The Poet, the Oyster, and Sensitive Plant

 

 

  An Oyster¹ cast upon the shore

  Was heard, though never heard before,

  Complaining in a speech well worded,

  And worthy² thus to be recorded:

    "Ah, hapless wretch³ comdemn'd to dwell

  Forever in my native shell,

  Ordain'd to move when others please,

  Not for my own content or ease,

  But toss'd and buffeted⁴ about,

  Now in the water, and now out.

  'Twere better to be born a stone

  Of ruder shape and feeling none,

  Than with a tenderness like mine,

  And sensibilities so fine!

  I envy that unfeeling shrub⁵,

  Fast rooted against every rub."

  The plant he meant grew not far off,

  And felt the sneer⁶ with scorn enough;

  Was hurt, disgusted, mortified⁷,

  And with asperity⁸ replied.

    ("When," cry the botanists⁹, and stare,

  "Did plants call'd Sensitive grow there?"

  No matter when—a poet's muse¹⁰ is

  To make them grow just where she chooses):

    "You shapeless nothing in a dish,

  You that are but almost a fish,

  I scorn your coarse insinuation,

  And have most plentiful¹¹ occasion

  To wish myself the rock I view,

  Or such another dolt¹² as you.

  For many a grave and learned clerk,

  And many a gay unlettered spark,

  With curious touch examines me

  If I can feel as well as he;

  And when I bend, retire, and shrink,

  Says, 'Well—'tis more than one would think.'

  Thus life is spent! oh fie upon't,

  In being touched, and crying—'Don't'!"

  A poet, in his evening walk,

  Overheard and checked this idle talk.

  "And your fine sense," he said, "and yours,

  Whatever evil it endures,

  Deserves not, if so soon offended,

  Much to be pitied or commended.

  Disputes, though short, are far too long,

  Where both alike are in the wrong;

  Your feelings in their full amount

  Are all upon your own account."

    "You, in your grotto-work enclosed,

  Complain of being thus exposed,

  Yet nothing feel in that rough coat,

  Save when the knife is at your throat.

  Wherever driven by wind or tide,

  Exempt¹³ from every ill beside."

    "And as for you, my Lady Squeamish,

  Who reckon every touch a blemish¹⁴,

  If all the plants that can be found

  Embellishing¹⁵ the scene around,

  Should droop¹⁶ and wither¹⁷ where they grow,

  You would not feel at all, not you.

  The noblest minds their virtue¹⁸ prove

  By pity, sympathy, and love:

  These, these are feelings truly fine,

  And prove their owner half divine."

    His censure¹⁹ reached them as he dealt it.

  And each by shrinking show'd he felt it.

WILLIAM COWPER

1 oyster   

n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人

参考例句：

• I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。
• I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

2 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

3 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

4 buffeted   

反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去

参考例句：

• to be buffeted by the wind 被风吹得左右摇摆
• We were buffeted by the wind and the rain. 我们遭到风雨的袭击。

5 shrub   

n.灌木，灌木丛

参考例句：

• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。
• Moving a shrub is best done in early spring.移植灌木最好是在初春的时候。

6 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

7 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 asperity   

n.粗鲁，艰苦

参考例句：

• He spoke to the boy with asperity.他严厉地对那男孩讲话。
• The asperity of the winter had everybody yearning for spring.严冬之苦让每个人都渴望春天。

9 botanists   

n.植物学家，研究植物的人( botanist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Botanists had some difficulty categorizing the newly found plant. 植物学家们不大容易确定这种新发现的植物的种类。 来自辞典例句
• Botanists refer this flower to the rose family. 植物学家将这花归入蔷薇科。 来自辞典例句

10 muse   

n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感

参考例句：

• His muse had deserted him,and he could no longer write.他已无灵感，不能再写作了。
• Many of the papers muse on the fate of the President.很多报纸都在揣测总统的命运。

11 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

12 dolt   

n.傻瓜

参考例句：

• He's a first-class dolt who insists on doing things his way.他一意孤行，真是蠢透了。
• What a donke,dolt and dunce!真是个笨驴，呆子，兼傻瓜！

13 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

14 blemish   

v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点

参考例句：

• The slightest blemish can reduce market value.只要有一点最小的损害都会降低市场价值。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

15 embellishing   

v.美化( embellish的现在分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色

参考例句：

• He kept embellishing it in his mind, building up the laughs. 他在心里不断地为它添油加醋，增加笑料。 来自辞典例句
• Bumper's each angle is embellishing the small air vent, manifested complete bikes's width to increase. 保险杠的每个角都点缀着小的通风孔，体现了整车的宽度增加。 来自互联网

16 droop   

v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡

参考例句：

• The heavy snow made the branches droop.大雪使树枝垂下来。
• Don't let your spirits droop.不要萎靡不振。

17 wither   

vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡

参考例句：

• She grows as a flower does-she will wither without sun.她象鲜花一样成长--没有太阳就会凋谢。
• In autumn the leaves wither and fall off the trees.秋天，树叶枯萎并从树上落下来。

18 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

19 censure   

v./n.责备；非难；责难

参考例句：

• You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。
• His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。