Chapter 59

He looked as if he should have been bigger or smaller, it was difficult to say which. Seeing him scampering¹ about the woods, transistor² radio bumping against his chest like an electronic locket, you might think he needed antennae³, a glass helmet and a size four space suit. Seeing him years before, still straight and graceful⁴ as a young pine, with the face of a teen-age Adonis, you would have thought him one of the most strikingly handsome young men in the world; what this Adonis had become was a triumph of indefatigable⁵ will as well as a showcase of perseverance⁶. He seemed to have been issued a skin many sizes too small and chest and shoulders too large. Without a shirt he seemed to have no neck; with a shirt on he seemed to have on shoulder pads. Encountering this apparition⁷ in stagged-off pants and three sweat shirts chugging toward you on the boulevard, elbows out, balled fists chest-high, spread legs thrusting splayed boots against a springy earth, one might expect to see a halfback with the football sprinting⁹ close on his heels ...were it not that the jack-o’-lantern lodged¹⁰ there between the shoulder pads made it extremely clear that it was not football that was being played, but some kind of queer joke . . . On exactly whom was not quite so clear. He pulled the shade back down. The shaft¹¹ of light skipped again precisely¹² across the sleeping faces, hesitating for an instant in the center of each little forehead to examine the drop of good old human spit. And as Joe struggled into his cold clothes he recited a prayer of thanks in a reverent¹³ whisper in the general direction of the chest of drawers, while the jack-o’-lantern looked on balefully with puzzled, sooty eyes and grinned a mildewed¹⁴ grin: a joke was being played, all right. That much was clear. And it might have been easier to figure on whom if Joe had refrained from grinning back. Saturdays were busy for Joe. That was when he worked off his rent obligation. He had lived off and on at the old house across the Wakonda for most of his life, staying there as long as six or eight months at a time during his childhood, while his father gallivanted up and down the coast possessed¹⁵ with the frenzied¹⁶ squandering¹⁷ of a life that was burning a hole in his pants. Rent money was never mentioned or even considered; Joe knew he had paid old Henry ten times over with the countless¹⁸ hours of free overtime¹⁹ he’d put in at the show or the mill, paid board and room for himself and the woman and kids and then some. That wasn’t it. To old Henry he owed nothing, but to the house, the house itself, to the actual flesh of paint and bone of wood of the old house he knew he owed a debt so large it could never be repaid. Never, never in a thousand years! So, as the day drew near when he would move into his own home, he had become a dervish of repairs, determined²⁰ to make that deadline of never and repay that unpayable debt. Gleefully slapping paint or mending shakes, he rushed to square things with the pile of wood that had sheltered him so undemandingly for so long, certain sure, as he damned near always was certain of practically anything he decided²¹ was worth being sure of, that he would some way, right at the last, with a terrific spurt²² of last-minute nailing and puttying and calking, succeed in meeting that impossible deadline and pay off the debt he had already decided for certain sure was un-pay-offable. “Old house, old house,” he crooned, straddling the topmost peak with a hammer in his hand and nails bristling²³ from his mouth, “I’ll have you shinin’ like a new dime²⁴ by the time I leave here. Oh, you know it. You’ll stand a thousand years!” He patted the mossy withers²⁵ lovingly. “A thousand years”— he was certain. A lot of roof left to shingle²⁶ and outside to shake in the three or four weekends before he moved, but he would finish, by gosh, by golly and—if it meant Sending Out for the Divine Help—by God! The thought caused a little buzz of excitement to go through him; though he’d come pretty close, he’d never actually come to that point of really Sending Out yet. Oh, he’d prayed for things, but that’s different, that ain’t like Sending Out. You can pray for just about anything, but Sending Out for Divine Help!—well . . . it ain’t ordering from Monkey Ward⁸. It’ll be there, don’t ever doubt it a second—oh yeah—but you wait till there’s something of a size, not just the donkey cable busted²⁷ or a root hung in your—last night, now, last night with Hank so down from his argument with Lee, I come near to Sending—but I’m glad I held off. Only thing Hank has to do is quit worrying about it and go ahead and do what he knows already he’s gonna do—like I knew he knew that he was gonna walk back out into the woods to look for old Molly because it’s in him to do—to accept what he already knows is all he need do. ...Yeah, I’m glad I didn’t Send Out—because he’ll come through even if he don’t Believe, except I sure never seen him throwed before like Leland’s throwed him. If he’d just quit patty-caking and accept what he knows already: that there’s nothing but to go ahead and straighten the kid up when he gets outa line and Hank sure don’t need anybody to Send Out for him some help when it comes to that sort of—But for a long time now, a year, since we heard about her killing²⁸ herself—No, no that can’t be, it’s—ah— it’s just that all this with the union, and then Lee too, he’s throwed off kilter a little bit. He’ll come back around, if he’d just—like anybody else destined²⁹ to responsibility, like any of the chosen people—learn he’s got to dig what he knows already, then everything’s gonna be fine again—oh yeah—gonna be prime ... All this imprecise, rough-shingled thinking while the October sun pushed through the smoky blue layers of October sky, to bravely look toward November...and the black rat-pack of clouds, hiding on the horizon, seemed as far away as January. Joe Ben scooted gradually along the peak of the roof, face bright orange, eyes clear green with white showing all around the pupil, and as he moved jerkily along, tacking³⁰ down the new cedar³¹ shingles³², he liked to look back occasionally at the bright contrast of new wood lined against old—the line ragged³³ and rough, but bright nevertheless. He would study the line a moment, then set to again, hammering away at his rough-split shingles and whittling³⁴ his rough-tooled thoughts, certain sure that everything would come along fine, be a gas, turn out prime...if you just held your mouth right and accepted what you knew already was gonna