寒暑表降到冰點下十八度的時候，我們也是在廊下睡覺。每夜最熟識的就是天上的星辰了。也不過只是點點閃爍的光明，而相看慣了，偶然不見，也有些想望與無聊。
The thermometer had dropped to 18 degress blow zero, but we still chose to sleep in the porch as usual. In the evening, the most familiar sight to me would be stars in the sky. Though they were a mere sprinkle of twinkling dots, yet I had become so accustomed to them that their occasional absence would bring me loneliness and ennui.
1.thermometer
(θ??m?m?t??? )
Word forms: plural thermometers
countable noun
A thermometer is an instrument for measuring temperature. It usually consists of a narrow glass tube containing a thin column of a liquid which rises and falls as the temperature rises and falls.
2.porch
1. countable noun
A porch is a sheltered area at the entrance to a building. It has a roof and sometimes has walls.
Is there a light in the porch or garden?
2.?countable noun
A porch is a raised platform built along the outside wall of a house and often covered with a roof.
[US]
We'd eat during the hot summer evenings on the front porch.
REGIONAL NOTE:
in BRIT, usually use veranda
3.sprinkle
1. verb
If you sprinkle a thing with something such as a liquid or powder, you scatter the liquid or powder over it.
Sprinkle the meat with salt and place in the pan. [VERB noun + with]
At the festival, candles are blessed and sprinkled with holy water. [VERB noun with noun]
Cheese can be sprinkled on egg or vegetable dishes. [be V-ed + on]
Synonyms: scatter, dust, strew, pepper ?
2.?verb
If something is sprinkled with particular things, it has a few of them throughout it and they are far apart from each other.
Unfortunately, the text is sprinkled with errors. [be VERB-ed + with]
Men in green army uniforms are sprinkled throughout the huge auditorium. [be VERB-ed preposition]
Synonyms: litter, clutter, mess up ??
3.?verb
If it is sprinkling, it is raining very lightly.
[US]
REGIONAL NOTE:
in BRIT, use spit
4.twinkle
1. verb
If a star or a light twinkles, it shines with an unsteady light which rapidly and constantly changes from bright to faint.
At night, lights twinkle in distant villages across the valleys. [VERB]
...a band of twinkling diamonds. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: sparkle, flash, shine, glitter ??
twinkly? adjective
We always decorated a grand 6m pine tree on our front lawn with soft, twinkly blue lights.
2.?verb
If you say that someone's eyes twinkle, you mean that their face expresses good humour or amusement.
She saw her mother's eyes twinkle with amusement. [+ with , VERB]
Twinkle is also a noun.
A kindly twinkle came into her eyes.
twinkly adjective
She describes him as kind, warm, compassionate, with the most naughty twinkly blue eyes.
5.Ennui(?nwi?? ) ? 英語常用文學用語
Ennui is a feeling of being tired, bored, and dissatisfied.
[literary]
Synonyms: boredom, dissatisfaction, tiredness, the doldrums
連夜雨雪，一點星光都看不見。荷和我擁衾(qīn)對坐，在廊子的兩角，遙遙談話。
It had been snowing all night, not a single star in sight. My roommate and I , each wrapped in a quilt , were seated far apart in a different corner of the porch, facing each other and chatting away.
荷指著說：“你看維納斯升起來了！”我抬頭望時，卻是山路轉折處的路燈。我恰然一笑，也指著對山的一星燈火說：“那邊是丘比特呢！“
She exclaimed pointing to something afar,"Look, Venus is rising!" I looked up and saw nothing but a lamp round the bend in a mountain path. I beamed and said pointing to a tiny lamplight on the opposite mountain, "It's Jupiter over there."
1.beam
1. verb
If you say that someone is beaming, you mean that they have a big smile on their face because they are happy, pleased, or proud about something.
[written]
Frances beamed at her friend with undisguised admiration. [V + at/with]
'Welcome back,' she beamed. [VERB with quote]
...the beaming face of a 41-year-old man on the brink of achieving his dreams. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: smile, grin, be all smiles ??
2.?countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
A beam is a line of energy, radiation, or particles sent in a particular direction.
...high-energy laser beams.
...a beam of neutrons. [+ of]
3.?verb
If something beams radio signals or television pictures or they are beamed somewhere, they are sent there by means of electronic equipment.
The interview was beamed live across America. [be VERB-ed preposition/adverb]
The live satellite broadcast was beamed into homes across America. [VERB preposition/adverb]
...a ship which is due to begin beaming radio broadcasts to South East Asia. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: transmit, show, air, broadcast
4.?countable noun [noun NOUN]
A beam of light is a line of light that shines from an object such as a lamp.
5.?verb
If something such as the sun or a lamp beams down, it sends light to a place and shines on it.
A sharp white spot-light beamed down on a small stage. [VERB adverb/preposition]
All you see of the outside world is the sunlight beaming through the cracks in the roof. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: radiate, flash, shine, glow ??
6.?countable noun
A beam is a long thick bar of wood, metal, or concrete, especially one used to support the roof of a building.
The ceilings are supported by oak beams.
Synonyms: rafter, support, timber, spar ??
7.?singular noun [usually the NOUN]
In gymnastics, the beam is a piece of equipment that consists of a narrow wooden bar on which gymnasts balance and perform movements.
愈指愈多。松林中射來零亂的風燈，都成了滿天星宿。
More and more lights came into sight as we kept pointing here and there. Lights from hurricane lamps flickering about in the pine forest created the scene of a star-studded sky.
