The Old Willow Tree and Other Stories
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER 2

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 One day, the mouse was sitting outside the hole that led to the wood. It was in the month of August and it was warm and pleasant and she sat basking1 in the sun with the greatest enjoyment2, the more so as she had just given birth to seven blind children, which is no joke, as any mother will tell you. And, as she sat there, the wood-mouse came out of her house under the root of the beech3.
 
"Good-afternoon, cousin," said the house-mouse.
 
"The same to you, cousin," said the wood-mouse.
 
"A fine sunny day," said the house-mouse.
 
"The same to you, cousin," said the wood-mouse.
 
When they had greeted each other in this fashion, they sat and looked at each other for a little while. The house-mouse moved her big ears to and fro; and the wood-mouse did the same, out of courtesy, but her ears were not nearly so big. On the other hand, she had more hairs in her tail than her cousin, so that pretty well made up for the ears. Then the house-mouse said:
 
"Life is lovely."
 
"Do you think so, cousin?" said the wood-mouse.
 
And she looked as though she were of a very different opinion, but too polite to say so outright4.
 
"Yes, I do, cousin," replied the house-mouse. "I have just got my last seven youngsters off my hands. And every evening the young mistress puts a piece of sugar outside my hole for me. And the forester and the cat are both so old that they positively5 can't see when I run through the room. And yesterday an old lady arrived whose name is Petronella. And she's as frightened of me as though she were a mouse and I a cat. When she sees me, she screams and gathers up her skirts and jumps on a chair, old as she is. This amuses the young lady who gives me the sugar immensely, so I like doing it. And, for the matter of that, I needn't even trouble to come out. This morning, I was sitting in my hole while they were drinking tea. Then my young mistress cried, 'There's the mouse!' and in a jiffy Aunt Petronella was up on the chair, though I wasn't there at all. I tell you, it's great fun."

