Lesson 1 A Puma at large 逃遁的美洲獅
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音，然後回答以下問題。
Where must thepuma have come from?
Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously. However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of deaddeer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of placesand puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of"cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw thepuma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was apuma, but where had it come from? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks,but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.
參考譯文
美洲獅是一種體形似貓的大動物，產於美洲。當倫敦動物園接到報告說，在倫敦以南45英裡處發現一隻美洲獅時，這些報告並沒有受到重視。可是，隨著證據越來越多，動物園的專家們感到有必要進行一番調查，因為凡是聲稱見到過美洲獅的人們所描述的情況竟是出奇地相似。
搜尋美洲獅的工作是從一座小村莊開始的。那裡的一位婦女在採摘黑莓時的看見「一隻大貓」，離她僅5碼遠，她剛看見它，它就立刻逃走了。專家證實，美洲獅非被逼得走投無路，是決不會傷人的。事實上搜尋工作很困難，因為常常是早晨在甲地發現那隻美洲獅，晚上卻在20英裡外的乙地發現它的蹤跡。無論它走哪兒，一路上總會留下一串死鹿及死兔子之類的小動物，在許多地方看見爪印，灌木叢中發現了粘在上面的美洲獅毛。有人抱怨說夜裡聽見「像貓一樣的叫聲」;一位商人去釣魚，看見那隻美洲獅在樹上。專家們如今已經完全肯定那隻動物就是美洲獅，但它是從哪兒來的呢?由於全國動物園沒有一家報告丟了美洲獅，因此那隻美洲獅一定是某位私人收藏豢養的，不知怎麼設法逃出來了。搜尋工作進行了好幾個星期，但始終未能逮住那隻美洲獅。想到在寧靜的鄉村裡有一頭危險的野獸繼續逍遙流竄，真令人擔心。
New words and expression 生詞和短語
puma n.美洲獅
spot v.看出, 發現
= see, pick out, recognize, catch sight of 強調結果, 辨別出, 看見, 識別, 發現
-- A tall man is easy to spot in the crowd.
-- He has good eye for spotting mistakes.
同意詞：
-- find：強調發現的結果 / find out：查出事實真相
-- discover：做出重大發現 / notice：注意到
-- observe：觀察 / watch：觀察活動中的人或畫面
Spot n.斑點
-- There is a white spot on the shirt.
on the spot 有兩個含義：
1> 立刻, 馬上（at once, immediately） -- Anyone breaking the rules will be asked to leave on the spot.
2> at the place of the action 在現場 -- Wherever she is needed, she is quickly on the spot.
Evidence n.證據（不可數名詞）
Evident adj.明顯的, 顯然的 / evidently adv . 明顯地, 顯然
Evidence = proof (n.證據)
-- When the police arrived, he had already destroyed the evidence.
in evidence 顯而易見的
-- He was in evidence at the party.
Accumulate v.積累, 積聚（強調積累的過程）
-- As the evidence accumulates, experts from the zoo felt obliged to investigate. Gather vt.聚集, 把某人召集在某處
-- The teacher gathered his students in the class
Collect vt.搜集, 採集
-- Do you collect stamps? Yes, I collect stamps as my hobby.（n.業餘愛好） Assemble v . 集合, 集會 / 裝配
-- A large number of people assemble on the square.
Hoard vt.大量的儲存 （-- hoard up = store up 儲藏）
-- The squirrel hoards up nuts for the cold winter （squirrel n.松鼠）（nut n.堅果） amass vt.積聚（主要用於詩歌和文學作品）
-- The clouds amassed above the hills
Oblige v.使…感到必須
feel obliged to do sth 感覺有必要做某事
-- I feel obliged to say no to his demand（n.要求, 需要）
be obliged to do sth 被迫做某事
-- They were obliged to sell their car to pay their debts off.（debt n.債務）
hunt v.n.追獵, 尋找 （hunt for）
-- The experts from London zoo began to hunt (v.) for a puma.
-- The hunt (n.) for the puma proved the difficult. （prove vt.證明, 證實）
search 搜尋某處為了尋找到某人或某物
-- The police were searching the forest for the missing boy.
run after 強調追趕, 追求
-- look, a dog is running after a cat
-- what are you run after in your life
seek = pursue v.追尋(理想)
chase v . 追趕 （-- They are chasing a thief / They are running after a thief）
blackberry n.黑莓 / berry n.漿果
human being 人類
corner v.使走投無路, 使陷入困境 作為動詞, 經常使用被動語態
-- The thief was cornered at last
-- The problem cornered me.
corner n.角落
-- at the corner of the street
-- in the corner of the room
-- on the corner of the desk
Trail n.一串, 一系列
trail vt. 跟蹤, 追蹤（= follow）
-- The police trailed the criminal to the place where he was hiding （criminal n.罪犯）
Print n.印痕
Cling v.粘 （clung, clung, clinging）
-- She is always clinging to her mother.
