December 24

“And Isaac went out to meditate¹ in the fields at eventide” (Gen. 24:63)

We should be better Christians² if we were more alone; we should do more if we attempted less, and spent more time in retirement³, and quiet waiting upon God. The world is too much with us; we are afflicted⁴ with the idea that we are doing nothing unless we are fussily⁵ running to and fro; we do not believe in "the calm retreat, the silent shade." As a people, we are of a very practical turn of mind; "we believe," as someone has said, "in having all our irons in the fire, and consider the time not spent between the anvil⁶ and the fire as lost, or much the same as lost." Yet no time is more profitably spent than that which is set apart for quiet musing⁷, for talking with God, for looking up to Heaven. We cannot have too many of these open spaces in life, hours in which the soul is left accessible to any sweet thought or influence it may please God to send.

“Reverie,” it has been said, “is the Sunday of the mind.” Let us often in these days give our mind a "Sunday," in which it will do no manner of work but simply lie still, and look upward, and spread itself out before the Lord like Gideon's fleece, to be soaked and moistened with the dews of Heaven. Let there be intervals⁸ when we shall do nothing, think nothing, plan nothing, but just lay ourselves on the green lap of nature and “rest awhile.”

Time so spent is not lost time. The fisherman cannot be said to be losing time when he is mending his nets, nor the mower¹⁰ when he takes a few minutes to sharpen his scythe¹¹ at the top of the ridge¹². City men cannot do better than follow the example of Isaac, and, as often as they can, get away from the fret¹³ and fever of life into fields. Wearied with the heat and din⁹, the noise and bustle¹⁴, communion with nature is very grateful; it will have a calming, healing influence. A walk through the fields, a saunter by the seashore or across the daisy-sprinkled meadows, will purge¹⁵ your life from sordidness¹⁶, and make the heart beat with new joy and hope.━Selected

The little cares that fretted¹⁷ me,I lost them yesterday, Out in the field with God.”

Christmas Eve

BELLS ACROSS THE SNOW

“0 Christmas, merry Christmas,

Is it really come again,

With its memories and greetings,

With its joy and with its pain!

There's a minor¹⁸ in the carol

And a shadow in the light,

And a spray of cypress¹⁹ twining

With the holly²⁰ wreath tonight.

And the hush²¹ is never broken,

By laughter light and low,

As we listen in the starlight,

To the "bells across the snow.“

“0 Christmas, merry Christmas,

'Tis not so very long

Since other voices blended

With the carol and the song!

If we could but hear them singing,

As they are singing now,

If we could but see the radiance,

Of the crown on each dear brow,

There would be no sigh to smother²²,

No hidden tear to flow,

As we listen in the starlight,

To the "bells across the snow."

“0 Christmas, merry Christmas,

This never more can be;

We cannot bring again the days

Of our unshadowed glee,

But Christmas, happy Christmas,

Sweet herald²³ of good will,

With holy songs of glory

Brings holy gladness still.

For peace and hope may brighten,

And patient love may glow,

As we listen in the starlight,

To the"bells across the snow.”

━Frances Ridley Havergal

十二月二十四日

天将晚，以撒出来在田间默想。”（创廿四：63）

我们若有更多单独的时间，就必有更多属灵的长进；我们若少尝试，多退修，就必有更大工作的果效。我们常以为不做事是懒惰、是羞耻，所以我们顶喜欢跑来跑去瞎忙。其实，默想的时候，与神谈话的时间，举目望天的时间，是对我们最有益的时间。这种时间从不会“太多”的。

或说：默想是心灵的休息，让我们常常给心灵以休息的机会，那时任何有形的工作都要暂停止，只是静静地躺下，仰望着星宿，好象基甸的羊群那样，在神面前展开身体，接受天降的甘露，我们亦要有间歇的时间，不工作，不计算，躺在大自然的怀抱里，好好的安息。

