Part 5 The Second Wedding Chapter 9

But he never returned. One August night, out off gloomy Iceland,mingled with the furious clamour of the sea, his wedding with the seawas performed. It had been his nurse; it had rocked him in hisbabyhood, and had afterward¹ made him big and strong; then, in hissuperb manhood, it had taken him back again for itself alone.

　　Profoundest mystery had surrounded this unhallowed union. While itwent on, dark curtains hung pall-like over it as if to conceal² theceremony, and the ghoul howled in an awful deafening³ voice to stiflehis cries. He, thinking of Gaud, his sole, darling wife, had battledwith giant strength against this deathly rival, until he at lastsurrendered, with a deep death-cry like the roar of a dying bull,through a mouth already filled with water; and his arms were stretchedapart and stiffened⁴ for ever.

　　All those he had invited in days of old were present at his wedding.

　　All except Sylvestre, who had gone to sleep in the enchanted⁵ gardensfar, far away, at the other side of the earth.

The End

1 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

2 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

3 deafening   

adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The noise of the siren was deafening her. 汽笛声震得她耳朵都快聋了。
• The noise of the machine was deafening. 机器的轰鸣声震耳欲聋。

4 stiffened   

加强的

参考例句：

• He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去，这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。
• She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。

5 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。