【課文】
The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives. Without it we could not make a living. There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the houses, so we have to pump from the river for farm use. We tell river all our secrets. We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
We have special river birthday parties in the summer. Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater, sometimes we have our party at the boathouse, which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving. In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all. We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring, holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn, and throwing a holy wreath into the current in the winter.
After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks. This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom guest to extremes. We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are effected by flooding, but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows. All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little. We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbors, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district. As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing. From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours, and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point. The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down. Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted. Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, cat, and bird in a cage. We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood, for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged. The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank. We still think it a miracle that they we able to do so.
【課文翻譯】
形成我們農(nóng)場東部邊界的一條河流一直在我們生活中發(fā)揮著重要作用。要是沒有這條河，我們就無法生存下去。泉水只能滿足家庭生活用水，因此我們必須從河里抽水以用于農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)。我們向那條河傾訴我們的秘密。我們本能地懂得，就像養(yǎng)蜂人和他的蜜蜂那樣，要是我們不把生活中的重大的事件告訴那條河，就可能大禍臨頭。
夏天，我們?yōu)檫@條河舉辦特殊的生日宴會。有時，我們溯流而上來到我們喜愛的回水河汊舉辦;有時在船塢舉辦。那船塢是農(nóng)場一位前輩在一塊草地上蓋的，草地緊挨著一個專供游泳、跳水的深水池。天氣炎熱時，我們便選擇在半夜舉辦生日聚會，這種聚會是令人激動的。我們在河邊迎接一年四季。春天在河邊為年輕的姑娘戴上花冠，夏天在河邊歡慶“仲夏前夜”，秋天在河邊豐收而感恩，冬天往河中拋撒一個冬表花環(huán)。
久雨這后，河水會泛濫成災(zāi)，但是在我們這里，氣候很少發(fā)生異常，河水極少泛濫。值得慶幸的是，只有低洼的受到洪水影響，而低洼地在我們農(nóng)場比例很小。其他農(nóng)場地勢欠佳，洪水有時會給農(nóng)場主帶來災(zāi)難。
有一年冬天，天氣不好，我們眼看著河水浸沒了地勢較低的草場。所有的牲口已提前轉(zhuǎn)移到畜圈里，沒有造成什么損失。不過，我們很為我們的近鄰擔心。他們的農(nóng)場地勢低洼，而且他們又新來乍到。由于洪水造成了電話中斷，我們無法了解他們情況。從頂樓窗口看去，我們農(nóng)場與他們農(nóng)場接壤處的那段河流一覽無余。在緊急的時刻，我們輪流監(jiān)視那段河流的險情。災(zāi)難的第一跡象是一只死羊順流而下，接著一匹活馬勇敢地與水搏擊。但我們擔心，洪水力量將使它上岸之前就筋疲力盡了。突然，出現(xiàn)了一只筏子，看起來很像諾亞方舟，上面載著他們?nèi)依闲?，還有幾只母(又鳥)、幾只狗，一只貓與一只鳥籠，那里頭有一只小鳥。我們意識到他們一定是被不斷上漲的洪水嚇壞了。因為他們的房子地基牢固，即使洪水幾乎滅頂也不會倒塌。我家的男人們手拿船篙過被水淹沒草場，希望能夠鉤住筏子一角，將它拽出激流，拖回岸邊。他們終于成功了。至今我們?nèi)哉J為這是個奇跡。
【詞匯】
boundary n. 界線;邊界
pump v. 用泵抽
overtake v. 突然降臨
backwater n. 回水河汊
predecessor n. 前任，前輩
meadow n. 草地，草場
crown v. 給……戴花環(huán)
holly n. 一種冬青植物
wreath n. 花環(huán)
occurrence n. 偶發(fā)事件
proportion n. 部分
site v. 使位于
spell v. 招致，帶來
stall n. 牲口棚
attic n. 頂樓
sweeping adj. 范圍廣大的
critical adj. 危急的
juncture n. 時刻，關(guān)頭
raft n. 木筏
unduly adv. 過度地
foundation n. 地基
stoutly adv. 牢固地，粗壯的
submerge v. 浸沒
grapple v. 抓住
【重點詞匯講解】
【overtake】
英英：overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
例句：
1. A malaise will overtake and it will seem as if time has stopped.
一種不適感將會突然來襲，就好像時間停止了。
2. He was overtaken by misfortune.
他突然遭遇不幸。
3. Utter weariness overtook me an hour later.
一小時之后,我感到困乏極了。
【spell】
英英：indicate or signify
例句：
1. That can only spell trouble.
那只會招致麻煩。
2. Does laziness always spell failure ?
怠惰必會招致失敗嗎?
