“There are people, my friends,” he began, “who shut their eyes so as not to see danger, and think themselves safe because they wilfully6 ignore peril7. There are others who inform themselves about what may be a menace to them, persuaded that one warned person may be worth two unwarned. You belong to this latter class, and I congratulate you. Countless8 ills lie in wait for us; let us try to diminish their number by our vigilance, instead of giving ourselves up to lazy carelessness. Now that a frightful9 misfortune has overtaken one of our families, who does not realize the extreme importance of our all knowing, so as to avoid them, these terrible plants that claim victims every year? If this knowledge were more extended, the poor little fellow whose loss we now lament10 would still be his mother’s consolation11. Ah! unfortunate child!”
Belladonna
Uncle Paul, whom thunder never caused even to knit his brows, had tears in his eyes and his voice trembled. The good Simon, who had seen the two children in each other’s arms under the hedge, felt more moved than the others at this recollection. He pulled down the broad rim12 of his hat to hide the big tears that were rolling down his rough cheeks bronzed by the sun. After a few moments of silence Uncle Paul continued:
“The death of the unfortunate little boy was caused by belladonna. It is a rather large weed with reddish bell-shaped flowers. The berries are round, purplish-black, and resemble cherries. The leaves are oval and pointed13 at the end. The whole plant has a nauseous odor and a somber14 appearance, as if to announce the poison it conceals15. The berries particularly are dangerous because they may tempt children by their resemblance to cherries and their sweetish taste. Enlargement of the pupil of the eye and a dull, fixed16 stare are the characteristics of belladonna poisoning.”
Paul took from the bouquet17 in the pitcher a sprig of belladonna, and passed it around in the audience so that each one could examine the plant closely.
“What do you say that is called?” asked Jean.
“Belladonna.”
“Belladonna; good. I know that weed. I have often found it near the mill, in shady places. Who would believe those pretty cherries held such a frightful poison.”
Here André asked: “What does the word belladonna mean?”
“It is an Italian word meaning fine lady. Formerly18, it seems, ladies used the juice of this plant to keep their complexion19 white.”
“That is a property that does not concern our brown skin. What concerns us is this confounded berry which may tempt our children.”
“Are not our herds20 in danger when this weed grows in pastures?” Antoine next inquired.
“It is very seldom that animals touch poisonous plants; they avoid browsing21 what might harm them, warned by the odor, and above all by instinct.
“This other plant with large leaves, whose flowers, red on the outside and spotted22 on the inside with white and purple, are arranged in a long and magnificent cluster almost as high as a man, is called digitalis. The flowers have the form of long, tun-bellied bells, or rather of glove-fingers; therefore it is called by different names, all referring to this peculiarity23.”
Fox-glove
“If I am not mistaken,” said Jean, “it is what we call fox-glove. It is common on the edges of woods.”
“We call it fox-glove on account of its resemblance to the thumb of a glove. For the same reason it has elsewhere the name of gloves of Notre-Dame, gloves of the Virgin24, and finger-stall. The name digitalis, borrowed from the Latin, also refers to the finger-shaped flower.”
“It is a great pity that fine plant is poisonous,” commented Simon; “it would be a pleasure to see it in our gardens.”
“It is, indeed, cultivated as an ornamental25 plant, but in gardens under stricter vigilance than ours. As for us, my friends, who hardly have time to watch over flowers, we shall do well not to put digitalis within reach of children by introducing it in our gardens. The whole plant is poisonous. It has the singular property of slowing up the beating of the heart and finally stopping it. It is unnecessary to tell you that when the heart no longer beats, all is over.
Hemlock26
“Hemlock is still more dangerous. Its finely-divided leaves resemble those of chervil and parsley. This resemblance has often occasioned fatal mistakes, all the easier, because the formidable plant grows in the hedges of enclosures and even in our gardens. A plain enough characteristic, however, enables us to distinguish the poisonous weed from the two pot-herds that resemble it: that is the odor. Rub that tuft of hemlock in your hands, Simon, and smell.”
“Ouf!” said Simon, “that smells very bad; parsley and chervil have not that horrid27 odor. When one is warned, no mistake can be made, in my opinion.”
“Yes, when one is warned; but those who are not take no account of the smell and mistake hemlock for parsley or chervil. It is in order to be warned that you are listening to me this evening.”
“You are doing us a great service, Ma?tre Paul,” said Jean, “by putting us on our guard against these dangerous plants. Every one at home ought to know what you have just taught us, so as not to gather a salad of hemlock instead of chervil.”
