Road-Song of the Bandar-Log

      Here we go in a flung¹ festoon,

     Half-way up to the jealous² moon!

     Don’t you envy our pranceful bands?

     Don’t you wish you had extra hands?

     Wouldn’t you like if your tails were—so—

     Curved in the shape of a Cupid’s bow?

        Now you’re angry, but—never mind,

        Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!

 

     Here we sit in a branchy row,

     Thinking of beautiful things we know;

     Dreaming of deeds that we mean to do,

     All complete, in a minute or two—

     Something noble and wise and good,

     Done by merely wishing we could.

        We’ve forgotten, but—never mind,

        Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!

 

     All the talk we ever have heard

     Uttered by bat or beast or bird—

     Hide or fin³ or scale or feather—

     Jabber it quickly and all together!

     Excellent!  Wonderful!  Once again!

 

     Now we are talking just like men!

        Let’s pretend we are ... never mind,

        Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!

        This is the way of the Monkey-kind.

 

     Then join our leaping lines that scumfish through the pines,

     That rocket by where, light and high, the wild grape swings.

     By the rubbish in our wake, and the noble noise we make,

     Be sure, be sure, we’re going to do some splendid things!

1 flung   

（尤指生气地）扔( fling的过去式和过去分词 )； 猛动（身体或身体部位）； 粗暴地（向某人）说； 气势汹汹地（对某人）说

参考例句：

• expeditions to the far-flung corners of the world 去世界偏远地方的探险
• Someone had flung a brick through the window. 有人把一块砖扔进了窗户。

2 jealous   

adj.妒忌的，猜忌的；精心守护的

参考例句：

• He was jealous when he discovered that she loved someone else.当他发现她爱别人的时候，他吃醋了。
• An honorable Chinese citizen should be jealous of his own rights.一名光荣的中国公民应当珍惜自己的公民权利。

3 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。