Lesson 17 A man-made disease人为的疾病 结果状语从句 非限定性定语从句
First listen and then answer the following question: What factor helped to spread the disease of myxomatosis?
In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit.
This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.
It overran a whole continent.
It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle.
Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently no other animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease, myxomatosis.
By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local epidemics of this disease could be created.
Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits.
So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one.
It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population.
It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated.
There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable.
Ironically, Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence.
A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own estate and introduced myxomatosis.
It did not, however, remain within the confines of his estate.
It spread through France where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as a sport and a useful food supply, and it spread to Britain where wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits, equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur industry.
The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented.
RITCHIE CALDER Science Makes Sense

与课文关联的单词
settlement *
/ˈset(ə)lmənt/n. 新拓居地enterprising
/ˈentəpraɪzɪŋ/adj. 有事业心的settler
/ˈsetlə(r)/n. 移居者antipodes
/ænˈtɪpəˌdiːz/n. (the ~)新西兰和澳大利亚(英)promiscuous
/prəˈmɪskjuəs/adj. 杂乱的abandon
/əˈbændən/n. 放任,纵情overrun
/ˈəʊvərʌn/v. 蔓延,泛滥devastation
/ˌdevəˈsteɪʃn/n. 破坏,劫掠burrow
/ˈbʌrəʊ/v. 挖、掘susceptible
/səˈseptəb(ə)l/adj. 易受感染的virus
/ˈvaɪrəs/n. 病毒myxomatosis
/ˌmɪksəməˈtəʊsɪs/n. 多发性粘液瘤infect
/ɪnˈfekt/v. 传染epidemic *
/ˌepɪˈdemɪk/n. 流行病mosquito
/məˈskiːtəʊ/n. 蚊虫exterminate
/ɪkˈstɜːmɪneɪt/v. 消灭ironically
/aɪˈrɒnɪkli/adv. 具有讽刺意味的bequeath
/bɪˈkwiːð/v. 把...传给pest *
/pest/n. 害虫,有害动物pestilence
/ˈpestɪləns/n. 瘟疫confine *
/kənˈfaɪn/n. 范围domesticate
/dəˈmestɪkeɪt/v. 驯养carrier
/ˈkæriə(r)/n. 带菌者论述 更新于:2025-11-20 13:16:48
In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit.
in the early days (of …) 在…的早期 (days 时期)
- in the early days of spring / our marriage / the Qing Dynasty …
- I'm still in the early days of my recovery and that worries me. 我仍处于恢复期的初始阶段,这使我担心。
- Then in 1963, in the early days of the development of the theory of plate tectonics. 然后是在1963年,在板块构造理论发展的早期。
- Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. 而且早期用延绳钓捕鱼的时候, 有许多鱼在上钩后就被鲨鱼吃了。
| in the pioneering days of... 在...的创始时期 | In the pioneering days, however, this was not the case at all. |
|---|---|
| in those days 当初、当时 | |
| these days 如今(不能加in) | These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than people who work in offices. |
| in one’s youth / childhood / old age 在某人年轻/童年/老年的时候 | ...a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands. |
| somebody's day 某人鼎盛时期 |
|
| in one’s youth 在某人年轻的时候 | In his youth, he was a very promising athlete. 在他年轻的时候,他是一位非常有前途的运动员。 |
| in one’s childhood 童年时期 | She spent most of her time reading books in her childhood. 她的童年时期大部分时间都在看书。 |
| in one’s early years 小的时候 | The musician showed talent in his early years, learning several instruments. 这位音乐家在小时候就展现了天赋,学会了好几种乐器。 |
| in one’s adolescence 青春期 | Changes in social behavior are common in one’s adolescence. 社交行为的改变在青春期是很常见的。 |
| in one’s middle age 中年 | Many people start to think about retirement in their middle age. 许多人在中年开始考虑退休。 |
| in one’s old age 老年 | He devoted his time to gardening in his old age. 他在老年时把时间都花在了园艺上。 |
unwise / ill-advised / impolitic / folly 不明智的
- It would be unwise to invest all your savings in one company. 将你所有的积蓄投资在一家公司是不明智的。
- The decision to sell was very ill-advised. 非常欠考虑.
- It would be impolitic to criticize the new policy openly.
- The purchase of Alaska was once called Seward’s Folly. 西沃德的愚蠢行为.
