THE FIRST SIGHT OF GREEN FIELDS 33

 

Lately an equipage I overtook,

And help’d to lift it o’er a narrow brook¹;

No horse it had, except one boy, who drew

His sister out in it the fields to view.

O happy town-bred girl, in fine chaise going

For the first time to see the green grass growing!

This was the end and purport² of the ride,

I learn’d, as walking slowly by their side

I heard their conversation. Often she—

“Brother, is this the country that I see?”

The bricks were smoking and the ground was broke,

There were no signs of verdure when she spoke³.

He, as the well-inform’d delight in chiding⁴

The ignorant, these questions still deriding⁵,

To his good judgment⁶ modestly she yields;

Till, brick-kilns past, they reach’d the open fields.

Then, as with rapturous wonder round she gazes

On the green grass, the buttercups and daisies,—

“This is the country, sure enough!” she cries:

“Is’t not a charming place?” The boy replies,

“We’ll go no further.” “No,” says she, “no need:

No finer place than this can be, indeed!”

I left them gathering⁷ flowers, the happiest pair

That ever London sent to breathe the fine fresh air.

1 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

2 purport   

n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是...

参考例句：

• Many theories purport to explain growth in terms of a single cause.许多理论都标榜以单一的原因解释生长。
• Her letter may purport her forthcoming arrival.她的来信可能意味着她快要到了。

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 chiding   

v.责骂，责备( chide的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was chiding her son for not being more dutiful to her. 她在责骂她儿子对她不够孝尽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She called back her scattered maidens, chiding their alarm. 她把受惊的少女们召唤回来，对她们的惊惶之状加以指责。 来自辞典例句

5 deriding   

v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls are deriding that boy's foolishness. 姑娘们在嘲笑那个男孩的愚笨。 来自互联网

6 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。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。