陈冠商英语背诵文选1

陈冠商英语背诵文选1

1

The first snow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The first snow came. How beautiful it was, falling so silently all day long, all night long, on the mountains, on the meadows, on the roofs of the living, on the graves of the dead!(1) All white(2) save(3) the river, that marked its course(4) by a winding black line across the landscape; and the leafless trees, that against the leaden sky(5) now revealed more fully the wonderful beauty and intricacies(6) of their branches. What silence, too, came with the snow, and what seclusion! Every sound was muffled(7), every noise changed to something soft and musical. No more tramping hoofs, no more rattling wheels! Only the chiming of sleigh-bells, beating as swift and merrily as the hearts of children(8).

*注释

(1) the living:活着的人；the dead:死去的人。形容词（有时是分词）前面加上定冠词 the 表示具有某一特性的一类人。

(2) all white=All was white, 省略句

(3) save：除……以外，介词

(4) marked its course：标示出它所经过的路线

(5) against the leaden sky：在铅灰色天空的衬托下。

(6) intricacies：这里指树枝的缠结交错。

(7) was muffled：（声音）被压抑而变得低沉

(8) beating…as the hearts of children=beating…as the hearts of children beat,默这个被省略的 beat确作\"（心脏的）搏动\"解，前面那个 beating指铃儿的碰击。

初雪

享利•沃兹沃思•朗费罗

初雪飘临。多么美啊！它整日整夜那么静静地飘着，落在山岭上，落在草地上，落在世人的屋顶上，落在死才的坟墓上！在一片白茫茫之中，只有河流在美丽的画面上划出一道曲曲弯弯的黑线；还有那叶儿落净的树木，映衬着铅灰色的天空，此刻更显得枝丫交错，姿态万千。初雪飘落时，是何等的宁谧，何等的幽静！一切声响都趋沉寂，一切噪音都化作柔和的音乐。再也听不见马蹄得得，再也听不见车轮辚辚！唯有雪橇的铃铛，奏和谐的乐声，那明快欢乐的节拍犹如孩子们心房的搏动。

2

THE HUMMING-BIRD

George Louis Leclerc Buffon

Of all animated beings this is the most elegant in form and the most brilliant in colors. The stones and metals polished by our arts are not comparable to(1) this jewel of Nature(2). She(3) has placed it least in size of(4) the order of birds(5), \"maxime miranda in minimis.\"(6) Her masterpiece is this little humming-bird, and upon it she has heaped all the gifts(7) which the other birds may only share. Lightness, rapidity, nimbleness, grace, and rich apparel(8) all belong to this little favorite. The emerald(9), the ruby(10), and the topaz(11) gleam upon its dress(12). It never soils them with the dust of earth, and in its aerial life scarcely touches the turf an instant. Always in the air, flying from flower to flower, it has their freshness as well as their brightness. It lives upon their nectar, and dwells only in the climates where they perennially bloom.

*注释

(1) are not compareble t 比不上……的。

(2) this jewel of Nature: 这个大自然的珍宝。这里作者把美丽无比的蜂鸟比作大自然中的一颗天然珍宝。

(3) she: 指 Nature.

(4) in size of: 按……大小。

(5) the order of birds: 鸟类。

(6) maxime niranda in minimis: 拉丁语。 maxime 解作\"最大\"， miranda 解作\"值得称羡的东西\"，minimis 解作\"最小\"。

(7) upon it she has heaped all the gifts...: 大自然赋予蜂鸟……的一切资质。

(8) rich apparel: 原义为色彩鲜艳的衣服，这里借喻蜂鸟绚丽的羽毛。

(9) emerald: 原义绿宝石，这里指翠绿色。

(10) ruby: 原义红宝石，这里指艳红色。

(11) topaz: 原义黄玉，这里指嫩黄色。

(12) dress: 这里借喻蜂鸟的羽毛。

蜂 鸟

乔治·路易·勒克莱尔·布封

在一切生物中，要算蜂鸟体形最优美、颜色最鲜艳。经过工艺加工的各种宝石和金属是无法跟这个大自然的珍宝媲美的。大自然按照鸟类的大小把它列为最小号，真是\"最小的

绝妙珍品\"。这种小蜂鸟是大自然的杰作。大自然把其他鸟类只能分有其中的一部分的种种天赋全部慷慨地给了它。这个不宠儿具有轻盈、敏捷、灵活、优雅以及羽毛绚丽等一切妙处。那翠绿的、艳红的、嫩黄色的羽毛闪闪发光。蜂鸟从不让它的羽毛沾染尘土，它生活在天空中，一刻也不碰到草皮。它总是空中飞翔，从花丛飞向花丛；它象花一样的新鲜，又象花一样的艳丽。鸟*花蜜为生，它只生活在四季鲜花盛开的地带。