3. Our failure is likely to spell heavy losses.
我們的失敗可能招致重大的損失。
【sweeping】
例句：
1. Enterprise annuity is a plan of sweeping manpower capital investment.
企業(yè)年金是一項廣泛的人力資本投資計劃。
2. He directed sweeping administrative and fiscal reforms that drew strong conservative opposition.
他進行了廣泛的行政和財政改革，遭到保守派的強烈反對。
【critical】
例句：
1. The patient was in a critical condition.
病人處于危險的情況。
2. However large-scale abroad dilate makes these enterprises had arrived critical dumping margin.
然而大規(guī)模的海外擴張使這些企業(yè)已經(jīng)到了危險的傾銷邊緣。
【juncture】
例句：
1. The world economy is at a fateful juncture.
世界經(jīng)濟已到關(guān)鍵的轉(zhuǎn)折點。
2. At this juncture in our nation's affairs, we need firm leadership.
國家事務(wù)于此關(guān)鍵時刻，我們需要堅強的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
【unduly】
例句：
1. Nobody should expect to be perfect , or be unduly troubled by the fact that he is not.
誰也不該期望自己完美，也不該為自己不完美的事實過分擔憂。
2. Since I had a tidy sum of money saved I was not unduly anxious about finding another job immediately.
由于我存了相當大的一筆錢，我并不為立即另找工作而憂心忡忡。
【stoutly】
例句：
1. The enemy resisted stoutly.
敵人頑強地抵抗。
2. Meanwhile, chinese government respect also gave to the report of Australian media deny stoutly.
與此同時，中國政府方面也對澳大利亞媒體的報道予以了堅決否認。
【grapple】
英英：to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
例句：
1. My mind told me, if I don't grapple with that, the children who are my audience will never trust me again.
我的想法告訴我，如果我不抓住這些靈感，我的觀眾――孩子們就不會再信任我了。
2. When science and politics mix, scientists have to simplify their arguments to enable politicians to grapple with the issues.
當科學(xué)與政治摻雜在一起時，科學(xué)家必須簡化自己的觀點，以幫助政界人士抓住要領(lǐng)。
【常用短語】
【play an important part】扮演重要角色
【make a living】維持生計
【give thanks】感恩，致謝
【out of order】發(fā)生故障
【take turns】輪流
The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives. Without it we could not make a living. There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the houses, so we have to pump from the river for farm use. We tell river all our secrets. We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
We have special river birthday parties in the summer. Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater, sometimes we have our party at the boathouse, which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving. In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all. We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring, holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn, and throwing a holy wreath into the current in the winter.
After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks. This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom guest to extremes. We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are effected by flooding, but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows. All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little. We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbors, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district. As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing. From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours, and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point. The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down. Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted. Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, cat, and bird in a cage. We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood, for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged. The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank. We still think it a miracle that they we able to do so.
