Stardust --C7

At the Sign of the Chariot

***Words and Expressions

1.the star had been soaked to the skin when she arrived at the pass

soaked to the skin 浑身湿透

• 这里soaked可以换成wet, drenched to the skin

2.after a day of pelting rain
总结一下本书目前为止出现的对“雨”的描写

• spilling rain and lightning
• the rain began at dawn, abruptly, as if the sky had turned to water
• in the pelting/driving rain
• the rain fell harder
• the heavy rain
• pattered the raindrops on the stone
  the rain pattered

3....flooding the grey world with warm yellow light
这里用的flood sth with 而不是full with/of，非常妙
flood

• flood with light
• flood of people

my heart shall blaze and burn with happiness
同样的，这里用了burn with，而不是full of，可见这个幸福的强度

同样也可以说某人的快乐、热情burn out

4.her head all in a whirl at the strange turn that events had taken
in a whirl
whirl
n.

• the social whirl 纷繁的社交活动
• to be all in a whirl about [something]
  为某事都忙得晕头转向
• to give [something] a whirlcolloquial
  试一试某事

vi.

• my mind or head is or my thoughts are whirling

5.until the rain lets up
let up vt. 停止；放松；减少

• the demand for knowledge never lets up

6.Tristran unhitched the exhausted horses
unhitch=un+hitch
hitch
vt.

• to hitch a lift
• to get hitched 喜结连理

vi.

• to hitch to Paris
• hitchhike vi.

n.

• (problem)暂时问题

• to pass off without a hitch 顺利地完成

• (knot)[某种] 结

• a clove hitch 卷结

7. his rumination were interrupted by an enormous clattering
   rumination

• philosophical ruminations about life and humanity.

ruminate v.

• to ruminate on the nature of existence
• to ruminate on the uncertainty of life
• it's worth while to ruminate over his remarks

8.something else was occupying his attention
occupy

• occupy one's attention: 吸引着某人的注意力
• occupy the whole day

9.***alight on
lurch toward
attend to the sick

Sentences
1....and then the blood was spurting in a crimson fountain in the firelight.***
好美！血如喷泉一样喷涌而出。很有意思，中西文化不一样，但是对一些事物的比喻都很类似。

2.as if he were madness personified
拟人化madness，同时也拟物化了人物

3.There were good people on this benighted world, the star decided, warmed and contented.

Summary

The star girl and the unicorn go into the inn for shelter because of the pelting of rain. The witch-queen treats them warmly. The witch attends to the girl carefully and waits for the right time to kill her because the heart of a star at peace is much finer than the flickering heart. The uninformed and inexperienced girl burns with satisfaction and expresses appreciation to the witch. But the development of things is beyond the witch’s plans when Tristran and Primus break into the inn.
Tristran is offered by a tankard of wine when he attends to the horses, then he finds the unicorn. Suddenly, it occurs to Tristran that the unicorn can discern the poison with its horn. And the unicorn confirms to Tristran that the wine has poison inside it. Then Tristran rushes to the inn, informing to Primus loudly. The witch cuts Primus throats quickly before he pick up his sword. Primus lies in a pool of blood, died. The unicorn intends to attack the witch but unfortunately failed. The witch kills the unicorn without blinking a eye. Tristran finds the last candle in his pocket, and he takes the star’s hand in his right hand. To the witch’s confuse and surprise, Tristran thrusts his left hand into the fire with the candle. He encourages the star to walk with him, and magically, they left the inn behind them and they are high above the earth at last.

感悟

没想到这一章，Primus和独角兽这么快就领了便当……
这一章对Tristran对星星女孩的感情描写更加具体了，已经具体到Tristran开始脑补见到她面之后要说什么话，脑补星星女会如何回复他。但是事情发展太过迅猛，当他见到女孩后还没来得及道歉说上话，就目睹了两起死亡事件，然后机智的Tristran从死亡的陷阱中救了星星女。
我觉得尼尔·盖曼是奇幻小说如《哈利·波特》、《纳尼亚》、《魔戒》的鼻祖，就比如这章中，主角逃脱的方式、蜡烛等都使我想起了《哈利·波特》中的飞路粉、幻影移形。独角兽就像是他们的守护神，不过我在这里涨了关于此神兽一个知识（虽然无用）就是：独角兽的角插入到有毒的液体里，该液体会发热沸腾冒泡。