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首页 » 经典英文小说 » Boys of the Central » CHAPTER XVI. A SNOWBALL FIGHT.
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CHAPTER XVI. A SNOWBALL FIGHT.
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 Just after New-Year came a very heavy snowstorm. It lasted two days, and when the boys went to school on the third morning, they had to wade1 through drifts in some places as high as their shoulders. Even on a level the snow was up to the knees of the smaller boys.
 
It was a huge frolic to most of them, and the best part of it was when they found that, owing to some trouble with the furnace, there would be no school in the boys’ department that day.
 
“Hurrah for a holiday!” shouted half a dozen voices, as the boys tumbled pellmell down the stairs, not considering it necessary, under the circumstances, to keep in line as usual.
 
“Won’t the girls envy us, though,” chuckled2 Dixon, lifting his cap with great politeness as he saw two or three girls looking out of one of their windows. “I’ve half a mind to go and smash their furnace, so they can get out too.”
 
“I would,” said Hamlin, dryly. He had long since arrived at the conclusion that “Rosy3” had “plenty[218] of good points,” but even yet Dixon’s frequent references to “the girls” were apt to vex4 him, and he had never been willing to introduce his red-haired schoolmate to his cousin Grace or any other of his girl friends.
 
“Say, fellows, why can’t we build a fort and have a snowball fight instead of going home,” cried Reed. “The snow’s in prime condition. Just see what balls it makes,” he added, catching5 up a handful of snow and hastily fashioning it into a ball which he flung at Hamlin, who dodged7 just in time to avoid it, and it landed full in Dixon’s mouth, as he opened it to speak. He spluttered and gasped8 for a moment, but as soon as he could get his breath, he dashed at Reed and rolled him in the snow, rubbing a handful of it into his mouth.
 
“Ouch! ouch!” yelled Reed; “help, help, boys!” whereupon two or three ran to his rescue, and the next moment, Dixon was treated to a dose of his own medicine. He took it very good-naturedly; he always did take everything good-naturedly. Even the boys that disliked him could not deny that.
 
“Say we do have a snowball fight. We may not have another chance this year,” said Sherman.
 
“Professor would order us off. The girls couldn’t recite if we were yelling outside here,” suggested Graham.
 
“That’s a fact! I forgot about the girls,” murmured Rosy, at which somebody remarked:—
 
[219]
 
“First time in your life you ever forgot ’em, ain’t it, Rosy?” and there was a general laugh at Dixon’s expense.
 
“Well, let’s go out on the vacant lots, then. No hospital or old ladies’ home around there, is there?” said Barber.
 
“Never heard of any. Come on, then,” cried Hamlin, leading the way. Presently he turned, and inquired:—
 
“What’ll we do for shovels9 and brooms? We can’t build a fort without ’em.”
 
“So we can’t,” said Reed, ruefully. “I forgot all about them.”
 
“Let’s borrow some,” suggested Graham.
 
“Where?” said Lee, with the touch of scorn in his voice that always irritated the boys.
 
“Right here on this block,” retorted Graham promptly11.
 
“As if the people in these houses would lend us their snow shovels,” said Lee.
 
“If I get the shovels, will you agree to pay your share of the price?” asked Graham.
 
“Of course; don’t I always pay my share of anything that’s going,” said Lee, haughtily12.
 
“All right,” said Graham as, with a grin at Hamlin, he ran up the steps of the nearest house and rang the bell.
 
“Want your walk cleared?” he inquired of the servant girl who opened the door.
 
[220]
 
“How much do you charge?” said the girl; “And where’s your shovel10?”
 
“Where’s yours? Have you one?” replied Graham.
 
“Ye—yes,” said the girl, doubtfully.
 
“Well, tell your mistress that we’ll clear the steps and walk in fine style, if she’ll lend us her shovel for an hour afterward13.”
 
“Get along with ye,” said the girl, “we’d never set eyes on the shovel again!”
 
At this, the crowd of boys on the sidewalk set up a shout of laughter, but Graham persisted:—
 
“Ask the lady to come to the door a minute, please do! We’ll clear the walk; honor bright, we will.”
 
