20 Snake poison 蛇毒 Lesson-国内外英语考试集训营
Lesson 20 Snake poison 蛇毒
How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery. Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today. It was not forced upon them by the survival competition; they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison, just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do. Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with very little effort, no more effort than one bite. And why only snakes? Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits -- just a bite and no more effort needed. In fact, it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two-edged weapon when they fought each other. But, of the vertebrates幻化成风简谱 , unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard). One wonders saliva into why Nature, with respect from that of others, as other on the blood.
In the conversion of saliva into poison, one might suppose that a fixed process took place. It did not;
some snakes manufacture a poison different in every respect from that of others, as different as arsenic is from strychnine,杜维屏 and having different effects. One poison acts on the nerves, the other on the blood.The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic. Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is known as haemolytic. Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison. It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two, that the blood poison is, so to speak, a newer product from an improved formula. Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison. This, however, means nothing. Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate.
参考译文
蛇是怎样产生毒液的，这是一个谜。蛇的唾液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液。毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的，它们也可以不用毒液捕捉动物而生存，就像今天成千上万的无毒蛇那样。毒液对毒蛇来说只不过是一种舒适生存的优越手段，它使蛇不用费多大力气就能捕获到食物，轻咬一口即可。为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？譬如说，如果猫有毒液百老汇爵士乐 ，那对猫会大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边博斗了，也不必再和大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，就不必再费大力气。因此，任何食肉动物有了毒液，都能从中获益。不过，当它们相互撕打时，毒液就成了利弊参半的武，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。然而，在脊椎动物中，大自然神秘模测地只选择了蛇（还有一种蜥蜴），人们弄不清楚大自然为什么在某些蛇的身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。
人们可能认为，唾液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液也在各方面与另外一些毒蛇产生的毒液不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样。不同毒蛇产生的毒液产生的效果不同，一种毒液作用于神经，另一种毒液作用于血液。
产生神经毒液的蛇有一种非洲树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素名门媳 。蝰蛇（蝮蛇）和响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。这两种毒液都很可怕，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。据说，神经毒液在两种毒液中是较为原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种较新的产品。不过，神经毒辣液比溶血性毒液在人身上起作用快得多。但是，这没有什么关系，因为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人的，而是对付它的猎物，诸如鼠类，毒液对这些猎物会立刻起作用。
课文详解
1.How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery.
【译文】蛇是怎样产生毒液的是个谜。
【讲解】how it came about that snakes manufactured poison是主语从句，that snakes manufactured poison是这个从句中真正的主语，it是形式主语。
2. Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today.
【译文】蛇的唾液像我们人的唾液一样，原是一种温和的消化液，经过很长时间变化成了一种甚至今天也无法分析清楚的毒液。
【讲解】over意为“在……期间”。period用复数则表示很长时期曹县房产网。a mild, digestive juice作saliva的同位语。own后省略了saliva。like our own作juice的定语。外研社提供的参考译文将此句误译为“蛇的唾液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液”。句中juice是saliva的同位语，译为汉语时可连同saliva先译为一句。如果在juice前面补充“即”或“就是”，不如加上“原是”达意烟娇百媚 。参考译文对a mild, digestive juice like our own理解有误，重译如上。
【单词和短语】
convert：使转变，使转化，使转换（to change something into a different form of thing, or to change something so that it can be used for a different purpose or in a different way），例如：
convert coal to/into pipeline gas 将煤转化为管道气 convert the oil revenues into other forms of wealth 将石油收入转化为其他形式的财富
convert defeat into victory 转败为胜
convert a large house into four separate flats 把一幢大宅改建成四套分门进出的房间 a converted Boeing 757 jet airline 一架改装过的波音757客机
3. It was not forced upon them by the survival competition; they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison, just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do.
【译文】毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的。如果不用毒液，它们也能靠捕捉到的动物生存，就像几千种无毒蛇那样。
【讲解】it指poison，them指snakes。could have caught and lived是表示与过去事实不符的虚拟语气。without using poison是介词短语，表示假设情况。这种用介词短语代替非真实条件句的虚拟语气句叫做含蓄条件句。caught和lived on的共用宾语是prey。just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do作方式状语从句，修饰caught和lived。do代替caught and lived on prey without using poison。
【单词和短语】
survival的动词形式是survive。
4. Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with very little effort, no more effort than one bite.
【译文】毒液对蛇来说不过是种奢侈品，它使蛇几乎不费力就能得到食物，轻咬一口即可。
【讲解】to a snake作状语。第一个it指poison，第二个it指snake。no more effort than one bite是同位语，补充说明little effort。
【单词和短语】
luxury的形容词形式是luxurious。
5. And why only snakes?
【译文】为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？
【讲解】本句是省略句，完整形式是And why only snakes have poison?
6. Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits—just a bite and no more effort needed.
【译文】例如，如果猫有毒液，那会对猫大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边搏斗了，也不必再和大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，不必费更大力气。
【讲解】helped后省略了条件从句if they had poison。no running fights…with grown rabbits是If they had poison they would have no running fights rabbits.的省略形式。or与tussles之间省略了no。剧中的破折号引出被强调部分。
7. In fact, it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two-edged weapon when they fought each other.
【译文】事实上，任何食肉动物有了毒液都能从中获益。不过它们厮打时毒液就成了利弊参半的武器，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。
【讲解】第一个it指poison，carnivore后的破折号引出被强调部分。a two-edged weapon指如果食肉动物都有毒液，那么这种毒液固然方便其猎取食物，但也使被猎获者用毒液进行反抗，结果造成互相残杀。这里作者把poison比作a two-edged weapon，属于暗喻（simile）的修辞手法。
8. But, of the vertebrates, unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard).
【译文】但是，在脊椎动物中，神秘莫测的大自然神只让蛇（和一种蜥蜴）有毒液。
【讲解】of the vertebrates作snakes的定语。提前这个介词短语意在强调。of相当于among。
【单词和短语】
由vertebrate（脊椎动物）联想invertebrate（无脊椎动物）。
9. One wonders also why Nature，with some snakes，concocted poison of such extreme potency.
【译文】人们弄不清大自然为何在某些蛇身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。
【讲解】with some snakes作状语，修饰concocted。通常应置于句尾，作者提前是为了强调。
【单词和短语】
concoct:调和，调制（to make something, especially food or drink, made by mixing different things, especially things that are not usually combined），
例如：
concoct a new kind of soup 配制一种新汤 concoct a sauce/dessert 烹制调味汁/甜点心
potency的形容词形式是potent，两词的反义词分别为impotency和impotent。
10. In the conversion of saliva into poison, one might suppose that a fixed process took place.
【译文】人们可能认为，唾液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。
【单词和短语】
conversion是convert的名词形式。
11. It did not; some snakes manufacture a poison different in every respect from that of others, as different as arsenic is from strychnine, and having different effects.
【译文】其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液与别的蛇产生的毒液在各个方面都不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样，效果也不同。
【讲解】it指a fixed process。did not后省略了take place。different in every respect from that of others作poison的定语。in every respect作状语，修饰different。that指poison。others指other snakes。is和 from之间省略了different。and having different effects是现在分词短语，与different in every respect from that of others并列作后置定语，修饰poison。
12. One poison acts on the nerves九路冥婚 , the other on the blood.
【译文】一种毒液作用于神经，另一种作用于血液。
【讲解】other和on之间省略了acts。并列结构中的相同动词可省略。
13. The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic.
【译文】产生神经毒液的蛇包括树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素。
14. Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is known as haemolytic.
【译文】蝰蛇（小蝰蛇）和响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。
【讲解】which is known as haemolytic系定语从句，修饰the blood poison。
15. Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison.
【译文】这两种毒液都令人难受，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。
【讲解】both poisons指blood poison和nerve poison。unpleasant后省略了poison。the＋形容词表示某类人或某类物。
16. It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two无上魔将, that the blood poison is, so to speak, a newer product from an improved formula.
【译文】据说，神经毒液在两种毒液中是较原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种较新的产品。
【讲解】that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two 和that the blood poison is…an improved formula是两个并列主语从句。so to speak作插入语。from an improved formula作product的定语。
【单词和短语】 primitive：原始的，上古的，早期的（something that is primitive is very simple and does not have the extra modern parts that would make it faster, better, more comfortable etc），例如：
Primitive man made himself primitive tools from sharp stones and animal bones.
原始人用尖利的石块和兽骨为自己制作原始的工具。 primitive accumulation 原始积累
17. Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison.
【译文】尽管如此，神经毒液在人身上起作用比溶血性毒液快得多。
【讲解】Be that as it may是让步状语从句，相当于however that may be。does its business with man指“要人的命”。
18. This, however, means nothing. 【译文】但是，这没什么关系。
19. Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate.
