Language Point 1
He sleeps in his cozy underground home,... (Para. 1)
cozy: a. warm and comfortable
They are building a cozy little house. 他们正在建造一个温暖舒适的小房子。
This living room has a nice cozy feel. 这间起居室给人温暖舒适的感觉。
Language Point 2
Sometimes he lounges in his hole for two days without leaving. (Para. 1)
lounge: vi. lie, sit or lean in a lazy, relaxed way
The dog is lounging on the sofa. 这条狗正慵懒地躺在沙发上。
The old man lounged against the wall watching people passing by. 老人懒洋洋地靠在墙上，看着过往行人。
n. a room or area in a house or a public waiting area in an airport where people can sit and relax
This had been Fuji Bank's employee lounge and computer room. 这里曾经是富士银行的员工休息室和计算机房。
He bought a pack of gum in the departure lounge of the Shenzhen airport. 他在深圳机场的候机室里买了一包口香糖。
Language Point 3
Outside, he stalks rabbits, mice, and birds, killing more than he can eat warm, and often dragging the bodies home. (Para.1)
Meaning: Outside, he pursues and preys on rabbits, mice, and birds, killing more than he can eat right away, and often dragging the bodies home for later meals.
stalk: v.
1) pursue and hunt by following closely and quietly and staying hidden
She saw a cat stalking a bird in the garden. 她在花园里看到一只猫捕食一只小鸟。
We stalked the wounded tiger to its lair. 我们偷偷跟踪受伤的老虎到它的兽穴。
2) walk in a stiff and proud manner
When his request was refused, he stalked out. 他的要求被拒绝之后，他大步地走了出去。
He shook his head and stalked off, muttering. 他摇揺头，大步地走开了，嘴里还嘟哝着。
Language Point 4
Obedient to instinct, he bites his prey at the neck, either splitting the veins at the throat or crushing the brain at the base of the skull, and he does not let go. (Para.1)
Meaning: By instinct, he bites his prey at the neck, either tearing off the blood veins at the throat or crushing the brain at the base of the skull, and he does not let go until he kills his prey.
obedient to: doing what one is ordered to do; willing to obey the orders of sb. in a position of power, such as a parent or a teacher
The girl is obedient to her parents. 这个女孩孝顺父母。
Children are obedient to a strong father, but naughty with a domestic mother. 孩子们顺从严父，却跟慈母顽皮。
vein: n. any of the tubes that carry blood from any part of the body to the heart
The veins are the tubes that carry blood to the heart. 静脉是把血带到心脏的管道。
The patterns of the veins on the backs of people's hands are quite different. 人们手背上的静脉脉络是互不相同的。
let go: release; dismiss; stop holding
Let go! You're hurting my hands. 松手，你把我的手弄疼了。
They shake his hand and are slow to let go. 他们握住他的手迟迟不放。
Language Point 5
Twenty minutes from my house, through the woods and across a highway overpass, is Hollins Pond,...(Para.3)
overpass: n. a road that crosses above another road like a bridge
There are many pedestrian overpasses in Beijing. 北京有许多人行天桥。
A new overpass is under construction not far from my home. 离我家不远处正修建一座立交桥。
Language Point 6
At the far end fields and woods alternate, threaded everywhere with paths carved by humans. (Para.3)
Meaning: At the far end of the pond, there are fields and woods in successive turns; due to humans' step and tread, there are paths threaded everywhere in the fields and woods.
