---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/26-the-past-life-of-the-earth.md
description: 新概念英语第四册：The Past Life of the Earth。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 26 · 地球上的昔日生命

### 第1段

It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.
But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them. After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided. The remains of plants and animals that lived on land are much more rarely preserved, for there is seldom anything to cover them over. When you think of the innumerable birds that one sees flying about, not to mention the equally numerous small animals like field mice and voles which you do not see, it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body, except, of course, on the roads. They decompose and are quickly destroyed by the weather or eaten by some other creature.
It is almost always due to some very special circumstances that traces of land animals survive, as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse, like the Siberian mammoths, when the whole animal is sometimes preserved, as in a refrigerator. This is what happened to the famous Beresovka mammoth which was found preserved and in good condition. In his mouth were the remains of fir trees— the last meal that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back. The mammoth has now been restored in the Paleontological Museum in St. Petersburg. Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed cats, and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles. Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits, and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar. And then, when they were dead, the carnivores, like the sabre-toothed cats and the giant wolves, came out to feed and suffered exactly the same fate. There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar as well.

中文理解：生活在水中或水边的动植物，其遗骸最有可能保存下来，因为保存遗骸的必要条件之一，是迅速被掩埋。只有在泥沙不断沉积的海洋、河流，有时也包括湖泊中，遗体之类的东西才有可能很快被覆盖并保存。
不过，即使条件最有利，死去的生物也只有极少数能在开始腐烂之前，或者更可能是在被食腐动物吃掉之前，以这种方式保存下来。毕竟，一切生物都靠其他东西维生，不管那是植物还是动物，是死的还是活的；能避开被吃掉的命运，只能靠偶然。陆生动植物的遗体更难保存，因为通常没有什么东西能把它们覆盖起来。想想空中那些数不清的鸟，再想想同样众多、只是你看不见的田鼠等小动物：除了道路上，我们却极少遇到它们的尸体。尸体会腐烂，很快被风雨侵蚀，或者被其他生物吃掉。
陆生动物的遗骸能留存下来，几乎总是因为某些极特殊的情形，例如掉进人迹难至的洞穴，或者跌入冰隙。西伯利亚猛犸象就是如此，有时整只动物会像放进冰箱一样保存下来。著名的别列佐夫卡猛犸象就是这样，发现时仍保存完好。它嘴里还有冷杉的残余，那是它跌进冰隙、摔断脊背之前吃的最后一餐。这只猛犸象如今已在圣彼得堡的古生物学博物馆复原展示。还有些动物陷进天然沥青坑，例如在兰乔拉布雷亚发现的大象、剑齿猫和许多其他动物；那里现在只是洛杉矶的一片郊区。事情大概是这样的：沥青坑上积了水，大象等大型动物以为表面坚实，便走上去喝水，立刻陷入沥青。等它们死后，剑齿猫、巨狼等食肉动物又赶来进食，也遭到同样的命运。沥青中还保存着数不清的鸟。

* **most likely to**：最有可能；说概率倾向，不是必然结果。

* **necessary conditions**：必要条件；必要不等于充分，满足一个条件仍可能失败。

* **quick burial**：迅速掩埋；undefined

* **continuously deposited**：不断沉积的；undefined

* **covered over**：被覆盖住；over强调盖住表面，与资料涵盖范围不同。

* **favourable circumstances**：有利条件；有利条件提高机会，不保证结果。

* **a small fraction**：很小一部分；undefined

* **in this way**：用这种方式；回指刚才说明的方法；必须让人知道 this way 是哪一种方式。

* **decay sets in**：腐烂开始；用于不希望的状况开始出现，常说衰败、恶劣天气。

* **feeding on**：以……为食；on引出食物，feed something to则说喂给。

* **by chance**：偶然地；discover / meet by chance；与 by design 对照。

* **not to mention**：更不用说；这里在已说之外补充，别误读成真的不能提。

* **comes across**：偶然遇见；区别于专门寻找，也不同于come about发生。

* **traces of**：……的痕迹；undefined

* **inaccessible caves**：难以进入的洞穴；undefined

* **in good condition**：保存完好；描述状态，不等于原本生活条件优越。

* **the last meal**：最后一餐；undefined

* **were trapped**：被困住；in说明困住的环境，不是主动留下。

* **apparently firm**：看似坚实的；undefined

* **suffered exactly the same fate**：遭遇完全相同的命运；通常用于不好的结局，fate前可加same。

* **endless numbers**：数不清的数量；undefined

#### It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.

1-1. It is… whose…

复合句，我们分成两个句子予以分析. 第一句为 it is… whose 的强调句，强调的是生活在水中或水域附近的动植物，被强调部分以 which 所引导的定语从句修饰动植物.

