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The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 BC has just had an operation.
死于公元前800年的一位埃及妇女的木乃伊刚刚接受了一次手术。
The mummy is that of Shepenmut who was once a singer in the Temple of Thebes.
这是曾在底比斯神殿里当过歌手的赛潘姆特的木乃伊。
As there were strange marks on the X-ray plates taken of the mummy, doctors have been trying to find out whether the woman died of a rare disease.
由于在给这个木乃伊拍摄的X光片子上有点奇怪的斑点，所以，医生们一直试图搞清这位妇女是否死于一种罕见的疾病。
The only way to do this was to operate.
做到这一点的唯一办法就是动手术。
the only way to... was to... 是很实用的说明句型。
The operation, which lasted for over four hours, proved to be very difficult because of the hard resin which covered the skin.
手术持续了4个多小时，非常难做，因为皮肤上覆盖着一层硬硬的树脂。
The doctors removed a section of the mummy and sent it to a laboratory.
医生们取下木乃伊的一小部分，把它送到实验室。
removed a section 是医学和考古交叉语境里的关键动作。
They also found something which the X-ray plates did not show: a small wax figure of the god Duamutef.
他们还发现了 X 光片没有显示的东西：一尊小小的蜡制神像。
which the X-ray plates did not show 强调实物检查的重要性。
This god which has the head of a cow was normally placed inside a mummy.
这种牛头人身的神像通常被放在木乃伊体内。
The doctors have not yet decided how the woman died.
医生们至今还没有确定她究竟是怎么死的。
故事并没有完全解开，留下开放结论。
They feared that the mummy would fall to pieces when they cut it open, but fortunately this has not happened.
他们曾担心木乃伊在切开时会碎裂，但幸运的是这并没有发生。
fall to pieces 是固定表达。
The mummy successfully survived the operation.
这具木乃伊成功地“挺过了”这次手术。
survived the operation 是全文最幽默的收尾句。
单元概要
本课写医生给一具古埃及木乃伊做“手术”，试图查清她是否死于罕见疾病。重点在于现代医学与古代遗物之间的反差，以及 operate、prove、survive 等词在本课中的特殊语境。
精读导图 1. 先写医生为什么决定给木乃伊“开刀”。 2. 再写手术中的困难和新发现。 3. 最后在“病因未明，但木乃伊手术成功”中完成轻微幽默收束。 精读关注 - prove to be - survive the operation 的语气效果
单词表
| 单词 | 音标 | 释义 | 精讲 |
|---|---|---|---|
| mummy | /ˈmʌmi/ | 木乃伊 |
|
| mark | /mɑːk/ | 斑点；痕迹 |
|
| disease | /dɪˈziːz/ | 疾病 |
|
| prove | /pruːv/ | 证明是；结果表明 |
|
| resin | /ˈrezɪn/ | 树脂 |
|
| section | /ˈsekʃn/ | 切片；部分 |
|
| figure | /ˈfɪɡə(r)/ | 塑像；人像 |
|
| survive | /səˈvaɪv/ | 幸存；挺过 |
|
短语
| 短语 | 意思 |
|---|---|
| find out whether | 查明是否 |
| the only way to do this | 做到这件事的唯一办法 |
| prove to be | 结果证明是 |
| send ... to a laboratory | 把……送去实验室 |
| fall to pieces | 散成碎片 |
| survive the operation | 挺过手术 |
语法点
现在完成进行时表持续研究
have been trying to find out 写医生持续努力、尚未结束的研究状态。
相似句：
- They have been searching for an answer for months.
- Scientists have been studying the disease closely.
prove to be
proved to be very difficult 用来客观评价事情最终呈现出来的样子。
相似句：
- The task proved to be harder than expected.
- The idea proved to be useful.
fear that ... would ...
feared that the mummy would fall to pieces 写出手术前的担忧。
相似句：
- She feared that the glass would break.
- They feared that the bridge would collapse.
读写提示
- 这课概括要写清“为什么手术”和“发现了什么”。
- 最后没有查明死因，这一点要诚实保留。
- survive the operation 这种拟人式表达很值得积累。
- 科普叙事可以有轻微幽默，不必写得完全僵硬。
考点
4
考点
4第 1 / 4 题
医生为什么决定给木乃伊做手术？