Lesson 23 Bird flight

第二十三课鸟的飞行方法

by WILLIAM BEACH THOMAS

from A Countryman's Creed

23-1. No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight; the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen.

【译文】没有任何两种鸟的飞行方式相同。鸟的飞行方式千差万别，但可粗分为两类。

【讲解】No two sorts of birds…，no或none等绝对否定意义的词＋主语＋肯定谓语＋其他成分是一种表示全体否定的句型，可译为“任何……都不……”。又如：

No trickery can fool us. 任何骗人把戏都骗不了我们。

None of my friends smoke. 我的朋友都不吸烟。

the varieties指鸟飞行方式的种类。

【单词和短语】

infinite：请参加第十四课第8句的讲解。  

23-2. Any ship that crosses the Pacific is accompanied for many days by the smaller albatross, which may keep company with the vessel for an hour without visible or more than occasional movement of wing.

【译文】任何横渡太平洋的船只都会有一种小信天翁伴随飞行多日。这种鸟可以跟着船飞行一小时而不见它扇动翅膀或至多偶尔扇动一下翅膀。

【讲解】visible和more than occasional并列作movement of wing的定语。

【单词和短语】

由Pacific（太平洋）联想到Arctic Ocean（北冰洋）、Indian Ocean（印度洋）和Atlantic Ocean（大西洋）。

visible的反义词是invisible。

23-3. The currents of air that the walls of the ship direct upwards, as well as in the line of its course, are enough to give the great bird with its immense wings sufficient sustenance and progress.

【译文】沿着船壁上升的气流和沿航线向前的气流足以给这种巨翼大鸟以足够的支撑力和推动力。

【讲解】that the walls of the ship direct upwards作currents of air的定语。in the line of its course也作currents of air的定语。its course指the course of the ship。the great bird指albatross。with its immense wings作the great bird的定语。sufficient sustenance and progress作give的直接宾语。

【单词和短语】

immense：广大的，巨大的（extremely large），例如：

an immense ocean 浩渺的海洋

The play was staged with immense success.

该剧上演获得巨大成功。

immense的名词形式是immensity。

23-4. The albatross is the king of the gliders, the class of fliers which harness the air to their purpose, but must yield to its opposition.

【译文】信天翁是滑翔鸟类之王，它能自如地驾驭空气，但必须逆风飞行。

【讲解】the class of fliers which harness the air to their purpose作gliders的同位语。its opposition即为the opposition of air。

【单词和短语】

harness：利用（或控制）……以产生动力，利用（to control and use the natural force or power of something），例如：

harness nuclear energy 利用原子能

harness a river 治河

harness individual talents to a common end

把各人的才能用于一个共同的目标

23-5. In the contrary school, the duck is supreme.

【译文】与滑翔鸟相对的另一类鸟中，数野鸭本领最高。

【讲解】the duck泛指鸭类，是集体名词，句中指野鸭。

23-6. It comes nearer to the engines with which man has 'conquered' the air, as he boasts.

【译文】它更近乎于正如人类所自夸的“征服”了空气的发动机。

【讲解】he指man（人类）。as he boasts作状语修饰conquered。

【单词和短语】

boast：自吹自擂，自夸（to talk too proudly about your abilities, achievements, or possessions），例如：

I don’t like him, he is always boasting.

我不喜欢他，他老是自吹自擂。

23-7. Duck, and like them the pigeons, are endowed with such-like muscles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the short wings with such irresistible power that they can bore for long distances through an opposing gale before exhaustion follows.

【译文】野鸭及与它们相似的鸽子有天赋的钢铁般的肌肉，这些肌肉占了体重很大一部分，不断供给短小的翅膀以坚强的力量，使得它们能顶大风长距离飞行后才筋疲力尽。

【讲解】like them是介词短语，作the pigeons的定语。them指duck。that are a good part of the weight of the bird是非限制性定语从句，修饰muscles。these指muscles。that they can bore… before exhaustion follows是结果状语从句。

【单词和短语】

endow：给予，赋予，认为……具有某种特质（to naturally have a good feature or quality），例如：

be endowed with courage 天生具有勇气

endow these words with new significance 使这些词语增添新含义

endow the girl with the beauty of a goddess 认为这位姑娘美若天仙

exhaustion：筋疲力尽（extremely tiredness），例如：

die of exhaustion and starvation 死于疲惫和饥饿

exhaustion的动词形式是exhaust，形容词形式是exhausted。

23-8. Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire.

