让我们再回到“语块”。语块的威力就在于,你背了它,就能直接用在英文句子里,而不需要思考怎么去用。举例,obsess 这个单词的意思是“着迷”,让你试图把这个单词用出来不可能,因为你不知道怎样去使用;但是如果你背了一个语块“beobsessed with”(意思为“对…着迷”),那么你可以很流畅地用出来,比如 My cousin is obsessed withvideo games. “我的表弟对视频游戏很着迷”。
1.词组、短语(常见的一些名词、动词、介词搭配):
be preoccupied with(专注于)
be accustomed to(习惯于)
get rid of(排除)
run into(偶然遇见)
once in a while(偶尔)
in terms of(在…方面)
top priority(首要任务)
virtual studio(虚拟演播室)
2.句型(构成句子的框架):
Once upon a time,…(很久很久以前)
…as much as…(和…一样)
…, which…(“非限定性定语从句”)
…so that…(以至于)
There be…(“存现句”)
It is…that…(“强调句”)
It is universally acknowledged that…(众所周知…)
By doing…, …can…(通过做…,…可以…)
3.成语(有典故的名词性表达,或来源于文学作品,或来源于圣经或希腊神话,或来源于老百姓长期以来的经典表述)
beat around the bush(绕弯子、兜圈子说话)
Achilles’ heel(致命的弱点)
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth(以眼还眼,以牙还牙)
black sheep(害群之马)
social butterfly(交际花)
Catch-22 situation(二十二条军规,比如尴尬矛盾的境地)
Judah’s kiss(犹大之吻,比如口蜜腹剑的话语)
cup of tea (喜爱的人或事物)
4.谚语+名言(劳动人民长久以来口口相传的经典语句;名人说的经典之语)
Old habits die hard. (江山易改本性难移)
Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise(塞翁失马焉知非福)
Getting there is half the fun.(目的虽重要,但是不要忽视过程的体验)
One man’s meat is another man’s poison. (青菜萝卜各有所爱)
Zeal without knowledge is like a runaway horse. (无知的狂热如同脱缰的野马,一发不可收拾)
Great minds think alike. (英雄所见略同)
The government of the people, by the people and for the people shall never vanish from the world. (民有的、民治的、民享的政府才会得以永恒存在下去--林肯)
You know some birds are not meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright. (你知道有些鸟儿是注定不会被关在囚笼里的,他们的每一片羽毛都闪耀着自由的光辉——《阿甘正传》)
5.常见中文的英文翻译
随着科技日新月异的变化:with the fast-changing development of science and technology
在这个高度竞争的社会里:in this highly competitive society,
面临新的机遇和挑战:be faced with new opportunities and challenges
引起了广泛的社会关注:trigger wide public concern
人民生活水平显著提高:the remarkable progress of people’s living standard
发挥日益重要的作用:play an increasing important role in
来自社会各个阶层的人:people from all walks of life
利远远大于弊:the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages
“It is not always easy for young people to make a living insociety, not only because they are confronted with the mountingpressure brought by an expanding population, but also they areconfined to a variety of written or unwritten social rules.”
其中:
it is not always easy for … to…:…做…是不容易的(句型)
not only, but also:不但,而且(句型)
be confronted with:面对,直面(词组)
an expanding population:不断增长的人口(常见中文)
be confined to:被压抑在,受制于(词组)
a variety of:各种各样的(词组)
written or unwritten:成文或不成文的(常见中文)
social rules:社会规则(词组)
其他大家不难发现,真正好的英语句子,都不是由零落的单词都成的,而是由不同的“语块”夹杂若干零散的单子的拼接。“语块”越多的句子,越紧凑、也越地道。而很少或几乎没有语块的句子,一定感觉很“中式”,比如:
Firstly, shopping in the big shopping mall can bring us a morecomprehensive experience, rather than buying things itself. There isa lot of entertainment equipment in the big shopping mall like cafeteria andcinema.
Firstly, large-scale shopping malls provide customers witha whole new shopping experience that is no longer limited tobuying things per se, for there are plenty of recreational facilitiesin the mall such as restaurants and movie theaters.
large-scale:大规模(常见中文)
provide…with…:给…提供了…
whole new:全新(词组)
shopping experience:购物体验(常见中文)
no longer:不再(词组)
be limited to:仅限于(词组)
per se:自身,本身(常见中文)
for…:介词,因为,通常用来补充说明原因(句型)
there are…:存现句(句型)
plenty of:大量(词组)
such as:例如(词组)
movie theater:电影院(词组)