Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams. Perhaps it is humankind’s long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the idea of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating. But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind. Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good.

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?few det.adj.不多，很少，幾個(gè)，一些 pron.很少人/物，一些人/物

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?capture v.捕獲，俘虜；贏得

capture the imagination 激發(fā)想象力

capture one’s attention 引起某人的注意

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?giant adj.巨大的，偉大的 n.巨人，偉人；大公司

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dam n.水壩，河堤 vt.在河上筑壩；阻止，抑制

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humankind n.人類

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mercy n.仁慈，寬恕；幸運(yùn)，恩惠

at the mercy of sb./sth. = under the control of = completely in the power of 任由某人/物擺布，受到某人/物支配

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flood n.洪水

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drought n.干旱

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force v.用武力迫使，強(qiáng)行移動(dòng)，使發(fā)生 n.武力；部隊(duì)；影響強(qiáng)大的事物

force sb. to do sth. 強(qiáng)迫某人做某事

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bid v.吩咐；競價(jià)，投標(biāo)

bidding n.命令

do one’s bidding 聽從某人的吩咐，按照某人的意愿從事

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make sth. so adj. 使某物如此…

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fascinate v.使入迷，著迷

fascinating adj.令人入迷的

fascinated adj.著迷的

fascination n.入迷，著迷

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blind adj.盲目的，視而不見的 v.使變瞎，使失去判斷力

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threaten v.威脅；預(yù)示（壞事），可能發(fā)生（壞事）

threaten to do 預(yù)示某事發(fā)生，預(yù)示出現(xiàn)某種情況；威脅要…，揚(yáng)言要…

threaten sb. with sth. 以某物威脅某人

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do more harm than good 弊大于利