Chapter 1

I confess that when first I made a acquaintance with Charles Strickland I never for a moment discerned that there was in him anything out of the ordinary.Yet now few will be found to deny his greatness.

【词汇注释】

• confess v.承认、坦白
• make acquaintance with sb. 认识某人
• acquaintance n.熟人；熟知、认识
• for a moment 一会儿、片刻
• discern v.认识、领悟
• anything out of the ordinary 任何不寻常的东西
• greatness n.伟大

【句法分析】

1. when first I made a acquaintance with Charles Strickland 主句的宾语从句中的时间状语从句，作状语
2. first、never 副词作状语
3. for a moment 介词短语作状语
4. that there was in him anything out of the ordinary 宾语从句，作discern的宾语
5. in him 介词短语作状语
6. out of the ordinary 介词短语作定语，修饰anything

【杂货铺】

数量限定词：few、a few、little、a little

• few 与 a few 后面只能接复数名词，如 few students、a few students
  little 与 a little 后面只能接不可数名词，如 little interest、a little interest
• a few 与 a little 的意思是肯定的，相当于“some”，表示“有一些”
  few 与 little 的意思是否定的，表示“很少、几乎没有”

本句中：Yet now few will be found to deny his greatness. 这里的few省略了people，即Yet now few (people) will be found to deny his greatness.

说实话，我刚认识查尔斯·斯特里克兰德时，一点也没有看出来他身上有什么不同凡响的东西。
不过，时至今日，几乎没有人会否认他是个伟大的人。