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A Puma at large
逃遁的美洲狮
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
Where must the puma 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 dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, 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.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
puma n. 美洲狮
blackberry n. 黑莓
spot v. 看出，发现
human being 人类
evidence n.证据
corner v. 使走投无路，使陷入困境
accumulate v.积累，积聚
trail n. 一串，一系列
oblige v.使。。。感到必须
print n. 印痕
hunt n. 追猎；寻找
cling v. 粘
convince v. 使……信服
somehow adv. 不知怎么搞地，不知什么原因
disturb v. 令人不安
Notes on the text 课文注释
1 at large 世界次短语，在此处表示“逍遥自在”“行动自由”的意思。
2 feel obliged to do sth.是指“感到不得我去做某事”。
3 it left behind it a trial of，它身后留下一串。。。
a trial of 做left 的宾语，behind it 是状语，提到宾语前面是为了是句子结构更加紧凑。
4 in the possession of，为...所有。
参考译文
美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物，产于美洲。当伦敦动物园接到报告说，在伦敦以南45英里处发现一只美洲狮时，这些报告并没有受到重视。可是，随着证据越来越多，动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查，因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似。
搜寻美洲狮的工作是从一座小村庄开始的。那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时的看见“一只大猫”，离她仅5码远，她刚看见它，它就立刻逃走了。专家证实，美洲狮非被逼得走投无路，是决不会伤人的。事实上搜寻工作很困难，因为常常是早晨在甲地发现那只美洲狮，晚上却在20英里外的乙地发现它的踪迹。无论它走哪儿，一路上总会留下一串死鹿及死兔子之类的小动物，在许多地方看见爪印，灌木丛中发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛。有人抱怨说夜里听见“像猫一样的叫声”；一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。专家们如今已经完全肯定那只动物就是美洲狮，但它是从哪儿来的呢？由于全国动物园没有一家报告丢了美洲狮，因此那只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏豢养的，不知怎么设法逃出来了。搜寻工作进行了好几个星期，但始终未能逮住那只美洲狮。想到在宁静的乡村里有一头危险的野兽继续逍遥流窜，真令人担心。
语法讲解
Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.
在英文的表达方式中，首先呈现给读者的是结果（和中文不同）
英文擅长用长句，中文擅长用短句。
讲解
-- Pandas are large cat-like animals which are found in Asia. （panda n.熊猫）
cat-like 猫一样的, 偷偷摸摸的 / dog-like狗一样的 / 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.
一般来讲定语从句和同位语从句紧随在被修饰名词的后面，但为了保持句子平衡，也可以把
谓语动词放到从句之前
1> 定语从句只是对于被修饰词的补充说明、修饰
-- 定语从句的引导词：
-- 指人：主语 who；宾语 who, whom；定语 whose
-- 指物：that（也可以指人）/ which
-- 时间状语：when / 地点状语：where / 原因状语：why
2> 同位语从句则是讲述被修饰名词的内容
-- 同位语从句的引导词：
-- 名词(做主语、宾语等)：关系词用 that 而不是 which
-- 时间：when； 地点：where
-- 定语从句中没有 what 这个关系词，但 what 可以引导同位语从句
-- 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 认真地对待某事
-- I always take your suggestions seriously.
take sth lightly 草率地对待某事 （lightly adv.轻率地）
-- Don’t take the hot potato lightly （hot potato n.棘手的问题）
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(起转折作用)
As 连词：随着, 当...之时
过去分词做定语：
-- the descriptions given by people
-- the story told by the sailor (n.海员, 水手, 船员)
-- a book written by Luxun
claim to have done sth 声称曾经做过某事
-- 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… 定语从句
-- I still remember the school where I studied English. 想学好英语口语,就得这样逼出来! 想学好英语吗--英语学习方法经验集