Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits, and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar.
瀝青坑里積存了水，大象那樣的大動物冒險到似乎堅固的水面上去飲水，立即掉進了瀝青坑。
新概念英語第四冊
Lesson 26 The past life of the earth
?? 句中詞匯解析
從本句中提取的重要詞匯
adj. 堅固的，堅牢的;堅定的，堅決的;嚴格的;確定的;
vt.& vi. 使堅固;使堅實;
n. 商號，商行;公司;企業;工作集體;
adv. 堅定地，穩固地;
vt. 使堅定，使牢固;
vi. 變堅實，變穩固;
?? firm =firm,表示”堅定,堅固”
"The company has now amalgamated with another local firm."
這家公司現在已與當地一家公司合并了。
近義：office, bureau, business, company, concern, corporation
反義：astable, astatic, precarious, unsettled, unsteady, wobbly
n. 表面;外觀，外表;地面。水面;
vi. 浮出水面;在表面工作;顯露;
vt. 使浮出水面;使成平面;
adj. 表面的，外觀的;外表上的，平地上的;膚淺的;
?? sur超過，在上面+face臉面→表面
"Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria adhere to the surface of the red cells."
細菌一進入血液里，就附著在紅細胞表面上。
近義：appear, arise, loom, materialize, outcrop, rise
adv. 敏捷地;迅速地;立即地;毫不遲疑;
?? em, emp, empt 表示”拿,買,選擇,用,花費”等動作#詞根助記：pro在前+mpt拿=在最前面拿的=迅速的
"She deals with all the correspondence promptly and efficiently."
她迅速有效地處理全部來往信件。
近義：apace, asap, quickly, rapidly, speedily, expeditiously
反義：leisurely, slow, tardily, unhurriedly, calmly, lazily
adv. 據…所知;看來;顯然 ;
"Apparently they are getting divorced soon."
看樣子，他們很快就要離婚。
近義：ostensibly, presumedly, seemingly, evidently
反義：honestly, indeed, just, authentically, particularly, properly
n. 水;雨水;海水;海域;
v. 給…澆水;供以水;加水稀釋;流淚;
?? 字母W像水的波浪，聯想到水。
"A gentle wind disturbed the surface of the water."
微風拂動水面.
近義：irrigate, squirt, douche, weep, blubber, boohoo