新概念英语第三册逐句精讲:第17课|新概念英语第三册逐句精讲:第36课百万分之一的几率

lesson36 A Chance in a million 百万分之一的几率 　　新概念3课文内容： 　　We are less credulous than we used to be. In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences—most of them wildly improbable. Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother. A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall. And so on. Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable. Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible. 　　When I was a boy, my grandfather told me how a German taxi driver, Franz Bussman, found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before. While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on, Mrs Bussman commented on the workman's close resemblance to her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz poured scorn on the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs Bussman was fully acquainted with this story, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right. A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman, Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit. The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants. Assuming that his family had been killed during an air raid, Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since. 　　新概念英语3逐句精讲： 　　1.We are less credulous than we used to be. 　　我们不再像以往那样轻易相信别人了。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:less…than引导比较状语从句。 　　语言点2:used to be的意思是“过去曾经是”。 　　2.In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences—most of them wildly improbable. 　　在19世纪，小说家常在小说结尾处给读者准备一系列的巧合—大部分是牵强附会，极不可能的。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析: by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences作方式状语，交代如何“给小说结尾”，破折号后面的内容起进一步解释说明的作用。 　　语言点2:wildly improbable的意思是“极其不可能的”，比impossible的程度更深。 　　3.Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother. 　　当时的读者却愉快地接受这样一些事实，一个低贱的女佣实际上是主人公的母亲。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:that引导同位语从句，解释说明fact是什么。 　　语言点2:请特别注意，本句中的hero不做“英雄”来理解，而是指“主人公”。 　　4.A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall. 　　主人公一位长期失散的兄弟，大家都以为死了，实际上一直活着，并且正在策划暗算主人公。 　　语言点:句子结构分析:who引导非限制性定语从句，进一步说明是怎样的一个兄弟。 　　5.And so on. 　　如此等等。 　　语言点:句子结构分析:这个句子起承上启下的作用，没有什么实际意义。 　　6.Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable. 　　现代读者会觉得这种天真的结局完全无法接受。 　　语言点:句子结构分析:unacceptable作宾语such naive solutions的补足语。 　　7.Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible. 　　不过，在现实生活中，有时确实会出现一些巧合，这些巧合除了19世纪小说家外谁也不会相信。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:which引导定语从句，修饰先行词coincidences,说明巧合是什么。 　　语言点2:do sometimes conspire中的do为助动词，对谓语conspire起强调作用。 　　语言点3:but不表示“但是”，而是作“除…之外”来理解。 　　8.When I was a boy, my grandfather told me how a German taxi driver, Franz Bussman, found a brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years before. 　　当我是个孩子的时候，我祖父给我讲了一位德国出租汽车司机弗朗兹。巴斯曼如何找到了据信已在20年前死去的兄弟的事。 　　语言点:句子结构分析:when引导时间状语从句。主句中的Franz Bussman是a German taxi driver的同位语。Who引导定语从句，修饰brother。 　　9.While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. 　　一次， 他与妻子徒步旅行。途中，停下来与一个工人交谈。 　　语言点:While on a walking tour with his wife放在句首，是一个省略式的时间状语从句，可还原为:while he was on a walking tour with his wife。 　　10.A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. 　　几天后，她派了一个男孩去问那人是否叫汉斯.巴斯曼。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:动词不定式短语to ask…作目的状语，即“派男孩去目的地是为了让他去问…” 　　语言点2:if his name was Hans Bussman为宾语从句，作ask的直接宾语，him是间接宾语。 　　11.Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he really was Franz's long-lost brother. 　　不出巴斯曼夫人所料，那人的名字真是汉斯.巴斯曼，他确实是弗朗兹失散多年的兄弟。 　　语言点:句子结构分析:nedless to say是一个非常重要的表达。 　　12. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. 　　兄弟俩团聚之时，汉斯说明了他活下来的经过。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:when引导时间状语从句。how it was that he was still alive为宾语从句，说明explained的内容，其中it是形式主语，that引导的从句是真正的主语，这句话改写成正常语序应该是he was still alive was how。 　　语言点2:注意were reunited不可译为“被团圆”，而应译为主动语态。 　　13. After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit. 　　战争即将结束时，他负伤被送进医院，并与部队失去联系。 　　语言点:be separated from的意思是“被与…分开”。 　　14. The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. 　　医院遭到轰炸，汉斯步行回到了西德。 　　语言点:make one's way back into的意思是“设法返回…”（即回到以前生活的地方）。 　　15. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. 　　与此同时，他所在部队被击溃，他的所有档案材料全部毁于战火。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:was lost本意为“不见了，找不到了”，在此引申为“被击溃”。 　　语言点2:had been destroyed强调战争的严酷性，造成的毁坏几乎无法修复。 　　16. Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants. 　　汉斯重返故里，但他的家已被炸毁，左邻右舍谁也不知原住户的下落。 　　语言点1:句子结构分析:but后面的分句说明汉斯返回家乡后看到的情景。What引导宾语从句。 　　语言点2:family home的意思是“故里，老家”，相当于hometown。 　　语言点3:become of在此理解为“遭受的情况是…”。 　　17. Assuming that his family had been killed during an air raid, Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since. 　　汉斯以为全家人都在空袭中遇难，于是便在距此50英里外的一座村子里定居下来，直至当日。 　　语言点1:fifty miles away作village的后置定语，说明村子有多远。 　　语言点2:settle down的意思是“定居”（长期居住在某地而不随意搬家）。

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