事物做主语）有某个东西可供…}

• Funds are available to assist teachers who want to attend the conference. ^{有资金可供帮助想参加会议的教师。}
• The arts should be available to more people at prices they can afford. ^{艺术品应该以人们支付得起的价格提供给更多人。}
  
• Rental Information Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. ^{租赁柜可以在您参观期间存放你个人物品。}

know … about / of … ^{对…有所了解}

• I don’t know anything about this. ^{我对此一无所知。}
• Not much is known about his background. ^{关于他的背景知之甚少。}
• You know nothing of this business. ^{你对这生意一无所知。}

Since the sea covers the greater part of the earth's surface, it is quite reasonable to regard the sea floor as the basic form of the crust of the earth, with, superimposed upon it, the continents, together with the islands and other features of the oceans.

it is (quite) reasonable to do ^{做…是完全合理的}

• It is quite reasonable for China to demand Japan to thoroughly rethink the Yasukuni Shrine issue.
• But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun. ^{但是认为防晒霜会让人们在阳光下产生一种虚假安全感的这种想法似乎是合理的。}
• It seems reasonable to expect rapid urban growth. ^{看起来期待城市会飞速发展是有道理的。}
• It is reasonable to assume (that) the economy will continue to improve. ^{认为经济将继续好转是有道理的。}
• It is reasonable to assume that he knew beforehand that this would happen. ^{有理由认为他事先就知道会发生这样的事。}

superimpose A on / upon B ^{把A附加到B上}

• She superimposed a grid on the map to analyze data. ^{她在地图上附加了一个网格来分析数据。}
• Text was superimposed on the image for clarity. ^{文字被附加在图像上以提高清晰度。}

独立主格:  (with) + n. + 非谓语  ^{在句中常作状语或定语}

… with the continents, to ether with the is ands and other features of the oceans superimposed upon it. ^{正常的逻辑主语在前面会导致头重脚轻}

• It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks being driven away or killed. ^{做结果状语}
• The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its headlights (being) on and its horn blaring, roared down the arcade. ^{做伴随状语}
• One man stayed at the wheel while two others with black stockings (being) over their faces jumped out and smashed the window of the shop with iron bars. ^后置定语
• …, and at this point, according to my father, I should be looking at farms and cottages in a valley, with the spire of the church of our village showing in the far distance. ^{后置定语，修饰valley}
• Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, with much of it broken. ^后置定语
• In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences —with most of them wildly (being) improbable. ^后置定语
• The village seemed deserted, with the only sign of life being an ugly-looking black goat tied to a tree on a short length of rope in a field nearby. ^{定语或状语}
• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time  (being) for boredom. ^状语

独立主格和非谓语动词一样，一般是为了突出句中的次要信息。

The continents form rugged tablelands which stand nearly three miles above the floor of the open ocean.

stand ^{矗立/高达...(系动词)}

• Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops.
• The Monument to the Heroes stands in the center of The Square.
•  She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hips. ^有多高
• An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini. ^位于...
• The tower stands 20 meters high. ^{这座塔高达20米。}
• The Monument to the Heroes stands in the center of The Square. ^{英雄纪念碑矗立在广场中心。}

From the shore line, out to a distance which may be anywhere from a few miles to a few hundred miles, runs the gentle slope of the continental shelf, geologically part of the continents.

run ^{v.（使）延伸;持续，延续}

• There was a path running through the middle of the forest.

全部倒装（把全部谓语置于主语之前）

• Out went he. X ^{主语不能是代词(Out he went.)}
• On the hill saw John Mary. X ^{谓语是及物动词(On the hill John saw Mary.)}

geologically ^{从地质学角度}

• The continental shelf is geologically part of the continents. ^{大陆架从地质学角度是大陆的一部分。}
• Geologically, the area is highly unstable. ^{从地质学角度看，该地区极不稳定。}
• The rock formations were studied geologically. ^{这些岩层被从地质学角度研究。}

The real dividing line between continents and oceans occurs at the foot of a steeper slope.

occur ^{存在于/发生}

• Minerals occur in the earth’s crust. ^{矿物质存在于地壳中。}
• Earthquakes often occur in this region. ^{地震常发生在此地区。}

This continental slope usually starts at a place somewhere near the 100-fathom mark and in the course of a few hundred miles reaches the true ocean floor at 2,500-3,500 fathoms.

continental slope ^大陆坡

• The continental slope descends to the ocean floor over a few hundred miles. ^{大陆坡在几百英里内下降到海洋底部。}
• Exploration of the continental slope revealed its steep gradients. ^{对大陆坡的探索揭示了其陡峭的坡度。}

The slope averages about 1 in 30, but contains steep, probably vertical, cliffs, and gentle sediment-covered terraces, and near its lower reaches there is a long tailing-off which is almost certainly the result of material transported out to deep water after being eroded from the continental masses.

average ^{v.平均值为…}

• The airport averages about a thousand flights a month. ^{机场平均每月约有一千次航班。}
• Her grades average around 85%. ^{她的成绩平均在85%左右。}

分数表达 ^{Fractional Expression}

• 1 in 30 = a / one thirtieth. ^{1/30 = 三十分之一。}
• Two thirtieths of the slope is steeper than average. ^{坡度的三十分之二比平均值更陡。}
• The fraction is expressed as one thirtieth. ^{该分数表示为三十分之一。}

vertical / perpendicular ^垂直

• The slope contains vertical cliffs. ^{该坡包含垂直的悬崖。}
• The wall was built perpendicular to the ground. ^{墙壁垂直于地面建造。}
• Horizontal terraces contrast with vertical cliffs. ^{水平台地与垂直悬崖形成对比。}
• he cliff face is almost vertical, making it a challenge for even expert climbers. ^{悬崖峭壁几乎是垂直的，即使对专业攀登者来说也是个挑战。}

Sediment-covered ^{复合形容词 (Compound Adjectives) 简化定语从句：名词+分词 构成形容词}

• the planet which supports life ⇒ the life-supporting planet : The life-supporting planet sustains diverse ecosystems. ^{支持生命的星球维持着多样化的生态系统。}
• animals which eat insects ⇒ insect-eating animals
• silverware which is made by hands ⇒ hand-made silverware : Hand-made silverware is highly valued. ^{手工制作的银器价值很高。}
• diseases which are related to stress ⇒ stress-related diseases

reaches ^{n.边缘地带/河段}

• Near its lower reaches, there is a long tailing-off. ^{在其下游地带，有一个长长的逐渐消失。}
• The outer reaches of the forest are untouched. ^{森林的边缘地带未被触及。}
• The upper reaches of the river are pristine. ^{河的上游地带是原始的。}