Arum
“There are two kinds of hemlock. One, called the great hemlock, is found in damp and uncultivated places. It is very like chervil. Its stems are marked with black or reddish spots. The other, called the little hemlock, resembles parsley. It grows in cultivated fields, hedges, and gardens. Both have a nauseating28 odor.
“Now here is a poisonous plant very easy to recognize. It is the arum, or, as it is commonly called, cuckoopint or calves’-foot. The arum is common in hedges. The leaves are very broad and shaped like a large lance-head. The blossom is shaped like a donkey’s ear. It is a large yellowish trumpet29, from the bottom of which rises a fleshy rod that might be taken for a little finger of butter. This strange flower is succeeded by a bunch of berries as large as peas and of a splendid red color. The whole plant has an unbearable30 burning taste.”
“Let me tell you, Ma?tre Paul,” put in Mathieu, “what happened one day to my little Lucien. Coming home from school, he saw in the hedge those large flowers you are speaking of, like donkey’s ears; the fleshy rod in the middle looked to him like something good to eat. You have just compared it to a little finger of butter. The thoughtless creature was taken with its looks. He bit into the deceitful finger of butter. What had he done! In a moment his tongue began to burn as if he had bitten a red-hot coal. I saw him come home spitting and making faces. He won’t be taken in again, you may be sure. Luckily he hadn’t swallowed the piece. The next morning he was all right.”
“A similar burning flavor is found in the white milk-like juice that runs from the euphorbia when cut. The euphorbia are plants of mean appearance, very common everywhere. Their flowers, small and yellowish, grow in a head, the even branches of which radiate at the top of the stem. These plants are easily recognized by their white juice, their milk, which runs in abundance from the cut stems. This juice is dangerous, even on the skin alone, if it is tender; its acrid31, burning taste is its sufficient characteristic.
Aconites
“The aconites, like digitalis, are fine plants which for their beauty have been introduced in gardens, notwithstanding the violence of their poison. They are found in hilly countries. Their blossoms are blue or yellow, helmet-shaped, and grow in an elegant terminal bunch of the finest effect. Their leaves, of a lustrous32 green, are cut out in radiating sprays. The aconites are very poisonous. The violence of their poison has given them the name of dog’s-bane and wolf’s-bane. History tells us that formerly arrow-heads and lance-heads were soaked in the juice of the aconites, to poison the wounds made in war and to make them mortal.
“There is sometimes cultivated in our gardens a shrub33 with large shiny leaves, which do not fall in winter, and with black, oval berries as large as acorns34. It is the cherry-bay. All its parts, leaves, flowers, and berries, have the odor of bitter almonds and peach kernels35. The leaves of the cherry-bay are sometimes used to give their perfume to cream and milk products. They should be used only with great prudence36, for the cherry-bay is extremely poisonous. They even say one has only to remain some time in its shade to become indisposed from its exhalations of a bitter-almond odor.
“In autumn there is seen in abundance, in damp fields, a large and beautiful flower, rose or lilac in color, that rises from the ground alone, without stem or leaves. It is the colchicum, called also meadow saffron, or veillotte, also veilleuse, because it blossoms on the eve of the cold season. If you dig a little way down, you will find that this flower starts from a rather large bulb, covered with a brown skin. Colchicum is poisonous; so cows never touch it. Its bulb is still more poisonous.
“But we have talked enough about harmful plants for to-day. I should be afraid of befogging your memories were I to enter into more details. Next Sunday I will expect you again, my friends, and will talk to you about mushrooms.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
consternation
|
|
| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
tempt
|
|
| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
miller
|
|
| n.磨坊主 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
pitcher
|
|
| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
wilfully
|
|
| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
countless
|
|
| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
lament
|
|
| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
consolation
|
|
| n.安慰，慰问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
rim
|
|
| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
somber
|
|
| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
conceals
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
bouquet
|
|
| n.花束，酒香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
complexion
|
|
| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
herds
|
|
| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
browsing
|
|
| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
spotted
|
|
| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
peculiarity
|
|
| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
virgin
|
|
| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
ornamental
|
|
| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
hemlock
|
|
| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
horrid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
nauseating
|
|
| adj.令人恶心的，使人厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
trumpet
|
|
| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
unbearable
|
|
| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
acrid
|
|
| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
lustrous
|
|
| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
shrub
|
|
| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
acorns
|
|
| n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
kernels
|
|
| 谷粒( kernel的名词复数 )； 仁； 核； 要点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
prudence
|
|
| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |