托尔金为我们勾勒了一个中土世界,在这个世界中有人类、矮人、精灵、巫师等各种物种,充满贪婪与狡诈,却仍有那么一群人为正义和善良而战。
解析:How could the world go back to the way it was, when so much bad had happened?后一句为过去完成时,用来指在另一个过去行动之前就已经完成了的事件,表示“过去的过去”,“可怕的事”发生在前,所以世界无法回到从前。
解析:1)shine out 本意为“照射出去”,可以延伸为“出色的”: He shines out among the crowd。(他在众人中脱颖而出)
2)stay with 和…住在一起:I’m going to stay with my family.
坚持做:It’s a difficult book to get into, but stay with it and you’ll enjoy it.
留在…的记忆中:His words stayed with her all evening.
3)even if , even though
两个词组大致意思相同,但强调的侧重有所不同。
Even if 一般引导把握不大或假设的事实
Even though 一般引导事实
Even if he knows it, he’ll not let out the secret. (不确定他是否知道这个秘密)
Even though he knows it, he’ll not let out the secret. (他知道这个秘密)
解析:1)turn back 往回走:She turned back toward home.
(无法)回头,反悔:Once you have made a promise, there is no turning back.
2)hold on 等待:Hold on! Let me get my breath back!
抓牢:He was struggling to hold on a rock on the face of the cliff.
hold on to 保有:This picture is worth holding on to.
保持:hold on to one’s lead 保持领先
He held on to his belief that… 他坚持认为…
解析:leave out 忽略: The cake will taste awful if you leave the sugar out.
Leave it out! 行啦!(=stop doing that!)别逗了!(expressing disbelief)
to feel left out 感到受冷落
解析:口语“我是认真的”多种表达:
- Are you kidding me?
- No, I’m serious./ I’m dead serious./ I mean it.