Chapter 61

“Or after—” “Oh no, I mean right after The Dream! And let me tell you. You want to hear something make your hair stand up on end? As soon, the very instant I took them vows¹, the very instant I took them vows and drunk that water diluted² right from the River Jordan, you know what taken place? You know what?” I laughed and told him I would be afraid to guess. “Jan, she got pregnant with our firstborn is just exactly what!” “That’s so. I did. Right after.” “Right after,” he emphasized. “Incredible,” I marveled. “It’s hard to imagine an elixir³ of such potency⁴. She became pregnant the moment after you drank the diluted water?” “Yes sir! The very instant.” “I’d have given something to witness that event.” “Oh, man, the Strength of the Lord is a Caution.” Joe shook his head respectfully. “Like Brother Walker tell us, ‘God is a Highballer in Heaven.’ A highballer, see, is a old loggin’ term for a guy who did about twice as much as others. ‘A Highballer in Heaven with a Lowballer in Hell!’ That’s the kind of talk Brother Walker uses, Leland; he doesn’t come on with a lot of this highhanded crap other preachers talk. He lays ’em right on the line!” “That’s so. Right on the line.” The pale daylight moon darts⁵ along through the trees, keeping them in sight. That drivel about men being affected⁶ by the full moon—wolfbane and so on—is nonsense, complete nonsense... Joe and his wife continued talking about their church all the way in to Wakonda. I had planned to beg off attending the services by developing a sudden headache, but Joe’s enthusiasm was such that I couldn’t disappoint him and was compelled to accompany him to the carnival⁷ grounds, where a huge two-masted maroon⁸ tent housed his version of God. We were early. The folding chairs placed in neat rows about the bright woodshaving-strewn interior of the tent were only partly filled with long-jowled fishermen or loggers, haunted by their own dreams of windy death. Joe and Jan insisted on taking their usual seats in the front row. “Where Brother Walker really gets his teeth into you, Leland; c’mon.” But I declined, saying I would feel conspicuous⁹. “And, as I am a newcomer in the Lord’s tent, Joe, I think it might be best to try my first sample of this potent¹⁰ new faith from the back row, out of reach of the good brother’s molars, all right?” And from this vantage point I was able to slip up the aisle¹¹ a few minutes after services jumped off, without disturbing the worship of the red-faced believers or the rock-and-roll catechism that Brother Walker’s blind wife was whanging out on her electric steel guitar. I got out of that tent just in time. Complete and utter nonsense. Those other times when the moon happened to be full, nothing but coincidences; coincidence and nothing more. I say just in time because when I got outside I found a weird¹² and whirly feeling sifting¹³ down on me from the thumb-smudged sky, a giddy and giggly¹⁴ sensation foaming¹⁵ up out of the cracked earth. Then it finally dawned on me: Nitwit, you have a pot hangover is all. The “aftergrass,” Peters called it. Residual¹⁶ high that occasionally comes on about noon the day after blowing up too much of the Mexican laughing grass the night before. Nothing very dire¹⁷. Compared to the living death of an alcohol hangover, this day-after high is a small price to pay for a night-before kick. There’s no sickness; no headache; none of the baked tongue or bowled eyeballs that alcohol leaves one with—only a minor¹⁸ euphoria, and a dreamy, air-walking, time-stretching state that is often very pleasant. But it can tend to make the world appear a little goofy, and if one is in a goofy situation anyway—like a rhythm-and-blues church—it can tend to make it a lot goofier. So I say just in time because when the high first started to come on—to the tune¹⁹ of “Onward²⁰ Christian²¹ Soldiers” played dance-time on a steel guitar as Brother Walker screamed for converts to stand and seek their salvation—I didn’t relate it to being high the night before and, for a few maddening moments, teetered on the verge²² of trooping forth²³ up that sawdust path to metaphysical glory. In the lot outside I scribbled²⁴ a note to Joe and placed it beneath the wiper blade on the pick-up, asking that he forgive my early departure, saying I would have stayed but that “even from the back row I felt the power of Brother Walker’s bite; such holiness must be taken at first in small doses.” He sees the moon again, reflected in the pick-up window: You don’t scare me. Not a bit of it. In fact, I’m in better shape than during your quarter or half . . . (“Here’s as good a place to start as any.” Hank stopped the pick-up and pointed²⁵ to a yard already choked with twilight²⁶. “Just knock an’ say ‘Trick or treat’ is all there is to it, bub ...head out.”)