新概念英语第三册的课文 (38)

Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMS are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.
Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusks of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.

New words and expressions 生词和短语

calendar
n. 历法，日历

historian
n. 历史学家

unique
adj. 无与伦比的

steadily
adv. 不断地

solely
adv. 唯一地

video
n. 录像

CD-ROOM
n. （只读）光盘驱动器

bewilder
v. 令人眼花缭乱

deduce
v. 推断，推理

scanty
adj. 不足的，贫乏的

clue
n. 线索

insignificant
adj. 不重要的

shed
v. 使流出，泻

advent
n. 出现，到来，来临

agriculture
n. 农业

assumption
n. 假定，设想

dot
n. 小圆点

symbol
n. 符号

engrave
v. 雕刻

ivory
n. 象牙制品

mammoth
n. （古）长毛象

tusk
n. 獠牙，长牙，象牙

nomad
n. 游牧民

correlate
v. 使相互联系

phase
n. 月相，天相

primitive
adj. 原始的

depict
v. 描画，描绘

参考译文

未来的历史

学家在写我们这一段历史的时候会别具一格。对于逐渐积累起来的庞大材料，他们几乎不知道选取哪些好，而且，也不必完全依赖文字材料。电影、录像、光盘和光盘驱动器只是能为他们提供令人眼花缭乱的大量信息的几种手段。他们能够身临其境般地观看我们做事，倾听我们讲话。但是，历史学家企图重现遥远的过去可是一项艰巨的任务，他们必须根据现有的不充分的线索进行推理。即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。
历史学家迄今认为日历是随农业的问世而出现的，因为当时人们面临着了解四季的实际需要，但近期科学研究发现，好像这种假设是不正确的。
长期以来，历史学家一直对雕刻在墙壁上、骨头上、古代长毛象的象牙上的点、线和形形色色的符号感到困惑不解。这些痕迹是游牧人留下的，他们生活在从公元前约35，000年到公元前10，000年的冰川期的末期，以狩猎、捕鱼为生。历史学家通过把世界各地留下的这种痕迹放在一起研究，终于弄懂了这种费解的代码。他们发现代码与昼夜更迭和月亮圆缺有关，事实上是一种最原始的日历。大家早就知道，画在墙上的狩猎图景并不是单纯的艺术表现形式，它们有着一定的含义，因为它们已接近古代人的文字形式。有时，这种图画与墙壁上的刻痕共存，它们之间可能有一定的联系。看来人类早就致力于探索四季变迁了，比人们想像的要早20,000年。


New words and expression 生词和短语

calendar n.历法，日历

Calender n.轮压机



historian n.历史学家

historic adj.有历史意义的

-- This is a historic speech.

historical adj.与历史研究有关系的

-- Historical research 历史研究



unique adj.无与伦比的，独一无二,

=uneauqaled speech is a unique human ability

-- 本身具有比较意义，不能接受比较级，可以接受quite,nearly,surely,really ，不能接受rather,very等词的修饰

special adj. 注重性质 特殊

especial adj.强调超过其它 全部

-- This is a matter of especial importance.

-- This is a especially important matter.

particular adj.特定的

--Pineapples have particular flavour.

exceptional adj.

extraordinary adj.

-- The warm weather is exceptional for January.



steadily adv.不断地

solely adv.唯一地

video n.录像

CD-ROM n.光盘驱动器



bewilder v.令人眼花缭乱

= confuse,especially by lots of different things at the same time

-- She was bewildered by so many beautiful dresses.

puzzle 某问题因复杂、微妙而令人费解，既可用主动语态，也可用被动语态。

-- I am puzzled by the problem.

perplex 难以理解（包含焦虑不安，不知

如何解决的意思）,多用于被动语态。

-- He is perplexed for the answer.

bewilderment n.

in bewilderment 茫然不知所措



deduce v 推断，推理（有充分的证据和准则而得出结论）

= determine or decied sth by given fact

-- I deduce the conclusion from the given facts. (deduce……from 从……推断)



infer v.推断（不表示过程, 也不表示结论是否有充足的理由）

-- What can you infer from the text?

