Chapter 44

“Oh no.” She laughed. “No words. I don’t think I even remember words. Sometimes I remember a writer’s words—like a line he wrote that I thought was real nice—but those are his words, you see?” He didn’t see, but neither did he worry about it. Hank had adjusted to his wife’s peculiarities¹ as she had to his; if she was gone fifty per cent of the time, off someplace in another world while her body stayed behind humming over the housework, well, that was her world and her business. He didn’t feel he had the ability to follow her into those reveries or the right to call her back out. What went on inside, that was nobody’s business but whoever’s it went on inside of, was the way Hank looked at it. Besides, the fifty per cent she gave him, wasn’t that “a hell of a lot more’n most guys get outa their female even if they get the whole hunderd?” “I couldn’t say.” Lee hedged at Hank’s question. “I think it would depend on the female, and on which half she gave.” “Viv gives the best half all right,” Hank assured him. “An’ as far as the female goes, you tell me what you think along that line after you get a look at her.” “I’ll do that”—still savoring² that half-nude image seen through the hole not a half an hour before. “But do you think I’ll be able to judge the whole ‘hunderd’ per cent without seeing all of it?” Brother Hank’s grin was swarming³ with secrets. “If you mean do you get a look at the whole hunderd of Viv, well I can’t rightly say; that’s up to her. But I got a hunch⁴ you might have to make do with the little bit showin’—like the legs an’ face—and judge what’s underneath⁵ like you’d judge how much iceberg’s under water. Viv ain’t one of these honky-tonk honeys I used to run with, Leland. She’s shy. Joe says she’s one of these ‘still-water-runs-deeps.’ You’ll see. I think you’ll like her.” Hank had straddled a chair near the foot of my bed and was waiting, chin on the chairback, while I dressed to come down for supper. And was being remarkably⁶ cheerful compared to the snarling⁷ silence that had flowed from him since my outburst over his rigging story at lunch. He had even gone so far as to bring me up a cup of coffee to rouse me from my stupor⁸, little realizing that this particular stupor—unlike the faint that followed my first contact with physical labor⁹ earlier that day— had been induced by his wife’s performance in tears and a half-slip. And along with the coffee a pair of clean socks. “Till we get your suitcase from the depot¹⁰.” I smiled and thanked him, as puzzled by his change of mood as he must have been by mine. I knew my change was rooted firmly in reason: I had realized the imprudence of my afternoon of animosity—the clever assassin doesn’t worm his way into the king’s castle only to blow his chance of success by telling the king what he thinks of him. Certainly not. Quite the opposite. He is charming, witty¹¹, fawning¹², and he applauds the king’s tales of triumph, however paltry¹³ they may be. It is the way the game is played. And for this reason I was suspicious of Hank’s generosity—I saw no reason for the king to seek the favor of the assassin, and I therefore advised myself I’d best watch out. He’s being nice for some sneaky reason; beware! But it is sometimes difficult to be very wary¹⁵ if people keep being nice to you, and I didn’t know then that these underhanded tactics of niceness and warmth assailing¹⁶ my resolved revenge were to continue for so long. So I drank the coffee and welcomed the socks—watching out, of course, for tricks—laced my shoes and combed my hair and followed him down to the kitchen to meet his wife, never for one minute imagining that the sneaky wench would be even more underhanded and nice and warm than her sneak¹⁴ of a husband, and even harder to watch out for. The wench was turned to the stove, with that hair coiling down to her apron¹⁷ strings¹⁸. And as lovely in the hard kitchen light as she had been in the mellow¹⁹ glow of her room. Hank pulled her toward me by the rear of the pleated skirt that I knew must be still warm from the iron; he turned her around by the sleeve of the blouse that had needed a button sewn on. “Viv, this is Leland.” She brushed a lock from her forehead, offered her hand, and smiled a soft hello. I nodded. “Well, what’s your judgment²⁰?” Hank asked, stepping back from her like a horse-trader from a prize two-year-old. “I would at least have to check her teeth.” “I reckon we could see to that.” The girl swatted his hand from her. “What on earth... What’s he been talking about, Leland?” “ ‘Lee,’ if you would.” “Or ‘bub,’ ” Hank added, and answered for me. “Why, I ain’t been talking nothin’ but good about you, honey. Ain’t that so, bub?” “He said half of you was better than all of most women—” “An’ Lee said he’d have to hold judgment on that till he could see all