Chapter 30

“I wish I could just hear better.” He leans to look in. “Boy?” he says. “You here in the dark?” I come past him to find the light switch and flick² it on for him. Lee, he’s standing³ there in the old man’s path with his hand at his mouth, looking like he don’t know whether to charge or retreat. “Leland! Boy!” the old man hollers and goes clumping⁴ toward him. “You sonofabitch you! What the hell you say? Put ’er there. God amighty, Hank, willya just look at the size of him. He’s shot up like a bean pole; get a little meat on those bones and we’ll work hell out of him. Put ’er there, Leland.” The kid’s having a tough time answering, what with the old man roaring down on him, and he gets even more flustered⁵ when Henry sticks out his left hand to shake and Lee switches and starts to stick out his left hand to shake but by then the old man’s decided⁶ to go to feeling Lee’s arm and shoulders like he was thinking of buying him for the locker⁷. And Lee don’t know what hand to try next. I have to laugh watching them, in spite of myself. “But, say, he’s just skin and bones, Hank, skin and bones. We’ll have to get some meat on him before he’ll be worth a shit. Leland, goddam you, how’ve you been?”) Is this him? The hand on Lee’s arm was hard as wood. “Oh, I’ve been getting by.” Lee shrugged⁸ uncomfortably and dropped his face to avoid looking at his father’s frightening countenance⁹. The hand continued on down the length of the arm as the old man talked, until it twined around his fingers with the slow, inexorable constriction¹⁰ of tree roots, sending little sparks of pain jumping toward his shoulder. Lee looked up to protest and realized that the old man was still loudly addressing him in that irrepressible and overpowering voice. Lee managed to convert his grimace¹¹ to an uncomfortable smile; it wasn’t as if his father intended him any pain with the prolonged grip. Probably just tradition to crush the metacarpal. Every fraternity has a special grip, why not the Muscle Monkeys of Wakonda? They probably also had strenuous¹² initiations and free-for-all socials. Why not a special Muscle Monkey grip? And am I his? He was engaged in pondering these questions when he realized that Henry had stopped talking and they were all waiting for him to speak. “Yes, I’ve been surviving. . . .” What did I use to call him? Looking into those green eyes that showed white all the way around the pupils: Papa ...? At the incredible landscape of face gullied by the Oregon winters and burned by coastal¹³ winds. “Not making a lot of headway”—while his hand was being jerked up and down like a whistle rope—“but I’ve been getting by.” Or had it been Daddy? And felt again that first billowing of wings against his cheek, the objects in the room fluttering about like pictures on a blown lace curtain . . . “Good!” The old man was greatly relieved by the news. “Gettin’ by is just about all a man can hope for these days the way these Soslists are bleedin’ you. Here. Sit you down. Hank tells me you been on the road a pretty good piece?” “Enough to last me a while.” Papa ...? Daddy...? This was his father, an incredulous voice kept trying to convince him. “Enough,” he added, “to make me think I’ll stand a while if you don’t mind.” The old man laughed. “I don’t wonder. Hard on the old himrongs, huh?” He winked¹⁴ obscenely at Lee, still clutching the hapless hand. Joe moved into view, followed by his wife and children. “Ah. Here we go. Joe Ben—you remember Joe Ben, don’t you, Leland? Your Uncle Ben’s boy? Let’s see, though . . . was he cut up like this before you and your—” “Oh yeah!” Joe came rushing forward to rescue Lee’s hand. “Sure! Lee was still around after I got my face lifted. I think he was even—no, wait a minute, I didn’t get married to Jan till ’fifty-one and you was gone in what was it? ’Forty-nine? ’Fifty?” “Something like that. I’ve kind of lost count.” “Then you was gone before I got married. You ain’t met my woman! Jan, come here. This is Lee. A little sunburned, but him all the same. This is Jan. Ain’t she a honey, Leland?” Joe hopped¹⁵ aside and Jan came bashfully out of the shadowed hallway, drying her hands on her apron¹⁶. She stood stolidly¹⁷ beside her bandy-legged husband as he introduced her and the children. “Pleased t’meetcha,” she mumbled¹⁸ when he had finished, then faded backward into the hall again, like a nocturnal creature back into the night. “She’s a little edgy¹⁹ around strangers,” Joe Ben explained proudly, as if listing the qualities of a prize bird dog. “But these here