新概念英语第三册 Lesson 38(课文2)

英语自学网

　　Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos. CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
　　Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.
　　Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusk of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age, which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.
　　【New words and expressions】 生词和短语
　　●calendar n. 历法，日历
　　●historian n. 历史学家
　　●unique adj. 无与伦比的
　　●steadily adv. 不断地
　　●solely adv. 唯一地
　　●video n. 录像
　　●CD-ROM n. （只读）光盘驱动器
　　●bewilder v. 令人眼花缭乱
　　●deduce v. 推断，推理
　　●scanty adj. 不足的，贫乏的
　　●clue n. 线索
　　●insignificant adj. 不重要的
　　●shed v. 使流出，泻
　　●advent n. 出现，到来，来临
　　●agriculture n. 农业
　　●assumption n. 假定，设想
　　●puzzle v. 使迷惑
　　●dot n. 小圆点
　　●symbol n. 符号
　　●engrave v. 雕刻
　　●ivory n. 象牙制品
　　●mammoth n. （古）长毛象
　　●phase n. 月相，天相
　　●tusk n. 獠牙，长牙、象牙
　　●primitive adj. 原始的
　　●nomad n. 游牧民
　　●depict v. 描画，描绘
　　●correlate v. 使相互联系
　　参考译文
　　未来的历史学家在写我们这一段历史的时候会别具一格。对于逐渐积累起来的庞大材料，他们几乎不知道选取哪些好，而且，也不必完全依赖文字材料。电影、录像、光盘和光盘驱动器只是能为他们提供令人眼花缭乱的大量信息的几种手段。他们能够身临其境般地观看我们做事，倾听我们讲话。但是，历史学家企图重现遥远的过去可是一项艰巨的任务，他们必须根据现有的不充分的线索进行推理。即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。
　　历史学家迄今认为日历是随农业的问世而出现的，因为当时人们面临着了解四季的实际需要，但近期科学研究发现，好像这种假设是不正确的。
　　长期以来，历史学家一直对雕刻在墙壁上、骨头上、古代长毛象的象牙上的点、线和形形色色的符号感到困惑不解。这些痕迹是游牧人留下的，他们生活在从公元前约35，000年到公元前10，000年的冰川期的末期，以狩猎、捕鱼为生。历史学家通过把世界各地留下的这种痕迹放在一起研究，终于弄懂了这种费解的代码。他们发现代码与昼夜更迭和月亮圆缺有关，事实上是一种最原始的日历。大家早就知道，画在墙上的狩猎图景并不是单纯的艺术表现形式，它们有着一定的含义，因为它们已接近古代人的文字形式。有时，这种图画与墙壁上的刻痕共存，它们之间可能有一定的联系。看来人类早就致力于探索四季变迁了，比人们想像的要早20,000年。
　　重点词汇
　　■calendar n. 历法，日历　 词形联想：calender 轮压机
　　■historian n. 历史学家(person who studies or writes about history)
　　相关比较：historic　　具有历史意义的 Eg: This is a historic speech.
　　historical　与历史研究有关系的 Eg: historical research 历史研究
　　■unique adj. 无与伦比的(uneaqualed)
　　Eg: Speech is a unique human ability.
　　unique 不能接受比较级，可以接受quite, almost, nearly, surely, really等修饰，但不能接受rather, very等词的修饰。
　　联想：unique　　 独一无二的，因唯一而独特
　　special　　 注重性质的特殊
　　especial　　强调超过其他的全部
　　particular　特定的，着重同类中某一个所有独特的性质
　　exceptional　 例外的，异常的
　　extraordinary 特别的，与众不同的
　　Eg: This is a matter of especial importance.
　　This is a especially important matter.
　　Pineapples have particular flavour. 菠萝有特别的味道。
　　The warm weather is exceptional for January.
　　■bewilder v. 令人眼花缭乱(confuse)
　　■puzzle v. 使困惑，苦思(make (sb) think hard) 某问题因复杂而令人费解，主、被动语态均可
　　Eg: she was bewildered by so many beautiful dresses.
　　I am puzzled by the problem.
　　联想：perplex　难以理解（包含焦虑不安，不知如何解决的意思，常用于被动语态）
