The first Lyra heard of it was when a young boy went missing from a gyptian ˈdʒɪpʃən family she knew.
It was about the time of the horse fair hɔːs feə(r) 赛马会,马市, and the canal kəˈnæl 运河 basin ˈbeɪsn 流域 was crowded with narrowboats ˈnærəʊbəʊts 窄船 and butty boats ˈbʌti 三明治;朋友;伙伴 (a boat or barge towed by another boat), with traders ˈtreɪdəz 卖人;证券交易人 and travelers ˈtrævləz 旅行者;旅行推销员;移动式起重机, and the wharves wɔːvz 码头 along the waterfront ˈwɔːtəfrʌnt 码头区 in Jericho ˈdʒɛrɪkəʊ 耶利哥;杰里科 were bright with gleaming ˈɡliːmɪŋ 闪闪发光的harness ˈhɑːnɪs 马具;挽具;(用于人，起固定或保护作用的)背带，保护带 and loud with the clop klɒp (if a horse clops, its hooves make a loud sound as they touch the ground) of hooves huːvz 马蹄 and the clamor 'klæmə(r) 吵闹声 of bargaining. Lyra always enjoyed the horse fair; as well as the chance of stealing a ride on a less-than-well-attended 不太受欢迎 horse, there were endless opportunities for provoking prəˈvəʊkɪŋ 激起;引起;引发;挑衅;激怒;刺激 warfare ˈwɔːfeə(r) 战争;(群体、公司等之间的)斗争，竞争，冲突.
And this year she had a grand ɡrænd 重大的;宏大的;宏伟的 plan. Inspired by the capture of the narrowboat the year before, she intended this time to make a proper voyage ˈvɔɪɪdʒ 航行;远行;(尤指)远航 before being turned out 被赶出来. If she and her cronies ˈkrəʊniz 好友;密友 from the College kitchens could get as far as Abingdon ˈæbɪŋdən 阿宾顿, they could play havoc ˈhævək 灾害;祸患;浩劫 with the weir wɪə(r) 堰;拦河坝;导流坝....
But this year there was to be no war. Something else happened. Lyra was sauntering ˈsɔːntərɪŋ 悠闲地走;漫步;闲逛 along the edge of the Port pɔːt 港口城市;港市;口岸;港口;避风港 Meadow ˈmedəʊ 草地;牧场;草原 boatyard ˈbəʊtjɑːd 船坞;造船厂;修船厂 in the morning sun, without Roger for once (he had been detailed ˈdiːteɪld 派遣;选派;分遣;彻底清洗 to wash the buttery ˈbʌtəri 食品室;酒贮藏室 floor) but with Hugh Lovat hju: ˈlɑːvət 休·洛瓦特 and Simon Parslow ˈsaɪmən ˈpɑːsləʊ 西蒙·帕斯洛, passing a stolen cigarette ˈsɪɡəret 香烟;纸烟;卷烟 from one to another and blowing out the smoke ostentatiously ˌɒstenˈteɪʃəsli 招摇地;铺张地;炫耀地, when she heard a cry in a voice she recognized.
“Well, what have you done with him, you half-arsed ˌhɑːf ˈɑːst 马虎的;不尽力的;草草了事的;愚蠢的;糊涂的 pillock ˈpɪlək 蠢材;笨蛋?”
It was a mighty ˈmaɪti 强而有力的;巨大的;非凡的 voice, a woman's voice, but a woman with lungs lʌŋz 肺 of brass brɑːs 黄铜 andleather ˈleðə(r) 皮革. Lyra looked around for her at once, because this was Ma Costa mɑː ˌkɒstə 玛·科斯塔, who had clouted ˈklaʊtɪd (尤指用手)猛击，重打 Lyra dizzy ˈdɪzi 头晕目眩的;使人头昏眼花的 on two occasions but given her hot gingerbread ˈdʒɪndʒəbred 姜饼;姜味饼干 on three, and whose family was noted ˈnəʊtɪd (以…)见称,闻名,著名 for the grandeur ˈɡrændʒə(r) 宏伟;壮丽;堂皇;高贵;显赫;伟大 and sumptu-ousness ˈsʌmptʃuəsnəs 奢侈;豪华 of their boat. They were princes ˈprɪnsɪz 贵族 among gyptians, and Lyra admired Ma Costa greatly, but she intended to be wary ˈweəri (对待人或事物时)小心的，谨慎的，留神的，小心翼翼的 of her for some time yet, for theirs was the boat she had hijacked ˈhaɪdʒækt 劫持(交通工具，尤指飞机).
