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Lesson12TheLoonsMargarelLaurenceTheloons(NorthAmerica)ordivers(UK/Ireland)areagroupofaquaticbirdsfoundinmanypartsofNorthAmericaandnorthernEurasia(欧亚大陆).潜水鸟JustbelowManawaka,wheretheWachakwaRiverranbrownandnoisyoverthepebbles,thescruboakandgrey-greenwillowandchokecherrybushesgrewinadensethicket.InaclearingatthecentreofthethicketstoodtheTonnerrefamily’sshack.Thebasisatthisdwellingwasasmallsquarecabinmadeofpoplarpolesandchinkedwithmud,whichhadbeenbuiltbyJulesTonnerresomefiftyyearsbefore,whenhecamebackfromBatochewithabulletinhisthigh,theyearthatRielwashungandthevoicesoftheMetisenteredtheirlongsilence.JuleshadonlyintendedtostaythewinterintheWachakwaValley,butthefamilywasstillthereinthethirties,whenIwasachild.AstheTonnerreshadincreased,theirsettlementhadbeenaddedto,untiltheclearingatthefootofthetownhillwasachaosoflean-tos,woodenpackingcases,warpedlumber,discardedcartypes,ramshacklechickencoops,tangledstrandsofbarbedwireandrustytincans.pebble(n.)asmallstonewornsmoothandroundbytheactionofwater卵石scrubastunted(restrictedthegrowthofsomethingsothatitdoesnotdeveloptoitsnormalsize)treeorbushAnoakisatreeorshrubinthegenusQuercus(Latin“oaktree”),ofwhichabout400speciesexist.oakchokecherry(n.)aNorthAmericanwildcherrytree美洲稠李shacklean-tobarbedwirethicket(n.)athickgrowthofshrubs，underbrushorsmalltrees灌木丛clearinganopenspace空旷地shack(n.)[Am．]asmallhouseorcabinthatiscrudelybuiltandfurnished；shanty[美]简陋的小屋；棚屋chink(v．)closeupthechinksin堵塞(裂缝、缝隙)BatocheavillageatthecentreofSaskatchewanProvince,Canada.ThebattlegroundwheretheCanadianmilitiabeattherebelliousarmyin1885.巴托什thigh(n.)partofthelegbetweenthekneeandthehip大腿cf.shin(Thefrontpartofthelegbelowthekneeandabovetheankle.),calf(Thefleshy,muscularbackpartofthehumanlegbetweenthekneeandankle)chaos(n.)extremeconfusionordisorder纷乱，混乱状态lean-to(n.)ashedwithaone-sloperoof披屋coopanenclosureorhutinwhichpoultryiskeptwarp(v.)causesthtobecomebentortwistedfromtheusualornaturalshape使翘Thehotsunhadwarpedthecoverofthebook.strand(n.)anyofthebundlesofthread，fiber，wire，etc．thataretwistedtogethertoformalengthofstring，rope，orcable(线、绳等的)股barbedwire(n.)strandsofwiretwistedtogether,withbarbsatregular，closeintervals,usedforfencingormilitarybarriers[美]带刺铁丝网（barbisasharppointprojectinginreversedirectiontothemainpointofaweaponortool,asonanarroworfishhook倒钩是武器或工具上如箭或鱼钩的尖头上按相反方向弯回去的尖钩）TheTonnerreswereFrenchhalfbreeds,andamongthemselvestheyspokeapatoisthatwasneitherCreenorFrench.TheirEnglishwasbrokenandfullofobscenities.TheydidnotbelongamongtheCreeoftheGallopingMountainreservation,furthernorth,andtheydidnotbelongamongtheScots-IrishandUkrainiansofManawaka,either.Theywere,asmyGrandmotherMacLeodwouldhaveputit,neitherflesh,fowl,norgoodsaltherring.WhentheirmenwerenotworkingatoddjobsorassectionhandsontheC.P.R.theylivedonrelief.Inthesummers,oneoftheTonnerreyoungsters,withafacethatseemedtotallyunfamiliarwithlaughter,wouldknockatthedoorsofthetown’sbrickhousesandofferforsalealard-pailfullofbruisedwildstrawberries,andifhegotasmuchasaquarterhewouldgrabthecoinandrunbeforethecustomerhadtimetochangehermind.SometimesoldJules,orhissonLazarus,wouldgetmixedupinaSaturday-nightbrawl,andwouldhitoutatwhoeverwasnearestorhowldrunkenlyamongtheoffendedshoppersonMainStreet,andthentheMountiewouldputthemforthenightinthebarredcellunderneaththeCourtHouse,andthenextmorningtheywouldbequietagain.patois[’pætwɑ:](n.)[Fr，]aformoflanguage，differingfromtheacceptedstandard，asaprovincialorlocaldialect[法语]方言；土语Cree:oneoftheIndiantribesinCanada北美印第安人的克里族,克里语obscenities(n.)[p1]offensive，repulsiveremarks猥亵的话reservation:apieceoflandsetapartforAmericanIndiansUkrainian[ju(:)’kreinjən]adj.乌克兰的(乌克兰人的)n.乌克兰(乌克兰人)herring[’heriŋ](鲱鱼)aresmall,oilyfishfoundintheshallow,temperatewatersoftheNorthPacificandtheNorthAtlantic.neitherfish,fleshnorgoodredherring/neitherflesh,fowl,norgoodsaltherring/neitherfish,flesh,norfowldifficulttoidentifyorclassify;vague;ambiguous难以辨别分类的，非驴非马的，不伦不类的C.P.R.CanadianPacificRailroadcourthouseabuildingthatishometoalocalcourtoflawandoftentheregionalcountygovernmentaswell,althoughthisisnotthecaseinsomelargercities.lard(n.)thefatofhogs，melteddownandclarifiedtobecomewhite．softsolid猪油bruise(n.)injurycausedbyablowtothebodyortoafruit,discolouringtheskin擦伤(表面)；碰伤(水果、植物等)brawl(n.)arough，noisyquarrelorfight大吵大闹；大打出手MountiememberoftheRoyalCanadianMountedPolice加拿大皇家骑警courthousesPiquetteTonnerre,thedaughterofLazarus,wasinmyclassatschool.ShewasolderthanI,butshehadfailedseveralgrades,perhapsbecauseherattendancehadalwaysbeensporadicandherinterestinschoolworknegligible.Partofthereasonshehadmissedalotofschoolwasthatshehadhadtuberculosisofthebone,andhadoncespentmanymonthsinhospital.Iknewthisbecausemyfatherwasthedoctorwhohadlookedafterher.HersicknesswasalmosttheonlythingIknewabouther,however.Otherwise,sheexistedformeonlyasavaguelyembarrassingpresence,withherhoarsevoiceandherclumsylimpingwalkandhergrimycottondressesthatwerealwaysmilestoolong.Iwasneitherfriendlynorunfriendlytowardsher.Shedweltandmovedsomewherewithinmyscopeofvision,butIdidnotactuallynoticeherverymuchuntilt