1

People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so.

人们喜欢收藏东西，有时并没有意识到自己在这样做。

1) Tend to do sth = be likely to do sth 可能去做某事，倾向于做某事

These three things tend to go together 这三种东西倾向于同时存在

2)

Amass

Amass possessions 收藏东西；amass a fortune 积累财富；He managed to amass evidence to prove his theory 他试图搜集证据来证明他的理论 可以总结出 amass ：To collect/gather sth for oneself esp. in a large amount over long period of time；这里扩充一个词组：pile up e.g. pile the books up 把书堆成一摞；also it can be used without an object The snow is piling up on the roofs in a blizzard (a severe snowstorm)

3) without being aware of doing so 作状语修饰amass，意思是人们在收集这个过程中没有意识的自己在这样做，aware 这里相当于 conscious//cognizant，而且用法类似 be aware/conscious/cognizant of ，但是be cognizant of 意思有微小区别：if someone is cognizant of something, they know about it and understand it 程度更深

He was cognizant of the truth 他知道真相

2

Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned.

确实，一旦无意之中从自己的收藏品中找到某件有用的东西时，可以给人一种惊喜的感觉。

1)Indeed 这里表示强调相当于certainly

2Have a delightful surprise 有一种惊喜的感觉，口语当中一般说：I have a surprise for you 我有个惊喜给你 like a surprise party

3

Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter.

那些从来不必搬家的人们成了一种无所不收的收藏家。他们专门收藏那些只能被称作杂货的东西。

1）Those who…用得很好 那些吸烟人 people who don’t smoke ；those who don’t smoke.

2）indiscriminate collectors: collectors who collect sth without any careful judgments

3）of+ what 引导的从句做介词宾语，clutter 凌乱的东西杂物

4

They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things.

他们在抽屉里，壁橱中、阁楼上堆放着一些不用的东西，一放就是好几年，相信总有一天需要的正好是那些东西。

1)      unwanted objects: things that are not wanted or needed e.g. Every year thousands of unwanted animals are abandoned. 无人领养的动物，被认为多余的动物 也可以形容人 She felt unwanted at that time

2)      attic/loft 阁楼一般用于存放杂物，garret：basic room for people to live often small，dark and unpleasant

3)      in the belief that 做伴随状语，修饰leave 意思为：相信 ；类似这种结构做伴随状语还是 in the hope of e.g. He works hard in the hope that he can make a better life for his siblings

4)      very 表示强调，翻译成：正是

5

As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment.

人们年老之后也喜欢收藏东西，不过是出于两个不同的原因：一是体力，精力均告不佳，这二者是清除无用的东西必不可少的因素；另一原因是感情因素。

本句结构上比较复杂

1）lack of physical and mental energy和sentiment做reasons的同位语

2）both of which are… of 表示所属关系，这两者是把这些东西翻出来扔掉的重要原因（搞明白：be essential in 意思为：在…方面很重要）

6

Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
东西搁得时间久了，便会充满着与过去岁月的联系，比方说与死去的亲戚有关。因此这些东西慢慢获得了一种超出它本身的价值。

Association 源于：associate ，associate 和 with 搭配，所以名词形式association也是用with 来搭配His association with such criminals can only destroy him.
7

Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.

居家度日，有目的地收藏某些东西是为了防止浪费

1）  Deliberately：done in a way that is planned not by chance

2）  In an attempt to do sth：为了做某事，企图做某事 Union leaders and bosses will meet tomorrow in an attempt to reach a settlement  settlement：an official agreement

3）  Waste ：the act of being wasted，waste product （adj） useless by-product

8

Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania.

这些东西中我想举出线绳和牛皮纸纸为例。节俭的人们打开包裹后便把这两样必备的东西收藏起来。省得日后去买。

1）kept by…修饰string，brown paper，书籍，hardback精装本，paperback平装本 limited edition books 限量版的书

2）saving doing…省去做某事 The gift of money saved our having to borrow from the bank.