...because the chips are falling my way for the first time in my life . . . I struck out for town, which seemed to lie hundreds of miles to the north across a vacant lot. Banking²⁷ slightly to the leeward²⁸, I turned on an impulse from Alagahea Street down the long broken backbone²⁹ of Swede Row, trip-tapping along the old wooden-vertebrae sidewalk, running my knuckles³⁰ along the bleached³¹ picket³² ribs³³ of the Scandinavian yards. He keeps watch on it following ominously³⁴ behind the maple³⁵ trees....(The child lifted his mask and stared at the house. “But we’re at Swede Row, Hank! This is Swede Row!”) He sees it slide behind clouds.... Christian Soldiers still marched Onward across the scattered³⁶ wood shavings of my tented skull³⁷, but from the heathen Nordic yards skinny blond children with knees like doorknobs peered out at me from behind godless Viking masks. “Look the man. Hey, watcha scared of? Hey hey hey!” Hell with you and your macaroons and wolfbane. I’m in good shape; for the first time in my life the faint odor of distant victory blows my direction (Hank laughed. “A Swede ain’t no different from any other nigger. Now get on; there’s some other kids from your class goin’.”); so how can you expect me to be coerced³⁸ by a noon moon, and such a sallow one at that? I stepped up my dreamy pace, eager to put behind me the noise, the hubbub³⁹, the midway of bones and the whole Valhalla carnival, eager to get across town to the long, withdrawing roar of bracing⁴⁰ salt sea, where Viv would be waiting with open arms and closed eyes. Lee’s steps fall faster and faster until he is near to running and his breath coming fast. (The boy stood at the gate and looked into the murky⁴¹, weed-lurking yard. At the very next house a Mickey Mouse and a masked cowboy no older than himself held forth sacks for the blackmailed⁴² booty. If they could do it, surely he could. He wasn’t scared of the dark yard, not really, like he let Hank think, or of what he might find behind the door—just some old fat Swede fishwife. No, he wasn’t really scared of Swede Row ...but his hand wouldn’t lift the gate’s hand-carved latch⁴³.) The scene in town was as chaotic⁴⁴ as the outskirts⁴⁵. A fever-cheeked real-estate man soaping his windows winked⁴⁶ at me over a bar of Dial and hoped I was enjoying my stay, and a moth-eaten yellow rag of a tomcat tried to entice⁴⁷ me into the alley⁴⁸ to view his collection of dirty pictures. Boney Stokes stalked his shadow out of the barbershop and into the bar, where he bought it a drink. Grissom frowned at my approach—“Here come that Stamper kid to read my books for nothing”—and frowned when I walked on past—“So! My books is not good enough for his educated tastes!”—and a miniature rubber-faced werewolf leaned against the doorjamb, passing the time with a yo-yo while he waited for dark. The sun is cold though very bright and sharp; the chrome ornaments⁴⁹ on the cars stand out in glistening⁵⁰ relief; atop the telephone poles the insulators⁵¹ gleam with brilliant emerald luminance of their own ...but Lee walks with his eyes strained wide as though through a dark night (Finally the boy managed to get through the gate and across the yard, only to stop once more at the door. Fear paralyzed his fingers again, but this time he knew that the thing he feared lay not in back of that door, but behind him! back across that yard! waiting in the pick-up! Without thinking another second, he jumped from the porch and ran. “Bub, hold it. Where—?” Around the corner of the house. “Bub! Bub! Wait; it’s okay!” Into the tall weeds, where he hid until Hank was past. “Lee! Lee-land, where you at?” Then jumped up and ran again, and ran and ran and ran) and already feels an evening chill in the afternoon wind. Once more I accelerated my pace and when I glanced back over my shoulder I saw I had given the Christian Army the slip and ditched the Vikings and the real-estate man; the yellow tom still followed me, but his devil-may-care look of lascivious⁵² determination was beginning to tire. I turned from Main down Ocean Way, all but running, and was just complimenting myself on a clean getaway from all my demons⁵³ when a machine swerved⁵⁴ to halt on the roadbank, scratching gravel⁵⁵ beside me like an amorous⁵⁶ dragon. “Hey, dad, we give you a lift somewhere?” From a whiskerless face too young to buy beer glinted a pair of onyx eyes old before the Black Plague hit Europe. “We’re makin’ the A and W, hey, dad. We’ll take you that far. Climb aboard.” The molded white front door swung open to reveal a band sinister⁵⁷ enough to make the masked Viking look like a merit-badge contender and the werewolf seem a whimpering old Dog Tray. A crew twice as frightening because they wore no masks or costumes.

