How Pantagruel arrived at the Ringing Island, and of the noise that we heard.

Pursuing our voyage, we sailed three days without discovering anything; on the fourth we made land. Our pilot told us that it was the Ringing Island, and indeed we heard a kind of a confused and often repeated noise, that seemed to us at a great distance not unlike the sound of great, middle-sized, and little bells rung all at once, as ’tis customary at Paris, Tours, Gergeau, Nantes, and elsewhere on high holidays; and the nearer we came to the land the louder we heard that jangling.

Some of us doubted that it was the Dodonian kettle, or the portico¹ called Heptaphone in Olympia, or the eternal humming of the colossus raised on Memnon’s tomb in Thebes of Egypt, or the horrid² din³ that used formerly⁴ to be heard about a tomb at Lipara, one of the Aeolian islands. But this did not square with chorography.

I do not know, said Pantagruel, but that some swarms⁵ of bees hereabouts may be taking a ramble⁶ in the air, and so the neighbourhood make this dingle-dangle with pans, kettles, and basins, the corybantine cymbals⁷ of Cybele, grandmother of the gods, to call them back. Let’s hearken. When we were nearer, among the everlasting⁸ ringing of these indefatigable⁹ bells we heard the singing, as we thought, of some men. For this reason, before we offered to land on the Ringing Island, Pantagruel was of opinion that we should go in the pinnace to a small rock, near which we discovered an hermitage and a little garden. There we found a diminutive¹¹ old

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1 portico
n.柱廊，门廊
参考例句：
A large portico provides a suitably impressive entrance to the chapel.小教堂入口处宽敞的柱廊相当壮观。 The gateway and its portico had openings all around.门洞两旁与廊子的周围都有窗棂。

2 horrid
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。

3 din
n.喧闹声，嘈杂声
参考例句：
The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。 They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

4 formerly
adv.从前，以前
参考例句：
We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。 This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 swarms
蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They came to town in swarms. 他们蜂拥来到城里。 On June the first there were swarms of children playing in the park. 6月1日那一天，这个公园里有一群群的孩子玩耍。

6 ramble
v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延
参考例句：
This is the best season for a ramble in the suburbs.这是去郊区漫游的最好季节。 I like to ramble about the street after work.我下班后在街上漫步。

7 cymbals
pl.铙钹
参考例句：
People shouted, while the drums and .cymbals crashed incessantly. 人声嘈杂，锣鼓不停地大响特响。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26） The dragon dance troupe, beating drums and cymbals, entered the outer compound. 龙灯随着锣鼓声进来，停在二门外的大天井里。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

8 everlasting
adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的
参考例句：
These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。 He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

9 indefatigable
adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的
参考例句：
His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。 He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时，他是不知疲倦的。

10 hermit
n.隐士，修道者；隐居
参考例句：
He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。 Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。

11 diminutive
adj.小巧可爱的，小的
参考例句：
Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。 She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

12 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

13 riddle
n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜
参考例句：
The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。 Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

14 puffed
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 derived
vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取
参考例句：
Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 vexing
adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

17 scurvily
下流地，粗鄙地，无礼地
参考例句：

18 alas
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句：
Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！ Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

19 steadfast
adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的
参考例句：
Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。 He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

20 vow
n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓
参考例句：
My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。 I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

21 marine
adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵
参考例句：
Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。 When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

22 hideous
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。