The Rope Dancer and His Pupil

   A Tight-rope Dancer who, they say,

  Was a great master in his way,

  Was tutoring a Youth to spring

  Upon the slight and yielding string,

  Who, though a novice¹ in the science,

  Had in his talents great reliance,

  And, as on high his steps he tried,

  Thus to his sage² instructor³ cried:

  "This pole you call the counterpoise

  My every attitude annoys;

  I really cannot think it good

  To use this cumbrous piece of wood

  In such a business as ours,

  An art requiring all our powers.

  Why should I with this burden couple?

  Am I not active, strong and supple⁴?

  So—see me try this step without it,

  I'll manage better, do not doubt it—

  See, 'tis not difficult at all,"

  He said, and let the balance fall,

  And, taking fearlessly a bound,

  He tumbled headlong on the ground,

  With compound fracture of the shin,

  And six or seven ribs⁵ crushed in.

 

  "Unhappy youth!" the Master said,

  "What was your truest help and aid

  Impediment you thought to be—

  For art and method if you flee,

  Believe me, ere your life is past,

  This tumble will not be your last."

1 novice   

adj.新手的，生手的

参考例句：

• As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人，我对此很感兴趣。
• She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。

2 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

3 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

4 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

5 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。