许国璋英语-许国璋电视英语第二十五课上

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[size=3][b]课文：[/b][/size]
[size=3][b] THE LARGEST AND MOST POPULOUS
Asia is the largest of the continents of the world. It is larger than Africa, larger than either of the two Americas, and four times as large as Europe. Asia and Europe form a huge land mass. Indeed Europe is so much smaller than Asia that some geographers regard Europe as a peninsula of Asia.
Many geographers say that the Ural Mountains form the dividing line between Europe and Asia. Some think differently. But all geographers agree that Asia was once linked to North America. Or, to be more exact, Alaska was at one time connected with the tip of Siberia. The ancestors of American Indians, geographers say, were Asians. 30,000 years ago they went across the land bridge and settled down in new homes.
Only a small canal separates Africa from Asia. But before the Suez Canal was cut in 1869, Asia was also linked to Africa.
The highest point of the earth is in Asia. This is the peak of the Himalaya Mountains. It is over 8,848 metres high. At this altitude, the air is very thin and the weather is uncertain. So the climbing is very difficult. People take great pride in getting to that peak.
The world's great religions originated from Asia: Buddhism from India, Christianity from Palestine, Islam from Arabia. Today Buddhism and Islam are the principal religions of much of Asia.
Asia is also the most populous continent. China, the country with the largest population in the world, is in Asia. One half of the world's population are Asians.
A Chinese is an Asian, a Japanese is an Asian, and an Indian is an Asian. So is an Iranian, a Palestinian, an Iraqi, a Filipino, a Singaporean. A meeting of Asians is usually a large gathering. The Asian Games meet every four years, sometimes with as many as nations taking part.
There was a time when Asia led the world in civilization. Today most of the Asian countries are still developing countries. They are working very hard to catch up in science and technology. They must. They have little time to lose.[/b][/size]
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[size=3][b]课文译文：[/b][/size]
[size=3][b] 面积最大人口最多的洲
亚洲是世界第一大洲。它比非洲大，比北美洲大，也比南美洲大，它有四个欧洲那样大。亚洲和欧洲连成一片广大的陆地。与亚洲相比，欧洲确实太小，有些地理学家把欧洲看作亚洲的一个半岛。
许多地理学家认为，乌拉尔山脉是欧亚两洲的分界线。有些地理学家不这么想。但是地理学家一致认为，亚洲和北美洲曾经是连在一起的，或者更确切地说，阿拉斯加曾经和西伯利亚的东端（顶端）连在一起。地理学家们认为，美洲印第安人的祖先是亚洲人。三万年前，他们跨过连接两洲的地峡，在美洲建立了新居。
把亚洲和非洲分隔开来的不过是一条不大的运河，而在这条苏伊士运河1869年开凿之前，亚洲与非洲也是连在一起的。
地球的最高点在亚洲，这就是喜马拉雅山脉的顶峰，高8848米以上。在这样高度上，空气十分稀薄，气候变幻无常，因此攀登非常困难。人们以能登上这座山峰而感到自豪。
世界上的几大宗教起源于亚洲：佛教源于印度，基督教源于巴勒斯坦，伊斯兰教源于阿拉伯。今天，佛教和伊斯兰教是亚洲许多国家和地区的主要宗教。
亚洲又是人口最多的洲。中国，这个世界上人口最多的国家就是在亚洲。世界人口的一半是亚洲人。
中国人是亚洲人，日本人是亚洲人，印度人是亚洲人，伊朗人、巴勒斯坦人、伊拉克人、菲律宾人、新加坡人也是亚洲人。亚洲人的聚会往往是大型集会。亚运会每四年举行一次，参加的国家有时多达34个。
过去，亚洲的文明进程曾一度居世界领先地位。今天，亚洲多数国家仍然是发展中国家。这些国家的人民正在勤奋工作，以求在科学和技术方面赶上去。他们一定要赶上去。他们必须抓紧时间。[/b][/size]

[size=3][b]课文讲解：[/b][/size]
[size=3][b] NOTES TO THE TEXT[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]The largest and most populous
课文以亚洲的两项世界之最冠以标题，非常醒目。这两项世界之最是：the largest and most populous，这是课文的标题，意思是“面积最大，人口最多”。
largest和most populous分别是形容词large和populous的最高级形式。形容词的最高级前通常要加定冠词the。most populous前省略了定冠词the，因为它和largest是并列成分，共用一个定冠词。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Asia is the largest of the continents of the world.
Asia是具体的洲名，前面不加定冠词；largest和介词of之间实际上省略了continent，因为of引导的比较范围中已经提到了continent。
the continents指的是世界上的七大洲，课文中已经提到了五个，另外两个分别是：Antarctica 和 Oceania。
Asia is the largest of the continents of the world. 也可以换一种方法来表达：Asia is the largest continent in the world.[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]It is larger than Africa, larger than either of the two Americas, and four times as large as Europe.
either是代词，表示两者之一。
这句中用了两种形式的比较结构，一种是“比较级 + than”，比如句中的larger than；另一种是“as + 形容词（副词）原级 + as”，如句中的as large as。
four times在这里的意思是“四倍”，作as ... as ... 结构的修饰语，要放在as ... as ... 结构之前。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Indeed Europe is so much smaller than Asia that some geographers regard Europe as a peninsula of Asia.