　　Eg: He is perplexed for the answer.
　　词性相关：bewilderment n.　常用短语：in bewilderment 茫然不知所措
　　■deduce v. 推断，推理(determine or decide sth. by given facts)
　　常用短语：deduce ...from 从...中推论，推断
　　Eg: I deduce the conclusion from the given facts.
　　联想：infer 推断（不表示结论是否有充足的理由）
　　Eg: What can you infer from the text?
　　词形联想：induce 劝诱，促使，导致，引起 Eg: illness induced by overwork 过度劳累引起的疾病
　　词性相关：deduction n. 推论，演绎，减除，扣除
　　■scanty adj. 不足的，贫乏的(too few, not enough)
　　Eg: scanty knowledge 一知半解 a scanty crop 欠收
　　常用短语及相关：be scanty of sth 奇缺
　　be short of 短缺
　　be want of = in need of 需要......
　　Eg: The village school is scanty of textbooks. 这乡村学校奇缺教材。
　　■shed v. 使流出，泻(pour out)
　　shed tears 泪流满面
　　shed light 发光
　　shed light on sb. 启发，启迪
　　shed one's blood for country 为祖国而流血。
　　shed one's clothes 脱去衣服
　　■advent n. 出现，到来，来临(coming or arrival)
　　常用短语：at the advent of 在...到来的时候
　　Eg: at the advent of winter 在冬天到来的时候
　　since the advent of 自从...的到来
　　■engrave v. 雕刻(cut or carve)
　　Eg: His initials were engraved on the cigarette case. 他姓名的首字母刻在烟盒上了。
　　The cigarette case was engraved with his initials. 烟盒上刻着他姓名的首字母。
　　常用短语：engrave sth on sth：impress sth deeply on (the memory or mind), 铭刻，牢记在心
　　Eg: Memories of that terrible day are forever engraved on my mind.
　　联想：carve 雕刻，切开
　　Eg: Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, much of it broken. (NCE3 lesson 34)
　　Vocabulary exercise:
　　Read this text. Then use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the space.
　　I like history, but don't think I could ever have become a (1) HISTORY　　　　. I wouldn't have had the patience. From a (2) BEWILDER　　　　collection of facts, figures and often quite (3) SIGNIFY　　　　details, they work (4) STEADY　　　　towards a picture of an era or a famous historical character, on the (5) ASSUME　　　　that the picture will become clearer the more information they have.
　　In the past people often had to make (6) DEDUCE　　　　about their forefathers based (7) SOLE　　　　on a few written records together with perhaps a selection of relevant artefacts, if they survived!
　　Contemporary paintings of famous people have always been valuable historical documents. Unfortunately, there are not so many pictures of ordinary people in (8) ACT　　　　, as it were. But such pictures as we have are often prized as much for their value as social documents as for their value as art.
　　Answer: 1. historian 2. bewildering
3. insignificant 4. steadily
5. assumption 6. deductions
7. solely 8. action
            
