Monster or fish?

【課文】

Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea. Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that many of these 'monsters' which have at times been sighted are simply strange fish. Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they are rarely caught out at sea. Some time ago, however, a peculiar fish was caught near Madagascar. A small fishing boat was carried miles out to sea by the powerful fish as it pulled on the line. Realizing that this was no ordinary fish, the fisherman made every effort not to damage it in any way. When it was eventually brought to shore, it was found to be over thirteen feet long. It had a head like a horse, big blue eyes, shining silver skin, and a bright red tail. The fish, which has since been sent to a museum where it is being examined by a scientist, is called an oarfish. Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by man as they live at a depth of six hundred feet.

【課文翻譯】

漁夫和水手們有時聲稱自己看到過海里的妖怪。雖然人們常常對水手們講的故事付諸一笑，但現(xiàn)在看來，人們有時看到的這些“妖怪”很多不過是些奇怪的魚。一些異常的生物偶爾會被沖到岸上來，但它們在海上卻極少能被捕到。然而不久前，在馬達加斯加附近的海里卻捕到了一條奇怪的魚。一條小漁船被一條咬住鉤的強壯的大魚拖到了幾英里以外的海面上。那位漁民意識到這根本不是一條普通的魚，于是千方百計不讓它受到絲毫傷害。當終于把它弄上岸后，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)它身長超過了13英尺。它長著一個像馬一樣的頭，有著大的藍眼睛和閃閃發(fā)光的銀色皮膚，還有一條鮮紅色的尾巴。此魚叫槳魚，被送進了博物館，現(xiàn)正接受一位科學家的檢查。人們很少能看到活著的這類動物，因為它們生活在600英尺深的水下。

【生詞匯總】

monster n. 怪物

sailor n. 海員

sight v. 見到

creature n. 動物，生物

peculiar adj. 奇怪的，不尋常的

shining adj. 閃閃發(fā)光的

oarfish n. 槳魚

【知識點講解】

1. Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea.

1).to have seen是不定式的完成式結(jié)構。不定式的完成式用于不定式的動作發(fā)生在謂語動作之前的情況。不定式的完成式常用于believe，declare，find，say，see，know，think，understand等動詞之后(這些動詞常用被動語態(tài))：eg. I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time.

2) claim: 宣稱，斷言

Claim (that)

eg. He claimed that Tom had stolen his wallet.

Claim to

eg. I don’t claim to be an expert

It is claimed that 據(jù)說

eg. It is claimed that some doctors were working 80 hours a week.

2. Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that many of these "monsters" which have at times been sighted are simply strange fish.

laugh v. 笑

eg. Everybody laughed when the circus clown made his appearance.

laugh at: 因…而笑; 嘲笑

eg. Everybody laughs at my accents 大家都取笑我的口音

different ways of laughing

1.burst into laughter 突然大笑

2.crack a smile 展顏微笑，莞爾一笑

3.explode with laughter 哄堂大笑

4.force a smile 強作歡顏

at times: 有時 = now and then, occasionally,from time to time

eg. She's really rude at times.

sight:v.猛然看見，瞬間看見

eg. After twelve days at sea, they sighted land

在海上航行12天后，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了陸地

3、Realizing that this was no ordinary fish...

=Realizing that this was not an ordinary fish...

no的否定意味比not(a/an)要重(用于名詞或形容詞之前、系動詞be之后)

eg.This is no easy work. 這絕對不是件容易干的活。

4. Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they are rarely caught out at sea.

Wash 沖向 ， 流向

eg.The rain has washed channels in the sand

雨水在沙土上沖出一條條溝

eg. Pieces of wreckage were washed ashore .

沉船的殘骸被沖到岸上

5. Realizing that this was no ordinary fish, the fisherman made every effort not to damage it in any way..

make every effort to 盡一切努力

eg. He made every effort to climb to the top. 他盡一切努力爬到山頂

made every effort not to 盡一切努力、、、不

eg. the fisherman made every effort not to damage it

漁夫千方百計讓它不受傷害

6. Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by man as they live at a depth of six hundred feet.

1)alive 主要用作表語(有時可用作后置定語，但不用作前置定語)，可用于人或動物。

eg.He must be still alive

He’s the happiest man alive. 他世上最幸福的人。

注：若 alive 本身有修飾語，則也可用作前置定語。

eg.He is a really alive student. 他的確是一個十分活躍的學生。

2). living 可用作表語或定語，可用于人或物。

eg.Are your grandparents still living? 你的祖父母還健在嗎?

eg. Both plants and animals are living things 動物和植物都是生物

3). live 通常只用作定語(前置)，可用于動物或植物，但一般不用于人。

eg.Only a few live trees were left after the fire.

火災之后只剩下幾棵樹還活著。

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