In former days every sound still had its meaning and application. When the smith’s hammer resounded¹, it cried, “Strike away! strike away.” When the carpenter’s plane grated, it said, “Here goes! here goes.” If the mill wheel began to clack, it said, “Help, Lord God! help, Lord God!” And if the miller² was a cheat and happened to leave the mill, it spoke³ high German, and first asked slowly, “Who is there? Who is there?” and then answered quickly, “The miller! the miller!” and at last quite in a hurry, “He steals bravely! he steals bravely! three pecks in a bushel.”

At this time the birds also had their own language which every one understood; now it only sounds like chirping⁵, screeching⁶, and whistling, and to some like music without words. It came into the bird’s mind, however, that they would no longer be without a ruler, and would choose one of themselves to be their King. One alone amongst them, the green plover⁷, was opposed to this. He had lived free, and would die free, and anxiously flying hither and thither⁸, he cried, “Where shall I go? where shall I go?” He retired⁹ into a solitary¹⁰ and unfrequented marsh¹¹, and showed himself no more among his fellows.

The birds now wished to discuss the matter, and on a fine May morning they all gathered together from the woods and fields: eagles and chaffinches, owls¹²

点击收听单词发音  

1 resounded
v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音
参考例句：
Laughter resounded through the house. 笑声在屋里回荡。 The echo resounded back to us. 回声传回到我们的耳中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 miller
n.磨坊主
参考例句：
Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。 The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

3 spoke
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。

4 owl
n.猫头鹰，枭
参考例句：
Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。 I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

5 chirping
鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。 The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。

6 screeching
v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫
参考例句：
Monkeys were screeching in the trees. 猴子在树上吱吱地叫着。 the unedifying sight of the two party leaders screeching at each other 两党党魁狺狺对吠的讨厌情景

7 plover
n.珩，珩科鸟，千鸟
参考例句：
He wondered if the plover was the fastest bird.他想知道千鸟是不是最快的鸟。 American plover of inland waters and fields having a distinctive cry.美洲内陆水域和牧场的鸻，叫声特别。

8 thither
adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的
参考例句：
He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。 He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

9 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

10 solitary
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。 The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

11 marsh
n.沼泽，湿地
参考例句：
There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。 I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。

12 owls
n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )
参考例句：
'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

13 larks
n.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的名词复数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了v.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的第三人称单数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了
参考例句：
Maybe if she heard the larks sing she'd write. 玛丽听到云雀的歌声也许会写信的。 来自名作英译部分 But sure there are no larks in big cities. 可大城市里哪有云雀呢。” 来自名作英译部分

14 lark
n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏
参考例句：
He thinks it cruel to confine a lark in a cage.他认为把云雀关在笼子里太残忍了。 She lived in the village with her grandparents as cheerful as a lark.她同祖父母一起住在乡间非常快活。

15 mingled
混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]
参考例句：
The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。 The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

16 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

18 ascend
vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上
参考例句：
We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。 We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

19 ascended
v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 penetrating
adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的
参考例句：
He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。 He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

21 sprained
v.&n. 扭伤
参考例句：
I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。 When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝，约翰驮她去看医生。

22 waddled
v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
A family of ducks waddled along the river bank. 一群鸭子沿河岸摇摇摆摆地走。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The stout old man waddled across the road. 那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 rascal
n.流氓；不诚实的人
参考例句：
If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。 The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

24 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

25 steadfastly
adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝
参考例句：
So he sat, with a steadfastly vacant gaze, pausing in his work. 他就像这样坐着，停止了工作，直勾勾地瞪着眼。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记 Defarge and his wife looked steadfastly at one another. 德伐日和他的妻子彼此凝视了一会儿。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

26 miscreant
n.恶棍
参考例句：
Local people demanded that the District Magistrate apprehend the miscreants.当地人要求地方法官逮捕那些歹徒。 The days of a judge telling a miscreant to join the army or go to jail are over.由法官判一名无赖不去当兵就得坐牢的日子过去了。

27 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

28 unwilling
adj.不情愿的
参考例句：
The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。 His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

29 ascends
v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
The azygos vein ascends in the right paravertebral gutter. 奇静脉在右侧脊柱旁沟内上升。 来自辞典例句 The mortality curve ascends gradually to a plateau at age 65. 死亡曲线逐渐上升，到65岁时成平稳状态。 来自辞典例句