常春藤解析英語 22 Midnight Marauders　忍者傳說

Midnight Marauders　忍者傳說

by Jason Alloy

It is just after midnight. Dressed in dark-colored clothing to _(1)_ with his surroundings, a secretive figure darts in and out of the shadows, quietly slipping inside the fortress. Drawing his sword, he prepares to complete his _(2)_, the beheading of a rival general. He is one of the most feared warriors in history. He is a ninja.

In 6th century Japan, mountain villagers began sending spies to gather information about

_(3)_ attacks from ruling families. Greatly outnumbered by Samurai, the villagers began practicing techniques that came from both Japan and China to create ninjutsu, the art of stealth. Through extreme training such as hanging over the edge of cliffs to _(4)_ their fears, some villagers became ninjas.

Ninjas' use of misdirection, the ability to confuse enemies with one's movements, made them so mysterious _(5)_ they were rumored to have magical powers. Their noiseless movements were made possible by the special shoes they wore that allowed them to walk in virtual silence. These shoes, with wooden pads carved to look like animal tracks attached to the bottoms, also made their _(6)_ untraceable. By day ninjas disguised themselves as peasants, and at night dressed in dark colors suitable for hiding in the shadows or even green and yellow to match bamboo.

At their height, there were 80 ninja clans throughout Japan. Though _(7)_ in the 17th century, ninjutsu still went on in underground circles. Today, the lineage can be traced to ninjutsu teacher Masaaki Hatsumi, "the last living ninja." Although ninjas may no longer be assassins, their principles of self-defense continue to be taught.

1. (A) stand out　(B) put aside　(C) blend in　　　(D) take sides

2. (A) surgery　　(B) mission　　(C) destination　　(D) outcome

3. (A) promising (B) inviting　　(C) hesitating　　(D) impending

4. (A) conquer　　(B) consist　　(C) confirm　　　　(D) convey

5. (A) which　　　(B) while　　　　(C) that　　　　　(D) therefore

6. (A) scents　　　(B) footprints (C) strategies　　(D) transportations

7. (A) banned　　　(B) to ban　　　(C) banning　　　(D) was banned

原來如此

1. Dressed in dark-colored clothing to blend in with his surroundings, a secretive figure...

理由：

a. (A) stand out　　脫穎而出;顯眼

例： Molly always stands out because she wears a bright red raincoat even on days when the weather is perfect.

(茉莉總是很顯眼，因為就算大晴天她也穿著大紅色的雨衣。)

(B) put aside...　　將……放在一邊

例： Please put aside what you think you know and listen to the professor's lecture.

(請將自認為所知的一切擱在一旁，好好聽教授上課。)

(C) blend in with...　　融入……

例： Julia blended right in with our friends the first day we met.

(茱莉亞在我們相識的第一天就和我的朋友打成一片。)

(D) take sides with sb　　偏袒某人，站在某人那邊

= side with sb

例： Sarah always takes sides with her mother when her parents fight.

(莎拉的父母吵架時，她總是站在媽媽那邊。)

b. 根據(jù)上下文，指的應是忍者穿著深色服裝，以便與周遭環(huán)境『融合』在一起，可知應選 (C)。

2. Drawing his sword, he prepares to complete his mission, the beheading of a rival general.

理由：

a.(A) surgery n. 外科手術

(B) mission n. 任務

(C) destination n. 目的地

(D) outcome n. 結果

b. 根據(jù)空格前的 complete(完成)可知，應是指忍者準備要完成『任務』，故選 (B)。

3. ...mountain villagers began sending spies to gather information about impending attacks from ruling families.

理由：

a.(A) promising a. 大有可為的

a promising job　　有前途的工作

例： Mark is a promising young man; he is full of drive.

(馬克是個有為的青年，他充滿了干勁。)

(B) inviting a. 誘人的

例： On a cold winter day, a hot spring can be very inviting.

(在寒冷的冬日，熱呼呼的溫泉實在非常誘人。)

(C) hesitating a. 猶豫不決的

hesitate vi. 猶豫

例： Don't hesitate in sending your resume for that job.

(快寄履歷應征那份工作，別猶豫。)

(D) impending a. 即將發(fā)生的

例： The impending war of words with Terry might get out of control.

(和泰瑞之間即將掀起的口舌之戰(zhàn)恐怕會失控。)

b. 空格后為名詞 attacks(攻擊)，根據(jù)語意，可知應選 (D) impending(即將發(fā)生的)加以修飾，語意方通順。

4. Through extreme training...to conquer their fears, some villagers became ninjas.

理由：

a.(A) conquer vt. 克服;戰(zhàn)勝

(B) consist vi. 組成

consist of...　　由……組成

例： The mall consists of stores that sell very expensive products.

(這座購物中心由販賣昂貴商品的店家組成。)

(C) confirm vt. 確認

(D) convey vt. 傳達

convey sth to sb　　向某人傳達某事

例： Debbie conveyed her love to Kent by writing him a letter every day they were apart.

(黛比在與肯特分開的每一天都寫信給他，傳達自己的愛意。)

b. 根據(jù)其后的受詞 fears(害怕)，可知應選 (A) conquer(克服)，方合乎語意。

5. ...made them so mysterious that they were rumored to have magical powers.

理由：

a. 本空格測試下列固定句型：

so + adj./adv. + that + S + V　　如此……以致于……

例： The crime was so terrible that the whole town went looking for the murderer.

