万物简史 第511期:丰富多彩的生命(7)
英语课
This was an amazing disclosure. 这句话里包含着丰富的历史内容。
Joseph Banks was England's greatest botanist 1, and the Endeavour voyage — that is the one on which Captain Cook charted the 1769 transit 2 of Venus 约瑟夫·班克斯是英国最伟大的植物学家，“奋进”号航行——即库克船长绘制1769年金星凌日图、
and claimed Australia for the crown, among rather a lot else — was the greatest botanical expedition in history. 宣布澳大利亚为皇家殖民地的那次航行——是历史上最伟大的植物探险。
Banks paid 10,000 pounds, about $1 million in today's money, 班克斯支付了l万英镑，相当于今天的60万英镑，
to bring himself and a party of nine others — a naturalist 3, a secretary, three artists, and four servants — on the three-year adventure around the world. 让自己和另外9个人——1名博物学家、l名秘书、3名美术家和4名仆人——加入了这次为期3年的环球探险活动。
Goodness knows what the bluff 4 Captain Cook made of such a velvety 5 and pampered 6 assemblage, 天知道性格粗率的库克船长是怎么和这帮子文绉绉的、娇生惯养的人相处的，
but he seems to have liked Banks well enough and could not but admire his talents in botany — a feeling shared by posterity 7. 但他似乎很喜欢班克斯，禁不住钦佩他在植物学方面的才能——后辈们也怀有同样的感情。
Never before or since has a botanical party enjoyed greater triumphs. 没有哪个植物考察小组取得过那么大的成就。过去没有，此后也没有。
Partly it was because the voyage took in so many new or little-known places, 这在一定程度上是因为这次航行将许多不大知名的新地方，
Tierra del Fuego, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea — but mostly it was because Banks was such an astute 8 and inventive collector. 火地岛、塔希提岛、新西兰、澳大利亚、新几内亚——占为殖民地，但主要是因为班克斯是个敏锐和天才的采集家。
Even when unable to go ashore 9 at Rio de Janeiro because of a quarantine, 即使由于检疫规定而未能在里约热内卢上岸，
he sifted 10 through a bale of fodder 11 sent for the ship's livestock 12 and made new discoveries. 他还是为船上的牲口偷偷弄来一包饲料，做出了新的发现。
Nothing, it seems, escaped his notice. 似乎什么也逃不过他的目光。
Altogether he brought back thirty thousand plant specimens 13, including fourteen hundred not seen before, 他总共带回来3万件植物标本，包括1400件以前没有见过的，
enough to increase by about a quarter the number of known plants in the world. 能为世界上已知的植物总数增加大约四分之一。
n.植物学家
- The botanist introduced a new species of plant to the region.那位植物学家向该地区引入了一种新植物。
- I had never talked with a botanist before,and I found him fascinating.我从没有接触过植物学那一类的学者，我觉得他说话极有吸引力。
n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过
- His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
- The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
- He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。
- The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
- His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
- John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。
adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的
- a velvety red wine 醇厚的红葡萄酒
- Her skin was admired for its velvety softness. 她的皮肤如天鹅绒般柔软，令人赞叹。
adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 )
- The lazy scum deserve worse. What if they ain't fed up and pampered? 他们吃不饱，他们的要求满足不了，这又有什么关系？ 来自飘（部分）
- She petted and pampered him and would let no one discipline him but she, herself. 她爱他，娇养他，而且除了她自己以外，她不允许任何人管教他。 来自辞典例句
n.后裔，子孙，后代
- Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
- The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。
adj.机敏的，精明的
- A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
- The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾，足以对付侦探的机智。
adv.在(向)岸上，上岸
- The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
- He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。
v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审
- She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.草料；炮灰
- Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
- Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。
n.家畜，牲畜
- Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
- The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。
标签：
万物简史