今天单讲词头:CO。(注意:不是一氧化碳)
不妨参看各类大纲小纲,词汇的红宝书绿宝书,都可见以之为头者一片汪洋。故有此大张旗鼓焉。
但老鞋的搞法还是一样的:不要死记,力图搞懂。
慢慢来吧。
话说此头,还有几个变体,邪眼望去,赫然是后面跟上l,m,n这三个连续的字母,形成col, com, con。
再说此头,品性不错,符合我党的根本要求:团结一致——团结而又一致。
团结呢,还可再缩为一个“合”字。老鞋觉得最有意思的是contract这个词。
Marriage is an contract, by nature, though we are not ready to accept it emotionally. 婚姻是个合约——从本质上来说,虽然我们从感情上无法接受这一点。
Metals expand when heated and contract when cooled. 各种金属遇热膨胀,受凉收缩。
同一个contract, 一会儿“合同”,一会儿“收缩”,莫名其妙?其妙在con-(合)。
合同是合,自无疑义;收缩,不就是缩到一起吗?
比如说中国人熟悉的“会”吧,讲的是个团结,拿得出手的几个词,都是这个头:
There will be a press conference(记者招待会)after the national congress(全国人代会)and the Party convention(党代会).
在人代会及党代会后,总会有个记者招待会。
当然,说“团结”,是粉饰乾坤。CO强调的是“一起”,外表的团结之下你争我斗,也是有的。
When competition goes to extreme, we combat each other, giving rise to conflicts.
当竞争走向极端,我们彼此斗争,就产生了冲突。(compete, combat, conflict这“竞争/斗争/冲突”三剑客,都不是一个巴掌可以拍得响的)
传说中的概念“组成”,即把零件放在“一起”,组成整件,也有三剑客compose/consist/comprise。
The USA is composed of 50 states.
The USA consists of 50 states.
The USA comprises 50 states./50 states comprise the USA.
(注意不要机械地说每个词都是“组成”的意思:consist of是“由……构成”,相当于be composed of; 而comprise两面三刀,既可以是“组成”,也可以“由……组成”)
若表动作(action, activity),常是团结“一起”,而说性质(nature, quality),则是“一致”,大概是物以类聚的原理吧,“同事”一词,最见其中关联(relation, association, connection)。
Your co-workers, or your colleagues, are those who you work with.
你的工友,也就是你的同事,即你与之共事之辈。
光说不练假把式。还是各位自己施展一下思维大法,歼灭词汇于无形吧。
玩味下列西方名句格言,根据词的构成及在句中的搭配逻辑关系,体会黑体词在句中的意义。注意:
不必完全精确,也不必精确翻译,明白大意即可;
选出自己最心动的句子,引为座右铭。
注:尽量先行猜测,不必强求。后面博文将有解说,试看猜得如何。
14. It is much easier to try one’s hand at many things than to concentrate one’s powers on one thing.
尝试很多事情比____一件事情要容易得多。
15. The major concrete achievement of the women’s movement of the 1970’s was the Dutch treat.
二十世纪妇女运动主要的____收获就是AA制。
16. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.
所谓的顺从其实是被____的绝望。
17. The greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself.
最激烈的____不在人与人之间,而在人与自我之间。
18. Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.
创造力是将表面不相干的事情____的能力。
19. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
没有你的____,谁也不能让你觉得低人一等。
20. Discovery consists of seeing what everybody had seen and thinking what nobody has thought.
发现____见人人所见,想无人所想。
21. The only completely consistent people are the dead.