American History Series: Lincoln Takes Presidency of a Nation in Crisis

1.secede v.正式脱离(或退出), 分离

例句:They plotted to make the whole Mississippi Valley secede from the United States.
      他们阴谋策划使整个密西西比流域脱离美国。

2.settle v.决定, 整理, 安放, 使定居, 使平静, 支付, 安排, 解决, 结算

例句:We need to settle this issue before Monday or else we will have to start negotiations all over again.
      我们需要周一前解决这个问题,否则就不得不再重新开始谈判了。

3.moderate a.适度的, 稳健的, 中等的, 节制的

例句:It is good for your health to drink a moderate amount of fermented liquor.
      据说适量饮用发酵酒,对身体有好处。 

4.enforce v.强迫, 执行, 坚持

例句:We must strictly enforce the factory rules and allow no one to use public office for private gain.
      一定要严肃厂纪,不能假公济私。

5.denounce v.告发, 抨击, 谴责

例句:You shouldn't denounce others from time to time.
      你不要总是动不动就指斥别人。

6.dissolve v.溶解, 解散

例句:The premier stated that the government should dissolve parliament.
      总理宣称政府应该解散议会。

1.He said they should agree on what action to take if Lincoln became president.

agree on对...达成协议对...取得一致意见

例句:Neither my father nor my mother agree on buying a car for me.
      我父母谁也不同意给我买车。

take action采取行动, 提出诉讼

例句:Please take your time to deliberate before you take action.
      请在采取行动前花时间考虑一下。

2.In the months before Lincoln's inauguration, President James Buchanan tried to deal with the situation.

deal with安排, 处理, 涉及, 做生意

例句:While I was working for that company, I had to deal with consumer affairs.
      就职于那家公司时,我要处理和客户的关系事宜。

3.The purpose of the convention would be to work out differences between North and South.

work out 设计出, 作出, 计算出, 做工抵偿

例句:Something was wrong, although I couldn't work out what.
      有些不对头,但我不知道是什么。

4."The fact is," Buchanan said, "that our Union rests upon public opinion. It can never be held together by the blood of its citizens in civil war. If it cannot live in the hearts of its people, then it must one day die."

rest upon依靠,依赖

例句:We rest our hopes upon you.
      我们把希望寄托在你们身上。

1.Even if this did not happen, southerners were worried. Unless slavery could spread, they said, the slave population in the South would become too large.

even if引导让步状语从句。

unless和if not有时可互换

Come tomorrow unless I phone [if I don’t phone]. 要是我没有打电话,明天就来。

You won’t catch the train unless you hurry [if you don’t hurry]. 你要是不赶快,你就赶不上火车了。

2.It said the government could use force, if necessary, to keep states in the Union.

if necessary是if用法的省略形式,if + 形容词

这类结构通常可视为在if与形容词之间省略了“主语+动词be的适当形式”。如:

Send the goods now if ready.= Send the goods now if they are ready. 货物如已备好,请即送来。

If true, this will cause us a lot of trouble.= If it is true, this will cause us a lot of trouble. 这事若是事实,它将给我们造成许多麻烦。

注:这类省略结构中有的已构成相对固定的搭配,if necessary (如果需要),if possible (如果可能)等。如:

If necessary, ring me at home. 如果必要,可往我家里打电话。

If possible, let me know beforehand. 如果可能,可在事前通知我

3.He was only too happy to let Congress decide what to do.

当个别adj,如pleased、glad、anxious、eager、easy、ready等跟在too后时或当“too……to……”前加上not,but,all,only,nerver等词时,则后面的不定式短语往往有肯定意义,即整个短语不表示否定意义,too表示“十分、极其”意思。

   eg  She is too (=very)anxious to know the answer

      He is too eager to join the Youth League

The headmaster is too easy to get along with (校长非常平易近人 )

      You are nerver too old to learn (活到老学到老)

      He is only too pleased to help her(他只是太高兴了,才去帮她)