# 第三册 Lesson 18 Electric currents in modern art 现代艺术中的电流

## 一、课文原文

Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places. Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have got quite used to them. Some so-called "modern" pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.

In spite of this, some people—including myself—were surprised by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: 'Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!' The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody. These objects, however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time. In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights. These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| current | /'kʌrənt/ | n. | 电流 | 也可指"水流/气流/潮流" |
| sculpture | /'skʌlptʃə/ | n. | 雕塑 | sculpt v. 雕刻；sculptor n. 雕塑家 |
| mistaken | /mi'steikən/ | adj. | 错误的 | be mistaken about sth. 对某事有误 |
| gallery | /'gæləri/ | n. | 美术馆 | art gallery美术馆 |
| exhibit | /ig'zibit/ | n. | 展品 | exhibition n. 展览 |
| oddly | /'ɔdli/ | adv. | 古怪地 | odd adj. 奇怪的 |
| attach | /ə'tætʃ/ | v. | 连，系 | attach A to B 把A连接到B上 |
| sphere | /sfiə/ | n. | 球体 | spherical adj. 球形的 |
| magnetize | /'mægnitaiz/ | v. | 使磁化 | magnet n. 磁铁；magnetic adj. 磁性的 |
| repel | /ri'pel/ | v. | 排斥 | 同根词：repulsive adj. 令人反感的 |
| flicker | /'flikə/ | v. | 闪烁 | 指光线不稳定地闪烁 |
| emit | /i'mit/ | v. | 放射 | emit light/heat/smell 发出光/热/气味 |
| flash | /flæʃ/ | v. | 闪光 | flash on and off 忽明忽暗 |
| prehistoric | /'pri:hi'stɔrik/ | adj. | 史前的 | pre-前缀"在……之前" |
| peculiar | /pi'kju:liə/ | adj. | 奇异的 | =strange, odd |
| shock | /ʃɔk/ | v. | 令人震惊 | shock sb. 使某人震惊 |
| emotionally | /i'məuʃnəli/ | adv. | 感情上 | emotion n. 感情；emotional adj. 情感的 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 同位语从句
- **The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken.**
- that引导的从句作idea的同位语，解释说明idea的具体内容
- 区别：定语从句中that代替先行词，同位语从句中that仅起连接作用

### 2. 情态动词+完成式表推测
- **cannot have failed to notice**——不可能没注意到
- **cannot + have + 过去分词**：对过去事情的否定推测（不可能……）
- 类似：must have done（一定做过），may have done（可能做过）

### 3. take no interest in
- 意为"对……不感兴趣"
- 反义：take (an) interest in / be interested in

### 4. in response to
- 意为"作为对……的反应/回答"
- 例：move in response to a gust of wind 随风而动

### 5. be familiar to 与 be familiar with

| 短语 | 主语 | 含义 | 例句 |
|------|------|------|------|
| be familiar to | 物 | 为……所熟悉 | The name is familiar to me |
| be familiar with | 人 | 熟悉…… | I am familiar with the name |

### 6. 过去分词短语作状语
- **Lined up against the wall**——靠墙排列着
- 表示状态，相当于which were lined up against the wall

### 7. not only...but (also)...结构
- **not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well**
- not only...but...as well = not only...but also...
- also可省略，用as well代替

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. cannot have failed to do sth.
- 双重否定表肯定："不可能没有做某事"="一定做了某事"
- cannot have failed to notice = must have noticed
- 这种双重否定结构语气更强烈

### 2. like traffic lights which have gone mad
- 比喻手法：将闪烁的彩灯比作"发疯的红绿灯"
- go mad：发疯/失控，生动描写灯泡不停闪烁的状态

### 3. flash on and off angrily
- 拟人手法：用angrily修饰flash，赋予灯泡"愤怒"的情感
- on and off = 忽明忽暗/断断续续

### 4. seemed designed to...
- seemed为系动词，designed为表语
- 意为"似乎被设计成……"
- to shock与to give并列，都接在designed后面

## 五、课文翻译

现代雕塑不再使我们感到惊讶了。那种认为现代艺术只能在博物馆里才能看到的观点是错误的。即使是对艺术不感兴趣的人也不会不注意到在公共场所展示的现代艺术品。公园里、大楼和商店外竖立着的奇形怪状的雕塑，对这些，我们已经司空见惯了。有些所谓的"现代"艺术品在那里已经陈列了近80年。

尽管如此，最近举办的一次现代雕塑展览还是使一些人（包括我在内）大吃了一惊。走进展厅首先看到的是一张告示，上面写着："切勿触摸展品，某些展品有危险！"展品都是些活动的雕塑。人们所熟悉的是悬挂在天花板上、造型奇特、随风飘荡的雕塑品。这些展品却使人大开眼界。靠墙排列着许多细长的电线，而电线又连着金属球。金属球经过磁化，互相之间不停地相互吸引或相互排斥。展厅中央是装有彩色灯泡的许多高高的构件，灯泡一刻不停地闪烁着，就像失去了控制的红绿灯。小黑盒子里迸出火花，红色灯泡发怒似地忽明忽暗。这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。好像设计这些奇形怪状的展品不仅是为了给人感情上的强烈刺激，而且还想给人以电击似的！

## 六、语言点精讲

### 写作手法
- **标题双关**：Electric currents既指"电流"，也指"潮流/趋势"
- **拟人手法**：angrily修饰flash，赋予灯泡情感
- **比喻手法**：like traffic lights which have gone mad，生动形象
- **对比手法**：熟悉的随风飘荡的雕塑 vs. 带电流的奇特展品
- **幽默结尾**：not only to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well——精神上的震撼和物理上的电击双重"shock"

### 文化背景
- **现代艺术运动**：20世纪以来，艺术从传统走向抽象、观念化
- **动态雕塑（kinetic sculpture）**：带有运动部件的艺术品
- 课文中的展览可能参考了20世纪60年代的实验艺术展

## 七、课后练习要点

1. 词汇：掌握magnetize, repel, emit, flicker, peculiar等重点词
2. 语法：同位语从句；cannot have done推测用法；be familiar to/with区别
3. 句型：cannot have failed to do双重否定；not only...but...as well
4. 理解：展品为什么可能危险？——带有电流，可能给人电击

## 八、本课小结

- 核心词汇：current, sculpture, magnetize, repel, emit, flicker, peculiar, shock
- 核心语法：同位语从句、情态动词+完成式表推测、过去分词作状语
- 核心句型：cannot have failed to do、not only...but...as well、in response to
- 写作特色：标题双关、拟人比喻、对比手法、幽默结尾