CHAPTER THREE

The hour passed slowly. He could hear her watching television. She reappeared as soon as it was eight o'clock, with two tablets¹ and a glass of water. Paul eagerly lifted himself up on to his elbows when she sat down on his bed. 'At last I got your new book, two days ago,' she told him. 'Misery²'s Child. I love it. It's as good as all the others. Better, in fact. It's the best.' 'Thank you,' Paul said. He could feel the sweat³ on his forehead. 'Please . . . my legs . . . very painful . . .' 'I knew she would marry Ian,' she said, smiling dreamily, 'and I believe Ian and Geoffrey will become friends again. Do they? No, no, don't tell me. I want to find out for myself.' 'Please, Miss Wilkes. The pain . . .' 'Call me Annie. All my friends do.' She gave him the glass, but kept the tablets in her hand. Then she brought them towards his mouth, which he immediately opened . . . and then she took her hand away again. 'I hope you don't mind,' she said, 'but I looked in your bag.' 'No, of course I don't mind. The medicine -' The sweat on his forehead felt first cold and then hot. Was he going to scream? He thought perhaps he was. 'I see there's a typescript in the bag,' she went on. She idly rolled the tablets from one hand to the other. Paul followed them with his eyes. 'It's called Fast Cars. It's not a Misery novel.' She looked at Kim with faint⁴ disapproval⁵ - but it was mixed with love. It was the kind of look a mother gives a child. 'Would you let me read it?' 7 'Yes, of course.' He tried to smile through the pain. 'I wouldn't do anything like that without your permission, Paul, you know,' she said. 'I respect you too much for that. In fact, Paul, I love you.' She blushed⁶ again, suddenly. One of the tablets dropped on to the blankets. Paul grabbed⁷ at it, but she was quicker. Then she went vacant⁸ and dreamy again, 'Your mind, I mean. It's your mind I love, Paul.' 'No, please read it,' Paul said in desperation. 'But. . .' 'You see,' Annie said, 'you're good. 1 knew you must be good. No one bad could create Misery Chastain and breathe life into her.' Now she suddenly put her fingers in his mouth and he greedily sucked⁹ the tablets out of her hand, without waiting for the water. 'Just like a baby,' she said, laughing. 'Oh, Paul. We're going to be so happy here.' And Paul thought: I am in so much trouble here.

1 tablets   

n.药片( tablet的名词复数 )；（木、竹）简；碑；一块肥皂

参考例句：

• The tablets may make you feel drowsy. 这药片可能会使你昏昏欲睡。
• Take two tablets with water before meals. 每次两片，饭前用水冲服。

2 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

3 sweat   

n.汗，汗水，水珠，焦急；vi.出汗，渗出，冒出水气，结水珠，烦恼，懊恼；vt.使出汗，流出，榨出，使汗流浃背

参考例句：

• She was all of a sweat.她一身大汗。
• She is always all of a sweat before the exam.她临考前总是急得不得了。

4 faint   

n.昏厥，昏倒；adj.微弱的，无力的，模糊的；vi.昏倒，变得微弱

参考例句：

• He felt faint at the sight of blood.他一见到血就发晕了。
• She threw me a faint smile.她对我微微一笑。

5 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

6 Blushed   

n. 脸红，外观 vi. 泛红，羞愧

参考例句：

• She blushed at the mention of her lover's name. 她因说到她情人的名字而脸红。
• He blushed when the pretty girl gave him the eye. 那位漂亮的女孩向他抛媚眼时，他脸红了。

7 grabbed   

v.抢先，抢占( grab的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指匆忙地）取；攫取；（尤指自私、贪婪地）捞取

参考例句：

• He was grabbed by two men and frogmarched out of the hall. 他被两个男人紧抓双臂押出大厅。
• She grabbed the child's hand and ran. 她抓住孩子的手就跑。

8 vacant   

adj.未被占用的，空着的；空缺的

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• He stared into space with a vacant expression.他茫然地凝视着天空。

9 sucked   

v.吸，吮( suck的过去式和过去分词 )；舐，吮吸

参考例句：

• In his youth he had been sucked into a hippy cult. 他年轻的时候一度过着嬉皮士式的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The whirlpool sucked down everything floating on the water. 漩涡把水面上漂的东西都吸进去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》