Seward’s Folly:it refers to the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
| ill-advised 没脑筋的;欠考虑的 (adj.) | The decision to cut staff was both hasty and ill-advised. 裁员的决定既仓促又欠考虑。 |
|---|---|
| impolitic 失策的;不明智的 (adj.) | Making a public statement at this time would be highly impolitic. 在这个时候发表公开声明是非常不明智的。 |
| folly 愚蠢;愚蠢的想法/行为 (n.) | Building a house on the sand dunes was an act of sheer folly. 在沙丘上建房子完全是愚蠢的行为。 |
This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.
natural enemies 天敌
- Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies.
- The owl is a natural enemy of the mouse.
- Any smell might attract natural enemies that would try to eat the little panda. 任何气味都可能引来试图吃掉熊猫宝宝的天敌。
the Antipodes (特指与欧洲形成对跖地的; 地球相反的位置)澳大拉西亚
- We might visit friends in the Antipodes next year. the + An... 首字母大写特指【澳大利亚】
- New Zealand is almost the antipodes of Spain. 对跖地(不大写就是指地球相对的地方)
do sth. with wild / gay / reckless / promiscuous ... abandon 以...放任的方式做某事
- They danced with wild abandon. 狂野的放任
- Christmas shoppers are spending money with reckless abandon.鲁莽的放任
- The crowd danced with wild abandon when their favorite song came on. 当他们最喜欢的歌曲响起时,人群以狂野放任的方式跳舞。
| do sth. with gay abandon 以无忧无虑的方式做某事 | Children were playing in the park with gay abandon, oblivious to the world. 孩子们在公园里无忧无虑地玩耍,对世事浑然不觉。 |
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| do sth. with reckless abandon 以不顾一切的方式做某事 | He spent his entire inheritance with reckless abandon, buying expensive cars. 他以不顾一切的方式花光了全部遗产,购买了昂贵的汽车。 |
be characteristic of ... / be typical of ... 是...的典型特征
- Such bluntness is characteristic of him.是他的典型特征
- The creamy richness is characteristic of the cheese from the region.
- With optimism characteristic of all industrialized countries, we came to accept that everyone is fit to be educated.
With optimism characteristic of all industrialized countries, we came to accept that everyone is fit to be educated. 考研英语(阅读真题)
| be characteristic of … 是…的典型特征 | Her kindness and generosity are characteristic of the whole family. 她的善良和慷慨是这个家庭的典型特征。 |
|---|---|
| be typical of … 是…的典型特征 | This sort of behavior is typical of a child who feels neglected. 这种行为是一个感觉被忽视的孩子的典型特征。 |
| characterize 是...的特征 | Bright colors and bold strokes characterize his early paintings. 是他的早期画作的特征 |
| be characterized by ... 具有...的特征 | Sleep is divided into periods of so-called REM sleep, characterized by rapid eye movements and dreaming, and longer periods of non-REM sleep. |
It overran a whole continent.
overrun (overran overrun) v. to be present in a place in such large amounts or numbers that it is unpleasant 泛滥,蔓延
- The warehouse was overrun by / with mice.
- a mall overrun by / with shoppers 做后置定语
- Weeds have overrun the garden.杂草在花园里泛滥了
- The small town was overrun by tourists during the summer festival. 这个小镇在夏季节日期间被游客占满了。
| overran (v.) 泛滥;超出;侵占 (过去时) | The meeting overran its scheduled time by almost an hour. 会议超出预定时间将近一个小时。 |
|---|---|
| overrun (n.) 超支;超限 (n.) | The construction project suffered a significant budget overrun. 这个建设项目遭受了严重的预算超支。 |
It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle. 定语从句按并列句翻译“而...”
herbage / pasture 牧草 / 牧场
- The cattle grazed on the lush pasture. 不能表“牧场”
- Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. 表“牧场”时可数
Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently no other animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease, myxomatosis.
variety / species / genre 种类 / 物种 / 类型,体裁
- The fish are not sharks or killer whales, but favourite eating varieties like cod and skate which grow to unnatural sizes, sometimes as much as twelve feet in length. variety 表“种类”时可数
- The lake has more than 20 varieties of fish.
| species 物种;种类(单复数同形) | Pandas are an endangered species. 大熊猫是一种濒危物种。 |
|---|---|
| genre 类型;体裁(源自法语) | a musical / literary genre文学体裁 |
| of a ... nature 某种类型的(后置定语) |
|
be susceptible to ... 易受...感染/影响
- Elderly people are more susceptible to the flu.更容易感染流感
- The crop is susceptible to pests.容易受到害虫的影响
- Forests on white, sandy soil are most susceptible to permanent alteration. 白色沙质土壤上的森林最容易发生永久性的变化。
By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local epidemics of this disease could be created.