hafta be done. You bet! And if the joke was on Joe he was determined to be the first to laugh as well as the last to admit it. At Viv’s call to lunch Joe climbed down the ladder, content that he had fixed³⁵ the roof and Hank’s worries both at the same time. There was nothing to it; just get Hank and the boy together and have everybody talk things out. Whatever was chewing at them, he was sure all it needed was a good healthy airing. They weren’t neither of them nincompoops. They could surely see it wasn’t any good going around with chips on their shoulders, they could surely see that. Nothing could be gained, and, if it kept on, Hank stood to lose sleep he needed to keep the job rolling. Lee stood to lose a mouthful of teeth. That was all there was to it. He’d make them see the lay of the land. But after checking out the scene at the lunch table he decided to hold off for a few days on his suggestion for mediation³⁶. Hank brooded behind a newspaper with heavy, rumbling³⁷ silence, and Lee, smoking and staring out the kitchen window with tragic³⁸, defeated eyes and an anemic pallor to his cheeks, didn’t look capable of sustaining the shock of a haircut, let alone the loss of a mouthful of teeth. Looking at Lee, Joe was amazed that this could be the same person he had watched just yesterday scale a fifteen-degree slope at a run with a choker chain in his hand. He sure looked brought down and troubled, Lee did... Lee stares down at his plate, and the plate stares back from two wild egg-yolk³⁹ eyes and wrinkles a bacon grin; like a mask of a skull⁴⁰ the plate is ...reminding him of another mask (the little boy stood looking at the mask, fighting tears) and another, long-ago Halloween (looking from the mask pathetically up toward his mother: “I can’t see why I got to wear it—I can’t see why I even got to go!” Hank took the mask from her hand and grinned at it. “Looks fine to me,” he said). Lee stabs the yolk of one eye and stirs it over the bacon . . . “You better get hold of some of them eggs, Leland,” Joe advised, “before you expire on the spot. Oh, I know what’s botherin’ you; you slep’ too late. You oughta been up there on the roof with me, breathing of the firmament⁴¹.” Lee turns slowly to give Joe a trenchant⁴² smile. “I was up there with you, Josephus. In spirit.” I had decided before coming to breakfast that it would best serve my plan to win Viv’s sympathy by being bitter and hurt as a result of Hank’s overbearing treatment of me last night. “Yes, in spirit I was up there from the first crack of dawn and rattle⁴³ of daylight. I was up there with you every stroke of that hammer.” Joe slapped his cheek. “I never thought for a second. And that’s d’rectly above your room, ain’t it? Oh man, you musta thought things was really comin’ apart in man-sized chunks⁴⁴. You reckon you’ll pull through? You still got just oh the faintest tremble to your lip. . . .” “I did consider running to warn Henny Penny and Foxy Loxy,” I laughed. In spite of my resolute⁴⁵ bitterness, I couldn’t help being amused by Joe Ben. “But I do reckon I’ll pull through, though, shellshock notwithstanding.” “I’m truly sorry,” Joe apologized. “I know how a man who’s got to be woked up all the time durin’ the week hates to be woked on the weekend when he doesn’t got to.” “Apology accepted”—and wondered: But how can you know, Joe? How can you possibly know how I feel about being woked, Joe, when you’ve probably been up before dawn every day of your life? Joe Ben constituted a phenomenon to me in more ways than one; quite apart from his appearance, he was one of those extremely remarkable⁴⁶ beings whose hearts pump pure elixir⁴⁷ of Benzedrine through a body made of latex rubber. Always high, always on the go, always looking overnourished and under-fleshed, for all he ate. He devoted⁴⁸ so much energy to his meals that one was apt to wonder how he kept from expiring in the very act of eating, like the car that died at the gas station because it burned fuel faster than the pump could deliver it. Having demolished⁴⁹ the skull face on his plate, Lee pushes it from him, shuddering⁵⁰ . . . (The little boy tried to ignore Hank’s opinion of the mask: “Mother, I don’t care about trick-an’treating. If I don’t care why do I have to—” Hank scooped⁵¹ him up before he could finish and perched him on his shoulder. “Bee-cause, bub, how you ever gonna get fierce, you don’t learn to get out yonder an’ meet the Hide-behind in his own territory? Takes some grit⁵² an’ gumption⁵³, but it’s gotta be did or you’ll spend your life in a hole like a gopher. Here, stick this mask on; we’ll get into town an’ scare the pants off the folks.”) and tries to ignore the unexplained threat from a plate of eggs.... “Joe,” I said casually⁵⁴, after a small silence, “you know... I’m inclined to take you up on that offer you made me.” “Sure enough, you bet.” Then asked casually, after a large mouthful of toast, “Just what offer was that?” “To give me a chance to witness first hand the power of your faith in action, to visit your church for Saturday services . . . don’t you recall?” “Yeah! the church! you come! oh man yeah! But it ain’t exactly a church, I mean it is a church, but it ain’t exactly—you know, steeples and stained-glass windows and pulpits ...it’s more sort of a tent is what it actually is. A tent? huh?” He uttered a short laugh of dawning wonder. “Yeah, that’s what it is—a tent—how about that?” “Apparently your cathedral’s architecture has never impressed itself on you before.” “But, hey, Lee, listen, one thing. Jan an’ me wasn’t planning to come right back out. It’s Halloween, for one thing; I aim to give the kids a chance to trick-or-treat a little bit tonight.” “Yes, Leland,” Jan corroborated⁵⁵ in a small voice, “we’ll be going over to our new place after church. To paint some in the kitchen. But you’re of course welcome to spend the day there an’ come back with us tonight.” “Shoot a monkey, yes!” Joe Ben snapped his fingers. “You ever paint much, Lee? Why it’s a gas, you know? It’s prime fun! Swarp swarp. A wave of the hand and bright red! orange! green...!” “Off-white an’ morning mist an’ pastel green, Joe dear.” Jan toned down his hues⁵⁶. “Sure! But what do you say, Lee? If you can handle a brush— we’ll give you a sort of try-out, to see if you’re equal to it first— but if you are . . . it’d be a nice way to fill the wait.” I told him that I was afraid that, after a session with Brother Walker, I might be a bit too unsteady to wield⁵⁷ a sure brush, but gave him the names of a few other fellows I knew who might be interested. . . .

