SOME great ships had been sent up towards the North Pole，to explore the most distant coasts，and to try how far men might penetrate² up there．For more than a year they had already been pushing their way among ice and mist，and had endured many hardships；and now the winter was begun，and the sun had disappeared．For many many weeks there would now be a long night．All around was a single field of ice；the ships had been made fast to it，and the snow had piled itself up in great masses，and out of these，huts had been built in the form of beehives， some of them large as our old grave-mounds，others only containing room enough for two or four men．But it was not dark，for the Northern Lights flamed red and blue，like great continual fireworks；and the snow glistened，so that the night here was one long，flaming twilight³ hour．When the gleam was brightest，the natives came in crowds，wonderful to behold⁴ in their hairy fur dresses；and they rode in sledges⁵ formed of blocks of ice，and brought with them furs in great bundles，so that the snow houses were furnshed with warm carpets；and，in turn，the furs also served for coverlets when the sailors went to bed under their roofs of snow，while outside it froze in far different fashion than in the hardest winter here with us．In our regions it was still the late autumn-time；and they thought of that up there，and thought of the sunshine at home，and of the yellow and red leaves on the trees．The clock showed that it was evening，and time to go to sleep；and in one of the huts two men had already stretched themselves out to rest．The younger of these had his best，dearest treasure，that he had brought from home-the Bible which his grandmother had given him on his departure．Every night it lay beneath his head，and he knew from his childish years what was written in it ．Every day he read in the book，and often the holy words came into his mind where it is written，“If I take the wings of the morning，and flee into the uttermost parts of the sea，even there The art with me，and They right hand shall up-hold me”；and，under the influence of these words of truth and in faith，he closed his eyes，and sleep came upon him，and dreams-the manifestation⁶

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1 hips
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的
参考例句：
She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。 They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 penetrate
v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解
参考例句：
Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。 The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

3 twilight
n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期
参考例句：
Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。 Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

4 behold
v.看，注视，看到
参考例句：
The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。 The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

5 sledges
n.雪橇，雪车( sledge的名词复数 )v.乘雪橇( sledge的第三人称单数 )；用雪橇运载
参考例句：
Sledges run well over frozen snow. 雪橇在冻硬了的雪上顺利滑行。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They used picks and sledges to break the rocks. 他们用[镐和撬]来打碎这些岩石。 来自互联网

6 manifestation
n.表现形式；表明；现象
参考例句：
Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。 What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

7 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

8 beheld
v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟
参考例句：
His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

9 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

10 pinions
v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
These four pinions act as bridges between the side gears. 这四组小齿轮起到连接侧方齿轮组的桥梁作用。 来自互联网 Tough the sword hidden among pinions may wound you. 虽然那藏在羽翼中间的剑刃也许会伤毁你们。 来自互联网

11 stork
n.鹳
参考例句：
A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him.狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。 He is very glad that his wife's going to get a visit from the stork.他为她的妻子将获得参观鹳鸟的机会感到非常高兴。

12 magpie
n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者
参考例句：
Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。 This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。

13 tune
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。 The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

14 hymn
n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌
参考例句：
They sang a hymn of praise to God.他们唱着圣歌，赞美上帝。 The choir has sung only two verses of the last hymn.合唱团只唱了最后一首赞美诗的两个段落。