新概念3-1英语第三册第一课

New concept English Lesson1

A Puma at large 在逃的美洲狮

at large：在逃的，未被捕获的

Where must the puma have come from?

美洲狮能从哪儿来呢？

这里的must是用来表示推测，没有实际的意义。

Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America.

美洲狮是在美洲发现的，大型的、像猫一样的动物

America，美洲，美国

American，美洲人，美国人（这俩货我总是分不清）

cat-like，像猫一样的（我本能的认为cat-like=猫科，百度翻译上不是）

felidae，猫科，猫科动物，猫科植物

When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London, they（指报告）were not taken seriously.

当伦敦南部45英里看见一只美洲狮的报告进入伦敦动物园时，报告没有被认真对待

come into：进入

were not taken seriously没有被认真对待

However, as the evidence began to accumulate,

然而，当证据开始积累

begin后面可以接to do和doing，但是主语是物不是人的时候要用to do

experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate,

来自动物园的专家感到有责任调查

obliged to有责任

investigate，调查

for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.

因为声称看见美洲狮的人给出的描述非常相似

claim to声称

extraordinarily非常地

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.

搜寻美洲狮从一个小村庄开始，那里有一个采黑莓的女人看见“一只大猫”离她仅5码远

hunt n. 搜寻;搜索;寻找;打猎;

It immediately ran away when she saw it,

当女人看见它，它立刻跑了

and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.

专家确认美洲狮不会攻击人类，除非它走投无路

be cornered，走投无路

The search proved difficult,

搜索很困难

prove，证明；证实；后来被发现是；最终显现为；展现，展示，显示（自己的才能）

for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. 因为美洲狮经常被看到早上在某个地方，晚上在20英里远的另一个地方

observe，看到；注意到；观察到；观察；注视；监视；说话；评论

Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.

无论它走到那，它在身后留下了踪迹，死鹿和小动物，比如兔子

trail，（长串的）痕迹，踪迹，足迹；（尤指打猎时跟踪的）踪迹，臭迹；（乡间的）小路

Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.

爪印在很多地方被看见，美洲狮的毛发被发现粘在灌木丛

clinging to，依附

bush，灌木

Several people complained of’cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. 有人抱怨夜里有“像猫一样的吵闹声”，一个商人在钓鱼的路上看见一只美洲狮在树上

complain of，抱怨，诉苦

The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from?

专家现在完全确信这个动物是美洲狮，但是它是从哪儿来的呢？

convince,使确信; 使相信; 使信服; 说服，劝说

As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country,

因为国内没有动物园报告丢失美洲狮

this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape.

这一只一定属于一个私人收藏家，不知道什么原因设法逃了出来

in the possession of，由……所有

somehow，不知为什么

managed，设法

The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.

搜索持续了数周时间，但是美洲狮没有被捕获

It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

想起来令人不安，在宁静的乡村，一只危险的野生动物仍然在逃

It is disturbing to think，想起来令人不安