轻松背单词新浪微博 轻松背单词腾讯微博
轻松背单词微信服务号
当前位置:首页 -> 10级英语阅读 - > 安徒生童话英文版:The Days of the Week
安徒生童话英文版:The Days of the Week
添加时间:2014-03-05 15:41:30 浏览次数: 作者:Andersen
Tip:点击数字可快速查看单词解释  
  • The days of the week once wanted to be free to get together and have a party. But each of the seven days was so occupied, the year around, that they had no time to spare. They wanted a whole extra day; but then they had that every four years, the intercalary day that comes in February for the purpose of keeping order in chronology.

    On the intercalary day they would get together for a party, and, as February is the month of carnivals, they would come in costumes of each one's taste and choice; they would eat well, drink well, make speeches, and be complimentary3 and disagreeable to one another in unrestrained comradeship. While the vikings of olden times used to throw their gnawed-off bones at each other's heads during mealtime, the days of the week intended to throw jokes and sarcastic4 witticisms5 such as might be in keeping with the innocent carnival1 spirit.

    So when it was intercalary day, they assembled.

    Sunday, foreman of the days of the week, appeared in a black silk cloak; pious6 people thought he was dressed for church in a minister's gown, but the worldly minded saw that he was attired7 in a domino for merriment and that the flashing carnation8 he wore in his buttonhole was a little red theater lantern on which it said, “All sold our; see now that you enjoy yourselves!”

    Monday, a young fellow related to Sunday, and very fond of pleasures, came next. He left his workshop, he said, whenever he heard the music of the parade of the guard.

    “I must go out and listen to Offenbach's music; it doesn't go to my head or to my heart; it tickles9 my leg muscles; I must dance, have a few drinks, get a black eye, sleep it off, and then the next day go to work. I am the new part of the week!”

    Tuesday is Tyr's day, the day of strength.

    “Yes, that I am,” said Tuesday. “I take a firm grip on my work; I fasten Mercury's wings onto the merchant's boots, see that the wheels in the factory are oiled and turning, that the tailor sits at his table, and that the street paver is by his paving stones; each attends to his business, for I keep my eye on all. Accordingly, I am here in a police uniform and call myself Tuesday, a well-used day! If this is a bad joke, then you others try to think of a better one!”

    “Then I come,” said Wednesday. “I'm in the middle of the week. The Germans call me Herr Mittwoch. I stand like a journeyman in a store and like a flower in the midst of the other esteemed10 days of the week! If we all march up in order, then I have three days before me and three days behind; they are like an honor guard, so I should think that I am the most prominent day in the week!”

    Thursday appeared dressed as a coppersmith, with a hammer and a copper11 kettle, as a symbol of his noble descent.

    “I am of the highest birth,” he said, “paganish, godlike! In the Northern countries I am named after Thor, and in the Southern countries after Jupiter, who both knew how to thunder and lighten, and that has remained in the family!”

    And then he beat his copper kettle, thereby12 proving his high birth.

    Friday was dressed as a young girl, and called herself Freia, also Venus for a change, depending upon the language of the country in which she appeared. She was of a quiet, cheerful character, she said, but today she felt gay and free, for this was intercalary day, which, according to an old custom, gives a woman the right to dare propose to a man and not have to wait for him to propose to her.

    Saturday appeared as an old housekeeper13 with a broom and other cleaning articles. Her favorite dish was beer soup, though at this festive14 occasion she did not request that it be served for everyone, only that she get it, and she got it.

    And so the days of the week had their party.

    Here they are in print, all seven of them, ready for use as tableaux15 at family parties. There you can make them as funny as you wish; we give them here as a joke on February, the only month with an extra day.



