新概念3 Lesson 1——A Puma at Large

09-04

來自專欄英文悅讀12 人贊了文章

以後在給大家分享語法知識的同時，會帶大家讀一些經典文章，並在裡面穿插一些語法知識講解，這些文章主要挑選自大家熟悉的經典的《新概念英語》、或者劍橋系列的一些教材像《Unlock》、《書蟲》等，希望大家喜歡。

正文

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. 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.

　　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.It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. 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. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? 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. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

句子剖析

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

當倫敦動物園接到報告說在倫敦以南45英里處發現一隻美洲獅時，這些報告並沒有受到重視

語法知識點：

本句為that引導的同位語從句，補充說明reports的內容。同位語從句與定語從句很相似，很容易混淆，大家要注意區分

表達精要：

forty-five miles south of+參照物A，表示在A以南45英里，

例：Our school is 10 kilometers south of Beijing（我們學校在北京以南10公里處）

關於距離的表達：

It is + 數詞 + 單位 + from + A地 + to + B地

It is 2000 kilometers from Beijing to Shanghai（北京到上海有2000公里）

A地 + is + 數詞 + 單位 + from + B地

Shanghai is 100 kilometers from here（上海離這裡100公里）

This city is 100 kilometers to Shanghai（這裡離上海100公里）

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.

由於全國動物園沒有一家報告丟了美洲獅，因此那隻美洲獅一定是某位私人收藏豢養的，不知怎麼設法逃出來了。

語法知識點：

此句as作連詞引導原因狀語從句，主句用「must have + 過去分詞」，表過去的推論譯為「一定曾經……」

表達精要

in the possession of … 在……控制下，被……擁有/佔有

manage to v 設法做某事。此類的表達有try，attempt，endeavor等

譯文

美洲獅是一種體形似貓的大動物，產於美洲。當倫敦動物園接到報告說，在倫敦以南45英里處發現一隻美洲獅時，這些報告並沒有受到重視。可是，隨著證據越來越多，動物園的專家們感到有必要進行一番調查，因為凡是聲稱見到過美洲獅的人們所描述的情況竟是出奇地相似。

　　搜尋美洲獅的工作是從一座小村莊開始的。那裡的一位婦女在採摘黑莓時的看見「一隻大貓」，離她僅5碼遠，她剛看見它，它就立刻逃走了。專家證實，美洲獅非被逼得走投無路，是決不會傷人的。事實上搜尋工作很困難，因為常常是早晨在甲地發現那隻美洲獅，晚上卻在20英里外的乙地發現它的蹤跡。無論它走哪兒，一路上總會留下一串死鹿及死兔子之類的小動物，在許多地方看見爪印，灌木叢中發現了粘在上面的美洲獅毛。有人抱怨說夜裡聽見「像貓一樣的叫聲」;一位商人去釣魚，看見那隻美洲獅在樹上。專家們如今已經完全肯定那隻動物就是美洲獅，但它是從哪兒來的呢?由於全國動物園沒有一家報告丟了美洲獅，因此那隻美洲獅一定是某位私人收藏豢養的，不知怎麼設法逃出來了。搜尋工作進行了好幾個星期，但始終未能逮住那隻美洲獅。想到在寧靜的鄉村裡有一頭危險的野獸繼續逍遙流竄，真令人擔心。

辭彙

puma n. 美洲獅

evidence n. 證據

accumulate v. 積累，積聚

oblige v. 使……感到必須

hunt n. 追獵;尋找

blackberry n. 黑莓

corner v. 使走投無路，使陷入困境

trail n. 一串，一系列

print n. 印痕

cling v. 粘

convince v. 使……信服

somehow adv. 不知怎麼搞地，不知什麼原因

如有不足，歡迎大家積極留言補充，斧正！

【注】語法知識點我特意做成圖片，不懂的小夥伴可以直接保存哦

寶寶乖，左下角點贊！