---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/38-water-and-the-traveller.md
description: 新概念英语第四册：Water and the Traveller。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 38 · 水和旅行者

### 第1段

Contamination of water supplies is usually due to poor sanitation close to water sources, sewage disposal into the sources themselves, leakage of sewage into distribution systems, or contamination with industrial or farm waste. Even if a piped water supply is safe at its source, it is not always safe by the time it reaches the tap. Intermittent tap water supplies should be regarded as particularly suspect.
Travellers on short trips to areas with water supplies of uncertain quality should avoid drinking tap water, or untreated water from any other source. It is best to keep to hot drinks, bottled or canned drinks of well-known brand names—international standards of water treatment are usually followed at bottling plants. Carbonated drinks are acidic, and slightly safer. Make sure that all bottles are opened in your presence, and that their rims are clean and dry.
Boiling is always a good way of treating water. Some hotels supply boiled water on request and this can be used for drinking, or for brushing teeth. Portable boiling elements that can boil small quantities of water are useful when the right voltage of electricity is available. Refuse politely any cold drink from an unknown source.
Ice is only as safe as the water from which it is made, and should not be put in drinks unless it is known to be safe. Drinks can be cooled by placing them on ice, rather than by adding ice to them.
Alcohol may be a medical disinfectant, but should not be relied upon to sterilize water. Ethanol is more effective at a concentration of 50-70%; below 20%, its bactericidal action is negligible. Spirits labelled 95 proof contain only about 47% alcohol. Beware of methyl alcohol, which is very poisonous and should never be added to drinking water.
If no other safe water supply can be obtained, tap water that is too hot to touch can be left to cool and is generally safe to drink. Those planning a trip to remote areas, or intending to live in countries where drinking water is not readily available, should know about the various possible methods for making water safe.

中文理解：供水受到污染，通常是因为水源附近卫生条件差、污水直接排入水源、污水渗进输水系统，或者水受到工业和农业废物污染。即使自来水在水源处是安全的，到达水龙头时也未必仍然安全。尤其需要警惕的是时断时续的自来水供应。
短期前往供水质量不明的地区旅行，应避免喝自来水，也不要喝任何其他来源的未经处理的水。最好选择热饮，以及知名品牌的瓶装或罐装饮料，因为灌装厂通常遵循国际水处理标准。碳酸饮料呈酸性，相对稍安全一些。要确保所有瓶子都当着你的面开启，瓶口边缘也保持清洁、干燥。
把水烧开，一向是处理水的好办法。有些酒店可以应要求提供开水，用来饮用或刷牙。只要当地电源电压合适，能烧开少量水的便携式电热器就很实用。对于来源不明的冷饮，应当礼貌地谢绝。
冰块是否安全，取决于制冰的水是否安全；除非确认安全，否则不要把它加进饮料。可以把饮料容器放在冰上降温，而不是直接往饮料里加冰。
酒精虽然可以作医用消毒剂，却不能依赖它给饮用水消毒。乙醇在百分之五十到百分之七十的浓度下较有效；低于百分之二十，杀菌作用便微乎其微。标着“95 proof”的烈酒，酒精含量其实只有约百分之四十七。尤其要警惕甲醇，它有剧毒，绝不能加入饮用水。
如果找不到其他安全水源，烫得不能碰的自来水可以放凉，通常可以安全饮用。打算前往偏远地区，或者到不容易获得安全饮用水的国家居住的人，应当了解各种可能的水处理方法。

