Seeing hands
Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls. One case concerns an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova, who has normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls. This ability was first noticed by her father. One day she came into his office and happened to put her hands on the door of a locked safe. Suddenly she asked her father why he kept so many old newspapers locked away there, and even described the way they were done up in bundles.
Vera’s curious talent was brought to the notice of a scientific research institute in the town of Ulyanovsk, near where she lives, and in April she was given a series of tests by a special commission of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federal Republic. During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and, stranger still, by moving her elbow over a child’s game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it; and, in another instance, wearing stockings and slippers, to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet. Other experiments showed that her knees and shoulders had a similar sensitivity. During all these tests Vera was blindfold; and, indeed, except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin. It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet.
单词
solid a. 结实的；实心的；立体的
solid: firm; hard; strong
solid doors and walls
The villa has solid foundations.
flimsy 不结实的，容易坏的
a flimsy table
a flimsy excuse
solid: a. with no holes inside 实心的
a solid ball
~ hollow 空心的
solid: a. three-dimensional
solid geometry 立体几何
solidarity 团结
Solidarity means strength. 团结就是力量
safeguard national unity and ethnic solidarity. 维护祖国统一和民族团结.
consolidate v. 巩固
consolidate and strengthen the bilateral relationship 巩固和发展双边关系
commission n. 委员会 专门为了调查和处理的组织
9/11 commission
National Development and Reform Commission 发改委
committee 代表某个组织行使权力的委员会
the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress 全国人大常务委员会
council 委员会、理事会、政务会
the State Council 国务院
the United Nations Security Council 联合国安全理事会
opaque a. 不透明的，难以理解的
an opaque glass door
God’s reason, if He has any, are opaque to us.
~ transparent 透明的，translucent 半透明的
blindfold a. & ad. 被蒙上眼睛的
I can do that blindfold.
-fold 倍数
twofold / fourfold / tenfold
a tenfold increase
Business has increased tenfold.
(22课) We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.
课文
Seeing hands = Hands that can see things 能看见东西的手，注意翻译
第一句：Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls.
cases … of people …，由于 of people 后面的后置定语太长，移到句子末尾。
(1课, 复习) We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago in the Near East, where people first learn to write.
(5课) He maybe conceited, ill-mannered, presumptuous or fatuous, but I do not turn for protection to dreary cliches about respect of elders – as if mere age were a reason for respect.
(24课) I f we glimpse the unutterable, it is unwise to try to utter it, nor should we seek to invest with significance that which we cannot grasp.
(invest A with B 把 B 赋予 A)
As a logical consequence of this development, separate journals have now appeared aimed mainly towards either professional or amateur readership.
detect: v. perceive; discern 觉察
I detected a hint of irony in her words. 我从她的话中觉察到一丝讽刺。
(4课) … but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, …
(39课) In the breaking and remaking, in the timing, interweaving, beginning afresh, the writer comes to discern things in his material which were not consciously in his mind when he began.
（单选）He is too young to be able to (discern) between right and wrong.
see through 看穿
We can all see through your little game. 我们一眼看穿你的小把戏。
see sb. through sth. 帮助 … 度过难关
Her courage and perseverance saw her through the hard times. 她的勇气和毅力帮助她度过了这段艰难的岁月。
see sth. through 把（不容易做的事）坚持完成
The English course is very hard to learn, but I’m determined to see it through. 这门英语课程非常难学，但我下定决心要把它学完。
She promised to stand by him, and once you make that commitment you have to see it through. 她答应过要帮助他，一旦做出承诺就要坚持兑现。
（stand by 袖手旁观，stand by sb. 帮助 …）
get it over with 坚持完成
stick it out 善始善终、完成，不半途而废
Rachel: Oh God, I hate my job, I hate it, …
Monica: I know honey, I’m sorry.
Rachel: Oh, I wanna quit, but then I think I should stick it out.
