# 第四册 Lesson 4 Seeing hands 能看见东西的手

## 一、课文原文

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.

—ERIC DE MAUNY *Seeing hands* from *The Listener*

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| detect | /dɪˈtekt/ | v. | 察觉，探测 | detect colours 辨别颜色；detector 探测器 |
| perceive | /pəˈsiːv/ | v. | 感知，察觉 | perceive things with skin 用皮肤感知事物 |
| vision | /ˈvɪʒn/ | n. | 视力，视觉 | normal vision 正常视力 |
| safe | /seɪf/ | n. | 保险柜 | 此处作名词，非形容词"安全的" |
| bundle | /ˈbʌndl/ | n. | 捆，束 | done up in bundles 捆成捆 |
| opaque | /əʊˈpeɪk/ | adj. | 不透明的 | 反义词 transparent 透明的 |
| elbow | /ˈelbəʊ/ | n. | 肘 | move one's elbow over 移动肘部 |
| outline | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ | n. | 轮廓，外形 | the outlines of a picture 图片的轮廓 |
| sensitivity | /ˌsensəˈtɪvəti/ | n. | 敏感性，灵敏度 | sensitive adj. 敏感的 |
| blindfold | /ˈblaɪndfəʊld/ | v./adj. | 蒙住眼睛 | be blindfold 被蒙住眼睛 |
| cease | /siːs/ | v. | 停止，终止 | cease to do / cease doing 停止做某事 |
| commission | /kəˈmɪʃn/ | n. | 委员会 | a special commission 特别委员会 |
| Lotto | /ˈlɒtəʊ/ | n. | 一种数字游戏 | 儿童拼图/宾果类游戏 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 被动语态的多种时态

| 时态 | 例句 | 说明 |
|------|------|------|
| 现在完成时被动 | Several cases **have been reported** | 强调动作的完成和对现在的影响 |
| 一般过去时被动 | This ability **was first noticed** | 叙述过去事件 |
| 一般过去时被动 | she **was given** a series of tests | 间接宾语作主语的被动 |
| 过去进行时被动 | Vera **was blindfold** | 表状态 |

### 2. 并列定语从句

> ...who has normal vision **but who** can also perceive things with different parts of her skin

- 两个who引导的定语从句由but连接，修饰同一个人
- 使句子更流畅，避免重复先行词

### 3. the moment 引导时间状语从句

> ...this ability ceased **the moment** her hands were wet.

- the moment = as soon as = immediately when
- 名词短语作连词用，表示"一...就..."
- 仿写：I recognized him the moment I saw him.

### 4. 分隔定语

> Several cases have been reported in Russia recently **of people who** can read...

- of people... 是 cases 的定语，被 in Russia recently 隔开
- 这种分隔使句子避免头重脚轻

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. bring sth. to the notice of 引起...的注意

> Vera's curious talent was brought to the notice of a scientific research institute...

- = bring sth. to sb.'s attention
- 被动形式更客观

### 2. make out 辨认出

> ...to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet.

- make out = discern, identify（辨认出）
- 注意：with her foot 插在 make out 和宾语之间

### 3. stranger still 更奇怪的是

> ...and, stranger still, by moving her elbow...

- 插入语，表示递进的惊奇
- 类似：more surprisingly, oddly enough

### 4. except when 除非当...时

> ...except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin.

- = unless she was blindfold
- 含义：只有在蒙住眼的情况下她才有此能力

## 五、课文翻译

最近俄罗斯报道了几个事例：有人能用手指阅读和辨别颜色，甚至能看穿坚固的门和墙。其中一个事例涉及一个名叫维拉·彼得洛娃的十一岁女学生，她视力正常，但也能用皮肤的不同部位感知事物，甚至能透过实体墙。这种能力最先被她父亲注意到。有一天她走进父亲的办公室，碰巧把手放在一个锁着的保险柜门上。她突然问父亲为什么把那么多旧报纸锁在里面，甚至还描述了报纸被捆扎的方式。

维拉奇异的才能引起了她住所附近的乌里扬诺夫斯克城一家科学研究所的注意。四月间，俄罗斯联邦卫生部的一个特别委员会对她进行了一系列测试。在这些测试中，她能透过不透明的屏幕阅读报纸；更奇怪的是，把肘部在儿童宾果游戏上移动，她能说出上面印的数字和颜色；在另一个实例中，她穿着袜子和拖鞋，用脚辨认出藏在地毯下的图片的轮廓和颜色。其他实验表明，她的膝盖和肩膀也有类似的敏感性。在所有这些测试中，维拉都被蒙住了眼睛；而且确实，只有在蒙住眼睛时她才能用皮肤感知事物。还发现，虽然她能用手指感知事物，但这种能力在她手湿时就消失了。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：个案研究+实验验证

- 先用个案（Vera Petrova）引出话题
- 再用科学实验逐一验证（读报纸、辨Lotto、脚辨图片等）
- 最后给出限制条件（必须蒙眼、手湿失效），增加可信度

### 2. 文化背景

- **俄罗斯超感官知觉研究**：冷战期间苏联对ESP（超感官知觉）有大量研究
- **乌里扬诺夫斯克（Ulyanovsk）**：俄罗斯城市，列宁的出生地

### 3. 修辞分析

- **递进惊奇**：stranger still——层层加码，增强故事性
- **细节描写**：done up in bundles, wearing stockings and slippers——具体细节增强真实性
- **限制条件**：blindfold, wet hands——反常理的必要条件，增添神秘感

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **理解题**：How did Vera discover she had this gift of second sight?（碰触保险柜门时发现）
2. **语法题**：the moment 作为连词的用法与 as soon as 的互换
3. **词汇题**：区分 perceive/detect/make out 的微妙差异
4. **翻译练习**：被动语态在科普文章中的翻译策略

## 八、本课小结

本课以**超感官知觉（ESP）**为题材，通过Vera Petrova的个案和科学实验，展现人类可能存在的特殊感知能力。语法重点包括被动语态的多时态运用、并列定语从句、the moment时间状语从句、分隔定语等。写作手法上以个案研究+实验验证的科普模式，配合递进惊奇和细节描写，使文章兼具趣味性和科学性。