LESSON 1 Anecdote of the Duke of Newcastle ● 纽卡斯尔公爵轶事
LESSON 2 The Needle ● 银针
LESSON 3 Dawn ● 黎明
LESSON 4 Description of a Storm ● 风暴之歌
LESSON 5 After the Thunderstorm ● 暴雨过后
LESSON 6 House Cleaning ● 清扫家居
LESSON 7 Schemes of Life often Illusory ● 人生：计划不如变化快
LESSON 8 The Brave Old Oak ● 勇敢的老橡树
LESSON 9 The Artist Surprised ● 艺术家之惊喜
LESSON 10 Pictures of Memory ● 追忆如画
LESSON 11 The Morning Oratorio ● 晨歌
LESSON 12 Short Selections in Poetry ● 诗海拾贝
LESSON 13 Death of Little Nell ● 耐儿之死
LESSON 14 Vanity of Life ● 生之虚无
LESSON 15 A Political Pause ● 政治性的暂时休战
LESSON 16 My Experience in Elocution ● 我的演说经验之谈
LESSON 17 Elegy in a Country Churchyard ● 墓园挽歌
LESSON 18 Tact and Talent ● 机智与才能
LESSON 19 Speech before the Virginia Convention ●
弗吉尼亚州制宪大会上的演讲
LESSON 20 The American Flag ● 国旗颂
LESSON 21 Ironical Eulogy on Debt ● 债务讽诵
LESSON 22 The Three Warnings ● 三个警告
LESSON 23 The Memory of Our Fathers ● 缅怀先辈
LESSON 24 Short Selections in Prose ● 散文节选
LESSON 25 The Jolly Old Pedagogue ● 快活的老先生
LESSON 26 The Teacher and Sick Scholar ● 老师和病倒的学生
LESSON 27 The Snow Shower ● 下雪
LESSON 28 Character of Napoleon Bonaparte ● 拿破仑·波拿巴之品性
LESSON 29 Napoleon at Rest ● 长眠的拿破仑
LESSON 30 War ● 战争
LESSON 31 Speech of Walpole in Reproof of Mr. Pitt ●
沃波尔责斥皮特先生的演讲
LESSON 32 Pitt’s Reply to Sir Robert Walpole ●
皮特对罗伯特·沃波尔爵士的回应
LESSON 33 Character of Mr. Pitt ● 皮特先生的品格
LESSON 34 The Soldier’s Rest ● 战士的休息
LESSON 35 Henry V. to his Troops ● 亨利五世致部队士兵
LESSON 36 Speech of Paul on Mars Hill ● 保罗在玛斯山上的演说
LESSON 37 God is Everywhere ● 上帝无处不在
LESSON 38 Lafayette and Robert Raikes ● 拉斐德和罗伯特·莱格斯
LESSON 39 Fall of Cardinal Wolsey ● 沃尔西主教的垮台
LESSON 40 The Philosopher ● 哲学家
LESSON 41 Marmion and Douglas ● 马米恩和道格拉斯
LESSON 42 The Present ● 今朝
LESSON 43 The Baptism ● 洗礼
LESSON 44 Sparrows ● 麻雀
LESSON 45 Observance of the Sabbath ● 守安息日
LESSON 46 God’s Goodness to Such as Fear Him 上帝的善让人心怀敬畏
LESSON 47 Character of Columbus ● 哥伦布的性格
LESSON 48 “He Giveth His Beloved Sleep” ●“耶和华让他的所爱安然入睡”
LESSON 49 Description of a Siege ● 围攻详述
LESSON 50 Marco Bozzaris ● 马尔科·博萨里斯
LESSON 51 Song of the Greek Bard ● 希腊游吟诗人之歌
LESSON 52 North American Indians ● 北美印第安人
LESSON 53 Lochiel’s Warning ● 洛琪尔的警告
LESSON 54 On Happiness of Temper ● 快乐的性情
LESSON 55 The Fortune Teller ● 算命先生
LESSON 56 Rienzi’s Address to the Romans ● 黎恩济对罗马人的演讲
LESSON 57 Character of the Puritan Fathers of New England ●
新英格兰清教徒先辈的品质
LESSON 58 Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers ● 清教徒先辈们的登岸
LESSON 59 Necessity of Education ● 教育的必要性
LESSON 60 Riding on a Snowplow ● 乘坐扫雪机