alternate: vi. occur in turn
His life seems very dull and alternates between work and sleep. 他的生活似乎很枯燥,就是工作完了睡觉,睡完觉又工作。
The weather alternates between sunshine and rain. 时而天晴,时而下雨。
carve: vt. make or form (as if) by cutting
He carved his name on his school desk. 他把自己的名字刻在课桌上。
She carved a statue out of a stone. 她用一块石头雕刻出一个雕塑。
Language Point 7
So, I had crossed over the highway,...(Para.4)
cross over: go from one side to the other
Please cross over the road and wait outside the supermarket. 请到路对面，在超市外面等候。
They crossed over the river and made for the destination. 他们渡过河去，朝目的地进发。
Language Point 8
... stepped over two low fences,...(Para.4)
step over: raise one's foot over sth. and then set down on the other side
He stepped over the fence and entered the house. 他跨过围栏，走进房子。
She stepped over the broken glass. 她迈步跨过破碎的玻璃。
Language Point 9
... and strolled along a path,...(Para.4)
stroll: vi. walk slowly or lazily, esp. for pleasure
My friend likes strolling around the flea market on the chance of picking up something of value. 我的朋友爱逛旧货市场,希望能找到点有价值的东西。
Students strolled on the campus lawn and studied in the shade of teaching buildings. 学生在校园的草坪上漫步，在教学楼的楼影中学习。
Language Point 10
... rejoicing in the wild rose blossoms sprinkled along the pond's shore. (Para.4)
rejoice: vi. feel or show great joy
So we can mourn with those who mourn as well as rejoice with those who rejoice. 这样我们能与忧愁者同忧，与喜悦者同喜。
The parents rejoiced in the improvement of their son. 父母为儿子的进步感到高兴。
blossom: n. a flower or a cluster of flowers
The peach tree has an excellent blossom this year.今年这棵桃树花开得很好。
He toured in the apple-blossom hills of eastern China this spring.他今春游览了华东开满苹果花的山区。
vi. produce flowers; reach a promising stage of development
The flowers in the garden are blossoming. 花园里鲜花盛开。
The town has blossomed into the country's most popular beach resort. 这个城镇已发展成为全国非常有名的海滨旅游胜地。
sprinkle: vt. scatter on or over
She sprinkled sugar on the cakes. 她把糖撒在蛋糕上。
He sprinkled his pasta with chili-powder. 他往他的面食上撒辣椒粉。
Language Point 11
I climbed up into high pastures of grass and then cut down through the woods to the fallen oak tree where I sit. (Para.4)
climb up into: ascend from a low place to a high place
Can we climb up into the lighthouse? 我们可以爬上灯塔去吗？
Her present dream is to climb up into the middle-class. 她当前的梦想是跻身于中产阶级。
pasture: n. (a piece of) grassy land where farm animals feed
This pasture can no longer carry such a large number of cattle and sheep. 这块草地再也不能供养这么多牛羊了。
In The Pastures of Heaven, Steinbeck first dealt with the working people and social themes. 在《天堂牧场》中，斯坦贝克首次触及劳动人民和社会的主题。
oak: n. a large tree that can live for a long time and produces acorns as fruit
He is showing off his oak flooring and brick-faced balconies. 他在炫耀他的橡木地板和砖面阳台。
I often sat alone upon a bench that stood beneath an oak tree at the edge of the walk. 我常常独自坐在路边橡树下的一个长凳上。
Language Point 12
It makes a dry bench at the upper end of the pond, a tilted column thrusting out of the rose-crowded shore to become the intersection of a shallow blue body of water and the deep blue body of the sky. (Para.4)
Meaning: At the upper end of the pond, there is a tilted oak trunk extending horizontally over the rose-crowded shore, which makes a dry bench as well as the intersection of a shallow blue body of water and the deep blue body of the sky.
tilt: v. (cause to) slope
I tilted the cup to drink out of it. 我倾斜杯子以便喝里面的水。
The table top suddenly tilted and all the plates and glasses crashed onto the floor. 桌面突然翘起，所有的杯盘都滑落在地板上打碎了。
intersection: n. a place where roads, lines, etc. join or cross each other
The school is at the intersection of two roads. 学校位于两条路的交叉口。
The policemen regulated traffic at the intersection. 警察在十字路口疏导交通。
Language Point 13
...watching the water plants at my feet tremble and slowly part as a fish thrust its way through. (Para.5)
thrust one's way through: push or drive quickly and forcibly through
We thrust our way through the crowd. 我们挤过人群。
With so many people crowded on the square, we found it hard to thrust our way through.广场上人太多了，我们挤不过去。
Language Point 14
... and the next instant, by some coincidence, I was looking down at a weasel,... (Para.5)
coincidence: n. the occurence of two or more events at the same time which are similar or related
What a coincidence that I was in Paris at the same time as you! 多巧啊!我在巴黎时你也正在那里。
The man's presence here was no coincidence. 那个人来此决非出于偶然。
by coincidence: by chance
By a curious coincidence, my wife and I have the same birthday. 说来也巧，妻子和我是同一天生日。
It was by coincidence that we met in the street the other day. 前几天我们在街上见面纯属巧合。
Language Point 15
He was ten inches long, a muscular ribbon, covered in soft velvet, brown as a sculpture of dark bronze, alert. (Para.6)
velvet: n. cloth that is very soft on one side and smooth on the other
Even with the heavy red velvet curtains drawn across all the windows, he orders most of the interior lights turned off. 尽管所有的窗户都拉上了厚厚的红丝绒窗帘，他还是命令关掉大部分的室内照明。
She was dressed in black velvet. 她穿着黑色丝绒衣服。
sculpture: n.