of you, hon.” He reached for the buttons of her blouse. “So if you’ll just—”“Hank...!” She raised the spoon and Hank hopped²¹ agilely²² out of range. “But honey, we got to settle this thing . . .” “Not right here in the kitchen.” She took my arm coquettishly, lifting her nose at him. “Leland, Lee and me’ll settle it some other time—all by ourselves.” Then gave a brazen²³ little toss of her head to seal the bargain. “Done!” I said, as she spun²⁴ laughing back toward the stove. But neither the laughing spin nor the brazen toss could hide the blush that rose like a red tide—out of a bra that I knew was fastened left-cup-to-strap by a silver safety pin. Hank yawned at his wife’s flirtations. “All I ask is you feed me first. I could eat a snake. How about you, bub?” “All I ask is the sustenance²⁵ to climb those stairs back up to my bed.” “The fish’ll be a few minutes yet,” she said. “Jan has gone out to the barn for some more eggs. Ask Joe if all the kids are washed and ready, could you, Lee? And I think I hear Henry honking²⁶ now; would you run across to get him, Hank?” “Damn, but he’s gettin’ to be a regular tomcat . . .” Hank left to start the boat and I went into the other room to help Joe Ben hose down his herd²⁷, with the treacherous²⁸ smells and sounds and sights of that supper scene swirling²⁹ about me like the background of a State Department propaganda film calculated to sell the American Way of Life to every hungry and lonely and homeless wretch³⁰ in every hope-lost hamlet in every have-not nation in the world—“Don’t listen to that Commy crap you dumb gooks, this is what we really live like in the good ol’ Yew³¹ Ess Aye!”—and felt stir in my blood the first cancerous budding of an emotion that was not to go beneath the scalpel of sense until almost a month later, when it had almost got too firm a hold to remove... And Molly the hound tries again to rise, whimpering as her paws push at the cold earth; she stands a twisted second on all fours, but the moon is too cold and heavy and she collapses³² again beneath its frozen weight. And Teddy the bartender peers through his tangled³³ neons at the darkening twist of river past the firehouse, and wistfully wishes it were January: these Indian Summers, they are good for nothing but crickets and mosquitoes and old windbags³⁴ dribbling³⁵ out their money a dime³⁶ at a time. Give me some rain, some bad weather, and watch me roll the dollars. Give me a dark smeary³⁷ shiny night full of rain. That’s when the fear starts. That’s when you sell the juice! And Viv, through a lock of hair, watches Lee as he pats uncertainly at the dripping face of Joe Ben’s girl with a towel. He’s never washed a little kid before in his life, she realizes; can you beat that? What an odd boy, so gaunt and ghosty sort of. With eyes like he’s been to the edge and looked over... His shirt gets splashed as he washes the child, and he puts aside the towel to roll up his sleeves. Viv sees his inflamed³⁸ skin. “Oh...your arms!” He shrugs³⁹ and blows on a smarting wrist. “They were a little too long for my shirtsleeves, I’m afraid.” “Let me put on some witch hazel. Squeaky, honey,” she calls to the porch, “would you toss in that bottle of witch hazel? Here, Lee, sit a minute. Old Henry hasn’t come in anyhow. Sit here ...” She dabs⁴¹ on the liquid with a folded dishtowel. Pungent⁴² smells of spice and alcohol burn in the warm air of the kitchen. His arms lie on the checkered⁴³ tablecloth⁴⁴, as inert⁴⁵ as two cuts of meat on the butcher’s counter. Neither of them speaks. They hear the approach of the motorboat, and old Henry’s drunken singing. Viv shakes her head at the sound, smiling. Lee asks how she feels about having another animal to care for. “Another animal?” “Sure. Look at this menagerie.” The singing outside is louder. “First, you have old Henry, who is bound to need a lot of attention—” “Not really so much,” she says. “He doesn’t drink that much. Just when his leg hurts him.” “—I meant attention because of his accident, his age. And then there are the kids, you probably help take care of Joe Ben’s kids, don’t you? and all the dogs and the cow? And I imagine if the truth were known that even brother Hank has needed the gentle touch of witch hazel—” “No,” she muses⁴⁶, “he doesn’t seem to.” “Anyway, aren’t you somewhat discouraged when faced with another liability to do for?” “Do you always consider yourself that? A liability?” Lee grins at her, rolling his sleeves back down. “I think my question has priority.” “Oh”—taking a strand⁴⁷ of hair in the corner of her mouth—“I suppose it does keep me on the jump, old Henry says that’s the only way to keep from getting moss⁴⁸ on your back—but when I think about it—” “That’s right! That’s right!” The back door swings open and Henry enters, carrying his dentures in his hand. “I say in Oregon