Lesson 1 A Puma at large

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises"at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

8. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.
在許多地方看見了爪印，灌木叢中也發(fā)現(xiàn)了粘在上面的美洲獅毛。

語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這是一個(gè)由and連接的并列句，意思層層遞進(jìn)，說明美洲獅逃遁的充分證據(jù)。Clinging to bushes為現(xiàn)在分詞短語，作主語puma fur的補(bǔ)足語，補(bǔ)充說明主語的狀態(tài)。

例句支持:

I found a tagboard clinging to my luggage.
我發(fā)現(xiàn)我的行李上掛著一張標(biāo)簽紙。

語言點(diǎn)2:作者接連列舉了美洲獅身上的兩種特有的東西，并使用了被動(dòng)語態(tài)，完美地呈現(xiàn)了英語語言的特色。

原文句子:Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.
對(duì)比:People saw paw prints in a number of places and found puma fur linging to bushes.

總結(jié):可以看到，如果使用主動(dòng)語態(tài)，則美感全無。

例句支持:

A note was passed up to the speaker.有人給演講者遞上來一張紙條。
對(duì)比:Some one passed up a note to the speaker.（主動(dòng)語態(tài)，強(qiáng)調(diào)“人”，不突出“紙條”。）

語言點(diǎn)3:由短語a number of還可以進(jìn)一步引申出下面用于寫作的短語:越來越多的

（1） an increasing number of：An increasing number of students have realised the importance of English application,越來越多的學(xué)生已經(jīng)意識(shí)到了英語應(yīng)用的重要性。
（2） a growing number of：Now,a growing number of Chinese students go abroad for study.現(xiàn)在越來越多的中國(guó)學(xué)生去海外留學(xué)。

9. Several people complained of "cat-like noises"at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.
有人抱怨說夜里聽見了“像貓一樣的叫聲”；一位商人去釣魚，看見那只美洲獅在樹上。

語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這又是一個(gè)由and連接的并列句，再次遞進(jìn)說明判斷美洲獅逃遁的另外兩個(gè)充分的證據(jù)，介詞短語on a fishing trip作后置定語，修飾businessman。Up a tree作puma的賓語補(bǔ)足語。

語言點(diǎn)2:此句中出現(xiàn)的cat-like noises與本文第一句中cat-like animals的用法有異曲同工之妙，cat-like animals強(qiáng)調(diào)美洲獅的體形，cat-like noises則強(qiáng)調(diào)美洲獅的聲音。不知不覺中，作者已經(jīng)兩次使用了比喻的修辭手法。

語言點(diǎn)3:請(qǐng)注意一下句子中介詞的特定用法:

(1) There is a man in the tree.樹上有個(gè)人。（in the tree一般指外露的東西“在樹上”，如人，動(dòng)物等，而不是樹本身所長(zhǎng)的東西。）
(2) There are many apples on the tree.樹上有許多蘋果。（on the tree通常指樹本身長(zhǎng)出來的東西，如枝，葉，花，果等。）

10. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from?
專家們?nèi)缃褚呀?jīng)完全肯定那只動(dòng)物就是美洲獅，但它是從哪里來的呢？

語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:that引導(dǎo)賓語從句，指were convinced的內(nèi)容。But引導(dǎo)的分句與前面的分句形成轉(zhuǎn)折并列關(guān)系，讓抓美洲獅的過程變得更加撲朔迷離。

語言點(diǎn)2:我們平時(shí)在寫作時(shí)可以用believe,be sure,confirm等詞匯表達(dá)“肯定”，但是本文作者為什么不用這些詞呢？原因在于這幾個(gè)詞匯的主管性都太強(qiáng)，而be convinced則更注重客觀邏輯推理。而本文第2段中給出了很多美洲獅出沒的證據(jù)，那么這么多證據(jù)恐怕就不能全歸結(jié)為巧合了。

例句支持:

We believe that he will succeed.我們相信他會(huì)成功。（表示主觀判斷）
We are convinced that he will succeed.我們有理由相信他會(huì)成功。（表示這件事有充分的理由成為客觀事實(shí)）

語言點(diǎn)3:原文中的was一詞是斜體，這又是為什么呢？這是作者為了突出強(qiáng)調(diào)這個(gè)動(dòng)物確確實(shí)實(shí)就是那只逃遁的美洲獅，而不是其他的什么動(dòng)物。

11. As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.
由于全國(guó)的動(dòng)物園沒有一家報(bào)告丟了美洲獅，因此那只美洲獅一定是某位私人收藏家豢養(yǎng)的，不只怎么設(shè)法逃出來了。

語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:as引導(dǎo)原因狀語從句，不用for引導(dǎo)是為了避免重復(fù)。現(xiàn)在分詞短語missing from any zoo in the country作主語puma的補(bǔ)足語。主句中的this one指代the missing puma,and連接兩個(gè)并列的動(dòng)作。

12. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.
搜尋工作進(jìn)行了好幾個(gè)星期，但始終未能逮住那只美洲獅。

語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這句話是由but連接的并列句，表示轉(zhuǎn)折。

語言點(diǎn)2:在表示“持續(xù)”時(shí)，keep,go on,last continue有區(qū)別:

(1) keep doing sth 一直做某事（常用于口語中）

Tom always kept asking questions.湯姆總是問個(gè)不停。

（2） go on 繼續(xù)下去（常用于寫作體中）

My Heart wii Go On.《我心永恒》（電影《泰坦尼克號(hào)》主題曲）

（3） last 持續(xù)（和keep意思相近但用法不同）

Most people believe that the strike wii last for at least a week.多數(shù)人任務(wù)此次罷工至少會(huì)持續(xù)一個(gè)星期。

（4） continue (使)繼續(xù)（指同一件事繼續(xù)進(jìn)行下去，常用于寫作中）

The battle continued for several hours until darkness came on.戰(zhàn)斗持續(xù)了幾個(gè)小時(shí)，直到夜幕降臨（才停止）。

13. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.
想到在寧靜的鄉(xiāng)村里有一頭危險(xiǎn)的野獸繼續(xù)逍遙流竄，真令人擔(dān)心。

語言點(diǎn)1:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這句話中，it是形式主語，真正的主語是disturbing后面的to think that…，但因?yàn)樗L(zhǎng)了，影響句子的平衡，所以就用it代替而把它放在句子的后面。

語言點(diǎn)2:寫作句型總結(jié):

(1) It is disturbing to think that…一想到…就讓人感到不安

It is disturbing to think that I will take final examination tomorrow.一想到明天就要參加期末考試了我就感到緊張不安。

(2) It is irritating to think that…一想到…就讓人感到生氣

It is irritating to think that my brother lost his bicycle this tomorrow.一想到我弟弟今天早上把自行車弄丟了就讓人生氣。

（3）It is exciting to think that…一想到…就讓人感到興奮

It is exciting to think that I will get the chance.一想到我就要得到這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)了我就感到興奮。