Lesson 37 The process of ageing衰老过程定语从句 情态动词

At the age of 12 years, the human body is at its most vigorous.

at one’s + 形容词最高级 ^{处于某人最…的状态}

• When are you at your best / worst / most effective / most vulnerable?
• The garden is at its most beautiful in June.
• Caesar was at his most powerful when he conquered Gaul.
• The garden is at its most beautiful in early spring. ^{花园在早春时节处于它最美的状态。}
• The garden is at its most vigorous in the spring.^{花园在春天处于最旺盛的状态。}
• The economy was at its most vigorous right before the downturn.^{经济在低迷期前正处于最旺盛的状态。}

at + 最高级

be + on + 状态名词 ^{（表状态会持续）}

• He was constantly on the move.
• He is always on the go.
• The patient is on the recovery.
• The program is on the air at 7 o’clock.
• Crimes are on the rise.
• The dog is on the alert.
• The workers are on strike.
• Today I’m on duty.
• The nurse is on call.
• I’m here on business / vacation.

under + 状态名词 ^{(处于某种状态)}

• The car is under repair.
• The castle is under attack.
• The subject is under discussion.
• The matter is under consideration.
• You are under arrest.
• The patient is under observation.
• The case is under investigation.
• The bridge is under construction.
• The building is under renovation.

It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner (has yet to reach) his or her full intelligence; but at this age the likelihood of death is least.

has yet to do ^{尚未 .../还没有...;还没有…；有待于…}

•  I have yet to make a decision.
• The bank has yet to respond to our letter.
• The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks, has yet to open next month.
• The committee has yet to reach a final decision on the proposal.^{委员会尚未就该提案做出最终决定。}
• The new technology has yet to fully realize its potential.^{这项新技术尚未完全实现其潜力。}

have only to do … to do ^{…只需……就可以……}

… and we have only to turn to that extraordinary discovery of echo-location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role.

• You have only to press the button to call the nurse.

并列句的省略

… and its owner (has yet to reach) his or her full intelligence.

• Spiders are not insects, as many people think, nor (are they) even nearly related to them.
• Such inns as there were were generally dirty and flea-ridden; the food (was) simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all washed down with coarse wine.
• During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and, stranger still, by moving her elbow over a child's game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it; and, in another instance, wearing stockings and slippers, (she was able) to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet.
• But, if this world is not merely a bad joke, life (is not merely) a vulgar flare amid the cool radiance of the stars, and existence (is not merely) an empty laugh braying across the mysteries; …

It is said that in England death is pressing, in Canada (death is) inevitable and in California (death is) optional. Small wonder. Americans’ life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past century. Failing hips can be replaced, clinical depression (can be) controlled, cataracts (can be) removed in a 30-minutes surgical procedure.

最高级可省略 the 的情况

• Vegetables are best when they are fresh.
• We are busiest on Mondays.

… but at this age the possibilities of death are fewest. ^课文替换

Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though (the loss is) imperceptible at first, (it) will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us.

并列句的省略

• Earlier, we were infants and young children, and (we were) consequentlymore vulnerable;
• … though (the loss is) imperceptible at first, … ^{从句里的省略}

undergo ^{v.经历，经受}

• Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality, …
• Fans may undergo body searches by security guards. ^{仰慕者们可能要接受保安人员的搜身。}
• Some children undergo a complete transformation when they become teenagers. ^{一些儿童进入少年期会完全变成另一个人。}
• The old buildings will undergo a progressive renovation over the next decade.^{这些旧建筑将在未来十年内经历逐步翻新。}
• The patient will undergo a series of medical tests before the surgery.^{患者在手术前将接受一系列的医学检查。}

progressive ^{adj.进步的，先进的；逐步发生的}

• One prominent symptom of the disease is progressive loss of memory.
• The reactionary policemen broke and arrested many progressive students. ^{反动警察打垮并逮捕了许多激进学生。}
• Have a "progressive" dinner together.^{共进一次“循序渐进的”晚餐。}

This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing.

decline in ^{...的衰退/下降(注意介词用in)}

• The team showed a noticeable decline in vigour during the second half of the game.^{球队在比赛的下半场表现出明显的活力下降。}
• The doctor noted a gradual decline in the patient's physical vigour.^{医生注意到患者体力的逐渐衰退。}
• There will be an increase in the range of 0 to 3 per cent. ^{将会有0到3个百分点的增长幅度。}

It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and diseases we shall eventually 'die of old age', and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favour of our dying between the ages of 65 and 80.

