-
Unit 2 Hiroshima --
the
―Hiroshima! Everybody off!‖ That must
be what the man in the Japanese
stationmaster's uniform shouted, as the
fastest train in the world
slipped
to a stop
in Hiroshima
Station. I did not understand what he was saying.
First of all, because
he was shouting
in Japanese. And secondly, because I had a lump in
my throat and
a lot of sad thoughts on
my mind that had little to do with anything a
Nippon
railways official
might say. The very act of stepping on this soil,
in breathing this air
of Hiroshima, was
for me a far greater adventure than any trip or
any
reportorial
assignment
I'd previously
taken. Was I not at the scene of the crime?
The Japanese crowd did not appear to
have the same
preoccupations
that I had.
From the
sidewalk outside the station, things seemed much
the same as in other
Japanese cities.
Little girls and elderly ladies in
kimonos
rubbed shoulders
with
teenagers and women in western
dress. Serious looking men spoke to one another
as if they were
oblivious
of the crowds about them, and bobbed up
and down
re-heatedly in little bows, as
they exchanged the
ritual formula
of gratitude and
respect:
hung on the
facades
of grocery stores and tobacco shops.
popped
open at
the very sight of a traveler.
City Hall?
rear-
view
mirror and rep
eated
set off at top speed through the narrow
streets of Hiroshima. The tall buildings of the
martyred city flashed by as we
lurched
from side to side in
response to the driver's
sharp twists
of the wheel.
Just as I was beginning
to find the ride long, the taxi screeched to a
halt, and the
driver got out and went
over to a policeman to ask the way. As in Tokyo,
taxi drivers
in Hiroshima often know
little of their city, but to avoid loss of face
before foreigners,
will not admit their
ignorance, and will accept any destination without
concern for
how long it may take them
to find it.
At last this
intermezzo
came to an end,
and I found myself in front of the
gigantic
City Hall. The
usher
bowed deeply and
heaved
a long, almost
musical sigh, when
I showed him the
invitation which the mayor had sent me in response
to my request
for an interview.
tonight for dinner with other
foreigners or, the restaurant boat. See? This is
where
i
t is.‖ He
sketched
a little map for me
on the back of my invitation.
Thanks to
his map, I was able to find a taxi driver who
could take me straight to the
canal
embankment
, where a sort of
barge
with a roof like one
on a Japanese
house was
moored
. The Japanese build
their traditional houses on boats when land
becomes too expensive. The rather
arresting spectacle of little old Japan adrift
adrift amid beige
concrete
skyscrapers is the very symbol of the
incessant
struggle between
the kimono and the miniskirt.
At the
door to the restaurant, a
stunning
, porcelain-faced
woman in traditional
costume asked me
to remove my shoes. This done, I entered one of
the
low-ceilinged rooms of the little
floating house,
treading
cautiously on the soft
matting
and experiencing a
twinge
of embarrassment at
the prospect of meeting
the mayor of
Hiroshima in my socks.
He was a tall,
thin man, sad-eyed and serious. Quite
unexpectedly, the strange
emotion which
had overwhelmed me at the station returned, and I
was again
crushed
by the
thought that I now stood on the site of the first
atomic
bombardment
, where
thousands upon thousands of people had been
slain
in one
second, where thousands upon thousands
of others had
lingered
on to
die in slow
agony
.
The introductions were made. Most of
the guests were Japanese, and it was difficult
for me to ask them just why we were
gathered here. The few Americans and
Germans seemed just as
inhibited
as I was.
happy to welcome you to
Hiroshima.
Everyone bowed, including the
Westerners. After three days in Japan, the
spinal
column becomes
extraordinarily flexible.
There were fresh bows, and
the faces grew more and more serious each time the
name Hiroshima was repeated.
agitated
.
renown
, and I am
proud and happy to
welcome you to
Hiroshima, a town known throughout the world for
its---
oysters
I was just about to make my little bow
of
assent
, when the meaning
of these last
words sank in,
jolting
me out of my sad
reverie
.
