分析句子"i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my.."i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my woodpile,or rather my pile of stumps,i observed two large ants,the on

分析句子"i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my.."i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my woodpile,or rather my pile of stumps,i observed two large ants,the on
分析句子"i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my..
"i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my woodpile,or rather my pile of stumps,i observed two large ants,the one red,the other much larger,nearly half an inch long,and black,fiercely contending with one another."
=====Herny David Thoreau
1.i was witness(这里不是被动吗.为什么不是witnessed?） 但是如果是名词,表示目击者为什么不用,i was a witness?
2.i was witness of events of a less peaceful character.One day i went out to my woodpile,or rather my pile of stumps,(这里为什么是or rather?直接是or my pile of stumps不就行了吗?rather在这里表示什么意思,在给我一个例句.）
3.one day when i went out to my woodpile ,or rather my pile of stumps,（我觉得这里应该加and,不是句子之间的连接吗,可是原文没有给and) i observed two large ants,the red one,the other much larger,nearly half an inch long,and black,fiecely contending with one other.(这里为什这么多的逗号,逗号的句子怎么写,能在举个例子吗?）

分析句子"i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my.."i was witness to events of a less peaceful character.One day when i went out to my woodpile,or rather my pile of stumps,i observed two large ants,the on
1.你能注意到这个问题,很好.其实was a witness to和was witness to都能用,只是后者强调了“目击了”.这是个比较特殊的用法.语言不等于数学,有些凭习惯,你知道是对的,背下来照用就行了.不符合一般语法但又是完全正确的用法,是最地道的,可大大增加语言感染力.这就是一例.
2.or rather是很口语化的形式,是为了更改前面刚说过的话.举例：This is my friend,or rather my girl friend.
3.关于为什么没有and.本应使用,但这是作家的散文,且按Thoreau的风格很口语化,英文里叫做the writer's license,指虽属语法错误,但作者但用无妨.初学英语的学生不必刻意模仿.
逗号倒是符合语法规范,尤其是列举东西时.试举一例供你体会模仿：
I like all sorts of colours,red,green,yellow,blue,purple,as long as they are different.