Chapter 51

After the men left for work she piled the dishes in the big sink to soak, filled a Thermos¹ with coffee, singled out one of the dogs to accompany her, and hiked up to the shack² to listen to the birds. The dog would sniff³ about the shack for a few minutes while she spread a big moss⁴-covered stump⁵ with a piece of plastic bag she kept in the shack so she would not have to sit on the damp moss; then he would wet on the same wetting post and lie down to sleep on the same pile of burlap that the dog before him had used. Then nothing else would be stirring—or so it would seem. But gradually her ears would pick out tiny rustlings in the vines nearby, where the grosbeaks were waking. A mourning dove would call unseen from the thicket⁷ below—a round, clear, bouncing note, as though a soft ball had been dropped on the lowest key of a xylophone: “Tuuu . . . tuu tu tu.” Another dove would answer a distance away. They would call again, closer to each other each time; then they would emerge together from the mist, of the mist, gray, graceful⁸, and be off together wing to wing like reflections of each other in a looking-glass sky. The red-winged blackbirds would wake all at once, like soldiers to Reveille. They would shake themselves from the bam grove⁹ and swing in a glistening¹⁰ pack to settle in the nearby bunchberry vines, where they waited for the mist to lift from the cattails, singing incessantly¹¹ or drawing the black feathers of their wings and tails slowly through their bills. With the bright scarlet¹² amulets¹³ on each shoulder of their black uniforms they always made her sure that they were preparing for a review by the king. Then the blue grouse¹⁴ would drum away its kin⁶, and the dowitcher would voice its piercing alarm at seeing the sun. The band-tailed pigeons would call seductively from branch to branch, all with voices like Marlene Dietrich’s. The flickers¹⁵ and sapsuckers would begin knocking the trunks of hemlocks¹⁶ for breakfast. ...And after all the other birds were up and about their affairs—even after the jay, who would burst each morning from the mist, screeching¹⁷ in a blue rage at these damned early birds who never let a fellow finish his rest—the crows would make their stately entrance. From the tops of the firs they would swoop¹⁸, laughing with a sort of pitiless amusement at the lesser¹⁹ birds, and circle away in a slow, disorganized flock bound for the mudflats, sometimes leaving her feeling strangely disturbed. Perhaps because they reminded her of the magpies²⁰ from around her Colorado home—carrion-eaters, lining²¹ the rabbit-killing highways, living off death—but she thought there must be more to it than just that. Magpies were, all in all, rather silly birds. The crows, for all their raucous²² laughter, never seemed silly. When the last of the crows had gone she would drink the coffee and return the plastic sack to the shed and start back, whistling for the dog. On the way back she would go by the orchard²⁴ and kick the old cow awake, then go on to the house to clean up after breakfast. By the time she finished dishes the cow was lowing at the barn door to be milked. When she milked again in the evening she often saw through the barn window the crows returning from their daily contest with the pigs; sometimes one or two were conspicuously²⁵ maimed, or even missing. She didn’t know about the pigs, how they were taking the contest, but, win or lose, the crows always laughed—the hard, old jaded²⁶ laughter that came of looking at the world with a black and practiced eye. From the less skillful the laugh might have hinted of despair, or silliness, like the magpies’, but the crows were masters of the wry²⁷ outlook, and Viv never heard them but what she followed their expert lead and laughed along—they knew the secret of black, that it could not be made blacker, and if neither could it be made lighter²⁸, it could still be made funnier. “What are you sniggerin’ about?” Hank wanted to know when she carried in the straining cloth from the milkhouse to wash it on the back porch. “Oh, I’ve got some secrets,” she answered, amused by his curiosity, “some secrets of my own.” “Out yonder in the barn? So. You been meetin’ some man on the sly up in the hayloft, is that it?” She hummed mysteriously as she wrung²⁹ the cloth out and hung it over a peg³⁰. “What man? You keep me imprisoned³¹ across this moat all day, forlorn, alone—” “Uh-huh! So it’s one of them animals out there? Which one, the tomcat? I’ll wring³² the rascal’s neck. Tell me which one them varmints been duffin’ my wife. I got to know....” She smiled and started for the kitchen door. “You’ll just have to wait another two months to see, I guess.” He caught the tail of her sweat shirt and pulled her backward to him until her rear pressed against his pants. He encircled her waist and slid his hand down the top of her jeans over the tight swell³⁴ of her stomach. “I guess he’ll be okay whatever,” he said against the back of her head, “just so long’s he ain’t black; old Henry’ll drown all of us if he’s black, tomcat and all.” She arched her neck against him, thinking that it was nice to be young and pregnant and in love. She guessed she was very lucky. She had almost everything she wanted. She hummed and snuggled against him. And he nuzzled her hair. Then he pushed her away to arm’s length and turned her so he could study her through squinted³⁵ eyes. “I wonder—what it would be like, black?” “The baby?” “No, no.” He laughed. “Your hair.” And through the darkening porch