Ｒｕｒａｌ Ｌｉｆｅ ｉｎ Ｅｎｇｌａｎｄ（節選） 等

Rural Life in England(節選)

By Washington lrving

Nothing can be more imposing than the magnificenceof English park scenery. Vast lawns that extend like sheets ofvivid green，with here and there clumps of gigantic trees，heaping up rich piles of foliage: the solemn pomp of grovesand woodland glades， with the deer trooping in silent herdsacross them; the hare， bounding away to the covert; or thepheasant， suddenly bursting upon the wing; the brook，taught to wind in natural meanderings or expand into aglassy lake: the sequestered pool， reflecting the quiveringtrees， with the yellow leaf sleeping on its bosom， and thetrout roaming fearlessly about its limpid waters; while somerustice temple or sylvan statue， grown green and dark withage， gives an air of classic sanctity to the seclusion.

These are but a few of the features of park scenery; butwhat most delights me， is the creative talent with which theEnglish decorate the unostentatious abodes of middle life.The rudest habitation，the most unpromising and scantyportion of land， in the hands of an Englishman of taste，becomes a little paradise.

The sterile spot grows into loveliness under his hands，and yet the operations of art which produce the effect arescarcely to be perceived. The cherishing and training of sometrees; the cautious pruning of others; the nice distribution offlowers and planes of tender and graceful foliage; tile introductionof a green slope of velvet turf; the partial opening to a peepof blue distance， or silver gleam of water: all these are managedwith a delicate tact， a pervading yet quiet assiduity， like themagic touchings with which a painter finishes up a favouritepicture.

趣味成語

To be at loose ends: not know what to do with one's time. 不知道如何打發時間。

Now the boy is at loose ends. He has finished his homework andhis mother won' t let him watch TV or play computer game.

cry wolf: 發出虛假的警報。源自伊索寓言中“狼來了”的故事，比喻發出虛假警報。

Joan had cried wolf so many times that when she last complained ofa stomachache， nobody took any notice of her.

小幽默

You Are Accepted

A young man was applying for a job in a bookstore. Duringthe interview the manager asked him: \"here are two books. One iscookbook， the other is dietbook. How would you deal with them?\"

\"well，\" the young man said， \"you should first sell the formerone. More people will naturally come here for the latter one.\"

\"sure，\" the manager smiled. \"you're accepted.\"