There was once on a time a hermit¹ who lived in a forest at the foot of a mountain, and passed his time in prayer and good works, and every evening he carried, to the glory of God, two pails of water up the mountain. Many a beast drank of it, and many a plant was refreshed by it, for on the heights above, a strong wind blew continually, which dried the air and the ground, and the wild birds which dread² mankind wheel about there, and with their sharp eyes search for a drink. And because the hermit was so pious³, an angel of God, visible to his eyes, went up with him, counted his steps, and when the work was completed, brought him his food, even as the prophet of old was by God’s command fed by the raven⁴. When the hermit in his piety⁵ had already reached a great age, it happened that he once saw from afar a poor sinner being taken to the gallows⁶. He said carelessly to himself, “There, that one is getting his deserts!” In the evening, when he was carrying the water up the mountain, the angel who usually accompanied him did not appear, and also brought him no food. Then he was terrified, and searched his heart, and tried to think how he could have sinned, as God was so angry, but he did not discover it. Then he neither ate nor drank, threw himself down on the ground, and prayed day and night. And as he was one day thus bitterly weeping in the forest, he heard a little bird singing beautifully and delightfully⁷, and then he was still more troubled and said, “How joyously⁸ thou singest, the Lord is not angry with thee. Ah, if thou couldst but tell me how I can have offended him, that I might do penance⁹, and then my heart also would be glad again.” Then the bird began to speak and said, “Thou hast done

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1 hermit
n.隐士，修道者；隐居
参考例句：
He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。 Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。

2 dread
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。 Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

3 pious
adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的
参考例句：
Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。 Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 raven
n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的
参考例句：
We know the raven will never leave the man's room.我们知道了乌鸦再也不会离开那个男人的房间。 Her charming face was framed with raven hair.她迷人的脸上垂落着乌亮的黑发。

5 piety
n.虔诚，虔敬
参考例句：
They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。 Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。

6 gallows
n.绞刑架，绞台
参考例句：
The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。 Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。

7 delightfully
大喜，欣然
参考例句：
The room is delightfully appointed. 这房子的设备令人舒适愉快。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The evening is delightfully cool. 晚间凉爽宜人。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 joyously
ad.快乐地, 高兴地
参考例句：
She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately. 她打开门，直扑我的怀抱，欣喜地喊叫着要马上装饰圣诞树。 They came running, crying out joyously in trilling girlish voices. 她们边跑边喊，那少女的颤音好不欢快。 来自名作英译部分

9 penance
n.（赎罪的）惩罪
参考例句：
They had confessed their sins and done their penance.他们已经告罪并做了补赎。 She knelt at her mother's feet in penance.她忏悔地跪在母亲脚下。

10 injustice
n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利
参考例句：
They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。 All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

11 condemned
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。 The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

12 wilt
v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱
参考例句：
Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。 Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

13 repent
v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔
参考例句：
He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。 Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。

14 twigs
细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。 Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

15 sprout
n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条
参考例句：
When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？ It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

16 crumb
n.饼屑，面包屑，小量
参考例句：
It was the only crumb of comfort he could salvage from the ordeal.这是他从这场磨难里能找到的唯一的少许安慰。 Ruth nearly choked on the last crumb of her pastry.鲁斯几乎被糕点的最后一块碎屑所噎住。

17 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

18 compassionate
adj.有同情心的，表示同情的
参考例句：
She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。 The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

19 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

20 blustered
v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹
参考例句：
He blustered his way through the crowd. 他吆喝着挤出人群。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The wind blustered around the house. 狂风呼啸着吹过房屋周围。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 whatsoever
adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么
参考例句：
There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

22 expiating
v.为（所犯罪过）接受惩罚，赎（罪）( expiate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
It seemed that Alice was expiating her father's sins with her charity work. 似乎艾丽斯正在通过自己的慈善工作来弥补父亲的罪过。 来自辞典例句

23 hearty
adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的
参考例句：
After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。 We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

24 repentance
n.懊悔
参考例句：
He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。 Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。