As Graham spoke14, the mistress appeared in the hall, and inquired of the girl what the boys wanted. Graham’s face lighted up as he caught sight of her, and he stepped forward, with his cap in his hand, saying:—
 
“I didn’t know that you lived here, Mrs. Hayes, but we boys want some shovels and brooms to make a snow fort on the vacant lots over yonder. We’ll clear off all the steps on this block, and the sidewalk too, if we can have the use of half a dozen shovels for an hour, to build our fort.”
 
“You can have ours, and welcome,” said Mrs. Hayes, “and I’ll give you a note to the other people[221] on the block. Of course you won’t forget to bring back the shovels,” she added smiling. “You see I have several brothers, and have known them to forget such things, now and then.”
 
“We’ll return them, sure, before we begin our snowball fight,” Graham answered; and soon, thanks to Mrs. Hayes’ note, half a dozen shovels had been handed out to the boys, who took turns at using them, and so quickly had the walks beautifully cleaned. Lee did his share under protest, but he did it, and some of the boys would have done twice as much themselves for the fun of seeing the Southern lad obliged to handle the shovel.
 
Then the boys trooped over to the vacant lots, and set to work to build their fort. The many hands made short work of it, even though the fort they fashioned was of goodly dimensions; and as soon as it was finished, Graham and another lad carried back the borrowed shovels. Then the two came racing15 back, to take part in the choice of leaders for the two parties.
 
A dozen names were proposed by different boys, but finally, Hamlin and Griffin were selected. They at once proceeded to choose their followers16 by first one, and then another, calling out a name.
 
In Hamlin’s party were Clark, Gordon, Freeman, Graham, Raleigh, Sherman and Reed, while Griffin’s included his own friends, with Lee, Dixon, and a few[222] others. In all, there were sixty boys. The leaders tossed up a penny for choice of position, and it fell to Griffin and his party to hold the fort.
 
Then he and his men were allowed ten minutes to make and carry into the fort as many snowballs as they could, for ammunition17. Meantime, Hamlin’s party was similarly employed, while he was discussing with one or two of them the best plan of attack. It was decided18 to first make a rush all together, and try to scale the walls all along the line. This was done, but the attempt was a failure. The walls were too high to be readily scaled, and such a storm of snowballs was showered down upon the attacking party, that Hamlin was forced to call off his men, amid exultant19 shouts from those in the fort.
 
Then Hamlin divided his men into two parties, ordering one, under Clark’s leadership, to attack one end of the fort, while he himself led the other half against the other end, thus obliging Griffin to divide his force to repel20 the attack.
 
The two parties advanced all together against the fort until they were quite near, then suddenly dividing, half turned to the left and the other half to the right. Griffin hastily sent half of his men to repel Clark’s party, while he, with the rest, beat back Hamlin and his followers. Again and again the boys outside would succeed in climbing almost to the top of the wall of snow, only to be met by a[223] shower of balls that filled eyes, ears and mouths, while strong hands pushed and shoved them down the slippery walls, shouts and yells of derision following them as they descended21.
 
At last, Hamlin again called off his men to rest and gather a new stock of ammunition.
 
“’Tisn’t much use, though, for us to snowball them,” grumbled22 Reed, trying to get some of the snow out of his neck. “They can throw right into our faces when we’re climbing their walls, but we can’t hang on to those slippery snow banks, and throw up into their faces. They can dodge6 and we can’t.”
 
“Dodge! I should say we couldn’t,” echoed Freeman. “Much as ever I could hang on at all while Lee was dashing snow into my face for all he was worth.”
 
“We’ll never take that fort by direct attack,” said Hamlin. “We’ve got to use stratagem23.”
 
“Any sort of gem24 you say, so long as it’s a taking sort,” responded Reed.
 
“We might tunnel under, and so let them down unexpectedly,” suggested Clark.
 
“But they’d see us doing it,” objected Graham.
 
“Mustn’t let them,” answered Clark.
 
“What’s your idea, Clark? How would you do it?” asked Hamlin.
 
“I’d make another attack at two points, so as to[224] divide their force, and make such a desperate fight that Griffin would need every man he has, at those two points. Then, while the fight was going on, one fellow might drop down at the bottom of the fort, and keeping below those who were climbing the walls, so that those above in the fort couldn’t see him, he might dig under the bottom of the wall. It wouldn’t take many minutes for him to dig out a hole that he could crawl into. Then he could loosen the snow above him, so that a little extra stamping or pushing would break the wall through and let some of those fellows down where we could capture them. And then we could pile up through the opening, and so into the fort.”
 