–
oysters? What
about the bomb and the misery and humanity's most
heinous
crime?
Japanese sea food, I
cautiously backed away and headed toward the far
side of the
room, where a few men were
talking among themselves and paying little
attention
to the mayor's speech.
large eye-glasses.
that Hiroshima still felt
the
impact
of the atomic
impact
.
were born here
or who lived through it.
an
old man. There are two different schools of
thought in this city of oysters, one
that would like to preserve traces of
the bomb, and the other that would like to get
rid of everything, even the monument
that was erected at the point of impact. They
would also like to
demolish
the atomic
museum.
Japanese
man smiled, his eyes nearly closed behind their
thick lenses.
about this city, do not
forget to say that it is the gayest city in Japan,
even it many
of the town's people still
bear hidden wounds, and burns.
Like any
other, the hospital smelled of
formaldehyde
and
ethere
.
Stretchers
and wheelchairs
lined the walls of endless corridors, and nurses
walked by carrying
Stretchers
instruments, the very sight of which
would send shivers down the spine
of
any healthy visitor. The so-called atomic section
was located on the third floor. It
consisted of 17 beds.
years,
had no burns on my face or
body. I ran all over the city looking for missing
friends
and relatives. I thought
somehow I had been spared. But later my hair began
to fall
out, and my belly turned to
water. I felt sick, and ever since then they have
been
testing and treating me.
old man's story,
constant
car e. The other s died as a result of their
injuries, or else
committed
suicide
.
humiliating
to survive in this city. If you bear
any visible
scars
of atomic
burns, your children will encounter
prejudice on the par t of those who do not. No
one will marry the daughter or the
niece of an atomic bomb victim. People are afraid
of
genetic
damage
from the radiation.
with interest.
Hanging over the patient was a big ball
made of bits of brightly colored paper, folded
into the shape of tiny birds.
helps to free me from
earthly
cares, I make a new
little paper bird, and add it to the
others. This way I look at them and
congratulate myself of the good fortune that my
illness has brought me. Because, thanks
to it, I have the opportunity to improve my
character.
Once again,
outside in the open air, I tore into little pieces
a small notebook with
questions that
I'd prepared in advance for inter views with the
patients of the atomic
ward. Among them
was the question: Do you really think that
Hiroshima is the
liveliest city in
Japan? I never asked it. But I could read the
answer in every eye.
(from an American
radio program presented by Ed Kay)
NOTES
1) Hiroshima: a seaport, capital of
Hiroshima prefecture in southwest Japan.
Population (1970) 54,834. On Aug. 6,
1945, Hiroshima was the first city to be struck
by an atomic bomb, dropped by the U. S,
air force. Almost 130 000 people were
killed, injured, or missing, and 90% of
the city was leveled. Much of the city has
been reconstructed, but a gutted
section of the city has been set aside as a
City
conference against
nuclear weapons has met in Hiroshima.
2) Nippon: (Japanese) Japan
3) Tomo aligato gozayimas: (Japanese)
Thank you very much.
4) Hi: (Japanese)
yes
5) kimono: (Japanese) a loose robe
with wide sleeves and a broad sash traditionally
worn as an outer garment by the
Japanese
6) tatami: (Japanese) straw
matting used as a floor covering in a Japanese
home. It
is a custom of the Japanese to
remove their shoes once they go indoors, walking
on
the tatami matting in their socks.
Hiroshima --
the
课文讲解
/Detailed
Study
Detailed Study of the Text
1. slip: to move slidingly, smoothly,
secretly or unnoticed. it carries a stronger
implication of a frictionless than
slide.
2. lump: a mass of sth. solid
without a special size of shape
a lump
of lead, sugar
Black coffee, 2 lumps,
please!
a hard swelling on the body
She was afraid when she felt a lump in
her left breast
to have a lump in one's
throat:
to have a tight feeling in the
throat because strong emotion, such as sorrow or
gratitude, to have one's throat choked,
to have a feeling of pressure, being unable
to breath, a tight sensation in the
throat caused by unexpressed pity, sorrow,
excitement, etc.
