Lesson 10

The loss of the Titanic
“泰坦尼克”号的沉没

Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What would have happened if only two of the sixteen water-tight compartments had been flooded?

The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th, 1912. She was carrying 1,316 passengers and crew of 891. Even by modern standards, the 46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At the time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen watertight compartments. Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float. The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.
Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy water of the North Atlantic, huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a lookout. After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision. The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense walk of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her. Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain went down to see what had happened. The noise had been so faint that no one though that the ship had been damaged. Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her sixteen watertight compartments had already been flooded! The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into the icy water. As there were not enough lifeboats for everybody, 1,500 lives were lost.

参考译文

巨轮“泰坦尼克”号1912年4月10日从南安普敦起锚驶向纽约。船上载有1,316名乘客与891名船员。却使用现代标准来衡量，45,000 吨的“泰坦尼克”号与算得上一艘巨轮了。当时，这艘轮船不仅是造船史上建造的最大的一艘船，而且也被认为是不会沉没的。因为船由16个密封舱组成，即使有两个舱进水，仍可漂浮的水面上。然而，这艘巨轮首航就下沉，造成大批人员死亡。人们将永远记着这艘巨轮的沉没惨剧。
“泰坦尼克”起航后的第4天，它正行驶在北大西洋冰冷的海面上。突然，了望员发现一座冰山。警报响过不久，巨轮急转弯，以避免与冰山正面相撞。“泰坦尼克”这个弯拐得及时，紧贴着高出海面100英尺的巨大的冰墙擦过去。突然，从船舱下部传来一声微颤音，船长走下船舱去查看究竟。由于这个声音非常轻，没人会想到船身已遭损坏。在下面，船长惊恐的地发现“泰坦尼克”号正在急速下沉，16个密封舱已有5个进水。于是，他发出弃船的命令，几百人跳进了冰冷刺骨的海水里。由于没有足够的救生艇运载所有乘客，结果，1,500 人丧生。


【New words and expressions】 生词和短语

★Southampton
n. 南安普敦（英国港市）

★colossal
adj. 庞大的
big,large,huge,great,vast,immense,enormous,giant,gigantic,
tremendous,titanic

colossal: large in size
A ship Titanic was colossal
a colossal monument;a colossal statue
big You give me a big surprise
He is a big person.
The box is big
large 体积大，数量大
　　　an empty large box,a large number of people
great 伟大；vast 辽阔，广阔 vast desert
immense; immeasurable 不可测量的
enormous 重点突出数量、程度、体积;强调程度时，语意强于big
We had an enormous lunch
He made a big success./He made an enormous success
giant 巨大的，高大的
　　　a giant person; gigantic
tremendous: big,fast,powerful
The plane is travelling at tremendous speed.
titanic: 用于修饰人和物，体积大，力量大
　　　　 The ship is titanic.
huge 强调体积大；a huge stone 数量巨大a huge sum of money　　　　　
★watertight
adj. 不漏水的
a watertight ship
watertight 引申为无限可击的，毫无破绽的
watertight arguments 无懈可击的论点
watertight excuse毫无破绽的借口
waterproof　防水的；waterproof watch 防水手表
waterproof coat 防水雨衣

★compartment
n. （轮船的）密封舱

★flood
v. 充满水
flood vt.be filled with water; the ship is flooded.
The room was flooded with moonlight
Our classroom is flooded with sunshine.
n.洪水；in flood 洪水泛滥；引申表示连续不断的
During the rains,the river is in flood
in a flood of words 滔滔不绝的
She blamed her husband in a flood of words on seeing him.

★float
v. 漂浮，飘浮
float:drift

★tragic
adj. 悲惨的
tragic: unfortunate;a tragic accident
miserable: 苦难的；bitter痛苦的
tragedy n.悲剧，惨案；　in tragedy 以悲剧形式
The holiday ended in tragedy.
comedy喜剧；comic喜剧的，滑稽的；comical古怪的，可笑的

★liner
n. 班船

★voyage
n. 航行
voyage 海上航行；flight飞行；journey长途行程
navigation 航海，航海术
The voyage is more than the old lady can bear.

