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Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”
We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard '. At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.
Language points
(Attention： The following points are not covered by the video. It is better for you to watch the video or listen to the MP3 first and try to take notes on your own. Then you may check here to get more details. )
1, We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years
how引導(dǎo)賓語從句
has some terrible secret
which 引導(dǎo)的定語從句，修飾說明secret
seemingly: 9=from appearence )從表面上看來，
a seemingly respectable person:表面上受尊重的人
2, At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.
ruin 泛指概念，表示毀壞的過程不是一下完成的 (spoil )
The rain ruined / spoiled our holiday.
destroy: 把憑借某種外力來破壞和摧毀事物，完全摧毀
The earthquake destroyed almost entired city.
damage: 側(cè)重強(qiáng)調(diào)把…弄壞，但是可以修復(fù)
3， The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands
one's hair stands on end :某人感到毛骨悚然的
I thought I was alone in my room until I heard the mysterious noice again, and my hair stands on .
4, It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction
occur: 某個(gè)事件出乎意料的發(fā)生(正式)
happen:
一個(gè)事件出乎意料發(fā)生
take place: 事件根據(jù)安排“舉行”
Eg.: When did the accident happen / occur?
It occured to me that / to do.
It occured to me to open the window.
When will the wedding take place
5, To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn
learn: 了解某個(gè)事實(shí)，學(xué)習(xí)某種知識(shí)、技能
know: 知道某個(gè)事實(shí)，具有某方面的知識(shí)、技能，認(rèn)識(shí)、了解某個(gè)人(狀態(tài)動(dòng)詞，不能用于進(jìn)行時(shí)態(tài))
I learned that I had passed the test.
She knows about computers.
She is learning about computers.
instead of + doing----表示相反、沒有、取而代之的是.......
6, I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.
stood in front of sth. petrified: 站在…前，目瞪口呆
frightened: 在某個(gè)特定的場(chǎng)合下，受到驚嚇
terrified:表示驚嚇的程度，更加強(qiáng)烈，感到恐怖
afraid (of ): 表示一種狀態(tài)，永久性的恐懼
7, The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.
it gave me the impression that:給某人以印象
make a lasting impression on sb: 給某人以不可磨滅的印象
have a false impression of sb: 對(duì)某人有錯(cuò)誤的看法
give sb impression that: 給某人印象
impress sb with sth 用…給某人留下印象.
8, The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.
be about to do sth.: 即將，就要。暗示動(dòng)作即將發(fā)生(多與when連用)
I was about to go to bed when there was a knock at the door.
Key structures
定語從句(三)
定語從句又分為限定性定語從句和非限定性定語從句。
限定性定語從句把它的先行詞限定在特定的意義之內(nèi)，對(duì)先行詞起限定的作用、是先行詞必不可少的修飾語，沒有它，整個(gè)句子的意思就會(huì)受到影響、就不完整。
非限定性定語從句不對(duì)先行詞起限定的作用，不是先行詞必不可少的修飾語，只對(duì)先行詞起補(bǔ)充說明的作用，沒有它，整個(gè)句子的意思不會(huì)受到影響、仍然完整。非限定性定語從句相當(dāng)于一個(gè)分句，翻譯時(shí)也是把它當(dāng)作分句處理的。非限定性定語從句和它的先行詞之間要用逗號(hào)隔開;而限定性定語從句和它的先行詞之間不能用逗號(hào)隔開。非限定性定語從句中除了不用 that以外，其它關(guān)系詞都可使用，使用方法與限定性定語從句一樣
例如：The supermarket which was opened two months ago is now closed down
兩個(gè)月前開的那家超市現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)倒閉了。(限定)
大家學(xué)得怎么樣?我們來測(cè)試一下吧!(選擇題每題5HY,翻譯題每題15HY)
Exercises
Multiple choices
1 In what respect does fact differ from fiction concerning the secrets that people keep to themselves?
a. They are rarely so terrible as to ruin out reputations if revealed.
b. People’s closest friends do not even suspect them of having them.
c. People who have ‘skeletons in the cupboard’ are rarely found out.
d. People who have skeletons in their cupboards are very proud of the fact
2 Before opening the cupboard door, the writer had _____ .
a. unpacked and gone down for dinner
b. changed into some new clothes
c. put his shirts and his underwear in a couple of drawers
d. hung one of the two suits he had brought with him
Translation
3，She is a respectable young woman from a good famliy.
4，他突然做了一個(gè)夸張的動(dòng)作。
5，學(xué)校毀于一場(chǎng)大火。
以下句子翻譯后請(qǐng)指明是限定還是非限定
6，The book(which) you’re reading is mine .
7，The supermarket, which was opened two months ago, is now closed down
8，The book, which you’re reading, is mine
Lesson 24 A skeleton in the cupboard “家丑”
We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard '. At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.
