Part 2 In The Breton Land Chapter 6

One day Sylvestre was summoned before the officer of his company; andthey told him he was among those ordered out to China--in the squadronfor Formosa. He had been pretty well expecting it for some time, as hehad heard those who read the papers say that out there the war seemednever-ending.

　　And because of the urgency of the departure, he was informed at thesame time that he would not be able to have the customary leave forhis home farewells; in five days' time he would have to pack up and beoff.

　　Then a bitter pain came over him; though charmed at the idea of far-off travels amid the unknown and of the war. There also was agony atthe thought of leaving all he knew and loved, with the vagueapprehension that he might never more return.

　　A thousand noises rang in his head. Around was the bustle¹ of thebarrack-rooms, where hundreds of others were called up, like himself,chosen for the Chinese squadron. And rapidly he wrote to his oldgrandmother, with a stump² of pencil, crouching³ on the floor, alone inhis own feverish⁴ dream, though in the thick of the continual hurry andhubbub amidst all the young sailors hurried away like himself.

1 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

2 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

3 crouching   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影
• A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

4 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。