3

Pines

John Ruskin

The pine, placed nearly always among scenes disordered and desolate, brings into them all possible elements of order and precision. Lowland trees may lean to this side and that, though it is but a meadow breeze that bends them, or a bank of cowslips(1) from which their trunks lean aslope(2). But let storm and avalanche do their worst(3), and let the pine find only a ledge of vertical precipice to cling to, it will nevertheless grow straight. Thrust a rod from its last shoot down the stem; it shall point to the center of the earth as long as the tree lives.(4) It may be well also for what they need, and to take all kinds of irregular shape and extension. But the pine is trained to need nothing and endure everything. I is resolvedly whole, self-contained, desiring nothing but rightness, content with resrticted completion. Tall or short, it will be straight.

*注释

(1) a bank of cowslips ：一排野樱草。它与上文中的a meadow breeze 是并列成分。

(2) from which their trunks lean aslope：树干由于野樱草的影响而倾斜。

(3) let...do their worst：让……恣意肆虐。

(4) Thrust a rod...as long as the tree lives：这个句子的意思是：松树活着永远长得笔直，象插在一旁的杆子一样的直。松树如果长弯了，就会把插一旁的杆子推歪而不能笔直地指着地心了。 it shall point to... shall用于第三人称时表示说话者的意向。这里作“应该”解。

(5) reach hither and thither：向个方向伸展。 hither and thither=here and there.

松树

约翰·拉斯金

松树几乎总是长在凌乱荒凉地地方，但它却把周围的景色点缀得井井有条，蔚然可观。低地上的树木会东倒西歪，虽说使它们弓腰曲背的，不过是草地上吹过的一阵阵微风；或者，它们的躯干歪到一边，不过时由于一排野樱草的影响。可是，尽管风暴和寻崩姿意摧残，尽管松树所能依附的只是陡壁上一块凸出的岩石，它依然长得笔挺。从它初发的嫩枝旁沿茎插一根笔直的杆子，只要这树活着，杆子将一直指着地的中心。低地上的树，可能为了获得它们所需要的东西，枝桠四下仲延，形成各种不规则的形状，任意扩张。然而松树却饱经锻炼，什么也不需要，什么都能忍受。它坚定完整，成长，除了长得挺拔正

直，别无所求，虽受而依然完美，它便感到满足。不管是高是矮，它总是长得笔直。

4

Trees

Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree;

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest(1)

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast(2);

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms(3) to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain,

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

*注释

(1) prest: pressed的变体，为了与下面一行最后一个词breast押韵而采用。

(2)flowing breast： 相当于breast flowing with milk，解作\"流出奶汁的乳房’，用来比喻土壤的肥沃。

(3)leafy arms： 指叶子茂盛的树枝

树

乔埃斯·基尔默

我想我永远也不会看到

象一棵树那样优美的诗篇，

树那饥渴的嘴唇紧紧贴住

大地乳汁甘美的胸脯，

它整天仰望着上帝，

举起枝叶繁茂的手臂祈祷，

它那茂密如发的枝叶里

夏天会筑起知更鸟的安乐窝，

雪花飘落在它怀里，

它同雨水亲密无间。

诗歌出自我等愚人之手，

而树却是造化的天工。

5

Reading Good Books

Henry Addington Bruce

Devote some of your leisure, I repeat, to cultivating a love of reading good books. Fortunate indeed are those who contrive to make themselves genuine book-lovers. For book- lovers have some noteworthy advantages over other people. They need never know lonely hours so long as they have books around

them, and the better the books the more delightful the company(1). From good books, moreover, they draw much besides entertainment. They gain mental food such as few companions can supply.(2) Even while resting from their labors they are, through the books they read, equipping themselves to perform those labors more efficiently. This albeit~ they may not be deliberately reading to improve their mind. All unconsciously the ideas they derive from the printed pages(4) are stored up, to be worked over(5) by the imagination for their future profit.

