词汇提示

1.hectic 繁忙

2.refuge 避难

3.stagnant 停滞

4.patio 露台

5.rippling 涟漪

6.willow 柳树

7.rushes 灯芯草

8.crawfish 小龙虾

原文

A Favorite Place

It is good to have a favorite place where you can go to be alone and relax.

Sometimes,this spot is your own room or a quiet part of the house.

Sometimes,it is somewhere outdoors away from people and busy streets.

Or you may feel most comfortable in a shopping mall or a downtown park.

Our favorite place is especially nice to go to at times of stress.

When work gets too hectic, or we have trouble with other people, then our favorite place is a refuge from these difficulties.

My special spot is very close to where I work.

It is on a busy university campus.

Atone end of the university, hidden among several buildings, there is a pond.

This pond is surrounded by large rocks, which rise up like a small cliff on one side.

Shooting out of these rocks are water pipes, which create a small waterfall.

The water is drawn up from the bottom of the pond and drops back into the middle.

This keeps the water from becoming stagnant.

On the other side of the pond, there is a grassy shore and a flat stone patio.

Here,in the summer, people can sit out and have meals.

Yet,very few people come here to sit; perhaps because they are very busy with their work.

There is something very calm and pleasant about trees and grass and shade, about birds singing and water rippling, and flowers blooming all around.

Green is a relaxing color for the eyes.

Still water suggests peace.

Running water seems full of life.

There is a large weeping willow tree on the grassy side of the pond.

Its branches touch the water and shade much of the pond.

Rushes grow in the shallow water.

The pond is only about three feet deep.

In the summer, there are beautiful water lilies in bloom over much of the pond.

Sometimes,I have counted over thirty blooms, and some flowers are over five inches wide.

Goldfish and minnows are the pond's chief inhabitants.

But there are also crawfish and other animals.

At different times there have been a turtlea water snake, and a family of ducks.

Behind the pond is a large glassy wall, which reflects the entire scene.

One can also go inside and view the pond, even on rainy or snowy days.

There are several gardens close to the pond.

One of the gardeners told me that he could turn the waterfall off and on.

Usually on the weekends it is turned off, but if there is a special event the water fallis left on.

Behind the glassy wall is a cafeteria.

Here,visitors to the university are sometimes taken for meals.

The students do not use it.

In the winter, the pond freezes over.

Sometimes,if the winter is very cold the pond freezes right down to the bottom.

Then,most of the goldfish and minnows die.

Usually,some survive in the mud at the bottom of the pond.

Occasionally,people will skate on the pond, if the ice is smooth.

When spring comes, a lot of the old rushes and water lily leaves from the previous year are cleared away.

This makes the pond more attractive and gives the new plants room to grow.

If there are too many rushes, they are sometimes cut down in summer.

Then visitors can see the water lilies better.

Chances are that if you ever visit Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, you will hear about Pond Inlet.

And,if you come in the summer, you will probably see me there, thinking about my next article.

翻译

最喜欢的地方

有一个你最喜欢的地方可以独自去放松是件好事。
有时，这个地方是你自己的房间或房子的一个安静的部分。
有时，它是在远离人群和繁忙街道的户外。
或者你可能在购物中心或市中心的公园里感觉最舒服。
我们最喜欢的地方在压力大的时候特别适合去。
当工作变得太忙，或者我们与他人有麻烦时，我们最喜欢的地方就是逃避这些困难的避难所。
我的特殊位置离我工作的地方很近。
它在一个繁忙的大学校园里。
在大学的一端，隐藏在几栋建筑之中，有一个池塘。
这个池塘四周都是大岩石，这些岩石在一边像小悬崖一样耸立起来。
从这些岩石中射出的是水管，形成了一个小瀑布。
水从池塘底部被抽上来，然后又落回池塘中央。
这样可以防止水停滞不前。
在池塘的另一边，有一个草地岸边和一个平坦的石头露台。
在这里，夏天，人们可以坐在外面吃饭。
然而，很少有人来这里坐;也许是因为他们工作太忙了。
树木、草地和树荫，鸟儿歌唱，流水潺潺，周围的鲜花盛开，都有一种非常平静和愉快的感觉。
绿色是让眼睛放松的颜色。
静水意味着和平。
流水似乎充满了生命。
池塘的草地边有一棵大垂柳。
它的树枝触到水面，遮蔽了池塘的大部分。
浅水里长着灯心草。
这个池塘只有大约三英尺深。
在夏天，池塘的大部分地方都盛开着美丽的睡莲。
有时，我数过有三十多朵花，有些花有五英寸多宽。
金鱼和鲦鱼是池塘里的主要居民。
但也有小龙虾和其他动物。
在不同的时期，曾出现过海龟、水蛇和鸭子家族。
池塘后面是一面巨大的玻璃墙，它反映了整个场景。
即使在雨天或下雪天，人们也可以进去观赏池塘。
池塘附近有几个花园。
其中一个园丁告诉我他可以打开和关闭瀑布。
通常在周末它是关闭的，但如果有特殊活动，瀑布是开着的。
玻璃墙后面是自助餐厅。
在这里，参观大学的游客有时会被带去吃饭。
学生们不使用它。
冬天，池塘结冰了。
有时，如果冬天很冷，池塘的底部就会结冰。
然后，大多数金鱼和鲦鱼都死了。
通常，有些在池塘底部的泥浆中存活。
偶尔，如果冰面光滑的话，人们会在池塘上滑冰。
当春天来临时，许多往年的灯心草和睡莲叶子都会被清理掉。
这使池塘更有吸引力，并给新植物生长的空间。
如果有太多的灯心草，它们有时会在夏天被砍掉。
然后游客可以更好地看到睡莲。
如果你曾经访问过安大略省圣凯瑟琳的布洛克大学，你很有可能会听说池塘入口。
而且，如果你夏天来，你可能会在那里看到我，思考我的下一篇文章。

Level 4-Day 83.A Favourite Place

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