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首页 » 英文短篇小说 » A Cadet's Honor » CHAPTER XI. DISADVANTAGES OF "COVENTRY."
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CHAPTER XI. DISADVANTAGES OF "COVENTRY."
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 "Sir, the parade is formed!"
 
Thus spoke1 the cadet adjutant as he approached the lieutenant2 in command, and a moment later, at the word, the battalion3 swung around and marched across the campus. It was the evening dress parade of perhaps the best drilled body of troops in the country, and West Point was out in holiday attire4 to see it.
 
Seated on the benches beneath the trees on the western edge of the parade ground was a crowd of spectators—visitors at the post and nearly the whole plebe class besides. For this was Saturday afternoon holiday, and the "beasts" had turned out in a body to witness the performance of what they were all hoping some day to be.
 
It was a "mighty5 fine" performance, and one that made those same beasts open their eyes with amazement6. Spotless and glittering in their uniforms were the cadets, and they went through all manner of difficult evolutions in perfect unison7, marching with lines as straight and even[Pg 86] as the eye could wish. It is a pretty sight, a mass of gray in a setting of deep green—the trees that encircle the spot, and it made the poor homesick "beasts" take a little interest in life once more.
 
Among these "beasts" were Mark and Texas. They sat under the trees a little apart from the crowd and watched the scene with interest. Mark had seen dress parades before; Texas had not, and he stared with open eyes and mouth, giving vent8 to an exclamation9 of amazement and delight at intervals10.
 
"Look a' yere, Mark," he cried, "d'you think we'll ever be able do that a' way. Honest, now? I think I'll stay!"
 
"Even after you get through fightin?" laughed Mark.
 
"I don't think I want to fight any more," growled11 Texas, looking glum13. "Since you an' me fit, somehow fightin' ain't so much fun."
 
"What's the fun o' fightin' ef you git licked?" he added, after a moment's thought.
 
"I never tried it," said the other, laughing. "But I suppose you'll be real meek14 now and let them haze15 you."
 
"Yaas!" drawled Texas, grinning. "Yes, I will! Them ole cadets git after me, now, by jingo, I'll go out[Pg 87] there an' yank some of 'em out that parade an' lick them all t'once. But say! look at that chap on a horse."
 
"That chap's the commandant," said Mark, "and he's going to review the parade for a change."
 
"I wish I was in it," exclaimed Texas, "an' I wish I knew all that rigamarole they're doin' now"—that "rigamarole" being the manual-at-arms. "I jest believe if I had somebody to teach me 'cept that 'ere yellin' tomcat of a Cadet Spencer I'd learn in a jiffy, dog on his boots!"
 
"There he is now," said Mark, "in the second line there. And there on the outside with his chevrons16 is Corporal Jasper, 'the committee.' They look very different when they're in line."
 
"Nothin' 'd make that red-headed, freckle-faced coyote of a drill-master look different," growled Texas. "I jes' wish he was bigger'n me so's I could git up a scrap17 with him. Jest think o' that little martinet18 a yellin' at me an' tellin' me I didn't have any sense. To-day, for instance, d'you remember, he was tryin' to show Indian how to march an' move his legs, an' Indian got twisted up into a knot; an' durnation, jist because I laughed, why he rared round an' bucked19 fo' an hour! What's the harm in laughing, anyhow?"
 
[Pg 88]And Texas glared so savagely20 at his tormentor21 as the line swept by just then that Mark concluded there was no harm and laughed.
 
"You're getting to be very stupid company, Texas," said he. "You never do anything but growl12 at the cadets. I wish I had some diversion."
 
And Mark turned away in mock disgust and glanced down the archway of trees.
 
"Here she comes," he said, after a moment's pause. "That's she walking up the path with a cadet and another girl."
 
Texas turned as Mark spoke, and looked in the direction of his nod.
 
"So that's Mary Adams!" he exclaimed. "Well! well! That's the girl you dodged22 barracks for, and risked your commission, and missed the fight, and got called a coward, and sent to Coventry, and lots else. I swear!"
 
"That's the one," said Mark, smiling.
 
"She's stunning23 pretty," added Texas, as the trio drew near. "Gee-whiz! I don't blame you."
 
"I liked her right well myself," admitted the other. "That is after I saw her with that brother of hers. She certainly is a good sister to him. But the cadets say she's[Pg 89] something of a flirt24, and Wicks Merritt advised me to leave her alone, so I guess I shall."
 
"Sunday school teacher!" said Texas, laughing. "We'll have to call you Parson, instead of Stanard. But I guess you're right. That's not a very beautiful looking cadet she's with."
 
The three were passing then, and Mark arose.
 
"I guess I'll have to go speak to her," said he. "She's beckoning25 to me. Wait a moment."
 
Texas watched his friend approach the group; he could not hear what was said, however, and so he turned away to watch the parade. By doing it he missed an interesting scene.
 
Mary Adams welcomed Mark with a look of gratitude26 and admiration27 that Mark could not fail to notice. She had not forgotten the magnitude of the service he had done for her. And then she turned to her two companions.
 
"Miss Webb," she said, "let me present Mr. Mallory."
 
The other girl bowed, and Mary Adams turned to the cadet.
 
