Chapter 17 ALAIS: LOSS

 Windsor Castle July 1172 Marie Helene helped me dress for dinner in the hall. I did not speak, but she saw my face, and the pain there. She was kind enough to say nothing, but laced my gown in silence. The door was always open, but this day Bijou did not try to flee as she had always done before. Her desire to explore the smells of Henry’s castle was overwhelmed by the need to stay by me. She sat on her cushion and stared up at me as I dressed. She seemed to sense my sorrow, as dogs and children can. Bijou came to me, and licked my hand, not for her comfort, but for mine. I wore cloth of gold, heavily embroidered¹, the most elaborate dress I had been given since being brought out of the nunnery. The gown had been very fine fresh from the seamstress’ hand, but Marie Helene had a talent with a needle. She had added to the sleeves in gold thread an embroidered crest², twining my father’s fleur-de-lys with the lion of Richard’s house. I looked down at those sleeves that had given me so much pleasure. I thought to wear a different dress, but I remembered Eleanor’s eyes, and how she challenged me to be the woman she had raised me to be. I swallowed my pride, and left the gown on. I remembered how proud I had been of that gown when Marie Helene first showed it to me, and how I had looked forward to wearing it. Now that joy was ashes in my mouth. Marie Helene placed the filet³ Eleanor had given me over my hair. Tonight my veil was a light gold. The fleurs-de-lys of my childhood blessed my temple where they lay on my brow, and gleamed on my finger where Eleanor’s ring winked⁴ at me in the firelight. I raised my hand and crossed myself, though I had not been at prayer. Marie Helene repeated my gesture before she followed me from the room, down into Eleanor’s hall. I did not see Richard when I came into the great hall, though I looked for him. Eleanor caught my eye and smiled, gesturing that I was to join her at the high table. If she saw the embroidery⁵ on my sleeve, she did not speak of it. “Alais, what a pretty gown. You will outshine us all.?? She met my eyes as if our earlier conversation had never happened, as if I had not stormed out of her rooms without her leave less than two hours before. Instead of stoking the fire of my anger, her calm regard gave me strength. As always, the presence of Eleanor reminded me of who I was. My courtier’s tongue loosened as it rarely did, and I spoke⁶ without thinking. “That would be impossible, Your Majesty⁷, as long as you are in the room.” I coupled those words with a pretty curtsy. Eleanor laughed and clapped, admiration⁸ in her eyes. No doubt she thought I had given in to her point of view, that I would lie back and let Richard take any lover he pleased. I, of course, knew otherwise. “Well said, Princess, well said. Come and sit by me, and tell me more of my beauty.” I sat beside her at once, and Marie Helene took a chair farther down the table, her worried gaze never leaving my face. I turned from her to the queen, wondering what I might say. I had never before spoken lies to Eleanor. In the end, I found that I could not. Between us, there had always been truth. “My father loved you.” I met the queen’s eyes to show her I was no coward. She faced my gaze, all traces of her smile gone. Eleanor watched me as I had once seen a man eye another over a shield at a tournament, gauging⁹ his opponent’s strengths, and where he might strike first. It was the first time she looked at me that way, her calculation naked and open before me. I did not flinch¹⁰ from her, as a lesser¹¹ woman might have done. However foolhardy my words had been, I meant what I said. “Your father spoke of me to you, did he? Did he tell you of my fine eyes?” “No, Your Grace. He never spoke of you. He rarely speaks at all, as you know. But once, someone else said your name, and his eyes filled with tears.” Eleanor scoffed¹², waving one hand. Her footman moved to fill the queen’s glass, and barely dodged¹³ out of the way in time to avoid having her select wine spilled across the table. “They were tears of horror, I assure you. Louis bears no love for me, nor I for him.” “I know you don’t love him,” I said. She stared at me, her gaze sharp pointed¹⁴ knives, though she smiled. “And how do you know this? Do you claim to know the secrets of the hearts of all women, or only mine?” “I do not presume to speak of secrets, Majesty. I know none. But if you had loved him, whatever came, you would never have left him.” Eleanor pushed herself back against the cushions of her chair, pinned by my words as I uttered them. “I have seen it with my own eyes, Majesty, and I do not lie. All men love you. They do not stop loving you, when you are gone.” I looked up the table, to where Henry sat eating venison, his eyes on his master of the horse, who sat beside him. “The king loves you this way,” I said, “though I think he does not know it.” “Alais,” she said, her voice low, her tone so quiet that I had to lean close to hear her. “I think you are right.” She looked down the table. Henry did not feel her gaze, but kept speaking, uninterrupted, as his master of the horse nodded, certain to do as he was bidden. “But since Henry does not know of it, his love does me little good.” Eleanor did not look at me again, nor at Henry, but sat and watched as each course came, taking nothing, smiling graciously at the server who brought each dish to her trencher, though she did not eat. I thought that the king would notice her lack of appetite, and remark upon it, but he never looked at her. It was as if, withdrawn¹⁵ behind a mask of stone, she had become a ghost in her own hall. For without her vibrant¹⁶ laughter and ready wit to draw them, the courtiers all around us turned away from her, and kept their eyes only on the king. When the meal ended, the musicians came down from their gallery to play the first dance. Richard’s lover, Margaret, came to stand among the dancers as they gathered. I watched as all the court greeted her warmly, as Richard’s friends and allies fawned¹⁷ over her. I saw clearly that all the court knew of her, and of who she was to Richard. All the court had known of Richard’s lover, but me. The courtiers rose and the king gestured with a smile for the music to start. Just then, with his men flanking him, Richard strode into the hall. My heart twisted at the sight of him. He stood, tall and fair, his red hair a lion’s mane around his shoulders, his eyes fixed¹⁸ on Henry. I stared at him, hoping that he might glance at me, but he had eyes only for the king. “My lord.” Richard’s voice was flat, but it carried well over the great hall. The musicians had sounded the first note, but at the word of their prince, the music died away. Richard bowed once, not low, and then raised his eyes to Henry on his dais. Henry’s face hardened as he looked at his son. In spite of my fury at Richard, and the sick nausea¹⁹ that came upon me as I looked at him, I felt my breath catch in my throat. “‘Your Majesty’ is the proper greeting to use when addressing your king.”
Richard’s face was like stone, and I felt his anger rising off him in waves. I saw his temper revealed to me for the first time. There were layers and layers to this man who would be my husband; it seemed that day they were to be laid out before me, one by one, that I might see them all, and know the man I was getting. “Your Majesty,” Richard said, his voice harder still. Henry’s eyes narrowed; I saw the beginnings of the legendary²⁰ Plantagenet temper in his face. All the court held their breath as they looked at father and son, facing each other in the great hall as if they both wished for a weapon. “It is also the custom to kneel before your king, especially when you come late to the king’s feast, so late that you miss the meat, and break the mirth with your arrival.” Richard did not apologize, but stood his ground. “Kneel,” Henry said. I saw Richard flinch, and I began to be afraid for him. In spite of my anger at Richard, a cooler part of my brain began to speak to me, to warn me that Henry was in earnest, and that his rage was stronger than Richard’s, and farther reaching. I remembered the fate of Thomas Becket, and I started to pray. I prayed to the Holy Mother that Richard’s pride might bend, that he might hide his fury and do as the king bade him. “My lord king.” Richard lowered himself to one knee. He did not stay down, but rose again just as quickly, his obeisance²¹ and his rise one smooth motion. “I come to ask that you honor your sworn word before God. I ask that you honor my betrothal²²” Henry started to laugh. His laughter rose and filled the hall, the stone walls throwing it back at me until it seemed that laughter was everywhere at once. I bowed my head, and looked at the king. He was not full of mirth at all; laughter was the way he chose to vent²³ his fury “Betrothal? Are there not women enough to slake²⁴ your lust²⁵? And yet you come into my hall and make demands of your liege lord?” “I demand nothing, sire. I ask only that you do as you have sworn you must.” “Must? Must?” Henry rose to his feet. Men-at-arms stepped forward from the shadows, armed not with swords but with pikes. I started to rise, to stand between Richard and the king, but Eleanor gripped my hand so hard her fingernails dug into my flesh, and her rings bit into my wrist. I kept my seat. “This is not a word one uses to God’s anointed king. I must do nothing but my will. I am king in this hall. You will never be.” “Honor my betrothal, Father. Set the date for our wedding.” “It’s the wedding night you crave²⁶, boy. And again I say, slake your lust somewhere else. For the Princess Alais is in my keeping, and she will stay in my keeping until I deem otherwise.” “She is in your power. Give her to me.” “Get out.” Henry’s voice was not the shout I expected but a deadly calm that belied²⁷ the fury on his face. “Get out of my sight, you miserable²⁸ whelp. For now I tell you this: you will never have her. Not today Not tomorrow. Not next year. Not for as long as I draw breath.” I clutched Eleanor’s hand, and turned to her, that she might stand between them, and stop this. Her face was as pale as driven snow. Father and son faced each other with such hatred²⁹ that if one had held a weapon, the other would be dead. No one in the hall moved, or even breathed, in that long moment of silence. Richard did not speak again, but turned on his heel and left the hall with his men following him. He left me there, clutching his mother’s hand. Henry looked neither right nor left, but strode from his own hall without a backward glance. He went out a side entrance, into the corridor that led to his private apartments. The courtiers did not gossip or laugh when this scene was done. They stared at one another in the deadly silence, until, one after the next, they rose from their benches or moved out from the shadows, where they had gone to get away from the prince, and from the wrath³⁰ of the