Lesson 23 Bird flight
First listen and then answer the following question.What are the two main types of bird flight described by the author? No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight; the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen. Any shi 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 such-like muscles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the short wings with such irresistible power that they can bore for long distances through an opposing 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 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.
WILLIAM BEACH THOMAS A Countryman's CreedNew words and expressions生词和短语
albatross [ˈælbətrɑːs] n. 信天翁英语单词albatross本意是“信天翁”，是一种白色的大型海鸟，其拼写与拉丁语albus（白色的）有关。多年以来，水手们把在大海上看到信天翁看作是好运的兆头。不过，这个单词还常用来比喻“沉重的负担”，这得归功于18世纪英国诗人、浪漫主义文学奠基人塞缪尔·泰勒·柯勒律治（Samuel Taylor Coleridge，1772-1834年）的著名诗歌《古舟子咏》（The Rime of the Ancient Mariner）。在这首诗歌中，柯勒律治讲述道，一个水手在船上射落了一只信天翁，结果给这艘船带来了厄运。albus [ˈælbəs] adj.（拉丁）白色的 n.（拉丁）白色；铅白因此，其他水手强迫他把信天翁的尸体挂在自己的脖子上，以此表示杀害信天翁的只有他一人，与其他水手无关。然而，死神并没有放过其他人。船上所有水手一个接一个地死去。最后，眼看着船上的人几乎全部死光时，杀死信天翁的水手终于开始真心忏悔自己的罪行。当他跪下低头祈祷时，信天翁的尸体自动从他脖子滑落，他也因此终于卸下了一直折磨自己的重负。从此以后，随着这首诗歌的广泛流传，英语单词albatross的比喻含义“沉重的负担”也得以广泛流传。Our only companion is the wandering albatross, which glides effortlessly andgracefully behind the yacht. 陪伴我们的仅有那只盘旋的信天翁，它在游艇后面优雅轻盈地翱翔。sustenance [ˈsʌstənəns] n. 支撑力sus 下，后 + ten 拿住 + ance，sustain 的名词 → 粮食；支持He gave money for the sustenance of a poor family. glide [ɡlaɪd] vi.滑行;滑动;掠过;滑翔 n.滑行;滑动;滑翔;滑音;音渡;过渡音The gliders and their pilots splashed into the lake and had to be fished out. 滑翔机连同驾驶员都扑通一声栽进了湖里，只能被捞出来。harness [ˈhɑːrnɪs] v. 利用 n.马具Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm. en （=in）进入 + dow 给予 → 资助；捐赠She was endowed with intelligence and wit.Elsie, who had been told that Maria wasn't well, plied her with food...Ferries ply across a narrow strait to the island.The gale blew down hundreds of trees.partridge [ˈpɑːrtrɪdʒ] n. 鹧鸪What is a country without rabbits and partridges? propulsion [prəˈpʌlʃn] n. 推进力pro 向前 + puls 推动 + ion 名词后缀Interest in jet propulsion was now growing at the Air Ministry.ut(=out 在外) + t +er
That's complete and utter nonsense!同源词：lubricate，slide，slope。She slipped over on the ice and broke her leg.adverse [ədˈvɜːrs] adj. 逆的，相反的ad 向，朝着 + vers 转 + e → 转向反面 → 逆反的They have attracted strong adverse criticism.Her appearance at this moment is an omen of disaster...参考译文
没有任何两种鸟的飞行方式是相同的。鸟的飞行方式千差万别，但大体上可分为两类。任何一艘横度太平洋的轮船都会有一种小信天翁伴随飞行许多天。它们随船飞行一小时也难得见其扇动一下翅膀。沿船体的上升的气流和沿航线向前的气流给这种巨翼大鸟以足够的浮力和推力。信天翁是滑翔飞行的鸟类之王，它能自如地驾驭空气，但必须顺气流飞行。与滑翔鸟相对的另一类鸟中，数野鸭本领最高。它更近乎于人类自夸的“征服”了空气的发动机。野鸭及它们相似的鸽子有天赋的钢铁般的肌肉，占了体重的很大一部分。这些肌肉以巨大的力量扇动短小的翅膀，使这类鸟能顶着大风飞行很远的路才会疲劳。次于野鸭和鸽子的鸟，如鹧鸪，有相似的巨大推动力，但很快会疲劳。如果海风驱使它们飞行很长距离，你可以捡到一些因筋疲力尽而摔下来的鹧鸪。燕子充分兼有这两类鸟的长处，它既不疲劳，也不炫耀自己的飞翔力；在空中十分自如，可以飞行6，000英里，可以飞往北方做窝的老家，再从老家飞回；一边飞一边喂养会飞的雏燕，甚至在顶风时也能在气流中滑翔，似乎气流在帮它前进。这些鸟对我们是有益的，虽然我们不再从它们的飞翔姿态来占卜吉凶，连最迷信的村民也不再对喜鹊脱帽行礼，祝它早安了。
斯坦福大学教授英语音标发音课程全54集
往期回顾
《新概念英语》第一册全集
《新概念英语》第二册全集
Lesson 15 Secrecy in industry
Lesson 16 The modern city
Lesson 17 A man-made disease
Lesson 18 Porpoises
Lesson 19 The stuff of dreams
Lesson 20 Snake poison
Lesson 21 William S. Hart and the early 'Western' film
Lesson 22 Knowledge and progress