There is a hill near my home that I often climb at night. The noise of the city is a far-off murmur. In the hush of dark I share the cheerfulness of crickets and the confidence of owls. But it is the drama of the moonrise that I come to see. For that restores in me a quiet and clarity that the city spends too freely.
From this hill I have watched many moons rise. Each one had its own mood. There have been broad, confident harvest moons in autumn; shy, misty（模糊的） moons in spring; lonely, white winter moons rising into the utter silence of an ink-black sky and smoke-smudged orange moons over the dry fields of summer. Each, like fine music, excited my heart and then calmed my soul.
But we, who live indoors, have lost contact with the moon. The glare of street lights and the dust of pollution veil the night sky. Though men have walked on the moon, it grows less familiar. Few of us can say what time the moon will rise tonight.
Still, it tugs at our minds.
If we unexpectedly encounter the full moon, huge and yellow over the horizon, we are helpless but to stare back at its commanding presence. And the moon has gifts to bestow（使用，授予） upon those who watch.
I learned
But as the moon lifted off the ridge it gathered firmness and authority. Its complexion changed from red, to orange, to gold, to impassive yellow. It seemed to draw light out of the darkening earth, for as it rose, the hills and valleys below grew dimmer. By the time the moon stood clear of the horizon, full-chested and round and of the colour of ivory, the valleys were deep shadows in the landscape. The dogs, reassured that this was the familiar moon, stopped barking. And all at once I felt a confidence and joy close to laughter.
The drama took an hour. Moonrise is slow and serried with subtleties. To watch it, we must slip into an older, more patient sense of time.
To watch the moon move inflexibly higher is to find an unusual stillness within ourselves. Our imaginations become aware of the vast distance of space, the immensity of the earth and the huge improbability of our own existence. We feel small but privileged.
Moonlight shows us none of life's harder edges. Hillsides seem silken and silvery, the oceans still and blue in its light. In moonlight we become less calculating, more drawn to our feelings.
相关单词：murmur
murmur解释：n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
murmur例句：
They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
相关单词：hush
hush解释：int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
hush例句：
A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！
相关单词：owls
owls解释：n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )
owls例句：
'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：misty
misty解释：adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的
misty例句：
He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿，看看是不是还有雾霭。
The misty scene had a dreamy quality
相关单词：tugs
tugs解释：n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 )
tugs例句：
The raucous sirens of the tugs came in from the river. 河上传来拖轮发出的沙哑的汽笛声。 来自辞典例句
As I near the North Tower, the wind tugs at my role. 当我接近北塔的时候，风牵动着我的平衡杆。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：bestow
bestow解释：v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费
bestow例句：
He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。
What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我？
相关单词：stranded
stranded解释：a.搁浅的，进退两难的
stranded例句：
He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。
相关单词：ridge
ridge解释：n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭
ridge例句：
We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。
相关单词：grotesquely
grotesquely解释：adv. 奇异地,荒诞地
grotesquely例句：
Her arched eyebrows and grotesquely powdered face were at once seductive and grimly overbearing. 眉棱棱着，在一脸的怪粉上显出妖媚而霸道。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
Two faces grotesquely disfigured in nylon stocking masks looked through the window. 2张戴尼龙长袜面罩的怪脸望着窗外。
相关单词：loomed
loomed解释：v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近
loomed例句：
A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：farmhouse
farmhouse解释：n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）
farmhouse例句：
We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
相关单词：nervously
nervously解释：adv.神情激动地，不安地
nervously例句：
He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
相关单词：complexion
complexion解释：n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格
complexion例句：
Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。
相关单词：reassured
reassured解释：adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
reassured例句：
The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：serried
serried解释：adj.拥挤的；密集的
serried例句：
The fields were mostly patches laid on the serried landscape.between crevices and small streams.农田大部分是地缝和小溪之间的条状小块。
On the shelf are serried rows of law books and law reports.书橱上是排得密密匝匝的几排法律书籍和判例汇编。
相关单词：subtleties
subtleties解释：细微( subtlety的名词复数 )； 精细； 巧妙； 细微的差别等
subtleties例句：
I think the translator missed some of the subtleties of the original. 我认为译者漏掉了原著中一些微妙之处。
They are uneducated in the financial subtleties of credit transfer. 他们缺乏有关信用转让在金融方面微妙作用的知识。
相关单词：inflexibly
inflexibly解释：adv.不屈曲地，不屈地
inflexibly例句：
These are very dynamic people, but they manifest inflexibly in relating to the world. 这是一些很有力量的人，但他们在与这个世界的联系中表现地过于强硬而难于妥协。 来自互联网
相关单词：drawn
drawn解释：v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
drawn例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
