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万物简史 第86期:敲石头的人们(8)

时间：2016-03-31 01:59:21

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（单词翻译）

 Throughout the modern, thinking world, but especially in Britain, men of learning ventured into the countryside to do a little "stone-breaking," as they called it. It was a pursuit taken seriously, and they tended to dress with appropriate gravity, in top hats and dark suits, except for the Reverend William Buckland of Oxford1, whose habit it was to do his fieldwork in an academic gown.

在整个近代思想界，尤其在英国，有学问的人都会下乡去干一点他们所谓的"敲石头"的活儿。这项工作干得还一本正经。他们往往打扮得很有吸引力：头戴高顶大礼帽，身穿黑色套装。只有牛津大学的威廉·巴克兰牧师是个例外，他习惯于穿博士服做野外工作。
The field attracted many extraordinary figures, not least the aforementioned Murchison, who spent the first thirty or so years of his life galloping2 after foxes, converting aeronautically challenged birds into puffs3 of drifting feathers with buckshot, and showing no mental agility4 whatever beyond that needed to read The Times or play a hand of cards. Then he discovered an interest in rocks and became with rather astounding5 swiftness a titan of geological thinking.
野外吸引了许多杰出人士，尤其是上面提到的默奇森，他大约花了前半生近30年时间来骑着马追赶狐狸，用猎枪把空中飞行的鸟儿变成一簇簇飘扬的羽毛。除了阅读《泰晤士报》和打一手好牌以外，他没有显示出任何会动脑子的迹象。接着，他对岩石发生了兴趣，以吃惊的速度一跃成为地质学思想界的巨人。

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1 Oxford Wmmz0a     
n.牛津（英国城市）
参考例句：
  • At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
  • This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。
2 galloping galloping     
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式
参考例句：
  • The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
  • Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。
3 puffs cb3699ccb6e175dfc305ea6255d392d6     
n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
  • We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
  • Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句
4 agility LfTyH     
n.敏捷，活泼
参考例句：
  • The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
  • His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。
5 astounding QyKzns     
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)
参考例句：
  • There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
  • The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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