How the birds are crammed² in the Ringing Island.

Pantagruel looked I don’t know howish, and seemed not very well pleased with the four days’ junketting which Aedituus enjoined⁴ us. Aedituus, who soon found it out, said to him, You know, sir, that seven days before winter, and seven days after, there is no storm at sea; for then the elements are still out of respect for the halcyons⁵, or king-fishers, birds sacred to Thetis, which then lay their eggs and hatch their young near the shore. Now here the sea makes itself amends⁶ for this long calm; and whenever any foreigners come hither it grows boisterous⁷ and stormy for four days together. We can give no other reason for it but that it is a piece of its civility, that those who come among us may stay whether they will or no, and be copiously⁸ feasted all the while with the incomes of the ringing. Therefore pray don’t think your time lost; for, willing, nilling, you’ll be forced to stay, unless you are resolved to encounter Juno, Neptune⁹, Doris, Aeolus, and his fluster-busters, and, in short, all the pack of ill-natured left-handed godlings and vejoves. Do but resolve to be cheery, and fall-to briskly.

After we had pretty well stayed our stomachs with some tight snatches, Friar John said to Aedituus, For aught I see, you have none but a parcel of birds and cages in this island of yours, and the devil a bit of one of them all that sets his hand to the plough, or tills the land whose fat he devours¹⁰; their whole business is to be frolic, to chirp¹¹ it, to whistle it, to warble it, tossing it, and roar it merrily night and day. Pray then, if I may be so bold, whence comes this plenty and

点击收听单词发音  

1 cram
v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习
参考例句：
There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。 The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

2 crammed
adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)
参考例句：
He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。 All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

3 rue
n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔
参考例句：
You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。 You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

4 enjoined
v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The embezzler was severely punished and enjoined to kick back a portion of the stolen money each month. 贪污犯受到了严厉惩罚，并被责令每月退还部分赃款。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else. 她严令我不准告诉其他任何人。 来自辞典例句

5 halcyons
n.翡翠鸟（halcyon的复数形式）
参考例句：

6 amends
n. 赔偿
参考例句：
He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花，为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。 This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。

7 boisterous
adj.喧闹的，欢闹的
参考例句：
I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。 The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

8 copiously
adv.丰富地，充裕地
参考例句：
She leant forward and vomited copiously on the floor. 她向前一俯，哇的一声吐了一地。 来自英汉文学 This well-organized, unified course copiously illustrated, amply cross-referenced, and fully indexed. 这条组织完善，统一的课程丰富地被说明，丰富地被相互参照和充分地被标注。 来自互联网

9 Neptune
n.海王星
参考例句：
Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun.海王星是离太阳最远的行星。 Neptune turned out to be a dynamic,stormy world.海王星原来是个有生气、多风暴的世界。

10 devours
吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. 若有人想要害他们，就有火从他们口中出来，烧灭仇敌。 It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs. 他本身的肢体要被吞吃，死亡的长子要吞吃他的肢体。

11 chirp
v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫
参考例句：
The birds chirp merrily at the top of tree.鸟儿在枝头欢快地啾啾鸣唱。 The sparrows chirp outside the window every morning.麻雀每天清晨在窗外嘁嘁喳喳地叫。

12 overflowing
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式
参考例句：
The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。 The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

13 fig
n.无花果(树)
参考例句：
The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。 You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

14 cod
n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗
参考例句：
They salt down cod for winter use.他们腌鳕鱼留着冬天吃。 Cod are found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.北大西洋和北海有鳕鱼。

15 predecessors
n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身
参考例句：
The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 munch
v.用力嚼，大声咀嚼
参考例句：
We watched her munch through two packets of peanuts.我们看她津津有味地嚼了两包花生米。 Getting them to munch on vegetable dishes was more difficult.使他们吃素菜就比较困难了。

17 gorge
n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃
参考例句：
East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。 It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

18 tickle
v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒
参考例句：
Wilson was feeling restless. There was a tickle in his throat.威尔逊只觉得心神不定。嗓子眼里有些发痒。 I am tickle pink at the news.听到这消息我高兴得要命。

19 fowl
n.家禽，鸡，禽肉
参考例句：
Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。 Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

20 founders
n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )
参考例句：
He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句 The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

21 mumble
n./v.喃喃而语，咕哝
参考例句：
Her grandmother mumbled in her sleep.她祖母含混不清地说着梦话。 He could hear the low mumble of Navarro's voice.他能听到纳瓦罗在小声咕哝。

22 gilt
adj.镀金的；n.金边证券
参考例句：
The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。 The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。

23 batons
n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒
参考例句：
There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

24 heartily
adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
参考例句：
He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。 The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

25 brass
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。 Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

26 gut
n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏
参考例句：
It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。 My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

27 covet
vt.垂涎；贪图(尤指属于他人的东西)
参考例句：
We do not covet anything from any nation.我们不觊觎任何国家的任何东西。 Many large companies covet these low-cost acquisition of troubled small companies.许多大公司都觊觎低价收购这些陷入困境的小公司。