B2L8 Channel Tunnel (英倫海底隧道)

課文分析


1. For many years, England and France wanted to link their two countries with a train tunnel under the English Channel.（見第1行）
(1) for＋時間或距離，表示一段時間或距離。
例：She waited for years before her husband came back. 她等待多年才等到丈夫歸來。
 We drove for miles to find a place to stay overnight.我們開了好幾哩路，找尋一個可以過夜的地方。

(2) under prep. 在……下面

under和below的比較：
a. 一般（位置）在……以下時：below和under皆可
In Taiwan, many parks are located by a river, below/under a bridge.
在台灣，很多公園都位在河邊，橋的底下。

b. 水平位置低於……時：below
Geographically speaking, Mexico is located below the United States.
以地理位置來說，墨西哥在美國下面。

c. 完全覆蓋在……的下面時：under
Children put red envelopes under their pillows on Chinese New Year’s eve.
孩子們在除夕夜那晚將紅包壓在枕頭底下。

2. The tunnel would have to be 50 kilometers long----one of the longest in the world. （見第4行）
50 kilometers long為一形容詞片語做主詞補語用，修飾the tunnel。

數字+度量衡單位+長寬高形容詞
例：The board is three meters long, and two meters wide. 這個板子三公尺長，兩公尺寬。
This borer can dig 75 meters deep in a day. 這台鑽孔機一天可以挖七十五公尺深。

3. But more importantly, it would have to be safe.（見第5行）
副詞的比較級大多數都是用more，而不加er。

例：After getting married, he lived more happily than before.
　結了婚之後，他過得比從前快樂。
除非副詞和形容詞同形，則比較級加er，常見的有：early, fast, late, hard, long, high等。

4. Since much of the tunnel would be underwater, an accident inside the tunnel could be a disaster. （見第7行）
(1) Since + S1 + V1 ..., S2 + V2 .... 既然／因為……
Since he is eighteen, he has the right to vote. 既然他十八歲了，他就有投票權。
The distance between England and France becomes shorter since there is Channel Tunnel.
因為有了英倫海底隧道，英法兩國間的距離就縮短了。

since為一連接詞，連接兩個有因果關係的子句。
since另外常用的意思／用法尚有：
(a) conj. 自從……
例：Since George met Mary for the first time, he has fallen in love with her. 自從喬治第一次遇見瑪麗，他就愛上她。

(b) prep. 自從……
例：I have been living in Keelung since last year. 從去年開始，我就一直住在基隆。

(2) much指稱一樣事物之中的大部分
例：Much of the railroad station was flooded. 火車站大部份都淹水了。
        Books occupy much of my desk.  書佔據了我桌子的一大部份。

(3) can在這裡與「能力」無關，是在表達一種「可能性」及典型的狀況。
例：Eating disorders can cause various illnesses.
        飲食失調可能會造成各種疾病的產生。
        Walking around a graveyard at night can be very frightening.
        晚上去逛墓園可是會非常恐怖的。

5. In between these two tunnels is a smaller tunnel, which is used by railroad workers. （見第11行）
(1) 原為A smaller tunnel is in between these two tunnels .... 為了跟文中上一句的主語Two of the tunnels are for trains語氣連貫，故將其所在之介系詞片語In between these two tunnels移前，並作倒裝（主詞a smaller tunnel與動詞is顛倒）。

介系詞片語／副詞片語 + V + S
In between England and France is the English Channel.
介於英法兩國之間的是英倫海峽。
Across the English Channel goes the Channel Tunnel.
英倫海底隧道橫跨英倫海峽。

(2) which 帶出一形容詞子句，補充敘述先行詞a smaller tunnel。此為補述用法(continuative) ，先行詞後先逗號再帶出形容詞子句，其關係代名詞=連接詞+代名詞，此句即In between these two tunnels is a smaller tunnel, and it is used by railroad workers.

例：He loved her, who did not love him. = He loved her, but she did not love him.
       他愛她但她並不愛他。

6. This smaller tunnel can also be used to get people out if there is an accident. （見第12行）
(1) 比較非正式的用法 (informal use) 裡，get 可用以表示改變受詞的位置，意指「讓……，把……」。

例：The residents are busy getting their stuffs out. 　居民們忙著清出東西。
        Go get your hat on.  去把帽子戴上。

(2) if在這裡是普通時態的用法，跟假設語氣無關。
例：Do you mind if I open the window?
       要是我打開窗戶的話，你會介意嗎？
       If you were at home, why didn’t you answer the door?
       你如果在家的話，為什麼不應門？

5. The Channel Tunnel was built by two teams of workers digging from both sides of the Channel. （見第14行）

分詞片語digging from both sides of the Channel修飾名詞workers。此分詞片語亦可視為由形容詞子句who dug from both sides of the Channel轉化而來（去掉關係代名詞，並且將主動形式的動詞變為現在分詞）。即：

The Channel Tunnel was built by two teams of workers who dug from both sides of the Channel.
→ The Channel Tunnel was built by two teams of workers digging from both sides of the Channel.

