The Muff, the Fan, and the Parasol

   "It sounds presumptuous¹ and ill

  To boast of universal skill,

  But 'tis a scarce less fault, I own,

  To serve one sort of use alone."

  An idle Parasol, one day,

  Within a lady's chamber² lay,

  And having nothing else to do,

  Addressing his companions two,

  Reclining near, a Muff and Fan,

  He thus insultingly began,

  Using a form of dialect,

  In which, if Aesop is correct,

  The Brass³ and Earthern Jars, of old,

  Conversed⁴ as down the stream they rolled.

  "Oh! sirs, ye merit mighty⁵ praise!

  Yon Muff may do for wintry days,

  A corner is your lot in spring;

  While you, Fan, are a useless thing

  When cold succeeds to heat; for neither

  Can change yourself to suit the weather

  Learn, if you're able to possess,

  Like me a double usefulness,

  From winter's rain I help to shun⁶

  And guard in summer from the sun."

 

1 presumptuous   

adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的

参考例句：

• It would be presumptuous for anybody to offer such a view.任何人提出这种观点都是太放肆了。
• It was presumptuous of him to take charge.他自拿主张，太放肆了。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

4 conversed   

v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 )

参考例句：

• I conversed with her on a certain problem. 我与她讨论某一问题。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was cheerful and polite, and conversed with me pleasantly. 她十分高兴，也很客气，而且愉快地同我交谈。 来自辞典例句

5 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

6 shun   

vt.避开，回避，避免

参考例句：

• Materialists face truth,whereas idealists shun it.唯物主义者面向真理，唯心主义者则逃避真理。
• This extremist organization has shunned conventional politics.这个极端主义组织有意避开了传统政治。