新概念英语第三册 Lesson 59 Collecting
People tend to amass possessions,sometimes without being aware of doing so.Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned.Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter.They leave unwanted objects in drawers,cupboards and attics for years,in the belief that they may one day need just those very things.As they grow old,people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons,lack of physical and mental energy,both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away,and sentiment.Things owned for a long time are full associations with the past,perhaps with relatives who are dead,and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.Among these I would list string and brown paper,kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened,to save buying these two requisites.Collecting small items can easily become a mania.I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money.As she is not rich,the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice.It is a harmless bait,but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it,loose bits of paper fall out in every direction
.
参考译文
人们喜欢收藏东西,有时并没有意识到自己在这样做.确实,一旦无意之中从自己的收藏品中找到某件有用的东西时,可以给人一种惊喜的感觉.那些从来不必搬家的人们成了一种无所无容的收藏家.他们专门收藏那些只能被称作杂货的东西.他们在抽屉里,碗柜中、阁楼上堆放着一些不用的东西,一放就是好几年,相信总有一天需要的正好是那些东西.人们年老之后也喜欢收藏东西,不过是出于两个不同的原因：一是体力,精力均告不佳,这二者是清除无用的东西必不可少的因素；另一原因是感情因素.东西搁得时间久了,便会充满着与过去岁月的联系,比方说与死去的亲戚有关.因此这些东西慢慢获得了一种超出它本身的价值.
居家度日,有目的地收藏某些东西是为了防止浪费.这些东西中我想举出线绳和包装纸为例.节俭的人们打开包裹后便把这两样必备的东西收藏起来.省得日后去买.收集小玩艺儿很容易着迷.我认识一个人,她总喜欢从报纸上剪下流行服装的图样,等以后有钱时去买服装.由于她并不富裕,她买得起这些服装的可能性十分渺茫.但她又缺乏足够坚强的意志把这一收集活动停下来.这种习惯无害,只把写字台里堆得满满当当,以致每次打开抽屉总能带出许多纸片四处飞扬.
请大家帮分析,would 、when各在里面起什么作用?有什么语法?kept在里面是什么意思?整句理解及翻译?
Among these I would list string and brown paper,kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened,to save buying these two requisites.
答：原文出处及翻译上面已经给出.
句子结构分析：前面的Among these I would list string and brown paper是主句,among these是介词短语作状语,表示“在这些东西当中”,these指前面提到的为避免浪费而有意识收集起来的东西.I would list string and brown paper,would 和list 构成复合谓语,would是情态动词,表示“会,想”.list就是“列出”,东西很多,只列两例：string and brown paper,
后面的kept by ...是过去分词短语作非限制性定语（不是从句）,所以用逗号隔开（没有它,句子也成立）when是这个短语中的时间状语从句的引导词.
再问： 谢谢您的回答。那kept在里面是什么意思？有什么语法吗？本人对语法不太懂，谢谢
再答： 答：kept是keep的过去分词，keep的意思：保存，保留， 过去分词加by...构成过去分词短语，在句子中作非限制性定语,相当于一个非限制性的定语从句（which are kept by thrifty people)，意思是：由那些节俭的人收藏的。。。，修饰前面的名词string and brown paper. 语法是一个很泛的概念。不懂语法就去看语法书。我也说不好里面有什么语法。只知道有英语语法。
