Lesson 96 The dead return

中文

亡灵返乡

日本每年过一次“亡灵节”。

这个节日是个欢乐的日子，因为在这一天，据说死去的人要回到他们的家里来，活着的人则对他们表示欢迎。

因为预料到他们在经过长途旅行之后会感到饥饿，所以为他们摆放好了食品。

特制的灯笼挂在各家的门外，为的是帮助亡灵看清道路。

整个夜晚人们载歌载舞。

一大早，人们便把为死者摆放的食品扔进河中或海里，因为人们认为活着的人吃了这些东西是不吉利的。

在靠海的城镇中，头天夜里挂在大街小巷的小灯笼在节后就放在了水里。

成千上万只灯笼慢慢漂向大海，指引着亡灵返回另一个世界。

这是一个感人的场面，人们成群地伫立在海岸上，注视着灯笼远去，直到再也看不见为止。

英文

The dead return.

A Festival [ˈfestɪv(ə)l] for the Dead is held once a year in Japan [dʒəˈpæn].

This festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed [ˈwelkəm] by the living [ˈlɪvɪŋ].

As they are expected [ɪkˈspektɪd] to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid [leɪd] out for them.

Specially [ˈspeʃəli]-made lanterns [ˈlæntənz] are hung [hʌŋ] outside each house to help the dead to find their way.

All night long, people dance [dɑːns] and sing.

In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered [kənˈsɪdəd] unlucky for anyone living [ˈlɪvɪŋ] to eat [iːt] it.

In towns [taʊnz] that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung [hʌŋ] in the streets the night before, are placed [pleɪst] into the water when the festival is over.

Thousands [ˈθaʊz(ə)nds] of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world.

This is a moving [ˈmuːvɪŋ] spectacle [ˈspektək(ə)l], for crowds [kraʊdz] of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen [siːn] no more.

分析

A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan.

• simple sentence:
  • A festival for the Dead [subject]
    • for the Dead [attributive] => a festival
  • is held [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
  • once a year [adverbial of time]
  • in Japan [adverbial of place]
• knowledge:
  • 定语：
    • 定语的位置一般有两种：用在所修饰词之前的叫前置定语，用在所修饰词之后的叫后置定语。
    • 一般不定代词、形容词、名词、数词、量词、形容性代词、冠词等作为前置定语，而过去分词、不定式、形容词短语、介词短语、定语从句、同位语从句等一般作为后置定语。

---

The festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living.

• complex sentence: 这个节日是这个欢乐的日子，因为在这一天，据说死去的人要回到他们的家里来，活着的人则对他们表示欢迎。
  • The festival is a cheerful occasion
    • the festival [subject]
    • is [be verb]
    • a cheerful occasion [predicative] [noun phrase]
  • for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living.
    • for on this day [adverbial of time]
    • the dead are said to return to their homes
      • the dead [subject]
      • are said to do [predicate verb phrase]
      • to return to their home [to-do as object]
        • return to [verb phrase]
        • their home [object]
    • and
    • they are welcomed by the living
      • they [subject]
      • are welcomed [passive form of verb] [present simple tense]
      • by the living [adverbial of manner]
• knowledge:
  • return + to + sth.
    • v. 回到...; 返回...; 降到...
  • be said to do sth 据说做某事;一般式所表示的动作
  • It is said that 据说，主语从句结构

---

As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them.

• complex sentence:
  • As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey
    • as + clause [adverbial clause of cause]
    • they [subject]
    • are expected to do [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
    • to be hungry [to-do as object]
    • after their long journey [adverbial of time]
  • food is laid out for them.
    • food [subject]
    • is laid out [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
    • for them [adverbial of purpose]
• knowledge:
  • expect + sth. + to + do.
    • v. 期待...(某人或某物)...(做某事)
  • lay + out + sth.
    • vt. 摆开, 展示, 布置, 安排, 投资
  • lay out 摆开、展示、摆设

---

Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way.