★iceberg
n. 冰山

★lookout
n. 了望员

★collision
n. 碰撞
collide vi 碰撞，抵触
The plane collided with the moutain.
crash v.坠毁
It is said that there is an airplane that crashed in the moutains.
conflict vi.和某事（某人）相抵触
My idea conflicts with yours.
clash vi.相冲突：His wedding clashed with my examination ,so I couldn't go.

★narrowly
adv. 刚刚，勉强地

★miss
v. 避开

★slight
adj. 轻微的

★tremble
v. 震颤
tremble v.有规律的，小幅度的抖动
Look,your hands are trembling,what's wrong with you?
shiver v. 强调由于寒冷、惧怕二一连串地抖动
I found he's shivering in a cold.
shudder vi.强调全身的颤栗
The boy is shuddering,why? Because he was frightened.

★faint
adj. 微弱的
faint: weak弱的
faint sound/weak sound; weak voice/faint voice
faint: unconscious 失去知觉
He has been faint for a long time.
slight 轻微的，微不足道的
a slight headache; a slight book

★horror
n. 恐惧

★abandon
v. 抛弃
abandon 因为某事二被迫放弃自己喜爱的事物
He abandoned his research because of the war.
desert 背弃，遗弃
desert the army;desert the duty; desert his family

★plunge
v. 投入，跳入
plunge: jump or rush suddenly and wildly
He got so angry that he plunge into the water.
When the ship Titanic sank in the ocean,a large number of people plunged into...
jump 侧重强调快速地跳
The boy is jumping up and down.
leap 跳跃；He leapt out of the sleeping bad.
dive 跳水、潜水

★lifeboat
n. 救生船

【课文讲解】

The great ship,Titanic,sailed for...背景介绍
sail for 航海去往某处
set out(off) for出发去往某处
leave for,head for,make for
Eg.: He will set out for the Atlantic.
The plane is making for the airport.
We are heading for Canada.

She was carrying...
carry 表示载有；a crew of一组人员

Even by...by; according to 表示依据
mordern standards 现代的标准

by regulation 依据规则；by rules依据条例
by our estimate依据我们的估计
by one's looks /by one's appearance 根据某人的长相
according to 依据（事实、课文等客观存在的现实）
according to the fact 依据事实
according to the text依据这篇课文

在我看来：in my opinion

according to /in accordance with
in accordance with 更加正式，依据法律
in accordance with law
in accordance with rules

At that time 在当时

ont noly...but(also)...不仅，而且
be regarded as: be considered to be,be thought of as 把...看作为
口语中：regard sb./sth. as+(n./pron/adj./doing/done)
Eg.:I regard his idea as totally unacceptable.
We can't regard the matter as settled
for 表示原因
be able to强调有能力

be remembered 被永远记住
go down: sink
on her first voyage :处女航，首航
with heavy loss of life损失惨重，造成大批人员的死亡

four days after setting out...; four days after seeting off...

...spotted...;suddenly discoverd by a look out
icy waters 水域，海域

the alarm had been given 发出警报
to avoid ...不定式表目的

which 指代the immense wall of ice
from below 从下方；from above 从上方

...so faint that no one thought that...
so...that..

to one's horror使某人感到惊骇、惊恐
to one's surprise 使某人感到惊讶

five of her sixtten watertight compartments had been filled with water

The odrer was given 命令被下达
to abandon ship 弃船，不定式做定语

hundreds of people plunged into...
As (because) there were not enough lifeboats ...1500 lives died.

ability 能力
the ability to do sth
order sb.to do sth.
be capable of doing sth.强调有做某事的能力
capability of doing sth.做某事的能力

