1
recite/chant an incantation
此处指一段具体的咒语，作可数名词。
The priestess recited an incantation to protect the village.
女祭司念了一段咒语来保护村庄。
咒语；念咒
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
咒语；念咒
a series of words or sounds spoken or chanted as a magic spell, or the act of speaking them
The priestess recited an incantation to protect the village.
女祭司念了一段咒语来保护村庄。
念咒；念咒语的行为
The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.
被认为有魔力的咒语或声音的仪式性诵读
a ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect
咒语；符咒
A formula of words used as above.
The witch muttered an incantation under her breath before the potion began to bubble.
女巫在药水开始冒泡前低声念了一句咒语。
He read the ancient incantation from the scroll, hoping to break the curse.
他从卷轴上读出古老的咒语，希望能破除诅咒。
The movie showed a priest reciting an incantation to ward off evil spirits.
电影中显示一位牧师背诵咒语以驱散邪灵。
此处指一段具体的咒语，作可数名词。
The priestess recited an incantation to protect the village.
女祭司念了一段咒语来保护村庄。
to 后用动词原形，表示念咒语的目的。
They used an incantation to break the curse.
他们用了一段咒语来破除诅咒。
这个结构侧重“念咒”这一行为，而不是具体的一段咒语。
The ceremony ended with the incantation of sacred names.
仪式以念诵神圣的名字结束。
Not this
The wizard cast an incantation to break the curse.
Use this
The wizard recited an incantation to break the curse.
英语中 cast 通常与 spell 搭配，形成固定短语 cast a spell；而 incantation 的常用动词是 recite、chant 或 utter，表示“念/吟诵咒语”。所以这里应把 cast 改为 recited。
Not this
He said incantation in a low voice.
Use this
He said an incantation in a low voice.
incantation 是可数名词，指具体的一篇咒语时前面需要加冠词 an（或使用复数形式）。汉语中没有冠词概念，学习者容易漏掉，因此应加上 an。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
魔法咒语
She whispered a magic incantation to break the spell.
她低声念了一句魔法咒语来破除魔咒。
仪式咒语
The priest chanted a ritual incantation during the ceremony.
祭司在仪式中吟唱了一段仪式咒语。
吟诵咒语
The witch chanted an incantation over the bubbling pot.
女巫对着冒泡的锅吟诵咒语。
背诵咒语
He recited the incantation from the ancient book.
他背诵了古书上的咒语。
念出咒语
She uttered the incantation just as the clock struck midnight.
钟声敲响午夜时，她念出了咒语。
古老的咒语
The tomb was sealed with an ancient incantation.
墓穴用一种古老的咒语封印着。
咒语是“呼神护卫”。
The witch whispered an incantation under the moonlight.
女巫在月光下低声念了一句咒语。
Use incantation naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
in-开头像‘吟’，-cantation 联想‘唱’：吟唱咒语，即 incantation。
语域：mixed 常见场景：ritual or occult ceremonies、fantasy fiction and role-playing games、literary or historical descriptions of magic 该词比日常口语中的 spell 更正式、更具文学色彩，通常多用于描写魔法仪式、神秘宗教或奇幻作品；在日常对话中较少出现，这时可用 magic words 或 spell。
These words all end with the sound /eɪʃən/, matching the final -tation sound in incantation /ɪnˈkænˌteɪʃən/. Be careful: incantation is not pronounced like “in-can’t-ation”; the letters “cant” are /kæn/ followed by a /t/ that begins the next syllable.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.