试听76秒Day2 动物初登场（5） 公马（Boxer）&母马（ Clover）

The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw. Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life, who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal. Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work. ​

内容解析

   Boxer，隐喻（metaphor）革命力量，是一匹公马，动物主义理念的忠实追随者，时刻积极响应革命领袖的号召，勤劳肯干。积劳成疾后被拿破仑卖给宰马商，象征着相信“革命理论”的广大工人阶级。

    苜蓿（Clover），母马，总是和拳师在一起，是拳师的亲密战友。她的身上似乎有爱琳的影子（奥威尔的第一个妻子，她曾在西班牙陪伴奥威尔）。与拳师一样勤劳，而且十分关心别人，同样象征无产阶级。

单词注释

cart-horse [kɑːtˈhɔːs] n. 拖货车的马，干重活儿的马

hairy [ˈheərɪ] adj. 多毛的；毛状的

hoof [huːf] n. 蹄

motherly [ˈmʌðəlɪ] adj. 母亲的，慈母般的

mare [meə] n. 母马；母驴

figure [ˈfɪgə] n. 体形，身材

foal [fəʊl] n. 驹（尤指一岁以下的马、驴、骡）

beast [biːst] n. 动物，野兽；畜生

hand [hænd] n. 一手之宽（约四英寸, 即10.16厘米,用以量马的高度，eighteen hands即182.88厘米，约1.83米。）

stripe [straɪp] n. 条纹，斑纹

first-rate [ˌfɜːstˈreɪt] adj. 第一流的；最上等的

steadiness [ˈstedɪnɪs] n. 稳定，稳健

语法讲解

1.The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together, walkingvery slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest thereshould be some small animal concealed in the straw.

两匹马一块赶来，他们走的很慢，小心翼翼地落下巨大、多毛的蹄子，生怕稻草中会藏有什么小动物。

句法：

现在分词做伴随状语

主句：The two cart-horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together

伴随状语（从句）：walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs withgreat care

主句和从句的主语一致且从句动作是主动进行，因此用现在分词walking和setting down。

重点词汇：

lest /lest/: conj. (连词)以免、唯恐

lest的从句一般要用虚拟语气should+动词原形（should可省略）。

同义词: in case, for fear that

e.g. He spent wholedays in his room, wearing headphones lest he（should）disturb anyone.

他整天待在自己屋子里，戴着耳机以免打扰别人。

conceal /kən'siːl/: v. 隐藏

e.g. A line of sanddunes concealed the distant sea.

一排沙丘挡住了远方的大海。

同义词: hide, keep out of sight

2. Boxer was an enormousbeast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses puttogether. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhatstupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence, buthe was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendouspowers of work.

拳师体形庞大，差不多十八手（约两米）高，强壮得能顶上两匹普通的马。沿着鼻子长的一条白毛让他看起来有点笨，事实上他也没有一流的智商，但他因为性格沉稳和干活时惊人的干劲儿收到受到大家普遍的尊敬。

句法

1. 物称做主语（A white stripe downhis nose）

2. 形容词名词化 be + adj. = beof + n.（he wasnot of first-rate intelligence）

重点词汇

enormous/ɪ'nɔːməs/ adj. 大量的，巨大的

（前缀e-表“超出”；norm表“规范”；ous是形容词后缀。）

e.g. Over the pastweeks you seem to have had an enormous emphasis on travel.

过去的几个星期，你似乎多次强调了旅行。

同义词: tremendous ，huge, vast, extensive, expansive

universally/juːnɪ'vɜːsəlɪ/ adv. 一致地（不是"全宇宙地"！）

前缀uni-表“单一的”，如unit单元，uniform制服，union同盟，unique独一无二的，unified统一的 unity团结一致。

e.g. Progress is notalways universally welcomed.

进步并不总是受到一致的欢迎。