内容正文:
Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”
1、We often read in novels (how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret宾语从句)(which has been concealed from strangers for years.定语从句)
在小说中,我们经常读到一个表面上受人尊重的人物或家庭,却有着某种多年不为人所知的骇人听闻的秘密。
· respectable (adj.) 能够被尊敬 = respect (v.) 尊敬 + able
(v.) + able = adj. 能够被…(被动意思)
eg. eatable (adj.) 能够被吃的
enjoyable (adj.) 令人愉快的
readable (adj.) 能够被读的
changeable (adj.) 能够被改变的,可变的
· secret (n.) 秘密 —— secretary (n.) 秘书
· conceal (v.) 隐藏、隐瞒、掩盖(反: reveal 透露,揭露)
· conceal sth. from sb. 向某人隐瞒某事
eg. 他向父母隐瞒了分数。
He concealed his score from his parents.
2、The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation.
英语中有一个生动的说法来形容这种情况。
· possess (v.) 拥有 = have = own
· vivid (adj.) 栩栩如生的
拉丁文词根vi-前缀:与生活有关
eg. living , live, survive, survivor
那件事给我留下了永生不灭的印象。
That incident left a vivid impression on me.
3、The terrible secret is called ‘a skeleton in the cupboard'.
惊人的秘密称作“柜中骷髅”。
· is called 被叫做(一般现在时态的被动语态)
4、At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.
在小说的某个戏剧性时刻,可怕的秘密泄漏出来,接着便是某人的声誉扫地。
· dramatic (adj.) 戏剧性的,令人激动的(褒)
eg. a dramatic society 戏剧社(团)
北京奥运会是一个激动人心的事件。
Beijing Olympic Games is a dramatic event.
· drama (n.) 戏剧:play 话剧,opera 歌剧, musical 音乐剧
· ruin (v.) 毁灭 (物体、精神)
destroy (v.)毁灭 (物体)
5、The reader's hair stands on end(when he reads in the final pages of the novel时间状语从句)(that the heroine ,a dear old lady (who had always been so kind to everybody,定语从句) had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.定语从句)
当读者到小说最后几页了解到书中女主人公,那位一向待大家很好的可爱的老妇人年轻时一连毒死了她的5个丈夫时,不禁会毛骨悚然。
· on end = continuously 连续不断地
· stand on end 竖立
· make sb’s hair stand on end 使人不寒而栗
· a dear old lady是the heroine 的同位语
· heroine (n.)女主人公,女英雄,女主角
《hero》 英雄
· 插入语:in her youth 在她年轻时
6、It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.
这种事发生在小说中是无可非议的。
· occur (v.) 发生 = happen
eg. 爆炸在5点发生了。
The explosion occurred at 5.
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