LESSON 61 The Quarrel of Brutus and Cassius ● 布鲁特斯和卡西乌斯的争执
LESSON 62 The Quack ● 江湖庸医
LESSON 63 Rip Van Winkle ● 瑞普·凡·温克尔
LESSON 64 Bill and Joe ● 比尔和乔
LESSON 65 Sorrow for the Dead ● 对逝者的哀思
LESSON 66 The Eagle ● 鹰之歌
LESSON 67 Political Toleration ● 政治信仰自由
LESSON 68 What Constitutes a State? ● 是什么构成了国家
LESSON 69 The Brave at Home ● 家中的勇士
LESSON 70 South Carolina ● 南卡罗来纳州
LESSON 71 Massachusetts and South Carolina ● 马萨诸塞州和南卡罗来纳州
LESSON 72 The Church Scene from Evangeline ● 伊凡吉林眼中的教堂一幕
LESSON 73 Song of the Shirt ● 衬衫之歌
LESSON 74 Diamond cut Diamond ● 棋逢对手
LESSON 75 Thanatopsis ● 死亡观
LESSON 76 Indian Jugglers ● 印度杂耍艺人
LESSON 77 Antony over Caesar’s Dead Body ● 凯撒遗体前的安东尼
LESSON 78 The English Character ● 英国人的品格
LESSON 79 The Song of the Potter ● 陶工之歌
LESSON 80 A Hot Day in New York ● 纽约酷热的一天
LESSON 81 Discontent.-An Allegory ● 人心不足———则寓言
LESSON 82 Jupiter and Ten ● 朱庇特和十
LESSON 83 Scene from“The Poor Gentleman” ●《可怜的绅士》中的一场
LESSON 84 My Mother’s Picture ● 母亲的画像
LESSON 85 Death of Samson ● 参孙之死
LESSON 86 An Evening Adventure ● 夜晚奇遇
LESSON 87 The Barefoot Boy ● 赤脚男孩
LESSON 88 The Glove and the Lions ● 手套与狮子
LESSON 89 The Folly of Intoxication ● 酒后荒唐
LESSON 90 Starved Rock ● 饥饿岩
LESSON 91 Prince Henry and Falstaff ● 亨利亲王和福斯塔夫
LESSON 92 Studies ● 论读书
LESSON 93 Surrender of Granada ● 格拉纳达之降
LESSON 94 Hamlet’s Soliloquy ● 哈姆雷特的独白
LESSON 95 Ginevra ● 金妮维亚
LESSON 96 Inventions and Discoveries ● 发明与发现
LESSON 97 Enoch Arden at the Window ● 窗前的伊诺克·雅顿
LESSON 98 Lochinvar ● 洛钦瓦尔
LESSON 99 Speech on the Trial of a Murderer ● 关于审判一个谋杀犯的演讲
LESSON 100 The Closing Year ● 逝年
LESSON 101 A New City in Colorado ● 科罗拉多的新城
LESSON 102 Importance of the Union ● 联邦的重要性
LESSON 103 The Influences of the Sun ● 日光的影响力
LESSON 104 Colloquial Powers of Franklin ● 富兰克林的话语感染力
LESSON 105 The Dream of Clarence ● 克拉伦斯的梦
LESSON 106 Homeward Bound ● 返航
LESSON 107 Impeachment of Warren Hastings ● 控告沃伦·哈斯廷斯
LESSON 108 Destruction of the Carnatic ● 卡纳提克的毁灭
LESSON 109 The Raven ● 乌鸦
LESSON 110 A View of the Colosseum ● 罗马竞技场的风景
LESSON 111 The Bridge ● 桥
LESSON 112 Objects and Limits of Science ● 科学的目标与局限
LESSON 113 The Downfall of Poland ● 波兰的衰落
LESSON 114 Labor ● 劳动
LESSON 115 The Last Days of Herculaneum ● 赫库兰尼姆的末日
LESSON 116 How Men Reason ● 人是如何推理的
LESSON 117 Thunderstorm on the Alps ● 阿尔卑斯山上的暴风雨
LESSON 118 Origin of Property ● 财产起源
LESSON 119 Battle of Waterloo ● 滑铁卢之战
LESSON 120 “With Brains, Sir” ●“动动脑筋，阁下”
LESSON 121 The New England Pastor ● 新英格兰牧师
LESSON 122 Death of Absalom ● 押沙龙之死
LESSON 123 Abraham Davenport ● 亚伯拉罕·达文波特
LESSON 124 The Falls of the Yosemite ● 约塞米蒂大瀑布
