美国小学英语教材6:第33课 山齿鹑家族(4)

 　　After this, there were no disasters in the quail¹ family for nearly two months. 这件事情过后，近两周鹌鹑家族都没有出现任何灾难。

　　The August moon hung large and bright above the eastern hills. There was the smell of ripening² fruit and corn on the summer night air; 八月的太阳悬挂在高处，照亮了东边的山峰，夏天的晚上，你可以闻到水果熟透和玉米的味道；

　　the cricket and the katydid were singing in the grass. Down from the deep woods came Mr. Raccoon, 蟋蟀和蝈蝈儿在草丛中唱歌，茂密的草丛中来了一个浣熊先生，

　　shuffling³ along across the pasture like a little bear. Soon a fresh puff⁴ of night wind brought him a most exciting scent⁵. 像一只小熊一样穿过牧场，并发出刷刷的声音，不过一会，一阵清新的晚风拂过，这个味道让它兴奋不已。

　　He knew it quite well. It was that of a bevy⁶ of quail in hiding. 他非常清楚，暗处有一群鹌鹑。

　　The old raccoon knew just how they stood in that circular bunch with their tails all together and their heads looking outward, 老浣熊知道它们站在环形树丛中，尾巴聚拢在一起，头向外看，

　　that they might face in every direction. He flattened⁷ himself to the ground and crept forward almost as still as a cat. 或许它们朝着所有方向看去，它趴在地面上，像猫一样寂静无声地匍匐前进。

　　Now he was no longer like a clumsy little bear; he was a cautious hunter. 它不再是笨手笨脚的小熊了，他是一只小心谨慎的猎手。

　　Once he heard the bevy stirring in their sleep; then he lay very still and waited until the mother bird's creets 当它听到熟睡中的鹌鹑开始躁动，它躺在地上静止不动，等待鹌鹑妈妈的咔咔声，

　　and the soft peeps of the chickens had ceased. 和幼崽们微弱的唧唧声褪去。

　　He now crept forward again. Nearer and nearer he drew, going more cautiously with each step, 它继续匍匐前进，随着距离拉近，它的每一步更加小心翼翼，

　　until at last lie was within springing distance. 直到趴在起跳距离内。

　　He then flattened himself out on the ground, strained all his muscles until they were like steel, 它平躺在地，拉紧所有肌肉，要让肌肉变成钢铁，

　　and with a sudden motion sprang full in the midst of the sleeping bevy. 在鹌鹑熟睡中，它突然猛地一跃。

　　Click, click, click, went his jaws⁸, snapping like lightning in every direction. 吱吱吱，它在咀嚼，好像从各个方向射出的闪电。

　　There was the sudden whir of many wings and a chorus of squeaks⁹, peeps, and squawks from a dozen birds; 突然翅膀狂乱飞舞，十二只鹌鹑发出叽叽喳喳嘈杂的声音；

　　and in three seconds' time the bevy was gone with the exception of two wounded birds who fluttered feebly in the grass. 三秒钟之内，鹌鹑群消失了，仅留下两只在草丛中无力翻腾，受伤的鹌鹑。

　　But a bite apiece from Mr. Raccoon soon stopped their fluttering. 浣熊先生各咬了他们一下，他们最终停止了翻腾。

1 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

2 ripening   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成

参考例句：

• The corn is blossoming [ripening]. 玉米正在开花[成熟]。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• When the summer crop is ripening, the autumn crop has to be sowed. 夏季作物成熟时，就得播种秋季作物。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 shuffling   

adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

4 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

5 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。

6 bevy   

n.一群

参考例句：

• A bevy of bathing beauties appeared on the beach.沙滩上出现了一群游泳的美女。
• Look,there comes a bevy of ladies.看，一群女人来了。

7 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

8 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

9 squeaks   

n.短促的尖叫声，吱吱声( squeak的名词复数 )v.短促地尖叫( squeak的第三人称单数 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The upper-middle-classes communicate with each other in inaudible squeaks, like bats. 那些上中层社会的人交谈起来象是蚊子在哼哼，你根本听不见。 来自辞典例句
• She always squeaks out her ideas when she is excited. 她一激动总是尖声说出自己的想法。 来自互联网