Para. 1

Every Christmas should begin with the sound of bells, and when I was a child mine always did. But they were sleigh bells, not church bells, for we lived in a part of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where there were no churches. My bells were on my father’s team of horses as he drove up to our horse-headed hitching post with the bobsled that would take us to celebrate Christmas on the family farm ten miles out in the country. My father would bring the team down Fifth Avenue at a smart trot, (licking his whip over the horses’ rumps and making the bells double their light, thin jangling over the snow, whose radiance threw back a brilliance like the sound of bells.

1. What is the function of Para. 1?

Para. 1 connects the usual Christmas celebration with the author’s own experience. Bells which would arouse the fond memories of many Americans, are also essential to the Christmas celebration of the region where the author spent his childhood. Their way of transportation, bobsleds pulled by horses, was suggestive of the time as well as the place of the event—it took place in the mid-western countryside in the early 20th century.

2. My bells were on my father's team of horses as he drove up to our horse- Headed hitching post with the bobsled that would take us to celebrate Christmas on the family farm ten miles out in the country.

(1) team of horses: two or more horses harnessed to the same vehicle

(2) horse-headed: having the shape of a horse head

(3) hitching post: a post to which an animal, especially a horse, is hitched

(4) bobsled: bobsleigh

(5) Note the way the author narrows down the bell: the sound of bells－sleigh bells, not church bells－bells on my father’s team of horses. It goes from general to specific, from impersonal to personal.

3. My father would bring the team down Fifth Avenue at a smart trot, flicking his whip over the horses’ rumps and making the bells double their light, thin jangling over the snow, whose radiance threw back a brilliance like the sound of bells.

(1) My father caused the horses to move quickly down the road, hitting their hind part with a light, quick blow. The bells rang lightly and quickly, but not necessarily harmoniously, over the snow, which in turn threw back a brightness that was like the sound of bells.

(2) smart: energetic or quick in movement

(3) trot: a gait, as of a horse, in which the front leg and the opposite hind leg are lifted at the same time

(4) flick, to touch or hit with a light, quick blow

(5) rump: the hind part of the body of an animal

(6) thin: of little volume or resonance; high-pitched and weak

(7) jangle: to make a harsh, metallic and discordant sound

(8) radiance: brightness

(9)brilliance: great brightness, radiance, splendor, etc.;(Brilliance also has the meaning of “sharpness and clarity of tone”, which may also make sense in the comparison.)

(10) whose radiance threw back a brilliance like the sound of bell: it’s quite usual to compare a color, in this ease the brightness of the snow, to a sound, in this case the light, clear and a bit sharp sound of bells

Para. 2

There are no such departures any more: the whole family piling into the bobsled with a foot of golden oat straw to lie in and heavy buffalo robes to lie under, the horses stamping the soft snow, and at every motion of their hoofs the bells jingling, jingling. My father sat there with the reins firmly held, wearing a long coat made from the hide of a favorite family horse, the deep chestnut color still glowing, his mittens also from the same hide. It always troubled me as a boy of eight that the horses had so indifferent a view of their late friend appearing as a warm overcoat on the back of the man who put the iron bit in their mouths.

1. ... the whole family piling into the bobsled with a foot of golden oat straw to lie in and heavy buffalo robes to lie under, the horses stamping the soft snow, and at every motion of their hoofs the bells jingling, jingling

(1) to pile into: to move in a mess, crowd, etc.

(2) with a foot of golden oat straw to lie in and heavy buffalo robes to lie under: Balanced structure. The whole family squeezed into the limited space of a bobsled, sinking into a thick pile of oat and covered by warm buffalo robes. This is a scene typical of farmers in the rural West. Note how the author chooses typical little incidents to give the readers a feel of the rural environment.

(3) to stamp, to bring the foot down onto (an object or a surface) forcibly

2. My father sat there with the reins firmly held, wearing a long coat made from the hide of a favorite family horse, the deep chestnut color still glowing, his mittens also from the same hide.

(1) hide: an animal skin or pelt, either raw or tanned

(2) It gives the impression of the self-reliance of the family.

3. It always troubled me as a boy of eight that the horses had so indifferent a view of their late friend appearing as a warm overcoat on the back of the man who put the iron bit in their mouths.

