夏洛的网学习笔记 第七章（1）

Wilbur liked Charlotte better and better each day. Her campaign against insects seemed sensible and useful. Hardly anybody around the farm had a good word to say for a fly. Flies spent their time pestering others. The cows hated them. The horses detested them. The sheep loathed them. Mr. and Mrs. Zukerman were always complaining about them, and putting up screens.

campaign/kæmˈpeɪn/ n. 从事活动；开展运动；发起运动

They're busy campaigning against the building of a new motorway near here.

他们正积极行动，反对在附近新建高速公路。

against/əˈɡenst/ prep.反对；与…相反

She spoke against the decision to close the college.

她声言反对关闭学院的决定。

I'm very much against the idea that it is the woman's job to bring up the child.

对于抚养孩子是女人的活儿这一想法，我坚决反对。

insect /ˈɪn.sekt/ n. 昆虫

I've got some sort of insect bite on my leg.

我腿上被小虫咬了一口。

sensible/ˈsen.sə.bəl/ adj. 理智的；明智的

a sensible person理智的人

It would be sensible to take an umbrella.带把伞是明智的。

a good word（表示赞同或支持某人或某事的）好话

If you see the captain could you put in a good word for me?

你见了队长能不能替我说句好话？

The critics didn't have a good word to say about the performance.

评论家们把这场演出说得一无是处。

pester /ˈpes.tər/ v. 不断烦扰，纠缠

John has been pestering her to go out with him all month.

整个月以来，约翰一直缠着要和她约会。

detest/dɪˈtest/ v. 憎恨；厌恶，讨厌

I detest having to get up when it's dark outside.

我讨厌天不亮就得起床。

loath /ləʊθ/ v. 不愿做…，不情愿干…

I'm loath to spend it all at once.我不想把它一次花光。

complain/kəmˈpleɪn/ v. 抱怨；发牢骚；诉苦

Lots of people have complained about the noise.

许多人抱怨过这噪声。

You're always complaining!你总是牢骚满腹！

He complained that his boss was useless and he had too much work.

他抱怨说老板无能，而且他干的活太多。

screen/skriːn/ n. 挡板；遮蔽物; 银幕；屏幕

The nurse pulled a screen around the bed so that the doctor could examine the patient in private.

护士在病人床边拉上了屏风，使医生可以单独为病人检查。

①Wilbur admired the way Charlotte managed. He was particularly glad that she always put her victim to sleep before eating it.

②"It's real thoughtful of you to do that, Charlotte," he said.

"Yes," she replied in her sweet, musical voice, "I always give them an anaesthetic so they won't feel pain. It's a little service I throw in."

admire/ədˈmaɪər/v. 钦佩；赞赏;欣赏；羡慕

I admired him for his determination.

我很钦佩他坚毅的性格。

I really admire people who can work in such difficult conditions.

我实在是很钦佩那些能在如此艰苦的条件下工作的人。

We stood for a few moments, admiring the view.

我们驻足了一会儿，欣赏美丽的景色。

manage/ˈmæn.ɪdʒ/ v. 成功做到，胜利完成（尤指困难之事）

Did you manage to get any bread?你弄到面包了吗？

I only just managed to finish on time.我勉强按时完成。

①Wilbur admired the way Charlotte managed.威伯很欣赏夏洛的行事方法。

particularly/pəˈtɪk.jə.lə.li/ adv. 特别，尤其，异乎寻常地

I didn't particularly want to go, but I had to.

我并不是特别想去，但我不得不去。

thoughtful /ˈθɔːt.fəl/ adj.考虑周到的；计划周密的

He has a thoughtful approach to his work.

他工作很细心周到。

sweet/swiːt/ adj. （尤指食物或饮料）甜的

The pineapple was sweet and juicy.

这个菠萝甜而多汁。

I prefer salty snacks to sweet ones.

