美国语文第五册 第95期:北美食米鸟(1)

 　　The happiest bird of our spring, however, and one that rivals the European lark¹ in my estimation, is the boblincoln, or bobolink as he is commonly called. 依我看来，可以和欧洲云雀媲美、北美春天最快乐的鸟，该是北美食米鸟，食米鸟为北美人习惯俗称。

　　He arrives at that choice portion of our year which, in this latitude², answers to the description of the month of May so often given by the poets. 就地理纬度而言，食米鸟通常五月出现，诗人在五月的季节抒怀与之呼应，人们钟爱的五月阳光最终光临。

　　With us it begins about the middle of May, and lasts until nearly the middle of June. 大约五月中旬，食米鸟飞来，盘桓此地将近一月。

　　Earlier than this, winter is apt to return on its traces, and to blight³ the opening beauties of the year; 早些的冬天季节，人们易于勘查食米鸟的踪迹，然而，肆意的覆巢行为意味摧毁一年的美好开局。

　　and later than this, begin the parching⁴, and panting, and dissolving heats of summer. 再晚些日子，天气炙热焦干，让人简直喘不过气来，老天仿佛释放出夏季的所有热量。

　　But in this genial⁵ interval⁶, Nature is in all her freshness and fragrance⁷, the rains are over and gone, the flowers appear upon the earth, 只有五月气候凉爽适宜，大自然袒露出每一朵的清新芬芳，雨季结束了，花朵绽放，

　　the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land. 鸟儿鸣啾，海龟也爬上岸来。

　　The trees are now in their fullest foliage⁸ and brightest verdure; 满树叶片蓊郁得碧绿晃眼，

　　the woods are gay with the clustered flowers of the laurel; 森林里洋溢着月桂花朵的成簇欢乐；

　　the air is perfumed with the sweetbrier and the wild rose; the meadows are enameled⁹ with clover blossoms; 蔷薇和野生玫瑰的芬芳浓郁；草地上铺满苜蓿草花朵，瓷釉般亮丽，

　　while the young apple, peach, and the plum begin to swell¹⁰, and the cherry to glow among the green leaves. 苹果梨子还有李子的青嫩果实正在急遽地胀大，绿叶中草莓但见猩红艳丽点点。

　　This is the chosen season of revelry of the bobolink. 食米鸟狂欢的季节来临，

　　He comes amid the pomp and fragrance of the season; his life seems all sensibility and enjoyment¹¹, all song and sunshine. 这是它们翩翩飞来的隆重庆典，穿梭在馥郁花海的盛大节日。食米鸟一生追逐快乐、追逐阳光，情感丰富，引吭高歌。

　　He is to be found in the soft bosoms¹² of the freshest and sweetest meadows, and is most in song when the clover is in blossom. 它乐于栖息在水丰草美的牧场或草原。当苜蓿绽开细碎的花朵，它总喜欢在花丛里鸣啾歌唱。

　　He perches¹³ on the topmost twig¹⁴ of a tree, or on some long, flaunting¹⁵ weed, 它时而亦会伫立高高树枝，或风中招摇的细长草尖。

　　and, as he rises and sinks with the breeze, pours forth¹⁶ a succession of rich, tinkling¹⁷ notes, crowding one upon another, 它随着微风雀跃腾飞，流泻出一连串美妙音符，佩铃叮当。它清脆的鸣啾此起彼伏，

　　like the outpouring melody of the skylark, and possessing the same rapturous character. 宛如云雀的清脆歌喉，充满狂性和热烈的质感。

1 lark   

n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏

参考例句：

• He thinks it cruel to confine a lark in a cage.他认为把云雀关在笼子里太残忍了。
• She lived in the village with her grandparents as cheerful as a lark.她同祖父母一起住在乡间非常快活。

2 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

3 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

4 parching   

adj.烘烤似的，焦干似的v.（使）焦干， （使）干透( parch的现在分词 )；使（某人）极口渴

参考例句：

• A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. 没有炽热的头脑，焦渴的嘴唇。 来自互联网

5 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

6 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

7 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

8 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。

9 enameled   

涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The grey walls were divided into artificial paneling by strips of white-enameled pine. 灰色的墙壁用漆白的松木条隔成镶板的模样。
• I want a pair of enameled leather shoes in size 38. 我要一双38号的亮漆皮鞋。

10 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

11 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

12 bosoms   

胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形

参考例句：

• How beautifully gold brooches glitter on the bosoms of our patriotic women! 金光闪闪的别针佩在我国爱国妇女的胸前，多美呀！
• Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. 我们寻个僻静的地方，去痛哭一场吧。

13 perches   

栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼

参考例句：

• Other protection can be obtained by providing wooden perches througout the orchards. 其它保护措施是可在种子园中到处设置木制的栖木。
• The birds were hopping about on their perches and twittering. 鸟儿在栖木上跳来跳去，吱吱地叫着。

14 twig   

n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解

参考例句：

• He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

15 flaunting   

adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来

参考例句：

• He did not believe in flaunting his wealth. 他不赞成摆阔。
• She is fond of flaunting her superiority before her friends and schoolmates. 她好在朋友和同学面前逞强。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

17 tinkling   

n.丁当作响声

参考例句：

• I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能听到远处叮当铃响。
• To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他说话，犹如听一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬响。 来自英汉文学