1) (a piece of) work of art that people make by shaping a substance such as stone, metal or wood
Some sculptures have been withdrawn from auction when they are tested to be fake. 有几件雕塑品被检测为赝品，已退出拍卖。
There are man-made waterfalls and abstract sculptures in this city's corner park. 在本市的街角花园里有人工的瀑布和抽象的雕刻作品。
2) the art of making sculptures
She studied sculpture at an art school. 她在美术学校学习雕刻。
The sculpture class was canceled. 雕塑课被取消了。
bronze: n. brownish hard metal made of copper and tin
There stands an 18-foot, three-ton bronze sculpture, right hand raised as if beckoning to the future. 那里有一座18英尺高、3吨重的青铜雕像，右手举起，好像在召唤未来。
Language Point 16
His face was fierce, small and pointed as a snake's; he would have made a good arrow tip. (Para.6)
Meaning: His face was small and pointed as a snake's face, which looked fiece; he would have made a good arrow tip with his pointed face.
Language Point 17
There was just a dot of chin, and then began the ivory-colored fur that spread down his underside. (Para.6)
Meaning: I saw the weasel from his small dot of chin, to his ivory-colored fur that spread down to his lower part.
ivory: n. the hard white substance of which an elephant's tusks are made; the creamy-white color of elephant's tusks
They are campaigning for an international ivory trade ban. 他们正在为推行国际象牙贸易禁令而努力。
The sculpture is of ivory in color. 这件雕刻是乳白色的。
Language Point 18
He had two black eyes I didn't see, any more than you see a window. (Para.6)
Meaning: He had two black eyes, from which I could not get any more hint than you can obtain from a window.
Language Point 19
The weasel was stunned into stillness as he was emerging from beneath an enormous wild rose bush four feet away. (Para.7)
Meaning: As the weasel was coming out from beneath a big wild rose bush four feet away from me, he was shocked into stillness by the sight.
Language Point 20
Our eyes locked, and someone threw away the key. (Para.7)
Meaning: Our eyes were fastened with a lock, and someone threw away the key, so that we could not move away our eyesight from each other.
Language Point 21
Our look was as if two lovers, or deadly enemies, met unexpectedly on a quiet path when each had been thinking of something else: an abrupt blow to the stomach. (Para.8)
Meaning: We looked at each other as two lovers or deadly enemies, who met unexpectedly on a quiet path when each had been thinking of something else: the encounter was like an abrupt blow to the stomach in a boxing game.
deadly: a.
1) aiming or wanting to kill
Fog is the sailor's deadly enemy. 雾是航海者的死敌。
They are deadly enemies. 他们是死敌。
2) likely to cause death
Too many water changes can prove deadly to fish. 水质变化太大对鱼是致命的。
He was arrested for possessing deadly weapon. 他因拥有致命武器而被捕。
Language Point 22
It was also a stunning blow to the brain; it emptied our lungs. (Para.8)
Meaning: It was also a powerful blow to the brain; we held our breath until it emptied our lungs.
Language Point 23
It extinguished the sun, moved the fields, and drained the pond; the world fell into pieces and tumbled into that black hole of eyes. (Para.8)
Meaning: Under such a shock, the sun was no more shining, the fields were away, and the pond water was gone; the whole world broke into pieces and fell into that black hole of eyes.
extinguish: vt. make (a light) stop shining, make (sth.) stop burning; put out
It took the firemen several hours to extinguish the blaze. 消防员用了几个小时才扑灭大火。
His behavior extinguished the last traces of affection she had for him. 他的这种行为使她对他的最后一丝爱慕之情荡然无存。
fall into: be divided into; collapse into
These car models can fall into three categories. 这些汽车模型可分为三类。
The glass was knocked down to the ground and fell into pieces. 杯子被碰到地上摔碎了。
tumble into: move or rush in a specified direction in a headlong way
The children tumbled out the bus and into the park. 孩子们冲下汽车，一窝蜂拥进公园。
I threw off my clothes and tumbled into bed. 我脱掉衣服，倒在床上就睡了。
Language Point 24
If you and I looked at each other that way, our skulls would split and drop to our shoulders. (Para.8)
Meaning: If you and I looked at each other that way, our heads would break so that we could not hold our heads on our shoulders normally.
Language Point 25
This was only last week, and already I don't remember what shattered the magic. (Para.9)
shatter: v. (cause sth. to) break suddenly and violently into small pieces
The blast shattered windows over a wide area. 爆炸使周围很大范围内的窗户破碎。
The war has shattered this country's economy. 战争严重破坏了该国的经济。
Language Point 26
I think I blinked, I think I retrieved my brain from the weasel's brain, and tried to memorize what I was seeing, and the weasel, feeling the shock of separation, was wrenched back into real life and the urgent commands of instinct. (Para.9)
Meaning: I think I blinked, I think I regained my brain from the link with the weasel's brain, and tried to remember what I was seeing; feeling the shock of separation, the weasel was pulled back into real life and the urgent commands of its instinct.
