Chapter 84

 She hadn’t moved from the position I’d left her in, but her expression had changed to puzzlement and some concern for this nut next door who flea-hopped from room to room, from glib¹ despondency to tongue-tied frustration². Safely separated by the wall, I found my cool returning. In another moment I would be able to go back in there and be as unruffled as Oscar Wilde at a tea. But as my cool came back, so did the sound of the motorboat. I barely had time to run back in with my book and point out a couple of poems she must read—“Be patient with Stevens; don’t force him; let him force you”—and make it back to my room before I heard those hard-heeled bare footsteps mounting the stairs again. And I lay awake for hours, hoping another phone call would give me that opportunity to be alone and unruffled with her. As it happened that opportunity, by my own doing, became less and less likely as the days passed and the scene at the house grew stickier, until it was finally apparent that it would only happen if I made it happen. “That chance is now at hand,” I wrote to Peters in my ledger⁶, after gnawing⁷ another slight point on the nub of the pencil, and all I need do is screw my courage to the sticking point and take that chance. But still I hesitate. Is it courage that I lack? Is that the explanation for my warner’s WATCH OUT? In these days when a man’s courage hangs between his legs and can be read like a thermometer, do I hesitate going through with my plan because simple old masculinity doubts make me afraid to risk sticking my courage to the screwing point? I don’t know, in truth I just don’t know.... And in her room with Lee’s book of poetry Viv tries to decipher the sense of vagueness that bathes her like diffused⁸ light. 498 ken⁹ kesey “I don’t understand,” she says, frowning at the page. “I just don’t understand. . . .” And down the hill from the carrier Hank steps back from the sizzling pile of burning trash to listen to the sky. Another low-flying flock is coming over. He runs to get his gun, then stops, feeling foolish. What the hell. ...There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell seeing a goose through that smoke and rain. Let alone hitting one if you saw him. And the way things had been going since that meeting with the relatives—all the hassles by day and the honking¹¹ by night—if I’d got that shotgun I might of just gone to throwing buckshot in the sky like a wild man, whether I saw anything or not. . . . The day after that meeting with the relatives Joe Ben was up bright and early getting some shells ready, because it “looked like his day for sure.” He was prying¹³ open the tops of some Super X magnums and pouring out the B-Bs and filling the shells back up with chunks¹⁴ of these pencil sinkers he’d cut up; long strips of lead about as big around as a pencil, all chopped into pieces about a fourth-inch long. I told him he was wasting his time today, as foggy as it was, but he said he might get a chance coming home tonight because the fog would be rained down by then and he figured we’d get to come home early because of all the help we’d have now that all the mill crew was gonna help out. He was right about the fog but wrong about getting done early; only about two-thirds of the crew showed up—the rest had just the most awful colds, they told me—so it was pitch-dark by the time we started back. That night a couple more phoned while we were eating to say they had fevers and couldn’t make it, and I told Joby it didn’t look like he could expect anything more than just morning hunting the next day either. He just looked up from his supper plate and shrugged¹⁷ and said it wasn’t gonna take more than morning hunting when the holy signs all lined up just right; when that time come along his old honker would be good as in the pot, he said, then leaned back over his plate and went to packing away the potatoes to fortify¹⁸ himself for the coming of that great lining-up of holy signs. (All through the meal Lee keeps sniffing¹⁹ and rubbing his eyes. Viv says they sometimes a great notion should take his temperature. He says he’s all right; this is just his way of expelling excess moisture, like a dog sweating from his nose. Before we go to bed Viv goes up and brings down the thermometer and gives it to him. He sits reading the paper with the thing stuck out of the corner of his mouth like a glass cigarette. Viv reads it and says he has about a degree, not anything fatal. ...He asks if he couldn’t have a glass of hot lemon tea, that his mother always gave him hot lemon tea when he was coming down with a cold. Viv goes and makes it. She brings it in to him and he sits by the stove in the living room sipping²⁰ the stuff, reading her some poems from that book . . .) Apparently²¹, the signs didn’t line up for Joe worth a darn the next day; it wasn’t only foggy as ever, but only about a third of the crew showed up this time. And it was worse still the next day, and the next, and Joby was about to give it all up when one night toward the end of that week there came another big blow and a lot of geese going over, and in the morning it was cold and clear enough you could look out the kitchen window and see car lights going by across the river. It was raining, but not too hard, and even in the dark you see up in the sky well enough to make out the grocery flag on the pole. “This is the morning, Hank, abso-lutely, you just wait and see if it ain’t. Everything is right; a storm, wind, lots of honking in the night, and