outfits²⁰ ain’t, are you?” He dug the twins in the ribs²¹, making them jump and squirm. “Hey, Hankus, where’s your woman, long as we’re showing our stock off to Leland?” “Damned if I know.” Hank looked about him. “Viv-yun! I haven’t seen her since outside. Maybe she seen ol’ Lee here coming an’ run for safety.” “She’s up getting out of her Levis,” Jan volunteered, then added quickly, “an’ inta a dress, inta a dress. Me an’ her are going in to hear this fella at the church talk.” “Viv’s trying to be what they called a ‘Informed Female,’ bub,” Hank apologized. “Ever’ so often a woman gets an itch¹ to be in on the social whirl, you know. Gives ’em something to do.” “Well sir by god if we ain’t gonna sit down”—the old man pivoted²² on the rubber tip mounted at the bottom of his cast— “then let’s get back at the grub. Let’s start puttin’ some meat on this boy.” He rocked away toward the kitchen. “You want something to eat right now, bub?” “What? I hadn’t thought about it.” “Come on!” Henry called from the kitchen. “Bring that boy in here to the table.” Lee stared numbly²⁴ in the direction of the voice. “You sprouts²⁵ keep out from underfoot. Joe, get your brood out from underfoot afore they get ground to dust!” The children scattered²⁶, laughing. Lee stood, blinking at the bald kitchen light through the hallway: “Hank, I think what I might like to do—” He heard the boom of the cast returning. “Leland! You like pork chops, don’t you? Jan, could you get the boy a plate?” “I might like to—” Who is this brittle²⁷ old creation of limestone²⁸ and wood, played by Lon Chaney? Is this my father? “Here. Put your jacket right over here. You dang kids!” “Better watch out, bub. Don’t ever get between him an’ the dinner table.” “Hank”—WATCH OUT—“I think I’ll—” “Sit here, boy.” Henry pulled him into the brightly lit kitchen by the wrist. “I got you some java, that’ll perk³⁰ you up.” Tree roots. “Here you go, two or three of these chops an’ this here sweet potato...” “Maybe you’d like some peas?” Jan asked. “Thanks, Jan, I—” “You bet!” Henry thundered around the chair toward the stove. “You ain’t got nothin’ agin black-eye peas, do you, son?” “No, but, what I might do...” “And how ’bout some of this pear preserves.” “Might be a bit too...a bit of time. I mean, I’m out on my feet from the trip. Maybe I could take a little nap before—” “Why hell!” Henry came thundering back. He shimmered³¹ before Lee in the kitchen heat. “The boy’s probably dead on his feet! What’s the matter’th us. Sure. Take a plate up to your room.” At the cupboard he pulled handfuls of cookies from a jar shaped like Santa Claus and began piling them on Lee’s plate. “Here we go, here we go now.” “Mommy, can we have some cookies?” “Just as soon.” “Say! I know!” Joe Ben sprang suddenly up from his chair the kitchen is very crowded and started to say something why is everybody standing up? but choked on the biscuit he had in his mouth. He began clearing his throat in rapid little explosions, thrusting his neck forward like a rooster attempting to clear his throat to crow: “I-ee, i-ee.” “Mom-mee!” “Not now, sweetie.” “You sure, bub? You couldn’t eat a bit first?” Hank was pounding the wheezing³³ and gray-faced Joe Ben unconcernedly on the back. “Be chilly³⁴ upstairs, for eatin’...” “I’m too tired to swallow, Hank.” Joe Ben dislodged his piece of biscuit and croaked³⁵ in a mangled³⁶ voice, “His bags. Where’s his bags? I was gonna go get his bags.” “Way ahead of you,” Hank said, starting for the back door. “Here’s some fruit.” Jan brought two wizened³⁷ apples from the refrigerator. “Wait, Hank—” “Lordymercy, Jan. Can’t you see the boy’s dead standing up. He wants a place to get a little rest, not no two of those little piss-ant winesaps. I swear, Leland, I can’t see how people stand them sour outfits anyhow. But I tell you”—the refrigerator swung open again—“we got any of them pears left I picked the other day?” “What is it, bub?” “I don’t have any bags, remember? not in the boat, anyway.” “That’s right. I remember puzzling about that on the way across.” “The bus driver couldn’t see his way—” Henry’s head came back out of the refrigerator. “Yeah! Try one of these for size!” The pear made a place for itself with the cookies. “Good after a long trip; a trip always gets me bound up, an’ there ain’t nothing like a pear.” Everybody WATCH OUT is standing up! “Say!” Joe Ben snapped his fingers. “Does he have a bed someplace?” Oh god. Everybody keeps jumping— “Hey, now.” Old Henry swung the refrigerator door shut. “That’s right.” He lumbered³⁸ half into the hallway, craning his neck as though there might have been a desk clerk. “That is right. He’ll have to have a room, you know?”Please. Everybody just— “I got him one all picked out, Papa.” “Mommee, now!” “I’ll tote his bags!” Joe Ben bounded ahead of them. “He said they was at the bus depot³⁹.” “Don’t forget your plate, Lee!” “You reckon that’ll be enough grub, boy? Give him a glass of milk, Jan.” “No. Really. Please.” Please! “Come on, bub.” Hank ... “And if they’s anything else you give us a holler!” “I’ll—” “Never mind, bub...” “I’ll—” “Never mind. Just come on upstairs.” Lee wasn’t aware of Hank’s hand guiding him through the hall; the touch blended into the rest of the quake. . . . Am I this? Are these mine? These people? These insane people? (“We’ll talk later, boy,” the old man calls. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk later.” The boy starts to answer but I tell him, “Let’s just get on upstairs, bub; he’ll chew your leg off .” And I steer⁴⁰ him out of the hall to the stairs not a second too soon. He goes up the steps ahead of me, walking like he’s stunned⁴¹ or something. When we get to the top I don’t have to direct him which way to go. He stops at the door to his old room and waits till I open it, then goes in. You’d of thought he’d wired for reservations, he was so sure. “You coulda been wrong, you know.” I grin at him. “I might not of meant this particular room.” He takes a look at the room all set up with fresh linen⁴² and clean towels and the bed ready and everything, then says back to me, “You could’ve been wrong too, Hank,” he says, quiet, looking at the way I fixed⁴³ up his old room. “I might not have come.” But he don’t grin; it ain’t a funny thing to him. “Well, it’s like Joe Ben always tells his kids, bub: better to be ready and wrong than a pound of cure.” “That’s a thought to sleep on,” he says. “I’ll see you in the morning.” “Morning? You planning to sleep your life away? It ain’t but five-thirty or six.” “I mean later. I’ll see you later.” “Okay, bub. Good night.” “Good night,” he says and steps back into the room and shuts the door and I can almost hear the poor bastard⁴⁴ sigh.) Lee stood for a second in the medicinal silence of the room, then walked quickly to the bed and placed the plate and the glass of milk on the bedside table. He sat down on the bed, gripping his knees. Through a haze⁴⁵ of fatigue⁴⁶ he was dimly aware of the footsteps booming off down the hall. They were the footsteps of some enormous mythical⁴⁷ character on his way to make a meal of unwary shepherds. “Fee Fi Fo Fum,” Lee whispered, then kicked off his shoes and swung his legs onto the bed. He crossed his arms behind his head and stared up at a pattern of knotholes that became gradually familiar. “It is kind of a psychological fairy tale. With a new twist. We find the hero in the ogres’ den³², but why is he there? What is his motive⁴⁸? Has he come, sword of truth clasped bravely in his hand, sworn to slay⁴⁹ these giants which have so long pillaged⁵⁰ the countryside? Or has he brought his body to sacrifice to these demons⁵¹? A nice addition to the traditional Jack²⁹ up the Beanstalk; the element of mystery; who gets it—Jack? Or the Giant?” these people... this scene ...how will I cut it? Oh god, how? As he drifted into numb²³ sleep he thought he heard someone singing in the room next to his, an answer that he couldn’t quite interpret . . . sweet ...high...the succulent warbling of a rare fairyland bird: “. . . when you wake, you’ll have cake And all the pretty little horses . . .” In sleep his face relaxed, the features softening⁵². And the singing ran like cool water across his parched⁵³ brain. “. . . dapples and grays, purple and bays, All the pretty little horses.” The echoes of her singing spread, circling. The kingfishers quarrel outside on the phone line. In town, at the Snag, the citizens are wondering again what has become of Floyd Evenwrite. In her shack⁵⁴ at the mudflats Indian Jenny is writing a letter to the publishers of Classic Comics, wondering if they put out an illustrated⁵⁵ edition of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. In the mountains up the South Fork the old wino boltcutter walks to the edge of the cliff and shouts across, just to hear the sound of a human voice come back. Boney Stokes rises from the supper table and decides to mosey down and count the canned goods. Hank walks to the stairwell after leaving Lee in his room, and turns at the sound of Viv’s singing and comes back to rap lightly on her door.