“What do you say, Gordon? Think we could do it?” cried Hamlin eagerly.
 
“Looks as if we might, if we can find the right chap for that burrowing26 trick.”
 
“If we only had a big mole27 here, now,” remarked Reed.
 
“I’ll be the mole, if nobody else cares to try it,” said Clark.
 
“I don’t believe that plan will hold water,” remarked one boy, scornfully.
 
“It’s snow we want it to hold, not water,” was Reed’s quick response.
 
“We’ll give it a trial anyway,” said Hamlin. “Now then—are you all ready? Well then, we’ll go for those walls again. Forward, march!”
 
[225]
 
On went the attacking party at a full speed, while those in the fort braced28 themselves to repel the charge. Fast and furious flew the balls, and in the cloud of snow, and amid the shouting, squirming, struggling crowd trying to climb the walls, it was easy for Clark to drop unnoticed at the bottom, where he had taken care to kick out an opening as he approached the wall. Now, using his hands in decidedly mole-like fashion, he began to burrow25 under, throwing the snow out behind him as he dug.
 
Meantime, above and around him, the struggle went on, and so many hard knocks were given and received, that some of the boys began to get angry. The fun was changing to earnest.
 
Finally, Hamlin again called off his men, and as they gathered about him, out of earshot of those in the fort, he said to Clark:—
 
“Couldn’t carry out your plan—eh, Clark? I was afraid it wouldn’t work.”
 
“But it did work,” said Clark, quietly.
 
“Do you mean that you succeeded in undermining the wall?” cried Hamlin, eagerly.
 
“Yes,” said Clark, “and it would only take a little more digging to make it mighty29 unsafe for those fellows to dance any more jigs30 up there.”
 
“But I don’t see any opening,” said Hamlin.
 
“No—I kicked some snow into the opening so they wouldn’t discover it if any of ’em should come outside the fort.”
 
[226]
 
“Good for you, Clark,” cried Reed joyfully31. “I tell you what, Hamlin, I began to think I was getting tired of plain fighting up there. Some of those chaps don’t fight fair. They whack32 altogether too hard about a fellow’s head.”
 
“That’s so,” assented33 several.
 
“Yes, I think myself they pommeled us too severely34 this last time,” said Hamlin; “but if Clark’s plan is a success, we’ll snake ’em out of their snug35 quarters before long. How do you think we’d better go at it, Clark?”
 
“I should think it would be best to make an attack at each end as we did last time, and while you keep them busy so, I’ll go through my tunnel again and pull down a little more snow under the middle. Then I’ll back out and give a signal to let you know I’m ready, and then both parties might drop down and make a dash for the walls in the middle. Of course Griffin and his men will rush there, and the sudden rush and weight will break through what’s left of the wall and down they’ll tumble, and up we’ll scramble36 and swarm37 over the walls before they can pick themselves up.”
 
“Tiptop plan,” said Gordon, and Hamlin added:—
 
“Yes, and we’ll carry it out, too. Now, boys, remember—pitch in and carry the walls if you can, but keep your ears open for a whistle from Clark, and when you hear it, follow me to the center.”
 
[227]
 
Derisive38 hoots39 and yells from Griffin and his men greeted the approach of Hamlin and his party, but the latter went steadily40 on in silence. Not a shout or a cry answered the taunts41 of the defenders42, and again the struggle was renewed, the boys scrambling43 up the walls, fighting their way inch by inch, only to be thrust and pushed back as they neared the top. Two did succeed in scrambling over the wall, but a dozen strong arms seized them, and promptly rolled them over the slippery barrier to the ground below.
 
In the midst of the struggle, a clear whistle sounded, and at the signal, Hamlin’s voice rang out calling his followers to retreat. They slipped down the walls and joined their leader, but instead of retreating as before, they instantly made a dash for the walls in the center.
 
Griffin shouted to his men, and all but two rushed to the threatened spot to repel the enemy. As they did so, the walls gave way, and more than half of the defenders rolled through the breach44 to the ground, while yells and shouts of a different sort announced their surprise and disgust at their unexpected descent.
 
The few who had not gone down in the slump45, fought bravely, but they were quickly overpowered by numbers, as over the walls scrambled46 Hamlin and his men. It was their turn now to shout exultantly47, as they seized and made prisoner every boy[228] that they could catch. Griffin’s men looked rueful enough as they found themselves so cleverly trapped, and some were not only rueful, but bitterly angry.
 