king. Every one of the courtiers turned and left the hall, and the servants with them, until Eleanor and I were left alone. “Stop him,” I said. “Don’t let Henry kill him.” She smoothed my curls back from my face. “He will never kill Richard,” Eleanor said. “Not as long as I draw breath. Now let me go.” I saw then that my fingers were clinging to hers, our earlier rancor³¹ far from my mind. I forced my fingers to relax and release her. My hands were stiff with fear. Eleanor chafed³² them, drawing blood back into them. She stood and kissed me. “Fear nothing, Alais. I will go to the king. Follow me in five minutes’ time. Do you know the way?” “I will find it,” I said, meeting her gaze without flinching³³. She left me then, and I sat alone. The hall was empty but for the rats that moved under the tables, looking for scraps³⁴ now that all the court had fled. I found the king in his antechamber, in the room that led to the royal apartments where he slept. Eleanor stood facing him, and I could see no traces of his rage, as if it had never been. The king and queen stood together, a few feet apart, but close enough that they made me think of conspirators³⁵, come together to weave a plot. Henry stood still, a letter of vellum in his hand. I thanked God that the king was no longer angry as I knelt on the hard wooden floor. “You may leave us.” Henry’s voice was calm, and almost sweet. I blinked, thinking that he had ordered me from him already, when I saw a girl not much older than myself cross the room to him. She wore little, just a shift with a fur robe thrown around it, though spring had passed already into summer. Her hair was long and curly, like mine, and its blond length reached her waist. Her eyes were blue like the summer sky, and I was surprised how pretty she was. I did not think to question her presence, until I saw her kiss the king. I felt my throat close with jealousy³⁶ I tried to force my eyes from the sight, but I could not look away. The king had not kissed me that way, down by the waterside. His lips had not devoured³⁷ me as if he would drink me in. Henry caressed³⁸ her hair, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back. He stroked her backside absently, as one might stroke a horse, his eyes never leaving Eleanor’s face. “I will come to you anon,” he said. The girl left him, closing the door to his bedroom behind her. The king turned to me at once, his paramour forgotten. There was nothing of the connection between us in his eyes, as if our time together by the riverside had never been. “You come into my presence unannounced and uncalled for. What do you want, Princess?” “I come to beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.” Henry’s face smoothed to blankness. I meant to speak for Richard, to call on Henry’s kindness to me, but it seemed his son no longer interested him. “I have a missive here. Do you know what it says?” “No, my lord.” “That’s odd, Alais. Because you wrote it.” My heart stopped in my chest, and my knees gave way beneath me. Henry held the letter that had been meant for my father. He did not look away from me, and I came to myself, half kneeling on that stone floor. I would not let them stand over me in triumph. I rose slowly and faced him, trying to gather my scattered³⁹ wits, the fury in my eyes held in check but barely. I had been betrayed. My father would never read that letter. Henry saw the calm courage in my eyes, and the fire of my fury behind it. He looked into my face, seeking me out. Had Eleanor not been there, I think he would have said something more. As it was, he walked to the brazier behind him, and cast my letter into the fire. “Never write to your father again, Alais. I am your king now.” Henry stared at me for a long moment, as if waiting for me to speak. I said nothing; Eleanor stood watching us. I saw in his eyes not only his anger at me, but, beyond that, a deeper wish to go to his whore. He walked away from me, his eyes on his bedroom door. The room was silent after he left. The only sound was the crackle of burning vellum, as the last of my letter bled out in smoke and ash. “Alais,” Eleanor said, “the next time you send a message, see to it that the courier is not in my employ” I heard her words as if they had been spoken to another. She had betrayed me twice: first, by knowing of Richard’s infidelity and saying nothing, and second, by handing my treasonous letter over to the king. Had our roles been reversed, I would have burned her letter as soon as it came into my hand. The knowledge of her betrayal was a distant pain. I had lost both Richard and Eleanor in the same day, almost in the same hour. I found I could feel nothing. “I loved you.” It was my only thought. As I stood there, watching her smile at me, I could only speak the truth. Eleanor’s smile faded. “You love me still, Alais. You always will. Just as I love you.” I thought that she would leave me, but she stopped by the door to the outer hallway “I betrayed you to Henry to save Richard. Your letter distracted him, and bought me time. Richard is gone from the keep, safe from Henry’s anger. It was necessary.” I did not speak, but stared at the door the king had gone through. Behind its smooth panels, I could hear the gasps⁴⁰ of his whore as he drove her in love play. Eleanor and I stood together and listened as Henry’s whore called out his name. The sound of their motions stopped, and there was silence. Eleanor stared at me for a long moment before she turned and walked away

