名篇背诵19:八月之美(查尔斯.狄更斯)

编者按：

　　八月是多么令人惬意的季节啊！果园和麦田到处都充溢着忙碌劳作的声响；串串果实压得果树都弯下了腰，枝条低垂到地面；还有谷穗，有的一捆捆优雅地堆挤在一起，有的迎风招展，仿佛在向镰刀求爱，它们给周围的景致染上了一层金黄的色调；整个大地似乎笼罩在醇香柔和的气氛中

　　August (Excerpt)

　　by Charles Dickens

　　There is no month in the whole year, in which nature wears a more beautiful appearance than in the month of August. Spring has many beauties, and May is a fresh and blooming month, but the charms of this time of year are enhanced1) by their contrast with the winter season. August has no such advantage. It comes when we remember nothing but clear skies, green fields, and sweet-smelling flowers—when the recollection2) of snow, and ice, and bleak3) winds, has faded from our minds as completely as they have disappeared from the earth — and yet what a pleasant time it is! Orchards¹ and cornfields4) ring with the hum of labours; trees bend beneath the thick clusters of rich fruit which bow their branches to the ground; and the corn5), piled in graceful² sheaves, or waving in every light breath that sweeps above it, as if it wooed6) the sickle7), tinges8) the landscape with a golden hue9). A mellow³ softness appears to hang over the whole earth; the influence of the season seems to extend itself to the very wagon⁴, whose slow motion across the well-reaped field, is perceptible10) only to the eye, but strikes with no harsh sound upon the ear.

　　八月之美(节选

　　查尔斯?狄更斯

　　一年之中，没有任何一个月份的自然风光比得过八月的风采。春天美不胜收，而五月也是一个明媚清新、繁花似锦的月份，但这些时节的魅力是由于与冬天的对比而增强的。八月没有这样的优势。它来的时候，我们只记得明朗的天空、碧绿的田野，还有芳香四溢的花朵——记忆中的冰雪、刺骨的寒风都已完全从我们的脑海中消逝，就仿佛它们在地球上了无踪迹——然而八月是多么令人惬意的季节啊！果园和麦田到处都充溢着忙碌劳作的声响；串串果实压得果树都弯下了腰，枝条低垂到地面；还有谷穗，有的一捆捆优雅地堆挤在一起，有的迎风招展，仿佛在向镰刀求爱，它们给周围的景致染上了一层金黄的色调；整个大地似乎笼罩在醇香柔和的气氛中；这秋季的气氛似乎也影响了那些马车，只有眼睛可以察觉到它们穿过收割过的田野缓慢移动，但耳旁却寂静无声。

1 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

2 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

3 mellow   

adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟

参考例句：

• These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。
• The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

4 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。