    点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

    1 carnival [ˈkɑ:nɪvl] 4rezq   第8级
    n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演
    参考例句:
    • I got some good shots of the carnival. 我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
    • Our street puts on a carnival every year. 我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。
    2 carnivals [ˈkɑ:nəvəlz] d6d444267f9e14628ac469ae363cbd09   第8级
    狂欢节( carnival的名词复数 ); 嘉年华会; 激动人心的事物的组合; 五彩缤纷的颜色组合
    参考例句:
    • The Venice Carnival is one of the oldest and most famous international carnivals in the world. 威尼斯嘉年华是世界上最古老、最富盛名的国际嘉年华会之一。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
    • A few exceptions would be made, he said, such as for carnivals. 他说一些免责条款将被制定出来,例如嘉年华会。
    3 complimentary [ˌkɒmplɪˈmentri] opqzw   第8级
    adj.赠送的,免费的,赞美的,恭维的
    参考例句:
    • She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school. 她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
    • The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service. 这家超市提供免费购物班车。
    4 sarcastic [sɑ:ˈkæstɪk] jCIzJ   第9级
    adj.讥讽的,讽刺的,嘲弄的
    参考例句:
    • I squashed him with a sarcastic remark. 我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
    • She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks. 她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。
    5 witticisms [ˈwitisizəmz] fa1e413b604ffbda6c0a76465484dcaa   第12级
    n.妙语,俏皮话( witticism的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • We do appreciate our own witticisms. 我们非常欣赏自己的小聪明。 来自辞典例句
    • The interpreter at this dinner even managed to translate jokes and witticisms without losing the point. 这次宴会的翻译甚至能设法把笑话和俏皮话不失其妙意地翻译出来。 来自辞典例句
    6 pious [ˈpaɪəs] KSCzd   第9级
    adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的
    参考例句:
    • Alexander is a pious follower of the faith. 亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
    • Her mother was a pious Christian. 她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。
    7 attired [əˈtaiəd] 1ba349e3c80620d3c58c9cc6c01a7305   第10级
    adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • The bride was attired in white. 新娘穿一身洁白的礼服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • It is appropriate that everyone be suitably attired. 人人穿戴得体是恰当的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    8 carnation [kɑ:ˈneɪʃn] kT9yI   第8级
    n.康乃馨(一种花)
    参考例句:
    • He had a white carnation in his buttonhole. 他在纽扣孔上佩了朵白色康乃馨。
    • He was wearing a carnation in his lapel. 他的翻领里别着一枝康乃馨。
    9 tickles [ˈtiklz] b3378a1317ba9a2cef2e9e262649d607   第9级
    (使)发痒( tickle的第三人称单数 ); (使)愉快,逗乐
    参考例句:
    • My foot [nose] tickles. 我的脚[鼻子]痒。
    • My nose tickles from the dust and I want to scratch it. 我的鼻子受灰尘的刺激发痒,很想搔它。
    10 esteemed [ɪs'ti:md] ftyzcF   第7级
    adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为
    参考例句:
    • The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    11 copper [ˈkɒpə(r)] HZXyU   第7级
    n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
    参考例句:
    • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper. 要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
    • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity. 铜是热和电的良导体。
    12 thereby [ˌðeəˈbaɪ] Sokwv   第8级
    adv.因此,从而
    参考例句:
    • I have never been to that city, thereby I don't know much about it. 我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
    • He became a British citizen, thereby gaining the right to vote. 他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
    13 housekeeper [ˈhaʊski:pə(r)] 6q2zxl   第8级
    n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
    参考例句:
    • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper. 炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
    • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply. 她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
    14 festive [ˈfestɪv] mkBx5   第10级
    adj.欢宴的,节日的
    参考例句:
    • It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood. 当时是圣诞节,每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
    • We all wore festive costumes to the ball. 我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。
    15 tableaux ['tæbləʊz] e58a04662911de6f24f5f35aa4644006   第12级
    n.舞台造型,(由活人扮演的)静态画面、场面;人构成的画面或场景( tableau的名词复数 );舞台造型;戏剧性的场面;绚丽的场景
    参考例句:
    • He developed less a coherent analysis than a series of brilliant tableaux. 与其说他作了一个前后连贯的分析,倒不如说他描绘了一系列出色的场景。 来自辞典例句
    • There was every kind of table, from fantasy to tableaux of New England history. 各种各样的故事,从幻想到新英格兰的历史场面,无所不有。 来自辞典例句

    文章评论 共有评论 0查看全部

      会员登陆
      热门单词标签
    我的单词印象
    我的理解: