THE HOUSE-CRICKET
THE HOUSE-CRICKET
Crickets are fond of kitchens and bakers' ovens on ac- count of（1） their warmth. Tender insects that live abroad（2） either enjoy only the short period of one summer， or else doze away（3） the cold， uncomfortable months in profound slumbers； but these residing， as it were（4）， in a torrid zone， are always alert and merry： a good Christmas fire is to them like the heats of the dog-days. Though they are frequently heard by day， yet is their natural time of motion only in the night. As soon as it grows dusk， the chirping increases， and they come running forth， ranging from the size of a flea to that of their full stature（5）。 As one should suppose from the burning atmosphere which they inhabit， they are a thirsty race， and show a great propensity for（6） liquids； being frequently drowned in pans of water， milk， broth， and the like（7） Whatever is moist（8） they affect； and therefore often gnaw holes in wet woolen stockings and aprons that are hung to the fire.
From 27re Natural History of Selborne
by Gilbert White
屋內蟋蟀
吉爾伯特?懷特
蟋蟀喜歡廚房和面包房的烘箱間，因為那些地方暖和。生活于野外的脆弱的昆蟲，或者僅能愉快地度過一個短暫的夏季，或者在沉睡中度過寒冷難受的那幾個月，然而這些生活在可以說是"熱帶"地方的蟲兒，卻始終是活躍而歡快的。對于它們，熊熊的圣誕節爐火好比是三伏天的暑熱。雖然在白天可以經常聽到它們的唧唧鳴聲，但只有夜晚才是它們天然活動的時間。一到黃昏，不僅那鳴聲更為嘹亮，而且它們都跳了出來，小的只有跳蚤那樣大，大的可已長夠了個頭。它們生活于炎熱的環境，人們可以猜想出它們是一種嗜水的昆蟲，酷愛各種流質，因而常常溺死在有水的、有牛奶的、有湯汁之類的鍋盤里。它們愛好潮濕的東西，因此常常把掛在爐邊的濕羊毛襪或圍裙咬出一個個窟窿。
（1）on account of：因為。
（2）abroad：戶外。
（3）doze away： 用瞌睡來度過。doze在句中作及物動詞，其賓語為months.
（4）as it were： 可以說是。作插入語。
（5）ranging from the size of a flea to that of their full stature： 大小都有，最小的只如跳蚤那般大，最大的則已完全長足。range：（在一定范圍內）變化。
（6） show a great propensity for： 對……有很大的癖好。
（7）and the like： 等等，諸如此類。
（8）whatever is moist： 凡是潮濕的東西。 作affect的賓語。
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