The Bear, the Monkey, and the Pig

   A Bear with whom a Piedmontese

  Had voyaged from the Polar seas,

  And by whose strange unwieldy gambols¹

  He earned a living in his rambles²,

  One day, upon his hind³ legs set,

  Began to dance a minuet.

  At length, being tired, as well he might,

  Of standing⁴ such a time upright,

  He to a Monkey near advancing,

  Exclaimed: "What think you of my dancing?"

  "Really," he said, "ahem!" (I'm sure

  This Monkey was a connoisseur)

  "To praise it, I'd indeed be glad,

  Only it is so very bad!"

  "How!" said the Bear, not over pleased,

  "Surely, your judgment⁵ is diseased,

  Or else you cannot well have seen

  My elegance⁶ of step and mien⁷;

  Just look again, and say what graces

  You think are wanting in my paces."

  "Indeed, his taste is quite amazing,"

  Replied a Pig with rapture⁸ gazing;

  "Bravo! encore! well done! Sir Bear,

  By heaven, you trip as light as air;

  I vow⁹ that Paris never knew

  A dancer half so fine as you."

 

  With some confusion, Bruin heard

  Such praises by a Pig conferred;

  He communed with himself a while,

  And muttered thus, in altered style:

  "I must confess the Monkey's blame

  Made me feel doubtful of my fame;

  But since the Pigs their praise concede,

  My dancing must be bad, indeed!"

1 gambols   

v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

2 rambles   

（无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论

参考例句：

• He rambles in his talk. 他谈话时漫无中心。
• You will have such nice rambles on the moors. 你可以在旷野里好好地溜达溜达。

3 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 elegance   

n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙

参考例句：

• The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
• John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

7 mien   

n.风采；态度

参考例句：

• He was a Vietnam veteran with a haunted mien.他是个越战老兵，举止总有些惶然。
• It was impossible to tell from his mien whether he was offended.从他的神态中难以看出他是否生气了。

8 rapture   

n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜

参考例句：

• His speech was received with rapture by his supporters.他的演说受到支持者们的热烈欢迎。
• In the midst of his rapture,he was interrupted by his father.他正欢天喜地，被他父亲打断了。

9 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。