            

enone

　　Text
　　Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos. CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
　　Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.
　　Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusk of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age, which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.
　　Language points
　　Attention：The following points are not covered by the video. It is better for you to watch the video or listen to the MP3 first and try to take notes on your own. Then you may check here to get more details.
　　1.Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times.
in a unique position: 处于无以伦比，独一无二的情况
come to: start, begin
　　2.They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. .
背诵句型
select from 从......中进行选择(同类中)
　　choose挑选（凭个人意愿）

　　1)有三种情况choose和 select不能互换：
　　1．当在两者中选一个时只能用choose, 即choose between
　　Ex
　　　　We have to choose between leaving early and paying for taxi.
　　2．choose可带 wh从句
　 Ex
　　I'll let you choose where we should go to eat.
　　3．choose to do 只能用choose.
　Ex
　　What invariably happens is that a great number of things choose to go wrong at precisely the same moment.（L33 ）
　　He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. (L27)
　　2)select比choose更正式， 即在许多同类的人或物当中根据客观标准对这两个加以比较，鉴别，认真地挑选出最好的、最喜欢的、最有用的。
　　Ex
　　She selected a dictionary from the library.
　　3.What is more they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos. CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have.
　What is more 更有甚者，furthremore,moreover 是的意思
　　what is worse 更糟糕的是
　rely on: depend on 依靠，指望
　 Ex
　　They have to rely on rain for their water. 依靠
　　We are relying on you to get us out of this mess. 指望
　

　　solely: adv. 唯一地 only, just, nearly
　　4.They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.
　 背诵句型
　　as it were 可以说，似乎，好像.此位虚拟语气的状语从句,可用于各种时态的句子中.通常作为独立成分的插入语使用,位于句中,前后用逗号分开.其作用是表示所指的那个词或那句话是个比喻说法.
　Ex
　He is as it were a walking dictionary.
　A good dictionary is a useful tool and , as it were, a constant friend to a student of language.
比较
　as it is =in fact=in really=actually=as a matter of fact 事实上
Ex
I thought things would get better,but as it is , they are getting worse.
　　5.But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.
　　be faced with: be in the position in which one must deal with a problem or unpleasant situation. 面临（因境，问题）往往不是出于主语的意愿.
　　Ex
　A great many people are faced with losing their jobs.
　He was faced with many difficulties which, with the help of his friends, he successfully overcame.
　　6.Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
　shed light on=throw light on = cast light on 意思是：make a matter clear or understood...照亮...使...清楚显现.
Ex
Can you shed any light on the case of the fire?
The investingation shed new light on the mystery.

　　remains ==ruins 遗迹，遗物
insignificant==unimportant
　　7.Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture,for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons.
　 up to now = so far 到目前为止
　　come into being == come into existence 产生，出现
　　be faced with a real need to do sth. 面临着做某事的真正需要
Ex
We are faced with a real need to learn English well.
　　8. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.
　 indicate 揭示
　　9.By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code.
　 correlate 相互联系
　　By...world作方式状语,修饰 have been able to read . 此介词短语中的made in...world 为过去分词短语作定语,修饰markings.
　　10. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression.
　 It作形式主语,其后由关系连词引导的从句为逻辑主语. that 从句中的depicted on walls 为过去分词短语, 作定语, 修饰scenes.

　　Homework
1 In assuming that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, historians made the mistake of _____ .
　　a. relying solely on the written word
　　b. disregarding the markings that early man had been responsible for
　　c. supposing that nomadic man had no reason to understand the seasons
　　d. not connecting the passage of days with the phasesof the moon
　　2 The scientific evidence that has recently come to light is that _____ .
　　a. nomads engraved the bones and tusks of the animals they killed
　　b. noads lived by hunting and fishing
　　c. nomads travelled widely in various parts of the world
　　d. the markings made by variousnomadic groups all have a definite pattern
　　3 The paintings which have been found on the walls of nomadic dwelling places _____ .
　　a. have taught historians something about the nomadic way of life
　　b. have no other content than their artistic merit
　　c. are not thought to be connected with an ancient calendar system
　　d. are invariably accompanied by odd dots, lines and symbols
　　Translation
　　1 当人们财富累积的越多,他们就倾向于花费的越多.
2 她被商店里各种的护肤品搞得眼花缭乱.
3 他变成, 或者说, 是一个没有身份的人.
4 我们希望他的到来可以为我们解开迷团.
5 他面临着他事业上最大的挑战.
　　key: BDA
1 As people accumulate more wealth, they tend to spend more as well.
2 She found a bewilding rang of skin care products in the shop.
3 He became, as it were, a man with no indentity.
4 We are hoping that his arrival will shed some light on the mystery.
5 He was faced with the biggest challenge of his career.