A mythical(神话的,神话般的)music echoed over the tall buildings, floating toward the heavens through clusters of stars and gently making a light rain sprinkle over the forehead of the Moon Princess. She slept on a couch of cloud and on a pillow of fur, her pitch-black hair dazzling on the pure white of her bed; her six male servants knelt at the foot of her and waited. She stirred, her white suit shimmering with diamonds and crystals as the moon cast its brilliant rays over her slender body, and her deep blue eyes opened. Her servants bowed down in piety(虔诚)and offered her six black boxes, each containing a jewel. The Princess looked quickly over them and chose a jewel, then flung it into the orbit where it became a falling star that she hoped people would see so they could pray on it. She stood up and quivered slightly, still recovering from her long sleep and her devout(虔敬的)servants rushed shortly to hold her tap. The Princess had been sleeping for a hundred solar calendar years, a punishment from a powerful and ambitious Emperor on earth because she had resolved a conflict between his people and another tribe and had been hated for it. She slowly walked over the nickel-plating cube boxes that were laid out for her to make a bridge toward the Moon. She stepped onto its cool surface and toward her throne, one made of silver encrusted with stars that could no longer hold themselves in the sky. The Princess sat down and turned to her servants who absently lay at her feet. She gestured for them to stand up. "Tell me," she said, "tell me about the world now; are there still wars?" Her servants nodded sadly. One stepped forward, his blonde hair brushing against his cheek and he knelt at his Princess's feet. "My dear lady", he spoke sadly yet his voice hinted a warning(警告), "as you slept, the Emperor passed away and his son Calaf was his successor and he is even more blood-thirsty than his father. We all hate him." The Princess rose to her feet. "Then I must stop him。I cannot stand to see innocent people killed in the name of an Emperor. Are they still fighting with the neighboring tribe?" The man nodded. "Then once again I must try to stop this mischief. I do not care what happens to me as long as they stop this nonsense." She walked swiftly across the cold surface of the moon and looked toward the earth. "Fetch my cloak," she commanded, "I will go down now to them and negotiate with this man." Without saying anything her servants fetched a white silk cloak and wrapped it round her shoulders. "Good luck," they told her in a neutral tone. The princess jumped and floated gently from the moon to earth below. Emperor Calaf sat on a gold throne with velvet cushions at his back. He lived in abundance. He had everything no one could ever want and he boasted about it, but he was not satisfied with it. He wanted more and he didn't care how he got anything as long as it pleased him. He oppressed the workers and raised taxes so arbitrarily(任意地)that people in poverty struggled to pay them. He looked out of the temple's window. The royal court doors burst open and two muscular guards hurled in a terrified man who cowered(畏缩)at the wicked Emperor's feet. This was what Calaf had been waiting for. This man couldn't pay his taxes so he would be sentenced to death. The man said nothing, either too scared to speak or knew nothing better than to be silent. The Emperor smiled evilly(邪恶地)and kicked the man in the face so he fell back into the guards."Take him and execute him. I want it in public so all those other fools can see what happens if you don't pay up on time."The guards bowed from the waist and dragged the man away. Calaf got up and for an Emperor he was more like a celebrity, very slim and good-looking. He walked down a corridor after the guards, wanting to see this death. It was fun for him to listen to the man's scream as his loyal executioner(刽子手)either slitted his throat or beheaded(斩首)him on a rack. He turned left from where the guards went out and onto a balcony, which had a better view there. The crowds called out the executioner's name over and over, but Calaf di
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dn't know why they were so excited that they were acting as if this were an enemy being put into death.
One woman, however, caught his attention. She wasn't from around here and that fascinated Calaf because he had never known anyone from other towns came here. Her beauty was perfect and she seemed disgusted by the crowds and the execution. He watched her run through the cheering crowds as the executioner brought his axe down. "Where's she gone?" He thought to himself, and then he saw she was heading into his temple. "How dare she!?" Calaf stormed from the balcony into his throne room and found the woman stood by the door. He froze as her gaze pierced him. "Who are you?" He demanded, "and why are you here?"
"I am the Moon Princess and you were born from the blood of many people and from the body of your father, by reputation the most sinful man I have ever known."Calaf stood in stunned silence, how dared she speak to him like that?"I know you,"he said,"you are the one who tried to stop the war between my tribe and Emperor Timur's tribe. I thought my father put you to sleep."
"Alas(唉),he did but 1 only slept for one hundred years. After seventy-five I recalled your father passed away and a child of ten was left in his place, am I right?"
"Yes! I was ten when I took over throne and I am doing what my father wanted, I have destroyed Timur's tribe and made a lot of money for my kingdom."The Princess laughed。"making a lot of money for the kingdom? That is a lie。you're filling your own pockets with soiled gold and I am going to stop you once and for all!"Now it was Calaf's turn to laugh,"I would like to see you try, you are nothing but a woman and how would you stand against my great army? Go you stupid creature and don't return!"The Princess said nothing and went out of the throne room. She would stay here and find out more before taking further action.
