---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/23-bird-flight.md
description: 新概念英语第四册：Bird Flight。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 23 · 鸟的飞行方法

### 第1段

No two sorts of birds practice quite the same sort of flight; the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen. Any ship that crosses the Pacific is accompanied for many days by the smaller albatross, which may keep company with the vessel for an hour without visible or more than occasional movement of wing. The currents of air that the walls of the ship direct upwards, as well as in the line of its course, are enough to give the great bird with its immense wings sufficient sustenance and progress. The albatross is the king of the gliders, the class of fliers which harness the air to their purpose, but must yield to its opposition.
In the contrary school, the duck is supreme. It comes nearer to the engines with which man has "conquered" the air, as he boasts. Duck, and like them the pigeons, are endowed with steel-like muscles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the short wings with such irresistible power that they can bore for long distances through an opposing gale before exhaustion follows. Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire. You may pick them up in utter exhaustion, if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey.
The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure. It tires not, nor does it boast of its power; but belongs to the air, travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home, feeding its flown young as it flies, and slipping through a medium that seems to help its passage even when the wind is adverse. Such birds do us good, though we no longer take omens from their flight on this side and that; and even the most superstitious villagers no longer take off their hats to the magpie and wish it good-morning.

中文理解：没有哪两种鸟的飞行方式完全相同；变化虽无穷无尽，大致仍可分成两类。横渡太平洋的船，往往会有小型信天翁相伴多日。它们可以跟着船飞上一个小时，几乎不见扇动翅膀，或者只是偶尔扇动一下。沿着船壁向上、沿着航向向前的气流，足以为这种双翼巨大的鸟提供升力和前进的动力。信天翁是滑翔者之王。这类鸟善于借助空气来飞行，却也必须在气流不利时顺应它。
另一类中，野鸭最为出色。它的飞行方式更接近人类用来自夸已经“征服”天空的发动机。野鸭与鸽子一样，有钢铁般强健的肌肉，肌肉占去身体重量的很大一部分。它们凭这些肌肉有力地扇动短翅，能顶着强劲的逆风飞很远，才会精疲力竭。相比之下，鹧鸪等鸟虽然也有很强的推进力，却很快就会疲倦。如果海风迫使它们长途飞行，你甚至能捡到累得动弹不得的鸟。
燕子把两类飞行方式的优点发挥到了极致。它不知疲倦，也不炫耀力量，仿佛天生就属于天空。往返北方的筑巢地，它可能要飞六千英里；途中还能边飞边喂已经学会飞行的幼鸟。它轻巧地穿过空气，即使逆风，空气也仿佛在帮助它前进。这样的鸟让我们感到愉悦，尽管我们早已不再从鸟向这边或那边飞来占卜吉凶，连最迷信的村民也不再向喜鹊脱帽、道声早安了。

* **roughly seen**：大致分辨出；undefined

* **keep company with**：与……相伴；本课说伴船飞行，不是经营公司。

* **more than occasional**：超过偶尔程度的；undefined

* **currents of air**：气流；current可指气流、水流或电流，需看修饰语。

* **sufficient sustenance**：足够的支持；undefined

* **harness the air**：利用空气的力量；harness强调利用力量，不是简单拥有。

* **yield to**：向……让步；这里指顺应不利气流，不是获得产量。

* **In the contrary school**：在相反的飞行类型中；undefined

* **are endowed with**：具有；天生拥有；较正式，常指禀赋，不必用于所有普通配置。

* **irresistible power**：难以抵挡的力量；undefined

* **through an opposing gale**：顶着强劲逆风；undefined

* **in utter exhaustion**：在精疲力竭的状态中；utter强化彻底，别译成有一点疲倦。

* **shares the virtues**：兼有优点；virtue在这里是优点，不一定是道德美德。

* **in highest measure**：达到最高程度；undefined

* **to and from**：往返于；包括去和回两个方向，不是一条单程。

* **take omens**：占卜吉凶；文中指历史习俗，不作为判断方法推荐。

* **take off their hats**：脱帽；可指实际动作，也可有致敬含义，按语境读。

#### No two sorts of birds practice quite the same sort of flight; the varieties are infinite; but two classes may be roughly seen.