• simple sentence:
  • Specially-made lanterns [subject]
  • are hung [passive form of verb] [present simple tense]
  • outside each house [adverbial of place]
  • to help the dead to find their way [adverbial of purpose]
• knowledge:
  • help + sb. + to + do. + (sth.)
    • v. 帮助...(某人)...(做某事)
  • find + one's + way
    • v. 找到路; 设法到达; 找到解决办法

---

All night long, people dance and sing .

• simple sentence:
  • all night long [adverbial of time]
  • people [subject]
  • dance and sing [predicate verb phrase]
• knowledge:
  • all night long 整夜
  • all day long 整天

---

In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it.

• complex sentence:
  • In the early morning [adverbial of time]
  • the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea
    • the food is thrown into a river or into the sea
      • the food [subject]
      • is thrown [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
      • into a river or into the sea [object]
    • that had been laid out for the dead
      • that + clause [attributive clause] => the food
      • that [subject]
      • had been laid out [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
      • for the dead [adverbial of purpose]
  • as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it.
    • as + clause [adverbial clause of cause]
    • it [subject]
    • is considered [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
    • unlucky for anyone living to eat it [subject complement] [adjective]
      • unlucky [adjective]
      • for anyone living to eat it [adverbial]
• knowledge:
  • it is considered + adj + for sb to do sth
    • 某人做某事被认为

---

In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over.

• complex sentence:
  • In towns that are near the sea [adverbial of place]
    • in towns
    • that are near the sea [attributive clause] => in towns
      • that [subject]
      • are [be verb]
      • near the sea [predicative]
  • the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over.
    • the tiny lanterns are placed into the water
      • the tiny lanterns [subject]
      • are placed [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
      • into the water [propositional object]
    • when the festival is over
      • when + clause [adverbial clause of time]
      • the festival [subject]
      • is [be verb]
      • over [predicative]
    • which had been hung in the streets the night before
      • which + clause [attributive clause] => the tiny lanterns
      • which [subject]
      • had been hung [passive form of verb] [past perfect tense]
      • in the streets [adverbial of place]
      • the night before [adverbial of time]
• knowledge:
  • into + the + water
    • prep. 进入水中, 入水
  • be. + over
    • v. 已结束, 已终止; 注定[失败/毁灭/死亡]; 已分手
  • in + the + street
    • prep. 在街上, 在户外, 在交易所打烊后进行的
  • the + night + before
    • adv. 前一天晚上, 前一个晚上, 昨夜, 前夜

---

Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world.

• complex sentence:
  • thousands of lanterns [subject]
  • slowly [adverbial]
  • drift out [predicate verb phrase]
  • to sea [prepositional object phrase]
  • guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world [adverbial]
    • guide ... to ... [predicate verb phrase]
    • the dead [object]
    • on their return journey [adverbial of place]
    • to the other world [adverbial of purpose]
• knowledge:
  • on + the + journey
    • prep. 在旅程中
  • guide + sth.① + to + sth.②
  • the other world 另一个世界
  • on sb journey 在某人的旅途上
  • on sb return journey 在某人返程的路途上

---

This is a moving spectacle , for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.

• complex sentence:
  • This is a moving spectacle
    • this [subject]
    • is [be verb]
    • a moving spectacle [predicative] [noun phrase]
  • for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.
    • for + clause [adverbial clause of cause]
    • crowds of people [subject]
    • stand [predicate verb phrase]
    • on the shore [adverbial of place]
    • watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more [adverbial clause of accompany]
      • watching the lanterns [doing as subject]
      • drifting away [predicate verb phrase]
      • until they can be seen no more [adverbial clause of time]
        • until + clause
        • they [subject]
        • can be seen [predicate verb phrase] [passive form of verb]
        • no more [adverbial]
• knowledge:
  • a moving spectacle 一个感人的场景
  • drift + out
    • v. 走开, 离开, 散开; 慢吞吞(或不经意)地走出去; 缓慢地移动; (被水流等)漂走; 冲出
  • stand + on + sth.
    • v. 站立在...上
  • on + the + shore
    • prep. 在岸边
  • drift + away
    • v. (人)渐渐离开, (烟雾等)慢慢散去; 游离; 抛开