now the mist is down. . . . Oh yeah, everything is right!” He was standing²² by the breakfast table oiling his gun, all excited (There’s something funny), while we waited for Viv to get the food on. (There’s something funny again.) “Oh you know it,” he rambled²³ on, “I bet there’s some poor old lonely lost honker out there calling for his brother geese and just needing to be put out of his misery²⁴. . . .” (I turn in my chair and look around the kitchen. Viv is at the stove. Jan is slicing ham for sandwiches. The old man is out the back door somewhere, hawking²⁵ and spitting. I cut in on Joe Ben’s ramblings: “Talkin’ about brother geese,” I say, “where’s the boy this morning?” There’s a minute nobody says anything. Something is funny. Then Joe Ben says, “Lee’ll be right along, I imagine; I hollered at him just a bit ago when I come past his room.” 500 ken kesey “He wasn’t up?” I say. “Well ...he was dressing,” Joe Ben says. “Well he’d better get to shagging it,” I say. “He’s gettin’ harder to get movin’ every morning.” “He told me,” Viv says, “that he didn’t feel too good this morning. . . .” “Now is that the truth? Joe an’ me out last night till midnight hammering on that foundation, an’ Lee don’t feel good! That’s something. . . .” Nobody says anything. Joe Ben comes and sits down and Viv comes over with the skillet. She takes the pancake turner and hikes some sausages on the plate for me. I go to eating these. It’s hot in the kitchen and the windows are all steamed shut. Joe Ben’s got his radio turned on. It’d be nice to just sit here and read the paper . . . pleasant. Lee comes into the kitchen just as I’m getting up from my plate. “Let’s move it, bub,” I tell him. He says all right and I go out to put on my boots. There’s something different happening but I don’t know what, or more there is something different going to happen and nobody knows for sure what. . . .) “Yes siree bob!” Joby said, clashed the pump of his old J. C. Higgins 12-gauge a time or two. “You know how I know it’s my day? Because I gave up coffee today, been intendin’ to a long time, Brother Walker says it’s a sin. So by gosh I quit, an’ I’m ready to get my goose.” Well, Joby was nearly right this once; it sure enough should’ve been his day to get him that honker. Everything was just as right as he said. I went outside to start the boat while Lee ate, and I saw why it was so clear. The rain and cold had sort of beat that mist down out of the sky. It was packed down on the river thick as snow and about four feet deep. I couldn’t even see the boat; I had to feel around to get it started. Lee and Joe come out and we headed out, traveling through that mist like the boat was submerged and our heads was periscopes²⁶. Joe was still beating his gums about what fat times he had ahead by now, not even about the goose he was going to get; as far as he was concerned that goose was good as in the pot, a settled issue, and he was going on to new glories. sometimes a great notion “Fat times ahead,” he was saying. “Oh yeah. Not many more trips up in this boat. What do you figure, Hank? Another day or so at Breakleg, then clean-up, and that’s her for ridin’ this boat up river in the cold and dark, you boys realize that? That one more day or so is the last of this, the last we’ll ever have to look at those stump-jungles? Few more days, then we got easy street at that state park, cuttin’ those big old easy sticks like we was tourists gatherin’ huckleberries.” I told him, “You’ll think gatherin’ huckleberries after about ten hours’ work out there twisting a screw jerk. Working that park with all the goddam restrictions²⁷ they put on us’ll be just like going back a hundred years.” “Oh yeah, but,” he said, closing one eye and holding up his finger, “but at least there won’t be no more fightin’ that donkey; you got to admit not having to fight that donkey is gonna be a gas.” “I ain’t admitting anything is gonna be a gas until I try it out. What about you, bub?” Lee turned and gave me a flimsy sort of grin and said, “Not when the only advantage seems to be the elimination²⁸ of a piece of modern machinery²⁹ ...that doesn’t sound like much of a gas. ...” “Modern?” Joe whooped³⁰. “You ain’t had to ride that monster you call a ‘modern machine,’ Lee; that outfit³¹ was wore out and old when old Henry was still a boy! You ain’t looking at the bright side. Remember, ‘I had no shoes and complained till I saw a man griping about his feet.’ ” Lee shook his head. “Joe, if I didn’t have shoes and saw a basket case, I still wouldn’t have solved my own footwear problem. . . .” “No; no, that’s so; that wouldn’t solve your problems. . . .” He thought a second, then he brightened up: “But you got to admit seeing a basket case, it would distract you from it a little bit!” Lee laughed, giving up. “Joe, you are incorrigible³², completely incorrigible. . . .” Joe said thank you to that and was so flustered³³ at being so flattered he didn’t say anything else until we got to the mill. 502 ken kesey The fog around the mill was packed just as thick as it was at the house. It was lighter³⁴ out now and we could see it better, and that mist looked more than ever like snow. I swung the boat in to about where I judged the dock to be, hoping there hadn’t been any change since I last saw the landing. Andy was standing there, alone and looking tired. He’d been standing guard at the mill every night since Evenwrite had tried to loose the booms. It’d been his idea. I’d given him a sleeping bag and a flashlight and the