【課文】
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What are the two main types of bird flight described by the author?
No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight; the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen. 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. 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. 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. In the contrary school, the duck is supreme. It comes nearer to the engines with which man has 'conquered' the air, as he boasts. 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. Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire. You may pick them up in utter exhaustion, if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey. The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure. 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. 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.
WILLIAM BEACH THOMAS A Countryman's Creed
【New words and expressions 生詞和短語】
albatross n. 信天翁
sustenance n. 支撐力
glider n. 滑翔者
harness v. 利用
endow v. 賦有
ply v. 不斷地供給
gale n. 大風
partridge n. 鷓鴣
like adj. 類似的
propulsion n. 推進力
utter adj. 完全的
slip v. 滑行
adverse adj. 逆的，相反的
omen n. 預兆
【課文注釋】
1. keep company with
①陪伴著……
例句：She stayed at home to keep company with her younger sister.
她留在家里陪伴她妹妹。
②交往
例句：Never keep company with dishonest persons.
不要與不誠實的人打交道。
2. course與coarse, 兩個單詞雖然很像，但是意義卻大不相同。
①course n. 路線、航線、航向
例句：The ship had been blown off course in the storm.
這艘船在暴風雨中被刮得偏離了航向。
②coarse adj. 粗的，粗糙的
例句：Homespun is a cloth of coarse weave.
土布是一種織得粗糙的布。
3. harness v.
①給……上挽具;套(馬)[(+to)]
例句：The farmer harnessed the horse to the cart.
農夫把馬套到馬車上。
②治理,利用;控制,駕馭
例句：They will harness the sun's energy to heat homes.
他們將利用太陽能為住宅供暖。
It will take a couple of years to harness that river.
治理那條河流要花兩三年時間。
4. be endowed with 天生具有
例句：He is endowed with literary talent.
他有文學天分。
5. steel-like musles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird
句中以that引導的從句是一個非限制性定語從句，修飾muscles。that引導的非限制性是很罕見的，但并非沒有。(絕對長知識了呀!)
例句：She is devilish like Miss Cutter, that I used to meet at Dumdum.
她像坎特小姐一樣惡毒，我在達姆城曾領教過坎特小姐。
Age，that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living.
年齡，消磨著人生的歡樂，也增加了人們求生的欲望。
6.ply v. 不斷供應
例句：And don't ply foreigners with lots and lots of disparate questions.
不要沒完沒了地向老外提出大量的互不相關的問題。
7. ①in highest measure / to the highest degree 大程度地， measure在這里是“程度”的意思。
例句：He resembles his mother in highest measure.
他長得像極了他的媽媽。
②in some measure / to some degree 在某種程度上
例句：I agree with him in some measure.
我有幾分同意他的意見。
We must admit that your unwearied effort is in some measure successful.
我們必須承認你們不屈不撓的的努力多少是成功的。
8. travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home
travelling it may be是倒裝語序，這是為了強調travelling的生動逼真，自然語序是it may be travelling。
9. slip v.
①滑，滑倒
例句：I was unlucky to slip on a banana skin and fall over.
我真倒霉，踩在香蕉皮上滑倒了。
②溜;悄悄走;(時間)不知不覺地過去
例句：The student slipped out of the classroom.
那學生溜出了教室。
10. adverse adj. 不利的, 逆向的, 有害的
例句：The development was adverse to our interests.
這種發(fā)展與我們的利益背道而馳。
opposite, contrary, adverse, reverse, converse
這些形容詞均含“相反的、對立的”之意。
opposite: 指位置、方向、行動或想法等完全相反。
contrary: 一般指與某種主張、看法或行為等正好相反，隱含否定一方并不意味著肯定另一方的意味。
adverse: 通常指違害利益的、無生命的勢力或條件等，側重分歧。
reverse: 指朝相反方向的或反面(背面)的。
converse: 指在方向、行動或意見上相反的。
【參考譯文】
沒有任何兩種鳥的飛行方式是相同的。鳥的飛行方式千差萬別，但大體上可分為兩類。任何一艘橫度太平洋的輪船都會有一種小信天翁伴隨飛行許多天。它們隨船飛行一小時也難得見其扇動一下翅膀。沿船體的上升的氣流和沿航線向前的氣流給這種巨翼大鳥以足夠的浮力和推力。信天翁是滑翔飛行的鳥類，它能自如地駕馭空氣，但必須順氣流飛行。與滑翔鳥相對的另一類鳥中，數野鴨本領高。它更近乎于人類自夸的“征服”了空氣的發(fā)動機。野鴨及它們相似的鴿子有天賦的鋼鐵般的肌肉，占了體重的很大一部分。這些肌肉以巨大的力量扇動短小的翅膀，使這類鳥能頂著大風飛行很遠的路才會疲勞。次于野鴨和鴿子的鳥，如鷓鴣，有相似的巨大推動力，但很快會疲勞。如果海風驅使它們飛行很長距離，你可以撿到一些因筋疲力盡而摔下來的鷓鴣。燕子充分兼有這兩類鳥的長處，它既不疲勞，也不炫耀自己的飛翔力;在空中十分自如，可以飛行6，000英里，可以飛往北方做窩的老家，再從老家飛回;一邊飛一邊喂養(yǎng)會飛的雛燕，甚至在頂風時也能在氣流中滑翔，似乎氣流在幫它前進。這些鳥對我們是有益的，雖然我們不再從它們的飛翔姿態(tài)來占卜吉兇，連迷信的村民也不再對喜鵲脫帽行禮，祝它早安了。
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What are the two main types of bird flight described by the author?