* **water supplies**：供水；可指多处来源，也可指整体供应系统。

* **due to**：由于；因为；后面接原因，不直接接完整陈述句；because 后面才可直接接主语和谓语。

* **poor sanitation**：卫生条件差；undefined

* **sewage disposal**：污水排放处置；排放与处理不是同一过程，注意区别。

* **distribution systems**：输送分配系统；undefined

* **by the time**：到……的时候；先确定参照点，再看另一件事到那时已完成还是仍在持续。

* **particularly suspect**：尤其可疑；suspect在这里是形容词，不是犯罪嫌疑人。

* **of uncertain quality**：质量不明的；用of描述性质；不明不等于已经证实有害。

* **keep to**：只采用；坚持使用；文中说限定选择范围，不是保持某物。

* **well-known brand names**：知名品牌；undefined

* **in your presence**：当着你的面；说明在场条件，不表示被某人授权。

* **on request**：应要求提供；on说明在提出请求时，不是应命令行事。

* **small quantities**：少量；可用于水等不可数物质，不等于a few water。

* **Refuse politely**：礼貌谢绝；拒绝对象为名词；拒绝做用refuse to do。

* **rather than**：而不是；两端结构尽量平行，明确替代的两种选择。

* **medical disinfectant**：医用消毒剂；undefined

* **relied upon**：被依赖；文中是否定依赖某方法，注意should not。

* **at a concentration of**：浓度为；说明混合物比例，不是摄入剂量。

* **should never be added**：绝不能加入；保留never的完全否定；这里只学句法，不替代安全指引。

* **remote areas**：偏远地区；undefined

* **not readily available**：不容易获得；undefined

#### Contamination of water supplies is usually due to poor sanitation close to water sources, sewage disposal into the sources themselves, leakage of sewage into distribution systems, or contamination with industrial or farm waste.

简单句，主谓宾结构. 其中 systems, or contamination 中间的逗号为原著所加，教材没有逗号，此处补上.

#### Even if a piped water supply is safe at its source, it is not always safe by the time it reaches the tap.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，even if 引导的让步状语从句亦为主系表结构. 后面有一个定语从句修饰 time.

#### Intermittent tap water supplies should be regarded as particularly suspect.

简单句，主谓+主补结构. tap-water 的连接符，原著改版中删除. as particularly suspect 原著改为 as suspect，删掉了 particularly.

这里间歇性供水方式，在水处理能力不足的地区较常采用，每天只有某个时间段供应，其余时间停水. Intermittent water supply is a piped water supply service (delivering water to users) \[for less than 24 hours] \[in one day], and is used \[when the available supply and/or the hydraulic capacities (of the water supply system) are \[too] weak.]本句为并列复合句，以 and 连接，前句为主系表结构，现在分词短语作后置定语，and 后句则省略了

\[1] 世界卫生组织信息共享数据库 https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/53419 \[2] https://sswm.info/sswm-university-course/module-2-centralised-and-decentralised-systems-water-and-sanitation-1/intermittent-water-distribution 主语，有一个 when 引导的时间状语从句，为主系表结构.

#### Travellers on short trips to areas with water supplies of uncertain quality should avoid drinking tap water, or untreated water from any other source.

主语是 Travellers，谓语是 should avoid，drinking…作 avoid 的宾语。on short trips…与 to areas…补充旅行和地点信息。

如果迁移成祈使句，可以省略主语 you，例如 Check the details before you reply。省略主语不等于“没有主句”；不要把不同版本的改写混成本文原句。

#### It is best to keep to hot drinks, bottled or canned drinks of well-known brand names—international standards of water treatment are usually followed at bottling plants.

It 作形式主语，to keep to…说明作者认为较好的做法；破折号后补充作者给出的理由。

are usually followed 是一般现在时的被动，usually 仍保留频率限制。理解句法不代表这项历史材料中的安全判断已经得到现实验证。

#### Carbonated drinks are acidic, and slightly safer.

同一个主语 Carbonated drinks 配两个表语：acidic 与 slightly safer。第二项省略重复的 are。

slightly 只修饰比较级 safer，程度有限，也不等于“安全”。比较基准要放回前文讨论的饮品；本课不从这些词推导现实饮水操作。

#### Make sure that all bottles are opened in your presence, and that their rims are clean and dry.

Make sure 是省略主语 you 的祈使句，不是“没有主句”。后接两个由 and 连接的 that 宾语从句。

第一项 all bottles are opened…说开启的动作，第二项 their rims are clean and dry 说瓶口状态；their 回指 all bottles。两项都属于 make sure 所要求核对的内容。

#### Boiling is always a good way of treating water.

简单句，主系表结构.

