Period 5-6: Detailed Study of theText

1. thelive coals (para. 1)

live/Iaiv/: still burning orglowing; not extinct; dead, e.g.

a live spark; a live volcano

Pay attention tothe different meanings of "live" in the foIIowing phrases: a livetelevision or radjo program; a live perforrnance; a live bomb or missile; livewires.

2. Outside,cocks were crowing and a white streak was rising from the ground, as it were,and beginning to scatter the darkness. (para. 1)

as it were: seemingly; in away; so to speak, e.g.

   He wasliving in a dream world, as it were.

   Heclosed his eyes, trying to relive that happy moment, as it were.

Note: A shortening of"as if it were so," this expression has been in use since Chaucer'stime. We use this expression to make what we are saying sound less definite.

3. Butsomehow the imminence of an event that had been long expected, loved, feared andprepared for made them dejected. Mary, with her shrewd woman's mind, thought ofas many things as there are in life as a woman would in the first joy andanxiety of her mating. (para. 3)

— The couple badbeen looking forward to and preparing for this spring planting for a long time.But now that the day bad frnally arrived, strangely， theyfelt somehow a bit sad. Mary, like all sharp and smart women, thought of manythings in life when she got married.

但不知什么原因，在这个他们期盼已久、又爱又怕且为之精心准备的大事临近之际，他们反而有些沮丧和担忧。正如每个初尝新婚的喜悦与焦虑的女人一样，玛丽以其精明的女人头脑，想到女人一生中会遇到的种种事情。

4. Andthey both looked back at the little cluster of cabins that was the centre oftheir world, with throbbing hearts. For the joy of spring had now takencomplete hold of them. (para. 5)

— Both of themlooked back toward their small village, which was the most important place for thembecause they and their forefathers before them were born and raised here. Theirhearts were quivering with excitement at that moment, for the coming of spring hadalready filled their hearts with pleasure.

take complete hold of: to gaincomplete control or influence over sb; to have great power over sb; to overpowersb, e.g.

   She felta strange excitement taking hold of her.

   She wasdeterrnined not to let the illness take hold again.

   The ideawill never take hold with the voters.

5. gleam/glow/glimmer/ glisten

gleam: toshine with a pale clear light 发微光；隐  约闪光；闪烁

glow:(especially of sth hot or warm) to produce a dull, steady light 发出微弱而稳定的光；发出暗淡的光

glimmer: to shine with a faint unsteady light 隐约地闪烁；发出微弱的闪光

glisten: (of sthwet 湿物) to shine 闪光；闪亮

  Examples:

   月光照在水面上泛起粼粼波光。 

   她的眼睛在黑暗中闪烁

   余烬仍在炉膛里发出暗淡的光。

   一个烟头在黑暗中发着红光。

   烛光在角落里忽明忽暗地闪烁。

   他眼里隐约露出愉悦的神情。

   她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。

   雨后的道路润泽闪亮。

Reference:

    The moonlight gleamed on thewater.  

    Her eyes gleamed in the dark.

    The embers still glowed in the hearth. 

    A cigarette end glowed red in thedarkness. 

    The candles glimmered in the corner. 

    Amusement glimmered in his eyes. 

    Her eyes were glistening with tears. 

    The road glistened wet after the rain. 

6. Shebecame suddenly afraid of that pitiless, cruel earth, the peasant’s slavemaster that would keep her chained to hard work and poverty all her life untilshe would sink again into its bosom. (para. 13)

— She became afraidof the earth because it was going to force her to work like a slave and force herto struggle against poverty all her life until she died and was buried in it.

pitiless: without pity;unfeeling; cruel; merciless

be chained to: to be bound to; tohave your freedom restricted because of a responsibility you cannot escape,e.g.

   Womennowadays refuse to be chained to the kitchen sink.

   Mybrother was chained to my sick mother for more than thirty years.

sink again into its bosom: to dieand be buried in the earth; to return to the earth

7. therewas a sharpness in the still thin air that made the men jump on their spade haltsferociously and beat the sods as if they were living enemies. (pa ra. 14)

— The chilly andbiting air of early spring made the peasants work fiercely with their spades, beatingthe sods as if they were enemies.

8. "Yes,isn't it lovely," said Mary, looking at the black ridges wistfully. (para.17)

— Whatdo you think was on Mary's mind at that moment?

— She was sad thatthis was going to be her life from now on, toiling and sweating over the land untilthe day she died. But on the other hand what they had done that day also madeher proud and hopeful.

Yes, isn't it lovely: Yes, itis lovely iodeed. (Notice that this special lrish pattern is used to expressagreement.)

wistfully: showing or expressing melancholy yearnings

9. Shylyand in silence, not knowing what to say and ashamed of their gentlefeelings...(para. 18)

— Farmers are oftendescribed as men of few words. They are usually shy or bashful, not very demonstrative.And they often feel ashamed of their gentle feelings because a farmer's life istough, and a good farmer is not supposed to be soft and sentimental.