THERE was once a Darning-Needle , who thought herself so fine, she imagined she was an embroidering-needle .

“Take care, and mind you hold me tight!” she said to the Fingers which took her out. “Don't let me fall ! If I fall on the ground I shall certainly never be found again , for I am so fine !”

“That' s as it may be,” said the Fingers; and they grasped her round the body .

“See, I' m coming with a train!” said the DarningNeedle, and she drew a long thread after her, but there was no knot in the thread .

The Fingers pointed¹ the needle just at the cook' s slipper², in which the upper leather had burst, and was tobe sewn together.

“That' s vulgar work , ” said the Darning-Needle . “ I shall never get through . I ' m breaking ! I ' m breaking ! ” And she really broke. “Did I not say so?” said the Darning-Needle ; “I' m too fine ! ”

“Now it' s quite useless , ” said the Fingers; ; but they were obliged to hold her fast, all the same; for the cook dropped some sealing-wax upon the needle, and pinned her handkerchief together with it in front.

“So, now I'm a breast-pin !” said the Darning-Needle . “I knew very well that I should come to honour : when one is something, one always comes to something!”

And she laughed inwardly----for no one can ever see outwardly when a darning-needle laughs. There she sat, as proud as if she was in a state coach , and looked all about her.

“May I be permitted to ask if you are of gold?” she inquired of the pin, her neighbour. “You have a very pretty appearance, and a head of your own, but it is only little. You must see that it grows, for it's not every one thathas sealing-wax dropped upon their end.”

And the Darning-Needle drew herself up so proudly that she fell out of the handkerchief right into the sink, which the cook was rinsing³ out .

“Now we're going on a journey,” said the DarningNeedle. ---- “If only I don' t get lost !”

But she really was lost .

“I'm too fine for this world,” she observed, as she lay in the gutter⁴. “But I know who I am, and there's always something in that !” So the Darning-Needle kept her proud behaviour, and did not lose her good humour. And things of many kinds swam over her, chips and straws and pieces of old newspapers.

点击收听单词发音  

1 pointed
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。

2 slipper
n.拖鞋
参考例句：
I rescued the remains of my slipper from the dog.我从那狗的口中夺回了我拖鞋的残留部分。 The puppy chewed a hole in the slipper.小狗在拖鞋上啃了一个洞。

3 rinsing
n.清水，残渣v.漂洗( rinse的现在分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉
参考例句：
Pablo made a swishing noise rinsing wine in his mouth. 巴勃罗用酒漱着口，发出咕噜噜噜的声音。 来自辞典例句 The absorption of many molecular layers could be reestablished by rinsing the foils with tap water. 多分子层的吸附作用可用自来水淋洗金属箔而重新实现。 来自辞典例句

4 gutter
n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟
参考例句：
There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。 He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

5 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。

6 conceited
adj.自负的，骄傲自满的
参考例句：
He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。 I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

7 haughty
adj.傲慢的，高傲的
参考例句：
He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。 They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

8 outermost
adj.最外面的，远离中心的
参考例句：
He fired and hit the outermost ring of the target.他开枪射中了靶子的最外一环。 The outermost electron is shielded from the nucleus.原子核对最外层电子的作用受到屏蔽。

9 joint
adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合
参考例句：
I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。 We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 hacked
生气
参考例句：
I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。 I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

11 bragging
v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话
参考例句：
He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. 他总是吹嘘自己板球水平高超。 来自辞典例句 Now you're bragging, darling. You know you don't need to brag. 这就是夸口，亲爱的。你明知道你不必吹。 来自辞典例句

12 overflowed
溢出的
参考例句：
Plates overflowed with party food. 聚会上的食物碟满盘盈。 A great throng packed out the theater and overflowed into the corridors. 一大群人坐满剧院并且还有人涌到了走廊上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 honourable
adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的
参考例句：
I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。 I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

14 pricked
刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛
参考例句：
The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。 He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

15 seasick
adj.晕船的
参考例句：
When I get seasick,I throw up my food.我一晕船就呕吐。 He got seasick during the voyage.在航行中他晕船。