这是《夏洛的网》第十章第3部分节选。文中讲到小男孩Avery发现了蜘蛛夏洛，并且想把她占为己有，但因为老鼠之前保存的臭鹅蛋破裂，臭气赶走了孩子们，从而夏洛逃过一劫。
原文精读：
林语堂先生在他的《开明语法》中曾经写道，“If we look carefully, we find it is always the verb that gives life to the whole sentence.” 也就是说，是动词赋予了一个句子生命。如果我们读完一段文字，感觉它所写的事物好像就在眼前动了起来，那很可能就是动词运用的恰到好处。
请比较下面这两种表达：
第一种表达：
Avery got over the fence of the pigpen. He was just about to hit Charlotte when he fell down. He landed on the edge of Wilbur's trough. The trough came down. The goose egg was right underneath. There was a dull explosion as the egg broke, and then a horrible smell.
第二种表达：
Avery put one leg over the fence of the pigpen. He was just about to raise his stick to hit Charlotte when he lost his balance. He swayed and toppled and landed on the edge of Wilbur's trough. The trough tipped up and then came down with a slap. The goose egg was right underneath. There was a dull explosion as the egg broke, and then a horrible smell.
你更喜欢哪一种？
第二种表达出自《夏洛的网》原文第十章，第一种表达是我为了比较而改写的。很显然，原文的表达更细致，更生动，读完就好像有个小男孩在眼前活动一样。那为什么会有这样的效果呢？答案就在动词的应用上。
如“He swayed and toppled and landed on the edge of Wilbur's trough."这一句。
本来这是三个简单句：
He swayed.
He toppled.
He landed on the edge of Wilbur's trough.
作者把这三个简单句用"and"连接起来，感觉动作非常紧凑而连贯。
再看一句原文：
Templeton, who had been resting in his home, scuttled away into the barn.
以这个句子为例子，可以帮助我们理解过去完成时的用途。
这个句子如果改写为简单句，就是下面这些句子：
Temleton was resting in his home. (臭蛋炸裂前)
Templeton scuttled away into the barn.（臭蛋炸裂后）
文中原句"Templeton, who had been resting in his home, scuttled away into the barn." 就是把第一个句子变成了定语从句，修饰Temleton, 并且用过去完成时来表示休息这个动词发生在快速逃到谷仓这个动作之前。过去完成时的一个用途就是表示动作在时间上的先后顺序。
本句中“scuttle”这个动词非常形象生动，它的意思是小步快跑，你马上可以想象出老鼠四条腿快速小步跑动的样子。如果把这个词换成“run”，虽然意思没变，但效果就模糊逊色很多了。
我个人很喜欢精读经典的文字。精读经典就好像把一段美味广式腊肠细心切成薄薄如纸的小片，筷子夹起，欣赏它紫、红、粉、白相间的颜色和纹理，然后再慢慢咀嚼，感受它的独特质地和风味。这与狼吞虎咽吃下去相比，仿佛就像是两种完全不同的食物。
语言积累：
topple: verb, to become unsteady and fall down
A stack of plates swayed, and began to topple over.
The pile of books toppled over.
tip up: phrasal verb, if you tip something up, or if it tips up, it moves into a sloping position, so that one end or side is higher than the other.
He tipped the bottle up so that the last drop of the liquid flowed into this glass.
scuttle: to run with quick short steps
He held his breath as a rat scuttled past.
jump to one's feet: 一跃而起
When I told my son he may watch the cartoon if he could finish his homework in time, he just jumped to his feet.
hold one's nose: 捂住鼻子
My little son told me that he had to hold his nose when he went to the bathroom in school, because it's so smelly.
narrow escape: a situation in which you only just avoid danger, difficulties or trouble
A woman had a narrow escape yesterday when her car left the road.
Did you ever have a narrow escape?
附第十章原文第3部分：
Chapter 10 An Explosion（3）
Avery put one leg over the fence of the pigpen. He was just about to raise his stick to hit Charlotte when he lost his balance. He swayed and toppled and landed on the edge of Wilbur's trough. The trough tipped up and then came down with a slap. The goose egg was right underneath. There was a dull explosion as the egg broke, and then a horrible smell.
Fern screamed. Avery jumped to his feet. The air was filled with the terrible gases and smells from the rotten egg. Templeton, who had been resting in his home, scuttled away into the barn.
"Good night!" screamed Avery. "Good night! What a stink! Let's get out of here!"
Fern was crying. She held her nose and ran toward the house. Avery ran after her, holding his nose. Charlotte felt greatly relieved to see him go. It had been a narrow escape.
