Chapter 49

“But—but go on, Uncle Henry!” Squeaky could endure the old man’s theatrics no longer. “Go on? I’m goin’ somewheres?” “What happened?” Squeaky cried, and the twins echoed her plea. “What happened—happened?” And little Leland Stanford, agog¹ as any, soundlessly urged, Go on, Father, what happened ...? “Happened?” He craned his neck about to check. “Happened where? I don’t see a thing.” Face as innocent as a billygoat’s. “About the log! the log!” “Oh yeah, that log. Lemee see, by gosh. You mean, don’t you, that log I was ridin’ lickety-brintle down the slide trough to certain disaster? Hmm, let me see.” He closed his eyes and massaged² the bridge of his hooked nose in deep thought; even the apathetic⁴ shadows perked⁵ up and moved in closer to hear. “Well then, right at the last I come up with me a idea; I thought I’d try throwin’ the bucket underneath⁶ the bastard⁷. I pitched it up ahead in the trough, but the log shoved it rattlin’ an’ clatterin’ along in front for a piece like that ol’ bucket was a horsefly it was tryin’ to brush aside—hey! sonofagun, that makes me think: have you boys checked that outfit⁸ Teddy’s got goin’ at the Snag for killin’ bugs⁹? Slickest-workin’ piece of machinery¹⁰ I ever—” “The log! The log!” cried the children. The log, echoed the child in me. “Hm? Ah. Yessir. Right at the last I saw there weren’t nothin’ for me to do but dive. So I give a jump. But lo an’ behol’, my gallusses is catched onto a stob! an’ me an’ that fir went shootin’ off into the wild blue yonder, aimin’ to tear hell out of the side of that mailboat—did, too, if you got to know; so me up there tryin’ to be the big hero with the bucket was all just so much yellin’ at the wind, ’cause it did! hit that boat and split it to kingdom come, letters flyin’ in all directions like somebody’d set off a blizzard¹¹: letters, nuts, bolts, steamfittin’s, kin’lin’ wood, an’ that boy steerin’ it flung straight in the air—an’ it was the Pierce boy, too, come to think of it, because I recall he ’n’ his brother allus useta trade off makin’ the runs and the one off duty got mighty¹² sore about havin’ to pilot full-time¹³ after his brother was drownt—” “But what about you?” “Me? Lord love us, Squeaky, honey, I thought you knew. Why, your ol’ Uncle Henry was killed! You didn’t think a man could survive a fall like that, now did you? I was killed!” His head fell back. His mouth gaped¹⁴ in death agony. The children looked on, stunned¹⁵ to horrified¹⁶ silence, until his belly¹⁷ began to shake with amusement. “Henry, you!” shouted the twins, and each breathed a disappointed “Ahhh.” Squeaky reacted with a hiss¹⁸ of outrage¹⁹ and fell to kicking at his cast with blue-flanneled feet. Henry laughed until tears poured down his gullied cheeks. “Killed, didn’t y’know? Killed yeee hee haw, dead YEE hee hee haw!” “Henry, someday when I’m bigger you’ll be sorry!” “YEEE haw haw haw!” Hank turned aside—“Lord; just look at him carry on”—to laugh into his band. “The balm of Gilead is cooked his brains out.” And Joe Ben lapsed²⁰ into a coughing fit that took five minutes and a spoonful of molasses to subdue²¹. When Joe could breathe again Viv came from the kitchen, carrying a pot and cups on a tray. “Coffee?” Steam fell in an ermine mantle²² about her shoulders and when she turned her back to me I saw it was braided into her hair and tied at the bottom with a ribbon of silk. Her jeans were rolled to the swell²³ of her calf²⁴; she bent²⁵ to put the tray on the table, and a brass²⁶ brad gave me a lewd²⁷ wink²⁸; she straightened and a slight bind²⁹ of denim³⁰ made an interesting star of wrinkles. “Who likes sugar, anybody?” I spoke³¹ not a word aloud, but could feel my mouth begin to water as she offered the cups around. “You, Lee?”