现代大学英语精读4 lesson9

Language points lesson 9 Language points lesson 9 Paragraph 2 1. The general raised his eyebrows. He seemed hurt. raise one’s eyebrows: to move one’s eyebrows upwards in order to show surprise or disapproval e.g.: 'Really?' she said, raising her eyebrows. This decision caused a few raised eyebrows →be up to your eyebrows in sth: spoken to have more of sth than you can deal with I'm absolutely up to my eyebrows in work. [→be up to your neck in sth: infml 1) to be very busy with sth e.g.: She's up to her neck in work. 2) to be in a difficult situation that is hard to escape from e.g.: Jim's up to his neck in debt.] Paragraph 3 2. He saw the dead black eyes of the general on him, studying him. General Zaroff’s face suddenly brightened. Meaning: Rainsford sees the general staring at him with his cold, severe, expressionless eyes. The general was surprised at Rainsford’s responses. brighten (up): to become happier or more excited e.g.: She brightened up a bit when she saw us. 我们开始谈到钱时，他的眼睛为之一亮。 读男朋友的电子邮件时，她面露喜色。 His eyes brightened when we started talking about money Her face brightened up as she read her boyfriend’s email. . Paragraph 4 3. “Tonight,” said the general, “we will hunt---you and I.” Notice how the general makes it sound like a fair game. Instead of saying “I will hunt you down, and you can try to slip through my fingers,” he says, “We will hunt---you and I.” Paragraph 6 4. “As you wish, my friend. The choice rests entirely with you. But may I venture to suggest that you’ll find my idea of sport more interesting Ivan’s?” Meaning: more interesting than Ivan’s: Ivan, who was deaf and dumb, had been the official flogger of the Czar. When the general’s captives refused to play his game, he would hand them over to Ivan, who would then flog them to death. So here the general was telling Rainsford to choose either to play the game with him and die as a hunter or to be whipped to death by Ivan. (just) as you wish: used in formal situations to tell sb you will do what they want e.g.: “I’d like it to be ready by six.” “Just as you wish, sir.” The cook will prepare whatever you wish. rest with sb: if a decision or responsibility rests with sb, they have the duty or authority to take that decision or responsibility, to be sb’s responsibility to do e.g.: The matter now rests with the medical committee. Responsibility for child welfare rests with the government. 由总统作出最后的决定。 The final decision rests with the President. →rest on/upon sth: 1) fml to depend on sth e.g.: Success in management ultimately rests on good judgment. 2) fml to be based on a particular idea or set of facts e.g.: 他的全部论断所依据的是错误的假定。 His whole argument rested on false assumptions. 3) if your eyes rest on sth, you notice it and look at it e.g.: His eyes rested on a small figure in the distance. Paragraph 7 5. He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of a chest. Notice that here “of” is used between two nouns, with the first describing the second. e.g.: the devil of a temper, the fool of a doctor, the monkey of a child, his rapier of a tongue his peach of a wife, his pigsty of a room, her prince of a son 他过着诗一般的生活。 我想你那专制的父亲不会允许你半夜三更回家。 He lived a poem of a life. I don’t think your tyrant of a father will allow you to come back after midnight. Paragraph 11 6. “Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?” stamina: physical or mental strength that lets you continue doing something for a long time without getting tired; endurance, power to persist or persevere e.g.: You need stamina to be a long-distance runner. 她有决心和毅力取得成功。 我没有通宵工作的体力。 She has the stamina and the determination to succeed. I don’t have the stamina to work all night. woodcraft: 1) knowledge of forests and how to live in them by building camps, finding food, etc. 2) the skill of making things from wood stake: n. 1) a wooden or metal post with a pointed end that is used for supporting or marking sth e.g.: He cut stakes from hard saplings and sharpened them to a fine point. the stake: a thick wooden pole that sb was tied to and burned in the past as a punishment e.g.: Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. 2) an amount of money that you risk losing when you try to guess the result of a race or competition e.g.: He liked gambling, but only for small stakes. 3) stakes [plural] the things you can gain or lose by taking a risk, for example in business or politics e.g.: With such high stakes, the atmosphere was tense. 4) the part of a business that you own because you have invested money in it股份/权 e.g.: They took a 40% stake in the company last year. a majority/minority stake (=more/less than half): The company has bought a majority stake in Majestic Films International. 5) [usu singular] the degree to which you are involved in sth and want it to succeed决定权，分量，作用，影响 e.g.: have a stake in (doing) sth: He has a huge stake in making the peace process work. 如今父母在孩子与谁结婚的问题上说话的分量很小。 