"Mr. Murray, Mr. Mallory," said she.
 
[Pg 90]And then came the thunderclap. Mark put out his hand; the cadet quietly put his behind his back.
 
"The cadets of this academy, Miss Adams," said he, "do not speak to Mr. Mallory. Mr. Mallory is a coward!"
 
It was a trying moment; Mark felt the blood surge to his head, his fingers twitched28 and his lip quivered. He longed to spring at the fellow's throat and fling him to the ground.
 
It was a natural impulse. Texas would have done it. But Mark controlled himself by the effort of his life. He clinched29 his hands behind him and bit his tongue, and when he spoke he was calm and emotionless.
 
"Miss Adams," he said, "Mr. Murray and I will settle that later."
 
The two girls stared in amazement, "Mr. Murray" gazed into space, and Mark turned without another word and strode over to where his friend was sitting.
 
"Texas!" he muttered, gripping him by the shoulder. "Texas, there's going to be a fight."
 
"Hey!" cried Texas, springing to his feet. "What's that? Whoop30!"
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
2 lieutenant X3GyG     
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员
参考例句:
  • He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
  • He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。
3 battalion hu0zN     
n.营;部队;大队(的人)
参考例句:
  • The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
  • At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后,队伍解散了。
4 attire AN0zA     
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装
参考例句:
  • He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
  • Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。
5 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
6 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
7 unison gKCzB     
n.步调一致,行动一致
参考例句:
  • The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
  • My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。
8 vent yiPwE     
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄
参考例句:
  • He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
  • When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时,发动机就会停转。
9 exclamation onBxZ     
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词
参考例句:
  • He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
  • The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号,以引起读者的注意。
10 intervals f46c9d8b430e8c86dea610ec56b7cbef     
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息
参考例句:
  • The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴,有阵雨。
  • Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。
11 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 growl VeHzE     
v.(狗等)嗥叫,(炮等)轰鸣;n.嗥叫,轰鸣
参考例句:
  • The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫,尾巴也跟着摇摆。
  • The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。
13 glum klXyF     
adj.闷闷不乐的,阴郁的
参考例句:
  • He was a charming mixture of glum and glee.他是一个很有魅力的人,时而忧伤时而欢笑。
  • She laughed at his glum face.她嘲笑他闷闷不乐的脸。
14 meek x7qz9     
adj.温顺的,逆来顺受的
参考例句:
  • He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
  • The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。
15 haze O5wyb     
n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊
参考例句:
  • I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中,我看不见她。
  • He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。
16 chevrons c27e52c0b115cc0342602dea4b65198a     
n.(警察或士兵所佩带以示衔级的)∧形或∨形标志( chevron的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • When did you sew on these chevrons, Sergeant Lipton? 你何时把这些阶级绣上去的,李普中士? 来自电影对白
  • The eyebrows are incised in the shape of chevrons. 切开的眉毛是在形状的箭头。 来自互联网
17 scrap JDFzf     
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
参考例句:
  • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
  • Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
18 martinet hBjx6     
n.要求严格服从纪律的人
参考例句:
  • They discover that the new teacher is a martinet.他们发现新来的老师非常严格。
  • He's a retired Lieutenant Colonel and a bit of a martinet.他是个退役中校,有点军人作风。
19 bucked 4085b682da6f1272318ebf4527d338eb     
adj.快v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句:
  • When he tried to ride the horse, it bucked wildly. 当他试图骑上这匹马时,它突然狂暴地跃了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The plane bucked a strong head wind. 飞机顶着强烈的逆风飞行。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
20 savagely 902f52b3c682f478ddd5202b40afefb9     
adv. 野蛮地,残酷地
参考例句:
  • The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
  • He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。
21 tormentor tormentor     
n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter
参考例句:
  • He was the tormentor, he was the protector, he was the inquisitor, he was the friend. 他既是拷打者,又是保护者;既是审问者,又是朋友。 来自英汉文学
  • The tormentor enlarged the engagement garment. 折磨者加大了订婚服装。
22 dodged ae7efa6756c9d8f3b24f8e00db5e28ee     
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避
参考例句:
  • He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时,他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 stunning NhGzDh     
adj.极好的;使人晕倒的
参考例句:
  • His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
  • The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。
24 flirt zgwzA     
v.调情,挑逗,调戏;n.调情者,卖俏者
参考例句:
  • He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。
  • He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情,他都要抓狂了。
25 beckoning fcbc3f0e8d09c5f29e4c5759847d03d6     
adj.引诱人的,令人心动的v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句
  • He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句
26 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
27 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
28 twitched bb3f705fc01629dc121d198d54fa0904     
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
  • The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着,像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 clinched 66a50317a365cdb056bd9f4f25865646     
v.(尤指两人)互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 );解决(争端、交易),达成(协议)
参考例句:
  • The two businessmen clinched the deal quickly. 两位生意人很快达成了协议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Evidently this information clinched the matter. 显然,这一消息使问题得以最终解决。 来自辞典例句
30 whoop qIhys     
n.大叫,呐喊,喘息声;v.叫喊,喘息
参考例句:
  • He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时,高兴得叫了起来。
  • Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。


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