PREFACE

PREFACE
When the friends of the Pepper family found that the author was firm in her decision to continue
their history no further, they brought their appeals for the details of some of those good times that
made the "little brown house" an object-lesson.
In these appeals, the parents were as vigorous as the young people for a volume of the stories that
Polly told, to keep the children happy in those hard days when her story-telling had to be a large
factor in their home- life; and also for a book of their plays and exploits, impossible to be
embodied¹ in the continued series of their history, so that all who loved the "Five Little Peppers"
might the better study the influences that shaped their lives.
Those requests were complied with; the author realising that the detailed² account held values, by
which stronger light might be thrown on the family life in the "little brown house."
And now the pressure is brought to bear for a book showing the Little Peppers over the ocean,
recorded in "Five Little Peppers Midway." And the author is very glad to comply again; for
foreign travel throws a wholly different side-light upon the Pepper family. So here is the book.
It is in no sense to be taken as a story written for a guide-book, --although the author lives in it
again her repeated enjoyment³ of the sights and scenes which are accurately⁴ depicted⁵. A
"Baedeker," if carefully studied, is really all that is needed as a constant companion to the
traveller; while for supplementary⁶ helps and suggestions, there are many valuable books along the
same line. This volume is given up to the Peppers; and they must live their own lives and tell their
own story while abroad just as they choose.
As the author has stated many times, her part is "simply to set down what the Peppers did and said,
without trying to make them say or do anything in particular." And so over the ocean they are just
as much the makers⁷ of their own history as when they first opened the door of the "little brown
house" to
MARGARET SIDNEY.

1 embodied   

v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
• The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

3 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

4 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

5 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

6 supplementary   

adj.补充的，附加的

参考例句：

• There is a supplementary water supply in case the rain supply fails.万一主水源断了，我们另外有供水的地方。
• A supplementary volume has been published containing the index.附有索引的增补卷已经出版。

7 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》