you got to keep on the jump ...to put the hair on your chest an’ keep the moss off your rump. Good evening, all, an’ good health. Here y’go, girlie.” He pitches the teeth to Viv; they hiss⁵⁰, grinning in the bright kitchen light. “Hose these off for me, willya? I dropped ’em in the yard there an’ a goddam dog tried to put ’em on. Whup! See the way she nabbed them teeth on the fly there, boy? Keep ’em on the jump. Mm-mmm! I was right, I smelt⁵¹ that salmon⁵² bakin’ clean back to the Evans place.” Viv turns from the sink, drying the teeth on a dishtowel. “Lee, now that I think about it,” she says, as though speaking to the teeth; she lifts her head from her task and smiles at him. “I don’t think I’ll be discouraged ...compared to some I could mention, you will be a pure joy to do for.” Molly the hound pants at the moon with shallow, bright breaths. Teddy listens for rain. Lee—it is a month later—sits on his bed with his shoes off and his pants legs lifted gingerly from ankles inflamed by the half-drunk hunting trip he has just come in from, and he tells the anxious shadows that he can tend to his own cuts, thank you . . . “And with something far more soothing⁵³ than witch hazel too!” On the table beside his bed three thin reddish-brown cigarettes are lying atop a cold-cream jar. A spiral notebook is waiting on a record jacket propped⁵⁴ against his knees. A ballpoint pen and a book of matches lie in his lap. He gives the pillows behind his back a few settling punches, then, finally satisfied with the arrangement, he takes up one of the cigarettes and lights it, filling his lungs and holding the smoke a long time before he breathes it out with a long, hissing⁵⁵ “Yessssss.” He takes another drag. As he smokes he scoots deeper in the bed. When the cigarette is half gone he begins to write. He smiles occasionally as he rereads a line that particularly pleases him. His writing is at first neat and even, and the sentences congeal⁵⁶ without correction on the page: Box 1, Route 1 Wakonda, Oregon Halloween Norwick House New Haven⁵⁷, Conn. Dear Peters: “Good God, betimes the means that makes us strangers!” At which point, if you are up on Willy the Shake as you should be with the o’erlooming approach of prelims, you should have replied: “Sir, amen.” Did you? No matter. For in all good faith I must confess I’m not myself certain which play the speech comes from. Macbeth, I think, though it could as easily be from a dozen other histories or tragedies. I have been home one month now and, as you can see, the dank and drippy climate of Oregon has mildewed⁵⁸ my memory and I substitute surmise⁵⁹ for certainty . . . And Viv shooed them all from the kitchen “. . . or I’ll never get supper finished.” And it happened, in the course of trying to bring Joe Ben’s kids to what Joe called “up next to godliness,” Viv saw the scratches on my arms. She dropped what she was doing at the stove and insisted on treating me with some kind of folk medicine that made me wish I had the scratches back, but I bit my tongue and kept my cool, watching how much the girl enjoyed playing nurse. Here, I thought to myself, is most certainly my weapon. Now how to wield⁶⁰ it? So, my wounds attended to, I repaired to the living room to await supper and to try to formulate⁶¹ a plan of use for this weapon. No, it shouldn’t be so difficult. That first night my efforts were distracted by the old man. His rattletrap energy made thought next to impossible. He clumped⁶² and thumped⁶³ up and down, to and fro across the overlarge room, like an obsolete⁶⁴ wind-up toy, useless and worthless, yet still not run down. He switched on the TV on one of his passes; it began blaring patched platitudes⁶⁵ and keeping us up on the latest in the Great Deodorant⁶⁶ War—“Not those drippy sprays, not those sssticky roll-ons . . . just a simple dab⁴⁰ and be sure of all-day safety!” No one watched or listened; the machine’s blaring was as senseless and as ignored as the old man’s raving⁶⁷ nostalgia⁶⁸, but no one presented a motion for silence. It was somehow obvious that any attempt to turn off either would have precipitated⁶⁹ a squall of protest more devastating⁷⁰ than both. I tried to maneuver⁷¹ my brother into telling me more about his wife, but just as we were getting around to her the old man observed that there was some folks who preferred talkin’ to eatin’ but damned if he was one of ’em! And led an exodus⁷² into the kitchen. The following day was more toil⁷³ and exhaustion⁷⁴, much the same as the first except that I controlled my hostility⁷⁵ toward Brother Hank. And he continued his goodwill⁷⁶ campaign toward me. And the ensuing days found me thinking less and less about my forsworn vengeance⁷⁷ and feeling more and more positive about my avowed⁷⁸ enemy. I tried to rationalize this to my mental mediator⁷⁹ when he