now that 既然

我们在用now that这一词组时常常出错。它是个从属连词，可以归入because，as,since这一家族，意思和since(既然，由于)接近，但now that必须引出一个新的情况，否则需要由别的词替代。请看下面的例子：

① Now that none of us knows her telephone number, we will have to send someone to deliver the message．
既然咱们谁也不知道她的电话号码，只有找个人去把消息告诉她了。

② Now that he hasn't fully recovered yet，it will not be proper to assign him such a hard job．
既然他身体还没有完全恢复，指派他干这样的难活不适宜。

这两句中用now that不妥，该换成since或as，因为“没人知道她的电话号码”这一事实，过去如此，现在也如此，不是一个新的情况；“他还没完全恢复健康”也不是一个现在才发生的新情况。下面句子的now that都用对了：

① Now that everyone is here let's start work．
现在人都齐了，咱们开始干吧。

② Now that We have coverd the whole chapter we may have a discussion next time we meet．
整个一章都看完了，下次见面时就可以是讨论了。
“人到齐了”和“整个一章都看完了”都是现在的新情况。

slip off 溜走
I tried to slip off early from work, but the boss caught me out and even made me stay an extra hour.
我想早点下班溜出去，但却被老板发现，结果要我多呆一个小时。

drawl v.  拖长声调说话
He drawled a greeting to her.
他慢吞吞地对她说声问候。
She drawled in that slow, lazy style of hers.
她以她那种缓慢的、懒洋洋的方式拖长声调地说话。

smuggle v. 走私，偷运，偷带
They deny conspiring together to smuggle drugs.
他们否认共谋走私毒品。
He tried to smuggle diamonds into Japan.
他企图把钻石偷运进日本。

go on v.  继续
Let us go on to the next item on the agenda.
让我们继续讨论议程上的下一个项目。
She hesitated for a moment, and then went on.
她迟疑了一下,然后接着说。