【译文】次于野鸭和鸽子的鸟，如鹧鸪，有相似的巨大推动力，但很快会疲劳。

【讲解】such as partridges是插入语，such as相当于介词like。

【单词和短语】

此处的like意为“相似的，同类的（similar in some way）”，是形容词，例如：

receive a like amount of money 收到一笔数目相同的钱

running, swimming and like sports 赛跑、游泳以及诸如此类的运动

propulsion的动词形式是propel。

23-9. You may pick them up in utter exhaustion, if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey.

【译文】如果海风驱使它们远距离飞行，人们可以捡到一些因筋疲力尽而摔下来的鹧鸪。

【讲解】in utter exhaustion作定语修饰them。

【单词和短语】

utter:完全的，彻底的，十足的（used to emphasize how great or complete something is），例如：

an utter stranger 完全陌生的人

utter disregard of one’s own well-being 对于自己的安康全然不顾

utter ignorance 十足的无知

be at an utter loss for words 连一句话都说不出来

You’re an utter fool. 你是个十足的傻瓜。

To my utter amazement, I was made CEO.

令我万分惊讶的是我竟然被任命为首席执行官。

utter的副词形式是utterly。

utterly：全然，完全地，彻底地（completely or totally），例如：

They seem utterly unaware of what may happen.

他们似乎全然不知将会发生什么事。

I am utterly convinced of your loyalty to your colleges.

我完全相信你对你的同事们是忠诚的。

23-10. The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure.

【译文】燕子充分兼有这两类鸟的长处。

【讲解】both schools指albatross一类和duck一类。

【单词和短语】

virtue：优点，长处（a particular good quality in someone’s character），例如：

preach the virtues of the market economy

宣扬市场经济的优越性

the virtues in planning ahead 未雨绸缪的好处

The school has its drawbacks and virtues.

这所学校有短处亦有长处。

virtue的形容词是virtuous。

23-11. It tires not, nor does it boast of its power; but belongs to the air, travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home, feeding its flown young as it flies, and slipping through a medium that seems to help its passage even when the wind is adverse.

【译文】它既不疲劳，也不炫耀自己的飞翔力；它在空中十分自如，能一直飞行六千英里，飞到北方的巢又飞回来；边飞边哺育出窠的雏燕，甚至在顶风时也能轻快地穿行于似乎有助它迁居的气流。

【讲解】It tires not中，not放在行为动词后而不用don’t，是一种古旧用法。现代英语中多用于谚语、诗歌及庄重文体中。It指swallow。travelling it may是倒装语序，自然语序是it may be travelling…，倒装是为了强调travelling。feeding its flown young as it flies和 slipping through a medium…adverse均作状语，并列修饰travelling，表示伴随情况。medium在句中指空气。

【单词和短语】

medium的复数形式是media。

23-12. Such birds do us good，though we no longer take omens from their flight on this side and that; and even the most superstitious villagers no longer take off their hats to the magpie and wish it good-morning.

【译文】这些鸟对我们有益，虽然我们不再从它们的飞行姿势来占卜吉凶，连最迷信的村民也不再对喜鹊脱帽行礼、祝它早安了。

【讲解】on this side and that作定语修饰flight，that后省略了side。side指鸟身的一侧，意即“飞行姿势”。

【单词和短语】

omen：预兆，征兆，兆头（a sign of what will happen in the future），例如：

a happy omen 喜兆

an il omen for liberty 对自由的不祥之兆

There are omens of discord ahead. 前面有不和的征兆。

take omens from the magpies in the field 向田间的喜鹊讨兆头

superstitious的名词形式是superstition。