反义词：

-- induce v.归纳



scanty a.不足的，贫乏的

= too few,not enough

-- scanty knowledge一知半解

-- a scanty crop歉收

-- be scanty of sth奇缺 / be short of 短缺

-- The village school is scanty of text books.这乡村学校奇缺教材。

be want of 需要

in need of 需要



clue n.线索

insignificant adj.不重要的



shed v.使流出，泻

= pour out

-- shed tears泪流满面

-- shed light发光

-- shed light on sb启发，启迪

-- shed one’s blood for country为祖国而流血

-- shed one’s clothes脱去衣服



advent :出现，到来，来临,经常与the 搭配，只要指节气，重要发展的到来，来临。

= coming or arrival

-- at the advent of winter在冬天到来的时候

-- since the advent of 自从……的到来

agriculture n.农业 assumption n.假定，设想

dot n.小圆点 symbol n.符号

engrave v.雕刻 ivory n.象牙制品

mammoth n.长毛象 tusk n.獠牙，长牙

nomad n.游牧民 correlate v.使相互联系

phase n.月相，天相 primitive adj.原始的

depict v.描绘，描画




Text 课文

They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates.

Select…from从中进行选择

Choose 挑选（凭个人意愿），它不仅强调做这个决定的行动，而且强调最后的决定。

有三种情况二者不能互换：

1> 当在两者中选一个时只能用choose, 即choose between

-- We have to choose between leaving early and paying for taxi.

2> choose 可带wh从句

-- I`ll let you choose where we should go to eat.

3> choose to do 只能用choose

其二 select比choose更正式

What is more they will not have to rely solely on the written word.

what is more 更有甚者，起到承接上下文的作用,是furthermore,moreover的意思

what is worse 更糟糕的是

rely on = count on = depend on 依靠、指望

-- you can`t rely on others.

-- He can`t be relied on / depended on / counted on.

solely adv.唯一地

=only , just , nearly

They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.

in action 行动中的，活动中的

as it were 可以说，似乎，好象，是一个插入语，在语法上是一个独立成分，可以用于任何时态语句中。

-- He

is as it were a walking dictionary. 他可以说是一本活字典。

-- Computers can never as it were lead independent lives. 电脑不能过独立的生活。

As it is = in fact = in reality = actually = as a matter of fact 事实上

-- I thought things would get better,but as it is ,they are getting worse.

-- In many ways children live as it were in a different world from the adults.

在许多方面，孩子可以说过着一种与大人完全不同的生活。

But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.

be faced with 面临

= be in the position in which one must deal with a problem or unpleasant situation

-- Automobile industry is faced with a bad future now.

-- A great many people are faced with losing their jobs.

-- In my opinion,you are faced with a problem as it were how to get enough time to study English.

文中attempting to reconstruct the distant past现在分词修饰the historian，所以句子可转换为：

But the historian who is attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.

-- The student attempting to learn Eghlish well in a year is faced with a difficult task.

He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available.

available adj.可利用的

-- I have a dictionary available for you .

-- is there a place available for us to have a chat?

-- I know you are in need of a help,but excuse me,I don`t have any students available for you.

Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.

remains = ruins 遗迹，遗物

insignificant = unimportant 不重要的

shed light on = throw light on = cast light on解释，说明，揭示

= make a matter clear or understood

-- This information shed light on the problem.

-- Can you shed light on the case of the fire? 你能够解释这次火灾吗？

-- She will shed light on the case of stolen jewels.

Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons.

up to now = so far 到目前为止

come into being = come into existence 产生，出现

come into 的用法：

-- come into power 上台

-- come into use 开始使用

be faced with a real need to do sth. 面临着做某事的真正需要

-- We are faced with a real need to learn English well.



Multiple choice questions 多项选择

Comprehension

1… 正确答案：B 根据课文内容选择

2… 正确答案：D 同上

3… 正确答案：A 同上

Structure

4… 正确答案：D

用将来时态才与原文相符合

5… 正确答案：C

原句中缺少主语，由what 引导一个简单句做主语从句

6… 正确答案：B

code 指 the markings ；现在分词做状语

7… 正确答案：C

强调二者之间有

联系，故排除A，而C选项表示有可能联系，语气不肯定，符合题目要求。

Vocabulary

8… 正确答案：B

puzzle out:to find answer by thinking hard

9… 正确答案：A

同义词

10… 正确答案：A

令人费解的：puzzling ;符号signs 代替了code,而不是singal,singal 表示信号。

11… 正确答案：C

A选项，come to 必须接动词原形，如come to record / come to exist

C 选项 ，come into existence(existence n.)

12… 正确答案：A

nomands:move from place to place