old eight-gauge goose cannon³⁵ Henry’d ordered once from Mexico a long time back before everything under a ten-gauge was made illegal. Hell of a gun, used a shell about the size of a beer can and you had to pass the stock under your armpit and brace³⁶ it against a tree or a rock to keep the recoil³⁷ from breaking your shoulder; I’d told Andy why I gave that gun to him instead of a 30-30 or something easier handled, was that I didn’t expect him to kill anybody defending the place, to just fire that monster in the air if there was trouble and help would come running, probably all the way from the Pentagon with the racket it made. Andy caught the rope Joe pitched him and pulled us up to the dock. I thought at first he was looking so drug account of he wasn’t getting a good night’s rest in the sleeping bag, but then I saw it was something else. He was alone. “Hey,” I said, standing up in the boat. “What’s the story? Where’s Orland and his two boys? Lard-assing in the mill there out of the wet while they leave you to hold the boat for ’em?” “No,” he said. “What’d they do? Decide to ride up with John on the truck?” “Orland an’ the others ain’t coming to work today,” he said. He stood there holding onto that rope leading down into the fog to the boat, like a big old bashful kid hold of something he can’t understand. “I’m the only one going. And...” “And...?” I waited for him to get on with it. “Orland called to say him and his boys all got the Asian flu. He said a lot of folks in town got it, Floyd Evenwrite, and Howie Evans and—” “I don’t give a shit about Floyd Evenwrite and Howie Evans,” I told him. “What about our bunch? What about Little sometimes a great notion Lou? Did he call? And Big Lou? Shit fire, Orland’s boys; now wouldn’t that frost you? And what about John? He got the sour-mash flu, I imagine, an’ can’t even drive the truck up there?” “I don’t know,” Andy said. “I just heard the phone in the mill ring and I taken the messages. Orland said—” “What about Bob? I suppose he’s got the ingrown toenails or something. . . .” “I don’t know about what he’s got. I told him we still had a lot of logs to go to make that contract, but Orland said not to expect sick people to—” “Well shit fire,” I said. “That just about makes the lot of ’em, don’t it? First it’s Big Lou, then Collins, then that damned fiddlefooted brother-in-law of Orland’s who wasn’t worth a god-dam anyhow. Now Orland and his boys. I’m goddamned but I never thought they’d fade so fast with just a little rain and hard work.” And Lee said, “The thanes fly from us,” or some such crap. And Andy said, “It ain’t just the rain and hard work, Hank. You see, there’s a lot of folks in town saying they don’t like what’s—” “I don’t give a goddam who likes what and who don’t!” I told him, louder’n I’d aimed to. “And if the folks in town think this is gonna make me short on that contract, then they take me for a whole lot more fool than I am. Next time anybody calls in how sick they are by god just tell ’em that’s all right that’s just fine, because your old Uncle Hank made a mistake keeping count an’ we’ll make it just fine with the four or five of us.” Andy looked up. “I don’t see how,” he said. “We got this whole boom to fill an’ then two more.” “One more,” Joe Ben said, giving Andy a big wink³⁸. “Folks got to get up pretty early to get a jump on us. Long time ago me and Hank started slipping logs in that slough³⁹ up behind the house at night, pulling a few at a time with the motorboat. Oh yeah, people got to get up pret-tee ear-lee!” Andy grinned, and I told him to get on in the boat. I could see he was pleased that I had that other boom hid, that we still had a chance to make our contract. Really pleased. And that got me 504 ken kesey to thinking just how many people wasn’t going to be the least bit pleased. A god-awful amount, I realized. This made me feel funny, thinking for the first time just how many there was didn’t want the contract made. I just sat there a minute, studying about it, looking out across the mist toward the anchor pilings up past the mill where the booms were snubbed. And then I got this goofy urge; it’s hard to explain, but all of a sudden I found myself wanting to see those booms again, wanting to see them so goddam much right then that I felt like I was going batty! There was a hundred and fifty or two hundred yards between us and those pilings, covered with mist like a big blanket of dirty snow. Underneath⁴⁰ that blanket was the booms, better than four months backbreaking ass⁵-bleeding labor⁴¹, millions of board feet of lumber⁴², thousands of logs out of sight under there, nudging and scraping and rubbing against each other as the river current moved past under them so they were making an actual sound above the motor and the rain...a kind of a surly, complaining murmur⁴³, like a big throng⁴⁴ of people muttering to each other. I didn’t have any real need to check them logs. I told myself that. Even if they were covered with mist I still knew them damn near by heart. I’d watched them stand as a forest when I first took a drive up to see if I wanted to make a bid, seen them all thick and green, like a big piece of green herring-bone wool. I’d watched them mown from the sky. I’d bucked⁴⁵ and chokered and yarded and loaded them. I’d heard the way the branding hammer sounded against them with a woody thock when I knocked a big crooked⁴⁶ S into the end of each log; I’d heard them rumble⁴⁷ off the truck into the water.... Still, listening to them out of sight