The facts

原文

Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their reader with unimportant facts and statistics. Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well-known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic. When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and then refuse to publish it. The article began: 'Hundreds of steps lead to the high wall which surrounds the president's palace'. The editor at once sent the journalist a fax instructing him to find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.

The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but the took a long time to send them Meanwhile, the editor was getting impatient, for the magazine would soon go to press. He sent the journalist two more faxes, but received no reply. He sent yet another fax informing the journalist that if he did not reply soon he would be fired. When the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly published the article as it had originally been written. A week later, the editor at last received a fax from the journalist. Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well. However, he had at last been allowed to send a fax in which he informed the editor that the he had been arrested while counting the 1,084 steps leading to the fifteen-foot wall which surrounded the president's palace.

译文

报纸和杂志的编辑常常不惜一切手段，为读者提供一些无关紧要的事实和统计数字。去年，一位记者受一家知名杂志的委托，要写一篇关于一个新非洲共和国总统官邸的文章。文章送来后，编辑读了第一句，就拒绝发表它。文章开头是：“数百级台阶通向围绕总统官邸的高墙”。编辑立即给记者发了一封传真，指示他查出台阶的确切数目和墙的高度。

记者立刻着手去获取这些重要的事实，但他过了很久才发来。同时，编辑越来越不耐烦，因为杂志很快就要付印。他又给记者发了两次传真，但没有得到答复。他又发了一封传真，通知记者如果不尽快回复，他就会被解雇。当记者再次没有回复时，编辑勉强按原样发表了那篇文章。一个星期后，编辑终于收到了记者的传真。可怜的人不仅被逮捕了，而且还被送进了监狱。不过，他终于获准发了一封传真，通知编辑说，他在数那条通向围绕总统官邸的十五英尺高墙的1,084级台阶时被捕了。

词汇表

extremes

noun (plural)

英:/ɪkˈstriːmz/

美:/ɪkˈstriːmz/

定义

1. 极端 - The furthest or most intense points in a range, often implying excess.

例子: In journalism, going to extremes can mean exaggerating details for impact.

例子: She avoids extremes in her diet, preferring balance over extremes.

2. 过激行为 - Unusual or severe actions.

例子: The editor went to extremes to verify every fact.

例子: Politicians often go to extremes during elections to win votes.

近义词

extremities: 更强调身体或事物的末端，较少用于行为，比 'extremes' 更具体且正式。

limits: 常指边界或界限，侧重于边缘而非极端行为，语境更宽泛如在谈判中。

excesses: 强调过分或滥用，比 'extremes' 更侧重负面后果，常用于道德或行为的过度。

反义词:

moderation, balance, mean

用法

常用于描述行为或情况的极端化，常见搭配如 'go to extremes'，语境多为非正式，常在讨论行为过度时使用，文化背景中强调中庸之道。

形式:

复数: extremes (已是复数形式), 形容词形式: extreme

关键句型 "Not only [clause], but [clause] as well."

定义

此句型用于强调两个或多个相关信息，其中第一个信息用 Not only 引导，第二个用 but 连接，as well 加强强调。结构为：Not only + [主句] + but + [主句] + as well。根据《剑桥英语语法手册》，这是一种平行结构，用于突出对比或添加信息，使句子更具说服力和戏剧性。

它常用于正式写作或叙述中，帮助表达事件的多个方面。

用法

此句型主要用于描述同时发生的多个事件或特征，强调重要性或意外性。规则：第一个子句通常用倒装语序（如 Not only had he been arrested），第二个子句正常顺序。位置：在语法体系中，它属于连接词和并列结构，与其他强调句型（如 "Both... and..."）相关。

横向比较：与 "Both... and..." 相比，Not only... but also...（或加 as well）更强调第一个部分的重要性；与简单并列句（如 "He was arrested and sent to prison"）不同，它增加了强调效果。跨语法联系：它涉及倒装和并列，学生可与条件句或过去时结合使用，例如在叙述故事时增强连贯性。

在实际场景中，如新闻报道或个人故事中，此句型能让表达更生动。

注意事项

学生易犯的错误包括：忘记倒装语序，导致句子不自然（如 "Not only he had been arrested" 应为 "Not only had he been arrested"）；或不平衡的子句结构，造成句子awkward。纠正建议：练习时确保子句平行，并使用 as well 以加强强调，但可根据语境省略。

另一个常见偏误是过度使用，导致句子冗长；建议只在需要强调时应用。

错误示例：Not only the man was arrested, but he was sent to prison.
正确示例：Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well.

练习

原创例子：假设你在讲述一个旅行经历，可以说："Not only did I lose my wallet, but I missed my flight as well." 学生可替换关键词，如将 "lose my wallet" 改为 "forget my keys"，并在不同语境中使用，例如新闻报道："Not only was the team defeated, but they lost their star player as well."

通过替换，学生能更好地掌握句型的灵活性，并在对话中应用。

额外内容

背景知识：此句型源于英语的修辞手法，常见于文学和新闻中，起源于拉丁语的平行结构。文化对比：与中文的 "不但...而且..." 类似，但英语版本更注重语法倒装，增强正式感。对比其他语言，如法语的 "Non seulement... mais aussi..."，英语结构更简单，仅需调整语序而非改变动词形式。

学习此句型能帮助学生在写作中创建更吸引人的叙述，同时扩展到其他强调结构如 "Not only that, but..."。

关键句型 "which [verb] [noun]"

定义

此句型是相对从句的常见形式，用于修饰前面的名词，提供额外细节。结构为：which + [动词] + [名词短语]，其中 which 引导非限定性从句。参考《牛津现代英语语法》，它帮助连接主句和从句，添加描述性信息，而不改变主句含义。

例如，在文章中：“which surrounds the president's palace”，它修饰“wall”。

用法

此句型用于非正式和正式写作，提供背景或解释。规则：which 后跟动词和名词，逗号分隔从句。在语法体系中，它属于从句结构，与定语从句相关，位置在主句之后。

横向比较：与 "that" 从句相比，which 用于非限定性从句（可省略而不影响主句），而 that 常用于限定性；与独立句不同，它增加了复杂性。跨语法联系：可与过去时或现在时结合，如在描述物体时，学生可链接到其他从句如 "who" 或 "where"，构建更复杂的句子。

在实际中，如描述场景或物体时，此句型增强清晰度。

注意事项

学生常犯错误是误用 which 和 that，如用 which 在限定性从句中（应为 that）；或忘记逗号，导致句子歧义。纠正建议：练习添加逗号，并检查从句是否可省略。

错误示例：The wall which is high surrounds the palace but it's not secure.
正确示例：The wall, which surrounds the president's palace, is high and secure.

练习

原创例子：在旅游指南中可以说："The bridge, which crosses the river, offers a beautiful view." 学生可替换动词和名词，如 "which connects the cities"，并应用在个人描述中，例如："The book, which I read last night, was fascinating."

替换能帮助学生适应不同主题。

额外内容

背景知识：相对从句起源于古英语的从属结构，常在现代英语中用于精确描述。文化对比：与中文的定语修饰类似，但英语需使用连接词如 which。对比西班牙语的 "que" 从句，英语更强调逗号的使用以区分从句类型。

此句型能提升写作的连贯性，鼓励学生探索更多从句结构。