Collecting

原文

People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.

Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. It is a harmless bait, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.

Collecting as a serous hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy. One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also other benefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country. Over the years, one may well become a authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences. In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to take about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.

译文

人们往往会积累财物，有时自己却全然不知。事实上，当他们发现一些有用之物，而自己竟不知早已拥有时，便会惊喜不已。那些从未需要搬家的人，往往成为杂物的不加选择地收集者。他们把那些不需要的东西搁置在抽屉、橱柜和阁楼里多年，总以为总有一天会用得上。随着年事渐高，人们还会出于另外两个原因来积累物品：一是缺乏体力和脑力——这两者对于清理和丢弃物品是必不可少的；二是情感因素。那些长期拥有的物品，充满了与过去相关的联想，或许与已故亲人有关，因此它们渐渐获得了超出实际价值的意义。

有些物品是人们故意在家中收集，以避免浪费。其中，我要举出的例子是绳子和牛皮纸——这些是由节俭的人在打开包裹后留下的，用来省下购买这些必需品的钱。收集小物件很容易变成一种狂热。我认识一个人，她总是从报纸上剪下时装模型的草图，这些衣服是她若有钱就想买的。可她并不富有，因此她能买得起的可能性微乎其微；然而，她从未坚强到能彻底戒掉这个习惯。这是一种无害的嗜好，但它把她的书桌搞得乱七八糟，以至于每次打开抽屉，散落的纸片便四处纷飞。

作为一种严肃的爱好，收藏则大不相同，而且有许多益处。它为闲暇时光提供放松的乐趣，因为光是观赏自己的珍藏就令人愉快。人们不必出门寻欢作乐，因为收藏品就收藏在家。不论收藏的是邮票、唱片、书籍初版、中国瓷器、玻璃、古董家具、图片、模型汽车、填充鸟类还是玩具动物，总有事情可做——从为最新藏品找个合适的位置，到查阅参考书核实事实。这项爱好不仅使人精通所选主题，还能涉及与之相关的各种常识。此外，还有其他好处：人们希望结识志趣相投的收藏者，获取建议、交流心得、交换物品、炫耀新发现。这样一来，朋友圈子便渐渐扩大。不久，这项爱好便会引人踏上旅程，或许是去另一个城镇参加会议，或者出国搜寻珍稀标本——因为收藏者并不局限于一国。年复一年，你很可能成为该爱好的权威人物，并很可能受邀在小型聚会上做即兴演讲，如果成功的话，便能面对更大的听众。通过这个过程，自信心会逐步增强，先是从掌握一门学问开始，然后是能侃侃而谈。收藏藉由如此积极地占用空闲时光，使人感到满足，再无百无聊赖之感。

词汇表

amass

动词

英:/əˈmæs/

美:/əˈmæs/

定义

1. 积累 - To gather or collect a large amount of something, often over time.

例子: People tend to amass possessions without realizing it.

例子: Over the years, he managed to amass a fortune through smart investments.

2. 堆积 - To build up or accumulate resources.

例子: Collectors amass rare stamps from around the world.

例子: She amasses books in her library, filling every shelf.

近义词

accumulate: 更侧重于 gradual buildup over time, 而 amass 强调快速或大量聚集。

gather: 更通用，常用于非正式场合，amass 则暗示规模更大且更正式。

hoard: 强调秘密或贪婪的收集，amass 则更中性，不带负面 connotation。

反义词:

disperse, squander, discard

用法

常用于描述财富、物品或知识的收集，常见于正式语境，如经济或日常生活讨论中；常搭配如 'amass wealth' 或 'amass evidence'。

形式:

复数: N/A (非名词), 过去式: amassed, 现在分词: amassing, 第三人称单数: amasses

关键句型 "in the belief that [clause]"

定义

这个句型用于表达某人基于某种信念或想法而采取行动，结构为：in the belief that + [clause]（一个从句）。例如，在文章中出现 "They leave unwanted objects... in the belief that they may one day need just those very things." 根据《剑桥英语语法指南》，这是一个表示原因或态度的短语，常用于正式或书面英语中，强调心理状态或假设。

它帮助连接主句和从句，展示信念如何影响行为，让句子更连贯和富有深度。

用法

此句型主要用于描述人们的行为动机，常出现在叙述性或解释性语境中，比如文章中讨论收集物品的习惯。规则是：in the belief that 后跟一个完整的从句，通常以 "that" 引导，表示信念的内容。

