背诵为王 第 四 册 第 10 课

　　Lesson10 The Country Maid and Her Milk Can
A country maid was walking along with a can of milk upon her head, when she fell into the following train of reflections: "The money for which I shall sell this milk will enable me to increase my stock of eggs to three hundred. These eggs, allowing for what may prove addle¹ and what may be destroyed by vermin, will produce at least 250 chickens. The chickens will be fit to carry to market just at the time when poultry² is always dear; so that by the New Year I can not fail to have enough money to purchase a new gown. Green - let me consider - yes, green becomes my complexion³ best, and green it shall be. In this dress I will go to the fair, where all the young fellows will strive to have me for a partner; but no, I shall refuse every one of them, and with a disdainful toss turn from them."Transported with this idea, she could not forbear acting⁴ with her head the thought that thus passed in her mind; when, down came the can of milk! All her imaginary happiness vanished in a moment.
addle 腐坏的
vermin 害虫
disdainful 轻蔑的
forbear 忍耐
农家姑娘和她的牛奶桶
一位农家姑娘头顶着一桶牛奶在路上走的时候，心里浮想联翩。“卖牛奶的钱将使我能把我储存的鸡蛋数量增加到三百个，这些鸡蛋，除去臭蛋和被虫子破坏的，将至少能够孵出两百五十只小鸡。小鸡长到可以拿到市场上买的时候，刚好是家禽的价格总是很贵的时候，这样在新年到来前，我就能攒够钱买一件新的长外衣。绿色的……让我再想一想……好，绿色最适合我的肤色，就要绿色的。我要穿着这件衣服到集市上去，那里所有的年轻人将争着和我跳舞。但是，不，我要一个个地拒绝他们，轻蔑地头一摇，转身而去。”想到这里，她禁不住把头脑中的这个念头付诸于行动。她头一摇，牛奶桶掉了下来。她所有幻想的幸福都在瞬间消失了。

1 addle   

v.使腐坏，使昏乱

参考例句：

• Eggs addle quickly in hot weather.蛋在热天易坏。
• The object is to addle and not to elucidate.其目的是为了混淆而不是为了阐明。

2 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

3 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。