there some way made me doubt what I knew. I wanted to grab that layer of mist by the edge and jerk it up for just a moment, like jerking a carpet up from the floor so you could see the pattern underneath. I wanted to look at them. For just a second. Like I maybe needed the sight to reassure⁴⁸ me— not that they were still there—but that they were . . . what? Still as big as I remembered? Could be. Maybe I wanted to see that they hadn’t been gradually worn and eroded⁴⁹ by the continual rubbing and grinding, down to the size of saplings and pile posts. sometimes a great notion Andy got himself settled. I shook myself to try to get shut of my foolishness and turned back to the motor. But just as I started to throttle⁵⁰ the motor Joe Ben gave a hiss⁵¹ like a snake and grabbed me by the sleeve and pointed⁵² off up river. “There, Hank, there,” he whispered. “What’d I tell you?” I looked. A lone⁴ honker, separated by the storm just like Joe’d figured, was flying dead for us. Everybody froze. We watched him come, stretching his long black neck from side to side as he searched around him, flapping along, honking over and over the same question. “Guh-luke?” he would honk¹⁰, then be still and listen a while before calling again. “Guh-luke?”... not exactly afraid, not the way I’ve heard other geese call when they were lost. Different. Almost human, the way he was asking it. “Guh-luke ...? Guh-luke ...?” It was a sound like ...I remember thinking ...a sound kind of like Joe’s little girl Squeaky made the time she come running in from the barn hollering that her special cat was in the bottom of the milk can drowned and where was everything? She wasn’t crying or carrying on, just hollering my cat got drowned where is everybody? She wouldn’t calm down till she’d gone all over the whole house and talked to everybody and seen everything. That was the same notion I got hearing that lost goose honking: that he wasn’t so much just asking where the lost flock was—he was wanting to know where the river was, and the bank, and everything hooked up with his life. Where is my world? he was wanting to know, and where the hell am I if I can’t locate it? He had lost his way and was out there flying the river, out of his head looking for it. He was trying to check around quick and get everything in its place, like Squeaky had needed to do when she’d lost her cat, and like me wanting to see them logs again. Only with me, I couldn’t figure what I thought I’d lost: no cats that I could think of, and I don’t know as I was missing a flock ...or ever even had a way. But I still knew the feeling. . . . While I was studying about this, I heard Joe whisper, “Meat in the pot,” and saw him reach down into the fog for the shotgun. (The black barrel of the gun comes up out of the mist. The goose doesn’t see us. He keeps coming.) I watched Joby run his finger down the muzzle⁵³, checking for a mud clog—an 506 ken kesey unconscious habit that anybody picks up after years of squatting⁵⁴ in a muddy duck blind. He drew in his breath...(The goose swells⁵⁵ closer to us. I move my face inside the rubber poncho⁵⁶ hood⁵⁷ to see if the kid is watching. He ain’t even turned toward the goose. He’s turned looking at my face. And he’s grinning.)...then, just as the goose comes within range, I said, “Forget it.” “What?” Joby said. His jaw⁵⁸ dropped a foot. I said again, as casual as I could, “Forget it,” and gunned the motor out into midstream. The goose veered⁵⁹ sharply overhead, making a slight whistling sound with his wings, he was so close. Poor Joe just sat there with his jaw hung open. I knew he’d be pretty disappointed—bagging a Canada honker is a pretty big deal; more buck¹² deer are killed every year in Oregon than Canada geese, because geese don’t decoy worth beans and if you set out to slip up on a flock in a field you’re in for about a three-day crawl through the mud with the wily bastards⁶⁰ always keeping just a hair out of shotgun range . . . pretty near the only chance you got is to luck onto one, and that happens about as much as lucking onto a pirate chest. So Joby had every right to be disappointed. Anybody would, if someone screwed up his first and maybe only chance for a honker. He sat there watching that big pearl-colored bird fading off into the sky till it was out of sight. Then he turned and just looked at me. “What’s the sense?” I said to him; I turned away from his look and watched the bow split the fog. “We couldn’t of located him in this crappy fog even if you did knock him down, could we now?” He still just sat there with his trap open, looking for all the world like Harpo Marx. “Well, Jesus H. Christ!” I said. “If I’d known you wanted to just kill a goose I wouldn’t of stopped you! But I thought I heard you say ‘bag’ one. If you’re just looking to kill something, maybe you’d like to go out on the jetty this weekend with the 30-06 and shoot some of the seals playing in the bay? Okay? Or dynamite⁶¹ some trout⁶² in the sloughs⁶³, maybe?” That got him. Les Gibbons used to dynamite the deep sloughs above our place and gather the fish in a boat. Once Joe and me skin-dived to the bottom of one of these holes after a sometimes a great notion blast, and there was dead trout piled up down there by the hundreds; only about one out of fifty floated up. So when I mentioned dynamiting⁶⁴ fish, that really got him. He closed his mouth and looked sheepish. “I didn’t think, Hankus,” he said. “An’ I forgot how you hate to see a animal killed an’ lost.” I didn’t say anything and he