All during
her husband's funeral, she had ...
John's mother had a ... at his college
graduation.
The strong sensation of
excitement and sorrow made me unable to breathe or
to
speak as if my throat was choked, as
if my throat got blocked by sth. solid.
3. on my mind: troubling one's
thoughts, causing anxiety, unhappiness. When you
have sth on your mind, you can't get
rid of it, you are completely preoccupied, and
obsessed.
His
failure weighs heavily on him mind.
He
has got too much on his mind to worry about your
problem.
I am glad you want to talk
about this. It's been on my mind for weeks.
cf:
in one's mind: think
about, think of
I think I know what's
in your mind.
Her mother was always in
her mind.
4. the very act of stepping
on this soil:
act and action:
Action refers primarily to the process
of acting; act to the result, the things done. An
action is usually regarded as occupying
some time and involving more than one step;
an act is more frequently thought of as
momentary of instantaneous and as
individual.
The rescue of a
shipwrecked crew is a heroic action while the
launching of the
lifeboat, a brave act.
a course of action
on this
soil: on this land, on this earth, ground
The word SOIL conveys a strong emotion,
it is an emotive word.
A person in
exile comes back to his motherland, he kneels down
to kiss the soil.
Here is suggests the
emotion of the author. He thinks his country is
responsible for
the A-bomb destruction.
He is preoccupied. He has the feeling of atoning
(making
repayment) for the crime.
5. adventure: a journey that is strange
and exciting and often dangerous, sth. you
do or a situation you become involved
in that is rather unusual, exciting and
dangerous. From the text
itself one can clearly see that the
meaning is ―trip‖ since
it is followed
by this word.
The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn
6. reportorial: (not in Longman or ALD)
belonging to, of, about a reporter. the
adj. form of reporter
7. crime: an
offence which is punishable by law
Here: an immoral act
8.
appear
Appear, Look, and Seem can mean
to be as stated in one's view or judgement, but
not necessarily in fact.
Seem suggests an opinion based on
subjective impression rather than objective
signs.
He seems tired.
My other visits to Beijing
were twenty years ago. How would it seem after
such a
long time?
Look
implies that the opinion is based on a general
visual impression.
His lips looked
unnatural.
He looks nervous.
Appear suggests a distorted impression,
such as can be produced by a restricted
point of view.
His tongue
could make the worse appear the better reason.
He appeared not to have heard what had
been said about him.
He appears / seems
/ looks to be / like an honest man.
9.
preoccupy: to fill the thoughts or hold the
interest of, to fill one's mind completely
so that not enough attention is given
to other present matters
When he is
preoccupied with his hobby, he has no idea of what
is going on around
him.
I
was too preoccupied to hear the bell.
He had a preoccupied look on his face,
as if sth. was troubling him.
preoccupation: extreme concern for sth.
Reading is his main preoccupation.
It seemed to me that the Japanese did
not have the same extreme concern which is
bothering me.
I was totally
absorbed in the consideration of the crime, but
the Japanese did not
appear to be so.
My mind was completely filled with sad
thoughts ...
10. rub shoulders with: to
meet and mix with (people)
This is not
the sort of club where the great rub shoulders
with the humble.
A person in my
position rubs shoulders with all kinds of people.
In our class, people of all trades
(porter, carpenter, coppersmith, etc.) rubber
shoulders with each other.
11. oblivious: be unaware of, not
noticing, unconscious of, lacking mindful
attention
Their government is oblivious
of the rights of the governed.
I am
oblivious of my former failure.
I was
so preoccupied with the book that I was oblivious
of the surroundings.
I was so
preoccupied with the beautiful woman I met on the
bus that I was oblivious
of the
pickpocket beside me / of what the conductress was
yelling when the bus
came to a stop.
12. bob: to move up and down quickly
and repeatedly
The cork on the fishing
line bobbed up and down on the water.
13. rite: form of behaviour with a
fixed pattern. A rite is a series of words and
actions which as a fixed order and
which is used for a special religious purpose.
I don't know much about the rites of
that church.
