课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．…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
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。
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