基本信息

书名：塑造美国的88本书：美国语文读本6（英汉双语图文版）

定价：59

ISBN：9787515316512

出版时间：2013.6

出版社：中国青年出版社

品牌：北京中青文图书有限公司

内容推荐

这是一套出版以来，总销量达到1.22亿册的教科书，一套有超过10000多个美国学校使用的启蒙读本，一套培养精英的私立学校和家庭私塾偏爱的课本。它是美国最畅销的语文课本，被《时代周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”。与《韦氏词典》携手，它为正规英语拼写奠定了基础，在一定程度上打造了美语语法。汽车大亨福特鼎力支持的不朽经典，它不但反映了“美国梦”和美国精神，更是改变了它们的轨迹，塑造了整整五代美国人的精神世界。手握《美国语文读本》，品味美利坚。

此套读本的英文原版共分7级，包括启蒙读本和第1-6册。考虑到启蒙读本与第一级篇幅都较少，难易程度接近，于是我们将之合并为第1册。因此，国内出版的这套读本共包括6册。《美国语文读本6》为全套读本第6册。可供高中及以上程度学习者阅读。从文体方面我们可以看出，除了常见的记叙、散文体以外，这套读本对诗歌、戏剧、论说文等文体也很重视，书中选取了莎士比亚、朗费罗、狄更斯、艾迪生等名家名篇。通过一篇篇短小精悍的故事，将道德教育的内容倾注于作品之中。