【译文】因为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人，而是对付鼠类这样的猎物，毒蛇的毒液对这些猎物会立刻奏效。
【讲解】such as相当于like。the effects on these of viperine poison是主语，指“毒蛇的毒液对这些猎物的效果”。of viperine poison作effects的定语。these指rats and mice。句中（did）not位于acquire之前，但也可移在for use against之前，即原句可改为Snakes acquired their poison not for use against man, but for use…。
Lesson 20 Snake poison 蛇毒
How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery. Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today. It was not forced upon them by the survival competition; they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison, just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do. Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with very little effort, no more effort than one bite. And why only snakes? Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits -- just a bite and no more effort needed. In fact, it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two-edged weapon when they fought each other. But, of the vertebrates幻化成风简谱 , unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard). One wonders saliva into why Nature, with respect from that of others, as other on the blood.
In the conversion of saliva into poison, one might suppose that a fixed process took place. It did not;
some snakes manufacture a poison different in every respect from that of others, as different as arsenic is from strychnine,杜维屏 and having different effects. One poison acts on the nerves, the other on the blood.The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic. Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is known as haemolytic. Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison. It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two, that the blood poison is, so to speak, a newer product from an improved formula. Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison. This, however, means nothing. Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate.
参考译文
蛇是怎样产生毒液的，这是一个谜。蛇的唾液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液。毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的，它们也可以不用毒液捕捉动物而生存，就像今天成千上万的无毒蛇那样。毒液对毒蛇来说只不过是一种舒适生存的优越手段，它使蛇不用费多大力气就能捕获到食物，轻咬一口即可。为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？譬如说，如果猫有毒液百老汇爵士乐 ，那对猫会大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边博斗了，也不必再和大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，就不必再费大力气。因此，任何食肉动物有了毒液，都能从中获益。不过，当它们相互撕打时，毒液就成了利弊参半的武，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。然而，在脊椎动物中，大自然神秘模测地只选择了蛇（还有一种蜥蜴），人们弄不清楚大自然为什么在某些蛇的身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。
人们可能认为，唾液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液也在各方面与另外一些毒蛇产生的毒液不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样。不同毒蛇产生的毒液产生的效果不同，一种毒液作用于神经，另一种毒液作用于血液。
产生神经毒液的蛇有一种非洲树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素名门媳 。蝰蛇（蝮蛇）和响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。这两种毒液都很可怕，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。据说，神经毒液在两种毒液中是较为原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种较新的产品。不过，神经毒辣液比溶血性毒液在人身上起作用快得多。但是，这没有什么关系，因为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人的，而是对付它的猎物，诸如鼠类，毒液对这些猎物会立刻起作用。
课文详解
1.How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery.
【译文】蛇是怎样产生毒液的是个谜。
【讲解】how it came about that snakes manufactured poison是主语从句，that snakes manufactured poison是这个从句中真正的主语，it是形式主语。
2. Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today.
【译文】蛇的唾液像我们人的唾液一样，原是一种温和的消化液，经过很长时间变化成了一种甚至今天也无法分析清楚的毒液。
【讲解】over意为“在……期间”。period用复数则表示很长时期曹县房产网。a mild, digestive juice作saliva的同位语。own后省略了saliva。like our own作juice的定语。外研社提供的参考译文将此句误译为“蛇的唾液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液”。句中juice是saliva的同位语，译为汉语时可连同saliva先译为一句。如果在juice前面补充“即”或“就是”，不如加上“原是”达意烟娇百媚 。参考译文对a mild, digestive juice like our own理解有误，重译如上。
【单词和短语】
convert：使转变，使转化，使转换（to change something into a different form of thing, or to change something so that it can be used for a different purpose or in a different way），例如：
convert coal to/into pipeline gas 将煤转化为管道气 convert the oil revenues into other forms of wealth 将石油收入转化为其他形式的财富
convert defeat into victory 转败为胜
convert a large house into four separate flats 把一幢大宅改建成四套分门进出的房间 a converted Boeing 757 jet airline 一架改装过的波音757客机
3. It was not forced upon them by the survival competition; they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison, just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do.
【译文】毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的。如果不用毒液，它们也能靠捕捉到的动物生存，就像几千种无毒蛇那样。
【讲解】it指poison，them指snakes。could have caught and lived是表示与过去事实不符的虚拟语气。without using poison是介词短语，表示假设情况。这种用介词短语代替非真实条件句的虚拟语气句叫做含蓄条件句。caught和lived on的共用宾语是prey。just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do作方式状语从句，修饰caught和lived。do代替caught and lived on prey without using poison。
【单词和短语】
survival的动词形式是survive。
4. Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with very little effort, no more effort than one bite.
【译文】毒液对蛇来说不过是种奢侈品，它使蛇几乎不费力就能得到食物，轻咬一口即可。
【讲解】to a snake作状语。第一个it指poison，第二个it指snake。no more effort than one bite是同位语，补充说明little effort。
【单词和短语】
luxury的形容词形式是luxurious。
5. And why only snakes?
【译文】为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？
【讲解】本句是省略句，完整形式是And why only snakes have poison?
6. Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits—just a bite and no more effort needed.
【译文】例如，如果猫有毒液，那会对猫大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边搏斗了，也不必再和大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，不必费更大力气。
【讲解】helped后省略了条件从句if they had poison。no running fights…with grown rabbits是If they had poison they would have no running fights rabbits.的省略形式。or与tussles之间省略了no。剧中的破折号引出被强调部分。
7. In fact, it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two-edged weapon when they fought each other.
【译文】事实上，任何食肉动物有了毒液都能从中获益。不过它们厮打时毒液就成了利弊参半的武器，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。
【讲解】第一个it指poison，carnivore后的破折号引出被强调部分。a two-edged weapon指如果食肉动物都有毒液，那么这种毒液固然方便其猎取食物，但也使被猎获者用毒液进行反抗，结果造成互相残杀。这里作者把poison比作a two-edged weapon，属于暗喻（simile）的修辞手法。
8. But, of the vertebrates, unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard).
【译文】但是，在脊椎动物中，神秘莫测的大自然神只让蛇（和一种蜥蜴）有毒液。
【讲解】of the vertebrates作snakes的定语。提前这个介词短语意在强调。of相当于among。
【单词和短语】
由vertebrate（脊椎动物）联想invertebrate（无脊椎动物）。
9. One wonders also why Nature，with some snakes，concocted poison of such extreme potency.
【译文】人们弄不清大自然为何在某些蛇身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。
【讲解】with some snakes作状语，修饰concocted。通常应置于句尾，作者提前是为了强调。
【单词和短语】
concoct:调和，调制（to make something, especially food or drink, made by mixing different things, especially things that are not usually combined），
例如：
concoct a new kind of soup 配制一种新汤 concoct a sauce/dessert 烹制调味汁/甜点心
potency的形容词形式是potent，两词的反义词分别为impotency和impotent。
10. In the conversion of saliva into poison, one might suppose that a fixed process took place.
【译文】人们可能认为，唾液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。
【单词和短语】
conversion是convert的名词形式。
11. It did not; some snakes manufacture a poison different in every respect from that of others, as different as arsenic is from strychnine, and having different effects.
【译文】其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液与别的蛇产生的毒液在各个方面都不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样，效果也不同。
【讲解】it指a fixed process。did not后省略了take place。different in every respect from that of others作poison的定语。in every respect作状语，修饰different。that指poison。others指other snakes。is和 from之间省略了different。and having different effects是现在分词短语，与different in every respect from that of others并列作后置定语，修饰poison。
12. One poison acts on the nerves九路冥婚 , the other on the blood.
【译文】一种毒液作用于神经，另一种作用于血液。
【讲解】other和on之间省略了acts。并列结构中的相同动词可省略。
13. The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic.
【译文】产生神经毒液的蛇包括树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素。
14. Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is known as haemolytic.
【译文】蝰蛇（小蝰蛇）和响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。
【讲解】which is known as haemolytic系定语从句，修饰the blood poison。
15. Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison.
【译文】这两种毒液都令人难受，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。
【讲解】both poisons指blood poison和nerve poison。unpleasant后省略了poison。the＋形容词表示某类人或某类物。
16. It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two无上魔将, that the blood poison is, so to speak, a newer product from an improved formula.
【译文】据说，神经毒液在两种毒液中是较原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种较新的产品。
【讲解】that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two 和that the blood poison is…an improved formula是两个并列主语从句。so to speak作插入语。from an improved formula作product的定语。
【单词和短语】 primitive：原始的，上古的，早期的（something that is primitive is very simple and does not have the extra modern parts that would make it faster, better, more comfortable etc），例如：
Primitive man made himself primitive tools from sharp stones and animal bones.
原始人用尖利的石块和兽骨为自己制作原始的工具。 primitive accumulation 原始积累
17. Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison.
【译文】尽管如此，神经毒液在人身上起作用比溶血性毒液快得多。
【讲解】Be that as it may是让步状语从句，相当于however that may be。does its business with man指“要人的命”。
18. This, however, means nothing. 【译文】但是，这没什么关系。
19. Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate.
【译文】因为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人，而是对付鼠类这样的猎物，毒蛇的毒液对这些猎物会立刻奏效。
【讲解】such as相当于like。the effects on these of viperine poison是主语，指“毒蛇的毒液对这些猎物的效果”。of viperine poison作effects的定语。these指rats and mice。句中（did）not位于acquire之前，但也可移在for use against之前，即原句可改为Snakes acquired their poison not for use against man, but for use…。