1 itch   

n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望

参考例句：

• Shylock has an itch for money.夏洛克渴望发财。
• He had an itch on his back.他背部发痒。

2 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 clumping   

v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的现在分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• Wipe the wand off before the first coat to prevent clumping. 把睫毛棒刷干净，避免结块。 来自互联网
• Fighting gravitational clumping would take a wavelength of a few dozen light-years. 为了对抗重力造成的聚集，这些粒子的波长可能会长达好几十光年的距离。 来自互联网

5 flustered   

adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

8 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

10 constriction   

压缩； 紧压的感觉； 束紧； 压缩物

参考例句：

• She feels a constriction in the chest. 她胸部有压迫感。
• If you strain to run fast, you start coughing and feel a constriction in the chest. 还是别跑紧了，一咬牙就咳嗽，心口窝辣蒿蒿的！ 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

11 grimace   

v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭

参考例句：

• The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
• Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。

12 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

13 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

14 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

16 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

17 stolidly   

adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地

参考例句：

• Too often people sat stolidly watching the noisy little fiddler. 人们往往不动声色地坐在那里，瞧着这位瘦小的提琴手闹腾一番。 来自辞典例句
• He dropped into a chair and sat looking stolidly at the floor. 他坐在椅子上，两眼呆呆地望着地板。 来自辞典例句

18 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

19 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

20 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

21 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

22 pivoted   

adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling. 他一把把地拉着，两条老迈的腿儿和肩膀跟着转动。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• When air is moving, the metal is pivoted on the hinge. 当空气流动时，金属板在铰链上转动。 来自辞典例句

23 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

24 numbly   

adv.失去知觉，麻木

参考例句：

• Back at the rickshaw yard, he slept numbly for two days. 回到车厂，他懊睡了两天。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• He heard it numbly, a little amazed at his audacity. 他自己也听得一呆，对自己的莽撞劲儿有点吃惊。 来自辞典例句

25 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

26 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

27 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

28 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

29 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。

30 perk   

n.额外津贴；赏钱；小费；

参考例句：

• His perks include a car provided by the firm.他的额外津贴包括公司提供的一辆汽车。
• And the money is,of course,a perk.当然钱是额外津贴。

31 shimmered   

v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The sea shimmered in the sunlight. 阳光下海水闪烁着微光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A heat haze shimmered above the fields. 田野上方微微闪烁着一层热气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

33 wheezing   

v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣

参考例句：

• He was coughing and wheezing all night. 他整夜又咳嗽又喘。
• A barrel-organ was wheezing out an old tune. 一架手摇风琴正在呼哧呼哧地奏着一首古老的曲子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

34 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

35 croaked   

v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说

参考例句：

• The crow croaked disaster. 乌鸦呱呱叫预报灾难。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• 'she has a fine head for it," croaked Jacques Three. “她有一个漂亮的脑袋跟着去呢，”雅克三号低沉地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

36 mangled   

vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• His hand was mangled in the machine. 他的手卷到机器里轧烂了。
• He was off work because he'd mangled his hand in a machine. 他没上班，因为他的手给机器严重压伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 wizened   

adj.凋谢的；枯槁的

参考例句：

• That wizened and grotesque little old man is a notorious miser.那个干瘪难看的小老头是个臭名远扬的吝啬鬼。
• Mr solomon was a wizened little man with frizzy gray hair.所罗门先生是一个干瘪矮小的人，头发鬈曲灰白。

38 lumbered   

砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• A rhinoceros lumbered towards them. 一头犀牛笨重地向他们走来。
• A heavy truck lumbered by. 一辆重型卡车隆隆驶过。

39 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

40 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

41 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

42 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

43 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

44 bastard   

n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子

参考例句：

• He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
• There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。

45 haze   

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。

46 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

47 mythical   

adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的

参考例句：

• Undeniably,he is a man of mythical status.不可否认，他是一个神话般的人物。
• Their wealth is merely mythical.他们的财富完全是虚构的。

48 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

49 slay   

v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮

参考例句：

• He intended to slay his father's murderer.他意图杀死杀父仇人。
• She has ordered me to slay you.她命令我把你杀了。

50 pillaged   

v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They are to be pillaged and terrorised in Hitler's fury and revenge. 在希特勒的狂怒和报复下，他们还遭到掠夺和恐怖统治。 来自辞典例句
• They villages were pillaged and their crops destroyed. 他们的村子被抢，他们的庄稼被毁。 来自辞典例句

51 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

53 parched   

adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干

参考例句：

• Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
• The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

54 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

55 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。