screen she could hear the crows settling into the tops of the trees. As her time came closer she stopped climbing the hill, though the doctor told her the walk was probably doing her good. She didn’t know why she stopped; she thought for a while it was because she was so interested in noticing all the movements inside her, but she decided³⁶ later that this wasn’t the reason or she would have started going again when the movements stopped and she knew the thing inside her was dead. When she received the examination some months later and was told that the operation was healed and she could resume her normal activities she went again to the shack. But it was drizzling³⁷ rain and the only birds in sight were a flock of geese migrating down from Puget Sound, laughing a laugh she didn’t understand, so she returned to her reading. She had gone only a few times since then, and it had been years since she’d used the particular path they were walking now, yet it was still surprisingly sharp in her mind. In fact, she would have liked to lead the way so she might have set a slower pace. Nothing would do for Henry but full speed ahead to show them he was still as fast as any man, plaster leg or no. Not that she couldn’t keep up—it wasn’t for that reason she wished he would go more slowly—but Lee was having a time of it in the unfamiliar³⁸ dark. She could hear him struggling somewhere behind her as he fought the brush and berries on both sides of him. She thought of stopping to take his hand but decided against it, as she had decided against asking the old man to let her lead the way. The three of them became gradually more and more separated. As Henry pushed ahead and Lee fell farther behind she was left more by herself in the dark. After a few minutes she began to make out familiar shapes along the path and amused herself by identifying them. There was the patch of hazel bushes that grew along the orchard fence, there the dogwood, and the old lonely beech⁴⁰ standing⁴¹ black and baffled against the purple sky, like an old bent-backed tramp a long way from home, waiting for Saint Vincent de Paul to bring him a suit of second-hand⁴² leaves. Close along the path she felt fern touch her ankles with wet fingers and sometimes heard the dry rattle⁴³ of blue-vetch seeds in their little curled pods. From the bottomland, where trees resounded⁴⁴ with the gleeful barking of the dogs, came a thick reek⁴⁵ of jack-in-the-pulpit—skunk cabbage, Hank called it—and the sour-syrup smell of overripe blackberries. And over all these other plants, like a higher order of plant life, stood the fir—filling the sky with towering peaks, softly brushing its tart²³ bright green fragrance⁴⁶ onto the dark winds. As the space between herself and the two men widened, Viv felt herself relaxing; until then she had not been aware of the tightness pinching her shoulders together and confining her lungs. She released her elbows and breathed deep, holding her arms slightly away from her body. From one of the hazels a wren⁴⁷ called—“Tiu! Tiu!”—and Viv lifted her arms higher, imagining them to be wings. She tried pretending she was flying, but couldn’t make it real the way it had been when she was a child; if it weren’t for the boots! They weigh a hundred pounds apiece. If it weren’t for the boots I could fly! Hank always strapped⁴⁸ her into boots before they went hunting; to him the woods was a battleground where you armed yourself with tin hat, leather gloves, and spiked⁴⁹ boots, against an army of thorns. Then tromped through the forest. Viv would have preferred to fly through it; not high over it, like a hawk⁵⁰, but skimming through it inches above the ground, from rock to bush to tree, like the wren in the hazel. And for flying you needed wings, not spikes⁵¹; tennis shoes, not hundred-pound clodhoppers. A stifled⁵² cry from the path some yards back stopped her. She found Lee where he had strayed from the path into the fern. His hand trembled as she led him back. “I stumbled when something flew against me,” he explained in a whisper, more to himself than to Viv. “I think a moth⁵³...” A shudder⁵⁴ stopped him. The very word, so softly whispered in the dark, fluttered against Viv’s own cheek. “I know,” she whispered back, “Sphinx moths⁵⁵ this time of year. They scare me to death in the night.” Her hand guided him along the path. “It’s on account of they’re white,” she went on. “That’s what gives me the willies. I know they’re white, you see? But they feel dark.” “Yes, that’s it,” Lee whispered too. “Exactly.” “Hank kids me about it, but they just scare the daylights out of me sometimes. Br-r-r. And you know what else?” she went on softly. “Have you ever looked at one close up? On their backs they got a picture—I’m not kidding a bit—of a skull⁵⁶.” This time they both shuddered⁵⁷, like children who have managed to conjure⁵⁸ up a fright. The path started to rise and ahead of them they could hear the old man panting and cursing as he fought for footing with the rubber knob on the bottom of his cast. “Shall we give him some help?” Lee asked. “Huh-uh. Not much further. He’ll make it by himself.” “You certain? We couldn’t help him? He sounds like he’s having something of a time—” “Huh-uh. You saw him with Hank and the coat. Let him make it by himself. It’s why he came along.” “What is why he came along?” “That, to do a thing he set out to do. Without help. The way you wanted to take the boat across alone.” Lee was impressed. “Madam,” he said, panting. “I can’t speak for—the middle-aged⁵⁹ group—but