美国语文第五册 第149期:鹌鹑(2)

 　　Cupidity¹ and cruelty may drive him to the woods, and to seek more quiet seats;  贪婪残忍的人们或许将它们驱赶到森林荒野，它们只能寻求更为僻静的地方，

　　but be merciful and kind to him, and he will visit your barnyard,  如果人们仁慈友好地对待它们，鹌鹑将飞抵农家谷仓，

　　and sing for you upon the boughs² of the apple tree by your gateway³.  在农家院门口的苹果树枝干上尽情鸣唱。

　　When warm May first wooes the young flowers to open and receive her breath,  五月明媚的阳光，鹌鹑首先祈求花蕾怒放，它们才能接受花朵的温馨抚爱，

　　then begin the cares and responsibilities of wedded⁴ life.  然后开始履行婚姻生活的责任。

　　Away fly the happy pair to seek some grassy⁵ tussock,  年轻鹌鹑双宿双飞到处寻找茂密的草丛，

　　where, safe from the eye of the hawk⁶ and the nose of the fox, they may rear their expectant brood in peace. 在那里它们才能逃避猛鸷的利爪袭击，才能躲过嗅觉灵敏的狐狸，安心舒适地孵化自己的宝贝。

　　Oats harvest arrives, and the fields are waving with yellow grain.  燕麦收获的季节到了，田野里落满金黄的谷粒。

　　Now be wary⁷, O kind-hearted cradler, and tread not into those pure white eggs ready to burst with life!  鹌鹑觉得还是要谨慎为妙。噢，善良的摇篮母亲，绝不会踩踏纯净洁白的蛋，那些即将叽喳欲出的生命！

　　Soon there is a peeping sound heard, and lo! 很快，“唧唧”声愈发清晰，瞧！

　　a proud mother walketh magnificently in the midst of her children, scratching and picking, and teaching them how to swallow.  肩负生命重大意义的骄傲母亲，在孩子们中间踱步，不时地为它们抓挠啄理，教它们如何吞咽。

　　Happy she, if she may be permitted to bring them up to maturity⁸, and uncompelled to renew her joys in another nest.  如果她能将幼雏培养长大，无需被迫重新垒窝筑巢，即可再度开始母亲的快乐，那么，她该有多么幸福自在！

　　The assiduities of a mother have a beauty and a sacredness about them that command respect and reverence⁹ in all animal nature,  母亲勤勉意味对子女爱恋与神圣职责，这一信仰支撑她尊重敬畏所有动物的天性，

　　human or inhuman—what a lie does that word carry—except, perhaps, in monsters, insects, and fish.  人类或非人类皆然。或许，除了怪兽、昆虫或鱼类并不具备。

1 cupidity   

n.贪心，贪财

参考例句：

• Her cupidity is well known.她的贪婪尽人皆知。
• His eyes gave him away,shining with cupidity.他的眼里闪着贪婪的光芒，使他暴露无遗。

2 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

3 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

4 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

6 hawk   

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。

7 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

8 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

9 reverence   

n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。