The-Tale-of-the-Three-Brothers(三兄弟的故事).doc

The Tale of the Three BrothersThe Tale of the Three Brothers(part 1)There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding(adj.蜿蜒的)road at twilight(n.黎明，黄昏，暮光).In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade(vt.& vi.蹚(水) through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved（vt.挥n、舞） their wands（n.魔杖） and made a bridge appear across the treacherous （adj.不可信的）water. They were halfway across it when they found their path（n.路） blocked by a hooded（adj.戴头巾的） figure（n.人物）.And Death（死神） spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims（n.牺牲者）, for travelers usually drowned（v.（使）淹没， （使）溺死( drown的过去式和过去分词 )） in the river. But Death was cunning（adj.狡猾的）. He pretended（v.假装( pretend的过去式和过去分词 )） to congratulate the three brothers upon（prep.在上面） their magic, and said that each had earned（v.赚得（earn的过去式和过去分词） a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.So the oldest brother, who was a combative （adj.好斗的）man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence（n.存在）: a wand that must always win duels（n.决斗） for its owner, a wand worthy（adj.配得上的） of a wizard（n.男巫） who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks（n.（河的）岸） of the river, fashioned （vt.制作）a wand from a branch（n.分支;树枝） that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.Then the second brother, who was an arrogant（adj.傲慢的，自大的;） man, decided that he wanted to humiliate（vt.羞辱）Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest（adj.谦逊的） and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth（prep.从离开;） from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility（隐形衣）.(To be continued)Words bank:windingwand (adj.蜿蜒的)twilighttwalat (n.黎明，黄昏，暮光)wadewed (vt.& vi.蹚(水)wavewev（vt.挥舞）wandwnd（n.魔杖）treacheroustret()rs （adj.不可信的）pathp（n.路）figurefg（n.人物）hoodedhdd（adj.戴头巾的）victimvktm（n.牺牲者）drowneddrand（v.（使）淹没， （使）溺死( drown的过去式和过去分词 )）cunningkn（adj.狡猾的）pretendedprtendd（v.假装( pretend的过去式和过去分词 )）uponpn（prep.在上面）earned:nd（v.赚得（earn的过去式和过去分词）combative kmbtv（adj.好斗的）existence gzst()ns（n.存在）duel djul（n.决斗）worthyw（adj.配得上的） wizardwzd（n.男巫）bankbk（n.（河的）岸）branchbrn(t)（n.分支;树枝）arrogantrg()nt（adj.傲慢的，自大的;）humiliatehjmlet（vt.羞辱）humblehmbl（adj.谦逊的）forthf（prep.从离开;）invisibilityn,vzblt（n.看不见的东西）The Tale of the Three Brothers(part 2)Then Death stood aside(站开；躲开，避开) and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure(dventn. 冒险) they had had ,and admiring Deaths gifts.In due(在适当的) course(ksn.路线) the brothers separated, each for his own destination(destne()nn. 目的地，终点).The first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant(dst()nt adj. 遥远的)village, sought (st v. 寻找（seek的过去式和过去分词）out a fellow(fel adj. 同伴的)wizard with whom he had a quarrel (kwr()l n. 吵架).Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon (wep()n n. 武器 ), he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded （原型为proceed prsid vi. 开始；继续进行）to an inn （n n. 客栈）, where heboasted（ vi. 自吹自擂） loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched （v. 抢夺（snatch的过去分词）from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible （nvnsb()l adj. 无敌的）.That very（ver adj. 恰好是，正是）night, another wizard crept （v. 匍匐爬行（creep的过去式）upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden（满身酒气的） upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure（为了保险起见）, slit （vt. 撕裂）the oldest brothers throat.And so Death took the first brother for his own.Meanwhile （minwal adv. 同时，其间）, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight （dlatn. 高兴）, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely （ntaml adj. 不合时宜的；过早的）death, appeared at once before him.Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil（vel n.遮蔽物）. Though she had returned to the mortal（mt()l adj. 凡人的）world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad（变疯,将.逼得发疯）with hopeless longing（l n. 渴望）, killed himself so as to truly join her.And so Death took the second brother from his own.But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained （vt. 取得，得到，获得（attain的过去式）a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And the he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed（dptd v. 离去；去世（depart的过去分词） this life .（The end）Words bank:departed（dptd v. 离去；去世（depart的过去分词）attained （vt. 取得，得到，获得（attain的过去式）longing（l n. 渴望）driven mad（变疯,将.逼得发疯）mortal（mt()l adj. 凡人的）veil（vel n.遮蔽物）untimely （ntaml adj. 不合时宜的；过早的）delight （dlatn. 高兴）Meanwhile （minwal adv. 同时，其间）slit （vt. 撕裂）measure（为了保险起见）crept （v. 匍匐爬行（creep的过去式）very（ver adj. 恰好是，正是）invincible （nvnsb()l adj. 无敌的）.snatched （v. 抢