I must say you are very—sensitive to the needs of crippled old men and frightened little boys.” “Why is it you always think of yourself as a liability or a little boy?” “I don’t. I was a liability when I first came. I don’t feel so any more. But I’m still a little boy. Just like you’re still a little girl.” The hounds bayed in the distance. “I haven’t been a little girl in a long time,” Viv said simply and Lee wished he’d kept his humor to himself. At the top of the knoll⁶⁰ a small fire crackled brightly in front of a three-walled log cabin. The knapsack with its delicious smell of tuna-fish and deviled-egg sandwiches dangled⁶¹ from the peg where Hank had hung it, and a large raccoon standing on its hind³⁹ legs was reaching for that pack with both black hands as its shadow swayed lazily against the cabin’s back wall. When Henry came into the firelight the animal trilled a plaintive⁶² note inquiring the nature of this intruder’s business. It dropped to all fours. “Ain’t you the one,” Henry said. The raccoon stood looking at him, appearing perturbed⁶³ at the interruption. “Don’t you know you’re supposed to be down in the slough-bottom givin’ them dogs a run, not up here thievin’ our grub—don’t you know that?” The raccoon knew of no such appointment. It rubbed its hands in the dirt, feigning⁶⁴ interest in a nonexistent bug⁶⁵. “Haw. Look here, kids; he just gonna give us the cold shoulder. He just gonna let us know what he thinks, us bustin’ in on his business.” The animal rubbed a moment longer, then, seeing these three nuisances were not going to take the hint, puffed⁶⁷ out its hair and humped its back and made a little mock charge at Henry. Henry laughed and kicked dust in its face. The raccoon uttered a series of huffing snorts. “Made you mad, huh? What’s the trouble? Won’t we go away and leave you to your thievin’?” Henry laughed again and kicked another puff⁶⁶ of dust. Which proved too much for a nobleman of the raccoon rank. In a stiff-legged bound it caught the old man and wrapped all four legs around his cast as though prepared to crush it in the grip; Henry yelled and beat at the animal with his hat. The raccoon tried the plaster two or three times with its teeth, then gave up and ran off into the darkness, huffing and trilling righteously. “By God.” Henry leaned down to inspect the scratches on his cast. “Will you look at this. I bet that nigger has a thing or two to tell his buddies⁶⁸ about the way a man is put together.” He gave a stiff nod. “Well, Lee boy, I guess we better build up the fire some.” “To ward³³ off further attack?” Lee asked. “Damn right. He’s so mad he’s liable to be back with all kinds of pests. We’re in grave danger.” Viv took his hand. “Seems like there’s always some animal or other trying to get at your leg, doesn’t it Papa?” “All right now. A lot of you snotnoses are looking for trouble, ain’t you? Just see if you can do something for your keep around here.” She found water in a ten-gallon milk can and started coffee while Henry and Lee dragged two gunny sacks of rubber duck decoys from the cabin and placed them near the fire. After she situated⁶⁹ the pot in the coals she found her plastic sack and spread it on the ground. She sat down and leaned against the sack Lee was sitting on. During these chores none of them had spoken; now Henry loaded his lip up with snuff, scratched himself, and leaned forward to concentrate on the hounds, clearing his throat like a sports announcer before the game. “All right, you hear that?” The firelight carved from the darkness a red cedar⁷⁰ relief of his face that appeared at times convex and at times concave. He ran his hand nervously⁷¹ through his long white hair as he talked. “I don’t mean them other suckers off yonder, but that way...listen...that ol’ Molly dog talkin’? You hear that?” Viv wriggled⁷² deeper into the sack’s springy cushioning, situating herself for the discourse⁷³ she knew to be coming. And when she stops moving she realizes that the back of a hand has moved to rest lightly against the nape of her neck beneath her hair. “. . . .Oh-oh, listen...she don’t say fox, she don’t say coon ...I don’t know about them other dirteaters but you can just mark it down in your little black book that Molly ain’t talkin’ like that about fox or coon; or deer neither, she never run deer. Ah . . . ah! Gawddamn.” Suddenly overcome with delight, Henry whacked⁷⁴ his cast with the hard palm of his hand— “what she says is bear!”—and provoked a celebration of sparks from the fire with his cane⁷⁵. “Gawddamn ...a bear!” He leaned forward, green eyes intent on the darkness beyond the fire. Below them, down river to the west, the other dogs were yelping⁷⁶ in a pack; from the other direction, toward the mountain range, came a clear and measured baying, each bay distinct by itself, starting low, then breaking into a note high and keen and true as though blown from a silver horn. “An’ she’s alone, Molly is. Them other dogs must be with old Uncle. Them other dogs generally follow Molly before they follow Uncle, but not when it’s got to do ’th bear. An’ Uncle, he don’t want no more to do ’th bear, he got et up last year and lost an’ eye over a bear, an’ he says far as he’s concerned Molly can have that bear all by her lonesome!” He laughed and whacked the cast again. “But listen there, boy, off down the slough—” He dug Lee in the side with his cane. “That bunch off down there, you hear the way they’re yipin’ and gripin’? All that fuss? Who they kiddin’? Yee hee. Oh, they know, they know.

