英語四級閱讀關鍵句：265. Sticking to the low end of gove

265. Sticking to the low end of government estimates, the National Resources Defense Council says there may be no more than 3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil in the coastal plain of ANWR, a drop in the bucket that would do virtually nothing to ease America's energy problems.

譯文

美國國家資源保護委員會表示，依照政府的最低估計，從經(jīng)濟價值角度上來看，在ANWR沿海的平原上只有32億桶石油可開采，而實際上這對解決美國的能源問題幾乎毫無作用。

點睛

本句的主干是National Resources Defense Council says。Sticking to...為狀語；there may be...為says的賓語從句，其中in the coastal plain of ANWR為地點狀語，a drop in the bucket that would do virtually nothing to ease America's energy problems為3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil的同位語，that引導的是a drop in the bucket的定語從句。

stick to sth.此處的意思是“堅持某事”。如：

If you're driving, stick to soft drinks. 如果你開車，那就堅持喝軟飲料。

recoverable的意思是“可開采的”。

a drop in the bucket的意思是“杯水車薪，滄海一粟”。如：

The fund raising is going well, but it's just a drop in the bucket. 資金籌集進展順利，可那只不過是杯水車薪罷了。

考點歸納

短語stick to還有以下常見含義及用法：

“遵守，信守”。如：

You have to stick to your promises. 你得遵守你的承諾。

“繼續(xù)（同一件事）”。如：

Reporters should stick to investigating the facts. 記者應該堅持調查事實。

stick to the point意為“緊扣主題”。如：

We'll never finish the meeting if we don't stick to the point. 如果我們不緊扣主題，這個會就永遠也開不完。