And then there are the fountains. Pliny the Elder wrote once: "If anyone will consider the abundance of Rome's public supply of water, for baths, cisterns³, ditches, houses, gardens, villas⁵; and take into account the distance over which it travels, the arches reared, the mountains pierced, the valleys spanned--he will admit that there never was anything more marvelous in the whole world."

A few centuries later, I already have a few contenders for my favorite fountain in Rome. One is in the Villa⁴ Borghese. In the center of this fountain is a frolicking bronze family. Dad is a faun and Mom is a regular human woman. They have a baby who enjoys eating grapes. Mom and Dad are in a strange position--facing each other, grabbing each other's wrists, both of them leaning back. It's hard to tell whether they are yanking against each other in strife⁶ or swinging around merrily, but there's lots of energy there. Either way, Junior sits perched atop their wrists, right between them, unaffected by their merriment or strife, munching⁷ on his bunch of grapes. His little cloven hoofs⁸ dangle

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1 snail
n.蜗牛
参考例句：
Snail is a small plant-eating creature with a soft body.蜗牛是一种软体草食动物。 Time moved at a snail's pace before the holidays.放假前的时间过得很慢。

2 grilled
adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。 He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

3 cisterns
n.蓄水池，储水箱( cistern的名词复数 )；地下储水池
参考例句：
Continental production and flower pots, cisterns, nursery toys, chemical preservative products. 兼产欧式花盆、水箱、幼儿园玩具、化工防腐产品。 来自互联网 And voices singing out of empty cisterns and exhausted wells. 还有声音在空的水池、干的井里歌唱。 来自互联网

4 villa
n.别墅，城郊小屋
参考例句：
We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。 We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

5 villas
别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅
参考例句：
Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。 Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

6 strife
n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争
参考例句：
We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。 Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

7 munching
v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果，但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句

8 hoofs
n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句 The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

9 dangle
v.(使)悬荡，(使)悬垂
参考例句：
At Christmas,we dangle colored lights around the room.圣诞节时，我们在房间里挂上彩灯。 He sits on the edge of the table and dangles his legs.他坐在桌子边上，摆动著双腿。

10 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

11 obesity
n.肥胖，肥大
参考例句：
One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。 Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

12 obese
adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的
参考例句：
The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。 Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

13 accordion
n.手风琴；adj.可折叠的
参考例句：
The accordion music in the film isn't very beautiful.这部影片中的手风琴音乐不是很好。 The accordion music reminds me of my boyhood.这手风琴的乐声让我回忆起了我的少年时代。

14 implement
n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行
参考例句：
Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。 The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

15 specifications
n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述
参考例句：
Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 conspiring
密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致
参考例句：
They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。 John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

17 enchanted
adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。 He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

18 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

19 smacked
拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴，一声也不言语。 She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。

20 primitive
adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物
参考例句：
It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。 His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

21 stammered
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

22 cello
n.大提琴
参考例句：
The cello is a member of the violin family.大提琴是提琴家族的一员。 She plays a melodious cello.她拉着一手悦耳的大提琴。

23 foliage
n.叶子，树叶，簇叶
参考例句：
The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。 Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

24 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

25 shrub
n.灌木，灌木丛
参考例句：
There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。 Moving a shrub is best done in early spring.移植灌木最好是在初春的时候。

26 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。