---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-2/53-hot-snake.md
description: 新概念英语第二册：Hot snake。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 53 · 触电的蛇

### 第1段

At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California. Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began. Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away. Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to find any broken glass. They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire. This morning, however, a fireman accidentally discovered the cause. He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line. In this way, he was able to solve the mystery. The explanation was simple but very unusual. A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires. The snake then wound itself round the wires. When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire.

中文理解：消防员终于扑灭了加利福尼亚的一场森林大火，此后一直在调查起火原因。 森林火灾常由碎玻璃或人们随手扔掉的烟头引起。昨天，消防员仔细检查了地面，却没找到碎玻璃，也能肯定不是烟头惹的祸。 不过，今天早上，一名消防员意外发现了原因：一条蛇的残骸缠在一根一万六千伏的高压电线上。 这个发现解开了谜团。原因很简单，却十分少见。 一只鸟从地上抓起蛇，后来把它掉在电线上。蛇缠住电线，火星随之落到地面，立刻引发了火灾。

* **put out**：扑灭；熄灭；表示扑灭或熄灭；不要与 put off 推迟混淆。

* **find out**：查明；得知；重在查明信息；寻找一件物品通常说 look for。

* **caused by**：由……引起；by引出导致事件的因素，与结果区分。

* **throw away**：扔掉；代词放中间，如throw it away。

* **solve the mystery**：解开谜团；solve接待解决的问题或谜团，不说improve a mystery。

* **started a fire**：引起一场火灾；生火；原句指引燃火灾；野营语境也可指生火。

#### At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California.

简单句，主谓宾结构.

\[关键句型] 本课主要复习英语的时态，我们会额外讲解一些时态情况. 本句是现在完成时，have done，只不过put 的过去式和过去分词均不变.

#### Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began.

简单句，主谓宾结构，宾语本身可以这样理解to find out how the fire began. 本句为现在完成进行时，仍然在进行大火来源工作.

#### Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away.

复合句，主句主谓结构，后面是which 引导的定语从句，为主谓宾结构，which 本身既作引导词，又作这个从句的宾语. 顺便复习一下：throw-threw-thrown.

#### Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to find any broken glass.

并列句，but 连接前后两句，表转折，两句均为主谓宾结构，也都是一般过去时.

#### They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.

复合句，主句主系表结构，后面是that 引导的宾语从句，主谓宾结构. 一般过去时. 本句end 作名词，末端之意，该词有很多意思，值得你查字典予以积累.

#### He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line.

复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，remains 在这里作遗体之意，后面是which 引导的定语从句，主系表结构，这里wound 是wind 的过去分词，wind 在这里是表示“缠绕”的动词（读音 /waɪnd/），与名词“风”（/wɪnd/）需区分；wound 是过去分词，可结合上下文理解为被缠绕后的状态，表示这个死蛇呈现什么状态，并且用round the wires 作地点状语额外说明了是在哪呈现的这个状态.

数字表达加逗号，可以复习第15课第\[4]段的讲解.

#### The explanation was simple but very unusual.

并列句，均为主系表结构，不过but 连接的后句省略了主系部分. 本句为一般过去时.

#### A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires.

并列句，均为主谓宾结构，and 连接的后句省略了主语a bird. 本句为过去完成时，是had + done 形式.

#### The snake then wound itself round the wires.

简单句，主谓宾结构，这里的wound 则是动词的过去式，作谓语，而后面round the wires 则修饰该动词，讲清楚是怎么缠绕的. 注意与第7句相区别. 本句为一般过去时.

#### When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire.

并列复合句，and 连接两句，前句为复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，有一个 when 引导的时间状语从句，其中 did 承接前文缠绕电线的动作，so 是替代该动作的表达，不宜把 so 当成普通名词宾语；后面是简单句，主谓宾结构. 本句为一般过去时.

## 学完这一课

先沿这条线复述《触电的蛇》：灭火之后查原因 → 常见原因都排除了 → 电线上的蛇提供线索 → 找到罕见的解释 → 还原火灾怎样发生。再借一个结构讲自己的事：本句更关心做了多久，还是完成了多少？换自己的学习过程说一句。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-2/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第129—130页，2022年3月第1版。*