美国语文第六册 第40期:早晨的清唱剧(6)

 　　There is no confusion in the notes of his song, which consists of one syllable¹ rapidly repeated, 从它的歌声听不到音调混乱，一个单音快速重复，

　　but increasing in rapidity and rising to a higher key towards the conclusion. 但是不断增加速度和音高。

　　He sometimes prolongs his strain, when his notes are observed to rise and fall in succession. 有时候棕色麻雀拉长乐段，这样一来它的音调听上去就显得升高和降低错落有致。

　　These plaintive² and expressive³ notes are very loud and constantly uttered, during the hour that precedes the rising of the sun. 在太阳出来的一个小时时间里，这些忧郁和感染力强的音调非常高亢，连续不断。

　　A dozen warblers of this species, singing in concert, and distributed in different parts of the field,  十多只各种鸟儿一起鸣叫，就像一场音乐会，各自贡献不同的声部，

　　form, perhaps, the most delightful⁴ part of the woodland oratorio⁵ to which we have listened. 也许是我们听到的森林清唱剧里最华彩的乐章。

　　At sunrise hardly a robin⁶ can be beard in the whole neighborhood, and the character of the performance has completely changed during the last half hour. 太阳升起时分，知更鸟面临所有邻居的公然对抗，在最后半个小时表演的特点完全改变了。

　　The first part was more melodious⁷ and tranquilizing, the last is more brilliant and animating⁸. 第一声部更悠扬舒缓，而最后一个声部则更高亢和生气勃勃。

　　The grass finches, the vireos, the wrens⁹, and the linnets have joined their voices to the chorus, and the bobolinks are loudest in their song. 草地雀、捕虫鸣鸟、鹪鹩和红雀也加入到大合唱中，在这些歌声中属食米鸟的嗓门最嘹亮。

　　But the notes of the birds in general are not so incessant¹⁰ as before sunrise. 不过总的来说，在太阳升起之前这些鸟儿的歌唱是不会停下来的。

　　One by one they discontinue their lays, until at high noon the bobolink and the warbling flycatcher are almost the only vocalists to be heard in the fields. 它们一个接一个地平静下来，到中午艳阳高照时，整个树林里只剩下食米鸟和京燕这两个歌唱家了。

1 syllable   

n.音节；vt.分音节

参考例句：

• You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
• The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。

2 plaintive   

adj.可怜的，伤心的

参考例句：

• Her voice was small and plaintive.她的声音微弱而哀伤。
• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。

3 expressive   

adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的

参考例句：

• Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
• He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

4 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

5 oratorio   

n.神剧，宗教剧，清唱剧

参考例句：

• It's the world's most popular oratorio.这是世界上最流行的清唱剧。
• The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital.高兴俱乐部的决定提出的清唱剧在其演奏。

6 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

7 melodious   

adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的

参考例句：

• She spoke in a quietly melodious voice.她说话轻声细语，嗓音甜美。
• Everybody was attracted by her melodious voice.大家都被她悦耳的声音吸引住了。

8 animating   

v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命

参考例句：

• Nature has her animating spirit as well as man who is nature's child. 大自然就象它的孩子――人类一样，有活生生的灵魂。 来自辞典例句
• They were doubtlessly the animating principle of many hours that superficially seemed vacant. 在表面看来无所事事的许多时刻中，它们无疑是活跃的因素。 来自辞典例句

9 wrens   

n.鹪鹩( wren的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Other songbirds, such as wrens, have hundreds of songs. 有的鸣鸟，例如鹪鹩，会唱几百只歌。 来自辞典例句

10 incessant   

adj.不停的，连续的

参考例句：

• We have had incessant snowfall since yesterday afternoon.从昨天下午开始就持续不断地下雪。
• She is tired of his incessant demands for affection.她厌倦了他对感情的不断索取。