added. “Especially the way you feel about the Canada goose race. I just didn’t follow your reasoning right off. I got all in a boil seeing him. Wasn’t thinking good. I understand now.” I left it at that, with him thinking he understood a reasoning that I could barely follow myself. How could I expect him to understand that my feeling toward the goose as a race was doing a slow but sure turnover—what with squadron after squadron of the bastards ruining my sleep—and that it was this one particular lost goose that I didn’t want shot because he sounded like he was asking Where is everything? Where is everything? ...how the hell could I expect poor rattleheaded Joby to understand that? In town the arrival of the Asian flu only served to bring the citizens more tightly together in their campaign: “Another cross to bear but if we just all stick together in the fight any cross comes along will surely be bearable.” Snuffling and coughing, they continued to stick together. Eyes rimmed⁶⁵ with misery and backs bent⁶⁶ beneath a whole truckload of crosses, they trudged⁶⁷ to front doors of Stampers living in town and reminded wives to tell their husbands to let Hank Stamper know what folks thought about him trying to set himself up against friends and neighbors, against his very home town! “No man is a island, honey,” they reminded the wives; and the wives told the husbands, “No woman is going to stand for this sort of injustice⁶⁸, I don’t care if you do lose your Exmas bonus!” and the husbands phoned the house up the river to say the Asian flu made it impossible to come to work. And when all the Stamper wives had laid down the law, and all Stamper husbands in town had contracted the flu, then the citizens carried the battle to the enemy himself. “No sir, no man is a goddam island,” they let Hank know on the phone, 508 ken kesey “not you nor nobody!”—all hours of the night. Viv stopped answering the phone during the day (she had already stopped going into Wakonda to shop, and was even experiencing chilly⁶⁹ stares when she went as far away as Florence); she even asked if they might not have their phone disconnected. Hank only grinned and replied, “What for? So’s all my friends and neighbors can say, ‘Stamper has had to shut his phone off; we must be getting to him’? Kitten, we don’t want to get our good friends an’ neighbors all het up over nothing, do we?” He had acted so amused and nonchalant about the whole business that Viv couldn’t help wondering if he actually meant it. Nothing seemed to get to him. He seemed more impervious⁷⁰ than ever, even to that flu bug⁷¹; he snuffled a little bit, naturally (he always snuffled a little bit, though, because of his broken nose), and sometimes he came home sounding hoarse⁷² (from hollering at the rest of the sick slackers, he told her in a joking boast), but he obviously wasn’t nearly as ill as the others. Everybody else in the house, from the baby all the way to the old man, was having stomach aches and lung congestion⁷³. Nothing serious—Lee got better and worse; Joe Ben took three aspirins when his sinuses hurt him, then swore off artificial medicines as soon as the headache let up enough for him to remember his church’s doctrine⁷⁴ of faith-healing; Jan spent a night vomiting⁷⁵ out the window to the dogs below...nothing serious, but everybody had been bitten deep enough by the bug going around to show a few symptoms. Not Hank. Hank just kept chugging along day after day without signs of a let-up. Like a machine. She couldn’t help wondering sometimes whether he was made out of flesh and blood and bones, like the rest of them, or out of workboot leather and Diesel⁷⁶ fuel, and blackjack oak dipped in creosote. Viv wondered at Hank’s uncanny strength; the old man bragged⁷⁷ about it every chance he had to get to town; even Lee had occasion to doubt the existence of the weakness that he was dedicated⁷⁸ to prove, to his brother and himself: A further possibility, Peters, is that I may be holding back my Sunday punch because I am afraid that Hank will not be fazed by it. Thus far my belief in the iron man’s vulnerability is based only sometimes a great notion on a few uncertain glimpses of rust³ spots. What if these spots are the whole of his weakness? What if I had been wrong in my whole precept⁷⁹ and he actually turns out to be invulnerable? It would be like working for years developing as ultimate a weapon as one could conceive, only to find that the target was completely unscathed by it. Such a prospect⁸⁰ might give a fellow pause, don’t you think? In fact, it was Joe Ben, whose faith in Hank’s invulnerability had been a long-time joke, who was the first to glimpse for certain those spots of rust. He saw these spots in the way Hank brooded over his supper coffee, in the sharp way he spoke⁸¹ to Viv or the kids, in a dozen places. Joe tried to avert⁸³ his gaze, and most of the time managed to smother⁸⁴ his misgivings⁸⁵ under surges of enthusiasm, but it was these same surges that began to gradually reveal to Hank the very misgivings Joe was trying to smother. They were all tired and edgy⁸⁶ with overwork. By the end of that week there were only five left working: Hank and Joe, Andy, Lee, and, surprisingly, John. John was the only outsider relative left (Andy was never considered with the “outsider folks”; while he was a more distant relation than most, his absence from the job would have surprised everyone as much as Joe Ben’s would have), and Joe could see that John was beginning to get the itch¹⁵ to join the other