*注释

(1) the better the books the more delightful the company:书越好，与书作伴就越快活。

(2) They gain mental food such as few companions can supply: 他们得到的那种精神食粮是没有什么同栏能提供的。此处such as相当于 such mental food as

(3) This: 指上句；albeit: 连词，含义是 although it be(尽管，虽然)，用于书面语。

(4) the printed pages:书本。

(5) to be worked over:以便加以研究。

阅读好书

H·爱丁顿·布鲁斯

我再说一遍，把你的一部分空闲时光用来培养阅读好书的爱好吧。那些设法把自己培养成为真正爱好读书的人，确实是幸运的。因为爱读书的人比之别人有着明显的好处。只要手头有书，他们就从来不知寂寞。书越好，读来越是津津有味。他们从好书中不但得到乐趣，而且受到很多教益。他们从中获得的那种精神食粮，从其他地方是很难得到的。即使是在工作休息时，通过读书，他们的工作效率也能更加提高，尽管他们未必有意识地想到读书是为了提高才智。在钱然不知不觉中，他们从书中吸取的知识积累起来，经过想想象力的加工，对将来大有用处。

6

The House Cricket

Gilbert White

Crickets are fond of kitchens and bakers’ ovens on account of (1) their warmth. Tender insects that live abroad (2) either enjoy only the short period of one summer, or else doze away (3) the cold, uncomfortable months in profound slumbers; but these residing, as it were, (4) in a torrid zone, are always alert and merry: a good Christmas fire is to them like the heats of the dog-days. Though they are frequently heard by day, yet is their natural time of motion only in the night. As soon as it grows dusk, the chirping increases, and they come running forth, ranging from the size of a flea to that of their full stature.(5) As one should suppose from the burning atmosphere which they inhabit, they are a thirsty race, and show a great propensity for (6) liquids; being frequently drowned in pans of water, milk, broth, and the like.(7) Whatever is moist they affect; and therefore

often gnaw holes in wet woolen stockings and aprons that are hung to the fire.

*注释

(1)on account of：因为。

(2)abroad：户外。

(3)doze away： 用瞌睡来度过。doze在句中作及物动词，其宾语为months。

(4)as it were： 可以说是。作插入语。

(5)ranging from the size of a flea to that of their full stature： 大小都有，最小的只如跳蚤那般大，最大的则已完全长足。range：(在一定范围内)变化。

(6) show a great propensity for： 对……有很大的癖好。

(7)and the like： 等等，诸如此类。

(8)whatever is moist： 凡是潮湿的东西。 作affect的宾语。

屋内蟋蟀

吉尔伯特·怀特

蟋蟀喜欢厨房和面包房的烘箱间，因为那些地方暖和。生活于野外的脆弱的昆虫，或

者仅能愉快地度过一个短暂的夏季， 或者在沉睡中度过寒冷难受的那几个月，然而这些生活在可以说是\"热带\"地方的虫儿，却始终是活跃而欢快的。对于它们，熊熊的圣诞节炉火好比是三伏天的暑热。虽然在白天可以经常听到它们的唧唧鸣声，但只有夜晚才是它们天然活动的时间。一到黄昏，不仅那鸣声更为嘹亮，而且它们都跳了出来，小的只有跳蚤那样大，大的可已长够了个头。它们生活于炎热的环境，人们可以猜想出它们是一种嗜水的昆虫，酷爱各种流质，因而常常溺死在有水的、有牛奶的、有汤汁之类的锅盘里。它们爱好潮湿的东西，因此常常把挂在炉边的湿羊毛袜或围裙咬出一个个窟窿。

7

On Etiquette

William Hazlitt

Etiquette to society is what apparel is to the individual. Without apparel men would go in shameful nudity which would surely lead to the corruption of morals; and without etiquette society would be in a pitiable state and the necessary intercourse between its members would be interfered with by needless offences and troubles. If society were a train, the etiquette would be the rails along which only the train could rumble forth; if society were a state coach, the etiquette would be the wheels and axis, on which only the coach could roll forward.(1) The lack of proprieties would make the most intimate friends turn to be the most decided enemies and the friendly or allied countries declare war against each other.(2) We can find many examples in the history of mankind. Therefore I advise you to stand on ceremony(3) before anyone else and to take pains (4) not to do anything

against etiquette lest you give offences or make enemies.(5)

