常春藤生活英語(yǔ)：Bob Ballard Specials 鮑勃巴拉德特色菜

This month on National Geographic Channel, we learn more about National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence1 Dr. Robert Ballard. He is best known for finding the Titanic. On NGC, he shares stories about his secret life while working for the US Navy2. You can also travel with him to the Black Sea. There, Ballard explores 1,000- to 1,500-year-old sunken ships. Although they are old, these ships are still in perfect condition because of the chemicals in the Black Sea's water.

Before Ballard found the Titanic, he needed to get permission to look for it. This meant he had to ask the US Navy. They agreed Ballard could do a search, but only if he helped them first. This was during the Cold War, when the US and the Soviet Union3 had a tense relationship. The US Navy wanted to find two nuclear4 submarines5 that sank in the 1960s. They worried that their secrets would be stolen if the Soviet Army found the submarines first. During the search, everything Ballard did had to be kept secret. To find out what a real-life spy6 experience is like, watch Titanic's Nuclear Secret.

本月的國(guó)家地理頻道，我們將了解更多有關(guān)國(guó)家地理駐會(huì)探險(xiǎn)家羅伯?巴拉德博士的事跡。他最為人所知的就是發(fā)現(xiàn)鐵達(dá)尼號(hào)一事。在國(guó)家地理頻道中，他會(huì)與您分享他為美國(guó)海軍效命時(shí)的秘密生活。您也可以隨他航行至黑海。在那里，巴拉德探勘了擁有一千至一千五百年歷史的沉船。雖然這些船只十分古老，但黑海里的化學(xué)物質(zhì)仍使它們維持著完好無(wú)缺的狀態(tài)。

在巴拉德找到鐵達(dá)尼號(hào)之前，他必須先取得許可才能展開(kāi)搜尋。這意味著他必須向美國(guó)海軍請(qǐng)求允許。美國(guó)海軍答應(yīng)巴拉德可以進(jìn)行搜索，不過(guò)他得先助他們一臂之力才行。當(dāng)時(shí)正值冷戰(zhàn)期間，美國(guó)和前蘇聯(lián)的關(guān)系相當(dāng)緊繃。美國(guó)海軍想要尋找兩艘在1960年代沉沒(méi)的核子動(dòng)力潛艇。他們擔(dān)心若是蘇聯(lián)海軍先找到潛艦，美方的秘密會(huì)遭竊取。在搜尋的過(guò)程中，巴拉德的一舉一動(dòng)都得列為機(jī)密。想要了解真實(shí)生活中的密探會(huì)有何等經(jīng)歷，請(qǐng)收看《鐵達(dá)尼號(hào)的核子秘密》。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. sink　vi. & vt.(使)沉沒(méi)(三態(tài)為：sink, sank, sunk 或 sunken，本文中以過(guò)去分詞 sunken 作形容詞用。)

Bill's boat sank during the storm.

比爾的小船在暴風(fēng)雨中沉沒(méi)了。

2. tense　a. 緊張的

Heather was very tense during the interview.

海瑟在面試時(shí)緊張的不得了。

Phrases for Learning

1. be known for...　　以……聞名

Keelung is known for its fresh seafood.

基隆以其新鮮的海產(chǎn)著名。

2. be in + 形容詞 + condition　　處于……的狀態(tài)

The old house was in terrible condition.

那間老房子的屋況糟透了。

3. get/need permission to + 原形動(dòng)詞

取得∕需要許可去做……

I need my dad's permission to go on the trip.

我需要我爸的同意才能出游。

4. keep...secret　　將……保密

The army is keeping this new weapon secret.

軍方將這種新武器列為機(jī)密。

Extra Words

1. in-residence　a. 聘駐的

2. navy　n. 海軍

3. the Soviet Union　n. 前蘇聯(lián)

4. nuclear　a. 核能的

5.. submarine　n. 潛水艇，潛艦

6. spy　n. 間諜(本文中作形容詞用)

Grammar Check

...Ballard explores 1,000- to 1,500-year-old sunken ships.

(……巴拉德探勘了擁有一千至一千五百年歷史的沉船。)

sunken 以及 sunk 均為 sink 的過(guò)去分詞，sunken 通常作屬性形容詞用，置于名詞前以修飾名詞，如本文的"sunken ship";而 sunk 則通常作補(bǔ)語(yǔ)用，不可作屬性形容詞用，如"The boat was sunk in the lake."(船被沉到湖里去了。)。常見(jiàn)的類似用法尚有 drunken 與 drunk。但在現(xiàn)代英語(yǔ)中，亦有以 drunk 取代 drunken 的用法。如"The drunken/drunk driver crashed his car into a tree."(那名酒醉開(kāi)車的駕駛撞上了一棵樹(shù)。)