(1) The author is recalling his puzzle and bewilderment as a little boy over the horses’ indifference towards their dead friend, whose hide had now turned into the man’s overcoat. It was hard for the boy to understand why the horses did not know or care that the overcoat came from the hide of their friend. And the same man had also put a metal bar in their mouths to control them. The author is being humorous here. The readers should not take the statement too literally, the word “trouble” is used in a humorous way since a boy of eight would not think so seriously about this.

(2) late: having recently died

(3) iron bit: the metal mouthpiece of a bridle, serving to control, curb, and direct an animal

Para. 3

There are no streets like those any more: the snow sensibly left on the road for the sake of sleighs and easy travel. We could hop oil and ride the heavy runners as they made their hissing, tearing sound over the packed snow. And along the streets we met other horses, so that we moved from one set of bells to another, from the tiny tinkle of the individual bells on the shafts to the silvery, leaping sound of the long strands hung over the harness. There would be an occasional brass-mounted automobile laboring on its narrow tires and as often as not pulled up the slippery hills by a horse, and we would pass it with a triumphant shout for an awkward nuisance which was obviously not here to stay.

1. There are no streets like those any more: the snow sensibly left on the road for the sake of sleighs and easy travel. Why is the word “sensibly” used here? Nowadays snow will be quickly cleared away so as to make traffic easy, but at that time, snow would be kept on the road so that sleighs could move easily, which, according to the author, makes good sense.

2. We could hop off and ride the heavy runners as they made their hissing, tearing sound over the packed snow.

(1) to hop off: to get off sth. esp, a vehicle quickly and suddenly

(2) hissing: making a sound like that of a prolonged “s”

(3) tearing: moving violently or with speed; dashing; rushing

(4)packed: pressed together firmly

3. And along the streets we met other horses, so that we moved from one set of bells to another, from the tiny tinkle of the individual bells on the shafts to the silvery, leaping sound of the long strands hung over the harness.

(1) from ... harness:有的车辕上挂着单个铃铛，发出轻微的丁当声，有的马具上则挂着一长串铃铛，发出清跪悦耳、忽高忽低的响声。

(2) tinkle: a series of small, short, light, ringing sounds like those of a very small bell

(3) shaft: one of two parallel poles between which an animal is harnessed to a vehicle辕杆、车辕、车杠

(4) silvery: soft and clear, like the sound of a silver bell

(5) leaping: moving suddenly or swiftly, as if by jumping

(6)strand: a ropelike length of anything

4. There would be an occasional brass-mounted automobile laboring on its narrow tires and as often as not pulled up the slippery hills by a horse, and we would pass it with a triumphant shout for an awkward nuisance which was obviously not here to stay.

(1) On our way, from time to time, we would come across a car moving slowly and carefully over the packed snow. It had difficulty climbing up hills, which were slippery with the snow, so it was often pulled up by a horse. The automobile, to the boy, was out of place there. He considered it something clumsy and silly that disturbed the simple, quiet and rustic setting of the early twentieth-century northwestern countryside. He didn’t think highly of the people sitting inside it either, who, according to him, wanted to show off.

(2) brass-mounted: brass: (slang) high-ranking military officers or other high officials; mounted: seated on horseback, a bicycle, etc., here it refers to the officials of the town sitting inside the automobile.

(3) to labor: to move slowly and with difficulty

(4)as often as not: more often than not, very frequently

(5)nuisance: a thing that causes trouble, annoyance, or inconvenience

Para. 4

The country road ran through a landscape of little hills and shallow valleys and heavy groves of timber, including one of great towering black walnut trees which were all cut down a year later to be made into gunstocks for the First World War. The great moment was when we left the road and turned up the long lane on the farm. It ran through fields where watermelons were always planted in the summer because of the fine sandy soil, and I could go out and break one open to see its Christmas colors of green skin and red inside. My grandfather had been given some of that land as bounty land for service as a cavalryman in the Civil War.

1. The country road ran through a landscape of little hills and shallow valleys and heavy groves timber, including one of great towering black walnut trees which were all cut down a year later to be made into gunstocks for the First World War.

(1) landscape: a section or portion of rural scenery, usually extensive, that may be seen from a single viewpoint

(2) timber: wood suitable for building houses, ships, etc., whether cut or still in the form

towering: of imposing height

(4) The description tells the readers that the place they drove through was a hilly area covered with trees.

