Time passed and all respectable bird-wives were sitting on their eggs and wearing a serious look in their eyes, while their husbands went hunting for flies or sang to them.
It was the same at the Reed-Warblers'. But there was no denying that the husband was sometimes a little tired and cross. Then he would reflect upon the easy time which the
Eel1 husband had and the Frog husband and the
Perch2 husband and all the others.
One evening he sat in the nest and sang:
Now spring is here, to God all praise!
Though in hard work I'm up to the eyes.
For billing and cooing I'd just seven days;
Now I've to flutter about after flies
For my little wife, who our eggs is hatching;
And don't those flies just take some
catching3!
And each chick will want food for the good of its voice.
Aha, I have every right to rejoice!
"If you're tired of it, why did you do it?" said little Mrs. Reed-Warbler. "You took pains enough to
curry4 favour with me at first. How smart you used to look. I believe you're already beginning to lose your colouring."
"It's weary work," he said. "When a fellow has to go after flies like this, in all weathers, his wedding-finery soon wears out."
"I don't think you're singing as nicely as you did," said she.
"Really? Well, I can just as easily stop. It's for your sake that I pipe my
tune5. Besides, you can see for yourself that I'm only joking. I'm tremendously glad of the children. It will be an honour and a pleasure to me to stuff them till they burst. Perhaps we might have been satisfied with three."
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" she said.
"So I am, dear, because of the other two. But, as I don't know which two those are, it makes no difference."
She put on a very serious face. But he caught a fat fly that was passing, popped it into her mouth and struck up so pretty a trill that she fell quite in love with him again.
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收听单词发音
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1
eel
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| n.鳗鲡 |
参考例句： |
- He used an eel spear to catch an eel.他用一只捕鳗叉捕鳗鱼。
- In Suzhou,there was a restaurant that specialized in eel noodles.苏州有一家饭馆，他们那里的招牌菜是鳗鱼面。
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2
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 |
参考例句： |
- The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
- Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。
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3
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 |
参考例句： |
- There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
- Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
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4
curry
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| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 |
参考例句： |
- Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
- Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。
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5
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 |
参考例句： |
- He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
- The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
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6
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 |
参考例句： |
- He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
- He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。
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7
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 |
参考例句： |
- His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
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8
perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- So they "went it lively," panting and perspiring with the work. 于是他们就“痛痛快快地比一比”了，结果比得两个人气喘吁吁、汗流浃背。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
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9
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 |
参考例句： |
- The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
- Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。
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10
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 |
参考例句： |
- We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
- Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。
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11
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 |
参考例句： |
- Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
- He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。
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12
stouter
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| 粗壮的( stout的比较级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的 |
参考例句： |
- Freddie was much stouter, more benevolent-looking, cheerful, and far more dandified. 弗烈特显得更魁伟，更善良、更快活，尤其更像花花公子。 来自教父部分
- Why hadn't she thought of putting on stouter shoes last night? 她昨天晚上怎么没想起换上一双硬些的鞋呢？
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13
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 |
参考例句： |
- All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
- He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。
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14
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 |
参考例句： |
- He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
- All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。
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15
awfully
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| 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。
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16
meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 |
参考例句： |
- I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
- Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。
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17
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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18
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 |
参考例句： |
- He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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19
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） |
参考例句： |
- He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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20
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 |
参考例句： |
- You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
- People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。
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21
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） |
参考例句： |
- He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
- He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。
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22
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 |
参考例句： |
- He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
- The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
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23
starch
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| n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆 |
参考例句： |
- Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
- I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。
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