Lesson 1 A puma at large 内容鉴赏

Lesson 1 A puma at large

1. Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.

puma 美洲狮 ,cat-like 似猫的

注意定语从句 which are found in America 处的翻译与主句的连接.

译: 美洲狮是一种体型似猫的大型动物, 产于美洲. 

2. When reports came into London zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.

reports come into London zoo 是一种拟人的说法, 意为"伦敦动物园接到报告".

... be taken seriously ......被认真(严肃)对待, ... be not taken seriously ......没有被认真(严肃)对待.

that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London 为同位语从句, 作为reports的同位语, 用于进一步说明报告的内容..

译: 当伦敦动物园接到报告说, 在伦敦以南45英里的位置发现一头野生美洲狮时, 这些报告并没有被认真对待.

3. 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.

investigate n./v. (深入)调查.

survey n./v. (表面)调查.

extraordinary 非凡的, 特别的.

extraordinarily 非常地, 格外地.

feel obliged to do (主观上)感到有必要做某事.

as the evidence began to accumulate 为 as 引导的时间状语从句, 意为"随着证据越来越多".

given by people who claimed to have seen the puma 为修饰 the descriptions的定语, 意为"声称看到过美洲狮的人们给出的描述".

译: 但随着证据越来越多, 动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查, 因为声称看到过美洲狮的人们给出的描述竟是惊人的相似.

4. 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.

the hunt for the puma 搜寻美洲狮的工作.

picking blackberries 修饰 a woman, 意为"正在采摘黑莓的妇女".

where a woman picking blackberries saw ‘a large cat’ only five yards away from her. 为地点状语从句.

译: 搜寻美洲狮的工作从一个小村庄开始, 那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时看到一只大猫, 距离她仅有5码远.

5. It immediately ran away when she saw it and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.

attack 攻击.

ran away 逃走.

... is cornered.  ......走投无路.

unless it is cornered 除非美洲狮走投无路, unless 引导让步状语从句.

译: 当她看见它时, 它立马逃走了. 专家证实, 除非美洲狮走投无路, 否则它是不会攻击人的.

6. 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. 

The search proved difficult.   proved 是系动词, difficult 是表语, 这句话意为"搜寻工作是困难的".

often 经常(50%左右), usually 通常(75%左右).

observe 发现.

译: 搜寻工作是很困难的, 因为经常是早晨在某地发现那只美洲狮, 晚上却在20英里外的位置发现它的踪迹.

7. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.

it left behind it a trail of ... 在身后留下一连串......

dead deer 死鹿.

wherever引导地点状语从句, 意为"无论在哪里".

behind it 是状语.

a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits 为 left 的宾语.

译: 无论它走到哪里, 一路上总是留下一连串的死鹿以及死兔子之类的小动物.

8. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.

paw prints 爪印.

puma fur 美洲狮的毛.

be found clingling to bushes. 在灌木丛中发现了粘在上面的......

clingling to bushes  为主语puma fur的主语补足语.

译: 在很多地方都发现了美洲狮的爪印, 灌木丛中也发现了粘在上面的美洲狮的毛.

9. Several people complained of ‘cat-like noises’ at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.

several 几个, 数个.

complain of n. ...... 抱怨......

on a fishing trip 在钓鱼途中.

see the puma up a tree 看见那只美洲狮在树上.

译: 有人抱怨在晚上听到像猫叫一样的声音. 一位商人在钓鱼的途中看见那只美洲狮在树上.

10. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from?

be convinced that ...    ......被说服, 并确信......

be sure that 较 be convinced that 语气弱一些.

译: 专家们现在十分确信, 那只动物就是美洲狮, 但是它是从哪儿来的呢?

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.

As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country 为 as 引导的原因状语从句.

missing from any zoo in the country 为as引导的原因状语从句中主语的主语补足语.

A is in the possession of B.   A为B所拥有.

somehow 不知怎地.

manage to do 设法做成某事.

译: 由于全国的动物园都没有报告丢失美洲狮, 因此这一只一定是某位私人收藏家豢养的, 不知怎么设法逃出来了.

12. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.

the hunt went on for severl weeks 搜寻工作进行了好几周. 

... be caught   ......被抓住, 逮捕到......

译: 搜寻工作进行了好几周, 但还是没有逮捕到那只美洲狮.

13. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

disturb 令人不安(感到烦).

disturbing 令人不安的, 烦扰的.

a dangerous wild animal 一只危险的野生动物.

at large 在逃.

译: 想到在宁静的乡村里, 还有一只危险的野生动物在逃, 真令人不安.