Monster or fish?

原文

Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea. Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that many of these 'monsters' which have at times been sighted are simply strange fish.

Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they are rarely caught out at sea. Some time ago, however, a peculiar fish was caught near Madagascar.

A small fishing boat was carried miles out to sea by the powerful fish as it pulled on the line. Realizing that this was no ordinary fish, the fisherman made every effort not to damage it in any way.

When it was eventually brought to shore, it was found to be over thirteen feet long. It had a head like a horse, big blue eyes, shining silver skin, and a bright red tail.

The fish, which has since been sent to a museum where it is being examined by a scientist, is called an oarfish. Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by man as they live at a depth of six hundred feet.

译文

渔夫和水手有时声称在海里见过怪物。虽然人们常常嘲笑水手们讲的故事,但现在已知许多偶尔被看到的这些“怪物”不过是些奇异的鱼类。

偶尔,有些不寻常的生物会被冲到岸上,但它们很少在海上被捕获。然而,不久前,一条奇异的鱼在马达加斯加附近被捕获。

这条有力的鱼在拉扯鱼线时,把一艘小渔船拖出数英里远。渔夫意识到这不是普通的鱼,便竭尽全力不让它受到任何损伤。

当它终于被带到岸上时,发现它长逾十三英尺。它长着一个像马一样的头,大大的蓝眼睛,闪亮的银色皮肤,以及鲜红的尾巴。

这条鱼后来被送往一座博物馆,由一位科学家进行研究,它被称为桨鱼。这样的生物很少被人们活着看到,因为它们生活在六百英尺的深处。

词汇表

monsters

名词
英:/ˈmɒnstəz/
美:/ˈmɑːnstərz/
定义
1. 怪物 - Large, frightening imaginary creatures, often in myths or stories.

例子: Children love stories about monsters under the bed.

例子: In movies, monsters are often depicted as dangerous beings from another world.

2. 巨型或恐怖的生物 - Something unusually large or frightening in reality, like a strange animal.

例子: The deep sea is home to creatures that might look like monsters to sailors.

例子: Some people mistake large fish for monsters in the ocean.

近义词
beasts: 强调野性或动物特性,常用于描述野兽或猛兽,与 'monsters' 的神话色彩相比更现实。
creatures: 更中性,泛指任何生物,而 'monsters' 带有负面或恐怖的含义,适合描述未知或可怕的事物。
abominations: 更强烈,暗示道德上的厌恶或邪恶,与 'monsters' 类似但常用于宗教或文学语境中。
反义词:
angels, heroes, allies
用法
常用于故事、电影或描述未知事物,语境多为虚构或夸张;在科学语境中,可能指误认的自然现象,如海中生物。
形式:
复数: monsters, 单数: monster, 形容词形式: monstrous

关键句型 "Though [clause], [main clause]"

定义

此句型用于表达让步或转折,表示尽管有某种情况,但结果仍然存在。结构为:Though(尽管)+ [clause](从句)+ , + [main clause](主句)。根据《剑桥英语语法》教材,这种句型是一种常见的状语从句,强调对比关系,帮助连接两个相互矛盾的想法。

例如,在文章中:“Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that...” 这里,Though 引导的从句让步于主句,突出转折。

用法

此句型常用于描述现实中的对比场景,如在叙述、辩论或日常对话中表达“尽管……但……”。规则:Though 置于句首,从句通常用一般时态,主句可以是各种时态。

在语法体系中,它属于状语从句的一部分,与其他连接词如 althougheven though 类似,但 Though 更简洁,常用于正式或书面语。横向比较:与 Although 相比,Though 可以放在句中或句尾(如 “People laughed, though.”),更灵活;与 But 相比,Though 强调让步而非直接转折,提供更细腻的逻辑连接。跨语法联系:它可与条件句或时间状语从句结合(如与 if 句型对比),帮助学生理解从句在句子中的作用,例如从简单对比扩展到假设情景。