这句话中的比较结构是smaller than，much是程度副词，修饰smaller，意思是“小得多”。
这句中有一个so...that...句型，表示“如此……以致……”，that用以连接表示结果的从句，口语中可以省略that。例如：
Her voice is so weak that I can't hear it. 她声音轻得我都听不见。（这里的so修饰形容词weak）
He walked so fast that we couldn't catch up with him. 他走得太快了，我们跟不上。（so在这里修饰副词fast）
regard as是一个习惯搭配的词组，意思是“把……看作是……”。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Many geographers say that the Ural Mountains form the dividing line between Europe and Asia.
the Ural Mountains是指乌拉尔山脉，它位于东欧平原和新西伯利亚平原之间，一般被看作亚欧两洲的分界线。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Some think differently. 但有些地理学家不这么认为。
这里的some是指some geographers。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]But all geographers agree that Asia was once linked to North America.
这句话中用了被动语态was linked，link常与介词to连用，to表示连接的对象。once表示“曾经、一度”。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Or, to be more exact, Alaska was at one time connected with the tip of Siberia.
注意：or在这里不表示选择，而是用来引导同义语，相当于汉语中的“即、那就是、或者说”。
to be more exact是插入语。
at one time和上句中的once意思是相同的。
was connected with和上句中的was linked to意思也相同，这里也是被动语态的用法。 connect要用with搭配，同样的意思用不同的词来表达能使行文富于变化，而不至于单调。
阿拉斯加位于北美洲的西北角，而西伯利亚位于亚洲的北部，所以说阿拉斯加曾经和西伯利亚相连，也就是说亚洲曾经和北美洲相连。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]The ancestors of American Indians, geographers say, were Asians.
这句话中geographers say是插入语，作附加说明。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Only a small canal separates Africa from Asia.
separate from 是一个习惯搭配词组。例如：
Theory should not be separated from practice. 理论不应该脱离实践。
Can you separate silk from satin? 你能区分丝绸和缎子吗？
The paper has separated from the wall. 纸从墙上脱落下来了。（这里separate用作不及物动词）
a small canal指的是the Suez Canal 苏伊士运河，它位于埃及境内的东北部，穿过苏伊士地峡，连接红海和地中海。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]It is over 8,848 metres high.
这句中的it指代前一句中提到过的 the peak of the Himalaya Mountains，over 8,848 metres是作high的修饰语；介词over在这里的意思是“超过、在……以上”。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]This is the peak of the Himalaya Moutains.
the peak of the Himalaya Mountains指的就是珠穆朗玛峰，“珠穆朗玛”在藏语中的意思是“女神第三”，但西方人通常把这世界第一高峰称为“埃佛勒斯峰”，英文中是：Mount Everest。
1858年印度测量局在英国人的主持下，根据英国地理学家Jeodge Everest的姓氏命名了这座山峰，1952年中国政府将这座山峰正名为“珠穆朗玛峰”。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]People take great pride in getting to that peak.
take pride in 是一个习用短语，意思是 “以……为自豪 ”，后面要跟名词或动名词短语， getting to that peak是一个动名词短语，get to意思是“到达”。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]The world's great religions originated from Asia: Buddhism from India, Christianity from Palestine, Islam from Arabia.
世界三大宗教都发源于亚洲，并且具体说明了它们的发源地。
originated from是一个动词短语，意思是“发源于”；冒号后面的三个并列部分中，介词from前面都省略了动词originated，这样句子的意思同样清楚而又不显得累赘。
具体的宗教名称是专有名词，第一个字母要大写，不加冠词。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]China, the country with the largest population in the world, is in Asia.
the country with the largest population in the world是China的同位语；介词with在这里表示“具有、带有”的意思，介词短语修饰the country.[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]So is an Iranian, a Palestinian, an Iraqi, a Filipino, a Singaporean.
这句话中so是代词，代替上一句中的an Asian，so用在句首起到了承上启下的作用，但这种情况下如果主语不是人称代词的话，主谓语序一般要颠倒。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]The Asian Games meet every four years, sometimes with as many as 34 nations taking part.
介词with在这里用来引导伴随情况。例如：
With prices going up, I find it hard to make ends meet. 物价在不断上涨，我觉得难以维持开销了。（make ends meet是一个习用短语，意思是“使收支相抵”）
He lay in bed with his eyes open. 他睁着眼睛躺在床上。
He stood there with his hands in his pockets. 他站在那儿，两手插在口袋里。
take part是一个动词短语，意思是“参加”，take在这里用的是现在分词形式taking。
as ... as ... 结构在这里起修饰作用，修饰后面的“34 nations”。as many as意思是“多达”。例如：
He has lived there for as long as ten years. 他在那儿住了长达10年的时间。
The weather was as hot as 40℃. 气温高达摄氏40度。[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]There was a time when Asia led the world in civilization.
there was a time意思是“曾经有过一段时间”。 when 引导的句子是一个定语从句，修饰 time，说明是一段什么样的时间。led是动词lead的过去式，in表示“在……方面”。[/b][/size]