defectors. The five of them had worked doggedly⁸⁷ all that day, falling and cleaning up the few logs still standing in their spread, until they were numb⁸⁸ with cold and fatigue⁸⁹. They had finished all the cutting and hauling; nothing was left but the clearing required by the Forest Service. Not the sort of work for a trucker, Joe knew, but he knew as well that Hank needed the help of everyone, including John. They were all standing near Hank at the spar tree, looking out across the slopes they had cut. It was already growing dark, the night drifting down with the rain. John made a circle to check his load, then mounted to the cab and waited. Joe watched Hank draw at the cigarette angling out of the corner of his mouth. “Take us most of tomorrow to doze⁸² the place clean and set 510 ken kesey the slash⁹⁰ to burning,” Hank said. One eye was squinted⁹¹ against the cigarette’s looping smoke. “We’d of got to it today if we’d had one other man helpin’. That means we’re gonna be short a day an’ maybe have to work this weekend.” Joe watched the others. “Andy, you make it this weekend?” Hank asked while he continued to look down the slope. “I know that’ll be twelve days straight for you, without a let-up, but whatcha say?” The boy was leaning against the muddy side of the carrier, stubbing out a hole in the ground with the toe of his boot. He lifted a shoulder in a shrug¹⁶ and said without looking up, “I can make it.” “Good goin’.” Hank turned toward the log truck, where John sat looking straight ahead through the clicking wipers on the windshield. The smoke of John’s cigar rolled from the open window and up to mix with the flutter of exhaust. He was waiting for Hank to repeat his question. When Hank only looked at him he began to fidget with the choke knob, then finally blurted⁹² out, “Hank, look here: you don’t need me up here tomorrow for burnin’ slash. And I hate to chance the rig on this road more’n I have to, the way the bedrock’s washing loose.” The motor of the truck idled; a sleepy, restful sound; smoke rose from the stack to blend with the rain and oncoming night. Hank continued to watch John narrowly until he went on. “Blast it ...the way I see it you boys’ll be falling direct to the river at this state-park deal, without much use for a trucker.” He licked his lips. “So the way I see it . . . Thanksgiving on its way and all . . .” Hank waited until the man’s voice trailed to a stop. “Okay, John,” he said evenly. “I reckon we can get by. You go ahead an’ tie one on.” John was stung by this for a moment, then nodded and reached for the gear. “I might do just that.” Joe Ben climbed into the carrier and started the motor, wondering at Hank’s noncommittal acceptance of John’s desertion. Why hadn’t he pushed John more? They needed every man they could get, and Hank could have put a lot more squeeze on than that ...how come he didn’t? On the drive back down Joe opened his mouth sometimes a great notion a number of times to ask something about it, something funny to take the gloom off, but always stopped when he realized he couldn’t think of a funny thing at all. After supper Viv wanted to phone Orland and his family to ask how they felt. From behind his newspaper Hank said, “I guess not, Viv. I guess we’ll find out in good time.” “But I think we should find out now, Hank, in case . . .” “I don’t believe we better call,” he said. “That Asia flu is damned contagious⁹³; we wouldn’t want to pick up somethin’ over the phone from Orland.” He gave a short laugh and went back to his paper. Viv wasn’t ready to drop it. “Hank. Honey, we should know. There’s the kids, and Janice. And Lee had that temperature last night and tonight he had to lie right down after supper, so I know he doesn’t feel so good—” “Lee still doesn’t feel so good, huh? Along with Orland? And Big and Little Lou and the rest? Doggone, sounds like a epidemic⁹⁴.” She ignored his sarcasm⁹⁵. “And I think we should find out from Olivia what the symptoms are.” Joe was on the couch, helping⁹⁶ Jan get the kids in pajamas⁹⁷. He watched Hank put down the paper. “You want to know what the symptoms are? Hell, I can tell you what they are: the symptoms are clear as glass. First, see, it rains. Then it gets a little chilly. Then it gets muddy and tough goin’ on the hills. Then one morning you get to thinking how much nicer it’d be layin’ in bed all day with your finger up your ass instead of goin’ out in the goddam woods workin’ yourself punchy! Those are the symptoms, if you want to know. In Orland’s case I got a notion there’s probably some special complications, like living next door to Floyd Evenwrite, but as far as just the usual symptoms go, you can’t miss ’em.” “What about a temperature? Don’t you think a three-degree fever means something?” He laughed and picked up the paper again. “What I think don’t means beans, so we’ll just leave that out. I mean I could think all sorts of stuff; in the Marines I used to think maybe the guys who got put on sick call by rubbin’ a thermometer on their 512 ken kesey pant leg wasn’t so sick as they’d like you to believe, but I couldn’t be sure of that. So let’s just forget what I think and I’ll tell you what I know. I know we ain’t calling Orland; I know I’m going up to the bedroom to finish the paper if you think I can make it without catching⁹⁸ something in the drafty hall; and then I know—shit, never mind.” He rolled his paper into a tight club and started for the door; at the stairwell he stopped and turned and pointed it back at the table.

