Piccolissima — Page 9

English → Chinese Full Text Level 3/10

One of the flies--it was the elder--having fixed upon the little prodigy one of the thousand faces of his brown, sparkling eyes, surrounded with golden eyelashes, he then placed, one by one, his little black feet upon the stick of sugar candy, stretched forth his trunk, and began to suck with eagerness.

其中一只苍蝇——那只年长的——用它棕色闪亮的千面眼睛之一，被金色睫毛所环绕，凝视着这个小神童，然后将它那黑色的小脚一只一只地踩上糖棒，伸出它的口吻，开始贪婪地吮吸起来。

Piccolissima had now time enough to contemplate a being whose organs she thought were like her own in their weakness.

皮科利西玛现在有足够的时间来凝视这个生物，她觉得它的器官在脆弱方面与自己的相似。

She found pleasure in examining the extraordinary form of its almost cylindrical body, divided into three parts, and a head wider than it was long, an irregular globe surmounted by two horns, or antennae, as they are called.

她乐于审视它那近乎圆柱形的奇特躯体，躯体分为三部分，还有一个宽大于长的头部——一个不规则的球体，顶端生有两根触角，或称天线。

The eyes most excited her curiosity.

那双眼睛最令她好奇。

She attempted to count their numerous little faces, so regular, so finely cut into hexagons, more polished, more brilliant than diamonds.

她试图数清那些细小的面，它们如此规则，如此精细地切割成六边形，比钻石更光滑，更璀璨。

When Piccolissima had counted one hundred, she drew from a very small box, which was a family treasure, some minikin pins, and stuck one of them into the cushion on which she was seated, intending thus to mark every hundred that she counted; but she had not counted thus half a thousand, before she found that breath and knowledge failed her; in truth, she did not know enough of arithmetic to count the eyes of a fly.

当皮科利西玛数到一百时，她从一个极小的盒子里——那是家中的珍宝——取出几根细针，将其中一根插入她所坐的坐垫上，打算以此标记每数到的一百个；但她还没数到五百，便发现自己气力和学识都已不支；说实话，她的算术知识根本不足以数清一只苍蝇的眼睛。

In the very first group which she undertook to count, that on the right side of the fly, she had not counted a sixteenth part.

