新概念英语第三册逐句精讲语言点第1课(下)

新概念英语第三册逐句精讲语言点第1课(下)
Lesson 1 A Puma at large
Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and
experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small
animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises"at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been
in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed
to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous
wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.
8. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.
在很多地方看见了爪印，灌木丛中也发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛。

语言点1：句子结构分析：这是一个由and连接的并列句，意思层层递进，说明美洲狮逃遁的充分证据。

Clinging to bushes为现在分词短语，作主语puma fur的补足语，补充说明主语的状态。

例句支持：
I found a tagboard clinging to my luggage.
我发现我的行李上挂着一张标签纸。

语言点2：作者接连列举了美洲狮身上的两种特有的东西，并使用了被动语态，完美地表现了英语语言的特色。

原文句子：Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.
对比：People saw paw prints in a number of places and found puma fur linging to bushes.
总结：能够看到，如果使用主动语态，则美感全无。

例句支持：
A note was passed up to the speaker.有人给演讲者递上来一张纸条。

对比：Some one passed up a note to the speaker.（主动语态，强调“人”，不突出“纸条”。

）
语言点3：由短语a number of还能够进一步引申出下面用于写作的短语：越来越多的
（1） an increasing number of：An increasing number of students have realised the importance of English application,
越来越多的学生已经意识到了英语应用的重要性。

（2） a growing number of：Now,a growing number of Chinese students go abroad for study.现在越来越多的中国学生去海外留学。

9. Several people complained of "cat-like noises"at night
and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.
有人抱怨说夜里听见了“像猫一样的叫声”；一位商人去钓鱼，看见
那只美洲狮在树上。

语言点1：句子结构分析：这又是一个由and连接的并列句，再次递
进说明判断美洲狮逃遁的另外两个充分的证据，介词短语on a
fishing trip作后置定语，修饰businessman。

Up a tree作puma的
宾语补足语。

语言点2：此句中出现的cat-like noises与本文第一句中cat-like animals的用法有异曲同工之妙，cat-like animals强调美洲狮的体形，cat-like noises则强调美洲狮的声音。

不知不觉中，作者已经两次使用了比喻的修辞手法。

语言点3：请注意一下句子中介词的特定用法：
(1) There is a man in the tree.树上有个人。

（in the tree一般指外露的东西“在树上”，如人，动物等，而不是树本身所长的东西。

）
(2) There are many apples on the tree.树上有很多苹果。

（on
the tree通常指树本身长出来的东西，如枝，叶，花，果等。

）
10. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was
a puma, but where had it come from?
专家们如今已经完全肯定那只动物就是美洲狮，但它是从哪里来的呢？。