LECTURE 170 基本动词TAKE 19

词组讲解

1. take the law into one's own hands ** （不依照法律）私自处理

解 〈口〉习语；词义溯源：把［法律（law）］拿在自己手里，随意使用

例 The heavy-metal, hard-rock band called Twisted Sister has hit the top ten chart for the first time with a tune titled Go For Street Justice. Street justice refers to citizens taking the law into their own hands and beating or killing a person when they feel the official justice system has failed to punish him appropriately.

2. take the liberty of doing sth. ** 擅自（冒昧地）做某事

解 习语；词义溯源：行使做某事的［自由（liberty）］

例 How could you?! How could you dare to take the liberty of reading my letters just because I left them out on my desk? They're private and you knew it when you read them. You know I never would have agreed to let you read them. I have half a mind to kick you out of my apartment and find a new roommate.

3. take the lid off sth. ** 揭露…的真相

解 〈口〉习语；词义溯源：取［下（off）］［盖子、限制、压制（lid）］

例 With the Cold War over, an amazingly vast amount of once secret CIA and Pentagon files have been opened to public scrutiny. Taking the lid off secret documents is part of the government's efforts to take advantage of the so-called “peace dividend”—I. e. financial savings made possible by a smaller, less-vigilant, peacetime military. Fewer secrets equal smaller bureaucracy needed to guard them.

4. take the stand ** 出庭作证

解 习语；词义溯源：坐在（站在）［证人席（stand）］上

例 Of course I'll take the stand. That goes without saying . And I hope everybody else will too. We've got to take a stand against these people who try to bribe public officials. Testifying in court is the best way we can do that.

5. take the trouble to do sth. / take the trouble ** 不辞劳苦，费力

解 习语；词义溯源：在做某事时承担［困难、难关（trouble）］

例 You really shouldn't have taken the trouble to fix up the old cabin just for me. I could have stayed in it the way it was. Besides, I'm only staying a week. You didn't need to go to the trouble and expense of repairing it.

巩固练习

(A) take the law into my own hands

(B) took the liberty of

(C) take the lid off

(D) take the stand

(E) took the trouble to

1. A: I refuse to ______. I'll take the Fifth if I have to. B: You can only take the Fifth against self-incrimination—that doesn't apply here. If the judge issues a subpoena you will have to testify in court or go to jail. You can refuse, but you'll go to jail.

2. A: Although it requires a lot of my time and effort, I attend every teachers-parents meeting the school has and participate in the Parent-Teacher Association, or the PTA as they call it. B: I wish all parents ______ get involved as much as you do.

3. A: While you were in Dallas, I ______ having your desk repaired. B: What? I appreciate your concern, Ms. Bae, but I liked my desk just the way it was. Please, don't assume you can do something like that for me. If you don't ask me and just do it anyway, you're likely to be wrong.

4. A: Do you think Coca-Cola Company will ever remove the secrecy surrounding the formula they use to make Coke? B: Never. They'll never ______ their recipe or production methods.

5. A: Why didn't you call the police? Why did you break the law by taking action against him without using the legal system to punish his injustice? B: Because I knew the police wouldn't do anything to him. I had to ______ or he would have gone scot-free . A: But you broke the law! You personally administered justice according to your own idea of what justice is. Only the legal system has that authority. You acted outside the official methods of the law.

■ ANSWER

1. (D)

2. (E)

3. (B)

4. (C)

5. (A)

参考译文

I. 1. 重金属、硬摇滚乐队“扭曲姐妹”凭借歌曲《争取街头正义》首次打入金曲排行榜前10名。街头正义是指，当公民们觉得官方的司法系统不能恰当地惩罚一个人时，他们就自行处置、殴打或杀掉他。

2. 你怎么能这样？！你怎么敢擅自读我放在桌子上的信？这是私人信件，而且你读的时候肯定知道。你知道我绝不会答应让你读我的信。我有点想把你赶出我的公寓，再重新找一个室友了。

3. 随着冷战的结束，一大批中央情报局和五角大楼的机密文件公开接受公众审查。公开这些机密文件是政府利用所谓的“和平红利”的一部分——也就是说，通过在和平时期缩减军队规模、对军队放松警戒以节约开支。秘密减少了，则意味着需要更少的官僚机构来保守这些秘密。

4. 当然，我将出庭作证，这是不言而喻的。我希望每个人也都能这么做。我们必须反对那些试图贿赂政府官员的人。出庭作证是我们能采用的最好的方式。

5. 你真的不必费力为我修补那个破旧的小屋，我能继续住。另外，我只住一周的时间，你不必特意花钱去修理它。

II. 1. A：我拒绝出庭作证。如果有必要的话，我将保持沉默。B：你只有在自证其罪的时候才能保持沉默——在这里不行。如果法官发出传票，你就要出庭作证或进监狱。你可以拒绝，但这样你就要去坐牢。

2. A：虽然需要花费很多时间和精力，但是我仍然会参加学校组织的教师-家长会议、加入家长-教师联合会，也就是他们所说的家教会。B：我希望所有家长都能不怕麻烦，像您一样尽力参与。

3. A：你去达拉斯的时候，我私自找人修了你的桌子。B：什么？贝女士，谢谢你的关心，但是我喜欢我桌子原来的样子。请别认为你可以为我做这样的事。如果你没有问我就这么做，你有可能就错了。

4. A：你认为可口可乐公司会公布他们制造可乐的秘密配方吗？B：绝对不可能，他们永远不会公开他们的配方或生产方式。

5. A：你为什么不报警？你为什么不利用法律武器惩罚他，而是自己采取行动呢？这是违法的。B：因为我知道警方根本不会惩罚他。我不得不自行处理，否则他就会逍遥法外。A：但是你违法了！你根据自己对公正的理解，执行审判。只有法律才有那个权力。你的行为超越了法律允许的范围。