就在她着手数的第一组——苍蝇右侧的那组——她连十六分之一都还没数完。

Vocabulary

其中: qí zhōng — among them; within that group or set
一只: yī zhī — one (used for animals or small objects)
苍蝇: cāng yíng — a housefly; common flying insect pest
那只: nà zhī — that one (referring to an animal or object)
年长: nián zhǎng — older in age; senior in years
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
用: yòng — to use; to employ something for a purpose
它: tā — it; third-person pronoun for non-human things
棕色: zōng sè — brown color; the color of dark wood
闪亮: shǎn liàng — shining; sparkling; gleaming brightly
千面: qiān miàn — thousand-faced; having countless facets or sides
眼睛: yǎn jīng — eyes; the organs used for seeing
之一: zhī yī — one of; used to indicate part of a group
被: bèi — passive marker indicating something is done to subject
金色: jīn sè — golden color; the color of gold
睫毛: jié máo — eyelashes; hairs growing on the eyelid
所: suǒ — particle used in passive or nominalized constructions
环绕: huán rào — to surround; to encircle something on all sides
凝视: níng shì — to gaze steadily; to stare fixedly at something
着: zhe — aspect particle indicating ongoing action or state
这个: zhè ge — this one; referring to a nearby person or thing
小: xiǎo — small; little; young in size or age
神童: shén tóng — child prodigy; exceptionally gifted young child
然后: rán hòu — then; afterwards; following that action
将: jiāng — future action marker; to be about to do
那: nà — that; referring to something farther away
黑色: hēi sè — black color; the darkest color
小脚: xiǎo jiǎo — small feet; tiny feet of a creature
地: de — adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
踩上: cǎi shàng — to step onto; to place foot upon something
糖棒: táng bàng — candy stick; a stick-shaped piece of candy
伸出: shēn chū — to extend out; to stretch something outward
口吻: kǒu wěn — mouth; snout; tone of voice or manner
开始: kāi shǐ — to begin; to start doing something
贪婪: tān lán — greedy; excessively eager for more than needed
吮吸: shǔn xī — to suck; to draw liquid with the mouth
起来: qǐ lái — verb complement indicating start of an action
现在: xiàn zài — now; at the present moment in time
有: yǒu — to have; there is or there are
足够: zú gòu — enough; sufficient amount or degree of something
时间: shí jiān — time; a period or duration of time
来: lái — to come; used to introduce a purpose or action
生物: shēng wù — living creature; organism; any form of life
她: tā — she; her; third-person feminine pronoun
觉得: jué de — to feel; to think; to sense subjectively
器官: qì guān — organ; a bodily organ or functional body part
在: zài — at; in; existing at a location or state
脆弱: cuì ruò — fragile; weak; delicate and easily damaged
方面: fāng miàn — aspect; regard; a particular side or dimension
与: yǔ — and; with; together with someone or something
自己: zì jǐ — oneself; one's own self or person
相似: xiāng sì — similar; resembling each other in appearance
乐于: lè yú — happy to; willing and glad to do something
审视: shěn shì — to examine closely; to scrutinize carefully
近乎: jìn hū — nearly; almost; bordering on a certain quality
圆柱形: yuán zhù xíng — cylindrical shape; having the form of a cylinder
奇特: qí tè — peculiar; strange; unusual and remarkable
躯体: qū tǐ — body; the physical trunk or torso of a creature
分为: fēn wéi — to be divided into; split into parts
三: sān — three; the number 3
部分: bù fen — part; section; a portion of a whole
还有: hái yǒu — and also; furthermore; there is also
一个: yī ge — one; a single item or unit
宽: kuān — wide; broad in measurement or extent
大于: dà yú — greater than; larger than in measurement
长: cháng — long; length measurement; extended in distance
头部: tóu bù — head; the head region of a body
不规则: bù guī zé — irregular; not following a regular pattern or shape
球体: qiú tǐ — sphere; a round three-dimensional ball shape
顶端: dǐng duān — top end; the very tip or apex of something
生有: shēng yǒu — bearing; having grown or possessing naturally
两根: liǎng gēn — two (long thin objects); two strands or sticks
触角: chù jiǎo — antennae; feelers on an insect's head
或: huò — or; alternatively; either one option or another
称: chēng — to call; to refer to something by a name
天线: tiān xiàn — antenna; aerial; a receiver or transmitter device
那双: nà shuāng — that pair; referring to a pair of things
最: zuì — most; the superlative degree of an adjective
令: lìng — to cause; to make someone feel a certain way
好奇: hào qí — curious; feeling eager to know or learn more
试图: shì tú — to attempt; to try to do something
数清: shǔ qīng — to count clearly; to finish counting accurately
那些: nà xiē — those; referring to a plural group of things
细小: xì xiǎo — tiny; very small and fine in size
面: miàn — face; facet; surface of a geometric shape
它们: tā men — they; them; third-person plural for non-humans
如此: rú cǐ — so; such; in this way or to this degree
规则: guī zé — regular; orderly; following a consistent pattern
精细: jīng xì — fine; intricate; crafted with great precision
切割: qiē gē — to cut; to slice something into pieces
成: chéng — into; to become; resulting in a shape or state
六边形: liù biān xíng — hexagon; a six-sided geometric polygon shape
比: bǐ — than; used for making comparisons between things
钻石: zuàn shí — diamond; precious gemstone; hardest natural mineral
更: gèng — even more; to a greater degree than before
光滑: guāng huá — smooth; having an even, frictionless surface
璀璨: cuǐ càn — dazzling; brilliantly sparkling and radiant
当: dāng — when; at the time that something occurs
数到: shǔ dào — to count up to a specific number
一百: yī bǎi — one hundred; the number 100
时: shí — when; at the time of a particular moment
从: cóng — from; starting from a place or source
极小: jí xiǎo — extremely small; tiny in the highest degree
盒子: hé zi — box; a small container for storing things
里: lǐ — inside; within a space or container
那是: nà shì — that is; used to identify or describe something
家中: jiā zhōng — at home; within the household
珍宝: zhēn bǎo — treasure; precious valuable object or gem
取出: qǔ chū — to take out; to remove something from a place
几根: jǐ gēn — several (long thin objects); a few strands
细针: xì zhēn — fine needle; a thin sharp sewing or pin needle
一根: yī gēn — one (long thin object); one needle or stick
插入: chā rù — to insert; to push into something
坐垫: zuò diàn — cushion; a soft pad used for sitting on
上: shàng — on; on top of; onto a surface
打算: dǎ suàn — to plan; to intend to do something
以此: yǐ cǐ — with this; using this as a means or method
标记: biāo jì — to mark; a marker or sign indicating something
每: měi — every; each individual item in a group
个: ge — general measure word for people and objects
但: dàn — but; however; introducing a contrasting statement
还没: hái méi — not yet; still has not done something
五百: wǔ bǎi — five hundred; the number 500
便: biàn — then; thereupon; as a result soon after
发现: fā xiàn — to discover; to find out; to realize something
气力: qì lì — strength; physical energy and stamina
和: hé — and; together with; connecting two elements
学识: xué shí — knowledge; learning; academic understanding and expertise
都已: dōu yǐ — both already; all have already reached a state
不支: bù zhī — unable to sustain; failing to hold out longer
说实话: shuō shí huà — to tell the truth; to be honest about something
算术: suàn shù — arithmetic; basic mathematical calculation skills
知识: zhī shi — knowledge; learned information and understanding
根本: gēn běn — fundamentally; simply; at all; not at all
不足以: bù zú yǐ — insufficient to; not enough to accomplish something
就在: jiù zài — right at; exactly when or where something happens
着手: zhuó shǒu — to set about; to begin working on something
数: shǔ — to count; to enumerate items one by one
第一: dì yī — first; number one in order or rank
组: zǔ — group; a set or cluster of things together
右侧: yòu cè — right side; the side that is to the right
那组: nà zǔ — that group; referring to a specific cluster
连: lián — even; not even; used for emphasis of extremity
十六分之一: shí liù fēn zhī yī — one sixteenth; a fraction equal to 1/16
都: dōu — all; both; entirely; without exception
数完: shǔ wán — to finish counting; to complete the count entirely

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