内容概述
苏格兰一位乡绅因乌鸦在庄园瞭望塔筑巢而恼火，多次试图射杀未果——每当有人靠近，乌鸦便飞到远处树上观望，等人离开再返回。乡绅设计实验测试乌鸦的计数能力：先派两人入塔、一人离开（乌鸦不上当）；次日三人入塔、两人离开（仍不上当）；四人也失败；直到五人入塔、四人离开时，乌鸦终于分不清四和五，飞回了巢中。故事以乡绅对这只聪明乌鸦产生敬意作结。
中文正文
1° 一只苏格兰乌鸦
这是一个动人而真实的故事：一只鸟能识数。一个苏格兰乡绅非常恼火，乌鸦竟在他庄园的了望塔上筑巢。于是，他决定用枪把它打下来。不知他多少次跑进塔楼，每当他走近时，那乌鸦都飞出巢去，远远地躲在一棵树上看着他。等疲惫的主人离开塔楼时，鸟儿又飞回来。乡绅不甘心被鸟儿耍弄，终于想出一个妙计。一天，他找来一个邻居帮忙。两人一起走进塔楼，然后一个人走出来，离开了，另一个人留在里面。可乌鸦没有上当，它还呆在那树上，一直等着留在塔里的那个人也走出来。似乎成心要和鸟儿竞赛，第二天，三个人走进了塔楼，然后两个人走出来，一个人留下等那只可恶的乌鸦。可惜鸟儿又没上当，它还呆在那树上，一直等着留在塔里的那个人也走出来。第三天，四个人来了，可还是没有成功。最后，五个人走进塔楼，四个人走出来，一个人留在里面。
这回乌鸦似乎数不过来了，分不清四和五，它飞回了塔里的窝。
故事的结局没有流传下来，不过，经过最后那个实验，乡绅大概对那只乌鸦满怀爱怜和敬意，让它继续在塔楼里筑巢。
英文正文
1° A Scotch Crow. There is a touching and authentic story about a bird that seemed to possess a number sense. A squire in Scotland became annoyed by a raucous crow that had made its nest in the watchtower of his estate, and he determined to shoot the bird. Repeatedly he tried to enter the tower to blast the bird, but each time at the man's approach the crow would leave its nest and take up a watchful position in a distant tree. When the wearied squire would finally leave the tower, the bird would return to its nest. Not wishing to be outsmarted by a bird-brain, the squire resorted to a ruse. He secured the assistance of a neighbor one day. The two men entered the tower, one man came out and went away, and the other remained within. But the crow was not deceived; it stayed in the distant tree until the man within the tower came out. The experiment now became a contest, and the next day three men entered the tower, two came out and went away, and the third waited within to blast the pesky bird. But the crow was not fooled; it remained in the distant tree until the man within the tower came out. The next day the experiment was repeated with four men, but still without success. Finally five men entered the tower, four came out and went away, and the fifth remained inside. At this point the crow seemed to have lost count and, unable to distinguish between four and five, it returned to its nest in the tower.
The conclusion of the story has not been recorded, but it is hoped that by the time of the final experiment a sufficient affection and respect had been built up for the crow so that the bird was allowed to remain nesting in the tower.
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
touching音标/ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/
动人的，令人感伤的。
原文用法："a touching and authentic story"
authentic音标/ɔːˈθentɪk/
真实的，可信的。
原文用法："a touching and authentic story"
possess音标/pəˈzes/
拥有，具有。
原文用法："seemed to possess a number sense"
squire音标/ˈskwaɪə(r)/
乡绅，地主。
原文用法："A squire in Scotland"
raucous音标/ˈrɔːkəs/
沙哑的，刺耳的。
原文用法："a raucous crow"
watchtower音标/ˈwɒtʃtaʊə(r)/
瞭望塔。
原文用法："the watchtower of his estate"
repeatedly音标/rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
反复地，再三地。
原文用法："Repeatedly he tried to enter"
blast音标/blɑːst/
（用枪）轰击，炸毁。
原文用法："to blast the bird"
approach音标/əˈprəʊtʃ/
靠近，接近。
原文用法："at the man's approach"
watchful音标/ˈwɒtʃfl/
警惕的，戒备的。
原文用法："take up a watchful position"
distant音标/ˈdɪstənt/
远处的。
原文用法："in a distant tree"
outsmart音标/ˌaʊtˈsmɑːt/
智胜，比……更聪明。
原文用法："outsmarted by a bird-brain"
bird-brain贬转谐音标/ˈbɜːd breɪn/
笨蛋，（字面）鸟脑。
原文用法："by a bird-brain"
resort to音标/rɪˈzɔːt tuː/
诉诸于，采用。
原文用法："resorted to a ruse"
ruse音标/ruːz/
诡计，计谋。
原文用法："resorted to a ruse"
secured音标/sɪˈkjʊəd/
获得，确保。
原文用法："He secured the assistance"
assistance音标/əˈsɪstəns/
帮助，协助。
原文用法："secured the assistance of a neighbor"
deceived过去分词音标/dɪˈsiːvd/
被骗。
原文用法："the crow was not deceived"
contest音标/ˈkɒntest/
比赛，竞争。
原文用法："The experiment now became a contest"
pesky音标/ˈpeski/
讨厌的，麻烦的。
原文用法："the pesky bird"
fooled过去分词音标/fuːld/
被愚弄。
原文用法："the crow was not fooled"
distinguish音标/dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
区分，辨别。