1 scampering   

v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A cat miaowed, then was heard scampering away. 马上起了猫叫，接着又听见猫逃走的声音。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• A grey squirrel is scampering from limb to limb. 一只灰色的松鼠在树枝间跳来跳去。 来自辞典例句

2 transistor   

n.晶体管，晶体管收音机

参考例句：

• This make of transistor radio is small and beautifully designed.这半导体收音机小巧玲珑。
• Every transistor has at least three electrodes.每个晶体管至少有三个电极。

3 antennae   

n.天线；触角

参考例句：

• Sometimes a creature uses a pair of antennae to swim.有时某些动物使用其一对触须来游泳。
• Cuba's government said that Cubans found watching American television on clandestine antennae would face three years in jail.古巴政府说那些用秘密天线收看美国电视的古巴人将面临三年监禁。

4 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。

5 indefatigable   

adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的

参考例句：

• His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。
• He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时，他是不知疲倦的。

6 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

7 apparition   

n.幽灵，神奇的现象

参考例句：

• He saw the apparition of his dead wife.他看见了他亡妻的幽灵。
• But the terror of this new apparition brought me to a stand.这新出现的幽灵吓得我站在那里一动也不敢动。

8 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。

9 sprinting   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stride length and frequency are the most important elements of sprinting. 步长和步频是短跑最重要的因素。 来自互联网
• Xiaoming won the gold medal for sprinting in the school sports meeting. 小明在学校运动会上夺得了短跑金牌。 来自互联网

