曹鹏·博客文摘

}  Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.

}  Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another

   意思是我们的vicar总是找理由跟大家要钱。

}  one cause or another :

   这样或那样的理由，原因。
One way or another,

    这种方式不行用另一种方式。
One thing led to another,

   描述或陈述一件事情时的插入语。例如，你见到一个人在说话，过一会越说越激烈，开始争执，这种情况下，就是 one thing led to another。

}  … has been silent ever since :
Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.(lesson36)

   ever since,36课也有出现。这样的句子一般都是完成时。有了相同的东西，就会出现规律，有了这种规律，规则，你才真正有信心去延伸，创造一些东西，因为在规则之下创造的东西才有可能是正确的。

}  One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.

}  Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock

     他看了看表，1点钟。

    这里，分词作状语。不是解释成关联关系。分词作状语的精神主要表示伴随，美国人在说话的时候，脑子里绝对没有这种关联关系。脑子里不可能还在想“条件状语”“原因状语”“让步状语”…….如果你非要那样理解，那么，你是不可能领会其真正的使用方法。

}  Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.

     这个 vicar 拿着手电筒去看看发生了什么事情。

     如果把这个armed 前面看作省略了being，它还是现在分词作状语。所以不管是现在分词还是过去分词，实际上都是现在分词表伴随。

}   Looking at his watch 现在分词伴随
 (Being) Armed with a torch过去分词伴随

    统称分词伴随

}  （实质都是现在分词伴随）

}  'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill. 'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.‘
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar. 'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.‘

}  Wake-up call:

   叫醒服务电话

   Give me a wake-up call at 7, please.
请在早上7点钟打电话叫我。
This is a wake-up call for you.
 这里是叫醒服务，您该起床了。

}  Still:

    在口语里面有一种比较特别的用法，当时挺常用的，通常放在句末。其表达的还是 still 的意思。

Actually, yesterday I was smoking again. Today, I’m smoking still.
如果你说你要戒烟，然后被别人看到你又抽烟了，这时你可以说：其实我昨天yesterday I was smoking again 昨天我是又抽烟了，today, I’m smoking still 今天我是还在抽烟。

I loved her, and I love her still.

    挺好听的一句话。这句话其实是电影《秋日传奇》里边的一句台词

}  That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill. 'It's working all right, but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.“
    We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar. "Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.‘

}  Trouble:
That’s where we have the trouble!
That’s where the trouble is!
That’s what the trouble is!
That’s the problem!
 

    这几个句子表达的东西是一样的，即这就是我们要找的trouble，这就是问题的所在。只不过它显示了从句的灵活运用。

}  Afraid:
I’m afraid not.

I’m afraid so.

    这两句话就和 I don’t think so; I think so 性质是一样的。只是 I think so 是我觉得是这样的；I’m afraid so 恐怕是这样的。I’m afraid not 指恐怕不是这样；I’m don’t think so 是我不这样认为。

     I’m not afraid.

     这个跟前面两个的意思就样了，是指我不害怕，我不怕。