第二句：One case concerns an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova, who has normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls.
concern: v. be about sb. or sth. 关于
be concerned with … 关于
(3-7课) A recent case concerns Jane Butlin whose fiance, John, runs a successful furniture business.
a book concerning music
a book concerned with music
have normal vision
have good / perfect / 20-20 vision
have bad / poor / defective vision, defective 有缺陷的
near-sighted / short-sighted 近视，far-sighted / long-sighted 远视
ophthalmologist 眼科医生，optometrist / optician验光师
第四句：One day she came into his office and happened to put her hands on the door of a locked safe.
happen / chance to do 偶然发生
it happen /chance that … 偶然
I happened / chanced to meet an old friend in town.
It happened / chanced that I met an old friend in town.
as it happen 巧的是（句首）
by accident, by chance, accidentally
As it happened, I met an old friend in town.
I met an old friend in town by accident / by chance / accidentally.
（听力）
W: I don’t imagine you would have time to help me with this.
M: As it happens, I would. 我碰巧有时间
as luck would have it 碰巧（句首）
As luck would have it, I met an old friend in town.
第五句：Suddenly she asked her father why he kept so many old newspapers locked away there, and even described the way they were done up in bundles.
lock sth. away / up 把…锁好
He locked his money away / up in the safe.
do … up = fasten … 系好
He stopped to do up his shoe lace.
All the packages are done up and ready for the post.
in bundles, in …
Lions often hunt in pairs.
People began to arrive in twos and threes.
第六句：Vera’s curious talent was brought to the notice of a scientific research institute in the town of Ulyanovsk, near where she lives, and in April she was given a series of tests by a special commission of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federal Republic.
be brought to sb’s notice / attention
come to sb.'s notice / attention
Their working conditions were only brought to public notice / attention last year. 他们的工作状况直到去年才引起了公众的注意。
a series of …
a train / chain / string / stream / succession / progression of 一连串的
Ministry（英式）/ Department（美式）
the Ministry / Department of Health / Education / Commerce / Finance
第七句：During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and, stranger still, by moving her elbow over a child’s game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it; and, in another instance, wearing stockings and slippers, to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet.
strange still 更奇怪的是。still 可以放在前，也可以在后，整体在句首时一般在后。
better still 更好的是，worse still, harder still
to make matters / things worse
The medical expenses are a massive drain. Worse still, Greg may lose his job.
let alone …, not to mention … 更不用说
The baby can’t talk, let alone run.
He can’t run a hundred yards, let alone a mile.
I don’t suspect him of theft, let alone of robbery.
They own two houses, not to mention a yacht（游艇）.
The dampness is unpleasant, not to mention the cold.
In short, without better evidence that the survey is statistically reliable the chairperson cannot rely on it to draw any firm conclusion about the overall recycling commitment of West Egg residents–let alone about how quickly the landfill will reach capacity.
Moreover, the author has not shown any correlation, let alone a cause-and-effect relationship, between the number of hours a person spends watching television and that industry’s profits.
make out: see or hear sb. or sth. with difficult. 费力地看出、识别出，即前文的 detect, discern
I could just make out a figure in the darkness.
I couldn’t make out what he was saying.
第九句：During all these tests Vera was blindfold; and, indeed, except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin.
尽管从句和主句主语不统一，但当从句主语是 it 时，也可省略。
We’ll resolve the Taiwan issue with peaceful means when (it is) ever possible, with force when (it is) necessary.
第十句：It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet.
cease to do, cease doing 停止 …
There are instances when patriotism ceases to be an empty slogan. 在某些情况下，爱国主义不再是一句空洞的口号。
stop to do 停下手头的事去做，stop doing 停止做…
Stop to smell the flowers.
I’m exhausted. Let’s stop to smoke.
Please stop smoking. Smoke really bothers me.
wet 湿的，a wet sponge
moist & damp 潮湿，moist 偏中性，damp 带不好的感情色彩
Bring me a moist towel. 给我拿一条湿毛巾。
a cold, damp collar 冰冷又潮湿的领子
humid 空气中水分大，
humid atmosphere 潮湿的空气
humid summer nights
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新东方《新概念英语（第四册）》（李延隆老师）课程来源于 YouTube.
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