L2 Spare the spider 不要伤害蜘蛛

在西方文化中，蜘蛛一直是积极且身怀绝技的化身，像是蜘蛛侠

段落

1. 导言：蜘蛛不但消灭大量的昆虫，还不伤害我们，为人类做出了巨大的贡献，是我们的朋友
   1. Spiders destroy many insects 
2. 阐明对蜘蛛的误解，蜘蛛不是昆虫
   1. Spiders are not insects, for they have eight legs and insect never more than six.
3. 阐明蜘蛛消灭昆虫的本领
   1. The weight of all the insects destroyed by spiders in Britain in one year would be greater than the total weight of all the human beings in the country.

特点

• 知识型说明文
• 语言平实而生动
  • ...they are hungry creatures, not content with only three meals a day.

重点

• 通过省略，表达强调的句法结构
• 虚拟语气

Language Points

• spare that spider
  • spare - not harm or kill - 不要伤害，赦免
    • None of the passengers were spared in the air crash. - 无人生还
      • survived
    • We arrived at the airport with just 20 minutes to spare.
      • 多余的
    • Now parents spare no expense on their children's education.
      • 节省
      • spare no expense - 不遗余力
• How many spiders are engaged in this work on our behalf?
  • be engaged in 
    • to take part in a particular activity, especially something that takes a lot of time and energy.
    • 从事于（尤其是需要时间和精力的事情）
    • He is currently engaged in trade. -他目前正在从商
  • behalf
    • behalves
    • 利益，代表
• One authority on spiders made a census of the spiders... 
  • 一位蜘蛛专对蜘蛛的数量进行了调查 
  • authority
    • someone who knows a lot about asubject-学术权威，专家
    • power, 权力机构，当权者，学术权威，权威著作
    • Policemen have authority to arrest law-breakers.
    • The National People's Congress is the highest authority in our country.
      • 全国人民代表大会
    • The state authorities were quick to respond to the accident.
      • 国家当局
• It is impossible to make more than the wildest guess at how many they kill...
  • the wildest guess
    • 最胡乱的猜测
  • more than the wildest guess
    • 简直无法猜测
  • more than
    • 用于加强语气
      • She is more than pretty.
        • 她何止是漂亮
      • You are more than welcome.
        • 非常欢迎你
      • I'm more than happy to show you round the city.
      • 我将很高兴带你参观这个城市

Key Structures

Insects would make it impossible for us to live in this world; they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds, if it were not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals.

• 条件状语从句+虚拟语气
• 主句从句都用一般过去时，表示与现在事实相反
• 更加正式的用语
  • ...were it not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals. 
• 虚拟语气
  • If I were you, I would go abroad.
    • 主句从句都用一般过去时，表示与现在事实相反
  • If I were you, I would have gone abroad.
    • 从句过去时，主句现在完成时，表示与过去事实相反
    • 如果我是你，我那时就出国了

Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world: they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds, if it were not for protection we get from insect-eating animals。

定语从句:省略关系词的几种情形
 

省略句

• 避免重复
• 突出新信息
• 同时使得上下文紧密连接

(Spiders are) Unlike some of the other insect eaters, spiders never do the least harm to us or our belongings.

• 省略了主语，突出unlike

Spiders are not insects... (they are) nor even nearly related to them,

• 省略了they are, 突出nor

but they are hungry creatures, (they are) not content with only three meals a day.

One can tell the difference almost at a glance, for a spider always has eight legs and an insect (has) never more than six.

• 省略了谓语has，突出never

Some books are to be tasted, others (are) to be swallowed, and some few (are) to be chewed and digested.

(If we make) One more effort and we shall succeed.

虚拟语气 (subjective mood)

• Subjective - 主观的，在脑中发生的
• 虚拟语气基本只用于从句中

难点：中文中的虽然有同样意思的“表达”，但中文动词本身没有动词变位，而英语中的虚拟语气是要变位（改变拼写）的。

两大用法

• 虚拟语气表达”不可能“假设
• 虚拟语气表达愿望、请求、建议和命令等

表达”不可能“的假设

虚拟语气的精神（意义、思维）：英语在”描述动作/事件“这一方面的思维习惯时，如果描述的是说话者脑中的想象，尤其是和现实相反，或者说”主观的意愿“，做不可能在现实中发生的假设。相反，如果是描述现实，包括请求和命令，就不用动词的虚拟语气，而是用陈述语气、祈使语气

时间	精神	现象（条件句）	现象（主句）	例句	注意
现在	与现在相反	过去式	would+动词原形	If I were you, I would give this article a thumbs-up.	主句中的动词如果是be，任何人称只能用were，而不能用was
将来	与将来的事实相反，或可能性极小	should	would+动词原形	If should meet thee after long years, how would I greet thee?	should在此是shal（与will一样构成将来时）l的过去式，没有”应该“的含义
过去	对过去的”不可能“假设	had+动词过去分词	would have+动词的过去分词	If I had read this article before, I would have aced my test.

注： 主句中的would在具体语境中可以用should, could, might替换，条件句中的should可以用were to 替换。

英语"虚拟语气"就是这么简单(看完就懂!)