N + V-ing
They built a bridge, linking the two towns.  他們蓋了一座橋連接兩個鄉鎮。
That man carrying the child away from the burning building should be honored as a hero.
那個將小孩帶出火場的男人應該被尊為英雄。

6. They used huge machines, called “borers,” which could dig 75 meters a day. （見第20行）

(1) 分詞片語called “borers” 修飾名詞machines。此分詞片語亦可視為由形容詞子句which are called “borers”轉化而來（去掉關係代名詞，並且將被動形式的動詞變為過去分詞）。即：

They used huge machines, which are called “borers,” ....
→ They used huge machines, called “borers,” ....

N + p.p.
England and France are separated by a strait of water, called “English Channel.”
英法兩國被一叫做「英倫海峽」的水道分隔。
England and France are linked by a tunnel, called “Channel Tunnel.
英法兩國由一叫做「英倫海底隧道」的隧道連接在一起。
The Channel Tunnel, built by more than 10,000 people, is one of the longest tunnels in the world.
英倫海底隧道，由超過一萬人所建造，是世界上最長的隧道之一。

(2) 形容詞子句which could dig 75 meters a day修飾名詞borers。

7. The amount of rock and dirt removed by these machines increased the size of Britain by 36 hectares! （見第21行）

(1) 分詞片語removed by these machines修飾名詞rock and dirt。此分詞片語亦可視為由形容詞子句which was removed by these machines轉化而來。
即：
The amount of rock and dirt which was removed by these machines increased ....
→ The amount of rock and dirt removed by these machines increased ....

(2) by 36 hectares 的介系詞by可表示「至於……程度」。
例：The large amount of rock increased the weight of the truck by 1,000 pounds.
       大量的岩石讓卡車的重量增加了一千磅。
        John is taller than Mary by 20 centimeters. 約翰比瑪麗高二十公分。

8. By the time the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, almost 13,000 people had worked on the project. （見第24行）

by the time帶出一時間副詞子句，意指「在……之前；不晚於……」，by the time子句裡的動詞常用簡單過去式，而主要子句裡的動詞發生時間較早，故用過去完成式。

By the time S + 簡單過去式V ..., S + 過去完成式V ....
在……之前就已經……

By the time the project of Channel Tunnel was carried out, people had wished for a train tunnel linking England and France for two centuries.
在英倫海底隧道計劃案開始進行之前，兩個世紀以來人們一直希望有一條火車通行的隧道可以連接英法兩國。

By the time he offered to help, I had finished the job.
在他自願幫忙之前，我就已經做完了。

I had lived in Taipei for twenty years by the time I moved to Keelung.
在我搬到基隆之前我在台北住了二十年。

(1) by亦可直接加時間片語
例：By 1997, the people had wished for the Channel Tunnel for two centuries.
到一九九七年以前，人們期待英倫海底隧道已兩個世紀。

By tomorrow morning, we will have worked for two days without any rest.
到明天早上以前，我們就已經工作兩天都沒有休息。

(2) 此句型旨在比較時間的先後，by the time子句裡的動詞亦可用簡單現在式，而主要子句裡尚未發生或未完成的動詞，用未來式或未來完成式。

例：By the time the typhoon comes, we will get everything prepared.
       颱風來之前我們會把每樣東西準備好。
        By the time it rains, we will have been thirsty to death.
       下雨之前我們就已經渴死了。
9. Today, trains travel through the tunnel at 160 kilometers an hour, and it’s possible to get from one end to the other in just twenty minutes! （見第25行）

(1) travel意指「行進；移動」
例：Two of the tunnels are for trains to travel. 有兩條隧道是給火車行進的。
       Bad news travels fast. （俗諺：）壞事傳千里。

(2) 即at the speed of 160 kilometers per hour；at +速度，例：at full speed（以全速）

(3) 即get from one end of the tunnel to the other end of the tunnel 亦可作travel through the tunnel

(4) in +時間片語，意指「在……之前；不超過……」。
例：I’ll arrive in one hour.  我會在一個小時之內到達。