No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight; the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen. 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. 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. 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. In the contrary school, the duck is supreme. It comes nearer to the engines with which man has 'conquered' the air, as he boasts. 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. Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire. You may pick them up in utter exhaustion, if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey. The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure. 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. 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.
WILLIAM BEACH THOMAS A Countryman's Creed
【New words and expressions 生詞和短語】
albatross n. 信天翁
sustenance n. 支撐力
glider n. 滑翔者
harness v. 利用
endow v. 賦有
ply v. 不斷地供給
gale n. 大風
partridge n. 鷓鴣
like adj. 類似的
propulsion n. 推進力
utter adj. 完全的
slip v. 滑行
adverse adj. 逆的，相反的
omen n. 預兆
【課文注釋】
1. keep company with
①陪伴著……
例句：She stayed at home to keep company with her younger sister.
她留在家里陪伴她妹妹。
②交往
例句：Never keep company with dishonest persons.
不要與不誠實的人打交道。
2. course與coarse, 兩個單詞雖然很像，但是意義卻大不相同。
①course n. 路線、航線、航向
例句：The ship had been blown off course in the storm.
這艘船在暴風雨中被刮得偏離了航向。
②coarse adj. 粗的，粗糙的
例句：Homespun is a cloth of coarse weave.
土布是一種織得粗糙的布。
3. harness v.
①給……上挽具;套(馬)[(+to)]
例句：The farmer harnessed the horse to the cart.
農夫把馬套到馬車上。
②治理,利用;控制,駕馭
例句：They will harness the sun's energy to heat homes.
他們將利用太陽能為住宅供暖。
It will take a couple of years to harness that river.
治理那條河流要花兩三年時間。
4. be endowed with 天生具有
例句：He is endowed with literary talent.
他有文學天分。
5. steel-like musles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird
句中以that引導的從句是一個非限制性定語從句，修飾muscles。that引導的非限制性是很罕見的，但并非沒有。(絕對長知識了呀!)
例句：She is devilish like Miss Cutter, that I used to meet at Dumdum.
她像坎特小姐一樣惡毒，我在達姆城曾領教過坎特小姐。
Age，that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living.
年齡，消磨著人生的歡樂，也增加了人們求生的欲望。
6.ply v. 不斷供應
例句：And don't ply foreigners with lots and lots of disparate questions.
不要沒完沒了地向老外提出大量的互不相關的問題。
7. ①in highest measure / to the highest degree 大程度地， measure在這里是“程度”的意思。
例句：He resembles his mother in highest measure.
他長得像極了他的媽媽。
②in some measure / to some degree 在某種程度上
例句：I agree with him in some measure.
我有幾分同意他的意見。
We must admit that your unwearied effort is in some measure successful.
我們必須承認你們不屈不撓的的努力多少是成功的。
8. travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home
travelling it may be是倒裝語序，這是為了強調travelling的生動逼真，自然語序是it may be travelling。
9. slip v.
①滑，滑倒
例句：I was unlucky to slip on a banana skin and fall over.
我真倒霉，踩在香蕉皮上滑倒了。
②溜;悄悄走;(時間)不知不覺地過去
例句：The student slipped out of the classroom.
那學生溜出了教室。
10. adverse adj. 不利的, 逆向的, 有害的
例句：The development was adverse to our interests.
這種發(fā)展與我們的利益背道而馳。
opposite, contrary, adverse, reverse, converse
這些形容詞均含“相反的、對立的”之意。
opposite: 指位置、方向、行動或想法等完全相反。
contrary: 一般指與某種主張、看法或行為等正好相反，隱含否定一方并不意味著肯定另一方的意味。
adverse: 通常指違害利益的、無生命的勢力或條件等，側重分歧。
reverse: 指朝相反方向的或反面(背面)的。
converse: 指在方向、行動或意見上相反的。
【參考譯文】
沒有任何兩種鳥的飛行方式是相同的。鳥的飛行方式千差萬別，但大體上可分為兩類。任何一艘橫度太平洋的輪船都會有一種小信天翁伴隨飛行許多天。它們隨船飛行一小時也難得見其扇動一下翅膀。沿船體的上升的氣流和沿航線向前的氣流給這種巨翼大鳥以足夠的浮力和推力。信天翁是滑翔飛行的鳥類，它能自如地駕馭空氣，但必須順氣流飛行。與滑翔鳥相對的另一類鳥中，數野鴨本領高。它更近乎于人類自夸的“征服”了空氣的發(fā)動機。野鴨及它們相似的鴿子有天賦的鋼鐵般的肌肉，占了體重的很大一部分。這些肌肉以巨大的力量扇動短小的翅膀，使這類鳥能頂著大風飛行很遠的路才會疲勞。次于野鴨和鴿子的鳥，如鷓鴣，有相似的巨大推動力，但很快會疲勞。如果海風驅使它們飛行很長距離，你可以撿到一些因筋疲力盡而摔下來的鷓鴣。燕子充分兼有這兩類鳥的長處，它既不疲勞，也不炫耀自己的飛翔力;在空中十分自如，可以飛行6，000英里，可以飛往北方做窩的老家，再從老家飛回;一邊飛一邊喂養(yǎng)會飛的雛燕，甚至在頂風時也能在氣流中滑翔，似乎氣流在幫它前進。這些鳥對我們是有益的，雖然我們不再從它們的飛翔姿態(tài)來占卜吉兇，連迷信的村民也不再對喜鵲脫帽行禮，祝它早安了。