【Special difficulties】

Word Building 构词法
动词后加-er, 如果是以不发音的-e结尾的，只加-r, 表示行为的主动者，做某事的人。
work----worker teach----teacher murder----murderer
write----writer read----reader
动词后加-ist, 表示某种主义者、信仰者；从事某种事业、研究的人
copy----copyist type----typist novel ---- novelist
drug---- druggist tobacco----- tobacconist
形容词后加-ness, 抽象名词，表示一种性质、情况、状态
kind----kindness bitter----bitterness happy----happiness
willing----willngness
某些动词后加-ion, 构成名词
suggent----suggestion …
以-te结尾的动词，把不发音的-e去掉，再加-ion
translate----translation complete---- completion
graduate---- graduation
某些以-aim /-ain 结尾的动词，把-i 去掉，再加-ation
explain----explanation exclaim----exclamation
以-ity 结尾，放在形容词之后，构成抽象名词，表示性质、状态
以-able / -ible 对尾的形容词变成名词，充成 –ability / -ibility
able----ability probable----probability possible----possibility mobile----mobility

Exercese
Supply the missing words in the following sentences:
1 He studied physics at university. He is a p____ .
2 He works in a mine. He is a m_____ .
3 Pasteur did a great service to _____ (human ).
4 He is trying to make a good _____ ( impress ).
5 His paintings have been admired for their _____ (original ).

Key: 1. physicist 2. miner 3. humanity 4. impression 5. originality

【Multiple choice questions】
Comprehension
1 When the Titanic set out from Southampton _____ .
a. she was carrying a very large cargo
b. she was making a voyage which is only attempted by very large ships
c. only two of her watertight compartments were flooded
d. she was sailing on her maiden voyage

1. D

2 What happened once the icebery had been spotted?
a. The Titanic got lost in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.
b. The alarm was given that there was a collision ahead.
c. The Titanic quickly changed her course.
d. The Titanic turned just as the iceberg rose steeply out of the water.

2. C

3 The Titanic sank because _____ .
a. she had been badly damaged by an iceberg
b. the captain was slow to realize the true nature of the damage
c. no more than five of her watertight compartments had been flooded
d. instead of trying to save her, people plunged into the water

3. A

Structure
4 _____ were 1,316 passengers and a crew of 891 . (ll.2-3)
a. On her board b. On board her c. Boarding her d. On boarding ner

4. B her 指代的是the great ship
on board the plane / the train

5 No one thought she _____ sink, for she had sixteen watertight compartments. (ll.5-6)
a. would be possible to b. would be able to c. should d. could possibly

5. D 表示下沉的可能性
6 She _____ four days when a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted. (ll.9-10)
a, sailed b. was sailing c. has sailed d. had been sailing
有了段时间four, 用过去完成进行时
6． D

7 So faint _____ that no one thought… (ll.13-14)
a. the noise was b. had been the noise c. it was the noise d. it had been the noise
So位于句首，句子必须倒装
7． B

8 As there were _____ lifeboats for every body…(ll.16-17)
a. as little b. so little c. very few d. too few
not enough lifeboats
8. D

Vocabulary
9 The great ship _____ sharply to avoid a direct collision. (ll.10-11)
a. veered b. changed c. went back d. cornered
突然转向
veer = turn
9. A

10 The Titanic turned _____ narrowly missing the immense wall… )ll.11-12)
a. in next to no time b. on a sudden impulse c. with no time to spare d. nearly on time
just in tome 躲得很及时
in next to no time = at once, immediately
on a sudden impulse:凭一时的冲动
10. C

11. The captain went down to _____ . (l.13)
a. explore b. investigate c. examine d. inquire
重点在于下去调查
11． B

12 There was not enough _____ in the lifeboats for everybody. (ll.16-17)
a. room b. place c. volume d. area
room 空间 volume 容量，容积 area 地区 place 地方， 地点
12. A