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现代大学英语精读第三册 04b

时间:2011-01-05 05:11来源:互联网 提供网友:cd2423   字体: [ ]
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  Wisdom of Bear Wood
When I was 12 years old ,ny family moved to England,the fourth major move in my short life.My father's government job demanded that he go overseas every few years ,so I was used to wrenching1 myself away from friends .
We rented an 18th-century farmhouse2 in Bershire.Nearby were ancient castles and churches.Loving nature,however,I was most delighted by the endless patchwork3 of farms and woodland that surrounded our house .In the deep woods that verged4 against our back fence,a network of paths led almost everywhere ,and pheasants rockered off into the dense5 laurels6 ahead as you walked.
I spent most of my time toaming the woods and fields alone,playing Robin7 Hood,daydreaming ,collecting bugs8 and bird-watching.It was heaven for a boy-but a lonely heaven.Keeping to myself was my way of not forming attachments9 that I would only have to the next time we moved.But one day I became attached through no design of my own.
We had been in England about six months when old farmer Crawford gave me permission to roam about his immense property.I started hiking there every weekend,up a long ,sloping hill to an almost impenetrable stand of trees called Bear Wood .It was my scret fortress,almost a holy place ,I thought .Slipping through a barbed-wire fence ,I'd leave the bright sun and the twitter and rustle11 of insects and animals outside and creep into another world-a vaulted12 cathedral,with tree reunks for pillars and years' accumulation of long brown needles for a softly carpeted floor .My own breathing rang in my ears ,and the slightest stirring of any woodland creature echoed through the private paradise.
One spring afternoon I wandered near where I thought I'd glimpsed a pond the week before.I proceeded quietly ,careful not to alarm a bird that might loudly warn other creature to hide .
Perhaps this is why the frail13 old lady I nearly ran into was as atartled as I was.She caught her breath ,instinctively14 touching15 her throat with her hand.Then ,recovering quickly,she gave a welcoming smile that instantly put me at ease .A pair of powerful-looking binoculars16 dangled17 from her neck."Hello,young man ." she said ."Are you American or Canadian?"
American,I explained in a rush.and I lived pverthe hill,and I was just seeing if there was a pond.and farmer Crawford had said it was okay,and anyhow,I was on my way home ,so good-bye.
As I started to turn,the woman smiled and askd,"Did you see the little owl18 from the wood over there today?"She pointed19 toward the edge of the wood .
She knew about the owls20?I was amazed.
"No,"I replied."but I've seen them before.Never close though.They always see me first."
The woman laughed,"Yes,they're wary21."she said."But then,gamekeepers have been shooting them ever since they got here.They're introduced,you know,not native."
"They're not?"I asked,fascinated .Anybody who knew this sort of stuff was definitely cool-even if she was treapassing in my special place.
"Oh,oh!"she answered,laughing again."Ata home I have books on birds that explain all about them.In fact,"she said suddenly."I was about to back for tea and jam tart10.Would you care to join me?"
I had been warned against going off with sreangers,but somehow I sensed the old woman was harmless ."Sure,"I said .
"I'm Mrs.Robertson-Glasgow,"she introduced herself,extending her fine hand.
"Michael,"I said,taking it clumsily in my own.
We set off.And as we walked,she told me how she and her husband had moved to Bershire after he'd retired22 as a college professor about ten years earlier."He passed away last year,"she said,looking suddenly wistful."So now I'm alone ,and I have all this time to walk the fields."
Soon I saw a small brick cottage that glowed pinkly in the westering sun.Mrs. Robertson-Glasgow opened the door and invited me in .I gazed about in silent admiration23 at the bookshelves,glass-fronted cases containing figures of ivory and carved stone,cabinets full of fossils,trays of pinned butterflies and,best of all,a dozen or so stuffed birds——including a glass-eyed eagle owl.
"Wow!"was all I could say.
"Does your mother expect you home at a particular time?"she asked as she ran the water for tea.
"No ,"I lied .Then .gracing at the clock,I added,"Well,maybe by five."That gave me almost an hour,not nearlly enough time to ask anout every single object in the room .But between nouthfuls of tea and jam tart I learned all sorts of things from Mrs. Robertson-Glasgow .
The hour went by much too swiftly .Mrs. Robertson-Glasgow had to practially push me out the door .But she sent me home with two large tomes,one full of beatiful illustrations of birds,and one of butterflies and other insects.I promised to return them the next weekend if she didn't mind my coming by .She smiled and said she'd look forward to that .
I had made the best friend in the world.
When I returned the books ,she lent me more.Soon I began to see her almost every weekend,and my well of kmowledge about natural history began to brim over.At school ,I earned the nickname "Prof"and some respect from my fellow students.Even the school bully24 brought me a dead bird he had found,or probably shot ,to identify.
During thr summer I spent hlissfully long days with my friend.I discoverdshe made the finest shortbread in the world.We would explore Bear Wood,munching happily and discussing the books she had lent me .In the afternoon we would return to the cottage,and she would talk about her husband——what a fine man he'd been.Once or twice she seemed about to cry and left the room quickly to make more tea.But she always came back smiling.
As time passed,I did not noticed that she was growing frailer25 and less inclined to laugh .Familiarity sometimes makes people physically26 invisible ,for you find yourself talking to the heart——to the essence,as it were,rather than to the face,I suspected,of course,that she was lonely;I did not know she was ill .
Back at school ,I began to grow quickly.I played soccer and made a good friend .But I still stopped by the cottage on weekends,and there was a familiar-looking biscuit tin on the table .I eyed it as I wwent to the refrigerator.