LESSON 125 A Psalm of Life ● 人生颂
LESSON 126 Franklin’s Entry into Philadelphia ● 富兰克林入费城
LESSON 127 Lines to a Waterfowl ● 致水鸟
LESSON 128 Goldsmith and Addison ● 格尔斯密斯与艾迪生
LESSON 129 Immortality of the Soul ● 灵魂不朽
LESSON 130 Character of Washington ● 华盛顿之品格
LESSON 131 Eulogy on Washington ● 华盛顿颂
LESSON 132 The Solitary Reaper ● 孤独的割麦女
LESSON 133 Value of the Present ● 现在的价值
LESSON 134 Happiness ● 幸福
LESSON 135 Marion ● 马里恩
LESSON 136 A Common Thought ● 共同的思想
LESSON 137 A Definite Aim in Reading ● 明确的阅读目标
LESSON 138 Ode to Mt. Blanc ● 咏白朗峰
內容試閱：
LESSON 11
THE MORNING ORATORIO
晨 歌
Wilson Flagg, 1806-1884, was born in Beverly, Mass. He pursued
his academical course in Andover, at Phillips Academy, and entered
Harvard College, but did not graduate. His chief Works are:
“Studies in the Field and Forest,” “The Woods and Byways of New
England,” and “The Birds and Seasons of New England.” Nature, for
the delight of waking eyes, has arrayed the morning heavens in the
loveliest hues of beauty. Fearing to dazzle by an excess of
delight, she first announces day by a faint and glimmering
twilight, then sheds a purple tint over the brows of the rising
morn, and infuses a transparent ruddiness throughout the
atmosphere. As daylight widens, successive groups of mottled and
rosy-bosomed clouds assemble on the gilded sphere, and, crowned
with wreaths of fickle rainbows, spread a mirrored flush over hill,
grove, and lake, and every village spire is burnished with their
splendor.
At length, through crimsoned vapors, we behold the sun’s broad
disk, rising with a countenance so serene that every eye may view
him ere he arrays himself in his meridian brightness. Not many
people who live in towns are aware of the pleasure attending a
ramble near the woods and orchards at daybreak in the early part of
summer. The drowsiness we feel on rising from our beds is gradually
dispelled by the clear and healthful breezes of early day, and we
soon experience an unusual amount of vigor and elasticity.
During the night, the stillness of all things is the circumstance
that most powerfully attracts our notice, rendering us peculiarly
sensitive to every accidental sound that meets the ear. In the
morning, at this time of year, on the contrary, we are overpowered
by the vocal and multitudinous chorus of the feathered tribe. If
you would hear the commencement of this grand anthem of nature, you
must rise at the very first appearance of dawn, before the twilight
has formed a complete semicircle above the eastern porch of
heaven.