1 thermos   

n.保湿瓶，热水瓶

参考例句：

• Can I borrow your thermos?我可以借用你的暖水瓶吗？
• It's handy to have the thermos here.暖瓶放在这儿好拿。

2 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。

3 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

4 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。

5 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。

6 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

7 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

8 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

9 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

10 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

11 incessantly   

ad.不停地

参考例句：

• The machines roar incessantly during the hours of daylight. 机器在白天隆隆地响个不停。
• It rained incessantly for the whole two weeks. 雨不间断地下了整整两个星期。

12 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

13 amulets   

n.护身符( amulet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Amulets,\"guards,\" as they are popularly called, intended to ward off evil spirits. 护身符――或者象他们普遍的叫法：“警卫”用来抵御妖魔鬼怪。 来自辞典例句
• However, all oval amulets in a single game are the same. 当然，所有的魔法用品也有类似的情形。 来自互联网

14 grouse   

n.松鸡；v.牢骚，诉苦

参考例句：

• They're shooting grouse up on the moors.他们在荒野射猎松鸡。
• If you don't agree with me,please forget my grouse.如果你的看法不同，请不必介意我的牢骚之言。

15 flickers   

电影制片业； （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fire flickers low. 炉火颤动欲灭。
• A strange idea flickers in my mind. 一种奇怪的思想又在我脑中燃烧了。

16 hemlocks   

由毒芹提取的毒药( hemlock的名词复数 )

参考例句：

17 screeching   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• Monkeys were screeching in the trees. 猴子在树上吱吱地叫着。
• the unedifying sight of the two party leaders screeching at each other 两党党魁狺狺对吠的讨厌情景

18 swoop   

n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击

参考例句：

• The plane made a swoop over the city.那架飞机突然向这座城市猛降下来。
• We decided to swoop down upon the enemy there.我们决定突袭驻在那里的敌人。

19 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

20 magpies   

喜鹊（magpie的复数形式）

参考例句：

• They set forth chattering like magpies. 他们叽叽喳喳地出发了。
• James: besides, we can take some pied magpies home, for BBQ. 此外，我们还可以打些喜鹊回家，用来烧烤。

