Dialogues /monologues: 1、 Brief Account of the history of China . ( 中国历史简述 ) Account :在这里应理解为“说明”的意思。 2、 China traces its origins as a clearly separate political and cultural unit to ancient times. 追溯到古代,中国是一个政治与文化划分得很清楚的国家。 as :在这里应理解为“被看作”。 3、 The dominating class in the later dynasties was made up of scholar-officials, who were recruited to serve the government based on their intelligence and skills rather than their family background. ( 1 ) make up of sth 由……组成。如: Farming and mining make up most of the country s industry. ( 2 ) rather than 与其(某人 / 某事),不愿,不要,不是。如: It s management that s at fault rather than the work-force. 错在资方而不在劳方。 4、 Its downfall in 1911 led the country to be torn apart by warlords, civil war, and Japanese invasion for several decades. tear sth apart :彻底毁灭或击败某物,严厉地批评某事物。如: The critics tore her new play to pieces. (剧评家们把她的新戏批评得一无是处。) 5、 Governor Arthur Phillip directed the ships carrying “transported” convicts and jailors into Jackson , to the north. transported 在这里为过去分词作定语,修饰 convicts and jailors.