英文杂志-Magazine：Magic

Magicby John RussellDouble, double, toil¹ and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny² snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;

 A.

From the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to Gandalf the Wizard in Lord of the Rings books and films, it is clear that the idea of magic has been around for many years. Both play and books / films use the idea of something mysterious to add interest and excitement to the story – but they also tap into something deeper…our fascination³ with magic.

B.

The word ‘Magic’ has many different meanings. A man playing card tricks in the street is doing magic, just as a wizard in a story fighting with dragons is using magic. Magic is when something happens that we cannot explain or understand. Often forcing us to not believe our own eyes or even appearing to be breaking the laws of physics or nature! When a rabbit appears in a hat or when someone claims to see into the future – both can be called magic.

C.

In the past anything that people couldn’t understand was called magic – and many people were persecuted⁴ or even killed because they were thought to be witches or wizards. When a sick person suddenly became well or a well person (or even animal) became ill, magic was the cause. Unexplained events were blamed on people who were said to use magic. It was thought that the devil or strange forces allowed them to have these powers. However, accusing someone of being a witch or of having magical powers was often just an excuse to remove an unpopular person from the community or take someone’s property away. Unfortunately, thousands of people were executed for witchcraft⁵ over hundreds of years. The most infamous⁶ recent trials were the Salem witch trials in America, dramatised in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible⁷.

D.

Magic has always been used as a form of entertainment. People enjoy the mystery of working out which cup the little ball is underneath⁸ or how he knows which card I was thinking of. From early Egyptian times magicians¹⁰ and illusionists have entertained people, and there have been many great magicians. Harry¹¹ Houdini was one of the first world-famous magicians – famous for escaping from deadly situations. In more recent times magicians such as David Copperfield or David Blane have become household names for their illusions¹²; such as making the Statue of Liberty disappear or levitating¹³.

E.

Not a lot of people would argue that David Copperfield has real magical powers – he is just a great illusionist. But there are some who believe magic really exists and can change our lives. A few believe that a spell can make someone fall in love or a potion will protect you from danger. White magic is the idea that spells, or mixtures of certain herbs can have a positive influence on our lives. Black magic is the opposite of this, the idea that magical powers can be used to harm others. Dark magic is associated with the devil and evil powers, but white magic is more to do with the earth and nature.

F.

Wizard, warlock, witch, sorcerer, enchantress. All names associated with magic, but made popular (and most created) through stories, plays or films. Shakespeare was not the first to add interest to a story with magic and the 20th Century saw a huge rise in stories about magic. The fantasy novel and film has created new universes where magicians fight to save the world, or something magical is the key to the story (like the ring in Lord of the Rings). T.H. White wrote about the most famous wizard of all – Merlin, in his books about King Arthur. The British author Terry Pratchett uses magic a great deal in his popular Discworld series of books, witches and wizards are often his main characters and there is even an ‘Unseen University’ of magic. A young wizard called Harry is also quite popular in books and films at the moment, so I’m told….

G.

Magical rings and three headed dogs may not be real, but does this mean nothing magical really exists? Can you always explain how the magician⁹ has done the card trick? Maybe it is better not to explain, but to leave a little magic and mystery in our lives. Pick a card, any card…….
 

1 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

2 fenny   

adj.沼泽的；沼泽多的；长在沼泽地带的；住在沼泽地的

参考例句：

3 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

4 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

5 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。

6 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

7 crucible   

n.坩锅，严酷的考验

参考例句：

• The alliance had been forged in the crucible of war.这个联盟经受了战争的严峻考验。
• Put the required amount of metal into the crucible.把适量的金属放入坩埚。

8 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

9 magician   

n.魔术师，变戏法的人，术士

参考例句：

• With a wave of his hand,the magician made the rabbit vanish.魔术师手一挥兔子便不见了。
• The magician transformed the man into a rabbit.魔术师把那个人变成了兔子。

10 magicians   

n.魔术师( magician的名词复数 )；巫师；术士；施妖术的人

参考例句：

• Like all magicians, he kept his secrets to himself. 象所有魔术师那样，他对此守口如瓶。 来自辞典例句
• The early priests were also doctors and magicians. 早期的僧侣又是医生又是巫士。 来自辞典例句

11 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

12 illusions   

错觉( illusion的名词复数 )； 幻想； 错误观念； 假象

参考例句：

• Don't part with your illusions. 不要放弃你的幻想。 来自每日一句
• I have no illusions about his ability. 我对他的能力不抱任何幻想。

13 levitating   

v.（使）升空，（使）漂浮( levitate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It will not mean things like levitating objects and reading others minds. 你将开始明白掌握力量的真正意义。 来自互联网
• As the pole rotates the balls spin out levitating higher the faster the system spins. 柱子旋转的时候，这两个球也会转起来，这个系统转得越快，它们飞得越高。 来自互联网