时间:2019-01-18 作者:英语课 分类:Children’s Stories-儿童故事集


英语课

 Hello,


 
This is Richard, and I’m here with the next instalment in our saga 1 about Astropup the space travelling dog. If you have heard the last episode you will know that Astropup and his companion Marlow are on a mission to capture a cat person. Unfortunately, their spaceship has been hijacked 2 by a six legged hound, armed with a laser gun. At this point, Astropup is going to take up the story again .
 
If you have never been into space before, I had better explain what it is like. Well it is big, bigger than you can even dream of, pretty empty, dark, no smell, very boring, and above all quiet. We were now hurtling through it, but for once, space was noisy – Why? It had never happened before. Was something wrong with our ship? The sound went like this:
 
‘MEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!’
 
The space hound pointed 3 his nose and his gun all round the control room, looking at the ceiling, the floors, the walls… before grunting 4.
 
“Hmm, me thinks the cat people are pursuing us.”
 
“Nothing on the radar,” replied Marlow, his eyes on the screen.
 
“This better not be a trick,” growled 5 the hound.
 
Marlow continued checking the ship’s systems. “I think it’s coming from the airlock. The sound is resonating through the intercom. The internal communications switched back on when I fired up the booster rocket. There must be a cat person, or perhaps persons, trapped in there.”
 
I translated this into dog woof.
 
“Ho, ho, ho,” said the hound. “That is good. I shall make this cat person or perhaps persons into slippers 6 and give them to my wife.”
 
“Oh no,” I barked. “Don’t do that. Our orders are to capture a cat person and take it back to Earth.”
 
“Earth?” he said. “We’re not going to Earth. You are my prisoners and the only place you are heading is the Dwarf 7 Planet called Baskerville. Let me see the ship’s computer. Ha, these are the wrong coordinates 8. Out of my way!” And he barged Marlow to one side. He was a big powerful animal you see, with muscles rippling 9 through his fur, huge shoulders and awesomely 10 scary jaws 11.
 
The laser gun was hanging by a strap 12 from his thick neck. He used his hands with surprising dexterity 13 on the computer keyboard, and pulled up all sorts of charts on the screen. “We are going the wrong way,” he complained. “You think you can fool me, hey, Earth weakling? But I am not so dumb. I see through all your tricks because I am an engineer. Now I will fix this.”
 
He was pressing buttons and touching 14 the screen with his nose.
 
“What are you doing?” I asked anxiously.
 
“I am programming in the right flight path,” he said. “I know my worm holes like I know my right paw. We will be there in no time.”
 
No time, as it turned out, lasted four days. It was not exactly a bundle of laughs travelling with a six limbed Rottweiler who looked like he wanted to eat us for breakfast, but although I was full of anxiety, I was also curious to see what kind of civilisation 15 my near relations from another planet might have built. I know from Earth, as you probably do too, that most of us dogs are playful, loyal, and warm hearted. If you are a child, or smallish dog like me, you always have to be aware that a few of our kind are scary and can bite and do worse, but they are the few. As I say, most of us are good. I was confident that a world run by dogs would be a kind place, full of love, loyalty 16, and gravy 17.
When we came into orbit, the Rottweiler was soon in touch with his mission control. I never thought I would hear woofs and barks over the airwaves, as they guided us into land. We touched down on some soft peaty ground. We left the captive cat person meowing in the air lock while we jumped out of the emergency hatch. Ah the atmosphere had a rich smell… peat, wood, a touch of smoke, and a distinct scent 18 of squirrel. It would have been canine 19 heaven were it not for the laser gun pointing into our backs. We walked over to the woods, and down a path. Still there was no sign of habitation, until at last we came out the other side of the trees. Now there was a sight to behold 20 – a small town made up entirely 21 of kennels 22! As we progressed through the middle of the inhabitation, we saw that it was a family orientated 23 place, full of puppies and mothers, and proud looking fathers with their tails high. Not all of them had extra arms with hands. Most were ordinary quadruped dogs like me. That was nice to see. The six limbed ones were guarding captive cat people as they worked with saws and hammers and spades, to build kennels and dig roads.
 
Behind the town was a hill, fortified 24 by a wall, and beyond the wall we could see all sorts of spaceships parked there.
 
“Hey,” said Marlow, “aren’t those feline 25 vehicles?”
 
“Too right,” said the hound. “We captured them when we escaped from the Planet of the Cats. You shall meet our leader. If he is in a good mood, perhaps he will give you dinner and tell you our story.”
“Oh dinner would be nice,” I yapped cheerfully.
But then I could not help asking the obvious question – the one that was perhaps best left unasked:
“And what if he is in a bad mood?”
The Rottweiler drew one of those freaky fingers of his across his fat neck and said:
“CCCCCCCCCCIKH!”
 