并列句，以分号分成了三句. 第一句主谓宾结构，第二句主系表结构，第三句主谓结构. 其中 practice 作动词，美式英语通常拼作 practice，英式英语通常拼作 practise，这里可以理解为 to do sth. regularly as part of your normal behaviour，即鸟类通常具有怎样的飞行习惯，在这里翻译成拥有怎样的飞行方式即可.

#### Any ship that crosses the Pacific is accompanied for many days by the smaller albatross, which may keep company with the vessel for an hour without visible or more than occasional movement of wing.

复合句，主句为主谓结构，主语由 that 引导的定语从句修饰，后面跟 which 引导的定语从句修饰信天翁 albatross，两个定语从句均为主谓宾结构.

without 接的方式状语里面，我对其中的结构作了细分，将修饰 movement 的定语标记了出来.

#### The currents of air that the walls of the ship direct upwards, as well as in the line of its course, are enough to give the great bird with its immense wings sufficient sustenance and progress.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，主语由 that 引导的定语从句修饰，该从句包括向上和向前两个方面. 后面跟一个目的状语.

#### The albatross is the king of the gliders, the class of fliers which harness the air to their purpose, but must yield to its opposition.

复合句，主句为主系表结构，表语有一个同位语作说明，并由 which 引导的定语从句修饰这一类的鸟. yield to the air’s opposition 是受制于相反的方向，即必须顺气流方向.

#### In the contrary school, the duck is supreme.

简单句，主句为主系表结构，school 指流派、学派，这里是前文所分两类方式的类别之意.

#### It comes nearer to the engines with which man has "conquered" the air, as he boasts.

复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，后面是定语从句修饰 engines.

#### Duck, and like them the pigeons, are endowed with steel-like muscles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the short wings with such irresistible power that they can bore for long distances through an opposing gale before exhaustion follows.

并列复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，中间是非限制性定语从句，该定语从句为主系表结构.

非限制性定语从句与主句的关系不如限制性定语从句那么密切，即使将该从句删去，也不影响全句的意思. 只不过这里在语法上应用 which，此处用 that 算一个小错误.

and 后面这句为主谓宾结构，包含 such…that 结果状语从句，该结果状语从句中，包含一个 before 引导的时间状语从句，两个状语从句均为主谓结构.

#### Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire.

并列句，第一句为主谓宾结构，but 后面是第二句，省略了主语的主谓结构.

#### You may pick them up in utter exhaustion, if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey.

复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，后面是 if 引导的条件状语从句，同样为主谓宾结构.

#### The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure.

简单句，主谓宾结构.

#### It tires not, nor does it boast of its power; but belongs to the air, travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home, feeding its flown young as it flies, and slipping through a medium that seems to help its passage even when the wind is adverse.

并列复合句，首句为倒装否定句；but 后为主系表结构，穿插一些状语和从句， belongs to 省略了主语 it, 整体还原一下会比较好理解：

but it belongs to…, it may be travelling six…home, as it flies feeding…young, and slipping…

将 as it flies 从 feeding 前面放到 feeding 和 slipping 中间，使得这两个伴随状语更 为平衡.

最后是 that 引导的定语从句修饰 medium.

#### Such birds do us good, though we no longer take omens from their flight on this side and that; and even the most superstitious villagers no longer take off their hats to the magpie and wish it good-morning.

前半说鸟类对人有益，再用 though 指出人们已不再根据鸟的飞行占卜；后半 and even 递进，连最迷信的村民也不再向喜鹊脱帽致意。

两个 no longer 都要保留。take omens from 是从某事判断吉凶，take off their hats 是脱帽；不能把这段读成对占卜方法的推荐。

## 学完这一课

先承认个体差异，再说明为了讨论采用的分类。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第92—95页，2022年2月第2版。*