在语法体系中，它属于状语从句的范畴，具体是原因状语，与其他表示原因的结构如 "because" 或 "due to the fact that" 相关。横向比较：与 "because" 相比，in the belief that 更侧重主观信念而非直接原因（例如，"because they need it" 更事实化，而 in the belief that 强调心理预期）；与 "in the hope that" 类似，二者都表达期望，但 in the belief that 更强调坚定的信念，而 "in the hope that" 带有不确定性。

跨语法点联系：它常与情态动词结合（如文章中的 "may"），强化假设情景，还可以扩展到其他状语从句，如时间状语 "when" 或条件状语 "if"，帮助学生构建更复杂的句子。

注意事项

学生容易犯的错误包括：遗漏 "that"，直接写成 "in the belief they may..."，导致句子不完整；或误用为简单原因状语，而忽略其主观性，例如说 "in the belief that it is true" 时，却用在不合适的语境中。纠正建议：总是确保从句完整，并练习在叙述故事时使用。另一个常见问题是用错时态，比如在从句中用将来时而非适当的虚拟语气。

例如：

错误示例：They save money in the belief they will be rich soon.（缺少 "that"，显得不正式）
正确示例：They save money in the belief that they will be rich soon.（完整表达信念）

记住，保持句子平衡，避免从句过长以免混淆读者。

练习

一个原创例子：在日常生活中，你可以说："She studies hard in the belief that hard work will lead to success." 学生可以替换 [clause] 为自己的目标，比如 "in the belief that traveling will broaden their horizons"，并用在个人故事中，如 "I exercise regularly in the belief that it will improve my health."

通过这种替换，学生能将句型应用到实际对话或写作中，增强记忆和自信。

额外内容

背景知识：这个句型源于英语中表达心理状态的传统，常见于19世纪文学作品，如狄更斯的著作，用于描绘人物动机。文化对比：与中文的 "相信...所以..." 类似，但英语更正式；与法语的 "dans la croyance que..." 相比，英语版本更简洁，不需额外动词变化。这能帮助学生理解英语如何通过结构传达细微情感，丰富跨文化交流。

关键句型 "which [clause] (relative clause)"

定义

这个句型是相对从句的一种形式，用于修饰前面的名词，提供额外信息，结构为：which + [clause]（从句）。如文章中的 "something useful which they did not know they owned"。根据《牛津现代英语语法》，which 引导的从句修饰事物，连接主句和从句，使描述更详细和精确。

它常用于非限制性或限制性从句，帮助句子扩展信息而不显得冗长。

用法

此句型广泛用于描述、解释或添加细节，常在叙述性文章中出现。规则：which 后跟一个完整的从句，通常在逗号后用于非限制性从句（如文章示例），或直接连接用于限制性从句。位置通常在主句中修饰名词。

在语法体系中，它属于从句类型，与其他连接词如 "who"（用于人）或 "that"（多功能）相关。横向比较：与 "that" 相比，which 更适合修饰物，且在非限制性从句中常用逗号隔开（例如，"which they did not know" 提供额外信息），而 "that" 常用于限制性从句无逗号；与 "where" 或 "when" 相比，which 焦点在事物而非地点或时间。

跨语法点联系：它可与定语从句结合，扩展到复杂句结构，还能链接到主从复合句中，学生可进一步学习如何用它连接并列结构或与情态动词搭配，如文章中的情态表达。

注意事项

学生常犯错误是混淆 which 和 that，如用 "that they did not know" 替换 "which they did not know"，导致语义微妙变化；另一个问题是忘记在非限制性从句中使用逗号，造成句子歧义。纠正建议：练习区分限制性和非限制性从句，并大声朗读以检查流畅性。

例如：

错误示例：I found a book which is interesting that I lost it.（结构混乱，重复连接词）
正确示例：I found a book which I thought I had lost, which is quite interesting.（清晰分隔从句）

注意，避免 overuse 以免句子过长，影响可读性。

练习

原创例子："He bought a car which has many features that make driving easier." 学生可以替换 [clause] 为个人经历，如 "which saves a lot of time"，并用在句子中："She has a hobby which brings her joy every day."

这种练习鼓励学生在写作日记或描述物品时应用，增强实际运用能力。

额外内容

背景知识：相对从句起源于中古英语，发展为现代英语的复杂句式，常在学术和文学中用于丰富描述。对比分析：与中文的定语结构（如 "那个他们不知道拥有的东西"）类似，但英语用 which 更精确；与西班牙语的 "que" 相比，英语的 which 需注意限制性与非限制性的区别。这有助于学生欣赏英语的精确性，并在多语环境中自信表达。