Nowadays parents have a small stake in whom their child marries. 6) stakes [plural] used in the names of some horse races e.g.: the Pimlico Stakes 7) used for talking about a competition or comparison that seems like a race e.g.: Who are the main contenders in the party leadership stakes? in the popularity/fitness/beauty etc. stakes: They’re running neck and neck in the popularity stakes. →at stake 1) likely to be lost or damaged if sth fails e.g.: People’s lives are at stake.处于危急关头，在危险之中 2) used about important issues that are involved in a situation or could be decided by it争议中的，悬而未决的 e.g.: 没有几个选民知道争议中的问题是什么。 他们前途未卜。 Few voters had any idea of the issues at stake. Their future is at stake. go to the stake for/over sth mainly BrE. : to defend a belief/idea even if you suffer as a result Paragraph 12 7. “And if I win---” be.g.an Rainsford huskily. husky: 1) a husky voice is deep and sounds hoarse (like you have a sore throat), often in an attractive way e.g.: ‘Come quickly,’ she said in a husky whisper. 2) AmE a husky boy or man is big and strong huskily: in a husky voice; in a semi-whispered tone, hoarse from passion Paragraph 13 8. He sipped his wine, and then in a businesslike air, he went on… sip: vt./vi. to drink in small amounts: e.g.: She was already sitting at the bar, sipping her coffee. He sipped at his wine with pleasure. sip: n. a small amount of liquid taken into your mouth: e.g.: take a sip (of sth): If the food is too hot, take a sip of water. businesslike: serious and effective in the way you deal with things, efficient e.g.: Alan chaired the meeting in a very businesslike way. Every session is different - some sessions race by, others drag, some are quite businesslike, others get very emotional. As a lawyer, you have to be controlled and businesslike at all times. 他一本正经地处理这个问题。 He approaches the issue in a businesslike way. 9. “Ivan will supply you with hunting clothes, food, a knife. I suggest you wear moccasins; they leave a poorer trail. I suggest too that you avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of the island…” Appreciation: Notice how the general tries to make things easy for his adversary and make things difficult for himself. He does this because he is absolutely sure of the result of the game. He knows that he will win. His only worry is that the game would end too soon. Therefore he adopts this condescending attitude throughout. 10. One foolish fellow tried it. The deplorable part of it was that Lazarus followed him. He was the finest hound in my pack. deplorable: very bad, unpleasant, and shocking synonym: appalling e.g.: The prisoners were held in deplorable conditions. His conduct was deplorable. 孤儿们的生活状况极其糟糕。 The orphans were living in most deplorable conditions. →deplore: fml to disapprove of sth very strongly and criticize it severely, especially publicly, often because you think it is immoral e.g.: The UN deplored the invasion as a ‘violation of international law’. 11. General Zaroff, with a deep courtly bow, strolled from the room. courtly: a. fml graceful and polite (Remember that the general had been a Russian general.) e.g.: a tall man with courtly manners →courtliness n. Paragraph 15 12. “I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve,” he said through tight teeth. lose your nerve (=no longer be able to control your fear): e.g.: Suddenly I lost my nerve and I couldn’t move. keep one’s nerve: not a standard expression, the opposite of “lose one’s nerve”, meaning to be able to remain calm and think clearly. nerve: [U] the ability to control your fear and remain determined when you are doing sth difficult or dangerous, courage e.g.: a lot of nerve: It took a lot of nerve for him to ask her out. the nerve to do sth: She found the nerve to tell him he was wrong. Paragraph 16 13. He had not been entirely clear-headed when the chateau gates snapped shut behind him. clear-headed: able to think in a sensible and calm way; not confused e.g.: Though very seriously ill, she was clear-headed and rational. →clear-sighted: able to understand a problem or situation well e.g.: a clear-sighted analysis snap (sth) open/shut/on/off/together: to quickly move sth, for example a light switch or sth else that makes a short sound, or to be moved quickly in this way e.g.: She quickly snapped her purse shut. It’s really simple to build --- the pieces just snap together. Kathy snapped off the light. →similar expressions: v. + ad. to roar past, to bang shut, to pop open, to rattle past 14. His whole idea at first was to put distance between himself and General Zaroff. Meaning: At first he just wanted to get as far away as possible from this terrible man. put some distance between: 1) to go away from a person or place, esp. in order to avoid a dangerous or unpleasant situation e.g.: She felt she had to put some distance between herself and the house. 