The compound of the spacecraft was a different sort of place. It became clear that six legged dogs were living in the craft. Some of them were speaking on mobile phones. Others were polishing laser guns. One was riding on a sort of hover 26 motorcycle. Whereas down in the village there was a genial 27, happy atmosphere. Here everyone was serious and quite fierce. I could see how our captor fitted in.
 
“Can you tell us what kind of breed your leader is?” I enquired 28.
 
“You will see soon enough,” he replied. I hoped the top dog was something like a good natured labrador. I feared a miniature dog most, like a chihuahua. Some of them, in my experience, suffer from small dog complex, and can be surprisingly bad tempered and snappy at times.
 
We came to the largest craft of all, a kind of mother ship. It was odd to see it here, for it was shaped like the face of cat, complete with whiskers and pointy ears. The shoot that led up into its interior was like its jaws. We were walking into the mouth of a cat. I shudder 29 to recall it. Horrible it was, even though it had fallen into the paws of dogs.
 
It was not the first time I had been inside a cat ship. I recalled there were tanks full of fish and mice, and cats living up in sort of branches at the top. But it soon became apparent that this had been redecorated entirely, and not necessarily in the most obvious canine taste.
“Oh,” I said softly, “I think I know somebody who would like it here.”
That person was actually my former comrade and travelling companion, now elevated to the perch 30 of World President. You see, the whole ship was decked out in just his idea of luxury and comfort. The air was hot and steamy and filled with the sounds of tweets and squarks. Big pots contained tropical trees and colourful flowers. Wire cages, packed with nuts, hung from the branches. Pretty little birds and butterflies were fluttering around here and there. It was a birds’ paradise.
But the general surroundings did nothing to lesson our surprise when we walked into the audience chamber 31 and saw, up on a perch, standing 32 on one leg, and clutching a phone with his other claw, none other than: A Parrot.
 
At first I thought he was the Parrot. So did Marlow because he fell down on his knees, and I swear he was crying… yes the ice cool dude was trembling and shedding tears!
 
“Oh No, No! Tell me this isn’t true, not him!!!! NOT HIM!!!! No, Mother, please tell me it isn’t him!!!! It can’t be… it’s too horrific.“
 
“Hmmm,” said the bird, hanging up his call. “Why is this wretch 33 snivelling so?”
 
“Surely you remember him,” I said, “He’s Marlow.”
 
“I always remember a face, and I can tell you I’ve never met the fellow,” said the Parrot.
 
Well perhaps he was not so well acquainted with Marlow.
 
“And me? Do you remember me, your trusty companion?” I asked, bemused.
 
“I’ve seen many a dumb animal before, but not you,” said the Parrot.
 
And then it dawned upon me. Yes he looked exactly like the bird I had shared many adventures with, but his voice – that was the give-away – it had a slightly different timbre 34. And his mannerisms. The way he stood on one leg and texted with the other claw, all at the same time as speaking to us. I had never seen our Parrot pull off that trick. This was a slightly different parrot. Another feathered being who shared much in common with the one we knew.
 
“Excuse us,” I woofed. “We mistook you for someone else. You see, where we come from, back on Planet Earth, that’s the big blue one that goes around the sun you know, our World President is a Parrot just like you.”
 
“Well, naturally,” said the parrot. “We parrots are born leaders.”
 
“Get up Marlow,” I woofed. “It’s not him. It’s another parrot.”
 
Marlow seemed to understand this and burst again into tears.
 
“No, no, not two of them, it can’t be, “ he sobbed 35. “What has the Universe done to deserve this?”
 
The parrot ignored him. He was clearly thinking. After a while he said: “I would very much like to meet this Presidential Parrot of yours.”
 
“I expect he would like to meet you,” I said. “You’ve got a lot in common.”
 
“We are light years away from Earth, but I presume you must have got here down some worm hole. Will you take me to your planet and do us the honour of an introduction with your great leader? I believe he’s a bird I could do business with.”
 
“Well, certainly,” I replied.
 
But inwardly I wondered if there could really be room enough in one solar system for two such great egos 36.
 
Thank you Astropup for that exciting and unexpected development. And you left us with a very good question. If anyone is as eager as I am to know the answer, tune 37 in soon to the next episode of Astropup on Storynory.com.
 
By the way, if you enjoy our stories, you can always drop by with comments on the website, or leave some kind remarks on iTunes in the Kids and Family section.
 
For now from me. Richard.
 
Goodbye.