2. It ran through fields where watermelons were always planted in the summer because of the fine sandy soil, and I could go out and break one open to see its Christmas colors of green skin and red inside.

(1) fine: not coarse; in very small particles

(2)Christmas colors: mainly the colors of green and red-green Christmas trees, springs mistletoe, red lights, flowers, gifts, etc.

(3) green skin and red inside: the skin and inside of a watermelon 绿皮红瓤

Skin is a usually thin, closely adhering outer layer, e. g. the skin of a peach/banana, a sausage skin; “inside” is used as a noun here.

(4) skin, hide, pelt, rind, peel, bark

Skin is the general term for the outer covering of the animal body and for the covering especially if thin and tight, of certain fruits and vegetables, e. g. human skin, the skin of a peach.

Hide is used of the tough skins of certain large animals, as of a horse, cow, elephant, etc.

Pelt refers to the skin, esp. the untanned skin, of a fur-bearing animal, as of a mink, fox, sheep, etc.

Rind applies to the thick, tough covering of certain fruits, as of a watermelon, or of cheeses, bacon, etc.

Peel is used of the skin or rind of fruit that has been removed, as by stripping, e.g. potato peel, lemon peel.

Bark applies to the hard covering of trees and woody plants.

3.My grandfather had been given some of that land as bounty land for service as a cavalryman in the Civil War.

(1) Some of the land was given to my grandfather as a free gift because he had fought in the Civil War as a cavalryman.

(2)service: employment, esp. public employment; specifically, in the armed forces

Para. 5

Near the low house on the hill, with oaks on one side and apple trees on the other, my father would stand up, flourish his whip, and bring the bobsled right up to the door of the house with a burst of speed.

1. Near the low house on the hill, with oaks on one side and apple trees on the other, my father would stand up, flourish his whip, and bring the bobsled right up to the door of the house with a burst of speed.

(1) It’s surprising how people remember details. Several decades later, the author could still name two specific kinds of trees near the place. Oak trees are common in the states and are often associated with hometowns, thus evoking a sense of nostalgia.

(2) flourish: to make showy, wavy motions, as of the arms. In his excitement, the author’s father wanted to speed up the horses. This also shows his skills in horse driving, considering that he was the son of a cavalryman.

(3) a burst of speed: 风驰电掣

Para. 6

There are no such arrivals any more: the harness bells ringing and dashing like faraway steeples, the horses whinnying at the horses in the barn and receiving a great, trumpeting whinny in reply, the dogs leaping into the bobsled and burrowing under the buffalo robes, a squawking from the hen house, a yelling of “Whoa, whoa,” at the excited horses, boy and girl cousins howling around the bobsled, and the descent into the snow with the Christmas basket carried by my mother.

1. How did the author describe their arrival at the farm?

The author gave a detailed account of their arrival with a focus on the sounds, for instance, ringing bells, whinnying horses, squawking hens, laughing and shouting children.

2. There are no such arrivals any more...and the descent into the snow with the Christmas basket carried by my mother.

(1) bells.. dashing like faraway steeples: the shiny bells were as elegant and splendid as faraway steeples

(2) whinny: (said if a horse) to neigh in a low, gentle, contented way

(3) receive a great trumpeting whinny in reply:马厩里的马儿也以洪亮的嘶声作答 Here the horses are personified. They were happy to see each other after a year, and they greeted each other like old friends.

(4)burrow: to make a hole or passage; dig

(5)squawk: to utter a loud, harsh scream

(6)whoa: stop! used especially in directing a horse to stand still

(7) howl: to shout or laugh in happiness

(8) and the descent into the snow with the Christmas basket carried by my mother: 一家人走下雪橇，踏入雪中，妈妈提着的篮子里装满了圣诞节的东西。 The use of the

preposition into creates a dramatic effect, indicating the thickness of the snow.

