新概念英语第三册-Lesson 36（课文4）

英语自学网

5 circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences, which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible.
circumstances pl. 周围的环境, 情形
do 助动词, 强调作用
but 为介词, "除...之外", but + 后面的介词短语作定语, 修饰anyone
在表示此意时, 与介词except 的意思相近, 但是but 更强调意义上的完整性, except 则更着重后面的例外.
Eg:
I have written all my letters but one. 我只差一封信就全写完了.
I have written all my letters except one. 我还差一封信没写.
6 While on walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman.
While 后面省略了he was, 在表示时间, 地点, 条件, 让步等的状语从句中, 从句的主语和主句的主语相同, 常省略从句的主语和谓语.
stop to do sth. 停下来(在做的事)去做某事
stop doing sth. 停止(在做的)事
Eg:
The bus stopped to take up passengers. 停下来搭客
The bus stopped taking up passengers. 停止搭客