blink: v. shut and open the eyes quickly, usu. involuntarily
New York can offer jobs faster than the candidates could blink. 纽约提供的就业机会比求职者眨眼的速度还快。
The dazzling spotlights made me blink. 耀眼的闪光灯使我直眨眼。
retrieve: vt. find and bring back; regain
The old man retrieved a lost piece of luggage. 这位老人找回一件遗失的行李。
The body had been retrieved from the river after a lengthy search. 经过长时间的寻找，尸体从河中被打捞出来。
memorize: vt. remember; learn by heart
He memorized the list of dates, but neglected the main facts corresponding to them. 他记住了那一系列日期,但却忽略了与其有关的主要事实。
Understanding and conversing about the meaning of literature is more important than memorizing it. 理解和讨论文学的意义比死记文学更重要。
wrench: vt.
1) pull violently with twisting movement
He wrenched his arm away. 他用力把手臂挣脱开。
He wrenched the door open. 他用力扭开了门。
2) injure a part of the body by twisting it suddenly
She must have wrenched her ankle when she fell. 她准是跌倒时把脚腕扭伤了。
As he fell he wrenched his waist. 他跌倒时扭伤了腰。
Language Point 27
Brains are private places, recording our inner muttering on secret tapes — but the weasel and I both plugged into each other's tapes, for a sweet and shocking time. (Para.10)
Meaning: Brains are private places and they record our psychological dialogs on secret tapes — but the weasel and I both connected to each other's brain tapes for a minute, which was a time both sweet and shocking.
mutter: v. speak in a low voice
He was muttering on the telephone , so I asked him to speak more clearly. 他打电话声音很低，因此我让他说得清楚些。
The woman behind me in the audience muttered, “Oh, my God.” 在我身后的观众中有位女士嘀咕道：“啊，我的天啊！”
Language Point 28
Can I help it if his tape was blank? (Para.10)
Meaning: If the tape of his memory was empty, I wonder what I can do to help it.
Language Point 29
His journal is tracks in clay, a spray of feathers, mouse blood and bone: uncollected, unconnected, loose-leaf, and blown. (Para.11)
Meaning: What he can remember is tracks in clay, a spray of feathers, mouse blood and bone, which are uncollected, unconnected, loose-leaf, and blown here and there.
Language Point 30
I come to Hollins Pond not so much to learn how to live as, frankly, to forget about it. (Para.12)
Meaning: I come to Hollins Pond not to learn much about how to live, frankly speaking, but to forget life.
Language Point 31
... but I might learn something of the purity of living only in the physical senses and the dignity of living without bias or motive. (Para.12)
Meaning: ... but I might learn something of a pure or simple lifestyle only in my physical senses and learn something of the dignity of living without prejudice or motive.
purity: n. the quality or state of being pure
Morality is a strong basis for social purity. 道德是社会纯洁的强大基础。
Wagner always preached purity of heart and heroic deeds. 瓦格纳一贯倡导心灵的纯洁和英雄的行为。
bias: n. a tendency to be in favor of or against sth. or sb. without knowing enough to be able to judge fairly; prejudice
The university has a bias in favor of sciences. 该大学偏重理科。
Ideally we would choose judges who are without political bias. 我们理想的法官是没有任何政治偏见的法官。
Language Point 32
The weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice, hating necessity but dying at last in its claws. (Para.12)
Meaning: The weasel lives on things that it must have to live, and we evade necessity in order to live in abundance, but die at last in the claws of necessity when external possessions cannot be internalized.
Language Point 33
And I suspect that for me the way to live is like the weasel's: open to time and death without regret, noticing everything, remembering nothing, taking his prey with a fierce and pointed will. (Para.12)
Meaning: And I suspect my lifestyle is like the weasel's: live without worries and regrets over time and death, noticing everything, remembering nothing, taking his prey with a determined will.
Language Point 34
The trick is to stalk your calling with a certain skill and focus, to locate the most tender spot and bite deeply. (Para.13)
Meaning: The key is to support your work with a certain skill and focus, to find and take the best starting point, and hold fast without letting go of your target.
Language Point 35
This is yielding, not fighting. (Para.13)
Meaning: It means more to go along with nature rather than to fight against nature.
Language Point 36
A weasel doesn't “attack”anything; a weasel lives as he's meant to, yielding at every moment to the perfect freedom of single necessity. (Para.13)
Meaning: Besides taking hold only of his single necessity to survive, a weasel never means to “attack” anything; such yielding turns his every moment into the perfect freedom.
Language Point 37
Seize it and let it carry you upward. (Para.13)
Meaning: Take hold of your necessity and let it carry you upward to an even better life.