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事,英雄传奇
  • The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
  • The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。
劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 ); 绑架; 拦路抢劫; 操纵(会议等,以推销自己的意图)
  • The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
  • The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
咕哝的,呼噜的
  • He pulled harder on the rope, grunting with the effort. 他边用力边哼声,使出更大的力气拉绳子。
  • Pigs were grunting and squealing in the yard. 猪在院子里哼哼地叫个不停。
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n. 拖鞋
  • a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
  • He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋,倒在床上。
n.矮子,侏儒,矮小的动植物;vt.使…矮小
  • The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
  • The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀,摇摇头。
n.相配之衣物;坐标( coordinate的名词复数 );(颜色协调的)配套服装;[复数]女套服;同等重要的人(或物)v.使协调,使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 );协调;协同;成为同等
  • The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下,负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的
  • I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
  • The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。
赫然
  • The land is flat, and the views are awesomely extensive. 这里地势平坦,其视野之开阔令人敬畏。 来自互联网
  • Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. 让简单事情变复杂是平庸;让复杂事情变简单,惊人地简单,是创造力。 来自互联网
n.口部;嘴
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
n.皮带,带子;v.用带扣住,束牢;用绷带包扎
  • She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
  • The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活
  • You need manual dexterity to be good at video games.玩好电子游戏手要灵巧。
  • I'm your inferior in manual dexterity.论手巧,我不如你。
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
n.文明,文化,开化,教化
  • Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
  • This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。
n.忠诚,忠心
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
n.肉汁;轻易得来的钱,外快
  • You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
  • The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉
  • The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
  • The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。
adj.犬的,犬科的
  • The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。
  • Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。
v.看,注视,看到
  • The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
  • The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处,养狗场;狗窝( kennel的名词复数 );养狗场
  • We put the dog in kennels when we go away. 我们外出时把狗寄养在养狗场。
  • He left his dog in a kennels when he went on holiday. 他外出度假时把狗交给养狗场照管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
v.朝向( orientate的过去式和过去分词 );面向;确定方向;使适应
  • He orientated himself by finding a familiar landscape. 他寻见一处熟悉的景色,从而确定自己所处的方位。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They orientated the tennis court north and south. 他们把网球场定为南北向。 来自辞典例句
adj. 加强的
  • He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
  • The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。
adj.猫科的
  • As a result,humans have learned to respect feline independence.结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。
  • The awakening was almost feline in its stealthiness.这种醒觉,简直和猫的脚步一样地轻悄。
vi.翱翔,盘旋;徘徊;彷徨,犹豫
  • You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
  • A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的
  • Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
  • He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友,也是友善待客的主人。
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问
  • He enquired for the book in a bookstore. 他在书店查询那本书。
  • Fauchery jestingly enquired whether the Minister was coming too. 浮式瑞嘲笑着问部长是否也会来。
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动
  • The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材,他浑身一阵战栗。
  • We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。
n.栖木,高位,杆;v.栖息,就位,位于
  • The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
  • Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
  • 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。
n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人
  • You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他,还埋怨他,真不知好歹。
  • The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。
n.音色,音质
  • His voice had a deep timbre.他嗓音低沉。
  • The timbre of the violin is far richer than that of the mouth organ.小提琴的音色远比口琴丰富。
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说
  • She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
  • She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。
自我,自尊,自负( ego的名词复数 )
  • Their egos are so easily bruised. 他们的自尊心很容易受到伤害。
  • The belief in it issues from the puerile egos of inferior men. 这种信仰是下等人幼稚的自私意识中产生的。
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
学英语单词
academic programs
aculeolata
apograph
arnolfini
asymmetry distribution
atmospheric clutter
available for shipment
bearing accuracy
breed structure
brown outs
CAL
carburettor adjusting needle
catalytic surface
Co Durham
coalinga
come up to the chalk
commodity section
customs and excise department
cystoscopist
dentolabial
drca
dry chest
ecuadors
Elaeocarpus brachystachyus
electrolytic potential difference
electrophoretic casting
eleven hundred
emitting area
epithemation
exhaust cylinder waterspray valve
extraplastidic
fluorescent quenching
foula i.
groinal
grumped
hedging ratio
height overall
high-energy impact pressing
home stability
hopenosis
hydraulicwinch
image device
instruction step
knauling
lathram
laughed away
Lekatero
lithotripsies
lobau
lokis
Lycoris squamigera
mangrove ecosystem
military-civilians
mine countermeasure
modem transmission rate
mucor minutus
multianalysis
natural width of energy level
nonoverlap
nut and bolt
offension
pennor
perched temporary groundwater
pitch chord ratio
plays off against
pop valve
projecting groove
Pungwe Falls
puppy dog eyes
quick-return motion
rebind
refusal increasing factor
regula falsi method
rigmel finishing
roller sizing machine
sa'
safe belt
sales on account
sbl
screen-print
Searle conduction apparatus
sedbon
sett of timber
sigma modulation
Simoom Sound
slide-guide
special piece
starting price
stock companies
tail-beams
Teregova
There are spots on the sun.
thin-walled pod
tongue in ... cheek
touchin' cloth
trade current account
udalmen
under-invest
uninterrupted power supply
viscosity resistance
wire room
work-rule action