A happy discovery 幸運的發(fā)現(xiàn)
Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people. The more expensive kind of antique shop where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidding place. But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique shop. There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors.
No one discovers a rarity by chance. A truly dedicated bargain hunter must have patience, and above all, the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it. To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer. Like a scientist bent on making a discovery, he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded.
My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person. He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere 50. One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my neighbourhood. As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest him. The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor. The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it. Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open. The contents were disappointing. Apart from an interesting looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, much of it broken. Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box and suddenly noticed a miniature Painting at the bottom of the packing case. As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well, he decided to buy it. Glancing at it briefly, the dealer told him that it was worth ￡50. Frank could hardly conceal his excitement, for he knew that he had made a real discovery. The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio and was worth thousands of pounds.
13.The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor.
上午很快過去了，弗蘭克正準備離去，突然看見地板上放著一只體積很大的貨箱。
語言點:be about to do(sth.)when…為固定搭配，表示“即將做（某事）時，這時…”
14.The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it.
古董商告訴他那只貨箱剛到不久，但他嫌麻煩不想把它打開。
語言點:句子結構分析:這是一個很有寫作創(chuàng)意的句子，told的內容是由but并列連接的兩個由that引導的賓語從句。在這句話中，古董商說了兩件事，第一件是貨箱剛到不久（即第一個賓語從句），第二件是他不想打開（即第二個賓語從句）。
15.Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open.
經(jīng)弗蘭克懇求，古董商才勉強把貨箱撬開了。
語言點1:to do so指代“打開箱子”，這樣寫是為了避免用詞重復。
語言點2:and在此不可簡單地看作并列連詞，其作用相當于then,表示“一件事情發(fā)生后，又發(fā)生了另一件事。”
語言點3:prise sth.open的意思是“把某物打開”。
Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people. The more expensive kind of antique shop where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidding place. But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique shop. There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors.
No one discovers a rarity by chance. A truly dedicated bargain hunter must have patience, and above all, the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it. To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer. Like a scientist bent on making a discovery, he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded.
My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person. He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere 50. One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my neighbourhood. As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest him. The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor. The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it. Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open. The contents were disappointing. Apart from an interesting looking carved dagger, the box was full of crockery, much of it broken. Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box and suddenly noticed a miniature Painting at the bottom of the packing case. As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well, he decided to buy it. Glancing at it briefly, the dealer told him that it was worth ￡50. Frank could hardly conceal his excitement, for he knew that he had made a real discovery. The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio and was worth thousands of pounds.
13.The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing case lying on the floor.
上午很快過去了，弗蘭克正準備離去，突然看見地板上放著一只體積很大的貨箱。
語言點:be about to do(sth.)when…為固定搭配，表示“即將做（某事）時，這時…”
14.The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be bothered to open it.
古董商告訴他那只貨箱剛到不久，但他嫌麻煩不想把它打開。
語言點:句子結構分析:這是一個很有寫作創(chuàng)意的句子，told的內容是由but并列連接的兩個由that引導的賓語從句。在這句話中，古董商說了兩件事，第一件是貨箱剛到不久（即第一個賓語從句），第二件是他不想打開（即第二個賓語從句）。
15.Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open.
經(jīng)弗蘭克懇求，古董商才勉強把貨箱撬開了。
語言點1:to do so指代“打開箱子”，這樣寫是為了避免用詞重復。
語言點2:and在此不可簡單地看作并列連詞，其作用相當于then,表示“一件事情發(fā)生后，又發(fā)生了另一件事。”
語言點3:prise sth.open的意思是“把某物打開”。