“There,” said Old Mother Nature, pointing to Prickly Porky the
Porcupine1, “is next to the largest member of your order, which is?”
“Order of Rodents,” piped up Striped
Chipmunk3.
“He is not only next to the largest, but is the stupidest,” continued Old Mother Nature. “At least that is what people say of him, though I suspect he isn't as stupid as he sometimes seems. Anyway, he manages to keep well fed and escape his enemies, which is more than can be said for some others who are supposed to have quick wits.”
“Escaping his enemies is no credit to him. They are only too glad to keep out of his way; he doesn't have to fear anybody,” said Chatterer the Red Squirrel to his cousin, Happy
Jack4.
His remark didn't escape the keen ears of Old Mother Nature. “Are you sure about that?” she demanded. “Now there's Pekan the Fisher-”
She was interrupted by a great
rattling5 on the old
stump6. Everybody turned to look. There was Prickly Porky backing down as fast as he could, which wasn't fast at all, and rattling his thousand little spears as he did so. It was really very funny. Everybody had to laugh, even Old Mother Nature. You see, it was plain that he was in a great hurry, yet every movement was slow and clumsy.
“Well, Prickly Porky, what does this mean? Where are you going?” demanded Old Mother Nature.
Prickly Porky turned his dull-looking eyes towards her, and in them was a troubled, worried look. “Where's Pekan the Fisher?” he asked, and his voice shook a little with something very much like fear.
Old Mother Nature understood instantly. When she had said, “Now there's Pekan the Fisher,” Prickly Porky had waited to hear no more. He had instantly thought that she meant that Pekan was right there somewhere. “It's all right, Prickly Porky,” said she. “Pekan isn't anywhere around here, so climb back on that stump and don't worry. Had you waited for me to finish, you would have saved yourself a fright. Chatterer had just said that you didn't have to fear anybody and I was starting to explain that he was wrong, that despite your thousand little spears you have reason to fear Pekan the Fisher.”
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收听单词发音
1
porcupine
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| n.豪猪, 箭猪 |
参考例句: |
- A porcupine is covered with prickles.箭猪身上长满了刺。
- There is a philosophy parable,call philosophy of porcupine.有一个哲学寓言,叫豪猪的哲学。
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2
rodent
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| n.啮齿动物;adj.啮齿目的 |
参考例句: |
- When there is a full moon,this nocturnal rodent is careful to stay in its burrow.月圆之夜,这种夜间活动的啮齿类动物会小心地呆在地洞里不出来。
- This small rodent can scoop out a long,narrow tunnel in a very short time.这种小啮齿动物能在很短的时间里挖出一条又长又窄的地道来。
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3
chipmunk
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| n.花栗鼠 |
参考例句: |
- This little chipmunk is hungry.这只小花栗鼠肚子饿了。
- Once I brought her a chipmunk with a wound on its stomach.一次,我带了只腹部受伤的花栗鼠去找她。
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4
jack
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| n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 |
参考例句: |
- I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
- He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
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5
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的
adv. 极其, 很, 非常
动词rattle的现在分词 |
参考例句: |
- This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
- At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时,一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来,把窗玻璃震得当当地响。
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6
stump
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| n.残株,烟蒂,讲演台;v.砍断,蹒跚而走 |
参考例句: |
- He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
- He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。
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7
rattle
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| v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓 |
参考例句: |
- The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
- She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
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8
gnawing
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| a.痛苦的,折磨人的 |
参考例句: |
- The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
- These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。
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9
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参考例句: |
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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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11
quills
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| n.(刺猬或豪猪的)刺( quill的名词复数 );羽毛管;翮;纡管 |
参考例句: |
- Quills were the chief writing implement from the 6th century AD until the advent of steel pens in the mid 19th century. 从公元6世纪到19世纪中期钢笔出现以前,羽毛笔是主要的书写工具。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Defensive quills dot the backs of these troublesome creatures. 防御性的刺长在这些讨人厌的生物背上。 来自互联网
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12
quill
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| n.羽毛管;v.给(织物或衣服)作皱褶 |
参考例句: |
- He wrote with a quill.他用羽毛笔写字。
- She dipped a quill in ink,and then began to write.她将羽毛笔在墨水里蘸了一下,随后开始书写。
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13
pointed
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| adj.尖的,直截了当的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
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14
barbs
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| n.(箭头、鱼钩等的)倒钩( barb的名词复数 );带刺的话;毕露的锋芒;钩状毛 |
参考例句: |
- She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话,或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句
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15
underneath
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| adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 |
参考例句: |
- Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
- She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
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16
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 |
参考例句: |
- She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
- We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。
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17
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声
v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 |
参考例句: |
- We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
- The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡,聚集在一起发牢骚。
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18
chestnut
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| n.栗树,栗子 |
参考例句: |
- We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
- In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。
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19
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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20
twigs
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| 细枝,嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
- Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
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21
grunted
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| (猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说 |
参考例句: |
- She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
- She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
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22
hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜,铁杉 |
参考例句: |
- He was condemned to drink a cup of hemlock.判处他喝一杯毒汁。
- Here is a beech by the side of a hemlock,with three pines at hand.这儿有株山毛榉和一株铁杉长在一起,旁边还有三株松树。
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23
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声 |
参考例句: |
- He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
- The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
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24
puma
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| 美洲豹 |
参考例句: |
- The police and the volunteers combed the forest for the lost puma from the zoo.警察和志愿者们在森林里到处寻找动物园迷失的美洲狮。
- A businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.一位商人去钓鱼,看见那只美洲狮在树上。
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25
beaver
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| n.海狸,河狸 |
参考例句: |
- The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
- A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。
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