Lesson 09
Spell (=Magic power) of the (rai<->) Rising Moon
by Peter Steinhart
[1] There is a hill (->hilly丘陵的) near my home that I often climb at night.
[2] The noi of the city is a far-off (遥远的) murmur (咕哝, 低语). In the hush (vt./n.安静) of dark (光线暗<->black: 颜色黑) I share the 求职信封面(cheer: vi./ n. small->cheerful: adj. happy->) cheerfulness (=happiness) of crickets (蟋蟀) and the confidence (信心->lf-confidence: 自信) of spitzowls (猫头鹰). But it is the drama of the moonri (月出) that I come to e. For that (store: n.仓库; vt.储存->) restores (恢复) in me a quiet and (clear: adj./ vt.->) clarity (清晰, 透明) that the city spends (=pass) too freely.
[3] From this hill I have watched many moons (to) ri. Each one had its own mood (心情-> mode渠道/ 模式). There have been broad, confident harvest (vt./ n.收获) moons in autumn; shy, misty (=foggy) moons in spring; lonely, white winter moons rising into the utter
(=complete) silence of an ink-black sky and smoke-smudged (=dirty涂污的) orange moons over the dry fields of summer. Each, like fine (精美的) music, excited my heart and then calmed (adj./vt.) my soul.
[4] Moongazing (赏月) is an ancient art. To prehistoric hunters the moon overhead was as (error: n.不懂而出的错误<->mistake粗心出的的错) unhenryforderring (准确无误的) as heartbeat. They knew that every 29 days (caculate: vt.计算->solar<->lunar calendar: 农历) it became full-bellied (满月) and brilliant, then sickened and died (消失在夜空), and then was reborn. They knew the waxing (渐圆的) moon appeared larger and higher overhead after each succeeding (=after) sunt (vi./ n.日落). They knew the waning (渐残的) moon ro later each night until it vanished (=disappeared) in the sunri. To have understood the moon’s patterns (=rule规律) from experience must have been a profound thing (深奥的东西).
[5] But we, who live indoors (adv.在室内), have lost contact (vt./ n.接触) with the moon. The glare (强光) of street lights and the dust of (pollute: vt.污染->) pollution veil (面纱) nig
ht sky. Though men have walked on the moon, it grows (=becomes) less familiar (=strange). Few of us can say what time the moon will ri tonight.
[6] Still (adj.静止的；conj. Furthermore而且), it tugs at (=attracts) our minds. If we unexpectedly encounter (遭遇) the full moon, huge and yellow over the horizon (地平线), we are helpless (=at a loss茫然若失，不知所措) but (=except除了) to stare back at its (command: vt.指挥发号施令->commander: 司令) commanding (=powerful) prence. And the moon has gifts to bestow (赠与不确定的意思) upon (=on) tho who watch.
[7] I learned (=found) about its gifts one July evening in the mountains. My car had mysteriously stalled (=broke down熄火), and I was stranded (滞留) and alone (adv.). The sun had t, and I was watching what emed to be the bright-orange glow of a forest fire beyond a ridge (山脉) to the east. Suddenly, the ridge itlf emed to burst into flame. Then, the rising moon, huge and red and grotesquely (离奇, 荒诞地down什么意思) misshapen (变形) by the dust and sweat (=moisture) of the summer (atom: 原子->atmo-) atmosphere (潮湿的大气), loomed up (隐约出现) out of the woods (=forest).
[8] Distorted thus by the hot (breathe: vi.->) breath (n.呼吸) of earth, the moon emed ill-tempered (脾气坏的) and imperfect (不完美的). Dogs at nearby farmhous (农舍) barked (vi.) nervously, as if (仿佛) this strange light had wakened (=aroud唤醒) evil spirits (邪恶的灵魂) in the weeds (杂草).
[9] But as (=when) the moon lifted off the ridge it gathered (=got) firmness (=strength) and authority (权威). Its complexion (脸色) changed from red, to orange, to gold, to impassive (冷漠无情的) yellow. It emed to draw light out of (驱散) the darkening (驱散了所向披靡的黑暗) earth, for (因为) as (=when) it (ri->) ro; the hills and valleys below grew (=became) dimmer (黯淡模糊的). By the time the moon stood clear of (离开) the horizon, full chested and round and the color of ivory (象牙般的颜色), the valleys were deep (shade: n.树荫->) shadows (留在阴影中) in the landscape. The dogs, (sure: adj.有把握的->assure: vt.安慰->) reassured (使放心) that this was the familiar moon, stopped barking. And all at once (=right away立刻) I felt a confidence and joy (=happiness/ pleasure欢乐) clo to laughter (n.笑声).
[10] The drama took (=lasted for持续) an hour. Moonri is slow and rried with (密集排列) (subtle: adj.细微的->) subtleties (细微变化). To watch it (为了赏月), we must slip into (滑入) an older, more patient n of time上海英语口译 (时间观念). To watch the moon move inexorably (无情冷酷地) higher is to find an unusual (少有的) stillness (平静) within ourlves. Our (image: n.形象->imagine: vt. ->) imaginations (n. 想象) bopbecome aware of (=realize) the vast (=huge) distances of space, the (immense: adj.巨大的->) immensity (=greatness) of the earth and the huge (probable: adj.可能的->improbable: adj. 不可能->) improbability (未必有的事) of our own existence. We feel small but (=except) privileged (优越感).
[11] Moonlight shows us none of life's harder edges (shakespeare边缘/ 优越感). Hillsides em 考研 政治silk方案英语en (丝滑的) and silvery (银色的), the oceans still (=calm) and blue in its light. In moonlight we become less calculating (少一些算计), more drawn to our feelings (多一些情感).