#### Some hotels supply boiled water on request and this can be used for drinking, or for brushing teeth.

并列句，两句均为主谓（宾）结构. boiled 的意思是烧开了的，凉白开.

#### Portable boiling elements that can boil small quantities of water are useful when the right voltage of electricity is available.

复合句，主句主系表结构. that 引导的定语从句为主谓宾结构，修饰 elements. when 引导的时间状语从句为主系表结构. 原著新版将此句予以删除，或许因为自带电热水壶出国旅游并不实用.

#### Refuse politely any cold drink from an unknown source.

简单句，主谓结构.

#### Ice is only as safe as the water from which it is made, and should not be put in drinks unless it is known to be safe.

复合句，and 连接两个句子，前句主系表结构，跟了一个定语从句，主谓结构. and 后句省略了主语 ice，主谓宾结构，跟一个 unless 引导的条件状语从句，主谓+主语补语.

#### Drinks can be cooled by placing them on ice, rather than by adding ice to them.

简单句，主谓结构. 教材中 rather than 后面的 by 省略了，原著新版补上了. 补上第二个 by 之后明显更为规范，本文予以订正. 由此亦可见，很多的省略表达，是思维上共用了介词，但在之后的检查中，还是按照语法规范予以补上.

有些地方的冰块制作环境实属恶劣，所以之前在印度旅游坚决不喝非预制的密封冷饮.

#### Alcohol may be a medical disinfectant, but should not be relied upon to sterilize water.

并列句，前句主系表结构，后句主谓结构，省略了主语.

#### Ethanol is more effective at a concentration of 50-70%; below 20%, its bactericidal action is negligible.

并列句，两句以分号相隔，均为主系表结构. 教材中的百分号均写为 per cent，原著中均直接使用%.

#### Spirits labelled 95 proof contain only about 47% alcohol.

主干是 Spirits contain alcohol…。proof 在这里是酒精度标示词，不能直接当作百分比符号。

本课借浓度讨论说明酒类含酒精不等于可以依赖它处理饮水。本节用于理解原文与单位表达，不从旧教材的数字推导现实饮水操作；请结合课前历史资料提示阅读。

#### Beware of methyl alcohol, which is very poisonous and should never be added to drinking water.

复合句，主谓结构，which 引导的定语从句为并列结构，前句为主系表结构，后句为省略了 which 的主谓结构. 新版中将 poisonous 后面的逗号删去了，这样更有利于理解 which 引导的定语从句是到句末的，而不是到 poisonous. 因为 beware of methyl alcohol 所省略的主语 you，跟 and 后面 should never be added 所省略的主语 methyl alcohol 不同.

原著新版将教材中 methylated alcohol 甲基化酒精改为了 methyl alcohol 甲醇，更为准确，一般所说的工业假酒，就是甲醇，所以指南建议大家不要喝到假酒. 考虑到读者会背诵无数遍，我采用了新版指南的表述.

#### If no other safe water supply can be obtained, tap water that is too hot to touch can be left to cool and is generally safe to drink.

复合句，主句为并列结构，主谓结构以及主系表结构.

if 引导的条件状语从句为主谓结构，that 引导的定语从句修饰 tap water，为主系表结构.

#### Those planning a trip to remote areas, or intending to live in countries where drinking water is not readily available, should know about the various possible methods for making water safe.

复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，其中有一个 where 引导的定语从句，修饰 countries，为主系表结构.

本句原著新版简化为 Travellers should understand the various possible methods for making water safe. 且另起了一段.

## 学完这一课

用Even if…not always…说明流程中条件可能改变。

[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164—168页，2022年2月第2版。*