Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
The Josephs' Christmas

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 The month before Christmas was always the most exciting and mysterious time in the Joseph household. Such scheming and planning, such putting of curly heads together in corners, such counting of small hoards1, such hiding and smuggling2 of things out of sight, as went on among the little Josephs!
 
There were a good many of them, and very few of the pennies; hence the reason for so much contriving3 and consulting. From fourteen-year-old Mollie down to four-year-old Lennie there were eight small Josephs in all in the little log house on the prairie; so that when each little Joseph wanted to give a Christmas box to each of the other little Josephs, and something to Father and Mother Joseph besides, it is no wonder that they had to cudgel their small brains for ways and means thereof.
 
Father and Mother were always discreetly5 blind and silent through December. No questions were asked no matter what queer things were done. Many secret trips to the little store at the railway station two miles away were ignored, and no little Joseph was called to account because he or she looked terribly guilty when somebody suddenly came into the room. The air was simply charged with secrets.
 
Sister Mollie was the grand repository of these; all the little Josephs came to her for advice and assistance. It was Mollie who for troubled small brothers and sisters did such sums in division as this: How can I get a ten-cent present for Emmy and a fifteen-cent one for Jimmy out of eighteen cents? Or, how can seven sticks of candy be divided among eight people so that each shall have one? It was Mollie who advised regarding the purchase of ribbon and crepe paper. It was Mollie who put the finishing touches to most of the little gifts. In short, all through December Mollie was weighed down under an avalanche6 of responsibility. It speaks volumes for her sagacity and skill that she never got things mixed up or made any such terrible mistake as letting one little Joseph find out what another was going to give him. "Dead" secrecy7 was the keystone of all plans and confidences.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hoards 0d9c33ecc74ae823deffd01d7aecff3a     
n.（钱财、食物或其他珍贵物品的）储藏，积存( hoard的名词复数 )v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • She hoards her money - she never spends it. 她积蓄钱，但从来不花钱。 来自辞典例句
  • A squirrel hoards nuts for the winter. 松鼠为过冬贮藏坚果。 来自辞典例句
2 smuggling xx8wQ     
n.走私
参考例句：
  • Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
  • The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。
3 contriving 104341ff394294c813643a9fe96a99cb     
（不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到
参考例句：
  • Why may not several Deities combine in contriving and framing a world? 为什么不可能是数个神联合起来，设计和构造世界呢？ 来自哲学部分
  • The notorious drug-pusher has been contriving an escape from the prison. 臭名昭著的大毒枭一直都在图谋越狱。
4 ted 9gazhs     
vt.翻晒，撒，撒开
参考例句：
  • The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
  • She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
5 discreetly nuwz8C     
ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地
参考例句：
  • He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
  • Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。
6 avalanche 8ujzl     
n.雪崩，大量涌来
参考例句：
  • They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
  • Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。
7 secrecy NZbxH     
n.秘密，保密，隐蔽
参考例句：
  • All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
  • Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。
8 recipients 972af69bf73f8ad23a446a346a6f0fff     
adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器
参考例句：
  • The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
9 grumble 6emzH     
vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声
参考例句：
  • I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
  • He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。
10 aggravating a730a877bac97b818a472d65bb9eed6d     
adj.恼人的，讨厌的
参考例句：
  • How aggravating to be interrupted! 被打扰，多令人生气呀！
  • Diesel exhaust is particularly aggravating to many susceptible individuals. 许多体质敏感的人尤其反感柴油废气。
11 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
12 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
参考例句：
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。
13 bulgy 096a72b8ea430b9564e6e81808ed6a79     
a.膨胀的；凸出的
参考例句：
  • And the bone at the back of the neck is bulgy came. 而且脖子后面的骨头都凸出来了。
  • Lumbar shoulder dish what does the earlier note after bulgy operation have? 腰肩盘凸出手术后初期的注重事项有哪些？
14 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。
15 cramped 287c2bb79385d19c466ec2df5b5ce970     
a.狭窄的
参考例句：
  • The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
  • working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作
16 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
17 untied d4a1dd1a28503840144e8098dbf9e40f     
松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决
参考例句：
  • Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
  • He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。
18 dint plVza     
n.由于，靠；凹坑
参考例句：
  • He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
  • He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。
19 tablecloth lqSwh     
n.桌布，台布
参考例句：
  • He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。
  • She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。
20 raisins f7a89b31fdf9255863139804963e88cf     
n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆，味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句
21 scrambling cfea7454c3a8813b07de2178a1025138     
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
  • Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 whooped e66c6d05be2853bfb6cf7848c8d6f4d8     
叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 )； 高声说； 唤起
参考例句：
  • The bill whooped through both houses. 此提案在一片支持的欢呼声中由两院匆匆通过。
  • The captive was whooped and jeered. 俘虏被叱责讥笑。
23 heyday CdTxI     
n.全盛时期，青春期
参考例句：
  • The 19th century was the heyday of steam railways.19世纪是蒸汽机车鼎盛的时代。
  • She was a great singer in her heyday.她在自己的黄金时代是个了不起的歌唱家。
24 mittens 258752c6b0652a69c52ceed3c65dbf00     
不分指手套
参考例句：
  • Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。
  • I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。
25 chubby wrwzZ     
adj.丰满的，圆胖的
参考例句：
  • He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实，可并不发胖。
  • The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。
26 scrap JDFzf     
n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废
参考例句：
  • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
  • Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

分享到：


返回目录
上一章: The Bride Roses

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010