It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.
Language points
(Attention： The following points are not covered by the video. It is better for you to watch the video or listen to the MP3 first and try to take notes on your own. Then you may check here to get more details. )
1, We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years
how引導(dǎo)賓語從句
has some terrible secret
which 引導(dǎo)的定語從句，修飾說明secret
seemingly: 9=from appearence )從表面上看來，
a seemingly respectable person:表面上受尊重的人
2, At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined.
ruin 泛指概念，表示毀壞的過程不是一下完成的 (spoil )
The rain ruined / spoiled our holiday.
destroy: 把憑借某種外力來破壞和摧毀事物，完全摧毀
The earthquake destroyed almost entired city.
damage: 側(cè)重強(qiáng)調(diào)把…弄壞，但是可以修復(fù)
3， The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands
one's hair stands on end :某人感到毛骨悚然的
I thought I was alone in my room until I heard the mysterious noice again, and my hair stands on .
4, It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction
occur: 某個(gè)事件出乎意料的發(fā)生(正式)
happen:
一個(gè)事件出乎意料發(fā)生
take place: 事件根據(jù)安排“舉行”
Eg.: When did the accident happen / occur?
It occured to me that / to do.
It occured to me to open the window.
When will the wedding take place
5, To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn
learn: 了解某個(gè)事實(shí)，學(xué)習(xí)某種知識(shí)、技能
know: 知道某個(gè)事實(shí)，具有某方面的知識(shí)、技能，認(rèn)識(shí)、了解某個(gè)人(狀態(tài)動(dòng)詞，不能用于進(jìn)行時(shí)態(tài))
I learned that I had passed the test.
She knows about computers.
She is learning about computers.
instead of + doing----表示相反、沒有、取而代之的是.......
6, I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.
stood in front of sth. petrified: 站在…前，目瞪口呆
frightened: 在某個(gè)特定的場(chǎng)合下，受到驚嚇
terrified:表示驚嚇的程度，更加強(qiáng)烈，感到恐怖
afraid (of ): 表示一種狀態(tài)，永久性的恐懼
7, The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.
it gave me the impression that:給某人以印象
make a lasting impression on sb: 給某人以不可磨滅的印象
have a false impression of sb: 對(duì)某人有錯(cuò)誤的看法
give sb impression that: 給某人印象
impress sb with sth 用…給某人留下印象.
8, The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me.
be about to do sth.: 即將，就要。暗示動(dòng)作即將發(fā)生(多與when連用)
I was about to go to bed when there was a knock at the door.
Key structures
定語從句(三)
定語從句又分為限定性定語從句和非限定性定語從句。
限定性定語從句把它的先行詞限定在特定的意義之內(nèi)，對(duì)先行詞起限定的作用、是先行詞必不可少的修飾語，沒有它，整個(gè)句子的意思就會(huì)受到影響、就不完整。
非限定性定語從句不對(duì)先行詞起限定的作用，不是先行詞必不可少的修飾語，只對(duì)先行詞起補(bǔ)充說明的作用，沒有它，整個(gè)句子的意思不會(huì)受到影響、仍然完整。非限定性定語從句相當(dāng)于一個(gè)分句，翻譯時(shí)也是把它當(dāng)作分句處理的。非限定性定語從句和它的先行詞之間要用逗號(hào)隔開;而限定性定語從句和它的先行詞之間不能用逗號(hào)隔開。非限定性定語從句中除了不用 that以外，其它關(guān)系詞都可使用，使用方法與限定性定語從句一樣
例如：The supermarket which was opened two months ago is now closed down
兩個(gè)月前開的那家超市現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)倒閉了。(限定)
大家學(xué)得怎么樣?我們來測(cè)試一下吧!(選擇題每題5HY,翻譯題每題15HY)
Exercises
Multiple choices
1 In what respect does fact differ from fiction concerning the secrets that people keep to themselves?
a. They are rarely so terrible as to ruin out reputations if revealed.
b. People’s closest friends do not even suspect them of having them.
c. People who have ‘skeletons in the cupboard’ are rarely found out.
d. People who have skeletons in their cupboards are very proud of the fact
2 Before opening the cupboard door, the writer had _____ .
a. unpacked and gone down for dinner
b. changed into some new clothes
c. put his shirts and his underwear in a couple of drawers
d. hung one of the two suits he had brought with him
Translation
3，She is a respectable young woman from a good famliy.
4，他突然做了一個(gè)夸張的動(dòng)作。
5，學(xué)校毀于一場(chǎng)大火。
以下句子翻譯后請(qǐng)指明是限定還是非限定
6，The book(which) you’re reading is mine .
7，The supermarket, which was opened two months ago, is now closed down
8，The book, which you’re reading, is mine