赖世雄读英语笑话学英语之动物王国(2):当然,凡事总有例外(双语)
Unit 2 Of Course There Are Limitations 当然,凡事总有例外
A musician had taken to heart the old saying,"Music hath charms to soothe savage beast,"and traveled to the darkest corner of Africa in an effort to prove it.
一位音乐家牢记一句格言在心:“音乐有安抚野兽心灵的魅力。”为了证实这句话,他前往非洲最深处的内陆丛林旅游。
No sooner had he begun to play his violin in a jungle clearing than it was full of savage beasts,swaying in rhythm and tapping their paws to the delightful sounds.
在丛林的一块空地上,他一拉起小提琴,四处就挤满了各种猛兽,跟着旋律,拍着脚掌,手舞足蹈起来。
Sunddenly,however,a huge lion emerged from the jungle,pounced on the violinist and made a hearty meal of him.
可是丛林里突然跑出一头大狮子,扑向小提琴家,把他当作盛餐吃掉了。
The other animals cried out in dismay,"Hey!We were enjoying that."
其他野兽大失所望,说道:“我们正在欣赏音乐哩!”
"Eh?"said the lion,cupping its hand to its ear.
“呃?”狮子弯曲手掌成杯子状靠着耳朵说道。
英语知识点解说:
1.musician n. 音乐家
2.take...to heart 将……牢记在心,奉为信念
例:Don't take the boss' criticism to heart;he's just in a bad mood.
(不要把老板的批评放在心上,他只是心情不好。)
3.saying n. 常言,格言
Well goes an old saying,"..." 俗话说得好:“……”
=As an old saying goes,"..."
例:As an old saying goes,"Waste not,want not."
(有句古语说得好:“不浪费就不虞缺乏。”)
4.bath vt. 有(是 has 的古语用法,尤其出现在古诗中)
5.charm n. 魅力;魔力 & vt. 使着迷
be charmed with... 迷上……
=be fascinated with/by...
=be enthralled with/by...
例:I would take a strong man,or a blind one,to resist the girl's charms.
(要抗拒这女孩子的魅力需要一位意志力很强的人,或是一位眼睛瞎的盲人才行。)
You'd better forget that girl,you've become charmed with her.
(你最好忘了那个女孩,你已经迷上她了。)
6.soothe vt. 抚慰
soothing a. 安慰的;使缓和的
例:Nothing is more soothing than a warm bath.
(热水澡最能松弛我们疲惫的身体。)
7.savage a. 野蛮的 & n. 野蛮人
8.best n. 动物;兽
9.in an effort to... 尽力……
=in an endeavor to...
例:In an effort to impress his girlfriend, Jake bought a powerful motorcycle.
(为了要引起女朋友的注意,杰克买了一辆大马力的摩托车。)
10.no sooner had+ 主语+过去分词+ than 引导的过去式从句
... 就……
例:No sooner had she seen him than she burst out crying.
=As soon as she saw him, she burst out crying.
(她一看到他就痛哭失声。)
11.violin n. 小提琴
表示演奏乐器时,乐器名称之前要加定冠词 the 或所有格:
play the violin 拉小提琴
play the piano 弹钢琴
play the trumpet 吹喇叭
但用于运动项目及游戏时则不加定冠词 the :
play baseball 打棒球
play basketball 打篮球
play hide-and-seek 玩捉迷藏
12.jungle n. 热带丛林
forest n. 森林(指一大片的林木)
woods n. 树林(指小面积的树林)
rain forest 雨林
例:Tarzan was raised by apes in the jungle.
(泰山被丛林里的猩猩扶养长大。)
The hermit built himself a tiny cottage in the woods.
(这位隐居者在树林里亲手盖了一间茅屋。)
13.clearing n. (森林中的)空地
14.sway vt. & vi. 摇动;动摇
例:The palm trees swayed in the evening breeze.
(棕榈树在向晚的微风中摇曳。)
15.rhythm n. 节奏,韵律
rhythmic a. 有节奏的
例:Reggae music has a unique rhythm.
(雷盖音乐有特殊的韵律。)
The monks' rhythmic chanting had a hypnotic effect.
(那些和尚有节奏的诵经有催眠作用。)
16.tap vt. 轻敲;轻打
17.paw n. (动物的)脚爪
18.delight n. 欣喜
take delight in... 喜欢……
delightful a. 愉快的
例:Peter takes delight in singing.
(彼得喜欢唱歌。)
What a delightful perfume you're wearing!
(你身上的香水闻起来真舒服。)
19.to the delightful sounds 随着愉快的音乐
表示“随着……起舞/敲奏”的介词用 to,不要用 with。
Let's dance with the music. (×)
(咱们抱着音乐跳舞吧。)
Let's dance to the music. (○)
(咱们随着音乐起舞吧。)
20.emerge vi. 出现
emerge from... 由……出现
例:Under the judge's careful questioning, the truth gradually emerged.
(在法官仔细的询问下,真相终于大白。)
The mole rarely emerges from his tunnels.
(土拨鼠很少爬出它的洞穴。)
21.pounce vi. & n. 急袭;猛扑
22.violinist n. 小提琴家
23.hearty a. 丰盛的(一餐)
a hearty meal 开怀的大吃一餐
24.dismay n. 惊慌,不安;绝望
in dismay 惊慌中;绝望中
25. cup vt. 把 弯曲成杯子状
本文中,那头大狮子大概是重听吧!因此需要把手弯曲成杯状听外界的声音。亦正因此缘故,狮子听不到音乐,因为它把音乐家吃掉了。
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