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Quails

文章来源：未知文章作者：enread 发布时间：2014-02-26 05:38 字体： [大中小]　进入论坛

(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Quails¹

Meg Kearney

Pliny told that migrating quails rested in such numbers on the

sails of ships at night that the vessels² were in danger of sinking.

-- from 100 Birds and How They Got Their Names

All night our ship creaks

and groans³ under the weight

of countless⁴ scale-bellied

quails. Bad luck to shoot

them -- so fifty-two men

dream of drowning while

white-feathered crests⁵ sag⁶

our rigging worse than any

wave. Still, death by bird

is not how we plan to go.

We pass some rot-gut wine

in the dark while the deck

turns slick with shit. Touching⁷

crosses round their necks,

those who believe side with

drunks who think they see a pink

horizon, but dawn comes

only when it's ready. Then

the sailor who sees farthest

bows before the bevy⁸（一群） of quails（鹌鹑）

rising reluctant but steady

toward their memories of stars.

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收听单词发音

1 quails
鹌鹑( quail的名词复数 )；鹌鹑肉
参考例句：
Speckled quails rustled in the underbrush. 鹌鹑在矮树丛里沙沙作响。 I went out to pop some quails. 我出去打几只鹌鹑。

2 vessels
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人
参考例句：
The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。来自《简明英汉词典》 All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 groans
n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦
参考例句：
There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。来自《简明英汉词典》 It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。来自《简明英汉词典》

4 countless
adj.无数的，多得不计其数的
参考例句：
In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。 I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 crests
v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点
参考例句：
The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。来自《简明英汉词典》 The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了，他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。来自辞典例句

6 sag
v.下垂，下跌，消沉；n.下垂，下跌，凹陷，[航海]随风漂流
参考例句：
The shelf was beginning to sag beneath the weight of the books upon it.书架在书的重压下渐渐下弯。 We need to do something about the sag.我们须把下沉的地方修整一下。

7 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

8 bevy
n.一群
参考例句：
A bevy of bathing beauties appeared on the beach.沙滩上出现了一群游泳的美女。 Look,there comes a bevy of ladies.看，一群女人来了。

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