Chapter 28

I loved my prayer rug. Ordinary in quality though it was, itglowed with beauty in my eyes. I'm sorry I lost it. Wherever Ilaid it I felt special affection for the patch of ground beneath itand the immediate¹ surroundings, which to me is a clearindication that it was a good prayer rug because it helped meremember that the earth is the creation of God and sacred thesame all over. The pattern, in gold lines upon a background ofred, was plain: a narrow rectangle with a triangular² peak atone³ extremity⁴ to indicate the qibla, the direction of prayer, andlittle curlicues floating around it, like wisps of smoke or accentsfrom a strange language. The pile was soft. When I prayed, theshort, unknotted tassels⁵ were inches from the tip of myforehead at one end of the carpet and inches from the tip ofmy toes at the other, a cozy⁶ size to make you feel at homeanywhere upon this vast earth.
I prayed outside because I liked it. Most often I unrolled myprayer rug in a corner of the yard behind the house. It was asecluded spot in the shade of a coral tree, next to a wall thatwas covered with bou-gainvillea. Along the length of the wallwas a row of potted poinsettias. The bougainvillea had alsocrept through the tree. The contrast between its purple bractsand the red flowers of the tree was very pretty. And whenthat tree was in bloom, it was a regular aviary⁷ of crows,mynahs, babblers, rosy⁸ pastors⁹, sun-birds and parakeets. Thewall was to my right, at a wide angle. Ahead of me and to myleft, beyond the milky¹⁰, mottled shade of the tree, lay thesun-drenched open space of the yard. The appearance ofthings changed, of course, depending on the weather, the timeof day, the time of year. But it's all very clear in my memory,as if it never changed. I faced Mecca with the help of a line Iscratched into the pale yellow ground and carefully kept up.
Sometimes, upon finishing my prayers, I would turn andcatch sight of Father or Mother or Ravi observing me, untilthey got used to the sight.
My baptism was a slightly awkward affair. Mother playedalong nicely, Father looked on stonily¹¹, and Ravi was mercifullyabsent because of a cricket match, which did not prevent himfrom commenting at great length on the event. The watertrickled down my face and down my neck; though just abeaker's worth, it had the refreshing¹² effect of a monsoon¹³ rain.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 triangular   

adj.三角（形）的，三者间的

参考例句：

• It's more or less triangular plot of land.这块地略成三角形。
• One particular triangular relationship became the model of Simone's first novel.一段特殊的三角关系成了西蒙娜第一本小说的原型。

3 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

4 extremity   

n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度

参考例句：

• I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
• What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

5 tassels   

n.穗( tassel的名词复数 )；流苏状物；（植物的）穗；玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰

参考例句：

• Tassels and Trimmings, Pillows, Wall Hangings, Table Runners, Bell. 采购产品垂饰，枕头，壁挂，表亚军，钟。 来自互联网
• Cotton Fabrics, Embroidery and Embroiders, Silk, Silk Fabric, Pillows, Tassels and Trimmings. 采购产品棉花织物，刺绣品而且刺绣，丝，丝织物，枕头，流行和装饰品。 来自互联网

6 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

7 aviary   

n.大鸟笼，鸟舍

参考例句：

• There are many different kinds of birds in the aviary.大鸟笼里有很多不同种类的鸟。
• There was also an aviary full of rare birds.那里面还有装满稀有鸟类的鸟舍。

8 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

9 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

10 milky   

adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的

参考例句：

• Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
• I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。

11 stonily   

石头地，冷酷地

参考例句：

• She stared stonily at him for a minute. 她冷冷地盯着他看了片刻。
• Proudly lined up on a long bench, they stonily awaited their victims. 轿夫们把花炮全搬出来，放在门房里供人们赏鉴。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

12 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

13 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。