The first snow came. How beautiful it was, falling so silently all day long, all night long, on the mountains, on the meadows, on the roofs of the living, on the graves of the dead! All white save the river, that marked its course by a winding black line across the landscape; and the leafless trees, that against the leaden sky now revealed more fully the wonderful beauty and intricacies of their branches. What silence, too, came with the snow, and what seclusion! Every sound was muffled, every noise changed to something soft and musical. No more tramping hoofs, no more ratting wheels! Only the chiming of sleigh-bells, beating as swift and merrily as the hearts of children.
注释：
1. meadows：n. 草地、牧场
2. save：prep. 除了......以外
3. leaden：adj. 铅灰色的
4. intricacies：n. 原指错综复杂，这里指树枝盘结交错
5. seclusion：n. 宁静、远离喧嚣
6. was muffled：被压抑而低沉
7. tramping：形容马蹄踏地发出“得得”声的样子
8. rattling：形容车轮发出“咯咯”声的样子
9. sleigh-bells：雪橇的铃铛
相关单词：winding
winding解释：n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈
winding例句：
A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
相关单词：fully
fully解释：adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
fully例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
相关单词：seclusion
seclusion解释：n.隐遁，隔离
seclusion例句：
She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。
相关单词：muffled
muffled解释：adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）
muffled例句：
muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：hoofs
hoofs解释：n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )
hoofs例句：
The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句
