From striking deals with the Devil to protecting the house, the jack-o’ -lantern has a long history.
Every year around Halloween, people across the world carvespooky , grinning faces into pumpkins and then place a light inside to create jack- o’-lanterns. This tradition has a history that goes backhundreds of years, and it all started in Ireland with the story of StingyJack.
The story goes like this: Stingy Jack came across the Devil and tricked him by trapping him with a cross. Before lettingthe Devil go, Stingy Jack made him promise not to take his soul. When Stingy Jack died, he wasn’t allowed into hell. However, God refused to let Jack into heaven as well. Jack had nowhereto go and was sent out into the dark night with only a piece of burning coal. Jack put the coal into a lantern made from a turnip to light his way. It is said that he is still wanderingbetween heaven and hell.
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to carve their own scary lanterns and put them in windows to scare awayStingy Jack and other evil spirits. They used turnips, beets, and potatoes to make them. When immigrantsfrom these countries came to the United States, they began using the local pumpkins. All of these objects were called Jacks of the Lantern or jack-o’-lanterns.
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
carve
[kɑrv]
.vt. 雕刻
We carved the pumpkin for Halloween.
我們雕刻南瓜慶祝萬聖夜。
Work hard, and you will carve out a bright future.
要努力，這樣你就會開創一片光明的前途。
高中 Level 4
●
trick
[trɪk]
n. 惡作劇；竅門；把戲
vt. 欺騙
=
cheat
Anna tricked Tim into carrying drugs for her.
安娜欺騙提姆替她攜帶毒品。
Billy was playing tricks on his little brother.
比利在戲弄他弟弟。
The soup tastes a bit plain, but maybe a little more pepper will do the trick.
這湯喝起來有點無味，但也許再加一點胡椒就會很美味了。
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
老狗學不會新把戲。— 諺語
多益藍色
英檢初級
高中 Level 2
●
let
[lɛt]
vt. 讓，允許
三態
let / let [lɛt] / let [lɛt]
Mia’s parents won’t let her go out after 10 p.m.
晚上 10 點後，米雅的爸媽就不讓她出門。
Let’s go picnicking this afternoon!
我們今天下午去野餐吧！
Ben can’t afford a car, let alone a house.
班買不起車子，更別說買房子。
The judge let the man go after he paid the fine for his crime.
法官在該男子為他犯下的罪支付罰金後就將他釋放了。
高中 Level 1
●
hell
[hɛl]
n. 地獄（不與 the 並用）
Bad people go to hell after they die.
壞人死後會下地獄。
高中 Level 3
●
heaven
[ˋhɛvən]
n. 天堂
=
paradise
Some Christians believe that they will go to heaven after they die.
一些基督徒相信他們死後會上天堂。
Heaven’s vengeance is slow but sure. 天堂的復仇是緩慢的，但卻是必然的 / 不是不報，時機未到。— 諺語
高中 Level 2
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scary
[ˋskɛrɪ]
a. 可怕的
The scary scene of the accident shocked all of us.
這起意外的可怕景象讓我們大家都感震驚。
高中 Level 3
●
spooky
[ˋspukɪ]
adj. 令人毛骨悚然的,詭異的
●
grin
[grɪn]
vi. & n. 露齒微笑，開心地微笑
三態
grin / grinned [grɪnd] / grinned [grɪnd]
=
giggle
Mary grinned at her boyfriend the moment she saw him.
瑪莉一看到男友就對他眉開眼笑。
The winner stepped down the stage with a wide grin on his face.
優勝者走下舞臺，臉上帶著大大的笑容。
高中 Level 3
●
stingy
[ˋstɪndʒɪ]
a. 小器的
=
cheap
=
miserly
The stingy old man won’t give any money to charity.
那個吝嗇的老頭一毛錢也不會捐給慈善事業。
高中 Level 4
●
nowhere
[ˋno͵hwɛr]
adv. 任何地方都不
pron. 沒有什麼地方
After his parents died, Anthony had nowhere to go.
他父母親過世之後，安東尼沒有地方去。
Nowhere can you find such a beautiful girl as Madison.
你去哪兒都找不到像玫迪森這麼漂亮的女孩。
Trevor tried to convince his parents to buy him a motorcycle, but he gotnowhere because they hated the idea.
崔佛試圖說服他的父母買一輛摩托車給他，但他沒有成功，因為他的父母厭惡這個想法。
Tommy’s crying and yelling got him nowhere; his mother still refused to buy the toy for him.
湯米的哭吼毫無用處，他媽媽仍拒絕買玩具給他。
My car broke down in the middle of nowhere, and I had to walk all the way to the nearest bus stop.
我的車在荒郊野外拋錨了，只好一路走到最近的公車站。
高中 Level 5
●
wander
[ˋwɑndɚ]
vi. 漫遊；閒逛
n. 閒逛
=
wonder
=
roam
=
stroll
The confused old man wandered through the streets, unsure of where he was.
這位困惑的老先生在街頭遊蕩，不知自己身在何處。
The runaway girl wandered along the street, looking in the shop windows.
這個蹺家的女孩在街上閒逛，瀏覽商店的櫥窗。
Nick likes to go for a wander around the park during his lunch break.
尼克喜歡在他午休期間到公園附近閒逛。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 3
●
immigrant
[ˋɪməgrənt]
n. （移入的）移民
高中 Level 4
Practical Phrases
●
strike a deal with...
與⋯⋯達成協議
The businessman struck a deal with his customer to provide the goods next week.
這名商人與他的客戶達成協議,將於下週提供商品。
●
go back + 一段時間
往前回溯若干時間
The festival goes back at least 100 years.
這個節日至少可以追溯至一百年前。
●
come across
偶遇某人 / 偶然發現某物
Monicacame across a pretty dress while she was shopping.
莫妮卡逛街時偶然發現一件漂亮的洋裝。
●
let sb go
釋放某人；使某人離職（= fire sb）
The judge let the man go after he paid the fine for his crime.
法官在該男子為他犯下的罪支付罰金後就將他釋放了。
I'm sorry to say that because of cutbacks, we’re going to have to let you go.
很遺憾要告訴你，因為削減開支，我們將要解僱你。
●
scare away... / scare... away
嚇走⋯⋯
The loud noise scared away the birds.
那聲巨響把鳥兒都嚇走了。
