The Boys' and Girls' Pliny
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER V. THE CROW, THE RAVEN AND THE OWL.

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 The crow, among other kinds of food, feeds upon nuts. If these prove too hard for his beak1 to break, the crow flies to a great height, and then lets them fall again and again upon the stones and tiles beneath, until at last the shell is cracked, and the bird is able to open them. The crow is a bird of a very ill-omened garrulity3, though it has been highly praised by some. It is observed, that from the rising of the constellation4 Arcturus until the arrival of the swallow, it is rarely to be seen about the sacred groves5 and temples of Minerva, and in Athens not at all. It is the only bird that continues to feed its young for some time after they have begun to fly. The crow is most inauspicious at the time of incubation, or, in other words, just after the summer solstice.
 
All the other birds of the same kind—like the raven6, for example—drive their young ones from their nest, and compel them to fly. In small hamlets there are never more than two pairs to be found; and in the neighborhood of Crannon, in Thessaly, never more than one, the parents always quitting the spot to give place to their offspring. Ravens7 are the 192 only birds that seem to have any comprehension of the meaning of their auspices8; for when the guests of Medus were assassinated9, they all took their departure from Peloponnesus and the region of Attica. They are of the very worst omen2 when they swallow their voice, as if they were being choked.
 
The birds of the night—the owlet, the horned owl10, and the screech-owl—have

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 beak 8y1zGA     
n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻
参考例句：
  • The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
  • This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。
2 omen N5jzY     
n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示
参考例句：
  • The superstitious regard it as a bad omen.迷信的人认为那是一种恶兆。
  • Could this at last be a good omen for peace?这是否终于可以视作和平的吉兆了？
3 garrulity AhjxT     
n.饶舌，多嘴
参考例句：
  • She said nothing when met you,changing the former days garrulity.见了面她一改往日的喋喋不休，望着你不说话。
  • The morning is waning fast amidst my garrulity.我这么一唠叨不要紧，上午的时间快要过去了。
4 constellation CptzI     
n.星座n.灿烂的一群
参考例句：
  • A constellation is a pattern of stars as seen from the earth. 一个星座只是从地球上看到的某些恒星的一种样子。
  • The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. 北斗七星本身不是一个星座。
5 groves eb036e9192d7e49b8aa52d7b1729f605     
树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
  • The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。
6 raven jAUz8     
n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的
参考例句：
  • We know the raven will never leave the man's room.我们知道了乌鸦再也不会离开那个男人的房间。
  • Her charming face was framed with raven hair.她迷人的脸上垂落着乌亮的黑发。
7 ravens afa492e2603cd239f272185511eefeb8     
n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Wheresoever the carcase is,there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸，哪里就有乌鸦麇集。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • A couple of ravens croaked above our boat. 两只乌鸦在我们小船的上空嘎嘎叫着。 来自辞典例句
8 auspices do0yG     
n.资助，赞助
参考例句：
  • The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
  • The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。
9 assassinated 0c3415de7f33014bd40a19b41ce568df     
v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏
参考例句：
  • The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
  • Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句
10 owl 7KFxk     
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。
11 crooked xvazAv     
adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的
参考例句：
  • He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
  • You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。
12 talons 322566a2ccb8410b21604b31bc6569ac     
n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部
参考例句：
  • The fingers were curved like talons, but they closed on empty air. 他的指头弯得像鹰爪一样，可是抓了个空。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
  • The tiger has a pair of talons. 老虎有一对利爪。 来自辞典例句
13 defective qnLzZ     
adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的
参考例句：
  • The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
  • If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。
14 funereal Zhbx7     
adj.悲哀的；送葬的
参考例句：
  • He addressed the group in funereal tones.他语气沉痛地对大家讲话。
  • The mood of the music was almost funereal.音乐的调子几乎像哀乐。
15 abhorred 8cf94fb5a6556e11d51fd5195d8700dd     
v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰
参考例句：
  • He abhorred the thoughts of stripping me and making me miserable. 他憎恶把我掠夺干净，使我受苦的那个念头。 来自辞典例句
  • Each of these oracles hated a particular phrase. Liu the Sage abhorred "Not right for sowing". 二诸葛忌讳“不宜栽种”，三仙姑忌讳“米烂了”。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
16 desolate vmizO     
adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂
参考例句：
  • The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
  • We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。
17 frightful Ghmxw     
adj.可怕的；讨厌的
参考例句：
  • How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
  • We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
18 inaccessible 49Nx8     
adj.达不到的，难接近的
参考例句：
  • This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
  • The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。
19 shriek fEgya     
v./n.尖叫，叫喊
参考例句：
  • Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.突然他开始大声尖叫起来。
  • People sometimes shriek because of terror,anger,or pain.人们有时会因为恐惧，气愤或疼痛而尖叫。
20 portentous Wiey5     
adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的
参考例句：
  • The present aspect of society is portentous of great change.现在的社会预示着重大变革的发生。
  • There was nothing portentous or solemn about him.He was bubbling with humour.他一点也不装腔作势或故作严肃，浑身散发着幽默。
21 sanctuary iCrzE     
n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区
参考例句：
  • There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
  • Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
22 consulship 72c245faca19d8af6dcd9f231d99f4f9     
领事的职位或任期
参考例句：
23 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
24 hawk NeKxY     
n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员
参考例句：
  • The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
  • The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。
25 affinity affinity     
n.亲和力，密切关系
参考例句：
  • I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
  • It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

分享到：


返回目录

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010