Secret society has their
special rites.
ceremonial / burial /
funeral rites
the rites of
hospitality
the marriage rite of the
church
Ritual actions are always done
in exactly the same way whenever a particular
situation arises, (a slightly humorous
use). On Sunday we make our ritual visit to
the pub at lunchtime.
14.
formula: an expression which is often used in a
particular situation, esp. one
that has
come to sound stupid and meaningless
They exchange the set of conventionally
/ customarily fixed pattern of daily
greetings.
15. facade: front
or face of a building towards a street or open
place
16. grin: broad smile that shows
the teeth, it intends to imply naive cheerfulness
17. rear-view mirror: a mirror (as in
an automobile) that gives a view of the area
behind the vehicle
18.
martyr: person who is put to death or caused to
suffer for his beliefs or for the
sake
of a great cause or principle a martyr to a cause
/ love (
殉情
) / duty
(
殉职
)
Eternal life
to the revolutionary martyrs!
(
革命英雄永垂不朽
)
v.: to
put to death, cause to suffer, to torture, out of
cruelty
19. lurch: to move with
irregular sudden movements, to move unsteadily,
clumsily,
with heavy rolling and
swaying back and forth
20. in response
to: as an answer to
In response to your
inquiries, we regret to inform you that we cannot
help you in
this matter.
Twice I put the request to him but he
said nothing in response.
21. twist: to
wind a number of threads, etc. together
to make a rope by twisting threads
to twist the hair to make it curl
to turn, to change direction abruptly
to twist the cap of a tube of tooth
paste
He twisted my arm.
Give the handle a twist, that will open
the box.
22. screech: make a harsh,
piercing sound, to make a sharp, high-pitched
noise
23. halt: to stop or pause,
mainly used in the phrase
24.
ignorance: lack of knowledge
Please
forgive our ignorance.
Poverty, disease
and ignorance remain major world problems.
We are in complete ignorance of his
plan.
ignorant: To be ignorant of sth.
is not to know it.
He is
quite ignorant of Latin.
She was
ignorant of his presence.
cf:
disregard: to treat as not
worthy of notice
He disregarded Tom ,
and spoke straight to me.
We
disregarded the gossip and rumours.
neglect: to give no or too little
attention or care to
You are neglecting
your work / duty.
There is a factor
which we must certainly not neglect.
neglect: fail to do sth. because of
carelessness
He neglected to return the
book to the library.
Don't neglect to
lock (locking) the door when you leave.
To ignore sth. is to pretend not to
know or see it.
She saw him coming but
ignored him.
It is not a question that
can be ignored.
Of these three words,
ignore is the strongest and neglect is the weakest
It is a point of honour with the taxi
driver to take the passenger to whichever
destination he want to go.
25. intermezzo: short musical
composition to be played between the acts of a
drama
or an opera, or one that connects
the main divisions of a large musical work such as
a symphony. This word is used very
lighted-hearted here
26. I found myself
in front of the gigantic city hall.
cf:
I got to the front of...
The first
sentence indicates suddenness, unconsciousness. I
suddenly discovered
that I was in front
of the city hall.
gigantic: a close
synonym of giant, from which it is derived, very
likely to be used in
metaphorical
extensions.
giant: in fairy tales, a
very big, strong creature in the form of a man,
but often
unfriendly to human beings
and very cruel and stupid.
In some
culture, eg. Greek, Scandinavian, American Indian,
giants were believed to
be the first
race of people lived on earth.
gigantic: titanic, massive, huge
27. usher: official door keeper, a man
who shows people to their seats on an
important occasion, (or in a theatre,
cinema)
28. heave: to give out (a sad
sound) esp. in the phrase
We all heaved
a sigh of relief when the work was done.
sigh: an act of letting out a deep
breath slowly and with a sound, usu. expressing
tiredness, sadness or satisfaction She
nodded, sighed and went on cooking.
He
gave another deep sigh.