warned me to WATCH OUT for the primrose⁸⁰ path. I insisted that I had to devote my full attention during the days to the task of keeping out from under rolling logs, and in the evenings I was too wasted to think constructively⁸¹ of revenge—“And that’s why I haven’t come up with something yet.” But Old Reliable wasn’t put off that easily. “Yeah, I know, but—” BUT YOU’VE BARELY SPOKEN WITH HER. “Well, that’s true, but—” ALMOST LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE AVOIDING HER. “I guess it looks that way, but—” I’M WORRIED . . . SHE’S TOO NICE . . . BETTER WATCH OUT— “Watch out? What in God’s name do you think has kept me away from her? I am watching out! Because she is too nice! She’s warm and sweet and treacherous; I have to be careful about this...” To tell the truth, in our common heart we were both worried. And afraid. Because it wasn’t just Viv: the whole diabolical⁸² houseful was being warm and sweet and treacherous, from my serpent brother down to the littlest snake-in-the-weeds infant. I was beginning to care for them. And as that cancerous emotion swelled⁸³ within my heart so did my poor heart’s fear. Swollen⁸⁴ heart. This is an insidious⁸⁵ malady⁸⁶ chiefly common in that mythical⁸⁷ organ that pumps life through the veins⁸⁸ of the ego⁴⁹: care, coronary care, complicated by galloping⁸⁹ fear. The go-away-closer disease. Starving for contact and calling it poison when it is offered. We learn young to be leery of contact: Never open up, we learn...you want somebody running their dirty old fingers over your soul’s privates? Never accept candy from strangers. Or from friends. Sneak off a sack of gumdrops when nobody’s looking if you can, but don’t accept, never accept . . . You want somebody taking advantage? And above all, never care, never never never care. Because it is caring that lulls⁹⁰ you into letting down your guard and leaving up your shades ...you want some fink knowing what you are really likedowninside? And we might even add to this list the simple rule “Never Drink Past Your Limit.” For ’twas drink, I think, the dirty devil drink, that finally rusted⁹¹ through the last lock on the last door guarding my convalescing⁹² ego . . . rusted the lock and melted the bolt and sprung the hinges until, before I knew what I was doing, I was talking with my brother about my mother. I found myself telling him the whole story—the disappointments, the drinking, the despair, the death. “I was real sorry to hear about it,” he said when I finished. I had just completed my second week in the woods and we were celebrating the miracle of no-bones-broken with a quart of beer apiece. Hank had plucked a stick of kindling⁹³ from the beaten cardboard box behind the stove and was curling long white strips from it with his pocketknife. “When I heard I wired back that there should be some flowers—a wreath, I think—did you see it?” “No, I didn’t see it,” I told him somewhat coldly, angry at myself for telling as much as I had, angry at him for listening— “But then, there were such a number of wreaths one might easily have missed it”—but essentially⁹⁴ angry with the memory of that one wreath. One wreath! Only one! Mother’s family had chosen to ignore the death of this family disgrace—an educated Jezebel, they sniffed⁹⁵, a drinker, a dreamer, a dabbler⁹⁶ in palmistry, phrenology, and promiscuity⁹⁷, a forty-five-year-old beatnik chick in black tights who not only had the indecency to blacken the family name by running off to the northern wilds with some old motheaten geezer and having a kid by him, but who compounded the shame by coming back and messing up her middle age as well, along with a sizable portion of the New York sidewalk—and as much as I had despised them at the time for refusing to send so much as a bunch of violets, I had despised Hank even more for his presumptuous⁹⁸ wreath of white carnations⁹⁹. It was late. We had switched from beer to wine. The place seemed hellishly calm. Joe Ben and his brood were spending the night at their new house, planning to meet the dawn with a paintbrush. Henry had climbed stairs to a rumbling¹⁰⁰ wooden sleep. Viv curled on the couch next to Hank, a lovely puzzle, speaking only with wide amber¹⁰¹ eyes and her sweet little denim¹⁰² rump, until the eyes closed and she pulled a sheepskin robe over the rump and went diplomatically to sleep. The old house ticked like a great wooden, erratic¹⁰³ clock and outside occasional drifting logs thunked against the dock. Underneath us between the floor and the ground hounds whimpered, heroes or cowards in personal dreams. Above, the old man threw some perfumed memory a bony screw. My brother sat across the room from me under a tassel-shaded floor lamp, whittling¹⁰⁴, he himself carved in shadow, varnished¹⁰⁵ by light . . . “Yes, there were a lot of wreaths . . .” I lied.

1 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

2 savoring   

v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的现在分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝

参考例句：

• Cooking was fine but it was the savoring that he enjoyed most. 烹饪当然很好，但他最享受的是闻到的各种味道。 来自互联网
• She sat there for a moment, savoring the smell of the food. 她在那儿坐了一会儿，品尝这些食物的香味。 来自互联网

3 swarming   

密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
• The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

4 hunch   

n.预感，直觉

参考例句：

• I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉，他并不真正想去。
• I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。

5 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

6 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

7 snarling   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• "I didn't marry you," he said, in a snarling tone. “我没有娶你，"他咆哮着说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• So he got into the shoes snarling. 于是，汤姆一边大喊大叫，一边穿上了那双鞋。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

8 stupor   

v.昏迷；不省人事

参考例句：

• As the whisky took effect, he gradually fell into a drunken stupor.随着威士忌酒力发作，他逐渐醉得不省人事。
• The noise of someone banging at the door roused her from her stupor.梆梆的敲门声把她从昏迷中唤醒了。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 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。

11 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

12 fawning   

adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好

参考例句：

• The servant worn a fawning smile. 仆人的脸上露出一种谄笑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Then, what submission, what cringing and fawning, what servility, what abject humiliation! 好一个低眉垂首、阿谀逢迎、胁肩谄笑、卑躬屈膝的场面！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

14 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

15 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

16 assailing   

v.攻击( assail的现在分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对

参考例句：

• Last-minute doubts were assailing her. 最后一分钟中的犹豫涌上心头。 来自辞典例句
• The pressing darkness increased the tension in every student's heart, assailing them with a nameless fear. 黑暗压下来，使每个人的心情变得更紧张。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

17 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。

18 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

19 mellow   

adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟

参考例句：

• These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。
• The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

20 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

21 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。

22 agilely   

adv.敏捷地

参考例句：

• She would have steered agilely up the ladders and left the snakes alone. 她会灵活地顺着梯子爬上去，远远地躲开这些卑鄙龌龊的人。 来自辞典例句
• Consequently, with flexible decision making enterprise can avoid loss agilely. 这样就使得决策更具灵活性，能更好的避免损失。 来自互联网

23 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

24 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

25 sustenance   

n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

26 honking   

v.（使）发出雁叫似的声音，鸣（喇叭），按（喇叭）( honk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Flocks of honking geese flew past. 雁群嗷嗷地飞过。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

27 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

28 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

29 swirling   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

30 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

31 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

32 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

33 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

34 windbags   

n.风囊，饶舌之人( windbag的名词复数 )

参考例句：

35 dribbling   

n.（燃料或油从系统内）漏泄v.流口水( dribble的现在分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球

参考例句：

• Basic skills include swimming, dribbling, passing, marking, tackling, throwing, catching and shooting. 个人基本技术包括游泳、带球、传球、盯人、抢截、抛球、接球和射门。 来自互联网
• Carol: [Laurie starts dribbling again] Now do that for ten minutes. 卡罗：（萝莉开始再度运球）现在那样做十分钟。 来自互联网

