The First Miracle

【生词扫盲】

bane：something that causes trouble or makes people unhappy祸根；灾星

strip:a long narrow piece of paper, cloth etc

round the twist:[俚语]疯癫的；怪癖的

firecracker:鞭炮，爆竹

go off：爆炸

toughness:n. [力] 韧性；强健；有粘性

faint：/feɪnt,fent/ adj.difficult to see, hear, smell etc not have the faintest idea：to not know anything at all about something

smoulder： /'sməʊldə,ˋsmoldɚ/ v. [I ]1.if something such as wood smoulders, it burns slowly without a flame；2.literary if someone smoulders, or if their feelings smoulder, they have strong feelings that they do not fully express

cockroach：蟑螂

maggot： /'mæɡət,ˋmægət/ n. [C ] 蛆

reluctantly：勉强地，不情愿地

own up：If you own up to something wrong that you have done, you admit that you did it. 承认

vile：informal extremely unpleasant or bad

repulsive：extremely unpleasant, in a way that almost makes you feel sick

repellent：very unpleasant

malicious：/mə'lɪʃəs,məˋlɪʃəs/ adj.very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt someone

behind bars：在监狱服刑

drum out：to expel from a club, association, etc 开除 =expel

disgrace：[U] the loss of other people’s respect because you have done something they strongly disapprove of  in disgrace

prefect：/'priːfekt,ˋprifɛkt/ n. [C ]〔英国某些学校中帮助管理年幼学生的〕学长，级长

hockey：曲棍球

escort： n.[ˈeskɔːrt] a person or a group of people or vehicles that go with someone in order to protect or guard them；v. /ɪ'skɔːt,ɪˋskɔrt/ to take someone somewhere, especially when you are protecting or guarding them

reformatory：少年犯管教所

delinquent：/dɪ'lɪŋkwənt,dɪˋlɪŋkwənt/ adj. behaving in a way that is illegal or that society does not approve of

rage：[C,U] a strong feeling of uncontrollable anger. in a rage

lose one's cool: to stop being calm in an annoying or frightening situation

in the least :丝毫，一点

by golly：天啊

pin sth on sb/sth：to blame someone for something, often unfairly

roar：[I] to make a deep, very loud noise

rant：to talk or complain in a loud excited and rather confused way because you feel strongly about something

maniac： /'meɪniæk,ˋmenɪ͵æk/ n. [C ]informal someone who behaves in a stupid or dangerous way

crow：乌鸦

droppings：〔兽、鸟的〕粪

be bound to：必然，一定

have it：遭受打击，遭受处罚

peculiar: /pɪ'kjuːliə,pɪˋkjuljɚ/ adj.strange, unfamiliar, or a little surprising

brew:/bruː,bru/ v.酿造〔啤酒〕;泡，沏〔茶〕；煮〔咖啡〕be brewing:will happen soon

tilt: /tɪlt,tɪlt/ v. [I,T ]to move or make something move into a position where one side is higher than the other

teeter： /'tiːtə,ˋtitɚ/ v. [I ]to stand or walk moving from side to side, as if you are going to fall

topple：[I,T] to become unsteady and then fall over, or to make something do this [+ over]  And there it teetered for a few seconds before finally toppling over and falling with a sharp tinkle on to the desk-top.

tinkle： /'tɪŋk ə l,ˋtɪŋkḷ/ n. [C usually singular 一般用单数]叮当声

splash：1[I] if a liquid splashes, it hits or falls on something and makes a noise；2[T always + adv/prep] to make someone or something wet with a lot of small drops of water or other liquid. =spill

bosom：/ˈbʊz ə m,ˋb u zəm/ n.女人的胸部，乳房

swipe：[I,T] to hit or to try to hit someone or something by swinging your arm or an object.The Trunchbull looked down and saw it and she bellowed even louder and with a swipe of her hand she sent the creature flying across the class-room.

duck down: 急忙弯下身子

have around: keep

heave：/hiːv,hiv/ v.[I] to move up and down with very strong movements

soak： /səʊk,sok/ v.[I always + adv/prep, T] to make something completely wet

step forward：站出来，自告奋勇

serenity:/si'renəti/ n. calmness

rise up against:奋起反抗

knock over：打翻，撞倒

vouch：/vaʊtʃ,vautʃ/ v.to say that you firmly believe that something is true or good because of your experience or knowledge of it为…作担保，保证 [+for]

flinch: to move your face or body away from someone or something because you are in pain, frightened, or upset〔因疼痛、害怕、生气而〕退缩，畏缩

midget: /'mɪdʒɪt,'mɪdʒət,ˋmɪdʒɪt/ n. [C ]侏儒，矮人

【值得学习的表达】

Natural history was not her strong point.

Then she reached out a hand and took hold of her water-jug.

I have often thought of inventing a spray for getting rid of small children.

quivering like a blancmange

You are not fit to be in this school!

go crazy的花式表达：be round the twist/be off your rocker/out of your mind/go round the bend/lose her cool/lose control of herself

She longed to march up and grab the glass and tip the contents, newt and all, over the Trunchbull's head.

She trembled to think what the Trunchbull would do to her if she did that.

There began to creep over Matilda a most extraordinary and peculiar feeling.

It was balancing on just one edge of its base.

The whole room remained silent as a tomb. （之前出现过silent as a grave）

A strange feeling of serenity and confidence was sweeping over her.

I am fed up with you useless bunch of midgets!

【Trunchbull对Maltida的称呼】

you disgusting little cockroach

you filthy little maggot

a vile, repulsive, repellent, malicious little brute