我更喜欢咸味零食，而不是甜的。

musical/ˈmjuː.zɪ.kəl/ adj.音乐的；用于音乐的

anaesthetic /ˌæn.əsˈθet.ɪk/ n.麻醉剂

pain/peɪn/ n.（肉体上的）痛，疼痛

Her symptoms included abdominal pain and vomiting.

她的症状包括腹痛和呕吐。

Are you in pain? 你疼吗？

throw in把…扔进…;添上; 附带奉送;

As the days went by, Wilbur grew and grew. He ate three big meals a day. He spent long hours lying on his side, half asleep, dreaming pleasant dreams. He enjoyed good health and he gained a lot of weight. One afternoon, when Fern was sitting on her stool, the oldest sheep walked into the barn, and stopped to pay a call on Wilbur.

go by（在空间上）经过；（时间）逝去

You can watch the trains going by from this window.

你可以从这个窗口看过往的火车。

Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about her.我没有一天不想她。

pleasant/ˈplez.ənt/ adj.令人愉快的；宜人的；亲切友好的

a pleasant smile/person亲切的笑容／和气可爱的人

a pleasant day/surprise令人愉快的日子／惊喜

gain /ɡeɪn/ v.（尤指经过一段时间逐渐）取得，获得，赢得，博得

What do you hope to gain from the course?

你希望从这门课程中学到些什么？

weight/weɪt/ n. 重量，分量；体重

What weight can this lorry safely carry?

这辆卡车的安全载重量是多少？

There was a slight decrease in his weight after a week of dieting.

经过一周的节食之后，他的体重略有减轻。

pay (sb/sth) a call/visit拜访

I'll pay you a call when I'm in the area.

我到这一带来时会去拜访你的。

We thought we'd pay a visit to the museum while we were in Lisbon.

我以为在里斯本时我们会去参观那家博物馆。

If you leave your address, I'll pay a call on you when I'm in the area.

如果你留下地址，我到这一带来时会去拜访你的。

"Hello!" she said. "Seems to me you're putting on weight.""Yes, I guess I am," replied Wilbur. "At my age it's a good idea to keep gaining.""Just the same, I don't envy you," said the old sheep." You know why they're fattening you up, don't you?""No," said Wilbur.

"Well, I don't like to spread bad news," said the sheep, "but they're fattening you up because they're going to kill you, that's why."

put on weight体重增加

envy/ˈen.vi/ v. 羡慕；忌妒

I envy her ability to talk to people she's never met before.

她与人初次见面就能侃侃而谈，这真让我羡慕。

fatten sb/sth up使长胖，使长肥；给…育肥

These cattle are being fattened up for slaughter.

这些牛在育肥以供屠宰。

You're just trying to fatten me up.你这是在给我催肥呢。

spread/spred/ v.（使）展开，（使）铺开；（使）蔓延，（使）扩散

The fire spread very rapidly because of the strong wind.

风很大，火势迅速蔓延开来。

Are you spreading (= telling a lot of people) gossip/rumours again?

你是不是又在四处散播谣言了？

kill/kɪl/ v. 杀死；弄死；使致死

Her parents were killed in a plane crash.

她的父母死于一次空难。

Smoking can kill.吸烟会危及生命。

"They're going to what?" screamed Wilbur. Fern grew rigid on her stool.

"Kill you. Turn you into smoked bacon and ham," continued the old sheep. "Almost all young pigs get murdered by the farmer as soon as the real cold weather sets in. There's regular conspiracy around here to kill you at Christmastime. Everybody is in the plot -- Lurvy, Zuckerman, even John Arable."

"Mr. Arable?" sobbed Wilbur. "Fern's father?""Certainly. When a pig is to be butchered, everybody helps. I'm an old sheep and I see the same thing, same old business, year after year. Arable arrives with hi .22, shoots the..."

scream /skriːm/ v. 尤指因恐惧、兴奋、愤怒等强烈情绪而）尖叫，惊呼

Through the smoke, the rescuers could hear people screaming for help.

透过烟雾，救援者可以听见人们在喊救命。

rigid /ˈrɪdʒ.ɪd/ adj. 僵硬的；固定的；不能弯曲的

I was rigid with (= stiff and unable to move because of) fear.

