新概念英語(yǔ)第二冊(cè)第88課:Trapped in a mine
Why is the rescue taking so long?
Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue operations are proving difficult. If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine. They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule. If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours. As it is, they have been drilling for sixteen hours and they still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago, has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives. Though they are running out of food and drink, the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon. They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly. If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart.
參考譯文
6個(gè)人被困在礦井里已有17個(gè)小時(shí)了。如果不把他們盡快救到地面上來(lái)，他們就有可能喪生。然而，事實(shí)證明營(yíng)救工作非常困難。如果用炸藥爆破，震動(dòng)會(huì)引起礦頂塌落。因此，營(yíng)救人員在礦井的北側(cè)鉆了一個(gè)洞。他們準(zhǔn)備用一種特制的容器把這6個(gè)人救上來(lái)。如果不是因?yàn)橥寥老旅嬗幸粚訄?jiān)硬的巖石，他們的營(yíng)救工作僅用幾個(gè)小時(shí)就可以完成了。實(shí)際情況是，他們已連續(xù)鉆了16個(gè)小時(shí)了，但離鉆透還早著呢。與此同時(shí)，兩個(gè)小時(shí)以前放下井去的一只麥克風(fēng)使井下的人可以與其親屬保持聯(lián)系。雖然他們的食物和飲料都快消耗盡了，但這些人的心情很好，堅(jiān)信他們很快就會(huì)出去。他們一直被告知營(yíng)救工作進(jìn)行得非常順利。如果他們知道了鉆透那堅(jiān)硬的巖石有多么困難，他們會(huì)喪失信心的。
New words and expressions生詞和短語(yǔ)
trap
v.陷入，使陷于困境
surface
n.地面，表面
explosive
n.炸藥
vibration
n.震動(dòng)
collapse
v.坍塌
drill
v.鉆孔
capsule
n.容器
layer
n.層
beneath
prep.在......之下
lower
v.放下，降低
progress
v.進(jìn)展，進(jìn)行
smoothly
adv.順利地
Lesson 88自學(xué)導(dǎo)讀First things first課文詳注Further notes on the text
1．…rescue operations are proving difficult.……事實(shí)證明營(yíng)救工作非常困難。
prove之后帶形容詞（有時(shí)也可以是名詞）時(shí)表示“證明是”、“結(jié)果是”：
His operation proved successful.
他的手術(shù)很成功。
What he had told us proved false.
他對(duì)我們所說(shuō)的原來(lái)是假的。
2．Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine.因此，營(yíng)救人員正在礦井的北側(cè)鉆一個(gè)洞。
therefore表示“因此”、“所以”等。它是副詞，所以它既可以獨(dú)立使用，也可以位于動(dòng)詞前。so表示“因此”、“所以”時(shí)通常是連詞：
The new flat is larger and therefore more expensive.
這套新房子（比原先的）要大些，因此比較貴。
His parents gave him some money, and he was therefore able to buy a car.
他的父母給了他一些錢，所以他能買得起一輛車。
His parents gave him some money, therefore, he was able to buy a car.
（譯文同上，therefore前后都可以有逗號(hào)，so后面通常不用逗號(hào)）
We arrived early, so we got good seats.
我到得早，因此我們找到了好座位。（so表示“所以”、“因此”時(shí)不放在動(dòng)詞前）
3．If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours.如果不是因?yàn)橥寥老旅嬗幸粚訄?jiān)硬的巖石，他們的營(yíng)救工作僅用幾小時(shí)就可以完成了。
這是第3類條件句，表示與過(guò)去事實(shí)相反的假設(shè)。課文中還有第1類和第2類條件句的例子，仔細(xì)體會(huì)它們的區(qū)別。
4．a(chǎn)s it is，實(shí)際上，事實(shí)上（也可以用as it was）。
I thought they would help us. As it was, they just sat there and looked on.
我以為他們會(huì)幫助我們。實(shí)際上他們卻只是坐著旁觀。
I promised to return the books yesterday. As it is, I won't be able to do so until next Monday.
