Lesson 88 Trapped in a mine困在矿井里
First listen and then answer the question.听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why is the rescue taking so long?
Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue operations are proving difficult. If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine. They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule. If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours. As it is, they have been drilling for sixteen hours and they still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago, has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives. Though they are running out of food and drink, the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon. They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly. If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart.
参考译文
6个人被困在矿井里已有17个小时了。如果不把他们尽快救到地面上来，他们就有可能丧生。然而，事实证明营救工作非常困难。如果用炸药爆破，震动会 引起矿顶塌落。因此，营救人员在矿井的北侧钻了一个洞。他们准备用一种特制的容器把这6个人救上来。如果不是因为土壤下面有一层坚硬的岩石，他们的营救工 作仅用几个小时就可以完成了。实际情况是，他们已连续钻了16个小时了，但离钻透还早着呢。与此同时，两个小时以前放下井去的一只麦克风使井下的人可以与 其亲属保持联系。虽然他们的食物和饮料都快消耗尽了，但这些人的心情很好，坚信他们很快就会出去。他们一直被告知营救工作进行得非常顺利。如果他们知道了 钻透那坚硬的岩石有多么困难，他们会丧失信心的。
New words and expressions 生词和短语
trap
v. 陷入，使陷于困境
surface
n. 地面，表面
explosive
n. 炸药
vibration
n. 震动
collapse
v. 坍塌
drill
v. 钻孔
capsule
n. 容器
layer
n. 层
beneath
prep. 在......之下
lower
v. 放下，降低
progress
v. 进展，进行
smoothly
adv. 顺利地
Lesson 88 自学导读First things first
课文详注 Further notes on the text1．…rescue operations are proving difficult.……事实证明营救工作非常困难。
prove之后带形容词（有时也可以是名词）时表示“证明是”、“结果是”：
His operation proved successful.
他的手术很成功。
What he had told us proved false.
他对我们所说的原来是假的。
2．Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine. 因此，营救人员正在矿井的北侧钻一个洞。
therefore表示“因此”、“所以”等。它是副词，所以它既可以独立使用，也可以位于动词前。so表示“因此”、“所以”时通常是连词：
The new flat is larger and therefore more expensive.
这套新房子（比原先的）要大些，因此比较贵。
His parents gave him some money, and he was therefore able to buy a car.
他的父母给了他一些钱，所以他能买得起一辆车。
His parents gave him some money, therefore, he was able to buy a car.
（译文同上，therefore前后都可以有逗号，so后面通常不用逗号）
We arrived early, so we got good seats.
我到得早，因此我们找到了好座位。（so表示“所以”、“因此”时不放在动词前）
3．If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would have completed the job in a few hours. 如果不是因为土壤下面有一层坚硬的岩石，他们的营救工作仅用几小时就可以完成了。
这是第3类条件句，表示与过去事实相反的假设。课文中还有第1类和第2类条件句的例子，仔细体会它们的区别。
4．as it is，实际上，事实上（也可以用as it was）。
I thought they would help us. As it was, they just sat there and looked on.
我以为他们会帮助我们。实际上他们却只是坐着旁观。
I promised to return the books yesterday. As it is, I won't be able to do so until next Monday.
我答应昨天还书的，但事实上我要到下星期一才能还。
5．…a microphone…has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives.……一只麦克风使井下的人可以与其亲属保持联系。
（1）enable为及物动词，表示“使……能够”：
The hubble telescope will enable us to have a better understanding of the distant stars and galaxies.
哈勃望远镜将使我们能更好地了解远距离的恒星和星系。
前缀en-加在名词或形容词前可以使这个词成为动词，如endanger（危及，使遭受危险），enlarge（扩大，扩展，扩充），enslave（奴役，使成为奴隶），entrap（使……入陷阱/圈套，欺骗）。
（2）keep in touch with表示“与……保持联系”，也可以用stay，get 等其他动词：
Though he works in New York, he still keeps in touch with his friends in London.
他虽然在纽约工作，但仍然与伦敦的朋友们保持联系。
George is in close touch with Ian.
乔治与伊恩联系密切。
Can you get in touch with the company?
你能与那家公司取得联系吗？
6．lose heart为固定搭配，表示“丧失信心/勇气”、“泄气”、“灰心”：
He told his men not to lose heart, saying that they would soon discover gold mines.
他告诉手下人不要灰心，并说他们很快就会发现金矿的。
Seeing that the enemy was much stronger than themselves, the soldiers lost heart at once.
当战士们发现敌军比自己要强大得多时，他们立刻就丧失了勇气。
词汇学习 Word study
1．collapse vi.
（1）倒塌：
If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse.
如果用炸药爆破，震动会引起矿顶塌落。
With no one to repair it, the old church collapsed long ago.
由于无人维修，那座老教堂早就倒塌了。
（2）（因精疲力竭等）倒下；（身体等）垮掉：
After many years' hard work, my mother's health collapsed.
由于多年的辛苦劳动，我母亲的身体垮了。
He had run more than forty miles As soon as he was out of danger, he collapsed.
他已经跑了四十多英里路了。他刚脱离危险便（累得）倒下了。
2．与动词run有关的短语
run可以与不同的介词或副词搭配产生不同的含义。
（1）run out of可表示“用完”、“耗尽”：
They are running out of food and drink.
他们的食物和饮料都快消耗尽了。
He has run out of money.
他的钱用光了。
（2）run after表示“追赶”、“追逐”：
She ran through a forest after the two thieves.
她穿过森林，追赶那两个小偷。
Seeing that his sister was annoyed, he ran after her to apologize.
当他发现他妹妹/姐姐生气时，他便追上去道歉。
（3）run over的含义之一是“在……驶过/辗过”：
The car ran over a snake/his legs.
那车辗过一条蛇/他的双腿。
The cat was run over by a train.
那只猫被火车压死了。
（4）run in的含义之一是“试车”、“试转（发动机等）”：
John is running his new car in.
约翰正在试他的新车。
Run in the engine before you start work.
在开始工作前，先试试发动机。
（5）run into可以表示“偶然碰见”：I ran into
Mary and Jane in the flower shop.我在花店里碰见了玛丽和简。
He ran into the Sterlings while travelling in Italy.
他在意大利旅游时遇见了斯特林一家。
Lesson 88 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer
