I don't suppose it will knock any of you people off your perch¹ to read a contribution from an animal. Mr. Kipling and a good many others have demonstrated the fact that animals can express themselves in remunerative² English, and no magazine goes to press nowadays without an animal story in it, except the old-style monthlies that are still running pictures of Bryan and the Mont Pelee horror.

But you needn't look for any stuck-up literature in my piece, such as Bearoo, the bear, and Snakoo, the snake, and Tammanoo, the tiger, talk in the jungle books. A yellow dog that's spent most of his life in a cheap New York flat, sleeping in a corner on an old sateen underskirt (the one she spilled port wine on at the Lady Longshoremen's banquet), mustn't be expcctcd to perform any tricks with the art of speech.

I was born a yellow pup; date, locality, pedigree and weight unknown. The first thing I can recollect³, an old woman had me in a basket at Broadway and Twenty-third trying to sell me to a fat lady. Old Mother Hubbard was boosting me to beat the band as a genuine Pomeranian-Hambletonian-Red-Irish-Cochin-China-Stoke-Pogis fox terrier. The fat lady chased a V around among the samples of gros grain flannelette in her shopping bag till she cornered it, and gave up. From that moment I was a pet--a mamma's own wootsey squidlums. Say, gentle reader, did you ever have a 200-pound woman breathing a flavour of Camembert cheese and Peau d'Espagne pick you up and wallop her nose all over you, remarking all the time in an Emma Eames tone of voice: "Oh, oo's um oodlum, doodlum, woodlum, toodlum, bitsy- witsy skoodlums?"

From a pedigreed yellow pup I grew up to be an anonymous⁴ yellow cur looking like a cross between an Angora cat and a box of lemons. But my mistress never tumbled. She thought that the two primeval pups that Noah chased into the ark were but a collateral⁵ branch of my ancestors. It took two policemen to keep her from entering me at the Madison Square Garden for the Siberian bloodhound prize.

I'll tell you about that flat. The house was the ordinary thing in New York, paved with Parian marble in the entrance hall and cobblestones above the first floor. Our fiat

点击收听单词发音  

1 perch
n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于
参考例句：
The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。 Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

2 remunerative
adj.有报酬的
参考例句：
He is prepared to make a living by accepting any remunerative chore.为了生计，他准备接受任何有酬报的杂活。 A doctor advised her to seek remunerative employment.一个医生建议她去找有酬劳的工作。

3 recollect
v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得
参考例句：
He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。 She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

4 anonymous
adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的
参考例句：
Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。 The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

5 collateral
adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品
参考例句：
Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。 Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

6 fiat
n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布
参考例句：
The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。 He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

7 toucans
n.巨嘴鸟，犀鸟( toucan的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Against it, parakeets and toucans and blue-winged macaws swoop. 晨光下，小鹦鹉、巨嘴鸟和翅膀鲜蓝的金刚鹦鹉展翼翱翔。 来自互联网 Toucans also have a narrow, feather-like tongue. 巨嘴鸟也有狭窄部份，像羽毛一样的舌。 来自互联网

8 pelicans
n.鹈鹕( pelican的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Kurt watched the Pelicans fire their jets and scorch the grass. 库尔特看着鹈鹕运兵船点火，它们的喷焰把草烧焦。 来自互联网 The Pelican Feeding Officers present an educational talk while feeding the pelicans. 那个正在喂鹈鹕的工作人员会边喂鹈鹕边给它上一节教育课。 来自互联网

9 ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的
参考例句：
A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。 Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

10 brittle
adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的
参考例句：
The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。 She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

11 pickles
n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱
参考例句：
Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

12 peeking
v.很快地看( peek的现在分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出
参考例句：
I couldn't resist peeking in the drawer. 我不由得偷看了一下抽屉里面。 They caught him peeking in through the keyhole. 他们发现他从钥匙孔里向里窥视。 来自辞典例句

13 bluff
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
参考例句：
His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。 John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

14 growling
n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼
参考例句：
We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。 The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

15 mittens
不分指手套
参考例句：
Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。 I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。

16 pounce
n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意
参考例句：
Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？ We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。

17 palaver
adj.壮丽堂皇的；n.废话，空话
参考例句：
We don't want all that palaver,do we?我们不想那样小题大做，不是吗？ Progress is neither proclamation nor palaver.进步不是宣言，也不是空谈。