9

I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money.

我认识一个人，她总喜欢从报纸上剪下流行服装的图样，等以后有钱时去买服装。

1) 正常语序：I know someone who always cuts sketches of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money out from newspapers. 中间of…修饰sketches 图样草图

把out from newspapers 提前更紧凑，end weight，此外在英语当中end weight 的部分往往是end focus 的部分 e.g. He gave me a book ; he gave a book to me 这两个答案对于的问题不一样，前者是what did he give you？后者是 who did he give the book to？

2）that she would like to buy if she had the money 定语从句，是对现在的虚拟

10

As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice.

由于她并不富裕，她买得起这些服装的可能性十分渺茫。但她又缺乏足够坚强的意志把这一收集活动停下来。

1）the chances that…引导的同位语从句；without a degree and with no experience of teaching，my chances of landing the job were slim

2）purchases 一般用复数，表示things that are bought

3) practice 指的是什么？cuts sketches of model clothes out from newspapers 从报纸上剪下时装图样

11

It is a harmless habit, but it litters (up) her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
这种习惯无害，只把写字台里堆得满满当当，以致每次打开抽屉总能带出许多纸片四处飞扬。

1）litter 名词表示垃圾，这里是动词：if things litter an area, there are a lot of them in that place, scattered in an untidy way 当然也可以用be littered with 表示，her desk is littered with paper cut out from newspapers by her

2）to such extent that…以至于… He was excited to such an extent that he couldn’t sleep last night

3）in every direction 四处，用介词in
12

Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages.

作为一种严肃的业余爱好的收藏活动完全是另外一回事，它具有许多益处

13

It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy.

它可以使人在闲暇中得到休息，因为欣赏自己收藏的珍品总会充满了乐趣。

 

Leisure hours 闲暇的时间，work/office hours 工作/办公时间 hours of business 营业时间

14

One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home.

人们不必走到户外去寻求娱乐，因为收藏品都是存放在家中。

1）写作当中可以多用one或者those，One is not born a genius，one becomes a genius

2）House 做动词，表示放在家里，英文当中名词做动词的有很多：The audience at the court room are making noise; the judge has to silence them.  It seems difficult for Mr. A to distance himself from his girlfriend. They carded the student when he went to the bar.（card 名词卡片，动词: show ones id card）

15

Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books, china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books.

不管收藏品是什么，邮票、唱片、头版书籍、瓷器、玻璃杯、老式家具、绘画、模型汽车、鸟类标本，还是玩具动物，从为新增添的收藏品寻找摆放位置到核对参考书中的事实，总归有事可做。

1）it 指代的是collection

2）in connection with sth

3）to make sure that sth is true

16

This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it.

这种爱好不仅能使人从选择的专题中受到教育，而且也能从与之有关的一般事物中获得长进。

1）Have some bearing on。。。 与。。。有关 bearing 轴承，承受物 ，bearings 还表示 we should consider this issue in all bearings

17

There are also other benefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find.

除此之外，还有其他的益处。收藏者要会见情趣相投的收藏者，以获取教益，交流经验、交换收藏品，炫耀自己的最新收藏。

18

So one's circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country.

朋友的圈子就这样不断扩大。用不了多久，有这种爱好的人便开始旅行，也许是去另一个城市参加会议，也可能是出国寻找一件珍品，因为收藏家是不分国籍的。

1）circle of friends 朋友圈

2）a rare specimen 珍品

3）be confined to/in   The birds are confined in a cage

19

Over the years, one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences.

一人积了多年经验会成为自己这种爱好的权威，很可能应邀在小型集会上作非正式的讲话。如果讲得好，可能向更多人发表演说。

20

In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to take about it.

这样，你自信心不断增强，先是因为掌握一门学问，接下来是因为能够就此发表见解。

21

Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.

收藏活动通过富有建设性地利用业余时间使人感到心满意足，不再有无聊之日。