The first note that proceeds from the little warbling host, is
the shrill chirp of the hairbird,—occasionally vocal at an hours on
a warm summer night. This strain, which is a continued trilling
sound, is repeated with diminishing intervals, until it becomes
almost incessant. But ere the hairbird has uttered many notes, a
single robin begins to warble from a neighboring orchard, soon
followed by others, increasing in numbers until, by the time the
eastern sky is flushed with crimson, every male, robin in the
country round is singing with fervor.
It would be difficult to note the exact order in which the
different birds successively begin their parts in this performance;
but the bluebird, whose song is only a short, mellow warble, is
heard nearly at the same time with the robin, and the song sparrow
joins them soon after with his brief but finely modulated strain.
The different species follow rapidly, one after another, in the
chorus, until the whole welkin rings with their matin hymn of
gladness.
I have often wondered that the almost simultaneous utterance of
so many different notes should produce no discords, and that they
should result in such complete harmony. In this multitudinous
confusion of voices, no two notes are confounded, and none has
sufficient duration to grate harshly with a dissimilar sound.
Though each performer sings only a few strains and then makes a
pause, the whole multitude succeed one another with such rapidity
that we hear an uninterrupted flow of music until the broad light
of day invites them to other employments.
When there is just light enough to distinguish the birds, we may
observe, here and there, a single swallow perched on the roof of a
barn or shed, repeating two twittering notes incessantly, with a
quick turn and a hop at every note he utters. It would seem to be
the design of the bird to attract the attention of his mate, and
this motion seems to be made to assist her in discovering his
position. As soon as the light has tempted him to fly abroad, this
twittering strain is uttered more like a continued song, as he
flits rapidly through the air.
But at this later moment the purple martins have commenced their
more melodious chattering, so loud as to attract for a while the
most of our attention. There is not a sound in nature so cheering
and animating as the song of the purple martin, and none so well
calculated to drive away melancholy. Though not one of the earliest
voices to be heard, the chorus is perceptibly more loud and
effective when this bird has united with the choir.
When the flush of the morning has brightened into vermilion, and
the place from which the sun is soon to emerge has attained a
dazzling brilliancy, the robins are already less tuneful. They are
now becoming busy in collecting food for their morning repast, and
one by one they leave the trees, and may be seen hopping upon the
tilled ground, in quest of the worms and insects that, have crept
out during the night from their subterranean retreats.
But as the robins grow silent, the bobolinks begin their vocal
revelries; and to a fanciful mind it might seem that the robins had
gradually resigned their part in the performance to the bobolinks,
not one of which is heard until some of the former have concluded
their songs. The little hairbird still continues his almost
incessant chirping, the first to begin and the last to quit the
performance. Though the voice of this bird is not very sweetly
modulated, it blends harmoniously with the notes of other birds,
and greatly increases the charming effect of the combination.
It would be tedious to name all the birds that take part in this
chorus; but we must not omit the pewee, with his melancholy ditty,
occasionally heard like a short minor strain in an oratorio; nor
the oriole, who is really one of the chief performers, and who, as
his bright plumage flashes upon the sight, warbles forth a few
notes so clear and mellow as to be beard above every other sound.
Adding a pleasing variety to all this harmony, the lisping notes of
the meadowlark, uttered in a shrill tone, and with a peculiar
pensive modulation, are plainly audible, with short rests between
each repetition.
There is a little brown sparrow, resembling the hairbird, save a
general tint of russet in his plumage, that may be heard distinctly
among the warbling host. He is rarely seen in cultivated grounds,
but frequents the wild pastures, and is the bird that warbles so
sweetly at midsummer, when the whortleberries are ripe, and the
fields are beautifully spangled with red lilies.
There is no confusion in the notes of his song, which consists of
one syllable rapidly repeated, but increasing in rapidity and
rising to a higher key towards the conclusion. He sometimes
prolongs his strain, when his notes are observed to rise and fall
in succession. These plaintive and expressive notes are very loud
and constantly uttered, during the hour that precedes the rising of
the sun. A dozen warblers of this species, singing in concert, and
distributed in different parts of the field, form, perhaps, the
most delightful part of the woodland oratorio to which we have
listened.
