Desperate times,extraordinary effort

2018-12-18赵淑娴

疯狂英语·新读写 2018年12期

精彩导读

细雨后的深夜，作者在冷清的街道上遇到了一位拿着水桶的妇人。在好奇心的驱动下，作者不由自主地跟上妇人的脚步……之后，作者会发现什么呢？他们之间又会发生怎样的故事呢？

题材体裁文章词数难度建议用时人与社会记叙文 325 ★★★ 6分钟

The drizzle（毛毛雨）had just stopped in the late night today when I walked on the streets.Coming in the opposite direction was a woman,perhaps in her 40's or early 50's carrying a small bucket（水桶）and curiously looking left and right as if looking for something in the streets.

She had an air of desperation around her and after observing her I noticed that she would fish out something from the ground every once in a while.

Curious,I decided to turn around and follow her because we were walking in opposite directions.Perhaps she sensed me following her because she immediately sped up and as a result,I decided to slow down and enter a nearby store.

I decided she probably needed help even though she wasn't asking in particular.So I bought her some food from the store and put some cash in the grocery bag.Then I ran after her hoping she was not too far ahead.

Fortunately,I caught up with herbecause she paused every now and then to pick things up in the streets.After getting past her,I waited andreached outwith the grocery bag，saying“Here's some food,” I thought she would decline because maybe I just misunderstood what she was doing but she took the food and said,“Thank you for the food.”

I then asked her the curious question.“What were you trying to pick up in the streets?”，to which she answered, “I'm looking for food.” I then asked “where's your family?”

She stammered before finally saying that they were working.But in my mind,I thought maybe the work is not very stable for her to do this.From there weparted waysand I thought of that person—she could have been my mother and I wish her well.My eyes were teary because for now that's all I could do and I wish I could do much more.

Reading check

Read the text quickly and complete the summary with only one word for each blank.

One night on the 1.______________ ,I came across a desperate 2.______________ picking up things to her small 3.______________ .She stammered but accepted the 4.______________ I bought for her.I wish I could do much 5.______________ .

Language study

Difficult sentences

1.Coming in the opposite direction was a woman,perhaps in her 40's or early 50's carrying a small bucket and curiously looking left and right as if looking for something in the streets.

翻译：__________________________

【点石成金】本句中的Coming in the opposite direction was a woman是一个全部倒装句。Coming in the opposite direction是一个分词短语，当分词短语置于句首时要用完全倒装。本句的主语是a woman；介词短语in her 40's or early 50's在句子中作定语修饰a woman;现在分词短语carrying a small bucket and looking left and right在句子中作伴随状语。其中，as if引导的方式状语从句省略了主语和谓语的一部分，省略的部分为she was。

2.She had an air of desperation around her and after observing her I noticed that she would fish out something from the ground every once in a while.

翻译：__________________________

【点石成金】本句是由and连接的两个并列句。after引导的状语从句是一个省略句。当after/before引导时间状语从句时，若主从句主语一致，可省略从句的主语，此时after/before转化为介词。句中，an air of意为 “一种……的神情”；fish out sth from意为“从……摸索出”。