这种时间绝对不是虚耗。渔夫坐下补网，你能不能说他虚耗时间呢？割草者坐下磨刀，你能不能说他虚耗时间呢？我们应该常学以撒的样，从热闷的生活中出来，到田间去默想。我们所过的是热闹的生活、喧噪的生活、忙录的生活，能常与大自然接触的话，的确是一件非常痛快的事情。田间散步，海边闲游，能使我们心中充满新的喜乐和盼望。━选

“昨天我失去了那些使我苦恼的忧虑和不安，……其时，我和神同在田野之间”。

圣诞前夕之歌

静听雪地钟声

啊,圣诞,快乐圣诞,

果然再度来临,

带着它的记念和祝福,

带着它的苦痛和欢欣!

歌声中有低沉的音节,

亮光里也有一些暗冥,

今夜,有表示神圣的花园,

交织着一枝枝松柏青青。

只是笑声那末低微,

打不破寂然的沉静,

我们在星光下听聆,

雪地里传来的钟声。

啊,圣诞,快乐圣诞,

离开现在并不太久,

其时还有别的声息,

于颂赞中交响而奏!

只要能听到他们的歌唱,

正像此刻的音节铿锵,

只要能看到他们的额上,

闪耀着冠冕的光芒,

就不会有窒息的哀叹,

也不会有眼泪的暗洒,

我们在星光下听聆,

雪地里传来的钟声。

啊,圣诞,快乐圣诞,

佳节不常,良辰不再；

已经过去的欢愉日子,

我们无法唤它重复回来,

但一年一度的快乐圣诞,

预告着甜美的福音,

随着光荣的圣歌,

依旧带来了天上的欢欣。

坚贞的爱会洋溢人间,

和平与希望会放出光明,

我们在星光下听聆,

雪地里传来的钟声。

━海弗格尔

1 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

4 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

5 fussily   

adv.无事空扰地，大惊小怪地，小题大做地

参考例句：

• She adjusted her head scarf fussily. 她小题大做地整了整头巾。 来自辞典例句
• He spoke to her fussily. 他大惊小怪地对她说。 来自互联网

6 anvil   

n.铁钻

参考例句：

• The blacksmith shaped a horseshoe on his anvil.铁匠在他的铁砧上打出一个马蹄形。
• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly.订书机上的铁砧安装错位。

7 musing   

n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• "At Tellson's banking-house at nine," he said, with a musing face. “九点在台尔森银行大厦见面，”他想道。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute. 她把那件上衣放到一边，站着沉思了一会儿。

8 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

9 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

10 mower   

n.割草机

参考例句：

• We need a lawn mower to cut the grass.我们需要一台草坪修剪机来割草。
• Your big lawn mower is just the job for the high grass.割高草时正需要你的大割草机。

11 scythe   

n. 长柄的大镰刀，战车镰； v. 以大镰刀割

参考例句：

• He's cutting grass with a scythe.他正在用一把大镰刀割草。
• Two men were attempting to scythe the long grass.两个人正试图割掉疯长的草。

12 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

13 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

14 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

15 purge   

n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁

参考例句：

• The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。
• The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。

16 sordidness   

n.肮脏；污秽；卑鄙；可耻

参考例句：

17 fretted   

焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的

参考例句：

• The wind whistled through the twigs and fretted the occasional, dirty-looking crocuses. 寒风穿过枯枝，有时把发脏的藏红花吹刮跑了。 来自英汉文学
• The lady's fame for hitting the mark fretted him. 这位太太看问题深刻的名声在折磨着他。

18 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

19 cypress   

n.柏树

参考例句：

• The towering pine and cypress trees defy frost and snow.松柏参天傲霜雪。
• The pine and the cypress remain green all the year round.苍松翠柏，常绿不凋。

20 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

21 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

22 smother   

vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息

参考例句：

• They tried to smother the flames with a damp blanket.他们试图用一条湿毯子去灭火。
• We tried to smother our laughter.我们强忍住笑。

23 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。