10 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 reverent   

adj.恭敬的，虔诚的

参考例句：

• He gave reverent attention to the teacher.他恭敬地听老师讲课。
• She said the word artist with a gentle,understanding,reverent smile.她说作家一词时面带高雅，理解和虔诚的微笑。

14 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

15 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

16 frenzied   

a.激怒的；疯狂的

参考例句：

• Will this push him too far and lead to a frenzied attack? 这会不会逼他太甚，导致他进行疯狂的进攻？
• Two teenagers carried out a frenzied attack on a local shopkeeper. 两名十几岁的少年对当地的一个店主进行了疯狂的袭击。

17 squandering   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• You're faced with ending it all, of squandering what was given. 把到手的东西就这样随随便便弄掉。 来自辞典例句
• I see all this potential And I see squandering. 你们的潜力都被浪费了。 来自互联网

18 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

19 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

20 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

21 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。

22 spurt   

v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆

参考例句：

• He put in a spurt at the beginning of the eighth lap.他进入第八圈时便开始冲刺。
• After a silence, Molly let her anger spurt out.沉默了一会儿，莫莉的怒气便迸发了出来。

23 bristling   

a.竖立的

参考例句：

• "Don't you question Miz Wilkes' word,'said Archie, his beard bristling. "威尔克斯太太的话，你就不必怀疑了。 "阿尔奇说。他的胡子也翘了起来。
• You were bristling just now. 你刚才在发毛。

24 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。

25 withers   

马肩隆

参考例句：

• The girl's pitiful history would wring one's withers. 这女孩子的经历令人心碎。
• "I will be there to show you," and so Mr. Withers withdrew. “我会等在那里，领你去看房间的，"威瑟斯先生这样说着，退了出去。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

26 shingle   

n.木瓦板；小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌)；v.用木瓦板盖（屋顶）；把（女子头发）剪短

参考例句：

• He scraped away the dirt,and exposed a pine shingle.他刨去泥土，下面露出一块松木瓦块。
• He hung out his grandfather's shingle.他挂出了祖父的行医招牌。

27 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

28 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

29 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

30 tacking   

（帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉

参考例句：

• He was tacking about on this daily though perilous voyage. 他在进行这种日常的、惊险的航行。
• He spent the afternoon tacking the pictures. 他花了一个下午的时间用图钉固定那些图片。

31 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。

32 shingles   

n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板

参考例句：

• Shingles are often dipped in creosote. 屋顶板常浸涂木焦油。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The roofs had shingles missing. 一些屋顶板不见了。 来自辞典例句

33 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

34 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》

35 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

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

36 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

37 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。

38 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

39 yolk   

n.蛋黄，卵黄

参考例句：

• This dish would be more delicious with some yolk powder.加点蛋黄粉，这道菜就会更好吃。
• Egg yolk serves as the emulsifying agent in salad dressing.在色拉调味时，蛋黄能作为乳化剂。

40 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。

41 firmament   

n.苍穹；最高层

参考例句：

• There are no stars in the firmament.天空没有一颗星星。
• He was rich,and a rising star in the political firmament.他十分富有，并且是政治高层一颗冉冉升起的新星。

42 trenchant   

adj.尖刻的，清晰的

参考例句：

• His speech was a powerful and trenchant attack against apartheid.他的演说是对种族隔离政策强有力的尖锐的抨击。
• His comment was trenchant and perceptive.他的评论既一针见血又鞭辟入里。

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 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

45 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

46 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

47 elixir   

n.长生不老药，万能药

参考例句：

• There is no elixir of life in the world.世界上没有长生不老药。
• Keep your mind awake and active;that's the only youth elixir.保持头脑清醒和灵活便是保持年轻的唯一灵丹妙药。

48 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

49 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

50 shuddering   

v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

51 scooped   

v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 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。

53 gumption   

n.才干

参考例句：

• With his gumption he will make a success of himself.凭他的才干，他将大有作为。
• Surely anyone with marketing gumption should be able to sell good books at any time of year.无疑，有经营头脑的人在一年的任何时节都应该能够卖掉好书。

54 casually   

adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地

参考例句：

• She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
• I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

55 corroborated   

v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的过去式 )

参考例句：

• The evidence was corroborated by two independent witnesses. 此证据由两名独立证人提供。
• Experiments have corroborated her predictions. 实验证实了她的预言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

56 hues   

色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点

参考例句：

• When the sun rose a hundred prismatic hues were reflected from it. 太阳一出，更把它映得千变万化、异彩缤纷。
• Where maple trees grow, the leaves are often several brilliant hues of red. 在枫树生长的地方，枫叶常常呈现出数种光彩夺目的红色。

57 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。