原文用法："unable to distinguish between four and five"
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：authentic
对应核心词汇：authentic。
辨析：authentic 强调"非伪造、原汁原味"；genuine 强调"真诚、名副其实"；real 最通用。
三者在此处可互换。
对应核心词汇：raucous
对应核心词汇：raucous。
辨析：raucous 形容声音粗哑刺耳；harsh 强调刺耳难听；hoarse 特指（因感冒或大喊后）嘶哑。
对应核心词汇：ruse
对应核心词汇：ruse。
辨析：ruse 较正式，指精心策划的诡计；trick 最通用；ploy 带有策略意味的小花招。
对应核心词汇：pesky
对应核心词汇：pesky。
辨析：pesky 口语化，带有"小麻烦但不太严重"的幽默色彩；annoying 中性；troublesome 更正式。
常用短语与固定搭配
- make one's nest：筑巢。原文用法："had made its nest in the watchtower"
- determine to do：决心做某事。原文用法："he determined to shoot the bird"
- take up a position：占据位置。原文用法："take up a watchful position"
- resort to a ruse：采用计谋/诡计。原文用法："resorted to a ruse"
- secure the assistance of：获得某人的帮助。原文用法："He secured the assistance of a neighbor"
- come out and go away：出来并离开。原文用法："one man came out and went away"
- remain within：留在内部。原文用法："the other remained within"
- lose count：数不清，失去计数能力。原文用法："the crow seemed to have lost count"
- distinguish between A and B：区分 A 和 B。原文用法："unable to distinguish between four and five"
- build up：建立，积累（情感）。原文用法："affection and respect had been built up for the crow"
常用句式
- There is/was ... that ...：经典的叙事开篇句型，引出人物/事件。原文例句："There is a touching and authentic story about a bird that seemed to possess a number sense."
- each time ..., ...：表示"每次……就……"的时间状语从句。原文例句："but each time at the man's approach the crow would leave its nest"
- Not wishing to ..., ...：现在分词短语作原因状语，表目的/动机。原文例句："Not wishing to be outsmarted by a bird-brain, the squire resorted to a ruse."
- The experiment now became ..., and ...：叙事推进句式，标记实验阶段转换。原文例句："The experiment now became a contest, and the next day three men entered..."
- It is hoped that ...：表达作者希望/推测的委婉句式。原文例句："but it is hoped that by the time of the final experiment..."
长难句解析
Repeatedly he tried to enter the tower to blast the bird, but each time at the man's approach the crow would leave its nest and take up a watchful position in a distant tree.
- 主干：he tried to enter ... but ... the crow would leave ... and take up ...
- 修饰与从句：
- "Repeatedly"（频度副词，修饰整句） - "to blast the bird"（不定式，表目的） - "but each time at the man's approach"（时间/条件状语，"each time" 引导省略了 "he approached" 的从句） - "in a distant tree"（地点介词短语，修饰 position）
- 逻辑关系：转折（but）+ 时间条件（each time）+ 并列动作（leave ... and take up ...）
The conclusion of the story has not been recorded, but it is hoped that by the time of the final experiment a sufficient affection and respect had been built up for the crow so that the bird was allowed to remain nesting in the tower.
- 主干：The conclusion ... has not been recorded, but it is hoped that ...
- 修饰与从句：
- "that by the time of the final experiment ..."（主语从句，作 is hoped 的真正主语） - "by the time of the final experiment"（时间状语） - "so that the bird was allowed to remain nesting in the tower"（结果状语从句） - "nesting"（现在分词，作 remain 的补语）
- 逻辑关系：转折（but）+ 时间（by the time that）+ 结果（so that）
语言使用特点
- 全文使用一般过去时叙事，动词形式丰富（became, determined, tried, would leave, resorted, secured, came, remained, stayed, entered, went, waited, was repeated, seemed to have lost, returned, has not been recorded, is hoped, had been built up, was allowed）。
- 叙述语气兼具科学观察的客观性与民间故事的生动性（如 "bird-brain", "pesky bird", "blast the bird"）。
- 数字词（two, three, four, five）反复出现，构成叙事节奏的核心骨架。
迁移练习
- 用 each time 造一个描述日常习惯的句子。
- 用 Not wishing to ... 结构写一句说明某人动机的话。
- 将以下中文翻译成英文："每次我尝试解开这道数学题，答案似乎都在躲避我。"
- 解释 lose count 和 distinguish between 的含义并各造一句。
点击展开参考答案
- Each time I visit my grandparents, they prepare my favorite meal.
- Not wishing to hurt his feelings, she chose not to mention the mistake.
- Each time I try to solve this math problem, the answer seems to elude me.
- lose count = 数不清（因数量太多）。例：The crowd was so large that I lost count after fifty. / distinguish between A and B = 区分 A 与 B。例：It's hard to distinguish between the twins.