29. sketch: to
draw roughly and quickly with outlines but little
detail
30. embankment: a wide wall of
stones or earth, which is build to keep a river
from
overflowing its banks, or to carry
a road or railway over low ground
cf:
bank: land long the side of
a river, lake, etc.
shore: the land
along the edge of a large stretch of water
beach: a shore of an ocean, sea, or
lake or the bank of a river covered by sand,
smooth stones or larger pieces of rock
coast: the land next to the sea
When meaning land bordering a body or
stream of water, the four words are
comparable.
Shore is the general word for the land
immediately bordering on the sea, a lake, or
a large stream.
Coast denotes the land along the sea
regarded especially as a boundary.
Beach applies to the pebbly or sandy
shore washed by the sea or a lake
a
rocky shore with here and there a cove with a
beach
Both shore and beach may denote a
resort frequented for pleasure or vacation. In
this use shore may specifically
indicates proximity to the sea, and beach a place
adapted to the use of swimmers or
sunbathers.
spend the summer at the
shore
spend a part of each day at the
beach
Bank denotes the steep or sloping
margin of a stream.
31. barge: a large
low boat with a flat bottom, used mainly for
carrying heavy goods
on a canal or
river
32. moor: to faster (a ship,
boat) to land, to the bed of the sea, etc. by
means of
ropes, chains an anchor, etc.
33. arresting: striking, attracting and
holding attention. This word adds to striking
the suggestion of capturing attention
arresting beauty / story
arrest: to
seize in the name of law and usu. put in prison,
to catch and fix (esp. sb.'s
attention)
The bright lights arrest the boy's
attention.
34. spectacle: sth. seen,
sth. taking place before the eyes, esp. sth. fine,
remarkable
The big army
parade on national day is a grand spectacle.
The erupting volcano is a wonderful
spectacle.
The opening ceremony of the
exhibition was a fine spectacle.
35.
adrift: afloat without control, driven about by
the sea or wind
a has the meaning of
aboard: on the board, on the boat
afire: to set sth. on fire: The house
was afire.
afloat: on water
afoot: on foot I came afoot.
36. beige
khaki / flannel /
indanthrine
mohair / palace / melton /
cashmere
37. amid: fml and lit. among,
in the middle of
38. incessant: never
stopping, it implies ceaseless or uninterrupted
activity
39. stun: to make unconscious
by hitting the head
The robbers stunned
the guard by banging him on the head.
He was stunned by the news of his
father's death.
stunning: very
attractive, delightful, beautiful, making you
become intoxicated
40. costume: the
clothes worn by people at a particular time in
history or in a
particular country
a museum of costume
portraits of people dressed in 17th-
century costume
a set of clothes worn
by an actor or performer or by sb. at a fancy
dress party
bathing / swimming / riding
/ hunting costume
He was in academic
costume.
41. tread: to walk or step, to
put the foot down on
(Notice: the mind
is fixed on the feet)
42. cautious:
having or showing great care, as if there might be
some danger, esp.
fear of failure or
harm to oneself or others, act very carefully so
as to avoid or to
minimized the risks
of disaster
The thief cautiously opened
the door.
The troops advanced with
great caution.
43. twinge: a sudden
sharp pain
to feel a twinge in the
region of heart
a twinge of toothache /
conscience
44. embarrass: to feel
ashamed or socially uncomfortable
45.
prospect: reasonable hope, sth. which is expected
or considered probable
She was quite
excited by the prospect of seeing...soon.
He was in high spirits at the prospect.
The scandal ruined his prospects.
I see no prospect of his recovery.
prospect: a wide or distant view, esp.
seen from a high place
From the top of
the hill there's a beautiful prospect over the
valley.
cf:
expectation: thing that is expected
The boy has great prospects /
expectation.
We came here with the
expectation of meeting the mayor, but I see no
prospects of
seeing him now since he is
oblivious of us humbles.
46. emotion:
any of the strong feelings of the human spirit
Love, hatred, and grief are emotions.
His speech has an effect on our
emotions rather than our reason.
I was
again overcome by the same sense of guilty as I
had experienced when I first
arrived at
the station.
