How Gargantua left the city of Paris to succour his country, and how Gymnast encountered with the enemy.

In this same very hour Gargantua, who was gone out of Paris as soon as he had read his father’s letters, coming upon his great mare¹, had already passed the Nunnery-bridge, himself, Ponocrates, Gymnast, and Eudemon, who all three, the better to enable them to go along with him, took post-horses. The rest of his train came after him by even journeys at a slower pace, bringing with them all his books and philosophical² instruments. As soon as he had alighted at Parille, he was informed by a farmer of Gouguet how Picrochole had fortified³ himself within the rock Clermond, and had sent Captain Tripet with a great army to set upon the wood of Vede and Vaugaudry, and that they had already plundered⁴ the whole country, not leaving cock nor hen, even as far as to the winepress of Billard. These strange and almost incredible news of the enormous abuses thus committed over all the land, so affrighted Gargantua that he knew not what to say nor do. But Ponocrates counselled him to go unto the Lord of Vauguyon, who at all times had been their friend and confederate, and that by him they should be better advised in their business. Which they did incontinently, and found him very willing and fully⁵ resolved to assist them, and therefore was of opinion that they should send some one of his company to scout⁶ along and discover the country, to learn in what condition and posture⁷ the enemy was, that they might take counsel, and proceed according to the present occasion. Gymnast offered himself to go. Whereupon it was concluded, that for his safety and the better expedition, he should have with him someone that knew the ways, avenues, turnings, windings⁸, and rivers thereabout. Then away went he and Prelingot, the equerry or gentleman of Vauguyon’s horse, who

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1 mare
n.母马，母驴
参考例句：
The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。 The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

2 philosophical
adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的
参考例句：
The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。 She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

3 fortified
adj. 加强的
参考例句：
He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。 The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

4 plundered
掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Many of our cultural treasures have been plundered by imperialists. 我国许多珍贵文物被帝国主义掠走了。 The imperialists plundered many valuable works of art. 帝国主义列强掠夺了许多珍贵的艺术品。

5 fully
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。 They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 scout
n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索
参考例句：
He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。 The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

7 posture
n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势
参考例句：
The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。 He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

8 windings
（道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手）
参考例句：
The time harmonics can be considered as voltages of higher frequencies applied to the windings. 时间谐波可以看作是施加在绕组上的较高频率的电压。 All the vales in their manifold windings shaded by the most delightful forests. 所有的幽谷，都笼罩在繁茂的垂枝下。

9 scouted
寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等）
参考例句：
They scouted around for a shop that was open late. 他们四处寻找，看看还有没有夜间营业的商店。 They scouted around for a beauty parlour. 他们四处寻找美容院。

10 espied
v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日，她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了，她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子，现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》 In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句

11 refreshment
n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点
参考例句：
He needs to stop fairly often for refreshment.他须时不时地停下来喘口气。 A hot bath is a great refreshment after a day's work.在一天工作之后洗个热水澡真是舒畅。

12 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

13 plundering
掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went. 部队经过乡村，一路抢劫掳掠。 They amassed huge wealth by plundering the colonies. 他们通过掠夺殖民地聚敛了大笔的财富。

14 pillaging
v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The rebels went looting and pillaging. 叛乱者趁火打劫，掠夺财物。 Soldiers went on a rampage, pillaging stores and shooting. 士兵们横冲直撞，洗劫商店并且开枪射击。 来自辞典例句

15 thronging
v.成群，挤满( throng的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Architects from around the world are thronging to Beijing theacross the capital. 来自世界各地的建筑师都蜂拥而至这座处处高楼耸立的大都市——北京。 来自互联网 People are thronging to his new play. 人们成群结队地去看他那出新戏。 来自互联网

16 asunder
adj.分离的，化为碎片
参考例句：
The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。 Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。

17 devour
v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷
参考例句：
Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。 Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。

18 rogues
n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽
参考例句：
'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

19 gibes
vi.嘲笑，嘲弄（gibe的第三人称单数形式）
参考例句：
He smarted under the gibes of his fellows. 他因受同伴的嘲笑而苦恼。 来自辞典例句 Don' t make gibes about her behavior. 别嘲笑她的行为。 来自辞典例句

20 flouts
v.藐视，轻视( flout的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：

21 wilt
v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱
参考例句：
Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。 Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

22 toll
n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)
参考例句：
The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。 The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。