精灵鼠小弟-10-春天

核心词汇 1. worthwhile /ˌwɜːrθˈwaɪl/（adj.）值得的 2. basement /ˈbeɪsmənt/ (n.) 地下室 3. escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ (v.) 逃跑 4. crawl /krɔːl/ (v.) 爬行 5. permanent /ˈpɜːrmənənt/ (adj.) 永久的 6. self-control /ˌself kənˈtroʊl/ (n.) 自我控制力 7. doubtless /ˈdaʊtləs/ (adv.) 毫无疑问地 8. firmly /ˈfɜːrmli/ (adv.) 坚定地 9. oblige /əˈblaɪdʒ/ (v.) 感恩 10. frightened /ˈfraɪtnd/ (adj.) 受惊的 核心短语 1. call on 号召 2. keep one’s company 陪伴某人 3. tell about 谈及，讲述 4. hold oneself in 克制情感 5. stay around 停留 6. under the circumstance 在这种情况下 7. be wide awake 完全清醒的 8. be supposed to 应该；被期望 9. unlawful entry 非法侵入 10. take a risk 冒险 正文 Snowbell, the cat, enjoyed nighttime more than daytime. Perhaps it was because his eyes liked the dark. But I think it was because there are always so manyworthwhile（值得花时间的）things going on in New York at night. Snowbell had several friends in the neighborhood. Some of them were house cats, others were store cats. He knew a Maltese cat in the AandPeople, a white Persian（波斯猫）in the apartment house next door, a tortoise-shell（玳瑁猫）in the delicatessen（熟食店）,a tiger cat in thebasement（地下室）of the branch library, and a beautiful young Angora who hadescaped（逃跑）from a cage in a pet shop on Third Avenue and had gone to live a free life of her own in the tool house of the small park near Stuart's home. One fine spring evening Snowbell had beencalling onthe Angora in the park. He started home, late, and it was such a lovely night she said she would walk along with him tokeep him company. When they got to Mr. Little's house, the two cats sat down at the foot of a tall vine（常春藤）which ran up the side of the house past George's bedroom. This vine was useful to Snowbell, because he could climb it at night andcrawl（爬行）into the house through George's open window. Snowbell begantelling his friend aboutMargalo and Stuart. "Goodness," said the Angora cat, "you mean to say you live in the same house with a bird and a mouse and don't do anything about it?" "That’s the situation," replied Snowbell. "But what can I do about it? Please remember that Stuart is a member of the family, and the bird is apermanent（永久的）guest, like myself." "Well," said Snowbell's friend, "all I can say is, you've got moreself-control（自我控制力）than I have." "Doubtless（毫无疑问地）," said Snowbell. "However, I sometimes think I’ve got too much self-control for my own good. I’ve been terribly nervous and upset lately, and I think it’s because I'm alwaysholding myself in." The cats’ voices grew louder, and they talked so loudly that they never heard a slight rustling（瑟瑟声）in the vine a few feet above their heads. It was a gray pigeon（鸽子）, who had been asleep there and who had awakened at the sound of cats and begun to listen. "This sounds like an interesting conversation," said the pigeon to himself. "Maybe I'd betterstay aroundand see if I can learn something."{2} "Look here," he heard the Angora cat say to Snowbell, "I admit that a cat has a duty toward her own people, and thatunder the circumstancesit would be wrong for you to eat Margalo.{4} But I'm not a member of your family and there is nothing to stop me from eating her, is there?" "Nothing that I can think of offhand（未经核实地）," said Snowbell."{1} "Then here I go," said the Angora, starting up the vine. The pigeon was wide awake by this time, ready to fly away; but the voices down below continued.{3} "Wait a minute," said Snowbell, "don't be in such a hurry. I don't think you'd better go in there tonight." "Why not?" asked the other cat. "Well, for one thing,you’re not supposed toenter our house. It'sunlawful entry, and you might get into trouble."{5} "I won't get into any trouble," said the Angora. "Please wait till tomorrow night," said Snowbell,firmly（坚定地）. "Mr. and Mrs. Little will be going out tomorrow night, and you won’t betaking such a risk. It’s for your own good I'm suggesting this." "Oh, all right," agreed the Angora. "I guess I can wait. But tell me where I'll find the bird, after I do get in." "That’s simple," said Snowbell. "Climb this vine, enter George’s room through the open window, then go downstairs and you’ll find the bird asleep in the Boston fern on the bookcase." "Easy enough," said the Angora, licking her chops. "I'mobliged（感恩的）to you, sir." "Well, the old thing!" whispered the pigeon to himself, and he flew away quickly to find a piece of writing paper and a pencil. Snowbell said goodnight to his friend and climbed up the vine and went into bed. Next morning Margalo found a note on the branch of her fern when she woke. It said: BEWARE OF A STRANGE CAT WHO WILL COME BY NIGHT. It was signed A WELL WISHER. She kept the note under her wing all day long, wondering what she had better do, but she didn'tdare（敢）show it to anyone--not even to Stuart. She couldn’t eat, she was sofrightened. "What had I better do?" she kept saying to herself. Finally, just before dark, she hopped up to an open window and without saying anything to anybody she flew away. It was springtime, and she flew north, just as fast as she could fly, because something inside her told her that north was the way for a bird to go when spring comes to the land.