The overwhelming and
strange feeling I had experienced at the station
came back.
47. bombardment: attack,
onslaught
bombard: to attack with
artillery / shells, or bombers
48. slay
(slew, slain): (lit.) kill or murder, to kill,
esp. violently, put to death
cf:
kill: It is so general that it merely
states the fact, doesn't have many connotations
to kill snails in the garden
to take medicine to kill the pain
What you have said killed my hope.
vegetable killed by the frost
to kill time
The president
killed the project.
slay: v (fml. or
US) kill (esp an enemy) in a violent way. It
implies killing by force or
wildly, in
an uncontrolled way, irresponsibly, immorally,
deliberately. It is rarely
used in
spoken English, but it often occurs in written
English to convey a dramatic
quality.
Cain slew his brother Abel.
murder: to kill with a motive, a plan
in advance
T
he
bandits murdered the man for his money.
According to the historians he murdered
his rival in cold blood.
slaughter: a.
kill (an animal), usu for food b. kill (animals or
people) in large
numbers
?
butcher: a.
kill and prepare (animals) for meat b.(derog.)
kill (people or animals)
unnecessarily
and brutally
assassinate: kill (esp an
important or famous person) for money or for
political
reasons
execute:
kill (sb) as a legal punishment
He was executed for treason.
?
? massacre:
cruel killing of a large n
umber (of
people or animals)
suicide: n. killing
oneself intentionally
?
commit suicide
-cide: comb
form (forming ns ) a. act of killing sb b. person
or thing that kills
genocide: n [U]
deliberate extermination of a nation or race of
people
homicide:
a. killing of one person by another
be accused of homicide
b. person who kills another
have homicidal tendencies
a homicidal maniac
patricide: a. (act of) killing one's
own father (b) person who does this
parricide: a. (act of) killing one's
father or a close relative b. person guilty of
this
matricide: a. (act of)
killing one's own mother b. person who does this
insecticide: substance that kills
insects
fungicide: substance that kills
fungus
-cidal: of or related to killing
That is homicidal.
49. linger on: to live on the point of
death for some time, esp. when suffering from
a disease, be slow in dying
The pain lingered on for weeks (was
slow to disappear).
The
dying man lingered on.
He's no better,
but he's lingering on by sheer will power.
linger: to wait for a time which is
considered too long instead of going, stay, delay
going
The newly acquainted
young couple lingered around the hall long after
the concert
had ended.
She
shouldn't have lingered after the others had left
---that was fatal.
50. agony: very
great pain or suffering of mind or body,
suggesting suffering so
intense that
both body and mind are involved in a struggle to
endure the unbearable,
intolerable
He suffered agonies from his broken
arm.
The country must not again go
through the agony of war.
The refugees
are experiencing the agony of...
the
agony of defeat and the thrill of victory
Thousands upon thousands of others were
on the brink of death, suffering the
intense, unbearable pain both
physically and spiritually, and dying slowly.
51. inhibit: cause one to suppress
certain thoughts or desires because of the
environmental condition
His
way of teaching is dull, and inhibits imagination.
This medicine will inhibit the spread
of the disease.
inhibited: (of people's
character) unable to express what one really feels
or do what
one really wants, feeling
restrained, having to suppress one's emotion
They were too inhibited to laugh
freely.
52. agitate: to stir, upset,
disturb
The speech agitated the crowd.
agitated: emotionally disturbed and
excited.
The audience was agitated.
agitator: person who stirs up public
opinion, esp on a political matter
agitation: painful excitement of the
mind or feelings, anxiety, a public argument,
unrest
None of them noticed
her agitation.
be in agitation
53. assent: (fml) agreement, an
acceptance (of a statement) as true
It
basically apply to opinion or proposal, suggesting
understanding
The committee assented to
our proposals.
The teacher answered
with a brief nod of assent.
agree: It
can imply previous disagreement, discussion and
attempts of persuading
I don't agree
with him on many things.
I think it
impossible to agree to your proposals.
