---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-2/56-faster-than-sound.md
description: 新概念英语第二册：Faster than sound!。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 56 · 比声音还快！

### 第1段

Once a year, a race is held for old cars. A lot of cars entered for this race last year and there was a great deal of excitement just before it began. One of the most handsome cars was a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The most unusual car was a Benz which had only three wheels. Built in 1885, it was the oldest car taking part. After a great many loud explosions, the race began. Many of the cars broke down on the course and some drivers spent more time under their cars than in them! A few cars, however, completed the race. The winning car reached a speed of forty miles an hour — much faster than any of its rivals. It sped downhill at the end of the race and its driver had a lot of trouble trying to stop it. The race gave everyone a great deal of pleasure. It was very different from modern car races but no less exciting.

中文理解：每年都会举行一次老爷车比赛。去年，许多车报名参加，开赛前，现场就已经热闹非凡。 最漂亮的车中，有一辆劳斯莱斯“银魅”。最不寻常的则是一辆只有三个轮子的奔驰，它造于1885年，是参赛车辆中最老的一辆。 伴着一阵又一阵巨大的爆响，比赛开始了。许多车半路抛锚，有些司机钻在车底修车的时间，比坐在车里的时间还长！ 不过，还是有几辆车跑完了全程。冠军车达到了每小时四十英里，比其他车快多了。临近终点，它飞快地冲下坡，司机费了好大劲才把它停住。 大家都看得很开心。这种比赛和现代赛车很不一样，却同样让人兴奋。

* **Once a year**：每年一次；频率结构，不等于for a year持续一年。

* **a great deal of**：大量；接time或excitement等，不直接接可数复数people。

* **taking part**：参加；参与；表示参加活动；语境清楚时可以只说 take part。

* **broke down**：发生故障；本课指机械故障；后面不直接接被损坏物作宾语。

* **reached a speed of**：达到……的速度；reach后直接接速度，不加to。

* **no less exciting**：同样令人兴奋；强调程度不逊色，不是更不兴奋。

#### Once a year, a race is held for old cars.

简单句，主谓结构，被动语态，比赛是被举办的.

#### A lot of cars entered for this race last year and there was a great deal of excitement just before it began.

并列复合句，and 连接前后两句，前句为简单句，主谓宾结构；后句为there be 句型，后跟一个before 引导的时间状语从句，主谓结构.

#### One of the most handsome cars was a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.

简单句，主系表结构。one of the most handsome cars 指“最漂亮的汽车之一”，表示该车属于最好看的那一组，而不是唯一最漂亮的一辆。中文可自然表达，但应保留这一非唯一的范围。

教材中的 silver ghost 为银魅，silver spirit 为银灵，是不同的劳斯莱斯车型名称。专有名词译名须结合所指对象核查，不能互相混用。

#### The most unusual car was a Benz which had only three wheels.

复合句，主句主系表结构，后面跟了which 引导的定语从句，主谓宾结构.

#### Built in 1885, it was the oldest car taking part.

简单句，主系表结构.

#### After a great many loud explosions, the race began.

简单句，主谓结构.

#### Many of the cars broke down on the course and some drivers spent more time under their cars than in them!

并列句，and 连接两句，前句为主谓结构；后句为主谓宾结构. 这里under 和in 都用了斜体，表示强调，under the car 即躺在车底修车，类似于阿杜唱的“我应该在车底，不应该在车里”.

break down 这个词组值得查字典积累多项意思.

\[关键句型] 用于比较关系的表达，本句用 more…than… 比较修车与坐车的时间；a few 表示“有几辆”，本身不是比较级，最后一句则用 no less exciting 表示“同样精彩”，并没有 as。

#### A few cars, however, completed the race.

简单句，主谓宾结构.

#### The winning car reached a speed of forty miles an hour — much faster than any of its rivals.

简单句，主谓宾结构，破折号后是补充性的比较表达，much faster than any of its rivals 意为“比任何对手都快得多”，不必硬性当作与 speed 同指的名词性同位语。

#### It sped downhill at the end of the race and its driver had a lot of trouble trying to stop it.

并列句，and 连接前后两句，前句为主谓结构；后句为主谓宾结构. 其中speed 也可用作动词，to move along quickly 快速前行，该词的过去式有两种，第一个是本句使用的sped，另一个则是speeded. 最后的trying…是现在分词短语作方式状语.

#### The race gave everyone a great deal of pleasure.

简单句，主谓宾结构，give 后面接双宾语，本句的教材翻译都不是很通顺“使每个人都挺开心”，我们稍微做了些修改.

#### It was very different from modern car races but no less exciting.

并列句，but 连接前后两句，均为主系表结构，尤其是后句，省略了主系部分. 关于后句的翻译，教材太复杂了，这里直接四个字搞定.

## 学完这一课

先沿这条线复述《比声音还快！》：一年一度的老爷车赛 → 两辆特别的车 → 比赛开始，故障不断 → 冠军冲得快，停不住 → 老比赛也很精彩。再借一个结构讲自己的事：选一个本课或自己的经历，说明它在哪个范围突出、凭什么突出。

[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136—137页，2022年3月第1版。*