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CHAPTER TENTH AN OLD-FASHIONED
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GARDEN
The world at large is a most intricate machine, and parts viewed separately give no hint of their importance to what appear quite independent objects. Man may dissociate without destroying, but, when he does so, his constant attention must then take the place of the acts that Nature designed other conditions of life should perform. The isolated1 plant, for instance, is destroyed by insects unless we protect it by a glass covering or a poison-bath: Nature gave it to the birds to protect the plant, and in so doing find food for themselves. This law of interdependence is made very plain in the case of a modern garden or the trim lawns of a large city, and in less degree applies to towns and villages. The caterpillar2 134nuisance that requires the collaring of shade-trees with cotton-wool to protect their foliage3 illustrates4 this; and what an example is a modern garden filled to overflowing5 with exotic plants! An all-important feature is wanting,—birds; for, except English sparrows, we have none, and these are worse than useless.
It was not always so, and the cause of the deplorable change is not hard to find. Whenever we chance, in our wanderings, to come upon some long-neglected corner of colonial times, there we will find the bloom and birds together. I have said “neglected;” not quite that, for there was bloom, and the birds are excellent gardeners.
Let me particularize. My garden is a commonplace affair, with the single innovation of a tub sunk in the ground to accommodate a lotus,—so commonplace, indeed, that no passer-by would notice it; and yet during a single summer afternoon I have seen within its boundaries fifteen species of birds. At that hottest hour of the midsummer day, two P.M., while looking at the huge pink blossoms of the classic lotus, my attention was called to a quick movement 135on the ground, as if a rat ran by. It proved to be an oven-bird, that curious combination of thrush and sand-piper, and yet neither, but a true warbler. It peered into every nook and corner of the shrubbery, poised7 on the edge of the sunken lotus-tub, caught a
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1
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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caterpillar
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| n.毛虫,蝴蝶的幼虫 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明 | |
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overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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shrub
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| n.灌木,灌木丛 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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wriggling
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| v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等);蠕蠕 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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ardor
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| n.热情,狂热 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步,漫谈,漫游;n.漫步,闲谈,蔓延 | |
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foraging
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| v.搜寻(食物),尤指动物觅(食)( forage的现在分词 );(尤指用手)搜寻(东西) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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complement
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| n.补足物,船上的定员;补语;vt.补充,补足 | |
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preening
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| v.(鸟)用嘴整理(羽毛)( preen的现在分词 ) | |
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rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 ); 红宝石色,深红色 | |
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heed
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| v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛,树林 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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arbor
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| n.凉亭;树木 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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acme
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| n.顶点,极点 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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retarded
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| a.智力迟钝的,智力发育迟缓的 | |
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whit
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| n.一点,丝毫 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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legislative
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| n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的 | |
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enactment
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| n.演出,担任…角色;制订,通过 | |
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realization
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| n.实现;认识到,深刻了解 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞,堵塞;障碍物 | |
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thrifty
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| adj.节俭的;兴旺的;健壮的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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sparse
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| adj.稀疏的,稀稀落落的,薄的 | |
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stature
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| n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的,果断的,吃苦的;耐寒的 | |
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labor
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| 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 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的,明断的,能作出明智决定的 | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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persistently
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| ad.坚持地;固执地 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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wren
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| n.鹪鹩;英国皇家海军女子服务队成员 | |
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wrens
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| n.鹪鹩( wren的名词复数 ) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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experimentation
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| n.实验,试验,实验法 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地 | |
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regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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ornithologist
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| n.鸟类学家 | |
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unreasonably
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| adv. 不合理地 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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averse
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| adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的,未完成的 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致,突然的念头;奇想,幻想 | |
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apothecary
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| n.药剂师 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外,郊区 | |
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migratory
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| n.候鸟,迁移 | |
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robins
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| n.知更鸟,鸫( robin的名词复数 );(签名者不分先后,以避免受责的)圆形签名抗议书(或请愿书) | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在;(in,with)充满,富于 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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