Lesson 29 The hovercraft
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
means 方法、手段
by all means
by any means
by fair means or foul
by means of
by no means
by some means (or other)
by this means
by what means
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
leave no means untried
live beyond one's means
live within one's means
narrow means
not by any means
The end justifies the means.
means to an end
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
craft 工艺，手艺，航空器
aircraft 飞行器
spacecraft 宇宙飞船
the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
语气补偿
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
独立主格
I’m ill, so I stayed at home.
Being ill, I stayed at home.
Mother is ill, so I stayed at home.
Mother being ill, I stayed at home.
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
玛丽回来后，他们讨论这件事。
Mary coming back, they discussed it together.
这课学完以后，我们就回家了。
This lesson done, we went home.
(After the lesson was done, we went home.)
桌子铺好后，我们开始吃饭！
The table set, we began to dine.
如果运气好，我比你有钱！
If good luck is given = Good luck given, I’ll be wealthier than you.
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
因为地震已经毁坏了一切，汶川的人们无家可归。
Because the earthquake has destroyed everything, …
=The earthquake having destroyed everything, Wenchuan People are homeless.
儿子吃了这么多，你也不管管！
Our son having eaten so much, how can you turn a blind eye to it !
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
浪费了这么多钱，他会受到惩罚的！
Having wasted so much money, he will be punished.
Much money having been wasted, he will be punished.
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
没什么地震警报了，成都人都回到了家里。
There being no aftershock warning, people in Chengdu went back to their homes.
周围没人，他就拍了这张照片。
There being no one around, he shot this photo.
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
… and the strangest is perhaps the hovercraft / the strangest of which is perhaps the hovercraft.
In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles.
turn to 转向，求助于，改行
suggest to向……建议
work on
I’m working on my paper now.
In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles.
industrial circles 工业界
business circles 工商界
the circle of the seasons四季的循环
a circle of friends一群朋友
academic circles学术界
cultural circles文化界
military circles军界
political circles政界
ruling circles统治集团
the upper circles上层社会
In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles.
argue / reason in circle
in a circle VS. in circle
in a circle
in circle
The project is in circle.
= make no progress.
= make no headway
=gainless
= fruitless
= deadlocked.
= getting nowhere
离规定交报告的日子还有七天的时候，我还是毫无进展。
Seven days before the report is due, I'm still deadlocked.
It was the idea of supporting a craft on a 乪pad乫, or cushion, of low-pressure air, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air.
ringed with 环绕
Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles----for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft.
have difficulty in doing sth
range 范围，归类
in between 组合介词；在……之间；
according to； instead of；as for；owing to 等等。
I have two classes today but there’s some free time in between.
我们的汽车被两辆卡车夹在中间。
Our car was sandwiched in between two trucks.
Do you love or hate her? Or somewhere in between?
As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed.
解决问题：find a solution to the problem
surmount numerous difficulties and dangers
to overcome the difficulty of …
to conquer the problem /
contend with the problem
to get over a difficulty
to smooth away the difficulty
to win against all obstacles
to eliminate the problem
His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a cushion of air, no more than one or two feet thick.
no more than, 【反译法】
复习L 8 , no more than
This is done by a great number of ring-shaped air jets on the bottom of the craft.
It 乪flies乫, therefore, but it cannot fly higher---its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.
The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation.
sensation n.
cause a sensation
sensational a
扩展：表示好的一些高级形容词
awesome
You look totally awesome in that suit.
commendable
commendable efforts / behavior / bravery
divine
We had a divine time in Italy.
exceptional
The student has shown exceptional powers of concentration.
The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation.
incomparable
Her beauty is incomparable.
optimum
This is the optimum solution.
peerless
peerless ability / charm
vintage
These singers gave us a vintage performance that night.
The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then mounted the beach, climbed up the dunes, and sat down on a road.
Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves, which presented no problem.
Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.
service 服务
take up = to start doing a particular job or activity
补充飞行的词：
hover v. 盘旋，飞翔
glide 滑翔
soar 翱翔
swoop 飞扑
wheel 盘旋
The hovercraft is particularly useful in large areas with poor communications such as Africa or Australia; it can become a 乪flying fruit-bowl乫, carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports; giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic; and the railway of the future may well be the 乪hovertrain乫, riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to 300 m.p.h.----the possibilities appear unlimited.