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 basking 7596d7e95e17619cf6e8285dc844d8be     
v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽
参考例句：
  • We sat basking in the warm sunshine. 我们坐着享受温暖的阳光。
  • A colony of seals lay basking in the sun. 一群海豹躺着晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 enjoyment opaxV     
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。
3 beech uynzJF     
n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的
参考例句：
  • Autumn is the time to see the beech woods in all their glory.秋天是观赏山毛榉林的最佳时期。
  • Exasperated,he leaped the stream,and strode towards beech clump.他满腔恼怒，跳过小河，大踏步向毛榉林子走去。
4 outright Qj7yY     
adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的
参考例句：
  • If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
  • You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
5 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
6 stork hGWzF     
n.鹳
参考例句：
  • A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him.狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。
  • He is very glad that his wife's going to get a visit from the stork.他为她的妻子将获得参观鹳鸟的机会感到非常高兴。
7 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
8 trickiest 16e280898fdae34d641ea06948a52840     
adj.狡猾的( tricky的最高级 )；（形势、工作等）复杂的；机警的；微妙的
参考例句：
  • Many believe this is the trickiest area to navigate. 很多人认为这是最难驾驭的领域。 来自时文部分
  • Establishing confidence in a new monetary system was the trickiest part. 建立对新货币体系的信心是其最棘手的部分。 来自互联网
9 preposterously 63c7147c29608334305c7aa25640733f     
adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地
参考例句：
  • That is a preposterously high price! 那价格高得出奇！ 来自辞典例句
10 nibble DRZzG     
n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵
参考例句：
  • Inflation began to nibble away at their savings.通货膨胀开始蚕食他们的存款。
  • The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.鸟儿们紧贴在墙上，啄着砖缝。
11 nibbling 610754a55335f7412ddcddaf447d7d54     
v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬
参考例句：
  • We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿，喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
  • He was nibbling on the apple. 他在啃苹果。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
12 acorns acorns     
n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Great oaks from little acorns grow. 万丈高楼平地起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Welcome to my new website!It may not look much at the moment, but great oaks from little acorns grow! 欢迎来到我的新网站。它现在可能微不足道，不过万丈高楼平地起嘛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 cones 1928ec03844308f65ae62221b11e81e3     
n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒
参考例句：
  • In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
  • Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句
14 gnaw E6kyH     
v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨
参考例句：
  • Dogs like to gnaw on a bone.狗爱啃骨头。
  • A rat can gnaw a hole through wood.老鼠能啃穿木头。
15 grudge hedzG     
n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做
参考例句：
  • I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
  • I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。
16 owl 7KFxk     
n.猫头鹰，枭
参考例句：
  • Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
  • I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。
17 gratis yfWxJ     
adj.免费的
参考例句：
  • David gives the first consultation gratis.戴维免费提供初次咨询。
  • The service was gratis to graduates.这项服务对毕业生是免费的。
18 prosecuted Wk5zqY     
a.被起诉的
参考例句：
  • The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
  • The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。
19 glade kgTxM     
n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地
参考例句：
  • In the midst of a glade were several huts.林中的空地中间有几间小木屋。
  • The family had their lunch in the glade.全家在林中的空地上吃了午饭。
20 brook PSIyg     
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。
21 wither dMVz1     
vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡
参考例句：
  • She grows as a flower does-she will wither without sun.她象鲜花一样成长--没有太阳就会凋谢。
  • In autumn the leaves wither and fall off the trees.秋天，树叶枯萎并从树上落下来。
22 gnawed 85643b5b73cc74a08138f4534f41cef1     
咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物
参考例句：
  • His attitude towards her gnawed away at her confidence. 他对她的态度一直在削弱她的自尊心。
  • The root of this dead tree has been gnawed away by ants. 这棵死树根被蚂蚁唼了。
23 grassy DfBxH     
adj.盖满草的；长满草的
参考例句：
  • They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
  • Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。
24 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
25 persecute gAwyA     
vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰
参考例句：
  • They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
  • Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。
26 spoke XryyC     
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。
27 torpid hq2yQ     
adj.麻痹的，麻木的，迟钝的
参考例句：
  • He just walked and his mind drifted slowly like a torpid stream.他只是埋头走，脑袋里思想都凝滞了，有如一汪流不动的溪水。
  • Even when he was awake he was completely torpid.他醒着的时候也完全麻木不动。
28 larder m9tzb     
n.食物贮藏室，食品橱
参考例句：
  • Please put the food into the larder.请将您地食物放进食物柜内。
  • They promised never to raid the larder again.他们答应不再随便开食橱拿东西吃了。
29 toiling 9e6f5a89c05478ce0b1205d063d361e5     
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉
参考例句：
  • The fiery orator contrasted the idle rich with the toiling working classes. 这位激昂的演说家把无所事事的富人同终日辛劳的工人阶级进行了对比。
  • She felt like a beetle toiling in the dust. She was filled with repulsion. 她觉得自己像只甲虫在地里挣扎，心中涌满愤恨。
30 snug 3TvzG     
adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房
参考例句：
  • He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
  • She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。
31 contrive GpqzY     
vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出
参考例句：
  • Can you contrive to be here a little earlier?你能不能早一点来？
  • How could you contrive to make such a mess of things?你怎么把事情弄得一团糟呢？
32 impudence K9Mxe     
n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼
参考例句：
  • His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。
  • What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。
33 scaly yjRzJg     
adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的
参考例句：
  • Reptiles possess a scaly,dry skin.爬行类具有覆盖着鳞片的干燥皮肤。
  • The iron pipe is scaly with rust.铁管子因为生锈一片片剥落了。
34 horrid arozZj     
adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的
参考例句：
  • I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
  • The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。
35 prey g1czH     
n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨
参考例句：
  • Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
  • The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
36 exterminated 26d6c11b25ea1007021683e86730eb44     
v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • It was exterminated root and branch. 它被彻底剪除了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The insects can be exterminated by spraying DDT. 可以用喷撒滴滴涕的方法大量杀死这种昆虫。 来自《用法词典》
37 abide UfVyk     
vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受
参考例句：
  • You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
  • If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。
38 hideous 65KyC     
adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的
参考例句：
  • The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
  • They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。
39 intercede q5Zx7     
vi.仲裁，说情
参考例句：
  • He was quickly snubbed when he tried to intercede.当他试着说情时很快被制止了。
  • At a time like that there has to be a third party to intercede.这时候要有个第三者出来斡旋。
40 reprobate 9B7z9     
n.无赖汉；堕落的人
参考例句：
  • After the fall,god begins to do the work of differentiation between his elect and the reprobate.人堕落之后，上帝开始分辨选民与被遗弃的人。
  • He disowned his reprobate son.他声明与堕落的儿子脱离关系。
41 forage QgyzP     
n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻
参考例句：
  • They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
  • Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。

分享到：


返回目录
上一章: THE COUSINS 1
下一章: CHAPTER 3

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010