EPILOGUE

 Extract from an English daily paper five years later.

 

"Special mention should be made of the amazing exhibition of prowess on the part of Lieutenant¹ Stephens in yesterday's military aeronautic² manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain. His aeroplane, the combined creation of his father and himself, is of such perfect construction that it is likely to make their name famous, and the Lieutenant's command of it left nothing to be desired. He executed feats³ of skill which have rarely been surpassed. England has just cause for pride in her present race of young men, prepared to face every danger in the service of their country, for it is an open secret that upon the efficiency of our air fleet, the future safety of our island home will very largely depend."

 

This paper, with others, was forwarded in due time to Mrs. Kenyon, who read aloud the paragraph just quoted to Eva, now a blooming girl of seventeen. She flew round the table and snatched it from her mother's hands.

 

"Let me read it for myself, mother. We shall all feel proud of him. He's playing our childish game of subduing⁴ giants to some purpose, isn't he? He's fairly earned his rights to his title of 'Jack⁵, the Englishman.' I'm ever so glad. I'll run across to the farm and tell them about it."

 

Clarissa laughed at the girl's enthusiasm.

 

"They are perfectly⁶ certain to have these papers as well as ourselves. Isn't he their grandson?"

 

"And a grandson to be proud of! I wish he were mine, or a brother or something. Oh mother! I wonder—Shall we ever see him again?"

The End
 

1 lieutenant   

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。

2 aeronautic   

adj.航空（学）的

参考例句：

• Something akin to panic swept the National Aeronautic and Space Agency. 一种近乎恐慌的心情席卷了国家宇航局。 来自辞典例句
• They are widely used in electronic instruments aeronautic instruments etc. 此类轴承在各类电子仪器中得以广泛运用。 来自互联网

3 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

4 subduing   

征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗

参考例句：

• They are the probation subduing the heart to human joys. 它们不过是抑制情欲的一种考验。
• Some believe that: is spiritual, mysterious and a very subduing colour. 有的认为：是精神，神秘色彩十分慑。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。