Lesson 13 'It's only me' 内容赏析

Lesson 13 'It's only me'

1. After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom.

send her children to school 把她的孩子送去上学.

go upstairs to her bedroom 上楼来到她的卧室.

"她丈夫去上班"这一动作发生在主句的两个动作"Mrs. Richards sent her children to school"、"Mrs. Richards went upstairs to her bedroom"之前, 所以用"her husband had gone to work"来表达.

译: 在她丈夫上班走后, 理查德夫人将孩子送去上学, 然后上楼来到自己的卧室.

2. She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to a fancy-dress party with her husband.

too excited to do any housework 太兴奋以至于不想做任何家务. 或 兴奋得什么家务也不想做.

a fancy-dress party 一个化妆舞会.

would be going to a fancy-dress party (客观上)要参加一个化妆舞会. 很多人会想到, 问什么不用 would go to a fancy-dress party 而使用 would be going to a fancy-dress party. 我们很有必要去了解 would do 和 would be doing 的区别: 

would do 描述主观上的事情, 而 would be doing 描述客观上的事情. 

所以, would be going to a fancy-dress party 可理解为"(在客观上表达, 不添加个人情感)即将参加一场化妆舞会". 

译: 那天上午, 她兴奋得什么家务也不想做, 因为晚上她将和丈夫一起参加一场化妆舞会.

3. She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on.

Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective.

intend to do 打算......, 想要......

dress (up) as a ghost 打扮成鬼的模样. 其中 up 表达了作者很喜欢这种打扮方式. 在英语中, 常用类似的词来附加表达说话时的心情.

"她在昨天晚上做好了化妆服"发生在"她迫不及待地想试一试衣服"之前, 所以用过去完成时描述make her costume 即 had made her costume.

she was impatient to try it on. 她迫不及待地想试一试衣服.

consist of a sheet 由一张被单组成(制成).

effective 有明显效果的, 有作用的.

译: 她打算打扮成鬼的模样. 由于昨天晚上已经制作好了化妆服, 她迫不及待地想试一试衣服. 虽然化妆服仅由一张被单制成, 却十分逼真.

4. After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs. She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.

 put it on 将衣服穿上.

whether it would be comfortable to wear 为 whether 引导的宾语从句. 

译: 在穿上化妆服后, 理查德夫人下了楼. 她想看看这件衣服穿起来是否舒服.

5. Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker.

Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining room 为 as 引导的时间状语从句, just 表语气加强. 此处 as 意为"当......时".

the dinning room 餐厅.

there was a knock on the front door 前门传来敲门声.

Mrs. Richars was entering the dinning room 处使用了过去进行时, 目的是强调"理查德夫人进入厨房"这个动作在"前门传来敲门声时"正在发生.

the baker 面包师.

译: 正当理查德夫人走进厨房时, 前门传来了敲门声. 她知道来人一定是面包师.

6. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table.

come straight in 直接进来.

if ever 在条件状语从句中表示强调, 意为"任何时候". ever 表语气加强.

leave the bread on the kitchen table 把面包放在厨房桌子上.

作者想表达"她已经(曾)告诉过他......", 我们可以看到"已经"二字, 故用完成时态描述这个动作.

told him to come straight in and to leave the bread on the kitchen table 注意这里 and 连接的两个句子. if ever she failed to open the door 为条件状语从句, 修饰 "come straight in".

译: 她已经告诉过他, 如果她没能去开门, 就直接进来, 并把面包放到厨房的桌子上.

7. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs. She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall.

not wanting to frighten the poor man 目的状语, 意为"不想吓唬这个可怜的人".

the small storeroom under the stairs 楼梯下的一间小储藏室.

She heard the front door open.    open(形容词) 为 the front door 的(宾语)补足语, 对宾语 the front door 进行补充说明.

She heard heavy footsteps in the hall.    in the hall 为 heavy footsteps 的 (宾语)补足语, 对宾语 heavy footsteps 进行补充说明.

译: 理查德夫人不想吓唬这个可怜的人, 她迅速躲进楼梯下的一间小储藏室里. 她听见前门传来开门声, 走廊里响起了重重的脚步声.

8. Suddenly the door of the storeroom was opened and the man entered. Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the meter.

the Electricity Board 供电局.

come to read the meter. 来查电表.

由于"供电局来人查电表"发生在"理查德夫人意识到"之前, 所以"供电局来人查表"发生在过去的过去, 所以用过去完成时修饰"来人查表"这一动作.

译: 突然, 储藏室的门被打开了, 一个男人走了进来. 理查德夫人这才意识到, 这一定是供电局来人查电表了.

9. She tried to explain the situation, saying ‘It’s only me’, but it was too late.

explain the situation 解释情况.

saying 'It's only me' 为伴随状语, 意为"她一边说着"是我", 一边尝试解释情况".

译: 她一边说着"是我", 一边尝试解释情况, 但已经晚了.

10. The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs. Richards walked towards him, he fled, slamming the door behind him.

let out a cry 大叫了一声.

jump back several paves 跳着退了几步.

Mrs. Richards walked towards him 理查德夫人走向他.

flee (抱头鼠窜)逃走.

slamming the door behind him 为伴随状语.

slam the door behind him 用力关身后的门.

译: 那人大叫了 一声, 向后跳着退了几步. 理查德夫人朝他走去, 他用力关上身后的门, (抱头鼠窜般地)逃走了.