Kirkwall was a town of ineffable delight. By comparison with the isolation of the Island it was all bustle and excitement.
The narrow paved streets on which pedestrians, horse drawn vehicles and cars all made their way together were lined with brightly lit shop windows. In the harbor great ships lay at anchor bearing the names of faraway places like Aberdeen and even Leith; and, most exciting of all, up at the far end of the main street, sheltered by the buildings, there grew a tree! A tree was something so exotic in our experience that whenever we visited Kirkwall we could hardly wait to rush up the street to see if it was still there. It would not have surprised us if a panther had lurked among its branches waiting to pounce down on an unwary passer-by or if brightly plumaged parrots had hopped from twig to twig.
(From Against the Wind by Douglas Sutherland) Piccadilly before Dawn
ineffable  无法表达的，不可言喻的
bustle  忙碌，熙熙攘攘
at anchor  抛锚泊定船只 教育互联
exotic  奇异的，异乎寻常的
panther  豹
lurk  潜伏，埋伏
pounce  猛扑，突然袭击
unwary  不注意的，不警惕的
plumage  长有…羽毛
hop  齐足跳 湖南阳光高考公益平台

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