When on this evening Edi and Ritz were lying in their bed and Mother had finished saying evening prayer with them and had closed the door after her, Edi began: "Have you noticed, Ritz, that Father is almost like God? He already knows the thing before one has told half of it."
"No, I have never noticed that," Ritz replied. "But it is all right, for then he can do everything he wants to and also make fine weather."
"Oh, Ritz, you only look at the profit! but just look at the other side." Here Edi rose up in bed from pure
zeal1 and continued: "Do you remember, not long ago I recited our songs, which we made about the others, to Papa; then he knew at once that we were preparing a big fight and has forbidden us to take part in it. And this evening they all have talked it over that I should lead the boys of Upper Wood into battle, and I have thought it all over and prepared ahead. Then I would be Fabius Cunctator, and would lead my troops above on the hill round and round it and would not attack, for you must know that is much safer, and so Hannibal could do nothing and could not attack me."
"Is Hannibal still living then?" asked Ritz
serenely2.
"Oh, Ritz, how indescribably ignorant you are!" Edi remarked
compassionately3. "He died more than a thousand years ago. But big Churi, the leader of the Middle Lotters, our enemies, is Hannibal. But you see, I just remember something: Churi is not a real Hannibal, for he was a great and noble general, and Churi cannot represent him; but do you know what, we can take the strange boy Erick, for Hannibal!—he looks quite different from Churi,—shall we?"
"That is all the same to me since we cannot be in the fight," remarked Ritz.
"That is true, we dare not, I had quite forgotten that,"
lamented5 Edi. "If I only knew what we could do to be in this fight and yet not do anything that is forbidden."
"Don't you know an example in the world's history?" asked Ritz, to whom his brother presented so often, in cases of need, examples out of this rich fountain.
"No. If we only lived like the old Greeks," Edi answered with a deep sigh. "When they wanted to know anything of which no one knew the answer, they quickly drove to Delphi to the
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收听单词发音
1
zeal
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n.热心,热情,热忱 |
参考例句: |
- Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们,于是他们从军了。
- They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作,以期完成这个项目。
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2
serenely
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adv.安详地,宁静地,平静地 |
参考例句: |
- The boat sailed serenely on towards the horizon.小船平稳地向着天水交接处驶去。
- It was a serenely beautiful night.那是一个宁静美丽的夜晚。
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3
compassionately
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adv.表示怜悯地,有同情心地 |
参考例句: |
- The man at her feet looked up at Scarlett compassionately. 那个躺在思嘉脚边的人同情地仰望着她。 来自飘(部分)
- Then almost compassionately he said,"You should be greatly rewarded." 接着他几乎带些怜悯似地说:“你是应当得到重重酬报的。” 来自辞典例句
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4
compassion
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n.同情,怜悯 |
参考例句: |
- He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
- Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
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5
lamented
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adj.被哀悼的,令人遗憾的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- her late lamented husband 她那令人怀念的已故的丈夫
- We lamented over our bad luck. 我们为自己的不幸而悲伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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6
oracle
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n.神谕,神谕处,预言 |
参考例句: |
- In times of difficulty,she pray for an oracle to guide her.在困难的时候,她祈祷神谕来指引她。
- It is a kind of oracle that often foretells things most important.它是一种内生性神谕,常常能预言最重要的事情。
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7
oracles
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神示所( oracle的名词复数 ); 神谕; 圣贤; 哲人 |
参考例句: |
- Do all oracles tell the truth? 是否所有的神谕都揭示真理? 来自哲学部分
- The ancient oracles were often vague and equivocal. 古代的神谕常是意义模糊和模棱两可的。
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8
soothingly
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adv.抚慰地,安慰地;镇痛地 |
参考例句: |
- The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘,她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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9
cramp
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n.痉挛;[pl.](腹)绞痛;vt.限制,束缚 |
参考例句: |
- Winston stopped writing,partly because he was suffering from cramp.温斯顿驻了笔,手指也写麻了。
- The swimmer was seized with a cramp and had to be helped out of the water.那个在游泳的人突然抽起筋来,让别人帮着上了岸。
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10
rosy
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adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 |
参考例句: |
- She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作,生活看上去很美好。
- She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。
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11
forsake
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vt.遗弃,抛弃;舍弃,放弃 |
参考例句: |
- She pleaded with her husband not to forsake her.她恳求丈夫不要抛弃她。
- You must forsake your bad habits.你必须革除你的坏习惯。
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12
joyfully
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adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 |
参考例句: |
- She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着,脚底下轻飘飘的。
- During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里,她干得很高兴。
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13
gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 |
参考例句: |
- I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
- She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
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14
fetters
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n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 );束缚v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) |
参考例句: |
- They were at last freed from the fetters of ignorance. 他们终于从愚昧无知的束缚中解脱出来。
- They will run wild freed from the fetters of control. 他们一旦摆脱了束缚,就会变得无法无天。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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15
spoke
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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。
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16
exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 |
参考例句: |
- It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
- Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
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17
awaken
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vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起 |
参考例句: |
- Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
- Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。
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18
awakening
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n.觉醒,醒悟 adj.觉醒中的;唤醒的 |
参考例句: |
- the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
- People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。
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sleeper
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n.睡眠者,卧车,卧铺 |
参考例句: |
- I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
- But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。
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20
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 |
参考例句: |
- He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
- We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
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