*注释

(1)If society were a train，the etiquette would be…roll forward： 这是现在时态的虚拟句，分号后面的是一个同样结构的语句，与这一句并列。

(2)The lack of proprieties would make…friends turn to be…and the．．．countries declare war…：本句中的make有两个宾语。第一个宾语是 friends，turn to be是friends的补语，第二个宾语是countries，declare war是countries的补语。动词不定式作make的宾语补语时，必须省略to。

(3)stand on ceremony：讲究礼节。

(4) take pains： 尽力。后接动词不定式。

(5)lest you give offences or make enemies： 免得触犯人或树敌。lest引导的状语从句中常用should或原形动词。

论礼仪

威廉·黑兹利特

礼仪之于社会犹如衣着之于个人。人若不穿衣服，就会一丝不挂，令人耻笑，必然导致道德败坏，社会要是没有礼仪，就会陷入可悲的境地，而社会成员之间所必需的交往就会被无谓的冲突和纠纷所干扰。假定社会是一列火车，礼仪就好比轨道，火车只能沿着它

隆隆前进。假定社会是一辆贵宾车，礼仪就好比轮子与轴，马车只有靠它们才能滚滚前进。缺了礼节，最亲密的朋友会变成死敌，友好或结盟的国家会兵戎相见。我们可以从人类历史上找到许多这种例子。因此我劝你对于任何人都要讲究礼仪，并且尽力不做违背礼仪的事，以免冒犯他人或者树敌。

8

An Hour before Sunrise

Charles Dickens

An hour before sunrise in the city there is all air of cold, solitary desolation about the noiseless streets, which we are accustomed to see thronged at other times by a busy, eager crowd, and over the quiet, closely shut buildings which throughout the day are swarming with life. (1) The drunken, the dissipated, and tile criminal(2) have disappeared; the more sober and orderly part of the population have not yet awaken- ed to the labors of the day, and the stillness of death is over the streets; its very hue seems to be imparted to them(3), cold and lifeless as they look in the gray, somber light of day- break. A partially opened bedroom window here and there bespeaks the heat of the weather and the uneasy slumbers of its occupant; and the dim scanty flicker of a light through the blinds of yonder windows denotes the chamber of watching and sickness. Save for that sad light, the streets present no signs of life, nor the houses of habitation(4).

*注释

(1)An hour before sunrise…swarming with life： 句中about the noiseless streets与over the…buildings是并列成分，作there is an air of cold， solitary desolation的地点状语which we are accustomed．to see thronged…by a busy，eager crowd是修饰streets的定语从句，其中thronged by…是分词短语， 作which的宾语补语。

(2)the drunken，the dissipated，and the criminal： 醉鬼，放荡者，犯罪分子。参阅\"The First Snow\"注(1)。

(3)its very hue seems to be imparted to them： 这句中its指death；its very hue＝the very hue of death； them指the streets。

(4)nor the houses Of habitation＝nor do the houses present any signs of habitation。

日出前的一小时

查尔斯·狄更斯

日出前的一小时，城里一片冷清和孤寂，我们惯于看到的在一日中其他时刻挤满匆忙人群的大街变得空荡荡、静悄悄，整天人来人往，活动频繁的房屋，此刻门户紧闭，寂静无声。醉鬼，放荡者、犯罪分子都不见了，居民中比较循规蹈矩，持重沉着的人们还没有醒来开始他们一天的工作，大街死一般地寂静，似乎也染上了死一般的色彩，在拂晓阴沉、灰暗的光线里显得冷清而毫无生气。到处都有一扇扇半开半掩的卧室窗户，表明天气炎热，屋主人睡眠不宁，那边百叶窗里透露出摇曳的微光，表明那房间里有人卧病或守夜。除了

那忧郁的灯光，街上一片死寂，住房里也没有人活动的迹象。

9

The Flight of Youth

Richard Henry Stoddard

There are gains for all our losses.

There are balms for all our pain:

But when youth, the dream, departs(1)

It takes something from our hearts,

And it never comes again.

We are stronger, and are better,

Under manhood’s sterner reign:(2)

Still we feel that something sweet

Followed youth, with flying feet(3),

And will never come again