1 glib   

adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的

参考例句：

• His glib talk sounds as sweet as a song.他说的比唱的还好听。
• The fellow has a very glib tongue.这家伙嘴油得很。

2 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。

3 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

4 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

5 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。

6 ledger   

n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿

参考例句：

• The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。
• She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。

7 gnawing   

a.痛苦的，折磨人的

参考例句：

• The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
• These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。

8 diffused   

散布的，普及的，扩散的

参考例句：

• A drop of milk diffused in the water. 一滴牛奶在水中扩散开来。
• Gases and liquids diffused. 气体和液体慢慢混合了。

9 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

10 honk   

n.雁叫声，汽车喇叭声

参考例句：

• Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭！
• While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。

11 honking   

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

参考例句：

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

12 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

13 prying   

adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开

参考例句：

• I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活！
• She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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？

15 itch   

n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望

参考例句：

• Shylock has an itch for money.夏洛克渴望发财。
• He had an itch on his back.他背部发痒。

16 shrug   

v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)

参考例句：

• With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
• I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

17 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》

18 fortify   

v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化

参考例句：

• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
• This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。

19 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》

20 sipping   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
• She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

21 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

22 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。

23 rambled   

（无目的地）漫游( ramble的过去式和过去分词 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论

参考例句：

• We rambled through the woods. 我们漫步走过树林。
• She rambled on at great length but she didn't get to the heart of the matter. 她夹七夹八地说了许多话也没说到点子上。

24 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。

25 hawking   

利用鹰行猎

参考例句：

• He is hawking his goods everywhere. 他在到处兜售他的货物。
• We obtain the event horizon and the Hawking spectrumformula. 得到了黑洞的局部事件视界位置和Hawking温度以及Klein—Gordon粒子的Hawking辐射谱。

26 periscopes   

n.潜望镜( periscope的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Periscopes at various heights and apparatus of visual relationship between the departed and the living souls. 借助不同高度和方位的潜望镜，人们可以看到逝去与活着的灵魂之间的视觉关系。 来自互联网

27 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

28 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

29 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。

30 whooped   

叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 )； 高声说； 唤起

参考例句：

• The bill whooped through both houses. 此提案在一片支持的欢呼声中由两院匆匆通过。
• The captive was whooped and jeered. 俘虏被叱责讥笑。

31 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。

32 incorrigible   

adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的

参考例句：

• Because he was an incorrigible criminal,he was sentenced to life imprisonment.他是一个死不悔改的罪犯，因此被判终生监禁。
• Gamblers are incorrigible optimists.嗜赌的人是死不悔改的乐天派。