54. sink in: penetrate, esp. gradually,
to enter a solid through the surface, be fully
absorbed or understood,
If
the ink sinks in, it'll be hard to remove the spot
from the cloth.
When Frank heard that
war had started, it didn't sink in for a long time
until his
father was drafted into the
army.
I think the lesson has sunk in,
he won't make the same mistake again.
The beam sinks earthwards.
55. jolt: to shake or be shocked
The cart jolted along over the rough
road, jolting every bone in his body.
With a tremendous jolt the car started.
to run over a hole and receive a jolt
The news was a jolt to me.
56. reverie: dreamy thinking, esp. of
agreeable things, that state of being absorbed
in dreamlike contemplation, daydreaming
He loved to indulge in reveries about his
future.
He was awakened from
his reverie by the teacher's question.
She sat at the window, deep in reverie.
He was sunk in reverie and did not hear
me.
When one is preoccupied with sth.,
he has preoccupations. And he is always
oblivious of the things around. He is
in deep reverie.
57. heinous: (lit) (of
wicked people or acts) very shameful, very bad,
hatefully and
shockingly evil,
abominable, outrageous, so openly and shamelessly
bad or so
conspicuous that it excited
hatred or horror
Treason has always
been regarded as a heinous crime.
58.
confess: admit
Confession: a religious
service at which a person tells his faults to a
priest
Confess usu. applies to what one
feels to be wrong. If you confess sth. or confess
to
sth., You admit that you have done
sth. that you feel ashamed of, or embarrassed
about. But admit stresses reluctance,
or unwillingness.
In usage, these two
words are almost the same, both can be followed by
a clause,
a noun, a gerund (with or
without a ―to‖) or a complex object.
Usage:
to
confess / admit that...
to confess /
admit one's sins / error / crime
to
confess / admit hating sb. / the weakness
to admit to stealing / the murder /
to confess oneself to be
guilty
to confess / admit oneself to be
beaten
But confess is often followed by
a ―to‖:
He confesses to
having done it.
She confessed readily
to what she described as an ignorance of modern
science.
59. cataclysm: a violent and
sudden change or event, esp. a serious flood or
earth
quake or a war, disaster
60. trace: a visible mark or sign of
the former presence of a thing or event, a mark
or sign showing the former presence or
passing of some person, vehicle, or event.
61. preserve: (fml or lit) to keep from
destruction, to protect. The word stresses the
idea of resistance to destructive
agencies and hence implies the use of means to
keep sth. in existence
Old
records are preserved by protecting them from
light and moisture.
62. erect: (fml) to
build or establish (a solid thing which was not
there before,
construct, set up
Erect basically means to set upright,
while Build strictly implies a fitting together of
parts and materials to form sth. which
may be large or small
to erect a
flagpole
Many factories erected during
that period.
63. impact: collision, an
impinging or striking esp. of one body against
another, the
action of one object
hitting another, with great force, the force of
impression of one
thing on another, an
impelling or compelling effect
The car
hit the stone wall with great impact.
a
target constructed to resist the impact of a
bullet
We see the impact of modern
science on our society everywhere.
The
book made a great impact on its readers.
the concrete embankment built to resist
the impact of floods
Notice: This word
is normally used as uncountable noun but sometimes
can have an
indefinite article but
never plural form.
64. demolish: pull
down or tear down, to destroy
cf:
Destroy: a general word. It is so
general in its application that it may imply the
operation of any force that wrecks,
kills, crushes or annihilates. Its opposition to
construct is often apparent.
It is easier to destroy than to
construct.
Demolish: It implies pulling
or smashing to pieces. When used in reference to
buildings or other complex structures
(as of wood, stone, or steel), it implies
complete wreckage and often a heap of
ruins.
houses demolished by a hurricane
The automobile was demolished in a
collision with the train.
His research
has been painstaking, and he demolishes a great
many legends.
65. somehow: in some way
not yet know or stated, by some means, for some
reason that is not clear
I
think she is right but somehow I’m not completely
sure.
I thin we can manage
that somehow.
Somehow he was afraid of
her.
I thought I knew the
way, but somehow I got lost.