该强调句还原为非强调句可写为 The remains (of animals and plants) (which lived \[in or near water]) are \[most] likely to be preserved.

for 引导的原因状语从句中，为主系表结构. 1-2. and it is only… that…

本句是 it is… that 强调句，强调地点海河湖泊，第一句为 it is whose 的强调句，中间带有一个 where 引导的地点状语从句，该从句是主谓结构. that 后面这句可以看成主系表结构，表语由过去分词（词组）担任.

#### But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them.

复合句，主句主谓结构，后面有两个 before 引导的时间状语从句，两个状语从句是并列关系.

#### After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided.

并列复合句，第一句主句为主谓结构，后面接了 whether 引导的让步状语从句.

第二句 and 后面为 it is that 强调句型，主句为主系表结构.

#### After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a fate is avoided. The remains of plants and animals that lived on land are much more rarely preserved, for there is seldom anything to cover them over.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，后面有 for 引导的原因状语从句.

#### When you think of the innumerable birds that one sees flying about, not to mention the equally numerous small animals like field mice and voles which you do not see, it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body, except, of course, on the roads.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，it 为形式主语，that 从句为真正的主语.

前面的时间状语从句为主谓宾结构，包含 that 引导的定语从句修饰 birds，该句为主谓宾+宾补结构，另外还有一个 which 引导的定语从句修饰 small animals.

#### They decompose and are quickly destroyed by the weather or eaten by some other creature.

并列句，第一句为主谓结构，就是 they decompose，第二句为省略了 they 的主谓结构.

#### It is almost always due to some very special circumstances that traces of land animals survive, as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse, like the Siberian mammoths, when the whole animal is sometimes preserved, as in a refrigerator.

复合句，主句为主谓结构，后面有 when 引导的时间状语从句.

主句为 it is that 强调句，里面含有 as 引导的方式状语从句，as by 中间省了 as they survive by…

时间状语从句中，主句为主系表结构，含有一个 as 引导的方式状语从句，as in 中 间省略了 as it is preserved in…

#### This is what happened to the famous Beresovka mammoth which was found preserved and in good condition.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，表语由 what 引导的从句担任，该表语从句中，含有一个 which 引导的定语从句，定语从句为主谓+主补结构.

#### In his mouth were the remains of fir trees— the last meal that he had before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back.

复合句，主句为主系表倒装结构，后面是一个同位语，该同位语由 that 引导的定语从句修饰，后面还有一个 before 引导的时间状语从句.

#### The mammoth has now been restored in the Paleontological Museum in St. Petersburg.

简单句，主谓结构. 教材翻译平白无故冒出了已修复，可是英语中并没有交待.

#### Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed cats, and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles.

复合句，主谓结构. 后面 that 引导的定语从句修饰 like 引导的定语，一系列的动物. that 引导的定语从句是主谓+地点状语.

后面 which 引导的定语从句为主系表结构，修饰 that 从句的地点状语.

#### Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed cats, and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which is now just a suburb of Los Angeles. Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits, and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，主语为 what 引导的主语从句担任，为主谓结构. 表语由 that 引导的从句担任.

该表语从句中含有两个独立的句子，其中第二个句子为并列句，主语均为 the bigger animals.

#### And then, when they were dead, the carnivores, like the sabre-toothed cats and the giant wolves, came out to feed and suffered exactly the same fate.

复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，为并列句，第二个谓语 suffered 省略了主语 the carnivores.

前面有一个由 when 引导的时间状语从句，为主系表结构.

#### There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar as well.

there be 句型.

also 和 as well 两个表达“也”的词语连用，一般来说在语法上算重复，但这里 as well 可以理解为一个省略句，还原为 There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar which suffered the same fate as well.

## 学完这一课

说明一种现象容易出现的环境，再补一句概率限制。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/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104—107页，2022年2月第2版。*