Lesson 48 Did you want to tell me something? 你想对我说什么吗?

1.原文

Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer.My dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for a while. I tried to say something, but my mouth was full of cotton wool. He knew I collected match boxes and asked me whether my collection was growing. He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London. In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises. Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been. I suddenly felt very worried, but could not say anything. When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth, I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.

---

for a while, 一会儿，片刻。

In answer to these questions, 作为对这些问题的答复。

search out, 搜寻。

my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been

• where the tooth had been 是用来作定语修饰前面的 the hole，表示“牙齿上的洞”，其中 the tooth had been 是完成的主谓结构，不缺成分，表示“牙齿曾经在的位置” 或 “牙齿曾经存在的地方”
• where = in which， 该从句的本来表述是：the tooth had been in the hole. 牙齿里有洞
• the tooth had been 的后面也可以接过去分词，如 the tooth had been removed - 牙齿已经被拔掉了。
  • where = 介词 + which
  • That is the house which I lived in. 这是我住的房子 =That is the house where I lived.
  • where 称为关系副词,另外还有 when 也是关系副词
  • This is the river where I swim. （where 作定语从句的标志,修饰前面的 river）
  • The tooth had been in the hole. (in the hole = where)

“had been” 后面不接任何词语，而构成主谓结构的句子通常是省略了后续部分，但这样的句子在上下文中通常是完整的，因为前文或后文提供了必要的背景信息。以下是一些示例：

1. He had been.

   • 这个句子可能在回答一个问题，例如 “Has he ever been to Paris?”（他去过巴黎吗？）回答可以是 “Yes, he had been.”（是的，他去过。）

2. She had been.

   • 类似地，这可以在上下文中使用。例如，回答 “Was she a doctor?”（她是医生吗？）可以是 “Yes, she had been.”（是的，她曾经是。）

3. They had been.

   • 例如在对话中，“Were they friends before?”（他们之前是朋友吗？）回答可以是 “Yes, they > had been.”（是的，他们之前是。）

这些句子之所以成立，是因为在对话或上下文中，省略的部分已经由之前的句子或问题提供了信息，使得这些省略的句子变得可理解。

如果需要构造一个更加完整的句子，以下是一些可能的情境：

1. He had been tired.

   • 他一直很累。

2. She had been happy.

   • 她曾经很开心。

3. They had been successful.

   • 他们曾经很成功。

在这些情况下，句子中的“had been”后面紧接形容词，使得句子结构更加完整并且语义清晰。

2. 参考译文

牙科医生们总是在你无法作出回答的时候向你提出问题。我的牙科医生刚刚给我拔掉了一颗牙，叫我休息一会儿。我想说点什么，但我嘴里塞满了药棉。他知道我收集火柴盒，于是问我收藏的火柴盒是否在增加。接着他又问我的兄弟近来如何，问我是否喜欢伦敦的新工作。作为对这些问题的回答，我不是点头，就是发出奇怪的声音。与此同时，我的舌头正在忙着寻找刚拔掉的那颗牙的伤口。我突然非常着急起来，但却什么也说不出来。当那位牙医最后将药棉从我嘴中取出时，我总算有可能告诉他，他拔错了牙。

3. New words and expressions

★pull ① vt.&vi. 拉，拖，牵，扯(反义词push vt. 推)
pull one’s leg 开某人玩笑
You are kidding. 你在开玩笑No kidding! 不要开玩笑了!You are joking.(joke n.笑话, 玩笑 v.(和……)开玩笑)
② vt.&vi. 拔，抽
You’re pulled out the wrong teeth!
★collect v. 搜集★collection n. 收藏品, 收集品
collect salary 领工资；collect money 筹集资金；
collect stamp 集邮；collect children 收养孩子
★nod ① vt.&vi. 点头，点头示意/招呼
When we meet each other in the office, he always nods at me. ② vi. 打盹，打瞌睡(常与off连用)
As he was very tired, he nodded over his reading.
因为他很累，所以他一边看书一边打盹。
★meanwhile adv. 同时= at the same time = in the same time用法和 however 一样,不能连接两个句子,但是意思上有承接概念

4. 课文讲解

1、Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer.
impossible通常不以人作主语，而以不定式或从句作主语：It is impossible for him to help you. =It is impossible that he will help you.
2、In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises.
in answer to… 作为对……的回答；响应……的请求
in return for 作为对……的报答
3、Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been.
meanwihile 在此期间，与此同时
be busy doing sth. 忙于做某事
search out 找出，搜寻
where = 介词 + which
where称为关系副词,另外还有when也是关系副词
4、When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth, I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.
remove可以表示“拿去，除去，去掉”，通常结构为“remove +名词 +from”，也可以单独使用：
I’ve removed that picture from the wall.