36 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

37 smeary   

弄脏的

参考例句：

38 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 shrugs   

n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. 匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。 来自互联网
• She shrugs expressively and takes a sip of her latte. 她表达地耸肩而且拿她的拿铁的啜饮。 来自互联网

40 dab   

v.轻触，轻拍，轻涂；n.(颜料等的)轻涂

参考例句：

• She returned wearing a dab of rouge on each cheekbone.她回来时，两边面颊上涂有一点淡淡的胭脂。
• She gave me a dab of potatoes with my supper.她给我晚饭时，还给了一点土豆。

41 dabs   

少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练

参考例句：

• Each of us had two dabs of butter. 我们每人吃了两小块黄油。
• He made a few dabs at the fence with the paint but didn't really paint it. 他用颜料轻刷栅栏，但一点也没刷上。

42 pungent   

adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的

参考例句：

• The article is written in a pungent style.文章写得泼辣。
• Its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hideouts.它的刺激性气味会令恐怖分子窒息，迫使他们从藏身地点逃脱出来。

43 checkered   

adj.有方格图案的

参考例句：

• The ground under the trees was checkered with sunlight and shade.林地光影交错。
• He’d had a checkered past in the government.他过去在政界浮沉。

44 tablecloth   

n.桌布，台布

参考例句：

• He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。
• She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。

45 inert   

adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的

参考例句：

• Inert gas studies are providing valuable information about other planets,too.对惰性气体的研究，也提供了有关其它行星的有价值的资料。
• Elemental nitrogen is a very unreactive and inert material.元素氮是一个十分不活跃的惰性物质。

46 muses   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• We have listened too long to the courtly muses of Europe. 欧洲那种御用的诗才，我们已经听够了。 来自辞典例句
• Shiki muses that this is, at least, probably the right atmosphere. 志贵觉得这至少是正确的气氛。 来自互联网

47 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

48 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

49 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

50 hiss   

v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满

参考例句：

• We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
• Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

51 smelt   

v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼

参考例句：

• Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
• Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法，他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼，而改用焦炭。

52 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

53 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

54 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

55 hissing   

n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。
• His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

56 congeal   

v.凝结，凝固

参考例句：

• The blood had started to congeal.血液已经开始凝结。
• Gear lubricants may congeal and channel in cold weather.天气冷时齿轮润滑油可能凝结而形成凹槽。

57 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

58 mildewed   

adj.发了霉的，陈腐的，长了霉花的v.（使）发霉，（使）长霉( mildew的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Things easily get mildewed in the rainy season. 梅雨季节东西容易发霉。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The colonel was gorgeous, he had a cavernous mouth, cavernous cheeks, cavernous, sad, mildewed eyes. 这位上校样子挺神气，他的嘴巴、双颊和两眼都深深地凹进去，目光黯淡，象发了霉似的。 来自辞典例句

59 surmise   

v./n.猜想，推测

参考例句：

• It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
• I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。

60 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

61 formulate   

v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述

参考例句：

• He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。
• I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

62 clumped   

adj.[医]成群的v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的过去式和过去分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• The bacteria clumped together. 细菌凝集一团。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He clumped after her, up the stairs, into his barren office. 他拖着沉重的步伐跟在她的后面上楼了，走进了他那个空荡荡的诊所。 来自辞典例句

63 thumped   

v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Dave thumped the table in frustration . 戴夫懊恼得捶打桌子。
• He thumped the table angrily. 他愤怒地用拳捶击桌子。

64 obsolete   

adj.已废弃的，过时的

参考例句：

• These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。
• They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

65 platitudes   

n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子

参考例句：

• He was mouthing the usual platitudes about the need for more compassion. 他言不由衷地说了些需要更加同情之类的陈腔滥调。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He delivered a long prose full of platitudes. 他发表了一篇充满陈词滥调的文章。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

66 deodorant   

adj.除臭的；n.除臭剂

参考例句：

• She applies deodorant to her armpits after she showers.沐浴后，她在腋下涂上除臭剂。
• Spray deodorant and keep the silk garments dry before dressing.在穿衣之前，洒涂防臭剂并保持干燥。

