Lesson 26 The past life of the earth

地球上的昔日生命

26-1.It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.

【译文】只有生活在水中或水边的动植物尸体最有可能被保存下来，因为保存的必要条件之一是迅速掩埋，所以只有在泥沙不停淤积的海洋和江河里，有时在湖泊里，尸体之类的东西才能被迅速地覆盖而保存下来。

【理解】

★这是一个由and 连接的两个并列强调句。

★第一个强调句是由it is ...which ...构成，强调的是 animals and plants 。在该句中，which lived in or near water作定语从句修饰animals and plants。for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial 作原因状语从句，作补充说明。

★第二个强调句是it is...that...构成，强调的是地点状语in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes 。在该句中where mud and silt have been continuously deposited 作非限制性定语从句，修饰the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes。

★the like 相当于 such like ，类似的东西，如：

There’s a big sports hall for tennis and badminton and the like /and such like.

有一个打网球、羽毛球这类项目的大型体育馆。

First class travel is not for the like of us. 坐头等舱旅行可不是我们这类人的事。

★be deposited 沉积下来

26-2.But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them.

【译文】即使是在最有利的环境中，死去的生物中也只有一小部分能在开始腐烂前，或更可能在被食腐动物吃掉之前，被这样保存下来。

【理解】

★that die 作定语从句，修饰 creatures。

★even 作副词用，可放在许多句子成分前加强语气。

★短语“a small fraction of +可数或不可数名词”的意思是“一小部分”。如：

Mother’s careful with her money ,and spends only a fraction of her earnings.

 母亲用钱很谨慎，只花自己收入的很小一部分。

★set in （常用来表示不好的事情）开始，到来，如：

We need to have the roof repaired before the bad weather sets in.

我们需要在坏天气到来之前把屋顶修好。

After a few days , exhaustion set in and the climbers were forced to give up their attempt to reach the summit of the mountain .

几天后，疲劳袭来，登山者不得不放弃登上顶峰的打算。

26-3.After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided.

【译文】因为一切生物都是靠吃别的东西来活命的，不管这种东西是植物还是动物，死的还是活的，因此，生物偶尔才能避免被吃掉的命运。

【理解】

★whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive 是一个让步状语从句，用的是虚拟语气。it 指 something else。and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided. 为强调句，被强调的部分是状语 by chance。还原为非强调句应该是and such a fate is avoided only by chance。

★live by 靠… …生活，遵循，如：

The boy lived by selling newspaper. 那个男孩靠卖报纸为生。

★by chance 偶然，如：

I got this job completely by chance. 我得到这份工作纯属偶然。

26-4.The remains of plants and animals that lived on land are much more rarely preserved, for there is seldom anything to cover them over.

【译文】曾在陆地上生活过的动植物的遗体被保存下来的更为罕见，因为陆地上几乎没有什么东西覆盖它们。

【理解】

★for 引导原因状语从句

★that lived on land 修饰 plants and animals，on land 作地点状语。

★副词 seldon 的意思是“不常，很少”它所在的句子可被看成是否定句。如：

The children are seldon ill. 这些孩子很少生病。

26-5.When you think of the innumerable birds that one sees flying about, not to mention the equally numerous small animals like field mice and voles which you do not see, it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body, except, of course, on the roads.

【译文】你可以想象出天上有看得见的飞来飞去、数不清的鸟，地上有不显眼的无数的老鼠和田鼠之类的小动物，但是，除非在路上，很少有人遇到这些动物的尸体。

【理解】

★it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body, except, of course, on the roads. 为强调句型，被强调的部分是状语 very rarely。that one sees flying about 为定语从句，修饰 birds。

★one 泛指“人们”。flying about 作宾语补足语。not to mention … see 为补充说明的部分。

★think of 想起，想象，如：

She thought of her bitter past and could not help sobbing.

她想起了自己悲惨的过去，不禁泣不成声。

★not to mention 为固定词组，意即“更不用说，更不屑说”主要用来强调所要补充说明的部分，如：

He is one of the most intelligent , not to mention handsome , among the people I know.