Para. 7

While my mother and sisters went into the house, the team was unhitched and taken to the barn, to be covered with blankets and given a little grain. That winter odor of a barn is a wonderfully complex one, rich and warm and utterly unlike the smell of the same barn in summer: the body heat of many animals weighing a thousand pounds and more; pigs in one corner making their dark, brown-sounding grunts; milk cattle still nuzzling the manger for wisps of hay; horses eyeing the newcomers and rolling their deep, oval eyes white; oats, hay, and straw tangy still with the live August sunlight; the manure steaming; the sharp odor of leather harness rubbed with neat’s foot oil to keep it supple; the molasses-sweet odor of ensilage in the silo where the fodder was almost fermenting. It is a smell from strong and living things, and my father always said it was the secret of health, that it scoured out a man’s lungs; and he would stand there, breathing deeply, one hand on a horse’s rump, watching the steam come out from under the blankets as the team cooled down from their rapid trot up the lane. It gave him a better appetite, he argued, than plain fresh air, which was thin and had no body to it.

1. What details did the author give about the barn in Paragraph 7?

The author mainly appealed to the senses of smell and hearing in describing the barn:

(1) odor: rich and warm; a smell from strong and living things; body heat weighing a thousand pounds and more; oats, hay, and straw tangy with the live August sunlight; the manure steaming; the sharp odor of leather harness rubbing with neat’s-foot oil to keep it supple; the molasses-sweet odor of ensilage in the silo where the fodder was almost fermenting

(2) noise: pigs making their dark brown sounding grunts

2. That winter odor of a barn is a wonderfully complex one, rich and warm and utterly unlike the smell of the same barn in summer... the molasses-sweet odor of ensilage in the silo where the fodder was almost fermenting.

(1) the body heat of many animals weighing a thousand pounds and more: Exaggeration. The smell of quite a number of big and strong animals was very strong. At the time, since the barn was filled with animals, it was also warm.

(2) pig making their dark, brown-sounding grunts: pigs uttering deep, gloomy, and sonorous sounds; dark; deep; brown: gloomy, somber; sounding: sonorous, resonant

(3)milk cattle: cattle raised for drawing milk, unlike draught cattle, which are used for pulling loads

(4) wisp: a small bundle, or bunch, as of straw

(5) horses eyeing the newcomers and rolling their deep, oval eyes white: Here “eye” is used as a verb, meaning “to look at ”. Again, the horses are personified－the horse in the barn looked at the ones which had just arrived and rolled their eyes white as if to show their surprise and welcome.

(6) oat, hay, straw

oat: a hardy, wildly grown cereal grass

hay: grass, alfalfa, clover, etc. cut and dried for use as fodder

straw: hollow stalks or stems of grain after threshing, collectively used for fodder, for bedding, for making hats, etc.

(7)tangy still with the live August sunlight: still having a strong and pleasantly sharp smell of the summer when they were first brought in, as if the sun was still there

(8) supple: easily bent or twisted; flexible; pliant

(9) the molasses-sweet odor of ensilage in the silo where the fodder was almost fermenting: the fodder was kept in the silo, an airtight container, and when it began to ferment, it smells almost as sweet as syrup. (Note: word formation silo→ensilo → ensilage)

3. It is a smell from strong and living things, and my father always said it was the secret of health, that it scoured out a man’s lungs; and he would stand there, breathing deeply, one hand on a horse’s rump, watching the steam come out from under the blankets as the team cooled down from their rapid trot up the lane.

(1) scout out: to clean or polish by vigorous rubbing, as with abrasives, soap and water, etc.; to make clean and bright

(2)Why were the team covered with blankets?

They trotted up the lane rapidly under the whips so they were hot and might be sweating. In order to prevent them from getting a cold, they were covered with blankets.

4. It gave him a better appetite, he argued, than plain fresh air, which was thin and had no body to it.

(1) With so much content and life in it, the rich odor of the barn appealed to my father much better than mild fresh air, which, according to him, was weak and lacked substance. The body heat was unpleasant to some people, but to the author’s father, it was stimulating.

(2)thin: mild, weak, opposite of rich

(3) no body: no substance, density, content, or life

Para. 8

A barn with cattle and horses is the place to begin Christmas; after all, that’s where the original event happened, and that same smell was the first air that the Christ Child breathed.

1. A barn with cattle and horses is the place to begin Christmas; after all, that’s where the original event happened, and that same smell was the first air that the Christ Child breathed.

(1) The “original event” refers to the birth of Jesus Christ. It is believed that Jesus Christ was born in a barn in Bethlehem where his mother Mary and her husband Joseph stayed on the way of flight.

(2) Real life experience is related to religious legend.