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First Love 初恋 (美文)

时间:2010-11-29 06:33来源:互联网 提供网友:suntieying   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

 Many books make me cry when I encounter them for the first time, although fewer these days than during my mascara-smeared teens. But it's rare that a childhood favourite still has the power to call forth1 tears. Mostly, I find, the potency2 of even the most sorrowful children's book fades with time, like the scent3 of a floral sachet – there might be a little lingering whiff of lavender, a tiny prickle at the back of the eye, but no sign of the once irresistible4 overflow5 and puckering6 plop of tear-drop onto page. There are, however, notable exceptions.
Judging from a straw poll of inebriated7 and slightly maudlin8 friends, The Velveteen Rabbit, doomed9 to be burned after being cuddled through his young owner's scarlet10 fever, still wields11 the greatest power to strike a dewy spark from the adult eye, closely followed by Wilde's The Happy Prince. "Beautiful as a weathercock, only not quite so useful", this gilded12 gentleman, with his sapphire13 eyes and ruby-hilted sword, tires of contemplating14 his city's suffering from a pedestal and sends a sparrow to give away his riches to those in need. The loyal sparrow's cold demise15 and the breaking of the Happy Prince's leaden heart are not kissed better, as far as the disconsolate16 child-reader is concerned, by God's welcoming them both into Paradise to praise him at the end. As for The Nightingale and the Rose, it should carry a warning: "Contains scenes of heartless cruelty and unnecessary sacrifice which readers may find distressing17 for years to come".
Childhood favourites which spin the sluice-wheels for me include Charlotte's Web and Jack18 London's The Call of the Wild. It seems I'm not alone in being a sucker for loyal, intelligent animals – including anthropomorphised toys – who give everything for the people (and pigs) they love. In fact, unstinting generosity19 in anyone or anything, especially if it culminates20 in the donor's death, is generally a good recipe for a torrent21 of reminiscent tears. Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree is a prime example, featuring an arboreal22 heroine who gives every bit of herself, from leaves to apples to, eventually, trunk, to a gradually ageing "boy". This book generates fierce debate between those who see it as a touching23 parable24 of parental25 altruism26 and those who want to slap the boy upside the head for his rapacious27 selfishness. Why doesn't he do something for the tree once in a while? Would it kill him to bring a sack of compost or a watering can? Sheesh. But the final line – "And the tree was happy" – still makes me cry.
Doomed first romance, in which the protagonists28 have been lucky enough to find each other but subsequently suffer the agony of being parted, by death or other extremity29, is also good for at least two travel-packs of Kleenex. Summer of My German Soldier, a wonderful but profoundly saddening book, features a young Jewish American, Patty Bergen, constantly berated30 and beaten by her horrible father, who conceals31 Anton, the escaped POW of the title, above her family's garage. Anton's kindness helps Patty to discover her own intelligence and strength, and to weather the myriad32 injustices33 with which she has to contend, but it's hard to think of many other young adult classics in which so many bad things happen to such good people. Similarly, I can only reread Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle – narrated34 by precocious35, sensitive Cassandra, who confides36 her difficulties, mortifications and the pangs37 of first love to a succession of diaries – if reddened eyes and hiccups38 will not seriously inconvenience me in the three hours after finishing the book.
Which childhood tear-jerkers still have the onion effect on you, and why?


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 forth Hzdz2     
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。
2 potency 9Smz8     
n. 效力,潜能
参考例句:
  • Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
  • Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天,就有可能失效。
3 scent WThzs     
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。
4 irresistible n4CxX     
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
参考例句:
  • The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前,势不可挡。
  • She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。
5 overflow fJOxZ     
v.(使)外溢,(使)溢出;溢出,流出,漫出
参考例句:
  • The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
  • After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后,河水可能溢出岸来。
6 puckering 0b75daee4ccf3224413b39d80f0b1fd7     
v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的现在分词 );小褶纹;小褶皱
参考例句:
  • Puckering her lips, she replied, "You really are being silly! 苏小姐努嘴道:“你真不爽气! 来自汉英文学 - 围城
  • Astringent: Mouth-puckering sensation; the result of tannin being present in the wine. 麻辣:由于丹宁在葡萄酒中的作用而使喉间受到强烈刺激的感觉。 来自互联网
7 inebriated 93c09832d9b18b52223b3456adcd31c1     
adj.酒醉的
参考例句:
  • He was inebriated by his phenomenal success. 他陶醉于他显赫的成功。 来自互联网
  • Drunken driver(a driver who is inebriated). 喝醉了的司机(醉酒的司机) 来自互联网
8 maudlin NBwxQ     
adj.感情脆弱的,爱哭的
参考例句:
  • He always becomes maudlin after he's had a few drinks.他喝了几杯酒后总是变得多愁善感。
  • She continued in the same rather maudlin tone.她继续用那种颇带几分伤感的语调说话。
9 doomed EuuzC1     
命定的
参考例句:
  • The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
  • A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。
10 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
11 wields 735a5836610d6f7426fc4d6e28540faf     
手持着使用(武器、工具等)( wield的第三人称单数 ); 具有; 运用(权力); 施加(影响)
参考例句:
  • She wields enormous power within the party. 她操纵着党内大权。
  • He remains chairman, but wields little power at the company. 他还是主席,但在公司没有什么实权了。
12 gilded UgxxG     
a.镀金的,富有的
参考例句:
  • The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
  • "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们,这只不过是些镀金的铅饼! 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
13 sapphire ETFzw     
n.青玉,蓝宝石;adj.天蓝色的
参考例句:
  • Now let us consider crystals such as diamond or sapphire.现在让我们考虑象钻石和蓝宝石这样的晶体。
  • He left a sapphire ring to her.他留给她一枚蓝宝石戒指。
14 contemplating bde65bd99b6b8a706c0f139c0720db21     
深思,细想,仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 ); 注视,凝视; 考虑接受(发生某事的可能性); 深思熟虑,沉思,苦思冥想
参考例句:
  • You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
  • She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。
15 demise Cmazg     
n.死亡;v.让渡,遗赠,转让
参考例句:
  • He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标,但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
  • The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。
16 disconsolate OuOxR     
adj.忧郁的,不快的
参考例句:
  • He looked so disconsolate that It'scared her.他看上去情绪很坏,吓了她一跳。
  • At the dress rehearsal she was disconsolate.彩排时她闷闷不乐。
17 distressing cuTz30     
a.使人痛苦的
参考例句:
  • All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
  • It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。
18 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
19 generosity Jf8zS     
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为
参考例句:
  • We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
  • We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。
20 culminates 1e079cac199f50d1f246c67891eef29e     
v.达到极点( culminate的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Each civilization is born, it culminates, and it decay. 各种文明都要历经诞生,鼎盛和衰落。 来自《用法词典》
  • The tower culminates in a 40-foot spire. 这塔的顶端是一个40英尺高的塔尖。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
21 torrent 7GCyH     
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发
参考例句:
  • The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
  • Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。
22 arboreal jNoyf     
adj.树栖的;树的
参考例句:
  • Man was evolved from an ancestor that was probably arboreal.人大概是从住在树上的祖先进化而来的。
  • Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。
23 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。
24 parable R4hzI     
n.寓言,比喻
参考例句:
  • This is an ancient parable.这是一个古老的寓言。
  • The minister preached a sermon on the parable of the lost sheep.牧师讲道时用了亡羊的比喻。
25 parental FL2xv     
adj.父母的;父的;母的
参考例句:
  • He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
  • Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。
26 altruism LxIzO     
n.利他主义,不自私
参考例句:
  • An important feature of moral behaviour is altruism.道德行为一个重要特点就是利他主义。
  • Altruism is crucial for social cohesion.利他主义对社会的凝聚是至关重要的。
27 rapacious hAzzh     
adj.贪婪的,强夺的
参考例句:
  • He had a rapacious appetite for bird's nest soup.他吃燕窝汤吃个没够。
  • Rapacious soldiers looted the houses in the defeated city.贪婪的士兵洗劫了被打败的城市。
28 protagonists 97ecb64549899e35afb8e0bac92230bc     
n.(戏剧的)主角( protagonist的名词复数 );(故事的)主人公;现实事件(尤指冲突和争端的)主要参与者;领导者
参考例句:
  • Mrs Pankhurst was one of the chief protagonists of women's rights. 潘克赫斯特太太是女权的主要倡导者之一。 来自辞典例句
  • This reflects that Feng Menglong heartily sympathized with these protagonists. 这反映出冯梦龙由衷地同情书中的这些主要人物。 来自互联网
29 extremity tlgxq     
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度
参考例句:
  • I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
  • What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢?
30 berated 7e0b3e1e519ba5108b59a723201d68e1     
v.严厉责备,痛斥( berate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Marion berated Joe for the noise he made. 玛丽昂严厉斥责乔吵吵闹闹。 来自辞典例句
  • It berated Mussolini for selling out to Berlin. 它严厉谴责了墨索里尼背叛、投靠柏林的行径。 来自辞典例句
31 conceals fa59c6f4c4bde9a732332b174939af02     
v.隐藏,隐瞒,遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He conceals his worries behind a mask of nonchalance. 他装作若无其事,借以掩饰内心的不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Drunkenness reveals what soberness conceals. 酒醉吐真言。 来自《简明英汉词典》
32 myriad M67zU     
adj.无数的;n.无数,极大数量
参考例句:
  • They offered no solution for all our myriad problems.对于我们数不清的问题他们束手无策。
  • I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements.我花了三个星期做大量准备工作。
33 injustices 47618adc5b0dbc9166e4f2523e1d217c     
不公平( injustice的名词复数 ); 非正义; 待…不公正; 冤枉
参考例句:
  • One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
  • He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。
34 narrated 41d1c5fe7dace3e43c38e40bfeb85fe5     
v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
35 precocious QBay6     
adj.早熟的;较早显出的
参考例句:
  • They become precocious experts in tragedy.他们成了一批思想早熟、善写悲剧的能手。
  • Margaret was always a precocious child.玛格丽特一直是个早熟的孩子。
36 confides 7cba5bd1e4fef03b447215d633bc1cd9     
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的第三人称单数 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等)
参考例句:
  • Now Butterfly confides to Pinkerton that she has secretly embraced Christianity. 蝴蝶向平克顿吐露,她已暗地里信奉了基督教。 来自辞典例句
  • He also confides, in great secrecy, that his own heart still bleeds over Natalie. 他还极秘密地透露,他自己内心里还在为那塔丽感到痛苦。 来自辞典例句
37 pangs 90e966ce71191d0a90f6fec2265e2758     
突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 ); 悲痛
参考例句:
  • She felt sudden pangs of regret. 她突然感到痛悔不已。
  • With touching pathos he described the pangs of hunger. 他以极具感伤力的笔触描述了饥饿的痛苦。
38 hiccups 676e0be2b57aa5ea33888ece0384a16f     
n.嗝( hiccup的名词复数 );连续地打嗝;暂时性的小问题;短暂的停顿v.嗝( hiccup的第三人称单数 );连续地打嗝;暂时性的小问题;短暂的停顿
参考例句:
  • I cannot find a rhyme to "hiccups". 我不能找到和hiccups同韵的词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Can we rhyme 'hiccups'with 'pick-ups'? 我们能把‘hiccups’同‘pick-ups’放在一起押韵吗? 来自辞典例句
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TAG标签:   love  childhood  love  childhood
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