这种句型在英语中很实用,能让表达更流畅自然。

注意事项

学生容易犯的错误包括:将 ThoughAlthough 混用时忽略位置(如把 Though 放在句中但不调整逗号),导致句子awkward;或在从句中使用错误时态,例如用一般过去时代替现在完成时。纠正建议:练习时,确保从句和主句时态一致,并添加逗号分隔。

另一个常见问题是用 Though 代替 But,使句子逻辑不清。

错误示例:Though it was raining we go out.  (时态错误,应为一般过去时)
正确示例:Though it was raining, we went out.

记住,逗号是关键,以避免句子跑题。

练习

原创例子:假设在旅游时说:“Though the weather is bad today, we are still going to the beach.” 学生可以替换 [clause] 为 “the food is expensive” 或 “I’m tired”,并改成 “Though the food is expensive, I’m going to try it.” 这能帮助学生应用到日常对话中,如讨论旅行计划。

通过替换关键词,学生能加深对句型的掌握,并在实际中练习转折表达。

额外内容

背景知识:Though 源自古英语,历史悠久,常用于文学和正式写作中,体现了英语强调逻辑对比的文化传统。对比分析:与中文的“虽然……但是……”类似,但英语中 Though 避免重复词汇(如不需额外加 “but”),更简洁高效。与法语的 "bien que" 相比,英语句型不需要动词变位,适合初学者快速上手。

学习此句型能提升学生的写作水平,并为更复杂结构(如复合句)铺路。

关键句型 "The [noun], which [clause], [main clause]"

定义

此句型用于添加额外描述,结构为:The + [noun](名词)+ , + which(关系代词)+ [clause](从句)+ , + [main clause](主句)。根据《牛津英语语法》教材,它是一种定语从句,常用来修饰前面的名词,提供更多细节。

文章中如:“The fish, which has since been sent to a museum, is called an oarfish.” 这里,which 引导的从句修饰 “fish”,使句子更丰富。

用法

此句型常用于叙述故事或描述物体时,提供背景信息或额外解释。规则:Which 后跟一个描述性从句,通常是非限制性从句,用逗号隔开,表示附加信息。在语法体系中,它属于关系从句,与 thatwho 相关,但 which 专用于物。横向比较:与限制性从句(如 “The book that I read”)相比,非限制性从句(如本句型)用逗号分隔,能省略而不影响主句意思;与 and 连接相比,它更紧凑,避免重复词汇。跨语法联系:学生可将其与主从复合句联系起来,例如与时间从句比较,强化从句在句子中的灵活性。

此句型在英语写作中很常见,能让描述更生动。

注意事项

学生常犯错误是忽略逗号,导致句子变成限制性从句,改变含义(如 “The fish which has been sent” 可能被误解为特定鱼);或 misuse which for people(应为 who)。纠正建议:练习时,强调非限制性从句的逗号,并用例句区分错误。

错误示例:The car which is red is fast.  (应加逗号如果是非限制性)
正确示例:The car, which is red, is fast.  (表示额外信息)

注意,which 后从句要完整,避免片语。

练习

原创例子:在描述动物时说:“The dog, which has a fluffy tail, is very friendly.” 学生可替换 [noun] 为 “the book” 或 [clause] 为 “which is very old”,如 “The book, which is very old, is my favorite.” 这适用于故事讲述或日记写作,帮助学生在实际场景中练习。

替换练习能鼓励学生创造性地使用句型,增强表达能力。

额外内容

背景知识:关系从句如 which 起源于中古英语,常见于科学和新闻写作,体现了英语的精确性。对比分析:与中文的定语结构(如 “被送到博物馆的鱼”)类似,但英语用 which 使句子更流畅;与西班牙语的 "que" 相比,英语有非限制性从句的逗号规则,更强调清晰度。

掌握此句型能帮助学生写出更复杂的句子,提升阅读和写作技能。