When you are getting on in years (but not ill, of course), you get very sleepy at times,and the hours seem to pass like lazy cattle moving across a landscape. It was like that for Chips as the autumn term progressed and the days shortened tillit was actually dark enough to light gas before call-over. For chips, like some old sea-captain, still measured time by the signals of the past; and well hemight, for he lived at Mrs. Wickett’s, just across the road from the School. Hehad been there more than a decade, ever since he finally gave up hismastership; and it was Brookfield far more than Greenwich time that both he andhis landlady kept. ‘Mrs. Wickett,’ Chips would sing out, in that jerky,high-pitched voice that had still a good deal of sprightliness in it, ‘youmight bring me a cup of tea before prep, will you?’
1. When you are getting on in years (but not ill, of course), you get very sleepy at times, and the hours seem to pass like lazy cattle moving across a landscape.
翻译：人一旦上了年纪（当然，并非身体抱恙），时不时就容易犯困；时光缓缓流逝，如同在原野上行进的慵懒牛群。
语法结构：时间状语从句，再加上并列主动句，现在分词moving作后置定语，修饰lazy cattle, across a landscape介词短语作状语。
关键词链：be get on in years:上了年纪
造句：I am getting on in years, but my son is growing up.
get very sleepy: 变得十分困倦、动不动就犯困
造句：My father gets very sleepy at times, and I know that he is getting on in years.
seem to: 似乎
造句：Winter hours seem to pass like snowflakes falling across the ground.
2. It was like that for Chips as the autumn term progressed and the daysshortened till it was actually dark enough to light gas before call-over.
翻译：秋季学期一天天推进，白昼越来越短，每每到点名前天色就暗得必须点燃煤气灯，奇普斯一直就是这般心境。
语法结构：it不是形式主语，是无人称虚指代词，指代前文的那种状态. as 引导时间状语从句，从句内并列两套主谓，主语the autumn term 和the days, 谓语prgressed和shortened。till…引导时间状语从句，it（无人称，表天气 / 天色）was dark enough to light gas 不定式作结果状语：暗到足以点燃煤气灯。before call-over：介词短语作时间状语，在点名之前。
关键词链：It was like that for sb. + as 引导时间状语：对某人来说事情 / 心境便是如此（承接上文语境，小说常见过渡句式）
造句：It waslike that for me as the new work progressed and I was so fearful.
till it was dark enough to do sth. 一直到天色暗到足以做某事
造句：My classmates and I were waiting till it was dark enough to start our play.
