惊弓之鸟
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2012-07-25 04:54 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
During the time of the Warring States (475-221 BC), there lived a well-known archer1(弓箭手) named Geng Ying whose art in shooting was excelled by none at his time. 
 
One day, as he was standing2 by the side of the King of Wei, a flock of swan geese were flying over. With confidence, Geng Ying said to the king, "The twang(弦声) of my bow-string might bring down a bird." The King doubted much. 
 
Just then a solitary3 swan goose appeared, low and slow in its flight, sad and dolorous4(忧伤的) in its cry. Instantly Geng Ying bended his bow and forcibly pulled the bowstring(弓弦) . Twang! High up went he shrilling5 sound into the air and down fell the bird to the ground. The king admired with bewilderment(困惑) . Gang Ying then explained: "The bird was flying low and slow, because it was already hurt; it was crying in a bitter tone, because it had lost its companions. Due to the fact that it was already hurt and sad at heart, the twang of my strong bow, that birds dreaded6 most, startled it. The shrilling sound made its heart beat fast, its wings weak, its balance uneven7. Thus it fell down just as commonly as a man drops his chop-sticks, at the thunder-stroke, at a dinner table." 
 
Henceforth comes the idiom "A bird startled by the mere8 twang of a bow-string", illustrating9 a case where a man who had been previously10 and repeatedly frightened became numb11 and stupefied by a new thing of the same nature not knowing how to face the new situation.


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1 archer KVxzP     
n.射手,弓箭手
参考例句:
  • The archer strung his bow and aimed an arrow at the target.弓箭手拉紧弓弦将箭瞄准靶子。
  • The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.射手的那一箭正中靶心。
2 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
3 solitary 7FUyx     
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士
参考例句:
  • I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
  • The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际,显得十分壮美。
4 dolorous k8Oym     
adj.悲伤的;忧愁的
参考例句:
  • With a broken-hearted smile,he lifted a pair of dolorous eyes.带著伤心的微笑,他抬起了一双痛苦的眼睛。
  • Perhaps love is a dolorous fairy tale.也许爱情是一部忧伤的童话。
5 shrilling 7d58b87a513bdd26d5679b45c9178d0d     
(声音)尖锐的,刺耳的,高频率的( shrill的现在分词 ); 凄厉
参考例句:
  • The music of the pearl was shrilling with triumph in Kino. 珍珠之歌在基诺心里奏出胜利的旋律。
6 dreaded XuNzI3     
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
  • He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》
7 uneven akwwb     
adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的
参考例句:
  • The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
  • The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。
8 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
9 illustrating a99f5be8a18291b13baa6ba429f04101     
给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明
参考例句:
  • He upstaged the other speakers by illustrating his talk with slides. 他演讲中配上幻灯片,比其他演讲人更吸引听众。
  • Material illustrating detailed structure of graptolites has been etched from limestone by means of hydrofluoric acid. 表明笔石详细构造的物质是利用氢氟酸从石灰岩中侵蚀出来。
10 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前,先前(地)
参考例句:
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
11 numb 0RIzK     
adj.麻木的,失去感觉的;v.使麻木
参考例句:
  • His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
  • Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵,催着疲惫的马继续往前走。
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