Part 3 In The Shadow Chapter 4

The trooper continued its course through the Indian Ocean. Down belowin the floating hospital other death-scenes went on. On deck there wascarelessness of health and youth. Round about, over the sea, was avery feast of pure sun and air.

　　In this fine trade-wind weather, the sailors, stretched in the shadeof the sails, were playing with little pet parrots and making them runraces. In this Singapore, which they had just left, the sailors buyall kinds of tame animals. They had all chosen baby parrots, withchildish looks upon their hooknose faces; they had no tails yet; theywere green, of a wonderful shade. As they went running over the cleanwhite planks¹, they looked like fresh young leaves, fallen fromtropical trees.

　　Sometimes the sailors gathered them all together in one lot, when theyinspected one another funnily; twisting about their throats, to beseen under all aspects. They comically waddled² about like so many lamepeople, or suddenly started off in a great hurry for some unknowndestination; and some fell down in their excitement. And there weremonkeys, learning tricks of all kinds, another source of amusement.

　　Some were most tenderly loved and even kissed extravagantly³, as theynestled against the callous⁴ bosoms⁵ of their masters, gazing fondly atthem with womanish eyes, half-grotesque and half-touching.

　　Upon the stroke of three o'clock, the quartermasters brought on decktwo canvas bags, sealed with huge red seals, bearing Sylvestre's name;for by order of the regulations in regard to the dead, all his clothesand personal worldly belongings⁶ were to be sold by auction⁷. Thesailors gaily⁸ grouped themselves around the pile; for, on board ahospital ship, too many of these sales of effects are seen to exciteany particular emotion. Besides, Sylvestre had been but little knownupon that ship.

　　His jackets and shirts and blue-striped jerseys⁹ were fingered andturned over and then bought up at different prices, the buyers forcingthe bidding just to amuse themselves.

　　Then came the turn of the small treasure-box, which was sold for fiftysous. The letters and military medal had been taken out of it, to besent back to the family; but not the book of songs and the work ofConfucious, with the needles, cotton, and buttons, and all the pettyrequisites placed there by the forethought of Granny Moan for sewingand mending.

　　Then the quartermaster who held up the things to be sold drew out twosmall buddhas¹⁰, taken in some pagoda¹¹ to give to Gaud, and so funny werethey that they were greeted with a general burst of laughter, whenthey appeared as the last lot. But the sailors laughed, not for wantof heart, but only through thoughtlessness.

　　To conclude, the bags were sold, and the buyer immediately struck outthe name on them to substitute his own.

　　A careful sweep of the broom was afterward¹² given to clear thescrupulously clean deck of the dust and odds¹³ and ends, while thesailors returned merrily to play with their parrots and monkeys.

1 planks   

（厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点

参考例句：

• The house was built solidly of rough wooden planks. 这房子是用粗木板牢固地建造的。
• We sawed the log into planks. 我们把木头锯成了木板。

2 waddled   

v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A family of ducks waddled along the river bank. 一群鸭子沿河岸摇摇摆摆地走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The stout old man waddled across the road. 那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 extravagantly   

adv.挥霍无度地

参考例句：

• The Monroes continued to entertain extravagantly. 门罗一家继续大宴宾客。 来自辞典例句
• New Grange is one of the most extravagantly decorated prehistoric tombs. 新格兰奇是装饰最豪华的史前陵墓之一。 来自辞典例句

4 callous   

adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的

参考例句：

• He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
• She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢，而且往往冷酷无情。

5 bosoms   

胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形

参考例句：

• How beautifully gold brooches glitter on the bosoms of our patriotic women! 金光闪闪的别针佩在我国爱国妇女的胸前，多美呀！
• Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. 我们寻个僻静的地方，去痛哭一场吧。

6 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

7 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

8 gaily   

adv.欢乐地，高兴地

参考例句：

• The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
• She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

9 jerseys   

n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The maximum quantity of cotton jerseys this year is about DM25,000. 平方米的羊毛地毯超过了以往的订货。 来自口语例句
• The NBA is mulling the prospect of stitching advertising logos onto jerseys. 大意：NBA官方正在酝酿一个大煞风景的计划——把广告标志绣上球服！ 来自互联网

10 Buddhas   

n.佛，佛陀，佛像( Buddha的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She called on spirits and Buddhas and made innumerable vows, all to no avail. 她把一切的神佛都喊到了，并且许下多少誓愿，都没有用。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Tibetans identification with the political role of Living Buddhas is declining. 藏新政权的政治舞台中活佛的政治角色处于边缘。 来自互联网

11 pagoda   

n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇

参考例句：

• The ancient pagoda is undergoing repairs.那座古塔正在修缮中。
• The pagoda is reflected upside down in the water.宝塔影子倒立在水里。

12 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

13 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？