Counselling For Toads -哈马先生去看心理医生

Day 1

今日单词

开始预习

scarcely /ducks /rat /adventures /heroic /self /overcome /emotion /splendid /capable /...

原本高傲自大、追求时髦、爱闹爱笑的Toad，如今却变得闷闷不乐、郁郁寡欢，甚至有陷入抑郁的倾向，这让身边的朋友担心不已。于是，在朋友的建议下，他打算去做心理咨询，开启一场与自己握手言和的心灵自愈之旅。本书是英国心理学家Robert de Board创作的心理学著作，它借用《柳林风声》的故事主角，让Toad和他的朋友们再次登场，讲述了一段关于心理咨询的故事……

- Counselling For Toads -

Chapter 1

Mole finds Toad in a poorly state

The weather was changing on the river bank(河岸).There was something

ominous(不祥的) in the air that had not been there before.

Black thunder-clouds(雷云) hung

menacingly(威胁地) over the fields. A few birds flitted(轻快地飞) pointlessly(无目的地） among the hedgerows(灌木树篙) singing a

song, the notes(音调) of which they seemed scarcely(几乎不) able to remember.

Even the ducks(鸭子),who had as usual been quarrelling(争吵) and quacking(嗖暖叫) about supposed snubs(冷落) and alleged(声称的) insults(侮辱) nestled(位于隐藏的所在) into the reeds(芦羊) and chose to ignore all but the most outrageous(难以容忍的) attacks.

Only the river moved on,black and

sinuous(统斑的）,always changing yet always the same, creating a boundary(边界) for some animals, a highway(公路) for others, and with a suppressed(压抑的）energy and power that was only dangerous when ignored.

In this oppressive(阿热的) weather, Mole decided to go out. If he were to be honest,he was getting a bit restless(焦躁不安的), if not fed up,living with Rat.

Yet even as he thought this,he felt

guilty. For had not Ratty befriended(和...交朋友) Mole, taken him from his dull(乏味 的) old house and introduced him to all his jolly(快活的)friends? And what friends they were too; and what adventures(奇遇) hey had had!

Boating(划船) on the river, meeting

Badger, caravanning(在旅行队旅行)with Toad and finally playing a heroic(英勇的)part in the rescuc(营救) of Toad Hall from the Wildwooders.

And yet, and yet ....Mole found it

hard to describe exactly how he was feeling but it was something to do with his very self(自己). In fact, that was it.

He felt that he was rarely able to be himself because he was always standing

in Rat's shadow. If they went boating,Rat would usually tell him that he was not doing it right, like not feathering(划)his oars(桨) properly.

When they moored(停泊）),Rat would check the painter(缢绳) to see that Mole

had secured it properly and invariably give it another turn around the post.

If they got lost, Rat always knew the way, just as he had done when he rescued Mole in a snowstorm(暴风雪) in the Wild Wood(原始林).

Or that time when, on a long walk, they chanced upon Mole's old house and, not unnaturally(反常地)，Mole was overcome(被..所控制) with emotion(情感).

Not so the ever-capable(一直能干的)Rat,

who took over, got the field mice(田鼠) to buy food and drink and organised a splendid(极好的) evening.

The trouble was that the Rat did seem to be more capable(能干的) than he was.

He could scull(划船) better he knew more knots(绳结) and bends(结)(he could even do a square lashing(编索)) and he

really did take care of Mole.

But in spite of this friendship and

kindness, Mole felt dissatisfied(不满的).

He wished that Rat wasn't quite so

capable and that he would let Mole try out things in his own way, even if that meant getting it wrong.

Of course, this had happened, like the first time he was in Rat's boat and grabbed(抓) the oars—and inevitably(不可避免地) tipped the boat over. Rat had rescued him with great good humour(好脾气) and yet Mole thought, ‘If I hear Rat tcll that story at dinner cver again, I shall scream(抗议)’

Mole was thinking these thoughts as he put on his raincoat(雨衣) and

sou'wester(防水帽). He said to the Rat, I think I'll just pop(去) over for a chat(闲聊)with Toad.We haven't seen him for ages and the walk will do me good.'

The Rat,who was murmuring(咕哝)

poetry things to himself and was trying to find a rhyme(押韵词) for feffervescent(冒泡的',scarcely looked up but as Mole was going out of the door suddenly shouted,

‘Be careful, Moley. Think of what

happened last time you went out on your own!"

He was of course referring to the time when Mole got lost in the Wild Wood and Rat had saved him.

Mole was furious(暴怒的) and called Rat several unflattering(贬损的)words under his breath.

Out loud he said, Thank you Ratty. I'll take care,' adding sotto voce, you stupid,squint-eyed(有斜眼的)rodent(啮齿动物)， which Rat did not hear and which he was not meant to. But it made Mole feel better:

It was in this frame of mind that Mole walked over to Toad Hall, scarcely responding to the polite greetings of the rabbits(兔) he met on the way.

He knew that he had gained their

respect since arriving at the river bank and no one would demand any toll(通行费) from him, as they once had done. Let them dare!

And yet, did he only imagine that he heard one say in a rather horrid(令人讨厌的) way, “That's strange. You don't often sce Mole on his own?'