decline ^{v. deteriorate （健康、品质等）恶化；衰退}

• His health has been declining / deteriorating progressively for several months.
• The patient's condition began to decline rapidly after the surgery. ^{手术后，病人的情况开始迅速恶化。}
• The weather continued to deteriorate throughout the afternoon. ^{整个下午天气都在持续恶化。}

“ if ”引导让步状语从句 1、= even if …

• If he noticed the fact, he didn’t care.
• … even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten.
• This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health, it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it.

differ little ^{几乎没有区别(hardly)}

• The two versions of the document differ little in their core arguments. ^{这两版文件的核心观点几乎没有区别。}

from person to person ^{人际之间（form ... to ... 零冠词）}

• The need for sleep varies considerably from person to person. ^{不同的人对睡眠的需要差异相当大。}
• The symptoms of the common cold differ little from person to person.^{普通感冒的症状人与人之间差别不大。}
• The average response time differs little from person to person in this test.^{在这项测试中，平均反应时间人与人之间差别不大。}

There are heavy / overwhelming odds in favor of / against … ^很可能...

• The team had heavy odds in favour of winning the championship this year.^{该队今年赢得冠军的可能性非常大。}
• Given the success of the pilot program, there are heavy odds in favour of the full rollout.^{鉴于试点项目的成功，全面推广的可能性非常大。}

life expectancy ^{人口预期寿命}

• Prevention of heart disease and stroke will increase life expectancy.^{对心脏病和中风的预防将延长预期寿命。}
• The life expectancy for men in Harlem was less than that of men in Bangladesh. ^{哈莱姆区男性的预期寿命低于孟加拉国男性。}
• Scientists estimate that smoking reduces life expectancy by around 2 years on average. ^{科学家们估计，吸烟使预期寿命平均缩短了大约两年时间。}

die of old age ^{死于年老/老死}

• The great artist finally died of old age in his sleep.^{这位伟大的艺术家最终在睡梦中老死。}
• In a healthy society, most people should expect to die of old age.^{在一个健康的社会里，大多数人应该期望老死。}

Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer -- on into a ninth or tenth decade.

on into a... decade ^{持续到…的十年/进入…的十年}

• The author continued writing on into his eighth decade.^{这位作者持续写作直到他八十多岁。}
• The ancient tradition has continued on into the third millennium.^{这个古老的传统已经持续到第三个千年。}

But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.

the chances are against it ^{可能性很小/机会渺茫}

• The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for new year celebrations were good.
• As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice.
• She is still hoping for a promotion, but the chances are against it this year.^{她仍在希望升职，但今年机会渺茫。}
• They tried to fix the old machine, but the chances were against it working again.^{他们试图修理这台旧机器，但它再次工作的可能性很小。}

virtual limit on... ^{对…的实际限制}

• There is a virtual limit on how fast we can run.
• There is a virtual restriction on the rate of economic growth in a specific country.
• There are strict limits / restrictions on presidential power.
• The budget imposed a virtual limit on the number of staff they could hire.^{预算对他们可以雇佣的员工数量施加了实际的限制。}
• Currently, there is a virtual limit on the number of participants allowed in the hall. ^{目前，大厅里允许的人数受到了实质性的限制。}

Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it.

tend to do sth. ^{倾向于/往往会做某事}

• He tends to arrive late for meetings, so we start without him.^{他往往会迟到开会，所以我们不等他了。}
• The weather tends to be quite warm in this region during the summer.^{夏季该地区的天气往往相当暖和。}

unless and until ^{除非/直到}

Some people believe that a society has to place its overall success before the well-being of its members to achieve prosperity, whereas others believe that the only benchmark of the well-being of a society is the general welfare of all its people. Admittedly, a society should pursue its overall success, but from my perspective this goal will never be attained unless and until the well-being of all its individual citizens is properly respected. ^GRE范文

• No credits will be awarded unless and until we receive official notification from the testing service.
• The building will remain closed unless and until the safety inspection is complete.^{这座建筑将保持关闭，除非安全检查完成。}
• We will not release the funds unless and until we receive final authorization.^{除非我们收到最终授权，否则我们不会发放资金。}

be reminded of sth. ^{被提醒某事}

• I was suddenly reminded of my appointment by a phone call.^{一个电话突然提醒了我我的预约。}
• The familiar scent reminded her of her childhood home.^{这熟悉的香味让她想起了她的童年故居。}

We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes.