33 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

34 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。

35 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

36 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

37 recoil   

vi.退却，退缩，畏缩

参考例句：

• Most people would recoil at the sight of the snake.许多人看见蛇都会向后退缩。
• Revenge may recoil upon the person who takes it.报复者常会受到报应。

38 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。

39 slough   

v.蜕皮，脱落，抛弃

参考例句：

• He was not able to slough off the memories of the past.他无法忘记过去。
• A cicada throws its slough.蝉是要蜕皮的。

40 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。

41 labor   

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

参考例句：

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

42 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

43 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

44 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

45 bucked   

adj.快v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• When he tried to ride the horse, it bucked wildly. 当他试图骑上这匹马时，它突然狂暴地跃了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The plane bucked a strong head wind. 飞机顶着强烈的逆风飞行。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

46 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

47 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

48 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

49 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

50 throttle   

n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压

参考例句：

• These government restrictions are going to throttle our trade.这些政府的限制将要扼杀我们的贸易。
• High tariffs throttle trade between countries.高的关税抑制了国与国之间的贸易。

51 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。

52 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。

53 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

54 squatting   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
• They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

55 swells   

增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The waters were heaving up in great swells. 河水正在急剧上升。
• A barrel swells in the middle. 水桶中部隆起。

56 poncho   

n.斗篷，雨衣

参考例句：

• He yawned and curled his body down farther beneath the poncho.他打了个呵欠，把身子再蜷拢点儿，往雨披里缩了缩。
• The poncho is made of nylon.这雨披是用尼龙制造的。

57 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

58 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

59 veered   

v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转

参考例句：

• The bus veered onto the wrong side of the road. 公共汽车突然驶入了逆行道。
• The truck veered off the road and crashed into a tree. 卡车突然驶离公路撞上了一棵树。 来自《简明英汉词典》

60 bastards   

私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙

参考例句：

• Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的，不顾大局！ 来自子夜部分
• Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分

61 dynamite   

n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)

参考例句：

• The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
• The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

62 trout   

n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)

参考例句：

• Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
• We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。

63 sloughs   

n.沼泽( slough的名词复数 )；苦难的深渊；难以改变的不良心情；斯劳(Slough)v.使蜕下或脱落( slough的第三人称单数 )；舍弃；除掉；摒弃

参考例句：

• Later, the frozen tissue dies, sloughs off and passes out with the urine. 不久，冷冻的组织会死亡，脱落并随尿排出。 来自辞典例句
• Every spring this snake sloughs off its old skin. 每年春天，蛇蜕去皮。 来自互联网

64 dynamiting   

v.（尤指用于采矿的）甘油炸药( dynamite的现在分词 )；会引起轰动的人[事物]；增重

参考例句：

• Somebody wildly suggested dynamiting it. 有人竟然轻率地主张炸开它。 来自辞典例句
• Hidden boulders have been removed by dynamiting. 暗礁都用炸药炸掉了。 来自辞典例句

65 rimmed   

adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边

参考例句：

• Gold rimmed spectacles bit deep into the bridge of his nose. 金边眼镜深深嵌入他的鼻梁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Trees rimmed the pool. 水池的四周树木环绕。 来自《简明英汉词典》

66 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。

67 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

68 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

69 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

70 impervious   

adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的

参考例句：

• He was completely impervious to criticism.他对批评毫不在乎。
• This material is impervious to gases and liquids.气体和液体都透不过这种物质。

71 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。

72 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

73 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

74 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

75 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

76 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。

77 bragged   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He bragged to his friends about the crime. 他向朋友炫耀他的罪行。
• Mary bragged that she could run faster than Jack. 玛丽夸口说她比杰克跑得快。 来自《简明英汉词典》

78 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

79 precept   

n.戒律；格言

参考例句：

• It occurs to me that example is always more efficacious than precept.我想到身教重于言教。
• The son had well profited by the precept and example of the father.老太爷的言传身教早已使他儿子获益无穷。

80 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

81 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。

82 doze   

v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐

参考例句：

• He likes to have a doze after lunch.他喜欢午饭后打个盹。
• While the adults doze,the young play.大人们在打瞌睡，而孩子们在玩耍。

83 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

84 smother   

vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息

参考例句：

• They tried to smother the flames with a damp blanket.他们试图用一条湿毯子去灭火。
• We tried to smother our laughter.我们强忍住笑。

85 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

86 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

87 doggedly   

adv.顽强地，固执地

参考例句：

• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
• He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

88 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

89 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

90 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

91 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。

92 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

93 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

94 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

95 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。

96 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

97 pajamas   

n.睡衣裤

参考例句：

• At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。
• He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。

98 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。