18 cloves
n.丁香（热带树木的干花，形似小钉子，用作调味品，尤用作甜食的香料）( clove的名词复数 )；蒜瓣(a garlic ~|a ~of garlic)
参考例句：
My country is rich in cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, and precious stones. 我国盛产肉桂、丁香、生姜、胡椒和宝石。 来自辞典例句 Ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and cloves are common spices. 姜、肉豆蔻、肉桂、胡椒、丁香都是常用的香料。 来自辞典例句

19 promenading
v.兜风( promenade的现在分词 )
参考例句：
No doubt this "promenading" was not at all to her taste. 没有问题，这样“溜圈儿”是压根儿不合她口胃的。 来自辞典例句 People were promenading about the town. 人们在镇上闲步[漫步]。 来自互联网

20 lobster
n.龙虾，龙虾肉
参考例句：
The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。 I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

21 maxims
n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Courts also draw freely on traditional maxims of construction. 法院也自由吸收传统的解释准则。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法 There are variant formulations of some of the maxims. 有些准则有多种表达方式。 来自辞典例句

22 brace
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备
参考例句：
My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。 You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

23 blues
n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐
参考例句：
She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。 He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

24 mishap
n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸
参考例句：
I'm afraid your son had a slight mishap in the playground.不好了，你儿子在操场上出了点小意外。 We reached home without mishap.我们平安地回到了家。

25 canine
adj.犬的，犬科的
参考例句：
The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。 Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

26 elucidation
n.说明，阐明
参考例句：
The advertising copy is the elucidation text,which must be written according to the formula of AIDA. 文案是说明文，应基本遵照AIDA公式来写作。 来自互联网 Fourth, a worm hole, elucidation space-time can stretch, compression, rent, also is deduced time-travel this idea. 第四，有了虫洞，就说明时空可以被拉伸、压缩、撕裂，也就推导出了时空旅行这个想法。 来自互联网

27 catfish
n.鲶鱼
参考例句：
Huge catfish are skinned and dressed by hand.用手剥去巨鲇的皮并剖洗干净。 We gigged for catfish off the pier.我们在码头以鱼叉叉鲶鱼。

28 ozone
n.臭氧，新鲜空气
参考例句：
The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。 The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

29 concealed
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。 I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

30 bulge
n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀
参考例句：
The apple made a bulge in his pocket.苹果把他口袋塞得鼓了起来。 What's that awkward bulge in your pocket?你口袋里那块鼓鼓囊囊的东西是什么？

31 tightened
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧
参考例句：
The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。 His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

32 custodian
n.保管人，监护人；公共建筑看守
参考例句：
Benitez believes his custodian is among the top five in world football.贝尼特斯坚信他的门将是当今足坛最出色的五人之一。 When his father died his uncle became his legal custodian.他父亲死后，他叔叔成了他的法定监护人。

33 scramble
v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料
参考例句：
He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。 It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

34 whining
n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚
参考例句：
That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。 The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着（要进来）。

35 bogged
adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍
参考例句：
The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

37 brook
n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让
参考例句：
In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。 The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

38 scotches
n.伤口，刻痕( scotch的名词复数 )；阻止车轮滑动的木块v.阻止( scotch的第三人称单数 )；制止（车轮）转动；弄伤；镇压
参考例句：
Top of the range Scotches attract a fanatical following among whisky buffs. 顶级苏格兰威士忌在威士忌酒酒迷中吸引了一批狂热的拥趸。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Two Scotches, please and make those doubles, will you? 请来两杯苏格兰威士忌--都要双份的，好吗？ 来自辞典例句

39 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。

40 salmon
n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的
参考例句：
We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。 Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

41 flea
n.跳蚤
参考例句：
I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。 Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

42 westward
n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西
参考例句：
We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。 Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。

43 prehensile
adj.（足等）适于抓握的
参考例句：
Poets are those strangely prehensile men.诗人是那些具有深刻洞察力的人们。 A monkey has a prehensile tail.猴子有能盘卷住东西的尾巴。

44 jersey
n.运动衫
参考例句：
He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。 They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

45 whined
v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨
参考例句：
The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句