(the) more ... the older ^{句中可省略the;越...越...（先翻译后面）}

• I play the piano (the) better the more I practice.
• The more I practice, the better I play the piano.

self-evident ^{(adj.) 不言而喻的/自明的}

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. ^{— Arthur Schopenhauer}

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable  rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ^{― Thomas Jefferson(Declaration of Independence)}

• It is self-evident that proper funding is necessary for the project's success.^{很明显，适当的资金对项目的成功是必要的。}
• The importance of clean water should be self-evident to everyone.^{清洁水的重要性对每个人来说都应该是不言而喻的。}

… as a hot kettle cools down or a pair of shoes wears out. ^本文替换

They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things 'wear out'.

in the nature of things ^{根据事物的本性/自然而然地；必然}

• It is in the nature of things that time wrecks all love. 
• It was expected, in the nature of things, that the old system would eventually fail.^{根据事物的本性，人们预计旧系统最终会失败。}
• Such mistakes happen in the nature of things when dealing with complex data.^{在处理复杂数据时，此类错误自然而然地会发生。}

of a … nature ^{某一种类的}

• treaties of a political nature
• questions of an academic nature
• It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature,...

wear out ^{耗损/磨损殆尽}

• I need a new coat because my old one has completely worn out.^{我需要一件新外套，因为我旧的那件已经完全磨损了。}
• The batteries of the remote control wear out quickly with heavy use.^{遥控器的电池在大力使用下很快就会耗尽。}

Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact run out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at present).

run out of sth. ^{...耗尽;用完}

• We have run out of milk, so I need to go to the store. ^{我们的牛奶喝光了，所以我得去趟商店。}
• The hikers had to stop when they suddenly ran out of energy. ^{徒步旅行者突然能量耗尽时不得不停下来。}
• Our car almost ran out of gas before we reached the next town. ^{在到达下一个城镇之前，我们的车几乎燃油耗尽。}

in accordance with... ^{根据/与…一致}

• All company procedures must be executed in accordance with the safety regulations.^{所有公司程序必须根据安全规定执行。}
• The judge made the ruling in accordance with established legal precedent.^{法官根据既定的法律先例做出裁决。}
• The funeral was conducted in accordance with his final wishes. ^{葬礼是按照他的遗愿举行的。}

Reading is thought to be a kind of conversation between the reader and  the text. The reader puts questions, as it were, to the text and gets answers. In the light of these he puts further questions, and so on.阅读真题
He explores such problem consciously,  articulately,  and frankly,  first  by asking  factual  questions,  then  by  asking  moral  questions,  finally  by suggesting action which seems appropriate in the light of the factual and moral information which he has obtained. ^{考研英译汉}

the law of thermodynamics ^{热力学定律}

指描述能量转化和传递的三条原则。热力学第一定律（能量守恒定律）规定系统内能的变化等于系统所吸收的热量和对系统所做的功之和。热力学第二定律规定在系统内，热量不能从一个温度较低的物体传递到一个温度较高的物体，而不引起系统内其他物体的净变化；在任何不可逆过程中，熵总是增加的。热力学第三定律（内尔斯特热定理）规定在有限次数的步骤中，不可能将系统的温度降低到绝对零度。

• the first law of thermodynamics = the law of the conservation of energy 

a moot point ^{有争议的问题/悬而未决的问题} 

• Whether the early dismissal of the CEO was legal remains a moot point.^{提前解雇首席执行官是否合法仍然是一个有争议的问题。}
• The success of the long-term strategy is a moot point until the market changes.^{长期战略的成功是一个未决的问题，直到市场发生变化。}
• It’s a moot point whether building more roads reduces traffic congestion. 

But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages.

be analogous to ^{与…相似/可类比}

His function is analogous to that of a judge, who must accept the obligation of revealing in as obvious a manner as possible the course of reasoning which led him to his decision. ^英译汉

• Hypnotism is in a sense analogous to drunkenness.
• The human brain is sometimes analogous to a highly sophisticated computer. ^{人类大脑有时被比作一台高度精密的计算机。}
• The financial crisis of 2008 was not analogous to the crash of 1929.^{2008 年的金融危机与 1929 年的崩盘不相似。}
• His problem is not analogous to yours; the circumstances are completely different.^{他的问题与你的不相似；情况完全不同。}

A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound.

run-down ^{(adj.) （机器）停止运转的/（人）疲惫不堪的}

• The hospital staff were completely run-down after the intense week.^{医院工作人员在紧张的一周后完全疲惫不堪。}
• The old factory building looked very run-down.^{那座旧工厂大楼看起来非常破旧。}

be rewound ^{被重新上发条/重新卷绕}

• The old projector tape needs to be rewound before the next viewing.^{旧投影机胶带需要在下次观看前被重新卷绕。}
• I rewound the cassette and played her voice back to her. ^{他倒好磁带， 又播放了几小段录音。}
• Only new or rewound rotors may be used as finished goods. ^{只有新的或重新缠绕的转子可以作为完好产品。}

