Levin put on his big boots, and, for the first time, a cloth jacket, instead of his fur cloak, and went out to look after his farm, stepping over streams of water that flashed in the sunshine and dazzled his eyes, and treading one minute on ice and the next into sticky mud.

Spring is the time of plans and projects. And, as he came out into the farmyard, Levin, like a tree in spring that knows not what form will be taken by the young shoots and twigs¹ imprisoned² in its swelling³ buds, hardly knew what undertakings⁴ he was going to begin upon now in the farm work that was so dear to him. But he felt that he was full of the most splendid plans and projects. First of all he went to the cattle. The cows had been let out into their paddock, and their smooth sides were already shining with their new, sleek⁵, spring coats; they basked⁶ in the sunshine and lowed to go to the meadow. Levin gazed admiringly at the cows he knew so intimately to the minutest detail of their condition, and gave orders for them to be driven out into the meadow, and the calves⁷ to be let into the paddock. The herdsman ran gaily⁸ to get ready for the meadow. The cowherd girls, picking up their petticoats, ran splashing through the mud with bare legs, still white, not yet brown from the sun, waving brush wood in their hands, chasing the calves that frolicked in the mirth of spring.

After admiring the young ones of that year, who were particularly fine--the early calves were the size of a peasant's cow, and Pava's daughter, at three months old, was a big as a yearling-- Levin gave orders for a trough to be brought out and for them to be fed in the paddock. But it appeared that as the paddock had not been used during the winter, the hurdles⁹

点击收听单词发音  

1 twigs
细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。 Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

2 imprisoned
下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。 They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

3 swelling
n.肿胀
参考例句：
Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。 There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

4 undertakings
企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务
参考例句：
The principle of diligence and frugality applies to all undertakings. 勤俭节约的原则适用于一切事业。 Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations. 此举要求军事上战役中所需要的准确布置和预见。

5 sleek
adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢
参考例句：
Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。 The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

6 basked
v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽
参考例句：
She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她尽情地享受她女儿的成功带给她的荣耀。 She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她享受着女儿的成功所带给她的荣耀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 calves
n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解
参考例句：
a cow suckling her calves 给小牛吃奶的母牛 The calves are grazed intensively during their first season. 小牛在生长的第一季里集中喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 gaily
adv.欢乐地，高兴地
参考例句：
The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。 She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

9 hurdles
n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛
参考例句：
In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》 There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

10 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。

11 slovenliness
参考例句：
Slovenliness is no part of religion. 邋遢并非宗教的一部分。 来自辞典例句 Slovenliness no part of religion. “邋遢”并非宗教的一部分。 来自互联网

12 ascertained
v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 implements
n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效
参考例句：
Primitive man hunted wild animals with crude stone implements. 原始社会的人用粗糙的石器猎取野兽。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 They ordered quantities of farm implements. 他们订购了大量农具。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 mildew
n.发霉；v.（使）发霉
参考例句：
The interior was dark and smelled of mildew.里面光线很暗，霉味扑鼻。 Mildew may form in this weather.这种天气有可能发霉。

15 wagons
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车
参考例句：
The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。 They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

16 manure
n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥
参考例句：
The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。 The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

17 mowing
n.割草，一次收割量，牧草地v.刈，割( mow的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The lawn needs mowing. 这草坪的草该割了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 "Do you use it for mowing?" “你是用它割草么？” 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

18 ripen
vt.使成熟；vi.成熟
参考例句：
I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。 You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

19 labor
n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦
参考例句：
We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。 He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

20 attentively
adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神
参考例句：
She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 mortified
v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）
参考例句：
She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。 The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 positively
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。 The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

23 laborers
n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工
参考例句：
Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

24 laborer
n.劳动者，劳工
参考例句：
Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。 He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

25 despondently
adv.沮丧地，意志消沉地
参考例句：
It had come to that, he reflected despondently. 事情已经到了这个地步了，他沉思着，感到心灰意懒。 来自辞典例句 He shook his head despondently. 他沮丧地摇摇头。 来自辞典例句

26 gallantly
adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地
参考例句：
He gallantly offered to carry her cases to the car. 他殷勤地要帮她把箱子拎到车子里去。 The new fighters behave gallantly under fire. 新战士在炮火下表现得很勇敢。

27 rhythmically
adv.有节奏地
参考例句：
A pigeon strutted along the roof, cooing rhythmically. 一只鸽子沿着屋顶大摇大摆地走，有节奏地咕咕叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Exposures of rhythmically banded protore are common in the workings. 在工作面中常见有韵律条带“原矿石”。 来自辞典例句

28 ambling
v.（马）缓行( amble的现在分词 )；从容地走，漫步
参考例句：
At that moment the tiger commenced ambling towards his victim. 就在这时，老虎开始缓步向它的猎物走去。 来自辞典例句 Implied meaning: drinking, ambling, the people who make golf all relatively succeed. 寓意：喝酒，赌博，打高尔夫的人都比较成功。 来自互联网

29 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

30 crumbling
adj.摇摇欲坠的
参考例句：
an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子 The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

31 moss
n.苔，藓，地衣
参考例句：
Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。 He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

32 spotted
adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的
参考例句：
The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。 Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

33 trampling
踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯
参考例句：
Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。 They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。

34 sarcastic
adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的
参考例句：
I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。 She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

35 arable
adj.可耕的，适合种植的
参考例句：
The terrain changed quickly from arable land to desert.那个地带很快就从耕地变成了沙漠。 Do you know how much arable land has been desolated?你知道什么每年有多少土地荒漠化吗？

36 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

37 trample
vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯
参考例句：
Don't trample on the grass. 勿踏草地。 Don't trample on the flowers when you play in the garden. 在花园里玩耍时,不要踩坏花。

38 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。

39 trampled
踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯
参考例句：
He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。 People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

40 sifted
v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审
参考例句：
She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 crumble
vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁
参考例句：
Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。 Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

42 stifling
a.令人窒息的
参考例句：
The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。 We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

43 sieve
n.筛，滤器，漏勺
参考例句：
We often shake flour through a sieve.我们经常用筛子筛面粉。 Finally,it is like drawing water with a sieve.到头来，竹篮打水一场空。

44 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。

45 scattering
n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散
参考例句：
The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒，把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

46 bog
n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖
参考例句：
We were able to pass him a rope before the bog sucked him under.我们终于得以在沼泽把他吞没前把绳子扔给他。 The path goes across an area of bog.这条小路穿过一片沼泽。

47 humbly
adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地
参考例句：
We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。 "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

48 vividly
adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地
参考例句：
The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。 The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。

49 hoof
n.(马，牛等的)蹄
参考例句：
Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。 I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。

50 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

51 thawing
n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化
参考例句：
The ice is thawing. 冰在融化。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 It had been snowing and thawing and the streets were sloppy. 天一直在下雪，雪又一直在融化，街上泥泞不堪。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

52 furrows
n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 )；（脸上的）皱纹v.犁田，开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
I could tell from the deep furrows in her forehead that she was very disturbed by the news. 从她额头深深的皱纹上，我可以看出她听了这个消息非常不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Dirt bike trails crisscrossed the grassy furrows. 越野摩托车的轮迹纵横交错地布满条条草沟。 来自辞典例句

53 trot
n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧
参考例句：
They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。 The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。