12. First Snow
初 雪

单词与词组   Words and phrases
enchantment                //         n.        迷惑
stealth                       //                         n.    秘密行动
eerie                         //                         a.          奇异的
shattering                 //                 a.          粉碎的
flutter                        //                         v.          飘动
myriad                        //                 a.        无数的
elf                               //                         n.    小精灵
brownie                        //                        n.          小精灵
snug                         //                        a.           暖和的
glistening                 //                 a.        闪烁的
weathercock            //                n.        风向标
jangle                         //                n.        吵嚷

根据朗读标记，听录音跟读，然后背诵。
        The first fall︵ of snow is not︵ only an︵ event▼ but︵ it︵ is︵ a magical︵ event. You go to bed︵ in one kind︵ of world▼ and wake︵ up to find yourself︵ in︵ another quite different, and if this︵ is not enchantment, then where︵ is︵ it to be found?↘ The very stealth,↗ the eerie quietness︵ of the thing▼ makes︵ it more magical. If all the snow fell︵ at once▼ in one shattering crash, awakening︵ us︵ in the middle︵ of the night, the event would be robbed︵ of︵ its wonder. But it flutters down,↗ soundless,↗ hour︵ after︵ hour ▼while we are︵ asleep.
       Outside the closed curtains︵ of the bedroom▼ a vast transformation scene︵ is taking place, just︵ as︵ if︵ a myriad︵ elves and brownies were︵ at work, and we turn↗︵ and yawn↗︵ and stretch↘▼ and know nothing︵ about ︵it. And then, what︵ an︵ extraordinary change it︵ is! It︵ is︵ as︵ if▼ the house you︵ are︵ in▼ had been dropped down in︵ another continent.
       Even the inside, which has not been touched, seems different, every room appearing smaller↗︵ and cozier, just︵ as︵ if▼ some power were trying to turn︵ it︵ into a woodcutter's hut↗▼ or︵ a snug log cabin. Outside, where the garden was yesterday, there︵ is now a white︵ and glistening level, and the village beyond is no longer your︵ own familiar cluster︵ of roofs▼ but︵ a village︵ in︵ an old German fairy-tale...
        Now it has changed︵ again. The snow is falling heavily, in great soft flakes, so that you can hardly see across the shallow valley, and the roofs︵ are thick▼ and the trees︵ all bending, and the weathercock︵ of the village church, still to be seen through the gray loaded air, has become some creature out︵ of Hans Andersen. From my study, I can see the children▼ flattening their noses against the nursery window, and there︵ is running through my head a jangle︵ of rhyme▼ I used to repeat ▼when I was︵ a child▼ and flattened my nose︵ against the cold window▼ watching the falling snow.

参考译文
初 雪
        这场初雪不仅引人注目，而且魔幻般神奇。你上床睡觉时是一个世界，醒来时却发现自己已置身于另一个迥然不同的世界。假如这不是魔法，那么魔法又到哪儿去寻觅呢？而这一切都在静谧中神秘地悄然发生，使得这一场初雪愈发迷人。如果所有的雪在一瞬间轰然落下，在午夜时分将我们惊醒，那么这场雪就失去了奇妙之处。雪花是在我们熟睡之际，随着时间的推移无声地飘落。
    卧室紧闭的窗帘外，大地正在发生巨变，就好像无数的仙童忙忙碌碌，而我们却在卧榻上翻转身体、打着呵欠、伸展四肢，对此一无所知。可这又是一场多么非同寻常的变化啊！你居住的房子似乎落到了另一块大陆上。
    房间的里面虽然没有受到影响，但好像也变了，每一间屋子都显然更加小巧、更加温馨，好似某种神奇的力量已经把它变成了伐木工的棚屋或是温暖舒适的圆木小屋。室外，昨天的花园，今天却成了洁白闪亮的平地。远处的村庄也不再是你熟悉的成簇的屋顶，而成了一个古老的德意志神话中的村落……
        此时此刻，变化又发生了，大片大片柔软的雪花密集地飘落着，你几乎看不见对面浅浅的山谷。屋顶上覆盖着厚厚的积雪，树枝全都压弯了。村里教堂顶上的风信标在灰蒙蒙厚重的空气中依稀可见，不过此时它已变成了安徒生童话中的精灵。从我的书房朝外看，只见孩子们将鼻子紧紧地贴在幼儿园的窗玻璃上。此时，我的脑海里涌起了一首儿时不知背过多少次的歌谣--儿时我也曾把鼻子贴在冰冷的窗户上，凝视着飘落的雪花。