"IT'S MOTHER!"

Their belief in the Magic was an abiding¹ thing.

　　After the morning's incantations Colin sometimes gavethem Magic lectures.

　　"I like to do it," he explained, "because when I growup and make great scientific discoveries I shall beobliged to lecture about them and so this is practise.

　　I can only give short lectures now because I am very young,and besides Ben Weatherstaff would feel as if he were inchurch and he would go to sleep.""Th' best thing about lecturin'," said Ben, "is that a chap canget up an' say aught he pleases an' no other chap can answerhim back. I wouldn't be agen' lecturin' a bit mysel' sometimes."But when Colin held forth² under his tree old Ben fixeddevouring eyes on him and kept them there. He lookedhim over with critical affection. It was not so muchthe lecture which interested him as the legs which lookedstraighter and stronger each day, the boyish head which helditself up so well, the once sharp chin and hollow cheekswhich had filled and rounded out and the eyes which hadbegun to hold the light he remembered in another pair.

　　Sometimes when Colin felt Ben's earnest gaze meant that hewas much impressed he wondered what he was reflecting onand once when he had seemed quite entranced he questioned him.

　　"What are you thinking about, Ben Weatherstaff?" he asked.

　　"I was thinkin'" answered Ben, "as I'd warrant tha's,gone up three or four pound this week. I was lookin'

　　at tha' calves⁵ an' tha' shoulders. I'd like to get theeon a pair o' scales.""It's the Magic and--and Mrs. Sowerby's buns and milkand things," said Colin. "You see the scientificexperiment has succeeded."That morning Dickon was too late to hear the lecture.

　　When he came he was ruddy with running and his funny facelooked more twinkling than usual. As they had a good dealof weeding to do after the rains they fell to work.

　　They always had plenty to do after a warm deep sinking rain.

　　The moisture which was good for the flowers was also goodfor the weeds which thrust up tiny blades of grass and pointsof leaves which must be pulled up before their roots tooktoo firm hold. Colin was as good at weeding as any onein these days and he could lecture while he was doing it.

　　"The Magic works best when you work, yourself," he saidthis morning. "You can feel it in your bones and muscles.

　　I am going to read books about bones and muscles, but I amgoing to write a book about Magic. I am making it up now.

点击收听单词发音  

1 abiding
adj.永久的，持久的，不变的
参考例句：
He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。 He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

2 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。

3 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

4 devour
v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷
参考例句：
Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。 Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。

5 calves
n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解
参考例句：
a cow suckling her calves 给小牛吃奶的母牛 The calves are grazed intensively during their first season. 小牛在生长的第一季里集中喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 exultantly
adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地
参考例句：
They listened exultantly to the sounds from outside. 她们欢欣鼓舞地倾听着外面的声音。 来自辞典例句 He rose exultantly from their profane surprise. 他得意非凡地站起身来，也不管众人怎样惊奇诅咒。 来自辞典例句

7 joyfulness
参考例句：
I never consider ease and joyfulness as the purpose of life itself. 我从不认为安逸和快乐就是生活本身的目的。 I ago consider ease or joyfulness as the purpose of life itself. 我从来不以为安逸和享乐是一生本来的目的。

8 joyful
adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的
参考例句：
She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。 They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

9 realization
n.实现；认识到，深刻了解
参考例句：
We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。 He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

10 grunt
v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝
参考例句：
He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。 I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

11 reverence
n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

12 blessings
n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福
参考例句：
Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》 We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 jaws
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

14 obstinately
ad.固执地，顽固地
参考例句：
He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。 Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。

15 appreciative
adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的
参考例句：
She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。 We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

16 swelled
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）
参考例句：
The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。 After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

17 vigor
n.活力，精力，元气
参考例句：
The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。 She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

18 savage
adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人
参考例句：
The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。 He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

19 winking
n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
Anyone can do it; it's as easy as winking. 这谁都办得到，简直易如反掌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The stars were winking in the clear sky. 星星在明亮的天空中闪烁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 ivy
n.常青藤，常春藤
参考例句：
Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。 The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

21 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

22 devoured
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。 The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

23 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。

24 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。

25 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。

26 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

27 robin
n.知更鸟，红襟鸟
参考例句：
The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。 We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

28 mellow
adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟
参考例句：
These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。 The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

29 moor
n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊
参考例句：
I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。 There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

30 creasing
（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的现在分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 挑檐
参考例句：
"No, we mustn't use that money, Chiu," Feng Yun-ching gasped in horror, creasing his brow. “元丰庄上那一笔存款是不能动的。 来自子夜部分 In severe creasing the frictional resistance plays only a minor role in determining the crease resistance. 在严重的折皱作用下，摩擦阻力在织物抗折皱能力中仅居次要地位。

31 invalid
n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的
参考例句：
He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。 A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

32 chuckled
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。 She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

33 adoration
n.爱慕，崇拜
参考例句：
He gazed at her with pure adoration.他一往情深地注视着她。 The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。

34 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

35 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。