1998 Passage 1
imagination// (想象;想象力)←imagin(e)想象+tion名词后缀。Imagination is more important than knowledge.想象力比知识更重要。imagination — ①the highest kite one can fly ②a poor substitute for experience 想象——①一个人能放得最高的风筝 ②经验的劣质替代品。
symbol //(符号;象征)即sym+bol,sym-共同,bol看作ball,“共同喜欢球类运动”→这是现代人的“象征”。Light is the symbol of truth.光是真理的象征。
cement// (v.胶合;巩固n.水泥;胶接剂)。A sweet and innocent compliance is the cement of love.温柔天真的依从是爱情的粘合剂。
deprive// (v.剥夺)即de+priv+e,de-(=away),priv词根“个人的”(如private→priv+ate→私人的),“使某物离开个人”→剥夺。Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.贫穷常使人丧失全部精神与美德,空袋子是难以直立的。
persist//(v.坚持,持续)即per+sist,per-“完全”,sist词根“站立”,于是“自始至终都站着”→坚持。参consistently(始终如一地),1999年Passage 5。To persist in efforts without losing the aim will finally result in success.不失目标地坚持努力终将导致成功。
complex//(复杂的;综合的;联合体)即com+plex,com-“一起”,plex词根“重叠”,“重叠在一起的”→复杂的。参perplex(使困惑,使复杂化)←per完全+plex,2003年Text 2。Everything is simpler than you think and at the same time more complex than you imagine.凡事都比你思考的简单,同时比你想象的复杂。
go-ahead n.批准,允许。wrong-headed 执迷不悟的。
environmental(周围的,环境的)←environment环境+al形容词后缀。What is the thing called health? Simply a state in which the individual happens transiently to be perfectly adapted to his environment. Obviously, such states cannot be common, for the environment is in constant flux.称为健康的东西是什么?不过是一种状态,处于这种状态的人刚好一时对环境完全适应。这种状态显然不可能常见,因为环境是在不断改变的。environment — everything that isn't me 环境——除我以外的一切。
proper(适当的;合乎体统的;固有的)。Proper words in proper places make the true definition of style.风度的准确定义就是在适当的场合说适当的话。A fool, indeed, has great need of a title; it teaches men to call him count or duke, and thus forget his proper name of fool.傻瓜的确非常需要头衔,那使人们称他为伯爵或公爵,从而忘掉他固有的名字——傻瓜。
resolve(v.n.决心;解决;决议)←re+solve解决。同根词:dissolve(v.溶解;解散)←dis+solve。The reason why a great man is great is that he resolves to be a great man.伟人之所以伟大,是因为他立志要成为伟人。
conflict (v.n.冲突)即con+flict,con-一起,flict词根“打”,“打在一起”→冲突。A marriage without conflicts is almost as inconceivable as a nation without crisis.没有冲突的婚姻几乎与没有危机的国家一样难以想象。
hydroelectric/ (水电的)即hydro+electric,hydro词根“水的”,electric单词“电的”。另记:hydrogen(氢)←hydro+gen,这是化学家创造的英文单词,因为氢气燃烧的唯一产物是水,-gen后缀意为“致……的物质”。
irrigation(灌溉;水利)与irritation(激怒;刺激物)一字母之差,联想记忆:“溉”的声母为g,故灌溉为irriGation,而irriTAtion为激怒“他”。
at the mercy of 受……支配;stop just short of 几乎要……;far from guaranteed 根本没有保障。
1998passage2
assume (v.假定;承担;呈现)。Optimism assumes, or attempts to prove, that the universe exists to please us, and pessimism that it exists to displease us.乐观主义假定或企图证明宇宙存在是为了使我们快乐;悲观主义则假定或企图证明那是为了使我们不快乐。When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.当一个人承担了公众的信任,就应该视自己为公众财产。They who assume a character that does not belong to them generally betray themselves by overacting.装模作样的人常常由于表现过火而露出原形。
lump(团块;使成团块)。An overdose of praise is like ten lumps of sugar in coffee; only a very few people can swallow it.过量的赞扬有如在咖啡里放了十块糖,只有极少数的人能咽得下去。
acceleration(加速;加速度)即ac+celer+ation,ac-加强前缀,celer词根“速度”,-ation名词后缀;反义词为deceleration(减速)←de向下+celer+ation。
rebound (v.n.反弹)←re反+bound跳。
evidence(证据,迹象)即e+vid+ence,e-(=ex-),vid词根“看”=vis(如visible→vis+ible→可见的),-ence名词后缀,“能看出来的东西”→证据。Growth is the only evidence of life.成长是生命的唯一证明。
treasury(宝库,国库)即treasur(e)+y,treasure(n.财宝v.珍爱),-y表“地方”,于是“放财宝的地方”→宝库。Collection of famous quotes and collection of mottoes are the most important treasure of the society.名言集和格言集是社会最可贵的财富。Let us learn to treasure only good and reject the evil in everything.让我们学会只珍视善,而排斥一切事物中的恶。
disjunction(n.分离,)即dis+junction,dis-否定前缀,junction(n.连接,连接处)。
anecdote(趣闻,轶事)谐音:安妮(Annie)可逗她←用“趣闻”来逗女孩子开心。anecdote — a joke in evening dress 趣闻——穿着晚礼服的笑料。
profitability(收益率)即profit+ability,profit(v.n.收益),-ability名词后缀;参profitable,1999年Passage 5。profitability — the sovereign criterion of the enterprise 有利可图——企业的至高无上的准则。
ineptly(不相宜地;无能地)即in+ept+ly,in-否定前缀,ept(=apt)适宜的,-ly副词后缀。
revenue (财政收入;税收)←re+venue,另可记avenue(林荫道;途径)←a+venue。Economy is of itself a great revenue.节约本身就是一大笔收入。
blunt率直的;钝的;使钝。
consultant (顾问)即consult+ant,consult(v.商量;查询),-ant表“人”;参consultancy,2002年Text 3。consultant — someone who will take your watch off your wrist and tell you what time it is 顾问——把你的手表从你手腕上摘下来,然后告诉你时间的人。