我被吓得呆若木鸡。

turn (sb/sth) into sb/sth（使）变成；（使）成为

The town turned from a small seaside resort into a major commercial centre when oil was discovered.发现石油后，这个小镇由一个小的海滨胜地变成了重要的商业中心。

smoked/sməʊkt/ adj.（食物）烟熏的

She had champagne and smoked salmon sandwiches at her birthday party.

她在自己的生日聚会上喝了香槟，吃了熏鲑鱼三明治。

bacon /ˈbeɪ.kən/ n. 咸肉（片），熏肉（片）

a bacon sandwich咸肉三明治

ham/hæm/ n. 火腿

murder/ˈmɜː.dər/ v.谋杀，杀害

Her husband was murdered by gunmen as she watched.

她亲眼目睹丈夫被持枪歹徒杀害。

set in（不好的事）到来，开始（而且可能会持续）

This rain looks as if it has set in for the rest of the day.

看来今天雨不会停。

regular/ˈreɡ.jə.lər/ adj. 频繁的；经常发生的；经常做的

Professional athletes make regular appearances on TV.

职业足球运动员经常在电视上亮相。

conspiracy /kənˈspɪr.ə.si/ n.阴谋；密谋；谋划

plot /plɒt/ n. 秘密计划；阴谋

butcher /ˈbʊtʃ.ər/ v. 屠宰，宰杀

n. 肉商，肉贩

business/ˈbɪz.nɪs/ n. 生意;事情；事务；重要事件

These killings are a horrible business.

这些谋杀是非常可怕的事。

shoot/ʃuːt/ v.开（枪），发射；射中，射杀

If he's not armed, don't shoot.

如果他没带武器，就不要开枪。

She was shot three times in the head.她头部中了3枪。

译文：

　

　威伯一天比一天更喜欢夏洛了。她对昆虫发动的战争似乎是英明的，有益处的。农场周围几乎没人为苍蝇说一句好话，因为苍蝇把他们的所有时间都用来骚扰别人了。母牛恨他们。马憎恶他们。绵羊讨厌他们。祖克曼先生和太太也总是抱怨他们，所以特意装上了纱窗。

威伯也欣赏夏洛的行事方法。他很高兴她能在吃她的受害者之前先把他们弄睡。

“你那么做可真体贴，夏洛，”他说。

“是的，”她用甜甜的嗓音回答，“我总是先麻醉他们，这样他们就不会感到疼了。这是我的一项小小的免费服务。”

很多天过去了，威伯长了又长。他一天要吃三头猪的饭量了。他把时间都花在躺着，小睡，做美梦上了。他的身体非常健康，体重也增长了许多。一天下午，当芬正在她的凳子上坐着时，那只老羊走到谷仓来拜访威伯。

“你好！”她说。“我看你好像正在变胖。”

“是的，我想是，”威伯回答。“在我这个年纪胖起来是好事儿。”

“虽然如此，可我却不嫉妒你，”老羊说。“你知道他们为什么要把你养这么胖吗？”

“不知道，”威伯说。

“呃，我不喜欢传播坏消息，”老羊说，“但我还是要告诉你，他们喂胖你，其实是为了将来杀你，这就是原因。”

“他们将来要做什么？”威伯尖叫。坐在凳子上的芬也听呆了。

“杀死你。把你做成腌肉和火腿。”老羊继续说。“几乎所有年青的小猪到了冬天来的时候都会被农场主谋杀。这里有个尽人皆知的阴谋，就是你将在圣诞节被杀掉。每个人都在参与这个计划——鲁维，祖克曼甚至约翰·阿拉贝尔。”

“阿拉贝尔先生？”威伯啜泣起来。“芬的爸爸？”

“当然了。宰一头猪时，每人都要来帮忙的。我是一只老羊，这样的事儿见得多了，每一年都是这老一套。阿拉贝尔会带着他的0.22口径的枪，来射向……”