—turning, with those feather-light tennis shoes sighing at her feet. “Sugar?” “It’s fine, Viv, thanks—” “I’ll get it for you?” “Well ...all right then.” Just to watch that brass brad wink its way back to the kitchen. Hank poured bourbon into his coffee. Henry had a drink straight from the bottle to regain³² his strength after his untimely demise³³. Jan took Joe Ben’s hand and looked at his wristwatch and announced it was time, past time for the kids to be in bed. Viv returned with a cup of sugar, licking the back of her hand. “Got my thumb in it. One or two spoons?” Joe Ben roused himself. “Okay, kids, move. Up them stairs.” “Three.” I never took sugar in my coffee, never before or since. “Three? Such a sweet tooth?” She stirred in one. “Try it like this first. I have very powerful sugar.” Hank sipped³⁴ his drink, eyes closed, peaceful, tame. The kids trooped upstairs in a surly pack. Henry yawned. “Yessir . . . killed me dead.” At the top of the steps Squeaky stopped and turned slowly and deliberately³⁵ with her hands on her hips³⁶. “Okay for you, Uncle Henry. You know what,”—and walked on, leaving the air behind her pervaded³⁷ with some awful fate meaningful only to her and the old man, whose eyes bulged³⁸ wide in shammed³⁹ terror. Viv carried Johnny, tickling⁴⁰ him with fuzzy breath down the back of his neck. Joe held the twins by fat hands, patient with their one-step, step, one-step, step to the top of the stairs. Jan snuggled the baby over her shoulder. And I swelled⁴¹, threatening to burst in an explosion of hearts, flowers, and frustration⁴²; love, beauty, and jealousy⁴³. “Nigh’-nigh’.” The baby waved. “Night-night.” “Night-night.” Night-night, said a small voice inside, waiting to be cuddled upstairs. Frustration and jealousy. I blush to admit it. But as I watched that last pampered⁴⁴ bundle disappear up the stairwell I could not help feeling a twinge of envy. “Twinge?” the moon mocked me through a dirty windowpane. “Looks to me more like a hammerblow.” “Yeah, but they are living the life I should have lived.” “Just little kids. Shame on you.” “Thieves! Stealing my home and my parental⁴⁵ affection. Enjoying my unused paths and climbing my apple trees.” “A while ago,” the moon reminded me, “you were blaming all your elders, now it’s the children...” “Thieves”—I tried to ignore that moon—“little fuzzy thieves, growing up in my lost childhood.” “How,” the moon whispered, “can you be sure it is lost? Until you try to find it?” I sat stunned by the insinuation. “Go on,” it nudged, “give it a whirl. Show them you still want it. Let them know.” So, with the kids gone and the old man nodding, I searched the room for a sign. My attention was caught by the sound of the dogs beneath the floor. Well, I’d made it with the cream, I’d made it with the boat . . . why not go the whole route? I swallowed hard, shut my eyes, and asked if they still used the hounds for hunting, still, you know, went on hunts—like they used to? “Now and then,” Hank answered. “Why d’ya ask?” “I’d like to go sometime. With you...all ...if you don’t mind?” It was said. Hank nodded slowly, rolling a hot spoonful of apple on his tongue. “All right.” A silence followed, identical to the one that had followed my offer to pick up Henry in the boat—only longer and stronger, because as a boy my aversion to hunting had been the most vociferous⁴⁷ of all my aversions—and I once again reacted to my