试读章节

LESSON 11
THE MORNING ORATORIO
晨 歌
Wilson Flagg, 1806-1884, was born in Beverly, Mass. He pursuedhis academical course in Andover, at Phillips Academy, and enteredHarvard College, but did not graduate. His chief Works are:“Studies in the Field and Forest,” “The Woods and Byways of NewEngland,” and “The Birds and Seasons of New England.” Nature, forthe delight of waking eyes, has arrayed the morning heavens in theloveliest hues of beauty. Fearing to dazzle by an excess ofdelight, she first announces day by a faint and glimmeringtwilight, then sheds a purple tint over the brows of the risingmorn, and infuses a transparent ruddiness throughout theatmosphere. As daylight widens, successive groups of mottled androsy-bosomed clouds assemble on the gilded sphere, and, crownedwith wreaths of fickle rainbows, spread a mirrored flush over hill,grove, and lake, and every village spire is burnished with theirsplendor.
At length, through crimsoned vapors, we behold the sun’s broaddisk, rising with a countenance so serene that every eye may viewhim ere he arrays himself in his meridian brightness. Not manypeople who live in towns are aware of the pleasure attending aramble near the woods and orchards at daybreak in the early part ofsummer. The drowsiness we feel on rising from our beds is graduallydispelled by the clear and healthful breezes of early day, and wesoon experience an unusual amount of vigor and elasticity.
During the night, the stillness of all things is the circumstancethat most powerfully attracts our notice, rendering us peculiarlysensitive to every accidental sound that meets the ear. In themorning, at this time of year, on the contrary, we are overpoweredby the vocal and multitudinous chorus of the feathered tribe. Ifyou would hear the commencement of this grand anthem of nature, youmust rise at the very first appearance of dawn, before the twilighthas formed a complete semicircle above the eastern porch ofheaven.
The first note that proceeds from the little warbling host, isthe shrill chirp of the hairbird,—occasionally vocal at an hours ona warm summer night. This strain, which is a continued trillingsound, is repeated with diminishing intervals, until it becomesalmost incessant. But ere the hairbird has uttered many notes, asingle robin begins to warble from a neighboring orchard, soonfollowed by others, increasing in numbers until, by the time theeastern sky is flushed with crimson, every male, robin in thecountry round is singing with fervor.
It would be difficult to note the exact order in which thedifferent birds successively begin their parts in this performance;but the bluebird, whose song is only a short, mellow warble, isheard nearly at the same time with the robin, and the song sparrowjoins them soon after with his brief but finely modulated strain.The different species follow rapidly, one after another, in thechorus, until the whole welkin rings with their matin hymn ofgladness.
I have often wondered that the almost simultaneous utterance ofso many different notes should produce no discords, and that theyshould result in such complete harmony. In this multitudinousconfusion of voices, no two notes are confounded, and none hassufficient duration to grate harshly with a dissimilar sound.Though each performer sings only a few strains and then makes apause, the whole multitude succeed one another with such rapiditythat we hear an uninterrupted flow of music until the broad lightof day invites them to other employments.
When there is just light enough to distinguish the birds, we mayobserve, here and there, a single swallow perched on the roof of abarn or shed, repeating two twittering notes incessantly, with aquick turn and a hop at every note he utters. It would seem to bethe design of the bird to attract the attention of his mate, andthis motion seems to be made to assist her in discovering hisposition. As soon as the light has tempted him to fly abroad, thistwittering strain is uttered more like a continued song, as heflits rapidly through the air.
But at this later moment the purple martins have commenced theirmore melodious chattering, so loud as to attract for a while themost of our attention. There is not a sound in nature so cheeringand animating as the song of the purple martin, and none so wellcalculated to drive away melancholy. Though not one of the earliestvoices to be heard, the chorus is perceptibly more loud andeffective when this bird has united with the choir.
When the flush of the morning has brightened into vermilion, andthe place from which the sun is soon to emerge has attained adazzling brilliancy, the robins are already less tuneful. They arenow becoming busy in collecting food for their morning repast, andone by one they leave the trees, and may be seen hopping upon thetilled ground, in quest of the worms and insects that, have creptout during the night from their subterranean retreats.
