大专英语(III)Unit7

Book III Unit 7

Six Keys to Success

1. key: n. (usually singular) something that explains or helps one to understand; solution;

explanation + to (prep.) (解决问题, 事件等的) 答案; 解答; 题解; 线索

●Andrew is convinced that love rather than money is the key to happiness.

安得鲁相信幸福的关键是爱情而不是金钱.

●According to the author, the key to keeping fit lies in regular exercise.

在作者看来, 保持身体健康的秘诀在于经常锻炼身体.

2. drive: v. cause or compel somebody to do sth. (迫) 使某人做某事

●She was driven by the necessity to steal food for her starving children.

为了挨饿的孩子她不得不去偷食物.

●Kids are driven to cheat when there is pressure to succeed.

成功的压力诱使孩子们作弊.

3. To find out the answers, I interviewed some people who are quite successful at motivating

others: the nation’s top motivational speakers and best-selling authors of how-to-succeed books. (Para. 1)

Meaning: In order to find out the answers, I consulted some people who are good at inspiring others. They are either excellent speakers who know how to encourage people, or

authors of very popular books on how to achieve success.

Chinese:为了找到问题的答案, 我采访了一些人, 他们在激励他人方面都十分成功, 他们也是全国最优秀的激励他人的演说家以及有关成功之道方面的畅销书的作

者.

be successful at: Note that the word “successful”is normally followed by “in”. But

“successful” may also be followed by “at”.

●If I am not successful in finding what I am looking for I shall return and tell you.

●He is extremely successful at making the government the least corrupt in Asia.

他非常成功地使该国政府成为亚洲最廉洁的/最少腐败的政府.

motivate: v.

1) provide (someone) with a (strong) reason for doing sth. 激发; 使……产生动机

●Our work is to motivate those voters and inspire them to join our cause.

我们的工作就是激励投票者, 鼓舞他们加入我们的事业.

2) be the reason why (sth.) is done 成……的动机

●His reaction was motivated by fear. 他如此反应是出于恐惧.

●The attack was politically motivated. 那次袭击事件带有政治动机.

motivational: adj. of the act or process of motivating 激励(他人) 的

●The motivational talk did have some effect on him.

那次激励性的谈话对他真有点作用.

how-to-succeed books = books on how one can succeed

Note that here “how-to-succeed” is a compound adjective, used to modify “books”. This kind

of compound adjective can be formed from a clause.

● a five-year-old girl = a girl who is five year old

● a never-to-be-forgotten story = a story that can never be forgotten

●his not-so-strong body = his body which is not so strong

4. get ahead: do well; succeed 取得进步, 获得成功

●The teacher keeps records of how the children are getting ahead.

老师纪录下孩子取得进步的过程.

●Getting ahead at work is the most important thing to me at the moment.

目前, 对我来说最重要的是在工作中取得进步.

5. adopt: v.

1) begin to have (a quality or appearance) 采取

●The government will adopt stricter measures to prevent the recurrence of such terrorist

acts. 政府将采取更加严厉的措施来防止类似恐怖活动的重演.

●Active policies should be adopted to pull the country out of recession (经济衰退).

应该采取积极政策使国家摆脱经济不景气的局面.

2) 收养(某人的孩子); 过继

●The writer’s natural parents allowed another family to adopt him because they were too

poor to raise him themselves.

作者的亲生父母让另一个家庭领养了他, 因为他们穷得养不起他.

6. up to:

1) the duty or responsibility of (someone) 该由…负责; 在于…; 取决于(某人)

●It’s up to you to decide. 由你来决定.

●It’s up to us to give them all the help we can. 我们理应尽一切力量帮助他们.

2) as far as; to and including 直到……; 至多……

●Up to now he has been working, heart and soul, as a teacher for over 30 years.

到目前为止, 他全心全意从事教学工作超过了30个年头.

●Up to 100 children a month are leaving the classroom because parent are not satisfied

with schools. 因为家长对学校不满, 每月有多达100个孩子离开课堂.

3) (usually in questions or negatives) good, well, or clever enough for

(一般用于疑问句或否定句中) 够……; 合格做……; 有资格做……

●Mary is really not up to the job of secretary; she can’t type fast enough.

玛丽做秘书实在不够格, 因为她打字不够快.

●My French isn’t up to translating the document.我的法语达不到翻译这份文件的水平.

7. Given up by his parents at birth, and labeled as a mentally challenged child, Les Brown’s

hopes for the future were dashed. (Para. 4)

Meaning: Abandoned by his parents when he was born and regarded as a mentally weak boy, Les Brown felt that his hopes for the future were destroyed.

Chinese:莱斯·布朗一出生就遭父母遗弃, 而且还被戴上“弱智儿童”的帽子, 因此他自己对未来的希望破灭了.

at birth: at the time when a baby comes out of its mother’s body 出生时