【課文翻譯】
形成我們農(nóng)場東部邊界的一條河流一直在我們生活中發(fā)揮著重要作用。要是沒有這條河，我們就無法生存下去。泉水只能滿足家庭生活用水，因此我們必須從河里抽水以用于農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)。我們向那條河傾訴我們的秘密。我們本能地懂得，就像養(yǎng)蜂人和他的蜜蜂那樣，要是我們不把生活中的重大的事件告訴那條河，就可能大禍臨頭。
夏天，我們?yōu)檫@條河舉辦特殊的生日宴會。有時，我們溯流而上來到我們喜愛的回水河汊舉辦;有時在船塢舉辦。那船塢是農(nóng)場一位前輩在一塊草地上蓋的，草地緊挨著一個專供游泳、跳水的深水池。天氣炎熱時，我們便選擇在半夜舉辦生日聚會，這種聚會是令人激動的。我們在河邊迎接一年四季。春天在河邊為年輕的姑娘戴上花冠，夏天在河邊歡慶“仲夏前夜”，秋天在河邊豐收而感恩，冬天往河中拋撒一個冬表花環(huán)。
久雨這后，河水會泛濫成災(zāi)，但是在我們這里，氣候很少發(fā)生異常，河水極少泛濫。值得慶幸的是，只有低洼的受到洪水影響，而低洼地在我們農(nóng)場比例很小。其他農(nóng)場地勢欠佳，洪水有時會給農(nóng)場主帶來災(zāi)難。
有一年冬天，天氣不好，我們眼看著河水浸沒了地勢較低的草場。所有的牲口已提前轉(zhuǎn)移到畜圈里，沒有造成什么損失。不過，我們很為我們的近鄰擔心。他們的農(nóng)場地勢低洼，而且他們又新來乍到。由于洪水造成了電話中斷，我們無法了解他們情況。從頂樓窗口看去，我們農(nóng)場與他們農(nóng)場接壤處的那段河流一覽無余。在緊急的時刻，我們輪流監(jiān)視那段河流的險情。災(zāi)難的第一跡象是一只死羊順流而下，接著一匹活馬勇敢地與水搏擊。但我們擔心，洪水力量將使它上岸之前就筋疲力盡了。突然，出現(xiàn)了一只筏子，看起來很像諾亞方舟，上面載著他們?nèi)依闲?，還有幾只母(又鳥)、幾只狗，一只貓與一只鳥籠，那里頭有一只小鳥。我們意識到他們一定是被不斷上漲的洪水嚇壞了。因為他們的房子地基牢固，即使洪水幾乎滅頂也不會倒塌。我家的男人們手拿船篙過被水淹沒草場，希望能夠鉤住筏子一角，將它拽出激流，拖回岸邊。他們終于成功了。至今我們?nèi)哉J為這是個奇跡。
【詞匯】
boundary n. 界線;邊界
pump v. 用泵抽
overtake v. 突然降臨
backwater n. 回水河汊
predecessor n. 前任，前輩
meadow n. 草地，草場
crown v. 給……戴花環(huán)
holly n. 一種冬青植物
wreath n. 花環(huán)
occurrence n. 偶發(fā)事件
proportion n. 部分
site v. 使位于
spell v. 招致，帶來
stall n. 牲口棚
attic n. 頂樓
sweeping adj. 范圍廣大的
critical adj. 危急的
juncture n. 時刻，關(guān)頭
raft n. 木筏
unduly adv. 過度地
foundation n. 地基
stoutly adv. 牢固地，粗壯的
submerge v. 浸沒
grapple v. 抓住
【重點詞匯講解】
【overtake】
英英：overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
例句：
1. A malaise will overtake and it will seem as if time has stopped.
一種不適感將會突然來襲，就好像時間停止了。
2. He was overtaken by misfortune.
他突然遭遇不幸。
3. Utter weariness overtook me an hour later.
一小時之后,我感到困乏極了。
【spell】
英英：indicate or signify
例句：
1. That can only spell trouble.
那只會招致麻煩。
2. Does laziness always spell failure ?
怠惰必會招致失敗嗎?
3. Our failure is likely to spell heavy losses.
我們的失敗可能招致重大的損失。
【sweeping】
例句：
1. Enterprise annuity is a plan of sweeping manpower capital investment.
企業(yè)年金是一項廣泛的人力資本投資計劃。
2. He directed sweeping administrative and fiscal reforms that drew strong conservative opposition.
他進行了廣泛的行政和財政改革，遭到保守派的強烈反對。
【critical】
例句：
1. The patient was in a critical condition.
病人處于危險的情況。
2. However large-scale abroad dilate makes these enterprises had arrived critical dumping margin.
然而大規(guī)模的海外擴張使這些企業(yè)已經(jīng)到了危險的傾銷邊緣。
【juncture】
例句：
1. The world economy is at a fateful juncture.
世界經(jīng)濟已到關(guān)鍵的轉(zhuǎn)折點。
2. At this juncture in our nation's affairs, we need firm leadership.
國家事務(wù)于此關(guān)鍵時刻，我們需要堅強的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
【unduly】
例句：
1. Nobody should expect to be perfect , or be unduly troubled by the fact that he is not.
誰也不該期望自己完美，也不該為自己不完美的事實過分擔憂。
2. Since I had a tidy sum of money saved I was not unduly anxious about finding another job immediately.
由于我存了相當大的一筆錢，我并不為立即另找工作而憂心忡忡。
【stoutly】
例句：
1. The enemy resisted stoutly.
敵人頑強地抵抗。
2. Meanwhile, chinese government respect also gave to the report of Australian media deny stoutly.
與此同時，中國政府方面也對澳大利亞媒體的報道予以了堅決否認。
【grapple】
英英：to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
例句：
1. My mind told me, if I don't grapple with that, the children who are my audience will never trust me again.
我的想法告訴我，如果我不抓住這些靈感，我的觀眾――孩子們就不會再信任我了。
2. When science and politics mix, scientists have to simplify their arguments to enable politicians to grapple with the issues.
當科學(xué)與政治摻雜在一起時，科學(xué)家必須簡化自己的觀點，以幫助政界人士抓住要領(lǐng)。
【常用短語】
【play an important part】扮演重要角色
【make a living】維持生計
【give thanks】感恩，致謝
【out of order】發(fā)生故障
【take turns】輪流