XIII THE HERMIT

 Though Jolly Robin¹ was quite bold for his size, he had a cousin who was actually shy. This timid relation of Jolly’s belonged to the Hermit² Thrush family; and Jolly Robin always spoke³ of him as “The Hermit,” which was a good name for him, because he never strayed from the depths of the swamp near Black Creek⁴. At least, he stayed there all summer long, until the time came for him to go South.

 

If Jolly Robin wanted to see this shy cousin, he had to go into the swamp. For the Hermit never repaid any of Jolly’s calls. He was afraid of Farmer Green and the other people that lived in the farmhouse⁵. Apple orchards⁶, and gardens and open fields he considered good places to avoid, because he thought them dangerous.

 

“There’s no place to live that’s quite as safe and pleasant as a swamp,” he often remarked. “I have one brother who prefers an evergreen⁷ thicket⁸, which doesn’t make a bad home. And another brother of mine lives in some bushes near a road. But how he can like such a dwelling-place as that is more than I can understand.”

 

Now, there were two things for which this cousin of Jolly Robin’s was noted⁹. He was an exquisite¹⁰ singer; and he always wore a fine, spotted¹¹ waistcoat.

 

Jolly always admired the Hermit’s singing. But he didn’t like his spotted waistcoat at all.

 

“That cousin of mine is too much of a dandy,” Jolly remarked to his wife one day. “I’m going to pay him a visit this afternoon. And I shall speak to him about that waistcoat he’s so fond of wearing. It’s well enough for city birds to dress in such finery. But it’s a foppish¹² thing for anybody to wear way up here in the country.”

 

Jolly’s wife told him plainly that he had better mind his own business.

 

“It’s no affair of yours,” she said. “And you ought not to mention the matter to your cousin.”

 

Jolly Robin did not answer her. He thought there was no use arguing with his wife. And since the Hermit was his own cousin, he saw no reason why he shouldn’t tell his relation exactly what he thought.

 

The Hermit appeared glad to see Jolly Robin when he came to the swamp that afternoon. At least, the Hermit said he 67was much pleased. He had very polished manners for a person that lived in a swamp. Beside him, Jolly Robin seemed somewhat awkward and clownish. But then, Jolly always claimed that he was just a plain, rough-and-ready countryman.

 

“I never put on any airs,” he often said. “Farmer Green and I are a good deal alike in that respect.”

 

After the Hermit had inquired about Jolly’s health, and that of his wife as well, he smoothed down his spotted vest, flicked¹³ a bit of moss¹⁴ off his tail, and said that if Jolly cared to hear him he would sing one of his best songs.

 

“I’d like to hear you sing!” Jolly told him.

 

So the Hermit sang a very sweet and tender melody, which was quite different from Jolly’s cheery carols.

 

It was a great pleasure to hear such a beautiful song. And Jolly Robin was so delighted that he began to laugh heartily¹⁵ the moment his cousin had finished the final note.

 

“I wouldn’t laugh, if I were you,” the Hermit reproved him mildly. “That’s a sad song.... If you care to weep, I’d be more than gratified,” he said. And he shuddered¹⁶ slightly, because Jolly’s boisterous¹⁷ laughter grated upon his sensitive nerves.

 

You can see, just from that, that the Hermit was a very different person from his merry cousin, Jolly Robin.

 

1 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

2 hermit   

n.隐士，修道者；隐居

参考例句：

• He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
• Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

5 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

6 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

7 evergreen   

n.常青树；adj.四季常青的

参考例句：

• Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。
• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

8 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

11 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

12 foppish   

adj.矫饰的，浮华的

参考例句：

• He wore a foppish hat,making him easy to find.他戴着一顶流里流气的帽子使他很容易被发现。
• He stood out because he wore a foppish clothes.他很引人注目，因为他穿著一件流里流气的衣服。

13 flicked   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
• I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。

14 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

15 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

16 shuddered   

v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。