My mother was regarding me with a strange gentleness."Son,"she began,painfully.And from the tone of her voice I knew everything instantly.
She rested her hand on the biscuit tin."Mr.Crawford brought these this morning."She paused ,and I could tell she was having difficulty."Mrs. Robertson-Glasgow left them for you ."
I stared out the window,tears stinging my eyes.
"I'm sorry,Michael,but she died yesterday,"she went on ."She was very old and very ill,and it was time."
My mother put her arm about my shoulder."You made her very happy,because she was lonely,"she said ."You were lucky to be such a good friend for her."
Wordlessly,I took the tin to my room and set it on my bed .Then ,hurrying downstairs,I burst through the front door and ran to the woods.
I wandered for a long time ,until my eyes had dried and I could see clearly again.It was spring——almost exactly a year since I'd met the old woman in Bear Wood.I looked thanks to her help.And then I remembered that back in my bedroom I had a tin of the best shortbread in the world,and I should go and eat it like I always did on weekends at Mrs. Robertson-Glasgow's cottage.
In time,that old round tin filled up with dried leaves,fossils and bits of colorful stone,and countless27 other odds28 and ends .I still have it.
But I have much more ,the legacy29 of that long-age encounter in Bear Wood.It is a wisdom tutored by nature itself,about the seen and the unseen,about things that change and things that are changeless ,and about the fact that no matter how seemingly different two souls may be ,they possess the potential for that most precious ,rare thing——an enduing30 and rewarding friendship.


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1 wrenching 30892474a599ed7ca0cbef49ded6c26b     
n.修截苗根,苗木铲根(铲根时苗木不起土或部分起土)v.(猛力地)扭( wrench的现在分词 );扭伤;使感到痛苦;使悲痛
参考例句:
  • China has been through a wrenching series of changes and experiments. 中国经历了一系列艰苦的变革和试验。 来自辞典例句
  • A cold gust swept across her exposed breast, wrenching her back to reality. 一股寒气打击她的敞开的胸膛,把她从梦幻的境地中带了回来。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
2 farmhouse kt1zIk     
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房)
参考例句:
  • We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
  • We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
3 patchwork yLsx6     
n.混杂物;拼缝物
参考例句:
  • That proposal is nothing else other than a patchwork.那个建议只是一个大杂烩而已。
  • She patched new cloth to the old coat,so It'seemed mere patchwork. 她把新布初到那件旧上衣上,所以那件衣服看上去就象拼凑起来的东西。
4 verged 6b9d65e1536c4e50b097252ecba42d91     
接近,逼近(verge的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • The situation verged on disaster. 形势接近于灾难的边缘。
  • Her silly talk verged on nonsense. 她的蠢话近乎胡说八道。
5 dense aONzX     
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
参考例句:
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
6 laurels 0pSzBr     
n.桂冠,荣誉
参考例句:
  • The path was lined with laurels.小路两旁都种有月桂树。
  • He reaped the laurels in the finals.他在决赛中荣膺冠军。
7 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
参考例句:
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
8 bugs e3255bae220613022d67e26d2e4fa689     
adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误
参考例句:
  • All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞,都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 attachments da2fd5324f611f2b1d8b4fef9ae3179e     
n.(用电子邮件发送的)附件( attachment的名词复数 );附着;连接;附属物
参考例句:
  • The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
  • It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。
10 tart 0qIwH     
adj.酸的;尖酸的,刻薄的;n.果馅饼;淫妇
参考例句:
  • She was learning how to make a fruit tart in class.她正在课上学习如何制作水果馅饼。
  • She replied in her usual tart and offhand way.她开口回答了,用她平常那种尖酸刻薄的声调随口说道。
11 rustle thPyl     
v.沙沙作响;偷盗(牛、马等);n.沙沙声声
参考例句:
  • She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。
  • He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。
12 vaulted MfjzTA     
adj.拱状的
参考例句:
  • She vaulted over the gate and ran up the path. 她用手一撑跃过栅栏门沿着小路跑去。
  • The formal living room has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. 正式的客厅有一个壁炉和拱形天花板。
13 frail yz3yD     
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的
参考例句:
  • Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了,身体虚弱,不便独居。
  • She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上,看上去特别虚弱。
14 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 touching sg6zQ9     
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。
16 binoculars IybzWh     
n.双筒望远镜
参考例句:
  • He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
  • If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜,我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。
17 dangled 52e4f94459442522b9888158698b7623     
悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
  • It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。
18 owl 7KFxk     
n.猫头鹰,枭
参考例句:
  • Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
  • I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚,经常半夜后才睡觉。
19 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
20 owls 7b4601ac7f6fe54f86669548acc46286     
n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋,”我说,“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
  • The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句
21 wary JMEzk     
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。
22 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
23 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
24 bully bully     
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮
参考例句:
  • A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
  • The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
25 frailer 62ecf5aad648e1745c51d761d95d3769     
脆弱的( frail的比较级 ); 易损的; 易碎的
参考例句:
  • Somehow he looked older and frailer in his city clothes. 不知怎么回事,他穿着城市服装,显得衰老一点。
26 physically iNix5     
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
27 countless 7vqz9L     
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
参考例句:
  • In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
  • I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
28 odds n5czT     
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别
参考例句:
  • The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
  • Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗?
29 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
30 enduing d4c75e19e5038598fdab43117638ba86     
v.授予,赋予(特性、才能等)( endue的现在分词 )
参考例句:
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