Lesson 18 Porpoises

第十八课海豚

by RALPH NADING HILL

from Window in the Sea

18-1. There has long been a superstition among mariners that porpoises will save drowning men by pushing them to the surface, or protect them from sharks by surrounding them in defensive formation.

【译文】很久以来，海员中有种迷信，认为海豚会把快要淹死的人托到水面而把他们救起，或者在溺水人周围形成防御队形，保护他们不受鲨鱼伤害。

【讲解】that porpoises…in defensive formation作superstitions的同位语。protect和save并列作谓语。句中的三个them均指drowning men。by pushing them to the surface和by surrounding them in defensive formation都是方式状语，分别修饰它们各自前面的save和protect，译为汉语时by可省略，不必译为“通过”，只要把by短语移在所修饰的动词之前。这样汉语中“救起”前的“把快要淹死的人推到水面”就包含了“通过”之意；同样，“保护”前的“在……周围形成防御队形”也有“通过”之意。

18-2. Marine Studio biologists have pointed out that, however intelligent they may be, it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive of lifesaving.

【译文】海洋摄影室的生物学家指出，无论海豚多么聪明，认为它们有救人的动机可能有误。

【讲解】however intelligent they may be是让步状语从句。they指dolphins。to credit dolphins with any motive of lifesaving作真正的主语，it是形式主语。

【单词和短语】

credit：把……归于，认为……具有某种优点或成就等（if something is credited to someone or something, they have achieved it or are the reason for it），例如：

The crash was credited to pilot error.

这次失事是飞行员操作失误引起的。

They credited him with the discovery.

他们认为这一发现是他的功劳。

Many herbs are credited with healing powers.

许多草本植物被认为具有治疗疾病的功能。

18-3. On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport, as in riding the bow waves of a ship.

【译文】有时它们突然把一个失去知觉的人推到岸边，这很可能是出于好奇心或游戏寻乐，就像在船首戏浪一样。

【讲解】an unconscious human being作pushed的宾语。it指pushed to shore an unconscious human being。as in riding the bow waves of a ship作方式状语，修饰have…done。as是连词，后省略了they do。

18-4. In 1928 some porpoises were photographer working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress.

【译文】1928年，有人拍到了海豚像海狸一样勤勤恳恳地把浸透水的柴排推上岸的情景。

【讲解】working like beavers…mattress作porpoises的定语。外研社提供的参考译文将此句误译为“1928年，有人拍摄到海豚像海狸一样把浸透水的床垫推上岸的情形”。该句译文有两个问题。第一，最好能为like beavers加注，即“像海狸一样勤勤恳恳地”，因为读者并不都清楚海狸是怎样工作的。第二，mattress译为“床垫”令人一头雾水，海豚推“床垫”究竟是何意？查《英汉大词典》mattress词条，第三个释义是“（用以护堤等的）柴排，沉排，沉床”，此处采这个解释较为合理。

【单词和短语】

work like a beaver：兢兢业业地干活。另掌握：

eager beaver：做事异常卖力气的人（a zealous or overzealous person）。

mattress：（用以护堤等的）柴排，沉排，沉床（a strong mat consisting of pieces of brushwood fastened together, used in the construction of dykes, piers, etc., and placed on river-banks to prevent scour.）。

18-5. If, as has been reported, they have protected humans from sharks, it may have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent of a possible meal attracted the sharks.

【译文】正如报道所说，如果海豚保护人类不受鲨鱼侵害，这可能是出于好奇心，也可能是因为就要到口的美食香味吸引了鲨鱼。

【讲解】as has been reported中as是关系代词，代替they have…sharks，作主语。it指they have protected humans from sharks。may have been表示对过去事情的推测。because curiosity…attracted the sharks是两个表语从句。

18-6. Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies.

【译文】海豚和鲨鱼是天敌。

18-7. It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks being driven away or killed.

【译文】此种情况下双方可能随之搏斗，其结果是海豚赶走或咬死鲨鱼。

【讲解】with the sharks being driven away or killed是分词with结构，作结果状语，修饰ensued。

【单词和短语】

ensue：接着发生，接踵而来，因而产生（to happen after or as a result of something），例如：

the ensuing year 下一年

A terrible combat ensued. 接着发生了一场恶战。

He spent his allowance the first week and a lean month ensued.

他第一周就把津贴用完了，接着过了一个月拮据日子。

18-8. Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise is intrigued with anything that is alive.

