Outside, the late afternoon sun slanted down in the yard, throwing into gleaming brightness the dogwood trees that were solid masses of white blossoms against the background of new green.

(1)slant[文中] (光影)倾斜 [slɑːnt]

例：The sun’s rays slanted through the trees

阳光透过树木斜照下来。

其他用法：有偏向性地陈述，报道

例：slanted news coverage 带偏见的报道

(2)gleaming[文中] 闪闪发光的 [gliːm]

其他用法：gleam 动词，闪光

例：His black hair gleamed in the sun.

他的黑头发在阳光下闪闪发光。

A gleam of 名词，一丝

例：There was a gleam of hope for a peaceful settlement. 和平解决曾有一线希望。

(3) dogwood 山茱萸  ['dɒgwʊd] 一丛或者一小树带着粉色浆果或者红色茎叶的植物 

(4)masses of 大多数 大部分

例：But these efforts are unlikely to deter the masses of people seeking better opportunities

但是这些措施并不能阻止大部分人寻找更好的机会

与a mass of 的轻微区别，a mass of是指大量的

例：Oxford Street took a reputation that spreading all over the world. Not only because it attracted tourists from other places of Britain, but also a mass of aboard tourists.

牛津街享有遍及全球的声誉，它不仅吸引了英国其它地方的游客，也吸引了大量的海外游客。

5) against the background of 在 （环境/社会） 背景之下， 后面只能接短语

The twins’ horses were hitched in the driveway, big animals, red as their masters’ hair; and around the horses’ legs quarreled the pack of lean, nervous possum hounds that accompanied Stuart and Brent wherever they went.

(1) hitch [文中] [hɪtʃ]钩住，拴

其他意思：hitch a ride 搭便车

例：We hitched a ride with a trucker.

我们搭乘了一位卡车司机的便车。

短暂的故障，障碍

例：In spite of some technical hitches, the first program was a success.

尽管出现了一些小小的技术故障，第一个节目还是很成功。

(2) driveway /ˈdraɪvˌweɪ/ 主要用于美国, 表示房子与街道之间的私人车道

注：英语交通规则中比较正式的，形容车道的单词是lane  [leɪn]

(3) pack of [文中]一群

例：A pack of wolves went ravening about in the forest.

    一群狼在森林中到处觅食

(4) lean [文中]瘦的[liːn]

也可以指瘦肉

(5)possum hound [文中] 专门追捕负鼠的猎犬 ['pɒsəm] [haʊnd]

其他意思： possum－装傻

例：Don't worry possum looks very poor, even though everyone see you are silly, but they are still not get your way

别担心装傻的样子很拙劣，即使每个人都看出你在装傻，可他们依旧拿你没办法。

hound－做猎犬是不正式的用法，其正式的含义包括：不断的骚扰，烦扰

例：After the court case, Lee was hounded by the press.

      案件审结后，李受到新闻界的骚扰。

或者：迫使某人离开（某事物） hound sb out (of/from sth)

例：The family were hounded out of their home by 18 months of abuse.

 遭受了18个月的骚扰之后，那家人不得已搬家了。

A little aloof, as became an aristocrat, lay a black-spotted carriage dog, muzzle on paws, patiently waiting for the boys to go home to supper.

(1) aloof[文中] [ə'luːf] 冷漠的；疏远的

其他用法：keep/hold yourself aloof (from sb)

例：She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class.

她对班上的男生一直很冷漠。

remain/stand aloof (from sth) 不参与

例：

Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign.

最初，总统没有参与这次运动。

(2)muzzle[文中] [ə'luːf] 动物的鼻口部，吻〔尤指狗或马的鼻口部〕

其他用法：钳制…的言论         

例：an attempt by the government to muzzle the country’s media政府限制新闻自由的企图

注：‘lay a black-spotted carriage dog muzzle on paws’ 这句话是用了全倒装，将动词lay放置在最前面，当谓语动词是不及物动词的时候可以使用倒装丰富句式

例：On the edge of the city lies a river

(3) 语法: 现在分词作伴随状语的句子

Outside, the late afternoon sun slanted down in the yard, throwing into gleaming brightness

…Carriage dog muzzle on paws, patiently waiting for the boys to go home to supper.

从这些句子中我们可以看到伴随状语的要素：

1.两个动作从属同一个个主语 （sun/carriage dog）

2.主语发出一个动作的时候伴随着某种状态 （dog-动作muzzle on paws-状态waiting)

通过运用现在 sb do/ did, doing sth 这样的句式可以替代and 或者其他从句

Happy reading and listening! 

2018.8.9

主播：Isabella

文稿：Isabella, Jane, chen chen

音频后期：chen chen