21 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

22 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

23 tart   

adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇

参考例句：

• She was learning how to make a fruit tart in class.她正在课上学习如何制作水果馅饼。
• She replied in her usual tart and offhand way.她开口回答了，用她平常那种尖酸刻薄的声调随口说道。

24 orchard   

n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场

参考例句：

• My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
• Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。

25 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

26 jaded   

adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的

参考例句：

• I felt terribly jaded after working all weekend. 整个周末工作之后我感到疲惫不堪。
• Here is a dish that will revive jaded palates. 这道菜简直可以恢复迟钝的味觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 wry   

adj.讽刺的；扭曲的

参考例句：

• He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
• Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

28 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

29 wrung   

绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水）

参考例句：

• He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
• He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。

30 peg   

n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定

参考例句：

• Hang your overcoat on the peg in the hall.把你的大衣挂在门厅的挂衣钩上。
• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。

31 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

32 wring   

n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭

参考例句：

• My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿，我不得不拧干它们。
• I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩，我就拧断你的脖子。

33 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

34 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。

35 squinted   

斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看

参考例句：

• Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩，眯起眼睛瞄准。
• I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。

36 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。

37 drizzling   

下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The rain has almost stopped, it's just drizzling now. 雨几乎停了，现在只是在下毛毛雨。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。

38 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

39 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

40 beech   

n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的

参考例句：

• Autumn is the time to see the beech woods in all their glory.秋天是观赏山毛榉林的最佳时期。
• Exasperated,he leaped the stream,and strode towards beech clump.他满腔恼怒，跳过小河，大踏步向毛榉林子走去。

41 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。

42 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

43 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

44 resounded   

v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音

参考例句：

• Laughter resounded through the house. 笑声在屋里回荡。
• The echo resounded back to us. 回声传回到我们的耳中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

45 reek   

v.发出臭气；n.恶臭

参考例句：

• Where there's reek,there's heat.哪里有恶臭，哪里必发热。
• That reek is from the fox.那股恶臭是狐狸发出的。

46 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

47 wren   

n.鹪鹩；英国皇家海军女子服务队成员

参考例句：

• A wren is a kind of short-winged songbird.鹪鹩是一种短翼的鸣禽。
• My bird guide confirmed that a Carolina wren had discovered the thickets near my house.我掌握的鸟类知识使我确信，一只卡罗莱纳州鹪鹩已经发现了我家的这个灌木丛。

48 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

49 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

50 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

51 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

53 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

54 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

55 moths   

n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

56 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

57 shuddered   

v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

58 conjure   

v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法

参考例句：

• I conjure you not to betray me.我恳求你不要背弃我。
• I can't simply conjure up the money out of thin air.我是不能像变魔术似的把钱变来。

59 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

60 knoll   

n.小山，小丘

参考例句：

• Silver had terrible hard work getting up the knoll.对于希尔弗来说，爬上那小山丘真不是件容易事。
• He crawled up a small knoll and surveyed the prospect.他慢腾腾地登上一个小丘，看了看周围的地形。

61 dangled   

悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
• It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。

62 plaintive   

adj.可怜的，伤心的

参考例句：

• Her voice was small and plaintive.她的声音微弱而哀伤。
• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。

63 perturbed   

adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation developing. 我对形势令人忧虑的发展深感不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother was much perturbed by my illness. 母亲为我的病甚感烦恼不安。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

64 feigning   

假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等）

参考例句：

• He survived the massacre by feigning death. 他装死才在大屠杀中死里逃生。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。

65 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

66 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

67 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

68 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句

69 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

70 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

71 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

72 wriggled   

v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）

参考例句：

• He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

73 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

74 whacked   

a.精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• She whacked him with her handbag. 她用手提包狠狠地打他。
• He whacked me on the back and I held both his arms. 他用力拍拍我的背，我抱住他的双臂。

75 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。

76 yelping   

v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In the middle of the table sat a little dog, shaking its paw and yelping. 在桌子中间有一只小狗坐在那儿，抖着它的爪子，汪汪地叫。 来自辞典例句
• He saved men from drowning and you shake at a cur's yelping. 他搭救了快要溺死的人们，你呢，听到一条野狗叫唤也瑟瑟发抖。 来自互联网