1.flicker
1. verb
If a light or flame flickers, it shines unsteadily.
Fluorescent lights flickered, and then the room was brilliantly, blindingly bright. [VERB]
A television flickered in the corner. [VERB]
Flicker is also a noun.
Looking through the cabin window I saw the flicker of flames.
2.?countable noun [usually singular]
If you experience a flicker of emotion, you feel that emotion only for a very short time, and not very strongly.
He felt a flicker of regret. [+ of]
He looked at me, a flicker of amusement in his cold eyes. [+ of]
Synonyms: trace, drop, breath, spark ? More Synonyms of flicker
3.?verb
If an expression flickers across your face, it appears very briefly.
[written]
A smile flickered across Vincent's grey features. [V across/over n]
...a shadow of disquiet flickering over his face. [V across/over n]
4.?verb
If someone's eyes flicker towards something, they look at it quickly.
[written]
Dirk's eyes flickered towards the pistol. [VERB preposition/adverb]
His dark eyes flickered over her face. [VERB preposition/adverb]
5.?verb
If something flickers, it makes very slight, quick movements.
In a moment her eyelids flickered, then opened. [VERB]
A few moments later Mrs Tenney's eyelids flickered open. [VERB adjective]
2.stud
(st?d? )
Word forms: plural studs
1.?countable noun
A studs are small pieces of metal which are attached to a surface for decoration.
You see studs on lots of London front doors.
Synonyms: rivet, tack, press-stud, tintack ??
2.?countable noun
A stud is an earring consisting of a small shape attached to a bar which goes through a hole in your ear.
...plain gold studs.
3.?countable noun
Studs are small round objects attached to the bottom of boots, especially sports boots, so that the person wearing them does not slip.
[British]
REGIONAL NOTE:
in AM, use cleats
4.?uncountable noun
Horses or other animals that are kept for stud are kept to be used for breeding.
He was voted horse of the year and then was retired to stud.
5.?countable noun
If you refer to a man as a stud, you mean that he is thought to be very active sexually and good at satisfying his partner's sexual desires.
[informal]
6.?countable noun
A stud is the same as a stud farm.
verb
Word forms: studs, studding or studded
(transitive)
8.to provide, ornament, or make with studs
9.to dot or cover (with)
the park was studded with daisies(雛菊)
10.?building
to provide or support (a wall, partition, etc) with studs
真的，雪花隙里，看不出來天空和森林的界限，將繁燈當作繁星，簡直是抵得過。
With the distinction between sky and forest obscured by snowflakes, the numerous lamp-lights now easily passed for as many stars.
1.obscure
1. adjective
If something or someone is obscure, they are unknown, or are known by only a few people.
The origin of the custom is obscure.
The hymn was written by an obscure Greek composer for the 1896 Athens Olympics.
Synonyms: unknown, minor, little-known, humble ??
2.?adjective
Something that is obscure is difficult to understand or deal with, usually because it involves so many parts or details.
The contracts are written in obscure language.
Richard's statement was disgracefully obscure.
Synonyms: abstruse, involved, complex, confusing ?
3.?verb
If one thing obscures another, it prevents it from being seen or heard properly.
Trees obscured his vision; he couldn't see much of the Square's southern half. [VERB noun]
One wall of the parliament building is now almost completely obscured by a huge banner. [be VERB-ed]
Synonyms: hide, cover (up), screen, mask ??
4.?verb
To obscure something means to make it difficult to understand.
...the jargon that frequently obscures educational writing. [VERB noun]
This issue has been obscured by recent events. [be VERB-ed]
Synonyms: obfuscate [formal] , confuse, cloud, blur
2.pass for
pass for in American
to be accepted or looked upon as
usually said of an imitation or counterfeit（n. 仿制品，偽造物; 肖像，畫像;）
一念至誠的將假作真，燈光似乎都從地上飄起。
Completely lost in a make-believe world, I seemed to see all the lamplights drifting from the ground.
這幻成的星光，都不移動，不必半夜夢醒時，再去追尋他們的位置。
With the illusory stars hanging still overhead, I was spared the effort of tracing their positions when I woke up from my dreams in the dead of night.
1.illusory（虛假的）
adjective
If you describe something as illusory, you mean that although it seems true or possible, it is in fact false or impossible.
His freedom is illusory.
...the illusory nature of nationhood.
Synonyms: unreal, false, misleading, untrue
2.overhead
adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use overhead to indicate that something is above you or above the place that you are talking about.
She turned on the overhead light and looked around the little room.
...people who live under or near overhead cables.
Synonyms: raised, suspended, elevated, aerial ? More Synonyms of overhead
Overhead is also an adverb.
...planes passing overhead.
Now there were only the stars overhead.
3.at/in (the) dead of (the) night/winter
phrase
If something happens in the dead of night, at dead of night, or in the dead of winter, it happens in the middle part of the night or the winter, when it is darkest or coldest.
[literary]
I couldn't fly illegally into a country in the dead of night.
We buried it in the garden at dead of night.
Early one Thursday morning in the dead of winter I awoke to a blizzard（暴雪。）.
于是雨雪寂寞之夜，也有了慰安了!
Thus I found consolation even on a lonely snowy night !
consolation
noun
1.the act of consoling or state of being consoled; solace
2.a person or thing that is a source of comfort in a time of suffering, grief, disappointment, etc
in your mind's eye
