American History Series: The Story of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858

    1.temporary a.暂时的, 临时的

    例句:The defendant alleges temporary insanity.
          被告以暂时精神失常作为藉口。

    2.eternal a.永恒的, 永远的, 不灭的

    例句:You have my eternal gratefulness.
          我永远感激您。

    1.It keeps from Negroes only political rights, and refuses to make Negroes equal to white men.

    be equal to胜任, 相等, 合适

    例句:Will she be equal to such a task?
          她能胜任这样一项工作吗?


    2.Slavery could be left alone in the South until it slowly died.

    leave alone让独自呆着, 不打扰

    例句:How can you leave alone? 
          你怎麽能一个人离开?

    Abraham Lincoln proposed that he and Stephen Douglas hold several debates.

    propose虚拟语气

    (1)在suggest , order, demand , propose, command, request, desire,insist等表示建议、命令、要求、意见的动词后接的宾语从句中要使用虚拟语气。
      如:

      He suggests that she should leave the house at once.

      The leader ordered that the task(should) be finished as soon as possible.

      He proposed that we (should) deal with the problem by the view of
      development.

    (2)与suggest , order, demand , propose, command, request, desire,insist等动词相对应的名词suggestion, order, demand , proposal 等后的表语从句或同位语从句中要使用虚拟语气。如:

      The general sent the order that the battle(should) be held on untilthe complete failure of the enemy.

      My proposal is that we(should) set a deadline for handing in the plan.

    (3)在It is/was suggested (ordered , demanded , proposed , etc. ) 结构以及necessary , essential, important, strange, natural等形容词后的主语从句中要使用虚拟语气。如:

      It‘s requested that we (should) keep the stability of the society for the people’s peaceful life.

      It is necessary that the badly wounded man(should) be treated immediately.


    He looked more like a simple farmer than a candidate for the United States Senate.

    more……than与其,不如

    在英语中,有许多方式可以表达"与其……不如……",即用来比较同一种事物或同一个人两种不同的性质特征或行为的一种句式。这种句式通常是否定一方(与其……);再去肯定另一方(不如……),下面分别举例说明:

      1. This house is more like a school than a church.这所房子与其说它像座教堂,不如说它像个学校。

      more...than...是表达"与其……不如……"的一种较普通的方式,往往是比较同一种事物中两种不同的性质。more后分句含肯定之意,而than后分句含否定之意。这种句式肯定前者,否定后者。

      2. She was not more pleased than I was.她没有我那样高兴。

      not more...than是more...than句式的一种变换形式,它否定前者,肯定后者。

      并请注意not more...than与no more...than的区别,前者表达"没有……那样……"的意思,后者表达"既非……又非……"之意。例:I am no more a teacher than a doctor.我既非老师又非医生。

      3.I'm less thirsty than hungry.与其说我渴,不如说我饿。

      less是副词,含否定之意,than后分句为肯定之意。这是否定前者,肯定后者的句式。但not less...than却没有肯定前者,否定后者的意思,它的意思是"不少于"、"不减于",带有感叹的意味。例:He won not less than 50 pounds in the lottery.他居然中了50英镑的奖券。

      4. He is not so much intelligent as uneducated.与其说他不聪明,不如说他缺乏教育。

      not so much...as也是一种否定前者,肯定后者的句式。

      5. I would rather play tennis than swim.我宁愿打网球,也不愿游泳。

      6. Nathan Hale would sooner die a hero than drag out an ignoble existence.内森·黑尔宁愿死得英雄,也不愿苟且偷生。

      7. We would as soon go to a film than loiter about here.我们与其在这儿闲逛,不如去看场电影。

      在例5、6、7三种句式中,情态动词would也可以用could, may等词代替,其后的副词或副词短语多用原级或比较级;表意上均为肯定前者,否定后者;其意思为"宁可,宁愿,更愿意,更喜欢,与其……不如……"。

      8.Give me liberty or give me death.不自由毋宁死。

      9.He'd die of hunger before he would steal.他宁愿饿死也不愿偷窃。

      10.She desired no one for husband before him.她非他不嫁。

    在例8、9、10中,连词or和before由于句子语境的缘故,也可以传神地表达"与其……不如……"的意思。这三个句子都没有明显地表示出否定一方或肯定一方,但我们可以通过上下文猜测出它所隐含的比较含义。