他是我认识的人中最聪明的人之一，更甭说有多英俊了。

注意该词组与 don’t mention it 的区别：don’t mention it 用于别人对你表示感谢而进行回答时，意即“不必客气”，如：

Thanks for your help . 十分感谢你的帮助。Not at all, don’t mention it. 没什么，不必客气。

★come across 遇到，偶然碰到，如：

If you come across my glasses, can you let me have them please?

如果你看到我的眼镜，请你交给我好吗？

26-6.They decompose and are quickly destroyed by the weather or eaten by some other creature.

【译文】因为它们腐败之后很快就被风化掉，或被别的动物吃掉了。

【理解】

★by the weather和by some other creature 作方式状语分别修饰are destroyed 和 are eaten。

26-7.It is almost always due to some very special circumstances that traces of land animals survive, as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse, like the Siberian mammoths, when the whole animal is sometimes preserved, as in a refrigerator.

【译文】几乎总是由于某些特殊的条件，陆地动物的遗体才被存下来，如掉进难以到达的洞穴，或掉进冰河裂缝里，或者像西伯利亚长毛象那样掉进冰窟中，有时整个动物像被放在冰箱里一样被保存下来。

【理解】

★该句为强调句，强调部分是原因状语 almost always due to some very special circumstances。

★as 引导方式状语从句，as 后面省略了 they survive。when 意即“这时”补充说明动物掉进冰河裂缝里，有时就像被保存在冰箱里一样。as in a refrigerator 中as与in 之间省略了 it is preserved。

★副词词组 due to 此处意思是 because of （由于，因为），它后面通常与名词或名词性词组搭配。如：

 This accident is due to driving at high speed. 这起交通事故是由于高速开车而引起的。

★as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse 和 as in a refrigerator 中的 as 为副词，意思为“像，比如”。

26-8. This is what happened to the famous Beresovka mammoth which was found preserved and in good condition.

【译文】著名的别列索夫卡长毛象就是这样被保存下来的，而且保存得很好。

【理解】

★what 引导表语从句。

★which 引导定语从句，修饰 the famous Beresovka mammoth。preserved and in good condition作主语补足语。

26-9. In his mouth were the remains of fir trees -- the last meal that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back.

【译文】它嘴里还留着冷杉 -- 它掉进冰河裂隙折断脊椎柱之前的最后一顿饭。

【理解】

★In his mouth were the … 是倒装句。该句之所以倒装，是因为主语即 the remains of fir trees 及后面由破折号引出的同位语the last meal 和其定语从句that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back 过长。

26-10.The mammoth has now been restored in the Palaeontological Museum in St. Petersburg.

这头长毛象已被修复，现存于圣彼得堡古生物学博物馆。

【理解】

★此句是现在完成时被动句。动词 restore 意思是“恢复，使回复”。如：

It is essential for a newly formed country to restore law and order.

对一个刚成立的国家来说，恢复法律和秩序是极其重要的。

26-11.Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed cats, and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles.

【译文】有的动物掉进天然沥清坑里被保存下来，如在兰桥.拉.布里 -- 现在是洛杉矶的郊区发现的大象、剑齿虎和许多其他动物。

【理解】

★like the elephants… …Los Angeles 作other animals 的定语。

★which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles作 Rancho la Brea 的定语。

26-12.Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits, and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar.

【译文】显然，事情的经过是这样：沥青坑里积存了水，大象那样的大动物冒险到似乎坚固的水面上去饮水，立即掉进了沥青坑。

【理解】

★what happened 为主语从句，that 引导的是表语从句。

26-13.And then, when they were dead, the carnivores, like the sabre-toothed cats and the giant wolves, came out to feed and suffered exactly the same fate.

【译文】大象死后，一些食肉动物，如剑齿虎和大灰狼就来吃大象，结果遭到了同样的命运。

【理解】

★the same fate 指 were promptly bogged in the tar，意即“也掉进沥青坑”。

26-14.There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar as well.

【译文】沥青坑里还有无数只鸟的尸体。

【理解】

★endless numbers of 无数的

★also…as well 也