At sunrise hardly a robin can be beard in the whole neighborhood,
and the character of the performance has completely changed during
the last half hour. The first part was more melodious and
tranquilizing, the last is more brilliant and animating. The grass
finches, the vireos, the wrens, and the linnets have joined their
voices to the chorus, and the bobolinks are loudest in their song.
But the notes of the birds in general are not so incessant as
before sunrise. One by one they discontinue their lays, until at
high noon the bobolink and the warbling flycatcher are almost the
only vocalists to be heard in the fields.
【中文阅读】
自然，为刚刚睁开的双眼带来欢悦，用最动人的美丽色调涂抹了清晨的天空。她生怕这欢悦太多，会让人眼花缭乱，起初便只用微微的晨光宣告白日的来临，随后在渐升的曙光之上倾注了一抹紫色，又往整个天空泼洒了轻透的嫣红。随着天色渐亮，彤云不断涌入镀金的天空中，变幻莫测的彩虹编成花环，仿佛为它们加冕
；山林湖泊之间映照出一片红光，每个村庄的教堂尖顶都在曙光的精心打磨下闪闪发亮。
终于，在一片绯红的氤氲之中，我们注视着太阳那大大的圆盘冉冉升起，如此庄严沉静，不等它完全释放出所有的光芒，世间的每双眼睛都已留意到它的存在。在初夏的拂晓来到丛林和果园附近漫步，这其中的愉悦，住在城镇里头的人们鲜少能体会。清爽宜人的晨风吹来，渐渐驱散了我们晨起时的昏沉睡意，很快我们就感到神清气爽、活力十足。
夜里，大自然的万籁俱寂最让我们震撼，我们的听觉变得异样灵敏，每一个不经意的声响都逃不过我们的耳朵。而每年这个时节的清晨，情况则恰恰相反，打动我们的是百鸟啁啾，是那声势浩大的朝歌。这是首盛大的自然礼赞，若是你不想错过倾听它的开场，你就得赶在拂晓初至时起床，切莫等到微微的晨光在东方的天际画出明亮的半圆。
这些大自然的小主人们即将一展歌喉，黄道眉细而亮的一声脆啼唱响了它们的第一个音符——这样的歌唱，在温暖的夏夜里偶尔也会响上一会儿。这一段乐曲是一连串颤音，一次次地重复着，间隔越来越短，直到最后几乎连成了一片音。但不等那黄道眉哼出更多的旋律，一只独身的知更鸟就开始在邻近的果园里婉转歌唱，很快其他的伙伴也纷纷加入其中，直到东方的天空焕发出绯红的光芒，乡间的每一只雄性知更鸟都热情万丈地欢唱起来。
要想辨清整场演出中各种鸟儿们开唱的先后顺序，那可绝非易事。而蓝鸫的歌声短促而柔和，它几乎与知更鸟一同亮嗓
；还有不甘居后的歌雀，在一小段悠扬的变调后便加入了合唱之中。其他各种鸟儿也争先恐后地一展歌喉，直到这一曲欢乐的清晨颂歌，响彻云霄。