2) to say or do sth that shows that you are not connected with or do not approve of sth e.g.: The strategy is to put some distance between the liberal and conservative branches of the party. 3) to deliberately make a relationship less close or friendly e.g.: My instincts warned me to put some distance between us. →more expressions with distance: at a distance from/at a distance in the distance keep sb at a distance keep one’s distance within hearing/walking distance 15. He had plunged along, spurred on by a sharp feeling of panic. plunge: 1) to move, fall, or be thrown suddenly forwards or downwards e.g.: Her car swerved and plunged off the cliff. Both the climbers had plunged to their deaths. 2) if a price, rate etc plunges, it suddenly decreases by a large amount e.g.: The unemployment rate plunged sharply. Oil prices have plunged to a new low. →plunge in/into: 1) to start talking or doing sth quickly and confidently, esp. without thinking about it first e.g.: It’s a difficult situation. You can’t just plunge in and put everything right. ‘I don't agree,’ she said, plunging into the conversation. 2) to jump or dive into water e.g.: He stripped off and plunged into the sea. →plunge (sb/sth) into sth: to (cause to) suddenly experience a difficult or unpleasant situation e.g.: The city was plunged into total darkness when the entire electrical system failed. The country is plunging into recession once more. →rush/jump/plunge headlong into sth: to start doing sth with a lot of enthusiasm but without thinking about it first e.g.: This was not the time to plunge into some new business venture. spur: v. 1) to use spurs to make a horse go faster 2) spur (on) to encourage sb to do sth e.g.: The thought of failing my exams spurred me into action. His comments spurred me on to success. 袭击事件刺激立法者通过严格的法律制裁年轻的违法者。 The attacks spurred lawmakers to pass tough laws against young offenders. 3) to cause sth to happen e.g.: The results have spurred further investigation. The successful killing of bin Laden will likely spur anger in some Muslim countries, especially Pakistan. 原油过剩导致油价下跌。 几次公开场合他都没有露面，这让谣言四起，说他已经下台。 A surplus of crude oil has spurred a drop in prices. His absence on public occasions spurred rumors that he had stepped down from office. [→on the spur of the moment: if you do sth on the spur of the moment, you do it suddenly and do not take time to plan it or think carefully about it e.g. She could not possibly make such a decision on the spur of the moment. 她不可能一时冲动做出这样的决定。 →spur-of-the-moment: a. sudden and not planned e.g.: a spur-of-the-moment decision/plan/visit →win/earn your spurs: to do sth that proves your ability in a particular activity or situation and gives you a good reputation获得荣誉，出名，成名] 16. But now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and he situation. grip on: n. [singular] power and control over sb or sth e.g.: have/lose grip on the audience The President struggled to regain his grip on power. 教会对民众的控制力不再强大。 The church no longer has a strong grip on the population. [→Grip of e.g. He has a grip of the subject. He couldn’t free himself from the grip of sin and guilt. come/get to grips (with)搏斗；认真处理 in the grip of 在支配下；受（逆境或不愉快情绪的）控制 in the grip of poverty in the grip of influenza in the grip of emotion grip: vt. They are gripped by anxiety. She couldn’t grip the point. The picture gripped my imagination. 该国出现能源危机。 Energy crisis gripped the country. ] take stock of: to spend some time thinking about the situation you are in before you decide what to do next了解，判断（形势等）(to size up, assess, make appraisal of) e.g.: Millie felt she needed to stop and take stock of her life. It is time to take stock, at the halfway mark, before the next phase of reform. 政治观察家发现很难对这一模棱两可ambiguous的局势做出评价。Take stock of The political observers found it hard to take stock of the ambiguous situation. in stock out of stock take stock in关注，关心 The President, tangled in the sexual affair, seemed to have no time Paragraph 17 17. He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea. He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame. flight: [U/C] the act of running away or trying to escape from sb or sth e.g.: The refugees made a desperate flight to freedom. Suddenly the herd of antelope took (to) flight. The advancing army put the rebels to flight. Residents took flight from Haiti to escape the fighting. →flee (-fled-fled) v. to escape from a dangerous situation or place very quickly: e.g.: Earthquake victims have been forced to flee their homes. flee across/from/to/into: Thousands of Indian peasants fled across the border to Mexico. futile: unsuccessful or useless synonym: pointless e.g.: It’s futile trying to get him to change his mind/to continue the peace talks. a futile attempt/effort: a futile attempt to save the paintings from the flames. My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile. →futility: a lack of purpose, importance, or effectiveness e.g.: His efforts were accompanied by a sense of futility and doubt. →an exercise in futility: a useless action that cannot succeed Paragraph 18 18. “I’ll give him a trail to follow,” muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude paths he had been following into the trackless wilderness. strike off: to walk away in a determined way 1) to go in a particular direction in a way that shows energy or determination e.g.: They struck off across the desert without supplies. Startled by the noise, he had struck off through the woods. 