come a breadwinner的状语。注意fortunately一词前后各有一个逗号插入had to begin 之间,使其醒目,作者强调小小出外干活其实是件“幸运”的事。
Eldest年长的
earn a living:make a living谋生
eg:He began to earn a living by himself when he was over ten years old.
他十多岁就开始自己谋生了。
注意assist与help的区别:前者表示“协助”,被协助的人起主要作用,协助人起辅助作用(养家糊口主要是他父母的责任);
help表示为他人做一部分工作,或一起做。
eg:This academic year,Xiao Li is assisting Professor Chen in Modern British History.
这个学年,小李为陈教授的“英国现代史课”当助教。
eg:Xiao Li helped Professor Chen to carry those books to his office.
小李帮陈教授把那些书搬到他的办公室。(可能小李搬的更多。)
breadwinner挣钱的人,养家糊口的人
eg:He is the only breadwinner of the five-people family.
他是这五口之家唯一挣钱的人。
5.What I could get to do,not what I desired,was the question.I was not in a position to choose a job;I had to accept any job I could find.问题是,我能找到什么活干,而不是我想干什么活。(意思是因为人小,不易找到工作,不是人选工作,而是有什么就干什么。)
更常用的形式是:The question is = The problem is,问题是……,
eg:The problem is how to find a way through out the forest.
问题是如何找到走出森林的路。
eg:The question is whether he is competent for the job not whether he will accept the job.
问题是他是否胜任这个工作,而不是他是否愿意接受这个工作。
eg:The question is whether he would like me to assist him,not whether I'm ready to so.
问题是他是否让我协助他,而不是我是否愿意。
6.He owned no fewer than four handlooms and employed apprentices.他有四台之多的手工织布机,还雇了几个学徒。
no fewer than:不少于(表示在当时的情况下,这个数目是大的)
eg:That cool summer,they sold no fewer than 70 airconditioners.
那个凉爽的夏天,他们卖出的空调机也有70台之多。
eg:At the first class of this term,there were no fewer than 20 students in his class.