But as the robins grow silent, the bobolinks begin their vocalrevelries; and to a fanciful mind it might seem that the robins hadgradually resigned their part in the performance to the bobolinks,not one of which is heard until some of the former have concludedtheir songs. The little hairbird still continues his almostincessant chirping, the first to begin and the last to quit theperformance. Though the voice of this bird is not very sweetlymodulated, it blends harmoniously with the notes of other birds,and greatly increases the charming effect of the combination.
It would be tedious to name all the birds that take part in thischorus; but we must not omit the pewee, with his melancholy ditty,occasionally heard like a short minor strain in an oratorio; northe oriole, who is really one of the chief performers, and who, ashis bright plumage flashes upon the sight, warbles forth a fewnotes so clear and mellow as to be beard above every other sound.Adding a pleasing variety to all this harmony, the lisping notes ofthe meadowlark, uttered in a shrill tone, and with a peculiarpensive modulation, are plainly audible, with short rests betweeneach repetition.
There is a little brown sparrow, resembling the hairbird, save ageneral tint of russet in his plumage, that may be heard distinctlyamong the warbling host. He is rarely seen in cultivated grounds,but frequents the wild pastures, and is the bird that warbles sosweetly at midsummer, when the whortleberries are ripe, and thefields are beautifully spangled with red lilies.
There is no confusion in the notes of his song, which consists ofone syllable rapidly repeated, but increasing in rapidity andrising to a higher key towards the conclusion. He sometimesprolongs his strain, when his notes are observed to rise and fallin succession. These plaintive and expressive notes are very loudand constantly uttered, during the hour that precedes the rising ofthe sun. A dozen warblers of this species, singing in concert, anddistributed in different parts of the field, form, perhaps, themost delightful part of the woodland oratorio to which we havelistened.
At sunrise hardly a robin can be beard in the whole neighborhood,and the character of the performance has completely changed duringthe last half hour. The first part was more melodious andtranquilizing, the last is more brilliant and animating. The grassfinches, the vireos, the wrens, and the linnets have joined theirvoices to the chorus, and the bobolinks are loudest in their song.But the notes of the birds in general are not so incessant asbefore sunrise. One by one they discontinue their lays, until athigh noon the bobolink and the warbling flycatcher are almost theonly vocalists to be heard in the fields.
【中文阅读】
自然，为刚刚睁开的双眼带来欢悦，用最动人的美丽色调涂抹了清晨的天空。她生怕这欢悦太多，会让人眼花缭乱，起初便只用微微的晨光宣告白日的来临，随后在渐升的曙光之上倾注了一抹紫色，又往整个天空泼洒了轻透的嫣红。随着天色渐亮，彤云不断涌入镀金的天空中，变幻莫测的彩虹编成花环，仿佛为它们加冕；山林湖泊之间映照出一片红光，每个村庄的教堂尖顶都在曙光的精心打磨下闪闪发亮。
终于，在一片绯红的氤氲之中，我们注视着太阳那大大的圆盘冉冉升起，如此庄严沉静，不等它完全释放出所有的光芒，世间的每双眼睛都已留意到它的存在。在初夏的拂晓来到丛林和果园附近漫步，这其中的愉悦，住在城镇里头的人们鲜少能体会。清爽宜人的晨风吹来，渐渐驱散了我们晨起时的昏沉睡意，很快我们就感到神清气爽、活力十足。
夜里，大自然的万籁俱寂最让我们震撼，我们的听觉变得异样灵敏，每一个不经意的声响都逃不过我们的耳朵。而每年这个时节的清晨，情况则恰恰相反，打动我们的是百鸟啁啾，是那声势浩大的朝歌。这是首盛大的自然礼赞，若是你不想错过倾听它的开场，你就得赶在拂晓初至时起床，切莫等到微微的晨光在东方的天际画出明亮的半圆。
这些大自然的小主人们即将一展歌喉，黄道眉细而亮的一声脆啼唱响了它们的第一个音符——这样的歌唱，在温暖的夏夜里偶尔也会响上一会儿。这一段乐曲是一连串颤音，一次次地重复着，间隔越来越短，直到最后几乎连成了一片音。但不等那黄道眉哼出更多的旋律，一只独身的知更鸟就开始在邻近的果园里婉转歌唱，很快其他的伙伴也纷纷加入其中，直到东方的天空焕发出绯红的光芒，乡间的每一只雄性知更鸟都热情万丈地欢唱起来。
要想辨清整场演出中各种鸟儿们开唱的先后顺序，那可绝非易事。而蓝鸫的歌声短促而柔和，它几乎与知更鸟一同亮嗓；还有不甘居后的歌雀，在一小段悠扬的变调后便加入了合唱之中。其他各种鸟儿也争先恐后地一展歌喉，直到这一曲欢乐的清晨颂歌，响彻云霄。
常常让我惊叹的是，这千百种不同的音符几乎是同时奏响，听起来却没有一丝杂音，恍若浑然天成。在这纷繁的多声部大融合之中，没有哪两个音符互相抵触，也没有谁的声音一直持续到让人觉得刺耳突兀。尽管每位表演者只演唱一个小乐段便稍作停歇，但其他歌手会立即接上，一个接一个地轮番登场，于是我们听到的乐曲始终源源不断如行云流水，直到日光渐炽，歌唱家们转而为其他事情奔忙去了。
当黎明的微光足以分辨各种鸟儿之时，也许我们便会看到一只单身的燕子飞落在谷仓或木棚的顶上，他不停地重复着两个颤音，每蹦出一个音符，都伴随着一个小跳和转身。这仿佛是鸟儿故意要用这动作吸引雌鸟的眼光，让她能轻易发现求爱者所在的方向。一到天色渐明，召唤他展翅高飞，当他穿行在云天之间，这啁啾的乐段便让他唱成了连绵不断的歌谣。
然而过了一刻，紫色的圣马丁鸟便亮开嗓子，唱出更为优美动听的歌声，这歌声如此嘹亮，有好一会儿，我们的注意力都被它们吸引过去了。自然界里再也没有哪种声音能像紫崖燕的歌声那样令人欢喜鼓舞，所有的忧愁都会在这歌声里消散。尽管这不是我们最早听到的歌声，但当这种鸟儿加入唱诗班之时，这大合唱的圣歌便陡然变得更嘹亮动人了。
当晨曦中的红晕颜色渐浓，太阳初升之地披上万丈霞光，知更鸟的鸣叫已经有些漫不经心了。它们一个接一个地飞离了树梢，开始为早餐搜寻食物而奔忙；也许你能在犁过的田地上看到它们跳跃的身影，它们在那里搜寻着，想找到那些夜里从藏身之所悄悄爬出来的蚯蚓和小虫。
但知更鸟的歌声刚刚沉寂，稻雀便开始骄纵狂歌了。在想象丰富的人眼里，这仿佛是知更鸟准备退居幕后，把表演的舞台拱手相让，而稻雀亦耐心待到众位前辈一曲唱毕才放声高歌。小小的黄道眉唱得最为卖力，从开场到落幕，它那不知停歇的歌声贯穿始终。尽管这鸟儿的声音不够甜美柔和，但却与其他鸟儿的歌声融合得天衣无缝，让这合唱之歌大为增色。
要把合唱团里的所有成员一一道来，恐怕会冗长得令人生厌；但我们不得不提一下京燕，整首赞歌里它只是间或哼上一小段旋律，可那小调却能唱得让人愁肠百转；我们也不能遗漏黄鹂的名字，它是名副其实的主唱之一，
它的羽衣鲜艳夺目，它的歌喉清亮圆润，在众多声音中显得如此卓尔不群。还有野云雀的清脆乐音，为这所有的和声加入了一种欢快的变调；它的音色尖细，歌声里带有一种特别的幽怨，稍稍停歇后复又重唱，声声悦耳。还有一种褐色的小麻雀，除了羽毛上星星点点的黄褐色以外，与黄道眉的样子并无二致。它的歌声在群鸟的鸣啭中清晰可闻。它极少出现在业已耕作的田间，而在荒野上却到处可见它的身影。在越橘饱满成熟、田野缀满红百合的仲夏，你就会听到它格外甜美的歌声。
它的歌声里没有混杂繁复的音符，只有一个不断重复的音节，它越唱越快，音调越来越高，一口气唱至曲终。有时它会放缓节奏、拉长乐段，歌曲的旋律听起来就变得时高时低、跌宕起伏。在日出前的一小时里，这哀怨动人的曲调持续不断，富有穿透力的歌声余韵悠长。演唱会里有十几个这样的歌手，它的歌声飞散田野，也许是我们聆听的这场林间清唱剧里最为华美的乐章。
到了日出时分，整片树林几乎听不到一只知更鸟的鸣叫，这场演出在最后半小时全部换了角色。第一幕的清唱剧更柔和悠扬，而最后一幕听起来更为辉煌壮丽、动人心魄。草地雀、绿鹃、鹪鹩和朱顶雀都亮开嗓门加入了合唱，其中要数稻雀的歌声最为嘹亮。但鸟儿们的演唱听起来已没有日出前那么踊跃了。它一个接一个地安静下来，到了正午太阳高照的时候，田间几乎只剩下稻雀与捕蝇鸟这两位歌唱家还在低吟浅唱了。