国家地理:Modern Witchcraft 现代巫术

Today in England witchcraft¹ and its more modern incarnation Wicca are pagan religions. Wiccans worship the Gods and spirits of nature. In return for their faith, the spirits grant them the power of magic.

It was this power that first drew Gaylice Karl to Wicca. Now she is studying to become a full-fledged witch.

I like the name witch and I suppose in a way I would like to reclaim² it as being a good word and standing³ for all the things that I believe in.

She has her husband's complete support though he has no interest in witchcraft himself. She knows others will not be so accepting.

I'm very careful about who I tell, I am very careful about who sees my pentacle. There it is. That sits by me and I have a great belief that it should be next to my, my body as opposed to on show. There is a lot of, of prejudice still.

Once a month Gaylice meets with her coven, a group of likeminded witches who bolster⁴ one another in their faith. They call themselves the Raven⁵ And the Rose.

Hello, Gaylice. Hello

When witches gather in a circle, they believe they can weave stronger magic.

It's a procreation festival.

Tonight will be Gaylice's first time participating in a secret ritual.
Red sandalwood for passion.
It's April 30th. Tomorrow witches all over England celebrate what they call the first day of summer, Beltane. As high priestess of the Raven and the Rose, Genat Alice will lead her coven's Beltane ritual.

We are cooking up incense⁶ for Beltane. Making incense is a spell, the different ingredients that go into it like making a cake. You blend them all together and they all have specific jobs within the cake, all the incense in this case, and we will burn that tonight.

On Beltane the coven will thank the Gods for the earth's renewed fertility. For witches only Halloween or Hallows' Eve is more sacred.

We take the energy of the Goddess and God of earth and air and fire and water, the energies of the universe I place within.

With your weather-darkened rites⁷, earth, air, fire and water, find us all as one.

Let nothing impure⁸ enter here in. Let no one be present unless they come with an open heart.

Their ritual shows appreciation⁹ for the return of summer and renewal¹⁰. Homage¹¹ paid, the witches can ask for their gifts from the Gods.

Wisdom. Luck.

Then as with Holy Day celebrations everywhere, it's time for the party to begin. For most in England Beltane is known as May Day, an ancient feast still celebrated¹² widely. Despite the fears, their faith still sparks, which is figuring in May Day festivals across England. The Raven and the Rose coven seizes the opportunity to march proudly through the streets. Their public walk shows that prejudice is beginning to wane¹³ and reminds onlookers¹⁴ that the celebration of the earth, the sky and the seasons is humankind's oldest faith.


Wicca: A pagan nature religion having its roots in pre-Christian western Europe and undergoing a 20th-century revival¹⁵, especially in the United States and Great Britain. 巫术崇拜
coven: An assembly of 13 witches. 女巫团
procreation: 产生(新品种)
Beltane: An ancient Celtic feast marked by the lighting¹⁶ of bonfires and the performance of various rites of purification. 五朔节
incense: An aromatic¹⁷ substance, such as wood or a gum, that is burned to produce a pleasant odor. 香

1 witchcraft   

n.魔法，巫术

参考例句：

• The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
• All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。

2 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

5 raven   

n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的

参考例句：

• We know the raven will never leave the man's room.我们知道了乌鸦再也不会离开那个男人的房间。
• Her charming face was framed with raven hair.她迷人的脸上垂落着乌亮的黑发。

6 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

7 rites   

仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to administer the last rites to sb 给某人举行临终圣事
• He is interested in mystic rites and ceremonies. 他对神秘的仪式感兴趣。

8 impure   

adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的

参考例句：

• The air of a big city is often impure.大城市的空气往往是污浊的。
• Impure drinking water is a cause of disease.不洁的饮用水是引发疾病的一个原因。

9 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

10 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

11 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

12 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

13 wane   

n.衰微，亏缺，变弱；v.变小，亏缺，呈下弦

参考例句：

• The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。
• Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。

14 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

15 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

16 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

17 aromatic   

adj.芳香的，有香味的

参考例句：

• It has an agreeable aromatic smell.它有一种好闻的香味。
• It is light,fruity aromatic and a perfect choice for ending a meal.它是口感轻淡，圆润，芳香的，用于结束一顿饭完美的选择。