embarrassment⁴⁸ at this silence with a flustered⁴⁹ attempt at sophistication. “It’s only that one should”—I shrugged⁵⁰, studying the cover of a National Geographic⁵¹ with bored authority—“know something of the area ...besides, I’ve read all the decent paperbacks⁵² offered by Grissom’s drugstore, and I saw Summer and Smoke on stage, so—” “Where! Where!” Henry lurched to his feet like an old fire-horse jumping to the bell, brandishing⁵³ his cane⁵⁴ and sniffing⁵⁵ about for the flames. Viv uncoiled swiftly from the foot of Hank’s chair and crossed to take his arm and ease him down again. “The movie-picture show, Henry,” she said in a voice that would have calmed Vesuvius. “Just the movie-picture show.” “What was I sayin’? Ah.” He picked up the thread as though it had never broken. “About the old times. Say, them oldtime tales where we greased the skids⁵⁶ and rode the oxen and all that noise? Hm? Them oldtime jacks⁵⁷ in mustaches and ten-gallon hats carryin’ a misery⁵⁸ whip over their shoulders, you seen them pictures, ain’t you? Lookin’ all dashin’ an’ romantic? Well, them boys are good pictures in The Pioneer magazine, but I tell you now an’ you can mark ’er down: they weren’t the ones! that really rolled the logs. No. No sir. It was boys like me and Ben and Aaron, boys what not only had the grit⁵⁹ but what had the sense to get hold of a machine. You’re godblessed right! Let me say . . . hm, well now, roads? We didn’t have roads worth sour apples, sure, but what did I tell ’em? Roads or no boogin’ roads, I say, I’ll take this here donkey machine any place you can take one them worthless tow-oxen of yours! Shoot; all I got to do is run a little piece of line up to a stump⁶⁰ somewheres and pour it to ’er. Reel myself right up to where I want, then run a line to the next stump. Jumpin’ the donk, we called it; cookin’ with steam. Yessir, steam, steam, that’s the business. You feed them animals of yourn bale of hay every other day at eighty, ninety cents a bale, and you know what I’m feedin’ mine? Wood chips, and slashin’, and scrub oak, and any other damn thing layin’ around handy for the burnin’. Steam! gasoline! now Diesel⁶¹! Yessir, that’s the ticket. You can’t whup the swamps with a animal. A animal is on the other side! You can’t take much shade offn the ground with nutted ox an’ a whittlin’ knife! You got to have a machine.” His eyes brightened as he warmed again to his subject. He jerked upright in his chair and hooked a long bony hand in the invisible strap⁶² hanging before him. He dragged his body standing⁶³, a rickety stack of limbs and joints⁶⁴, teetering precariously⁶⁵ on the edge of eighty and looking like the slightest breeze would turn it into a pile of rubble⁶⁶. “The trucks! The cats! The yarders! I say more power to ’em. Booger these peckerwoods always talkin’ about the good old days. Let me tell you there weren’t nothin’ good about the good old days but for free Indian nooky. An’ that was all. Far as workin’, loggin’, it was bust⁶⁷ your bleedin’ ass³ from dark to dark an’ maybe you fall three trees. Three trees! An’ any snot-nosed kid nowdays could lop all three of ’em over in half an hour with a Homelite. No sir. Good old days the booger! The good old days didn’t hardly make a dent⁴⁶ in the shade. If you want to cut you a piece you can see out in these goddam hills you better get out there with the best thing man can make. Listen: Evenwrite an’ all his crap about automation ...he talk like you gotta go easy on this stuff. I know better. I seen it. I cut it down an’ it’s comin’ back up. It’ll always be comin’ back up.

