儒琴英语文学词汇咀嚼《绿山墙的安妮》(Anne of Green Gables)一书的用词。 《绿山墙的安妮》是加拿大作家露西·莫德·蒙哥马利（L. M. Montgomery）1908年的一部小说。这本书适用于所有年龄段，自20世纪中期以来一直被认为是经典的儿童小说。
Chapter 2 — Matthew Cuthbert Is Surprised
第二章 马修大吃一惊
段落 1-4
Matthew Cuthbert and the sorrel mare jogged comfortably over the eight miles to Bright River. It was a pretty road, running along between snug farmsteads, with now and again a bit of balsamy fir wood to drive through or a hollow where wild plums hung out their filmy bloom. The air was sweet with the breath of many apple orchards and the meadows sloped away in the distance to horizon mists of pearl and purple; while the little birds sang as if it were
the one day of summer in all the year.
Matthew enjoyed the drive after his own fashion, except during the moments when he met women and had to nod to them — for in Prince Edward Island you are supposed to nod to all and sundry you meet on the road whether you know them or not.
Matthew dreaded all women except Marilla and Mrs. Rachel; he had an uncomfortable feeling that the mysterious creatures were secretly laughing at him. He may have been quite right in thinking so, for he was an odd-looking personage, with an ungainly figure and long iron-gray hair that touched his stooping shoulders, and a full, soft brown beard which he had worn ever since he was twenty. In fact, he had looked at twenty very much as he looked at sixty, lacking a little of the grayness.
When he reached Bright River there was no sign of any train; he thought he was too early, so he tied his horse in the yard of the small Bright River hotel and went over to the station house. The long platform was almost deserted; the only living creature in sight being a girl who was sitting on a pile of shingles at the extreme end. Matthew, barely noting that it WAS a girl, sidled past her as quickly as possible without looking at her. Had he looked he could hardly have failed to notice the tense rigidity and expectation of her attitude and expression. She was sitting there waiting for something or somebody and, since sitting and waiting was the only thing to do just then, she sat and waited with all her might and main.
马修·卡斯伯特驾着马车不慌不忙地向布莱特河驶去，路程大概有八英里。这是一条风景秀丽的道路，两旁整齐地排列着一些农庄，行进其间，时而穿过一片香脂杉树林，时而越过一个山谷，山谷中的野李子树上挂着朵朵轻薄透明的花苞。大片的苹果园和绿地向远方延伸，消失在地平线附近的朱灰及紫色的薄雾中，空气由于它们散发出的芬芳气息而变得香甜起来，而小鸟在纵情歌唱，仿佛这是一年中最美好的夏日时光。
这样的驾车旅行与马修的风格一致，他一路上自得其乐，除了途中偶尔会遇到女人并不得不向她们打招呼的那些时刻——在爱德华岛，你必须向在路上遇到的每个人打招呼致意，不管你是否认识他们。
马修惧怕所有的女人，除了玛瑞拉和雷切尔太太。一见到女人，他就有一种局促不安的感觉，总觉得这些女人在偷偷地嘲笑他。他这样想并非毫无根据，因为他是一个长相古怪的人，有着笨拙难看的体形，铁灰色长发垂至佝偻的肩部，他从二十岁开始就蓄起柔软的棕色大胡子。实际上，他二十岁时看上去就已经和六十岁时非常相像，只不过那时少了一些灰色。
当他到达布莱特河的时候，那里没有任何火车的踪影，他以为自己来得太早了，所以先把马车拴在布莱特站小旅馆的院子里，然后径直向车站站台走去。长长的月台上空荡荡的；唯一看得见的人，是一个坐在月台尽头的一堆鹅卵石上的女孩。马修望了一眼，一发现那是个女孩，便立刻迅速地侧身从她身边走开。如果他仔细看一眼的话，就一定会注意到她紧张僵硬却充满期待的姿态和神情。她坐在坐在那儿，等着什么，而她那时唯一能做的事就是坐在那里等待。
重点用词
snug: compact, convenient, and comfortable; well and tightly constructed
farmstead: /ˈfɑːmsted/ a farm and its buildings 农庄；农舍及附近建筑物
snug farmsteads : 紧凑舒适的农场
pearl: the white shiny colour of pearl or a pale colour 珠灰色，银白色
all and sundry： everyone 所有人
ungainly： adjective /ʌnˈɡeɪn.li/ awkward and without grace in movement 笨手笨脚的；举止不优雅的
shingle：这个单词在英语里频率用的最多的含义是：a small thin piece of building material often with one end thicker than the other for laying in overlapping rows as a covering for the roof or sides of a building. 是一种小而薄的建筑材料，通常一端比另一端厚，用于叠放成一排，作为屋顶或建筑物侧面的覆盖物。北美有一些比较讲究的房子会用single一片一片做成房子的山墙（侧墙）或屋顶。可以翻译成：屋顶瓦；房瓦。
屋顶瓦大致有这么几种： 沥青瓦， metal(金属) ,cedar(木条), rubber(橡胶),slate/tile (琉璃瓦)等不同材质的选择。
试译： a girl who was sitting on a pile of shingles at the extreme end 是一个坐在月台尽头的一堆屋顶瓦上的女孩
might and main： adverb， vigorously；with as much effort as possible 全力以赴，竭尽全力
试译： She was sitting there waiting for something or somebody and, since sitting and waiting was the only thing to do just then, she sat and waited with all her might and main. 她正坐在那里等着什么东西或什么人，既然当时唯一能做的就是坐着等待，她就坐着全身心地等着。
sidle： verb [ I usually + adv/prep ]/ˈsaɪ.dəl/
to walk towards or away from someone, trying not to be noticed 侧身而行；悄悄地走
