英语听力精选进阶版 11250

 

10Aesop's Fables¹  

The Miller², his son and the Donkey

By Sue Reid

‘Fetch our old donkey,’ the  miller said to his son one day. ‘We’re tak-ing him to market. We need money and we’ve nothing else to sell.’ 

The son ran to the stable where the donkey was kept. He threw a hal-ter over its neck. And the donkey wasn’t happy!!!

‘Grumpy old thing!’ said the son, as he led the donkey out of the stable.

‘I’m not sorry we’re selling you!’

‘I’m not sorry either,’ brayed³ the donkey. ‘When was the last time you gave me a carrot!’

‘We won’t ride him,’ said the miller . 

‘It’ll be easier to sell him if he’s not tired.’ 

They led the donkey down the street towards the town. 

‘Hey, you,’ a man shouted suddenly.

‘Why don’t you ride the  donkey?’

‘That’s what it’s for!’ another man hollered.

The crowd began to laugh.

The miller hated to be laughed at. ‘Get up, son,’ he said. The son climbed up on to the donkey’s back. 

‘At least it’s the smaller one,’ the donkey grumbled⁴ as he felt the son’s weight on his back. ‘Some-thing to be grateful for, I suppose.’

But they hadn’t travelled far before they passed three merchants, whis -pering and shaking their heads. 

‘What is the world coming to?’ the miller heard one of them say.  ‘Get down, young man. Let your master ride the donkey.’

The miller thought he’d better do as they said. ‘Hop down, lad, and help me up,’ he said to his son.

So the son climbed down and helped his father clamber up.

‘Ee-aw!’ grumbled the donkey, as the miller landed on his back. ‘What a lump. Worse than a sack of potatoes.’

His back was hard and bony.  The miller wasn’t sorry when they reached the gates of the town.  A group of girls were standing⁵ there, bags and baskets in their hands.  

The miller pulled on the donkey’s halter. ‘Whoa!’ he said. ‘Let the la dies through first.’

‘Cor, look at that poor boy,’ one of the girls said, seeing the son lead the donkey, his father on top. ‘His master should let him ride too.’

‘Lazy thing.’

The miller was a bit cross, but he liked to please. ‘Get up behind me, son,’ he said.

‘What! Both of you at once!’ the donkey screeched⁶. ‘I’m an old donkey. Ee-aw!’ 

‘Look at that poor creature, ’ a woman said as the donkey crawled slowly along the road, head droop-ing. ‘Two of them on his back.’

‘And one of them so big!’ said her friend.

‘They should be carrying it!’

‘Yes, they are right,’ thought the miller, and climbed down. ‘Get down, son. We’ll carry him between us.’ They tied the donkey’s legs to a pole, the donkey slung⁷ between them. 

‘Now they know what it’s like to be a donkey - carrying great loads all day,’ he thought as the miller and his son stumbled down the street.  

The townspeople had never seen such a sight before. They ran out of their houses to watch. ‘Don’t they look silly’, they laughed. 

The donkey hated to be laughed at. 

He pushed and he pulled, trying to free himself. 

Slowly the ropes that bound him began to loosen. ‘One – more  – heave,’ he gasped⁸ as they stumbled up to the bridge.

And with a final tug⁹ and a kick he was free. Over the bridge he tum-bled. Down, down, down he fell. 

Splash!  Into the river below. 

He thrashed and he brayed. 

But there was nothing he could do. 

‘Ee-aw. Ee -aw,’ he cried. Ee—aw!’

The miller watched helplessly as his donkey was swept away.

‘Silly me,’ he said as he and his son trudged¹⁰ homewards. ‘By trying to please everyone I have lost my donkey - and now I have nothing left to sell.’

1 fables   

n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说

参考例句：

• Some of Aesop's Fables are satires. 《伊索寓言》中有一些是讽刺作品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Little Mexican boys also breathe the American fables. 墨西哥族的小孩子对美国神话也都耳濡目染。 来自辞典例句

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

3 brayed   

v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击

参考例句：

• He brayed with laughter. 他刺耳地大笑。
• His donkey threw up his head and brayed loudly. 他的驴扬起头大声叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 screeched   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• She screeched her disapproval. 她尖叫着不同意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The car screeched to a stop. 汽车嚓的一声停住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 slung   

抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往

参考例句：

• He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩，挎在肩上。
• He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。

8 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。

10 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》