-- He clung to the hope that he would succeed. 他懷有成功的希望
stick v.粘住 （-- stick the envelop）n.信封
stick to 堅持 （-- stick to the plan / stick to one’s promise）n.許諾 sticky adj.粘的 （-- sticky fingers）
convince v.使…信服
1>convince sb of sth
-- I convince him of my honesty.（n.誠實, 正直） 我使他相信我的誠實。
2> be convinced that…
-- I am convinced that she is honest girl.（adj.誠實的, 正直的）
somehow adv.不知怎麼搞地, 不知什麼原因
= by some means, in some way, for some reason unknown
-- I』ll get the book back somehow. 無論如何我要把這本書取回來。
-- I got lost somehow 不知怎麼搞地, 我迷失了。
Somewhat adv.稍微, 有點, 有些 （= a little）
-- The price is somewhat higher than I expect.（high adj.高的）
disturb v.令人不安
disturbing adj.令人不安的 / disturbed adj.感到不安的
surprising adj.令人驚訝的 / surprised adj.感到驚訝的
exciting adj.令人激動的 / excited adj.感到激動的
wild adj.野性的, 野生的
investigate v.調查, 研究
description n.描寫, 描述
extraordinarily adv . 特別地，非常地，格外
similar adj.相似的, 類似的
attack vt.攻擊 difficult adj.困難的, 艱難的
difficulty n.困難, 難點
rabbit n.兔, 野兔
paw n.手掌, 手爪
fur n.毛皮, 毛, 軟毛
bush n.矮樹叢
fully adv . 充分地, 完全地
collector n.收藏家, 徵收者
Text 課文
at large 逃遁的, 沒有被控制的
-- The thief is still at large at large 詳細地（= in detail）n.細節, 詳情
-- I need talk to you at large
at large 總體來講（= as a whole）
-- The students at large are hungry for English. （hungry adj.飢餓的, 渴望的）
Where must the puma have come from?
Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.
在英文的表達方式中，首先呈現給讀者的是結果（和中文不同） 英文擅長用長句，中文擅長用短句。
-- Pandas are large cat-like animals which are found in Asia. （panda n.熊貓）
cat-like 貓一樣的, 偷偷摸摸的 / dog-like 狗一樣的 / life-like 栩栩如生的
When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.
一般來講定語從句和同位語從句緊隨在被修飾名詞的後面，但為了保持句子平衡，也可以把 謂語動詞放到從句之前
1> 定語從句只是對於被修飾詞的補充說明、修飾
-- 定語從句的引導詞：
-- 指人：主語 who；賓語 who, whom；定語 whose
-- 指物：that（也可以指人）/ which
-- 時間狀語：when / 地點狀語：where / 原因狀語：why
2> 同位語從句則是講述被修飾名詞的內容
-- 同位語從句的引導詞：
-- 名詞(做主語、賓語等)：關係詞用 that 而不是 which
-- 時間：when； 地點：where
-- 定語從句中沒有 what 這個關係詞，但 what 可以引導同位語從句
-- An idea came to her that she might do the experiment in another way.
-- I have no idea what has happened to him。
they were not taken seriously（they指代reports）
take sth seriously = deal with sth seriously 認真地對待某事
-- I always take your suggestions seriously.
take sth lightly 草率地對待某事 （lightly adv.輕率地）
-- Don’t take the hot potato lightly （hot potato n.棘手的問題）
However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
However adv.然而(起轉折作用)
As 連詞：隨著, 當...之時
過去分詞做定語：
-- the descriptions given by people
-- the story told by the sailor (n.海員, 水手, 船員)
-- a book written by Luxun
claim to have done sth 聲稱曾經做過某事
-- He claimed to have been the manager of the large shop.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her.
Where a woman picking… 定語從句
-- I still remember the school where I studied English.
It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.
Confirm = be sure = be certain (confirm vt.確定)
Unless it is cornered = if it is not cornered (unless conj.如果不, 除非)
-- He will accept the job unless the salary is too low.
The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening.
search = hunt
Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. 把某物留在後面：leave behind
-- Wherever he went, the wound left behind him a trail of blood.（n.血）
Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. 英文表達方式習慣用被動語態, 突出客觀事實。而中文則善於運用動作的執行者。
puma fur was found clinging to bushes. （被動）
We found the puma fur clinging to bushes. （主動）
-- clinging to bushes 是現在分詞短語做賓補
Several people complained of "cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.
complain of/about sth 抱怨某事
on+名詞：強調動作正在進行
-- on the rise 在上升 / on the increase 在增加
-- on the watch 在觀看 / on the match 在比賽中
-- on the fishing trip 在釣魚的途中 / on holiday 在度假
The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from?
Fully（adv.充分地, 完全地）= completely = entirely
As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.
sth be in the possession of sb = sth be in sb's possession 某物歸某人所有(主語是物)
-- The beautiful car is in my possession.= The beautiful car is in the possession of me. Sb be in possession of sth 某人擁有某物(主語是人)
-- I am in possession of the beautiful car.（in possession of… 做表語）
-- The person in possession of the big house is excited. （in possession of… 做定語） take possession of… 擁有…
The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.
Went on = lasted （last vi.繼續, 持續）
It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.
It is disturbing to think that... 一想到…就心理不安
-- It is disturbing to think that I fail my examination
in the quiet countryside 在寧靜的山村