Language points

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1.The rough road across the plain soon became so bad that we tried to get Bruce to drive back to the village we had come from.

get sb to do sth: persuade / advise sb. to do

so...that   太...以至于...为关联词, 引导结果状从.

we had come from. 定语从句, 由于先行词village 在从句中作介词 from 的宾语,因此在village 与从句间省略了关系代词 that/which.

2.Even though the road was littered with boulders and pitted with holes, Bruce was not in the least perturbed.

not in the least= not at all / not a bit/ not the least bit  一点也不, 通常用于否定句, 疑问句或条件句中.新概念英语青少版

Ex

Are you in the least interesting in becoming a teacher?

be littered with  布满;be pitted with  因...而坑坑洼洼. 他们共用一个主语 the road ,使句子更简洁.

3. It was not that Bruce always underestimated difficulties.

  not that  并不是说...并非...多用于口语有时作插入语,对所说情况作进一步说明

Ex

We were allowed to rest, not that much of the night remained.

有时用 not that...but (that)...表示"不是...而是..."

Ex

It was not that Bruce always underestimated difficulties, but he simply had no sence of danger at all.