我答應(yīng)昨天還書(shū)的，但事實(shí)上我要到下星期一才能還。
5．…a microphone…h(huán)as enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives.……一只麥克風(fēng)使井下的人可以與其親屬保持聯(lián)系。
（1）enable為及物動(dòng)詞，表示“使……能夠”：
The hubble telescope will enable us to have a better understanding of the distant stars and galaxies.
哈勃望遠(yuǎn)鏡將使我們能更好地了解遠(yuǎn)距離的恒星和星系。
前綴en-加在名詞或形容詞前可以使這個(gè)詞成為動(dòng)詞，如endanger（危及，使遭受危險(xiǎn)），enlarge（擴(kuò)大，擴(kuò)展，擴(kuò)充），enslave（奴役，使成為奴隸），entrap（使……入陷阱/圈套，欺騙）。
（2）keep in touch with表示“與……保持聯(lián)系”，也可以用stay，get等其他動(dòng)詞：
Though he works in New York, he still keeps in touch with his friends in London.
他雖然在紐約工作，但仍然與倫敦的朋友們保持聯(lián)系。
George is in close touch with Ian.
喬治與伊恩聯(lián)系密切。
Can you get in touch with the company?
你能與那家公司取得聯(lián)系嗎？
6．lose heart為固定搭配，表示“喪失信心/勇氣”、“泄氣”、“灰心”：
He told his men not to lose heart, saying that they would soon discover gold mines.
他告訴手下人不要灰心，并說(shuō)他們很快就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)金礦的。
Seeing that the enemy was much stronger than themselves, the soldiers lost heart at once.
當(dāng)戰(zhàn)士們發(fā)現(xiàn)敵軍比自己要強(qiáng)大得多時(shí)，他們立刻就喪失了勇氣。
詞匯學(xué)習(xí)Word study
1．collapse vi.
（1）倒塌：
If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse.
如果用炸藥爆破，震動(dòng)會(huì)引起礦頂塌落。
With no one to repair it, the old church collapsed long ago.
由于無(wú)人維修，那座老教堂早就倒塌了。
（2）（因精疲力竭等）倒下；（身體等）垮掉：
After many years' hard work, my mother's health collapsed.
由于多年的辛苦勞動(dòng)，我母親的身體垮了。
He had run more than forty miles As soon as he was out of danger, he collapsed.
他已經(jīng)跑了四十多英里路了。他剛脫離危險(xiǎn)便（累得）倒下了。
2．與動(dòng)詞run有關(guān)的短語(yǔ)
run可以與不同的介詞或副詞搭配產(chǎn)生不同的含義。
（1）run out of可表示“用完”、“耗盡”：
They are running out of food and drink.
他們的食物和飲料都快消耗盡了。
He has run out of money.
他的錢用光了。
（2）run after表示“追趕”、“追逐”：
She ran through a forest after the two thieves.
她穿過(guò)森林，追趕那兩個(gè)小偷。
Seeing that his sister was annoyed, he ran after her to apologize.
當(dāng)他發(fā)現(xiàn)他妹妹/姐姐生氣時(shí)，他便追上去道歉。
（3）run over的含義之一是“在……駛過(guò)/輾過(guò)”：
The car ran over a snake/his legs.
那車輾過(guò)一條蛇/他的雙腿。
The cat was run over by a train.
那只貓被火車壓死了。
（4）run in的含義之一是“試車”、“試轉(zhuǎn)（發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)等）”：
John is running his new car in.
約翰正在試他的新車。
Run in the engine before you start work.
在開(kāi)始工作前，先試試發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。
（5）run into可以表示“偶然碰見(jiàn)”：I ran into
Mary and Jane in the flower shop.我在花店里碰見(jiàn)了瑪麗和簡(jiǎn)。
He ran into the Sterlings while travelling in Italy.
他在意大利旅游時(shí)遇見(jiàn)了斯特林一家。
Lesson 88課后練習(xí)和答案Exercises and Answer
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