RACHEL

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013
MORNING
I’m not really sure what to do, so I just ring thedoorbell. I wonder whether I should have called first.
It’s not polite to turn up early on a Sunday morningwithout calling, is it? I start to giggle¹. I feel slightlyhysterical. I don’t really know what I’m doing.
No one comes to the door. The hysterical² feelinggrows as I walk round the side of the house, downthe little passageway. I have the strongest feeling ofdéjà vu. That morning, when I came to the house,when I took the little girl. I never meant her anyharm. I’m sure of that now.
I can hear her chattering³ as I make my way alongthe path in the cool shadow of the house, and Iwonder whether I’m imagining things. But no, thereshe is, and Anna, too, sitting on the patio⁴. I call outto her and hoist⁵ myself over the fence. She looks atme. I expect shock, or anger, but she barely evenlooks surprised.
“Hello, Rachel,” she says. She gets to her feet,taking her child by the hand, drawing her to herside. She looks at me, unsmiling, calm. Her eyes arered, her face pale, scrubbed, devoid⁶ of makeup⁷.
“What do you want?” she asks.
“I rang the doorbell,” I tell her.
“I didn’t hear it,” she says, hoisting⁸ the child uponto her hip⁹. She half turns away from me, asthough she’s about to go into the house, but thenshe just stops. I don’t understand why she’s notyelling at me.
“Where’s Tom, Anna?”
“He went out. Army boys get-together¹⁰.”
“We need to go, Anna,” I say, and she starts tolaugh.

1 giggle   

n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说

参考例句：

• Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
• All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。

2 hysterical   

adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的

参考例句：

• He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
• His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。

3 chattering   

n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
• I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。

4 patio   

n.庭院，平台

参考例句：

• Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there,I thought.我又忽然想到家里漂亮的院子，我能够在这里宁静地呆会。
• They had a barbecue on their patio on Sunday.星期天他们在院子里进行烧烤。

5 hoist   

n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起

参考例句：

• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
• Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！

6 devoid   

adj.全无的，缺乏的

参考例句：

• He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
• The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。

7 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

8 hoisting   

起重，提升

参考例句：

• The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆（格状抱杆、转盘抱杆）的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句
• We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。

9 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

10 get-together   

n.(使)聚集；(使)集合

参考例句：

• Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯，黄小姐，我们打算大家小聚一番。
• Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作？