67 raving   

adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地

参考例句：

• The man's a raving lunatic. 那个男子是个语无伦次的疯子。
• When I told her I'd crashed her car, she went stark raving bonkers. 我告诉她我把她的车撞坏了时，她暴跳如雷。

68 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

69 precipitated   

v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀

参考例句：

• His resignation precipitated a leadership crisis. 他的辞职立即引发了领导层的危机。
• He lost his footing and was precipitated to the ground. 他失足摔倒在地上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

70 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

71 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

72 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

73 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

74 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

75 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

76 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

77 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

78 avowed   

adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• An aide avowed that the President had known nothing of the deals. 一位助理声明，总统对这些交易一无所知。
• The party's avowed aim was to struggle against capitalist exploitation. 该党公开宣称的宗旨是与资本主义剥削斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

79 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

80 primrose   

n.樱草，最佳部分，

参考例句：

• She is in the primrose of her life.她正处在她一生的最盛期。
• The primrose is set off by its nest of green.一窝绿叶衬托着一朵樱草花。

81 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。

82 diabolical   

adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的

参考例句：

• This maneuver of his is a diabolical conspiracy.他这一手是一个居心叵测的大阴谋。
• One speaker today called the plan diabolical and sinister.今天一名发言人称该计划阴险恶毒。

83 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

84 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

85 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

86 malady   

n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)

参考例句：

• There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。
• They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

87 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。

88 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

89 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

90 lulls   

n.间歇期（lull的复数形式）vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• It puts our children to sleep and lulls us into a calm, dreamlike state. 摇晃能让孩子进入梦乡，也能将我们引人一种平静的、梦幻般的心境。 来自互联网
• There were also comedy acts, impromptu skits, and DJ music to fill the lulls between acts. 也有充满在行为之间的间歇的喜剧行为，即兴之作若干，和DJ音乐。 来自互联网

91 rusted   

v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I can't get these screws out; they've rusted in. 我无法取出这些螺丝，它们都锈住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My bike has rusted and needs oil. 我的自行车生锈了，需要上油。 来自《简明英汉词典》

92 convalescing   

v.康复( convalesce的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She is convalescing at home after her operation. 手术后她正在家休养康复。
• The patient is convalescing nicely. 病人正在顺利地康复。 来自辞典例句

93 kindling   

n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There were neat piles of kindling wood against the wall. 墙边整齐地放着几堆引火柴。
• "Coal and kindling all in the shed in the backyard." “煤，劈柴，都在后院小屋里。” 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

94 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

95 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

96 dabbler   

n. 戏水者, 业余家, 半玩半认真做的人

参考例句：

• The dabbler in knowledge chatters away; the wise man stays silent. 一瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡。
• He's not a dedicated musician but a dabbler. 他并不是专门的音乐家，只不过是个业余家。

97 promiscuity   

n.混杂，混乱；（男女的）乱交

参考例句：

• Promiscuity went unpunished, divorce was permitted. 乱交挨不着惩罚，离婚办得成手续。 来自英汉文学
• There is also no doubt that she falls into promiscuity at last. 同时无疑她最后也堕入性乱。 来自互联网

98 presumptuous   

adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的

参考例句：

• It would be presumptuous for anybody to offer such a view.任何人提出这种观点都是太放肆了。
• It was presumptuous of him to take charge.他自拿主张，太放肆了。

99 carnations   

n.麝香石竹，康乃馨( carnation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You should also include some carnations to emphasize your underlying meaning.\" 另外要配上石竹花来加重这涵意的力量。” 来自汉英文学 - 围城
• Five men per ha. were required for rose production, 6 or 7 men for carnations. 种植玫瑰每公顷需5个男劳力，香石竹需6、7个男劳力。 来自辞典例句

100 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

101 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。

102 denim   

n.斜纹棉布；斜纹棉布裤，牛仔裤

参考例句：

• She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤，一件白粗布工作服上衣。
• Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。

103 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

104 whittling   

v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Inflation has been whittling away their savings. 通货膨胀使他们的积蓄不断减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is whittling down the branch with a knife to make a handle for his hoe. 他在用刀削树枝做一把锄头柄。 来自《简明英汉词典》

105 varnished   

浸渍过的，涂漆的

参考例句：

• The doors are then stained and varnished. 这些门还要染色涂清漆。
• He varnished the wooden table. 他给那张木桌涂了清漆。