American History Series: Slavery Crisis Eases, but Not for Very Long

1.continual a.持续不断的, 继续的

例句:Some of the leaders made continual mistakes because they stuck to their individual ideas.
      有些领导凭长官意志在错误的道路上一错再错。

2.reject vt.拒绝, 抵制, 否决, 驳回, 丢弃, 呕出

例句:We had to reject your project simply because it was below our expectations.
      你的提议没有达到我们的期望,所以我们不得不将其否决。

3.insane a.患精神病的, 极愚蠢的

例句:John was clearly insane; always declaring that he was the king of the world.
      约翰总说自己是世界之王,显然是疯了。

4.bitterly ad.怨恨地, 悲痛地, 残酷地

例句:They are now bitterly paying for their lack of vision.
      由于缺乏远见,他们正在吃大亏。
 
5.flee v.逃避, 逃跑, 逃走

例句:Zoroastrian were forced to flee into the desert。
      琐罗亚斯德教教徒被迫逃入沙漠。

6.extend v.扩充, 延伸, 伸展, 扩大

例句:The tenant wanted to extend the lease by a year.
      租客想将租期延长一年。

7.privately adv.私下地

例句:Due to his poor performance, the teacher often coaches him privately to help him catch up.
      因为学习成绩差,老师经常给他开设小锅饭,帮他补习功课。

8.invade vt.侵入, 拥入, 侵略, 侵袭

例句:The enemy had started to invade the land and the situation on the border was very critical.
      敌兵入侵,边界有燃眉之急。
 
9.rebellion n.谋反, 叛乱, 反抗

例句:His words incited them to rebellion.
      他的话驱使他们反叛。

1.The public saw the elections as a sign of hope that reasonable people might find a way to settle the bitter dispute over slavery.

see as 视…为,相当于 regard as consider as

例句:They see themselves as latter-day crusading knights.
      他们把自己看成是当今改革运动的急先锋。

2. There will be no more peace in this land until slavery is done for.

not until直到……才

例句:We were warned not to leave our shelter until tomorrow.
      我们收到警告明天之前不要离开庇护所。

当Not until位于句首时,句子要倒装。其结构为:Not until+从句/表时间的词+助动词+(主句)主语+谓语+...。如:

①Not until the teacher came in did the students stop talking.直到老师进来学生们才停止讲话。

②Not until next week will the sports meet be held.直到下周才开运动会。

not until的强调结构为:It is / was not until+从句/表时间的词+that+...。上面两句改为强调句为:

③It was not until the teacher came in that the students stopped talking.

④It is not until next week that the sports meet will be held.


3.In these private talks, Brown said it was too late to settle the slave question through politics or any other peaceful way.

too to“太……而不能……”

“too……to”为一固定句型,too后加adj或adv原形,too=more than enough表“过分之意”,to后加动词原形,一起构成动词不定短语作结果状语。该短语常用来表示否定意义,译作“太……而不能……” “太……以致于不能……”此时句中的谓语不可用否定式,因不定式已表达了否定意义。

例句: He is too young to join the army.
       他太小了而不能参军。

       He reached the station too late to catch the train.
       他到车站太晚了,没有赶上那趟火车

4.Brown said even if the rebellion failed, it would probably lead to a civil war between North and South.

even if即使

例句:I will do it though, even if I die in the attempt.
      即使将不得不用尽一切办法,我还是会去做的。

5.He said they would rise up at the first sign of a leader who wished to break their chains.

rise up起义

例句:They will rise up and overthrow their imperialist government.
       他们会揭竿而起推翻他们的帝国主义政府。

Brown said even if the rebellion failed, it would probably lead to a civil war between North and South.

even if即使,引导让步状语从句。让步状语从句的用法如下:

1. although, though, even though, even if都表示“虽然, 即使, 尽管”之意, though 和although 语气较弱(其中的though 比although 通俗, 不如although 正式), even if和even though 带有强调意味而显得语气更强。例如: Although they are poor, they are happy. 虽然他们很穷, 但很快乐。// Although it was so cold, he went out without an overcoat. 天气虽然很冷, 但他没有穿大衣就出去了。// Though they may not succeed, they will still try. 即使他们可能不会成功, 但他们仍努力尝试。 // The article is very important though it is short. 那篇文章虽然很短, 但很重要。// He is better, though not yet cured. 他好一点了, 虽仍未痊愈。// Even though it was raining, she walked to work. 即使下雨, 她也是走着去工作的。// I’ll visit him this evening even if I can stay only a few minutes. 今晚我将去拜访他, 即使我只能停留一小会儿。