【译文】不管是鸟、是鱼，还是野兽，凡是活物海豚都感兴趣。

【讲解】it指后面的anything that is alive。这里的be是虚拟语气结构。be前省略了should。这里用虚拟语气结构是表示某种意见，不表示事实。whether…or…在这里引导一个让步状语从句，表示一种较强烈的让步语气。又如：

Whether sick or well，she is always cheerful.

有病也好，没病也罢，他总是高高兴兴的。

【单词和短语】

intrigue：激起……的好奇心或兴趣（if something intrigues you, it interests you a lot because it seems strange or mysterious），例如：

The magazine’s unusual title intrigued me into reading it.

该杂志不同寻常的名字吸引我去读它。

You once wrote something that has always intrigued me.

你曾写过一些一直令我感兴趣的东西。

be intrigued by/with a story 被故事迷住

另掌握：

intriguing：引起好奇心（或兴趣）的，有迷惑力的（something that is intriguing is very interesting because it is strange, mysterious, or unexpected），例如：

an intriguing puzzle/question 引人入胜的谜语/问题

To me that’s what is really intriguing about him.

对我来说，他让人感兴趣的地方即在于此。

a thoroughly intriguing young man 十分迷人的年轻男子

18-9. They are constantly after the turtles, who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities.

【译文】它们经常追逐海龟，海龟则温顺地忍受着各种侮辱。

【讲解】who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities是定语从句，修饰turtles。

【单词和短语】

submit：听从，听任，忍受（to agree to obey a person, group, set of rules especially when you have no choice），例如：

submit to the decision of fate 听任命运摆布

submit to a body search 任凭搜身

submit to arrest by the police 在警察面前束手就擒

submit to being parted from one’s husband 忍受与丈夫分离之苦

submit to boredom 忍受无聊生活

18-10. One young calf especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his snout and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane.

【译文】有只小海豚特别喜欢用鼻子把海龟顶到水面，然后把海龟像滑水板一样从水池的这边推到那边。

【讲解】raising a turtle to the surface with his snout和shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane是两个动名词短语，作enjoy的宾语。like an aquaplane运用了明喻（simile）的修辞手法。

18-11. Almost any day a young porpoise may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing up for dear life.

【译文】几乎每天都可以看到一只小海豚把鼻子顶入一只300磅重的海龟的硬壳下面，拼命地把它翻过来。

【讲解】trying to turn…for dear life是现在分词短语，作主语a young porpoise的补足语。by sticking his snout…for dear life是方式状语，修饰turn…over。第一个his指“海豚的”，第二个his指“海龟的”。pushing up for dear life是动名词短语，与sticking…shell并列作by的宾语。

【单词和短语】

for dear/one’s life（if you run, fight, hold on etc for dear life, you do it as fast or as well as you can because you are afraid）：

1. 逃命似地，例如：

He was running for dear life toward town.

他逃命似地向城里飞奔。

2. 拼命地，例如：

He held on to the ledge for dear life.

他死命抓牢岩石的突出部。

18-12. This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together.

【译文】这并非易事，可能需两只海豚合力方可。

【讲解】working together作宾语补足语。

18-13. In another game, as the turtle swims across the oceanarium, the first porpoise swoops down from above and butts his shell with his belly.

【译文】在另一场游戏中，海龟游过水族馆时，第一只海豚从上方猛扑下去，用腹部撞击龟壳。

【讲解】above是名词。第一个his指the turtle’s，第二个his指the porpoise’s。

18-14. This knocks the turtle down several feet.

【译文】这一下子把海龟撞下去几英尺。

18-15. He no sooner recovers his equilibrium than the next porpoise comes along and hits him another crack.

【译文】海龟刚恢复平衡，第二只海豚又冲过来猛击一下。

【讲解】he指the turtle。

【单词和短语】

no sooner…than…：一……就……（used to say that sth. happened almost immediately after sth. else），例如：

I had no sooner（No sooner had I）laid down than the telephone rang.

我刚躺下电话就响了。

18-16. Eventually the turtle has been butted all the way down to the floor of the tank.

【译文】最终海龟被撞到池底。

【讲解】all the way down to the floor of the tank作状语，修饰has been butted。all the way作状语修饰down to the floor of the tank。

18-17. He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up, but as soon as he does so a porpoise knocks him flat.

【译文】海龟此时只要能站起来就满足了，但它刚站起来就被一只海豚击倒。

【讲解】merely to try to stand up作条件状语，修饰satisfied。he does so代替to stand up。he和him均指turtle。

【单词和短语】

18-18. The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the game is over.

【译文】海龟将腿缩进壳内投降了，游戏到此结束。

【讲解】by pulling his feet under his shell是方式状语，修饰give up