An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending.

in / by contrast ^{相比之下/对照地；与此相反}

• The company’s profits plummeted this year. By contrast, their main competitor saw a record increase. ^{公司今年的利润大幅下跌。相比之下，他们的主要竞争对手却见证了创纪录的增长。}
• His brother is very outgoing; by contrast, he is quite reserved.^{他的哥哥非常外向；相比之下，他相当内向。}
• The north side of the island is rocky and wild; by contrast, the south side is sandy and calm.^{岛的北侧多岩石且荒凉；相比之下，南侧多沙且平静。}

be worth doing ^值得...

• The damage to the roof was so extensive that it was not worth mending.^{屋顶的损坏是如此严重，以至于不值得修理。}
• He concluded that the broken bicycle was not worth mending.^{他断定这辆坏了的自行车不值得修理。}

But a watch could never repair itself -- it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction.

repair itself ^自我修复

• The human body has an amazing ability to repair itself after injury.^{人体在受伤后具有惊人的自我修复能力。}
• The new building material is designed to repair itself when small cracks appear.^{这种新的建筑材料设计成在出现小裂缝时可以自我修复。}

wear away by friction ^{因摩擦而磨损}

• The constant movement caused the rope to wear away by friction.^{不断的运动导致绳子因摩擦而磨损。}
• The stone steps were worn away by centuries of footsteps.^{石阶被数百年的脚步磨损。}

We could, at one time, repair ourselves --well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents.

at one time ^{曾经/一度}

• This ancient city was at one time the capital of a vast empire.^{这座古老的城市曾经是一个庞大帝国的首都。}
• He was at one time a very successful businessman, though he is retired now.^{他曾经是一位非常成功的商人，尽管他现在退休了。}

overcome all but... ^{克服除…之外的所有一切}

• The athlete managed to overcome all but the final hurdle in the race.^{这位运动员设法克服了比赛中除最后一个障碍之外的所有一切。}
• The new security system is designed to overcome all but the most sophisticated attacks.^{新的安全系统旨在克服除了最复杂的攻击之外的所有一切。}

Between 12 and 80 years we gradually lose this power; an illness which at 12 would knock us over, at 80 can knock us out, and into our grave.

gradually lose this power ^{逐渐失去这种能力}

• The organization has been gradually losing its influence over the past decade.^{该组织在过去十年中一直在逐渐失去影响力。}
• Elderly people may gradually lose their sense of taste.^{老年人可能会逐渐失去他们的味觉。}

knock sb. over ^{使某人病倒/击倒某人}

• A car knocked him over.
• He was knocked over by fever.
• The cyclist accidentally knocked a pedestrian over on the narrow path. ^{骑行者在狭窄的小路上不小心把一名行人撞倒了。}
• The severe flu knocked him over for two weeks.^{严重的流感使他病倒了两周。}

knock sb. out ^{击垮某人/使某人失去意识(K.O.)}

• Tyson knocked out his opponent in round 2.
• He was arguing with his girlfriend and she knocked him out with a frying pan.
• The three drinks knocked him out.
• The intensity of the training session completely knocked the new recruits out.^{训练课程的强度彻底击垮了新兵。}
• The boxer was knocked out in the first round of the fight.^{这名拳击手在比赛的第一回合就被击倒了。}

与得病相关的表达

• Luke has measles. He must have picked it up at school. I hope I don’t catch it.

If we could stay as vigorous as we are at 12 , it would take about 700 years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again.

stay as vigorous as... ^{保持像…一样旺盛}

• The athlete manages to stay as vigorous as he was ten years ago.^{这位运动员设法保持得像十年前一样旺盛。}
• The company's mission is to stay as vigorous as a start-up, despite its size.^{该公司的使命是尽管规模很大，但仍保持得像一家初创企业一样旺盛。}

be reduced by … ^{减少了…（表示减少的幅度/差额）}

• The price of the laptop has been reduced by 20%. ^{这台笔记本电脑的价格降低了 20%（即打了八折）。}
• After the drought, the crop yield was reduced by half.^{干旱之后，作物产量被减少了一半。}
• The meeting time was reduced by half due to a late start.^{由于迟到，会议时间被减少了一半。}