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 steel-like muscles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the short wings with irresistible power that they can bore for long distances through an opposite 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.

New words and expressions 生詞短語
infinite a. 無窮的,無限的
infinitive n. 不定式
A: finite a. 有限的.;measurable a. 可測量的
S: fathomless a. 深不可測的; fathom n. 長度單位,旬;v. 測量深度
immeasurable a. 可測量的 另有:endless / boundless… infinite power /energy
albatross n. 信天翁white seabird
direct vt. 指向
Eg: He directed me the way to success. (他給我指明了成功之路。)
Can you direct me to NOS? director 導演
sustenance n. 支撐力sustain v.
Eg: The tree can’t sustain its branches. (這棵樹支撐不了它的枝干了。)
He has a big family to sustain. (他要養(yǎng)活一大家子人。)
sustainable a.sustainable development strategy 可持續(xù)發(fā)展戰(zhàn)略
glider n. 滑翔者
harness vt. 利用(formal)
S: use / make use of / utilize / exploit
harness solar energy 利用太陽能
to yield to 順著,屈服于
Eg: He yields to persuasion / despair / temptation.
S: submit to / give in to / surrender to
Eg: Turtle submit to all kind of indignities.
school n. 類,群,隊
多指 sea animal / fish / shoalschool 流派;schools of thought 思想流派
one hundred flowers blossom and one hundred schools contend. 百花齊放,百家爭鳴
boast vi. 自夸
endow vt. 賦有
be endowed withEg: He is endowed with gift/talent/power/strength/courage.
ply v. 不斷地供給
bore vi. 穿越 to bore through the air. 穿越大氣層
gale n. 大風
exhaustion n. 精疲力竭
Eg: I am exhausted. / I am dead tired. / I am dog tired.
S: worn out / spend / waste / drained
humbler a. 較低級的
原型:humble
Eg: I am a humble person.
He is humble before his boss.
源于 umble(French): the meat of dear
eat umble pie = eat humble pie (狩獵后供仆人吃的)內(nèi)臟做的煎餡餅
S: lick the dust 卑躬屈膝
Eg: He eat humble pie. 他忍辱負重。

S: inferior a. 下等的Inferior to sb.
partridge n. 鷓鴣
utter a. 完全的
Eg: He is an utter liar. 他純粹是個騙子。
utterance 口頭語;sentence 書面語
S: completely / sheer
share vt. 有
flown a. 剛出巢的 fly / flew / flown
Eg: I am flown. 我還是新手。
S: fledging
slip vi. 滑行
adverse adj. 逆的,相反的
adverse wind 逆風;A: favorable wind 順風 S: unfavorable wind
Eg: I went Home with adverse wind.
adverse environment = adversity n. 逆境 Eg: Adversity makes a man. 逆境出人才。
adversary n. 對手 creed n. 信仰
Notes on the text 課文注釋
No two…此句:
No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight;= There are no two sorts of birds
practise quite the same sort of flight
practise flight = fly
practise flight 飛行;practise law 當律師;practise Medicine 當醫(yī)生
Eg: No two birds fly in the same way.
No two man are the same.
varieties:kinds
two classes may be roughly seen (passive) = we can see roughly two kinds
Any ship…此句:
accompanied :followed
keep company 與……為伴Eg: I keep company with him.
vessel :big ship
原意:sth. to hold waterwithout more than occasional = occasional
The currents…此句: The currents … of its course
整個句子做主語
currents 氣流
walls of the ship 船舷
direct 導向
as well as 與 upwards 并列in the line 沿著某條線走
its course
its 指代 currents of air; course 航程
are enough to give great bird :albatross with its immense wings…做后置定語,修飾 bird
The albatross…此句:
Eg: Lion is the king of beast.
同位語從句:the class of fliers…
yield to 屈服opposition 逆風
In the…此句:
supreme 首屈一指roast duck 烤鴨
It comes…此句:
comes nearer to :similar toplane / gravity
Ducks…此句:
good part :bid / important part
irresistible power 無盡的力量
bore…through 穿越 opposite gale 逆風
before exhaustion follows 直到最后精疲力竭
Eg: I work before darkness comes / exhausted.
until its dark… 直到……為止
Their humbler…此句:
前兩類鳥飛別為:albatross,Ducks;第三類鳥為:their humbler followers:partridges
like power
like 的詞性可以為 prep. / v. / adj. 此處位 adj.
S: similar / alike (可做表語)
Eg: They have alike appearance. (錯)They have similar apperance.
propulsion / propel :to push / propeller / rocket
You may…此句:
in utter exhaustion 在完全疲憊的狀態(tài) (介詞短語)
When they are utterly exhausted (時間狀語)
Eg: We have to undertake a hard journey in seeking truth.
We have to undertake a hard journey when we try to seek truth.
The swallow…此句:
swallow 燕子
virtues :good points / merits / advantages
in highest measure / to the highest degree 最大程度的
in a measure / in some measure / to some degree 在某種程度上
Eg: He resembles his mother in a / some / highest measure.
It tires not…此句:
tires not (古英語用法) = does not tire
Eg: I work not. = I don’t work.
boast 夸耀
travelling…伴隨狀態(tài)
travel…to / travel…from / travel to and from
it may be 做插入語,“也許”
feeding 喂養(yǎng)
slipping
travelling / feeding / slipping 并列結(jié)構(gòu),表示伴隨狀態(tài)
medium :layer of air 大氣層
passage 通過
the passage of time 時光流逝
do us good 對我們有好處
insect killer / locust 蝗蟲 / cicada 蟬 / grasshopper 螞蚱
omens 征兆
predication
superstitious 迷信的
magpie 喜鵲
Eg: He is a magpie. 他什么都舍不得扔。
P.S.
crow 烏鴉
Eg: He is a crow. 他特羅嗦。
wild geese 大雁
swan 天鵝 / swan lake 天鵝湖