常常让我惊叹的是，这千百种不同的音符几乎是同时奏响，听起来却没有一丝杂音，恍若浑然天成。在这纷繁的多声部大融合之中，没有哪两个音符互相抵触，也没有谁的声音一直持续到让人觉得刺耳突兀。尽管每位表演者只演唱一个小乐段便稍作停歇，但其他歌手会立即接上，一个接一个地轮番登场，于是我们听到的乐曲始终源源不断如行云流水，直到日光渐炽，歌唱家们转而为其他事情奔忙去了。
当黎明的微光足以分辨各种鸟儿之时，也许我们便会看到一只单身的燕子飞落在谷仓或木棚的顶上，他不停地重复着两个颤音，每蹦出一个音符，都伴随着一个小跳和转身。这仿佛是鸟儿故意要用这动作吸引雌鸟的眼光，让她能轻易发现求爱者所在的方向。一到天色渐明，召唤他展翅高飞，当他穿行在云天之间，这啁啾的乐段便让他唱成了连绵不断的歌谣。
然而过了一刻，紫色的圣马丁鸟便亮开嗓子，唱出更为优美动听的歌声，这歌声如此嘹亮，有好一会儿，我们的注意力都被它们吸引过去了。自然界里再也没有哪种声音能像紫崖燕的歌声那样令人欢喜鼓舞，所有的忧愁都会在这歌声里消散。尽管这不是我们最早听到的歌声，但当这种鸟儿加入唱诗班之时，这大合唱的圣歌便陡然变得更嘹亮动人了。
当晨曦中的红晕颜色渐浓，太阳初升之地披上万丈霞光，知更鸟的鸣叫已经有些漫不经心了。它们一个接一个地飞离了树梢，开始为早餐搜寻食物而奔忙
；也许你能在犁过的田地上看到它们跳跃的身影，它们在那里搜寻着，想找到那些夜里从藏身之所悄悄爬出来的蚯蚓和小虫。
但知更鸟的歌声刚刚沉寂，稻雀便开始骄纵狂歌了。在想象丰富的人眼里，这仿佛是知更鸟准备退居幕后，把表演的舞台拱手相让，而稻雀亦耐心待到众位前辈一曲唱毕才放声高歌。小小的黄道眉唱得最为卖力，从开场到落幕，它那不知停歇的歌声贯穿始终。尽管这鸟儿的声音不够甜美柔和，但却与其他鸟儿的歌声融合得天衣无缝，让这合唱之歌大为增色。
要把合唱团里的所有成员一一道来，恐怕会冗长得令人生厌
；但我们不得不提一下京燕，整首赞歌里它只是间或哼上一小段旋律，可那小调却能唱得让人愁肠百转；我们也不能遗漏黄鹂的名字，它是名副其实的主唱之一，
它的羽衣鲜艳夺目，它的歌喉清亮圆润，在众多声音中显得如此卓尔不群。还有野云雀的清脆乐音，为这所有的和声加入了一种欢快的变调
；它的音色尖细，歌声里带有一种特别的幽怨，稍稍停歇后复又重唱，声声悦耳。还有一种褐色的小麻雀，除了羽毛上星星点点的黄褐色以外，与黄道眉的样子并无二致。它的歌声在群鸟的鸣啭中清晰可闻。它极少出现在业已耕作的田间，而在荒野上却到处可见它的身影。在越橘饱满成熟、田野缀满红百合的仲夏，你就会听到它格外甜美的歌声。
它的歌声里没有混杂繁复的音符，只有一个不断重复的音节，它越唱越快，音调越来越高，一口气唱至曲终。有时它会放缓节奏、拉长乐段，歌曲的旋律听起来就变得时高时低、跌宕起伏。在日出前的一小时里，这哀怨动人的曲调持续不断，富有穿透力的歌声余韵悠长。演唱会里有十几个这样的歌手，它的歌声飞散田野，也许是我们聆听的这场林间清唱剧里最为华美的乐章。
到了日出时分，整片树林几乎听不到一只知更鸟的鸣叫，这场演出在最后半小时全部换了角色。第一幕的清唱剧更柔和悠扬，而最后一幕听起来更为辉煌壮丽、动人心魄。草地雀、绿鹃、鹪鹩和朱顶雀都亮开嗓门加入了合唱，其中要数稻雀的歌声最为嘹亮。但鸟儿们的演唱听起来已没有日出前那么踊跃了。它一个接一个地安静下来，到了正午太阳高照的时候，田间几乎只剩下稻雀与捕蝇鸟这两位歌唱家还在低吟浅唱了。
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