let ... loose / free / release ... / let ... go / liberate / emancipate 释放 / 解放
- The kidnappers let him loose on a dark country lane. 在一条黑暗的乡村小路上释放了他
- After a stern warning, the teacher decided to let the student go. 在严厉警告之后,老师决定放走那个学生。
Please release me, let me go. For I don't love you anymore. To waste our lives would be a sin. Release me and let me love again.
| free … 使…自由;释放… | The judge ordered the police to free the wrongly detained suspect. 法官命令警方释放被错误拘留的嫌疑人。 |
|---|---|
| release … 释放;放出… | The company will release their new product line next month. 该公司将在下个月发布他们的新产品线。 |
| liberate 解放 (vt. 可指人或地方) | Allied armies liberated France from the Nazis. 盟军将法国从纳粹手中解放出来。 |
| emancipate 解放 (vt. 宾语是人,尤其指从法律或政治限制中解放) | Abraham Lincoln worked to emancipate slaves / women in the United States. 亚伯拉罕·林肯致力于解放美国的奴隶。 |
| Emancipation Proclamation 《解放奴隶宣言》 (n.) | The Emancipation Proclamation was a pivotal document in U.S. history. 《解放奴隶宣言》是美国历史上一个关键的文件。 |
情况 更新于:2025-11-24 03:49:25
Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits.
act as 作为、当...来用、有这个功能、效果
- The old barn now serves as a community center. 充当社区中心
- He acted as if he had never lived in England before. acted as if 表现得...、假装...
- Alfred the Great acted as his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel.
- During the negotiation, the ambassador act as a neutral mediator. 在谈判期间,大使充当了中立调解人的角色。
| serve as … 担任;充当;用作… | The old lighthouse now serve as a museum for maritime history. 这座古老的灯塔现在被用作海洋历史博物馆。 |
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| function as … 起…作用;职能是… | The small room has to function as both an office and a guest bedroom. 这个小房间必须同时用作办公室和客卧。 |
| be used as … 被用作… | Recycled plastic bottles can be used as material for new clothing. 回收的塑料瓶可以被用作新衣服的材料。 |
carrier [化学] 载体;运送者;带菌者
- Mosquitoes can carry diseases like malaria.
- This substance can act as a carrier for the medication.
- His father accused him of acting as a carrier for some drug pushers. 他父亲指责他为某些毒贩子充当毒品运送人。
| carry a disease 携带疾病 | We continually wage war on them, for they contaminate our food, carry diseases, or devour our crops. |
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pass sth. on to sb. 把...转交给...;(派生)传染 / 传播疾病
- I’ll pass your complaints on to my superiors.
- He passed his cold on to me.
- Some animals can transmit a disease to humans. 将疾病传播给人类
- Please pass this message on to your manager. 请把这条消息转交给你的经理。
| pass sth. on 传染(疾病) | Make sure you wash your hands frequently so you don't pass the flu on. 确保你勤洗手,这样你就不会把流感传染出去。 |
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| communicate / transmit a disease to … 把疾病传染给… | The virus can communicate / transmit a disease to other people through contact. 这种病毒可以通过接触把疾病传染给其他人。 |
So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one.
get rid of ... = dispose of ... 打发走;除掉(干掉、清除掉、完全杀光...)
- It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.
- There is no quicker method of disposing of patients than by giving them what they are asking for, ... 打发走...
- I used weedkiller to get rid of the weeds in the garden.
| dispose of ... 处理掉;除掉 | The president ruthlessly disposed of his rivals.无情地除掉了他的对手 |
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encourage v.促进,助长
- Poor hygiene encourages the spread of disease. 促进疾病的传播
- The warm weather encourages plant growth. 促进植物生长
It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population.
all over 遍布了...
- The good news spread throughout the country.
- Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behaviour more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions, no matter how aberrant.
- We traveled all over the country during our summer vacation. 我们在暑假期间跑遍了全国各地。
| around 在…周围;到处 | The good news quickly spread around the small town. 这个好消息很快就在这个小镇上传开了。 |
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| throughout 遍及;在…整个期间 | The company has offices throughout Europe and Asia. 这家公司在整个欧洲和亚洲都有办事处。 |
| over the continent 遍及整个大陆 | The new style of music has gained popularity over the continent. 这种新的音乐风格在整个大陆上获得了欢迎。 |
drastic (adj.) extreme and sudden 极端的;急剧的;严厉的;猛烈的
- We need to take drastic measures to solve the problem.
- There were drastic cuts in government spending.
| drastically adv.(动作或变化)猛烈地,力度大地 ;极其,非常 | The size of the army was drastically cut. |
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It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated.
became apparent ... 明显看出(文言)...
- It soon became clear / obvious / apparent / evident that she did not have a genuine interest in her job.
- It quickly became evident that the initial plan was flawed.
it is / was clear / obvious / apparent / evident that ... 显然...
| it was obvious that ... 显然是... | The rope had been cut, so it was obvious that the lamb had been stolen. |
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develop a degree of resistance to ... 对...产生一定程度的抗药性/抵抗力
- Bacteria have developed a resistance to many antibiotics. 对许多抗生素产生了抗药性
The medicine effectively restrained the growth of the tumor, which, in the course of time, however, developed a degree of resistance to it. 该药有效地抑制了肿瘤的生长,但是,经过一段时间,肿瘤对该药产生了一定程度的抗药性。
There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable.
there be + 无灵主语 地道句式
- Of course, New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings.
- This greatly reduced the speed of the ship, for there was a danger that if she travelled too quickly, this rudder would be torn away as well.
- Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.
- Apparently, there is a good deal of truth in this idea. 显然,这个想法很有道理。
- There is no denying that he is talented. 不可否认的是他很有天赋.
- There is no question that the earth is round. 毫无疑问地球是圆的.
- There is every likelihood that he will win. 他很有可能会赢...
There is probably an element of truth in this argument, but they ignore a more basic fact that the freedom of the press is often abused. 考研真题
Albert Einstein once attributed the creativity in a famous scientist to the fact that he never went to school. There is undoubtedly a truth in his observation, but such a truth is not criticism of schools.
| there is always hope that … 总是会有…的希望 | There is always hope that the two sides will reach a peace agreement. 总是会有双方达成和平协议的希望。 |
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| there is no denying that ... 不可否认的是… | There is no denying that social media has changed the way we communicate. 不可否认的是,社交媒体改变了我们的交流方式。 |
| there is no doubt / question that ... 毫无疑问的是… | There is no doubt / question that hard work leads to success. 毫无疑问的是,努力工作会带来成功。 |
| there is every likelihood that ... 很有可能的是… | Given the strong sales figures, there is every likelihood that the company will expand. 鉴于强劲的销售数据,公司很有可能会扩张。 |
| there is little likelihood that ... 不大可能的是… | After the recent delays, there is little likelihood that the project will finish on time. 在最近的延误之后,该项目不大可能按时完成。 |
| there is a truth in … 有道理;具有真实性 | There is undoubtedly a truth in his observation, but such a truth is not criticism of schools. 他的观察无疑是有道理的,但这种道理并非是对学校的批评。 |
manageable adj. easy to control or deal with 易管理的;易控制的;易办的
- My hair is more manageable since I had it cut.
- The workload is now manageable with the new staff.
结论 更新于:2025-11-24 05:44:14
Ironically, Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia, acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence.
rabbit as a pest ... disease as a pestilence 写作的语言游戏
- As a vice tolerated in youth, it would later rise as a viciousness corrupting his entire character. (vice 小恶习 → viciousness 恶毒 / 凶残 / 嚣张的恶)
- As a rage that seized his heart, it returned as a rapture that carried him beyond reason. 同源词根 rapt- / -rapere:抓取、带走
- As a humble request at first, it later weighed upon him as a humiliation he could not forget. 同根 humilis:低下、地面
- As an ardent hope in his youth, it lingered as an ardor that burned long after the dream had faded. 同源词:来自 ardere:燃烧
- As a frugal habit in childhood, it endured as a frugality shaping every decision of his adult life. 同源:frux / frug- 果实、成果 → 引申为节俭
bequeath sth. to sb. 把某物遗赠给某人
- In her will, she chose to bequeath her entire library to her godson. 在她的遗嘱中,她选择把她的整个图书馆遗赠给她的教子。
- She bequeathed her entire estate to charity. 将她的全部遗产遗赠给了慈善机构
- The treasure I bequeath and leave entirely to my sole heir. 此项宝藏吾全部遗赠与吾之惟一继承人。
| inherit sth. from sb. 从某人那里继承某物 (v.) | He didn't inherit the family fortune from his father, but rather his passion for music. 他没有从父亲那里继承家族财产,而是继承了他对音乐的热情。 |
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A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own estate and introduced myxomatosis.
introduce 引入、引进
- The government plans to introduce a new tax system.
- We introduce fragment identifiers for the speakers. 我们为演讲者引入了片段标识符。
- The government is having to introduce some difficult changes, particularly in moving over to a market economy. 政府将不得不引入一些艰难的变革,特别是在转向市场经济的过程中。
It did not, however, remain within the confines of this estate.
confines 范围 / 在...范围之内 / 在...范围之外
- The open sea was deep and mysterious, and anyone who gave more than a passing thought to the bottom confines of the oceans probably assumed that the sea bed was flat.
- We must work within the confines of the law / within the confines of the farm.
- The universe extends beyond the confines of human knowledge.
| within the confines of … 在…范围之内;在…界限之内 | All building work must remain strictly within the confines of the farm boundary. 所有建筑工程必须严格保持在农场的界限之内。 |
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| beyond the confines of … 在…范围之外;超出…界限 | The exploration team ventured beyond the confines of human knowledge. 探索队冒险进入了人类知识的范围之外。 |
It spread through France, where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as a sport and a useful food supply, and it spread to Britain where wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits, equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur industry.
sport n.[C] an activity that people do in the countryside, especially hunting or fishing (狩猎,钓鱼等)乡间活动,消遣
- Hunting is a popular sport in this region.
- Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them good sport, ... [U] fun or amusement 乐趣,消遣,好玩
- He enjoys field sports like fishing.
domesticated adj.domesticated animals are able to work for people or live with them as pets 家养的,驯化的
- Domesticated animals such as sheep and horses are common here.
- While agriculturalists rely on domesticated plants, pastoralists rely on domesticated animals. 农民依靠种植作物为生,而牧民则依赖于驯养牲畜。
- They were domesticated some thousands of years after this. 之后辣椒被驯化了数千年的时间。
| wild adj.野生的 | Wild boar are numerous in the valleys. 这些山谷里有无数的野猪。 |
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不规则复数变化形式 拉丁词复数
- The research established a solid basis for further study. ⇒ These bases are vital for the structure.
- the Earth's axis. ⇒ drawing the x and y axes.
- She is writing her doctoral thesis. ⇒ discussing various theses.
| basis / bases 基础;根据 (单数/复数) | The negotiation proceeded on a mutual basis, which later became the five bases for the agreement. 谈判在相互理解的基础上进行,这后来成为了协议的五个基础。 |
|---|---|
| axis / axes 轴;轴线 (单数/复数) | The Earth rotates on its own axis, and the graph has two primary axes. 地球绕着自己的轴线自转,而图表有两个主轴。 |
| thesis / theses 论题;论文 (单数/复数) | He spent a year writing his master's thesis, presenting ten supporting theses. 他花了一年的时间写硕士论文,提出了十个支持性的论题。 |
| ellipsis / ellipses 省略号 (单数/复数) | An ellipsis is used to indicate missing words; a page may contain several ellipses. 省略号用来表示缺失的词语;一页中可能包含数个省略号。 |
| analysis / analyses 分析 (单数/复数) | A careful financial analysis was required, and the team presented three different analyses. 需要进行仔细的财务分析,团队提出了三种不同的分析。 |
| diagnosis / diagnoses 诊断 (单数/复数) | The doctor provided a precise diagnosis after reviewing many patient diagnoses. 医生在查阅了许多病人的诊断书后,提供了一个精确的诊断。 |
| hypothesis / hypotheses 假设;假说 (单数/复数) | The study aims to test one main hypothesis, supported by several related hypotheses. 这项研究旨在检验一个主要假设,并由几个相关的假说支持。 |
on the basis of ... 在...的基础之上
- Decisions were often made on the basis of incorrect information.在错误信息的基础上做出决定
- The two companies reached an agreement on the basis of mutual respect.在相互尊重的基础上
| base n.底部;基地 |
|---|
The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented.
one of 其中之一
- The central theme of the novel is one of the conflict between duty and desire.
- My main concern is one of how we can raise the necessary funds.
- I'm just one of his many conquests. 我仅仅是他的众多俘虏之一。
- Spain was one of the hardest hit countries. 西班牙是遭受打击最严重的国家之一。