1 embroidered   

adj．绣花的

参考例句：

• She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
• She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。

2 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

3 filet   

n.肉片；鱼片

参考例句：

• They feasted us on filet mignon and strawberry shortcake.他们拿出鱼片和草莓松脆饼盛情款待我们。
• You cannot make filet mignon out of chopped liver.你不能从品质差的肉制造品质高的肉。

4 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》

5 embroidery   

n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品

参考例句：

• This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品，使人惊叹不已。
• This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。

6 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。

7 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

8 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

9 gauging   

n.测量[试]，测定，计量v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的现在分词 )；估计；计量；划分

参考例句：

• The method is especially attractive for gauging natural streams. 该方法对于测量天然的流注具有特殊的吸引力。 来自辞典例句
• Incommunicative as he was, some time elapsed before I had an opportunity of gauging his mind. 由于他不爱说话，我过了一些时候才有机会探测他的心灵。 来自辞典例句

10 flinch   

v.畏缩，退缩

参考例句：

• She won't flinch from speaking her mind.她不会讳言自己的想法。
• We will never flinch from difficulties.我们面对困难决不退缩。

11 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

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

12 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

13 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

16 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

17 fawned   

v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 )；巴结；讨好

参考例句：

• The dog fawned on [upon] the boy. 那条狗向那少年摇尾乞怜。 来自辞典例句
• The lion, considering him attentively, and remembering his former friend, fawned upon him. 狮子将他仔细地打量了一番，记起他就是从前的那个朋友，于是亲昵地偎在他身旁。 来自辞典例句

18 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。

19 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

20 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

21 obeisance   

n.鞠躬，敬礼

参考例句：

• He made obeisance to the king.他向国王表示臣服。
• While he was still young and strong all paid obeisance to him.他年轻力壮时所有人都对他毕恭毕敬。

22 betrothal   

n. 婚约, 订婚

参考例句：

• Their betrothal took place with great pomp and rejoicings. 他们举行了盛大而又欢乐的订婚仪式。
• "On the happy occasion of the announcement of your betrothal," he finished, bending over her hand. "在宣布你们订婚的喜庆日。" 他补充说，同时低下头来吻她的手。

23 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

24 slake   

v.解渴，使平息

参考例句：

• We had to slake ourselves with rainwater in the desert.在沙漠中我们不得不用雨水解渴。
• A menu will not satisfy your hunger,a formula will not slake your thirst.菜单不可能填饱你的肚子，一套准则也不可能消除你的饥渴。

25 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

26 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

27 belied   

v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎

参考例句：

• His bluff exterior belied a connoisseur of antiques. 他作风粗放，令人看不出他是古董鉴赏家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her smile belied her true feelings. 她的微笑掩饰了她的真实感情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

29 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

30 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

31 rancor   

n.深仇，积怨

参考例句：

• I have no rancor against him.我对他无怨无仇。
• Their rancor dated from a political dogfight between them.他们的积怨来自于他们之间在政治上的狗咬狗。

32 chafed   

v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• Her wrists chafed where the rope had been. 她的手腕上绳子勒过的地方都磨红了。
• She chafed her cold hands. 她揉搓冰冷的双手使之暖和。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

33 flinching   

v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He listened to the jeers of the crowd without flinching. 他毫不畏惧地听着群众的嘲笑。 来自辞典例句
• Without flinching he dashed into the burning house to save the children. 他毫不畏缩地冲进在燃烧的房屋中去救小孩。 来自辞典例句

34 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

35 conspirators   

n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

36 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

37 devoured   

吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。
• The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

38 caressed   

爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His fingers caressed the back of her neck. 他的手指抚摩着她的后颈。
• He caressed his wife lovingly. 他怜爱万分地抚摸着妻子。

39 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。

40 gasps   

v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• He leant against the railing, his breath coming in short gasps. 他倚着栏杆，急促地喘气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• My breaths were coming in gasps. 我急促地喘起气来。 来自《简明英汉词典》