1 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

2 diluted   

无力的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The paint can be diluted with water to make a lighter shade. 这颜料可用水稀释以使色度淡一些。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields. 这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

3 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。

4 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

5 darts   

n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

8 maroon   

v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的

参考例句：

• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
• Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。

9 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

10 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

11 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

12 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

13 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

14 giggly   

adj.傻笑的，吃吃笑的

参考例句：

• She wasn't so giggly anymore and she had never looked better. 她不再傻笑，而且看上去比以前更加完美。 来自互联网
• Another one is Giggly. example, I sometimes get giggly when I watch a funny movie. 下一个是“傻笑”，例如，当我看笑片的时候，我有时会傻笑。 来自互联网

15 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 residual   

adj.复播复映追加时间；存留下来的，剩余的

参考例句：

• There are still a few residual problems with the computer program.电脑程序还有一些残留问题。
• The resulting residual chromatism is known as secondary spectrum.所得到的剩余色差叫做二次光谱。

17 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

18 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

19 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

20 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

21 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

22 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

23 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

24 scribbled   

v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• She scribbled his phone number on a scrap of paper. 她把他的电话号码匆匆写在一张小纸片上。
• He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving. 临行前，他给妹妹草草写了一封短信。

25 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

26 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

27 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

28 leeward   

adj.背风的；下风的

参考例句：

• The trees all listed to leeward.树木统统向下风方向倾。
• We steered a course to leeward.我们向下风航驶。

29 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

30 knuckles   

n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝

参考例句：

• He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘，握得指关节都变白了。
• Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 bleached   

漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的

参考例句：

• His hair was bleached by the sun . 他的头发被太阳晒得发白。
• The sun has bleached her yellow skirt. 阳光把她的黄裙子晒得褪色了。

32 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

33 ribs   

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

参考例句：

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

34 ominously   

adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地

参考例句：

• 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》
• Mammy shook her head ominously. 嬷嬷不祥地摇着头。 来自飘（部分）

35 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

36 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

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

37 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。

38 coerced   

v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 hubbub   

n.嘈杂；骚乱

参考例句：

• The hubbub of voices drowned out the host's voice.嘈杂的声音淹没了主人的声音。
• He concentrated on the work in hand,and the hubbub outside the room simply flowed over him.他埋头于手头的工作，室外的吵闹声他简直象没有听见一般。

40 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

41 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

42 blackmailed   

胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He was blackmailed by an enemy agent (into passing on state secrets). 敌特威胁他（要他交出国家机密）。
• The strikers refused to be blackmailed into returning to work. 罢工者拒绝了要挟复工的条件。

43 latch   

n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁

参考例句：

• She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。
• The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。

44 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

45 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

46 winked   

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

参考例句：

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

47 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

48 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

49 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

50 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》

51 insulators   

绝缘、隔热或隔音等的物质或装置( insulator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There is no sharp line separating conductors from insulators. 实际上并没有一个明显的界限将半导体和绝缘体分开。
• To reduce heat losses the pipes are covered by thermal insulators. 为了减少热散失，管子外包保温层。

52 lascivious   

adj.淫荡的，好色的

参考例句：

• I was there to protect her from the importunities of lascivious men.我在那里保护她,不受那些好色男子的纠缠不休。
• In his old age Cato became lascivious and misconducted himself with a woman slave.到了晚年,卡托沉溺于女色,跟一个女奴私通。

53 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

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

54 swerved   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯，以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
• The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅，司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

55 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

56 amorous   

adj.多情的；有关爱情的

参考例句：

• They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去，以目传情。
• She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。

57 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。