光 crystal adj.结晶状的n.水晶, 水晶饰品, 结晶, 晶体 n.投掷, 铸件, 脱落物, 一瞥, 演员表v.投, 抛, 投射, 浇铸, 计算, 派(角色) adj.灿烂的, 闪耀的, 有才气的 adj.苗条的, 微薄的, 微弱的 n.宝石 fling n.投, 掷, 猛冲, 暴躁的行动, 急冲, 嘲弄, 讥笑vt.猛投, 抛, 掷, 使陷入, 挥动, 嘲笑, 扫视vi.猛冲, 直冲, 急行 quiver n.震动, 颤抖, 箭袋, 箭袋中的箭vi.颤抖, 振动, 射中vt.使颤动adj.敏捷的 adv.立刻, 不久, 简略地, 简言之, 即刻 adj.太阳的, 日光的 n.日历, 历法 n.惩罚, 处罚, 惩处 adj.有雄心的, 野心勃勃的 n.皇帝, 君主 resolve n.决心v.决心, 决定, 决心要, (使)分解, 溶解, 解决vt.解决 n.斗争, 冲突vi.抵触, 冲突 n.部落, 部族 hate vt.憎恨, 恨, 不愿, 不喜欢n.憎恶, 憎恨v.憎恨, 讨厌, 不愿 n.[化]镍, 镍币, (美国和加拿大的)五分镍币vt.镀镍于 n.立方体, 立方 n.王座, 君主 encrust vt.在...上包(或涂)硬的外层, 使在表面形成硬壳, (用贵重物品)装饰外层vi.结壳 adv.心不在焉地, 茫然地 gesture n.姿态, 手势, 表示v.作手势, 以手势表示 hint n.暗示, 提示, 线索 n.警告, 预告, 通知, 预兆 n.继承者, 接任者, 后续的事物 adj.(～ of) 清白的, 无罪的, 天真的, 无知的 kill v.杀死, 毁掉, 杀伤 n.伤害, 危害, 故障, 恶作剧, 淘气, 调皮的人, 损害 n.胡说, 废话 adv.很快地, 即刻
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n.斗蓬, 宽大外衣, 掩护vt.用外衣遮蔽, 披斗篷 command n.命令, 掌握, 司令部v.命令, 指挥, 克制, 支配, 博得, 俯临 v.(与某人)商议, 谈判, 磋商, ,买卖, 让渡(支票、债券等), 通过, 越过 n.中立者, 中立国, 非彩色, 齿轮的空档adj.中立的, 中立国的, 中性的, 无确定性质的, (颜色等)不确定的 n.音调, 音质, 语调, 色调, 状况, 品质, 语气, 气氛vt.调和, 增强, 以特殊腔调说, 配合, 定音调vi.颜色调和 n.天鹅绒, 柔软, 光滑adj.天鹅绒的, 柔软的, 光滑的 cushion n.垫子, 软垫, 衬垫v.加衬垫 n.丰富, 充裕, 丰富充裕 boast n.自夸, 值得夸耀的事物v.自夸, 以有...而自豪 oppress vt.压迫, 压抑 n.贫穷, 贫困, 贫乏, 缺少 struggle n.竞争, 努力, 奋斗vi.努力, 奋斗, 挣扎vt.尽力使得, 使劲移动
n.庙, 寺, 神殿, 教堂, 礼拜堂, 太阳穴, 鬓角 adj.王室的, 皇家的, 第一流的, 高贵的 n.法院, 庭院, 朝廷, 宫庭, 球场, 奉承, 求爱, 殷勤vt.向...献殷勤, 追求, 设法获得(他人的支持等), 博得(喝彩), 招致(失败、危险等)vi.求爱 adj.肌肉的, 强健的 hurl n.<俚>[棒球]用力或猛烈的投掷vt.用力投掷, 愤慨地说出, 丢下, 推翻vi.猛投, 猛掷 terrify vt.使恐怖, 恐吓 adj.坏的, 邪恶的, 缺德的, 不道德的, 恶劣的, 刻毒的, 淘气的 vt.执行, 实行, 完成, 处死, 制成, [律]经签名盖章等手续使(证书)生效 drag v.拖, 拖曳, 缓慢而费力地行动n.拖拉 n.名声, 名人 adj.苗条的, 纤细的, 不足取的, 无价值的, 细长的v.变细, 减肥 n.走廊 adj.忠诚的, 忠心的 slit vt.切开, 撕裂n.裂缝, 狭长切口 n.咽喉, 喉咙, 嗓音, 窄路, 口子vt.用喉音说, 开沟于 n.架, 行李架, 拷问台, 小步跑, 烧酒, 破坏vt.放在架上, 在架上制作, 折磨, 加以拷问, 使痛苦, 榨取vi.在饲草架装满干草, 变形, (云)随风飘, (马)小步跑 n.阳台, 包厢, (戏院)楼厅 disgust n.厌恶, 嫌恶vi.令人厌恶, 令人反感vt.使作呕 n.斧, (经费的)大削减 n.挑战vi.敢, 胆敢vt.敢冒, 不惧 pierce vt.刺穿, 刺破, 穿透, 突破, 深深感动 n.名誉, 名声 adj.有罪的, 罪孽深重的 stun n.把人打昏的人, 绝妙的东西, 出色的人 vi.躺, 平放, 展现, 展开, 位于v.说谎, 躺n.谎话, 谎言 n.人, 动物, 傀儡, 创造物 n.动作, 作用, 战斗, 行动, 举动, 行为, (戏剧或书中)的情节, (某一地区、领域或团体中)最能产生效果、最有趣、最有刺激性的活动vt.对...起诉
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