Lesson 20 Pioneer pilots 内容鉴赏

Lesson 20 Pioneer pilots

问题部分: 

1.

①What was the name of the plane to fly across the English Channel? 

v.s.

②What is the name of the plane to fly across the English Channel?

①句中用was而②句中用is, 它们的区别是这样的: ①: 因为文章讲述的故事是过去的事情, 所以统一时态为过去时;  ②: 将文章讲述的故事当作史实看待, 所以用一般现在时(当作史实看待也可以用过去时).

2.

①What was the name of the plane to fly across the English Channel?

②What was the name of the plane which had flown across the English Channel?

比较上述两句话, 我们会发现, ①句中用不定时 to fly across the English Channel 作 the plane 的定语, 而②句中用定于从句 which had flown across the English Channel 修饰 the plane ——那么问题来了, 这两种表达方式有何区别呢? 

从小学开始我们就接触到"不定式", 那么不定式究竟是什么呢: "不定式"指的是后面的动作不确定在何时发生. 有了不定式的概念, 我们来看一下 to fly across the English Channel 这里, 由于我们不确定这架飞机是何时飞过英吉利海峡的, 这正好吻合"不定式"的概念. 对此的理解, 可理解为"飞过英吉利海峡的飞机": 显然, 这种表述方式对于时间的表达是较为模糊的. 

我们再看一下②句, 其中用过去完成时描述飞机飞越英吉利海峡: 由于飞机已经飞越过英吉利海峡, 且这一动作发生在一过去时间节点(作者提问这架飞机的名字)之前, 所以用过去完成时可以较清晰地体现"飞机飞越英吉利海峡"和"作者提问这架飞机的名字"两动作的时间顺序.

综上所述, 在写好主句后, 对于从句的时态来说, 要根据主句的时态进行选择. 用主句-从句结构对一事物进行表达时, 较用不定式直接描述, 能更清晰地确定主句动作和从句动作发生时间的先后顺序.

正文部分:

1. In 1908, Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of 1,000 pounds to the first man who would fly across the English Channel.

Lord 对(英国)贵族的尊称, 勋爵,  prize n.奖品 adj. 珍贵的, 宝贵的.

紫色标记的部分为修饰the first man的定语从句, 在定语从句中, 用would表明时态为过去将来时——这是因为主句时态为一般过去时, 而fly across the English Channel这个动作位于offered a prize of 1,000 pounds之后, 所以定语从句的时态应为过去将来时. 

译: 1908年, 勋爵诺斯克利夫拿出1000英镑, 作为对第一个飞越英吉利海峡的人的奖励.

2. Over a year passed before the first attempt was made.

the first attempt 特指飞越英吉利海峡的尝试, 对应上一句 the first man who would fly across the English Channel.

译: 一年多过去了, 才有人出来尝试.

3. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane ‘the Antoinette Ⅳ’.

in the early moring 在清晨.

take off from the French coast 从法国海岸起飞.

译: 1909年7月19日清晨, 休伯特·莱瑟姆驾驶他的飞机"安特瓦奈特4号"从法国海岸起飞.

4. He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea.

engine failed 引擎发生故障

be forced to 被迫......

had travelled only seven miles 这里使用过去完成时, 是因为这个动作相对于 his engine failed 和 he was forced to land on the sea 来说都要往前, 即过去的过去, 所以使用过去完成时.

译: 他在海峡上空飞行了仅仅7英里, 引擎就发生了故障, 他只好降落在海面上.

5. The Antoinette floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.

float on the water 在水面上漂浮.

Latham was picked up by a ship 莱瑟姆被经过的船只救起.

译: 安特瓦特号飞机在海面上漂浮, 直到莱瑟姆被经过的一艘船只救起为止.

6. Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called ‘No. XI’.

译:两天后, 路易斯·布莱里奥驾驶一艘名为"11号"的飞机抵达加来附近.

7. Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model.

latest model 最新的型号

had been making planes 为过去完成进行时, 目的是强调make plane这一过程.

译: 布莱里奥从1905年起便开始研制飞机, "11号"飞机是他研制的最新型号.

8. A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered 26 miles.

complete a successful overland 完成了一次陆上飞行.

注意英国人的思维方式, 其实在某种程度上看, 和我们的思维方式相差不大. 比如在这句话中, 英国人的表达过程是 一周前 -> 他成功地完成了一次陆上飞行 -> 在这次飞行中 -> 他飞了26英里. 虽然翻译成中文后看起来较简单, 但要注意翻译过程中的词性、时态等问题.

译: 一周前, 他曾成功地完成了一次26英里的陆上飞行.

9. Latham, however, did not give up easily. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new ‘Antoinette’.

give up 放弃.

译: 然而, 莱瑟姆并不像轻易放弃. 同一天, 他也驾驶着一架新的"安特瓦特号"飞机来到加来附近.

10. It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel.

as if 引导表语从句, 作为look的表语.

as if 后常用虚拟语气:  谓语动词用 would/could/might + 动词原形 表与将来事实相反.

这里有两种理解方式:

①would 与 looked 在时态上保持一致, as if 引导的从句为普通的表语从句.

②as if 引导的从句的语气为虚拟语气(在形式上和①一致).

在此, 书中的解释为②, 本意为对过去将来情况的虚拟.

译: 看起来, 在英吉利海峡上空会有一场激动人心的飞行比赛.

11. Both planes were going to take off on July 25th, but Latham failed to get up early enough.

be going to do 表有计划的未来.

fail to get up early enough 起床晚了.

译: 两架飞机都打算在7月25日起飞, 但莱瑟姆那天起晚了.

12. After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.

make a short test flight 做了一次短距离试飞. 

set off 出发(这里指飞行).

译: 凌晨4点15分, 布莱里奥做了一次短距离试飞, 半小时后(正式)出发了.

13. His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes. When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman.

great flight 伟大的飞行.

a local policeman 一位当地的警察.

他这次伟大的飞行持续了37分钟. 当他在多佛附近着陆后, 第一个迎接他的是一位当地的警察.

14. Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover, but he was unlucky again.

get within half a mile of Dover 到达离多佛不到半英里的地方.

译: 一周后, 莱瑟姆也做了一次尝试, 并到达离多佛不足半英里的地方, 但这次他又遭厄运.

15. His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.

landed on the sea 在海面上降落.

他飞机的引擎出现了故障, 只好第二次降落在海面上了.