A Chance in a million 百萬分之一的幾率
We are less credulous than we used to be. Inthe nineteenth century, a novelist would bringhis story to a conclusion by presenting hisreaders with a series of coincidences—most ofthem wildly improbable. Readers happilyaccepted the fact that an obscure maidservantwas really the hero's mother.
1.We are less credulous than we used to be.
我們不再像以往那樣輕易相信別人了。
語言點1:句子結構分析:less…than引導比較狀語從句。
語言點2:used to be的意思是“過去曾經是”。
2.In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion bypresenting his readers with a series of coincidences—most of them wildly improbable.
在19世紀,小說家常在小說結尾處給讀者準備一系列的巧合—大部分是牽強附會,極不可能的。
語言點1:句子結構分析: by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences作方式狀語,交代如何“給小說結尾”,破折號后面的內容起進一步解釋說明的作用。
語言點2:wildly improbable的意思是“極其不可能的”,比impossible的程度更深。
3.Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero'smother.
當時的讀者卻愉快地接受這樣一些事實,一個低賤的女傭實際上是主人公的母親。
語言點1:句子結構分析:that引導同位語從句,解釋說明fact是什么。
語言點2:請?zhí)貏e注意,本句中的hero不做“英雄”來理解,而是指“主人公”。