注意: though 引导的让步状语从句的用法比较特殊, 它可以倒装, 也可以不倒装, 具体用法参见as引导让步状语从句的用法。

2. as引导让步状语从句表示“虽然、 即使、 尽管”, 其引导的让步状语从句必须采用倒装结构, as引导的倒装形式的让步状语从句的基本结构为: 形容词/副词/名词(单数可数名词前一般不带冠词, 有时也可见单数可数名词前形容词与不定冠词连用、 形容词放在不定冠词前)/动词/过去分词+as+主语+谓语的其他部分。注意体会下列典型例句: Great as the author was, he proved a bad model. 这位作者尽管了不起, 到头来却成了一个坏榜样。// Ridiculous as it seems, the tale is true. 这个故事看似荒唐, 却是真的。// Rich as he is, he is not happy. 虽然他很富有, 但他并不幸福。// Child as he is, he can tell black from white.(倒装时要省去单个名词前的冠词)尽管还是个孩子, 他却能分辨黑白。// Brave (a) man as he is, he trembles at the sight of snakes. 他尽管勇敢, 可见到蛇还是发抖。 // Badly wounded as he was, he remained quite optimistic. 尽管伤势很重, 他仍然十分乐观。// Try as he would, he could not lift the rock. 虽然尽了最大努力, 但是他仍然不能搬动那块石头。

约翰•布朗(1800年5月9日—1859年12月2日),美国起义者、废奴主义者,1856年曾参加堪萨斯内战,赢得胜利。1859年他领导美国人民在哈伯斯费里举行武装起义,要求废除奴隶制,并逮捕一些种植园主,解放了许多奴隶。他的起义被弗吉尼亚的军事家、将军罗伯特•李派军队镇压,他被逮捕并杀害。1800年5月,约翰•布朗出生在康涅狄克州托林顿一个白人农民家庭。他父亲欧文•布朗是一位坚定的废奴主义者。布朗的童年是在美国北部山林中度过的,后来他当过硝皮匠,经营过牧羊业。耳闻目睹的黑人奴隶的悲惨遭遇,激起了他对奴隶制的无比憎恶。

1793年,美国政府制定《逃奴追辑法》,规定只要奴隶主在逮捕逃奴地点出示证明,当地官吏即将该逃奴判归原主。许多北方的自由黑人在“逮捕逃奴”的借口下,被绑架到南方。从19世纪20年代起,废除奴隶制的呼声激荡着北美大陆。工人、农民、资产阶级民主主义者都投入了斗争的洪流。释奴运动者创办《解放者》报,成立废奴协会,他们还组织全国性的秘密团体“地下铁路”,帮助奴隶逃离南方,移居加拿大或美国北方。

1834年,布朗组织了一个废奴主义团体,结识了许多黑人朋友,他积极参加地下铁路的工作,了解黑人分布情况,绘制奴隶逃亡路线图,研究以往美国奴隶起义的英雄事迹和海地。牙买加黑人斗争的历史。1854年,南方种植国奴隶主派遣武装匪徒窜犯堪萨斯,用刺刀在那里强行建立奴隶制。这激起了美国人民的反对,大批工人、农民武装起来,涌入堪萨斯,同种植园主发生武装冲突。这时,布朗正在弗吉尼亚一带主持地下铁路的一个站。当他听到堪萨斯血战的消息后,立即派他的5个儿子前往当地参加战斗。不久布朗自己也赶去了,并在达奇亨利渡口歼灭了一批敌人,从此,布朗的名字传遍各地。

为了狠狠打击奴隶制度,布朗决定在哈帕斯渡口发动武装起义,1859年10月16日晚,布朗对他的战友们说“拿起你们的武器,我们马上就要向哈帕斯渡口进军了”,说完他一马当先,率领起义队伍向哈帕斯渡口进军。起义开始进行得很顺利,后因响应者少,加上联络不利,动作缓慢,拖延了时机,使敌人有时间从附近集结地方军警进行反扑。18日,经过最后一场激烈战斗,布朗率领的起义军终因寡不敌众而失败了。起义军9人牺牲;6人逃脱;布朗等7人被俘。

在敌人的法庭上,布朗大义凛然,他说:“我相信,像我所做的那样,为那些受人轻视的穷人们进行工作,并不是错误的,而是正确的。现在,如果认为有必要叫我为正义事业付出生命,把我的鲜血和我的孩子们的鲜血,以及千百万个奴隶的鲜血混合起来——我同意”。