2) [usually passive] to remove sth from a list or record e.g.: We can strike that off today’s agenda---it’s been settled. 3) BrE used about sb such as a doctor or lawyer who is no longer allowed to work in their profession rude paths: rough-hewn paths →rude: literary made in a simple basic way e.g.: The inhabitants lived in rude mud huts. 19. He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling al the lore of the fox hunt, and all the dodges of the fox. Meaning: He performs a series of complicated loops; He moves round and round, covering the same trail again and again so as to confuse his pursuer, remembering all the things he learned in foxhunting and the way the hunted fox tried to escape. execute: to perform a difficult action or movement: e.g.: The ankle twisted when she was executing a particularly complex step. beautifully/skillfully/poorly etc executed The skaters' routine was perfectly executed. Execute a drawing execute a sonata Execute an order execute a plan/purpose lore: knowledge or information about a subject, for example nature or magic, that is not written down but is passed from person to person e.g.: According to local lore, a ghost still haunts the castle. dodges: tricks or ways used to avoid being caught dodge: v. 1) to avoid sb/sth by moving quickly, esp. so that sth does not hit you or sb does not see you e.g.: Shoppers had to dodge flying glass when the bomb exploded. cyclists dodging through traffic 2) to avoid doing sth in a clever or dishonest way e.g.: He tried to dodge the question. They get smart accountants to help them dodge taxes. dodge: n. 1) a dishonest way to avoid doing sth unpleasant e.g.: He keeps his money overseas as a tax dodge. 2) a quick movement to avoid sth →tax dodge: a legal or illegal way of paying less tax [→tax evasion: the use of illegal methods to pay less tax or pay no tax at all →tax avoidance: the use of legal ways to pay less tax] →dodger: sb who ille.g.ally avoids doing sth such as paying a tax e.g.: He’s a well-known tax dodger. fare dodgers on the subway draft dodger: sb who avoids joining their country’s military when they are officially ordered to 20. Night found him legweary, with hands and face lashed by the branches, on a thickly wooded ridge. Meaning: When night falls, he is too tired to walk. Notice that the subject in the sentences is impersonal. More examples: 1.​ …straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea. 1.​ Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. 1.​ The night crawled slowly like a wounded snake, and sleep did not visit Rainsford although the silence of a dead world was on the jungle. 1.​ the cry of some startled birds focused Rainsford’s attention in that direction. 1.​ His first though made him feel sick and numb. 1.​ It (Rainsford’s second thought) sent a shudder of cold horror through his whole being. 1.​ Nothing escaped those searching eyes 1.​ The softness of the earth gave him an idea… 1.​ The night breeze brought him the perfume of the general’s cigarette. 1.​ An idea that held a wild chance came to him… 1.​ Two slight annoyances kept him from perfect enjoyment. 21. He knew it would be insane to blunder on through the dark, even if he had the strength. Meaning: he knows that it would be silly (crazy, mad) to continue running blindly in the dark. blunder: v. 1) to make a careless or embarrassing mistake e.g.: Government agents had blundered again and arrested the wrong man. 2) to move or progress in a careless way, making mistakes or creating problems as you go e.g.: blunder about/around/into: The book tells the story of how Europe blundered into World War I. blunder: n. a careless or stupid or embarrassing mistake e.g.: Officials were accused of making a huge administrative blunder. →blundering: careless or stupid Compare error, mistake, blunder, and slip Error implies a straying from a proper course and suggests such guilt as may lie in failure to take proper advantage of a guide (as a record or manuscript, a rule, a principle, law, or code). e.g.: factual/grammatical error, human/pilot/driver error, error of judgment Mistake implies misconception, misunderstanding, a wrong but not always blameworthy judgment; it expresses less severe criticism than error. e.g.: He made a serious mistake when he chose the law as his profession. learn from one’s mistakes Everyone makes mistakes./We all make mistakes. Blunder is harsher than mistake or error; it