it was very frosty, starry clear weather, quiet and calm.

bump! a pot was thrown against a door. bang! fireworks were shot off to welcome the new year, for it was new year's eve; and now the clock struck twelve!

trateratra! there came the mail. the big mail coach stopped outside the gate to the town. it carried twelve people and couldn't hold more, for all the seats were taken.

"hurrah! hurrah!" rang out in the houses, where people were celebrating new year's eve. they arose with full glasses and drank a toast to the new year.

"health and good wishes for the new year!" they said. "a pretty little wife! lots of money! an end to nonsense!"

yes, these were their wishes for one another, and glasses were struck together, while the mail coach stopped in front of the town gate with the unknown guests, the twelve travelers.

what kind of people were they? they had passports and luggage with them; yes, even presents for you and me and for all the people in the town. who were these strangers? what did they want, and what did they bring?

"good morning!" they said to the sentry at the town gate.

"good morning!" said he, as the clock had struck twelve. "your name? your profession?" asked the sentry when the first of them stepped out of the carriage.

"look in the passport!" said the man. "i am myself!" and a splendid-looking fellow he was, too, dressed in a bearskin and fur boots. "i am the man on whom many people pin their hopes. come to see me tomorrow, and i'll give you a real new year! i throw dollars and cents about, give presents, and, yes, i even give balls, thirty-one of them; that's all the nights i have to spare. my ships are frozen tight, but in my office it is warm. i am a merchant, and my name is january. i have only bills!"

编辑:Liuxuepaper.Com

作文地带知识拓展:

• 英语（English）属于印欧语系日耳曼语族西日耳曼语支，最早被中世纪的英国使用，并因其广阔的殖民地而成为世界使用面积最广的语言。英国人的祖先盎格鲁部落是后来迁移到大不列颠岛地区的日耳曼部落之一，称为英格兰。这两个名字都来自波罗地海半岛的Anglia。该语言与弗里斯兰语和下撒克森语密切相关，其词汇受到其他日耳曼语族语言的影响，尤其是北欧语（北日耳曼语），并在很大程度上由拉丁文和法文撰写。

  英语的英文释义：

  English 名词 uk  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/ us  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

  the language that is spoken in the UK, the US, and in many other countries

  英语

  American/British English

  美式／英式英语

  Do you speak English?

  你会说英语吗？

  English   形容词 adjective   uk  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/ us  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

  in or relating to the English language

  英语的

  an English teacher

  英语老师

  relating to or from England

  英格兰的;英国的

  English films/food/people

  英国电影／食品／人

  English law

  英格兰法律