1 agog   

adj.兴奋的，有强烈兴趣的； adv.渴望地

参考例句：

• The children were all agog to hear the story.孩子们都渴望着要听这个故事。
• The city was agog with rumors last night that the two had been executed.那两人已被处决的传言昨晚搞得全城沸沸扬扬。

2 massaged   

按摩，推拿( massage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He massaged her back with scented oil. 他用芳香油按摩她的背部。
• The script is massaged into final form. 这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。

3 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

4 apathetic   

adj.冷漠的，无动于衷的

参考例句：

• I realised I was becoming increasingly depressed and apathetic.我意识到自己越来越消沉、越来越冷漠了。
• You won't succeed if you are apathetic.要是你冷淡，你就不能成功。

5 perked   

（使）活跃( perk的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）增值； 使更有趣

参考例句：

• The recent demand for houses has perked up the prices. 最近对住房的需求使房价上涨了。
• You've perked up since this morning. 你今天上午精神就好多了。

6 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。

7 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。

8 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

9 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

11 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

12 mighty   

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。

13 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

14 gaped   

v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• A huge chasm gaped before them. 他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The front door was missing. A hole gaped in the roof. 前门不翼而飞，屋顶豁开了一个洞。 来自辞典例句

15 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。

16 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

17 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

18 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。

19 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

20 lapsed   

adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He had lapsed into unconsciousness. 他陷入了昏迷状态。
• He soon lapsed into his previous bad habits. 他很快陷入以前的恶习中去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 subdue   

vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制

参考例句：

• She tried to subdue her anger.她尽力压制自己的怒火。
• He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears.他强迫自己克制并战胜恐惧心理。

22 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

23 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

24 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

25 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

26 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

27 lewd   

adj.淫荡的

参考例句：

• Drew spends all day eyeing up the women and making lewd comments.德鲁整天就盯着女人看，说些下流话。
• I'm not that mean,despicable,cowardly,lewd creature that horrible little man sees. 我可不是那个令人恶心的小人所见到的下流、可耻、懦弱、淫秽的家伙。

28 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

29 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

30 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。

31 spoke   

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。

32 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

33 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

34 sipped   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
• I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句

35 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

36 hips   

abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的

参考例句：

• She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
• They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 pervaded   

v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A retrospective influence pervaded the whole performance. 怀旧的影响弥漫了整个演出。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The air is pervaded by a smell [smoking]. 空气中弥散着一种气味[烟味]。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

38 bulged   

凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物）

参考例句：

• His pockets bulged with apples and candy. 他的口袋鼓鼓地装满了苹果和糖。
• The oranges bulged his pocket. 桔子使得他的衣袋胀得鼓鼓的。

39 shammed   

假装，冒充( sham的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He feigned that he was ill; He shammed a headache. 他假装他生病了；他假装头痛。
• He shammed a headache. 他假装头痛。

40 tickling   

反馈，回授，自旋挠痒法

参考例句：

• Was It'spring tickling her senses? 是不是春意撩人呢？
• Its origin is in tickling and rough-and-tumble play, he says. 他说，笑的起源来自于挠痒痒以及杂乱无章的游戏。

41 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。

42 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

43 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

44 pampered   

adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lazy scum deserve worse. What if they ain't fed up and pampered? 他们吃不饱，他们的要求满足不了，这又有什么关系？ 来自飘（部分）
• She petted and pampered him and would let no one discipline him but she, herself. 她爱他，娇养他，而且除了她自己以外，她不允许任何人管教他。 来自辞典例句

45 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

46 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。

47 vociferous   

adj.喧哗的，大叫大嚷的

参考例句：

• They are holding a vociferous debate.他们在吵吵嚷嚷地辩论。
• He was a vociferous opponent of Conservatism.他高声反对保守主义。

48 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

49 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

50 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》

51 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

52 paperbacks   

n.平装本，平装书( paperback的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This shop only sells paperbacks. 这家书店只出售平装本的书。 来自辞典例句
• Other paperbacks were selling for ten or 15 cents each. 其它的平装书每本才卖十或十五美分。 来自互联网

53 brandishing   

v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀

参考例句：

• The horseman came up to Robin Hood, brandishing his sword. 那个骑士挥舞着剑，来到罗宾汉面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife. 他挥舞着一把小刀，出现在休息室里。 来自辞典例句

54 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

55 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；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：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

56 skids   

n.滑向一侧( skid的名词复数 )；滑道；滚道；制轮器v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的第三人称单数 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• The aging football player was playing on the skids. 那个上了年纪的足球运动员很明显地在走下坡路。 来自辞典例句
• It's a shame that he hit the skids. 很遗憾他消沉了。 来自辞典例句

57 jacks   

n.抓子游戏；千斤顶( jack的名词复数 )；（电）插孔；[电子学]插座；放弃

参考例句：

• Hydraulic jacks under the machine produce the movement. 是机器下面的液压千斤顶造成的移动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The front end is equipped with hydraulic jacks used for grade adjustment. 前瑞安装有液压千斤顶用来调整坡度。 来自辞典例句

58 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。

59 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

60 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

61 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

62 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

63 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。

64 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

65 precariously   

adv.不安全地；危险地；碰机会地；不稳定地

参考例句：

• The hotel was perched precariously on a steep hillside. 旅馆危险地坐落在陡峭的山坡上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The phone was perched precariously on the window ledge. 电话放在窗台上，摇摇欲坠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

66 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

67 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。