(那件犯罪如此駭人，以致于全鎮(zhèn)的人都在尋找那名殺人犯。)

b. 根據(jù)上述用法，可知應選 (C)。

6. These shoes, with wooden pads carved to look like animal tracks attached to the bottoms, also made their footprints untraceable.

理由：

a.(A) scent n. 香味

(B) footprint n. 腳印

(C) strategy n. 戰(zhàn)略

(D) transportation n. 運輸

b. 根據(jù)語意，忍者穿的鞋子底部有刻成動物腳印的木墊，此舉應是讓忍者的『足跡』無法追蹤，可知應選 (B)。

7. Though banned in the 17th century, ninjutsu still went on in underground circles.

理由：

a. 空格前有 Though，得知本空格測試副詞子句化簡為副詞詞組的用法：

Though, if, when, while, once 和 unless 等副詞連接詞所引導的副詞子句，若其主詞與主要子句中的主詞相同，可化簡為分詞詞組，化簡原則如下：

1) 刪除副詞子句之主詞;

2) 其后動詞化為現(xiàn)在分詞;

3) 若該動詞為 be 動詞時，變成現(xiàn)在分詞 being 之后通常予以省略。

例： Though scolded by Mom, my brother still snuck out with his friends late at night.

(雖然被媽媽罵，我弟弟深夜還是和朋友溜出去。)

b. 本句原為：

Though ninjutsu was banned in the 17th century, ninjutsu still...

c. 由此可知，應選 (A) banned。

精解字詞詞組

1. be dressed in...　　穿著……

例： Princess Rebecca was dressed in a long, flowing gown designed by Gucci.

(盧貝佳公主穿著一件由 Gucci 設計的飄逸長禮服。)

2. outnumber vt. 數(shù)量上超過

例： Even though the 300 troops were outnumbered, they still fought with all their might.

(即使敵眾我寡，三百名精兵還是奮力一搏。)

3. confuse vt. 使混淆

confuse A with B　　將 A 與 B 混淆

例： Don't confuse me with Aaron just because we are cousins.

(別因為我跟亞倫是表兄弟就把我們搞混。)

4. be attached to...　　被附加于……

attach A to B　　將 A 附于 B

例： I attached the file to the email so you can take a look at it before we sign the contract.

(我把合約夾帶在電子郵件里，以便您能在簽約前先過目。)

5. disguise oneself as...　　某人偽裝成……

例： The fan disguised himself as one of the staff to get into the concert.

(那名粉絲偽裝成工作人員，混進了演唱會。)

6. at one's height/at the height of...　　在……的顛峰時期

例： At the height of his career, Tom was earning more than US$20 million per movie.

(在他事業(yè)的顛峰期，湯姆每部電影可以賺進兩千多萬美元。)

7. be traced (back) to...　　追溯至……

例： The cause of the explosion was traced to a gas leak.

(爆炸的起因經(jīng)追查是瓦斯外泄的結果。)

單字小鋪

1. marauder n. 掠奪者

2. surroundings n. 環(huán)境(恒用復數(shù))

3. secretive a. 躲躲藏藏的

4. dart vi. 飛奔;猛沖

5. fortress n. 要塞，堡壘

6. beheading n. 斬首

7. ninja n. 忍者

8. Samurai n. 武士

9. stealth n. 秘密行動

10. cliff n. 懸崖，峭壁

11. misdirection n. 誤導

12. virtual a. 幾乎的;實際上的

13. pad n.(襯∕護)墊

14. track n. 足跡

15. untraceable a. 難以追蹤的

16. peasant n. 農(nóng)夫

17. clan n. 宗派

18. underground a. 秘密的;地下的

19. lineage n. 血統(tǒng)，世系

20. assassin n. 刺客

中文翻譯&標準答案

午夜剛過，一名神秘人物身穿與周遭環(huán)境合為一體的深色服裝，穿梭在幽闇中，并悄悄溜進堡壘。他抽出劍，準備完成取下敵方將軍首級的任務。他是歷史上最令人畏懼的戰(zhàn)士。他是一位忍者。

公元六世紀的日本，山區(qū)村民開始派間諜搜集統(tǒng)治家族即將發(fā)動攻擊的情報。村民的人數(shù)比武士少很多，于是開始練習來自中國與日本的技巧，創(chuàng)造了『忍術』，也就是秘密活動的藝術。透過極端的訓練，像是懸在斷崖峭壁上以戰(zhàn)勝恐懼，有些村民成為忍者。

忍者的欺敵手段(也就是以動作困惑敵人)使他們?nèi)旧仙衩厣?，他們具有法術的謠言于是不脛而走。他們穿著特殊的鞋子，幾乎能一聲不響地行走。那種鞋子底部有刻成動物腳印的木墊，讓人無法追蹤他們的足跡。白天時忍者偽裝成農(nóng)夫，到了晚上就穿上適合在暗處躲藏的深色衣服，甚至穿上黃色和綠色的衣服，與竹林相融一色。

在顛峰時期，日本約有八十個忍者村。雖然在十七世紀時，忍術一度被禁，但仍活躍于地下組織。如今，忍術的傳人可追溯至『最后一位忍者』──忍術大師初見良昭。雖然如今忍者不再是暗殺者，但他們自衛(wèi)的守則仍被傳授下去。

標準答案：

1. (C)　2. (B)　3. (D)　4. (A)　5. (C)

6. (B)　7. (A)