“Where’s Griffin,” cried Hamlin.
 
“There he is. Catch him—catch him!” shouted Lee, pointing to a white figure just crawling out from under the mass of fallen snow.
 
“Surrender! Surrender!” shouted a score of voices, as the boys surrounded Griffin.
 
“Oh, well, of course we must surrender, since you’ve got possession of the fort; but you had to take it by trickery—not in fair fight,” Griffin said, sullenly48.
 
“All’s fair in love and war,” quoted Graham, gaily49. “It was a perfectly50 fair stratagem, and certainly a successful one, I think.”
 
“Who cares what you think! Take that for a last shot!” and Griffin, losing all control of his hot temper at these words from Graham, whom he had never forgiven for winning the election, suddenly raised his arm and flung a snowball he was holding in his hand—straight at Graham’s face.
 
Clark was standing51 near Griffin, and as his quick eye saw the look on the latter’s face and the sudden movement, he sprang forward, and struck up Griffin’s arm, and the ball, instead of knocking Graham over, went crashing through a big window in a fine house across the street.
 
[229]
 
A change came over every face, as the rattle52 of the falling glass was heard.
 
“You’re in for it, now, Grif,” said one.
 
“’Twasn’t my fault. ’Twas Clark’s. What did you knock my arm up for?” he added, turning angrily on Clark, and looking more than half inclined to strike him.
 
Clark did not flinch53, as he answered gravely:—
 
“That ball might have hurt Graham pretty badly, Griffin.”
 
“Hurt him! I should say so!” cried Hamlin. “A ball that would break a window at this distance would have killed a fellow, sure. You must have thrown it with tremendous force, Griffin.”
 
Griffin dropped his eyes and said, sulkily:—
 
“Well, what’s to be done about it? I’ve no money to pay for plate-glass windows, and anyway, I think Clark’s the one to foot the bill—unless we bluff54 it out. Here comes the man, now.”
 
The gentleman who was coming quickly towards the group might have been excused for feeling that the limit of patience was reached in his case, since this was the third time that season that his windows had been broken by boys playing on the vacant lots. He was plainly very angry, as he began abruptly:—
 
“Which of you broke my window?”
 
For a second, nobody answered, and the man was about to express his opinion pretty freely, when Clark stepped forward.
 
[230]
 
“I am partly responsible for it, sir,” he said.
 
“Oh, you are—are you? Well, are you going to pay for it?”
 
“It shall certainly be paid for,” Clark replied, “but I can’t pay for it to-day.”
 
“Oh, yes, I understand that,” said the man. “You can’t pay it to-day, and if I let you off, you never will pay it. I’ll see your father about it. Where is he?”
 
Clark’s face grew suddenly white, and his clear eyes fell, while many of those rough boys felt a most unusual thrill of pity and sympathy for him. But he recovered himself quickly, and answered in a low voice:—
 
“I have no father to pay my bills, sir, but if you will not take my word for it, I will give you a note to the firm I work for, and they will see that you are paid.”
 
By this time the man’s anger had begun to cool off a little. He was a shrewd reader of faces, and Clark’s straightforward55 glance and manly56 air began to make an impression on him.
 
“What’s your name?” he asked gruffly.
 
“Stanley Clark.”
 
“Well, Mr. Stanley Clark, I suppose I’m a fool, but I’m going to trust you. How long do you expect me to wait for my money?”
 
“How much will the glass cost?” inquired Clark.
 
“Five dollars; the glass and the putting in. It’s a big window, you see.”
 
[231]
 
“Yes, I see,” said Clark. “Well, sir, you shall have the money before the first of February. Will that do?”
 
“That will do,” and without another word the man turned away, saying to himself, “I may be mistaken, but I believe that young chap is honest. Anyhow, if he doesn’t keep his word, I’ll see the principal of the high school. They were high school boys, and I could pick that one out among a thousand.”
 
As the man departed, all eyes were turned on Griffin, and Hamlin voiced the feeling of many when he said:—
 
“I call that right down mean and sneaky, Griffin. It is really you who ought to pay that bill.”
 
“Here’s the man coming back again,” said Reed. And sure enough, the man was returning, looking at something he held in his hand, as he came.
 
Facing Clark, he demanded:—
 
“Did you throw that snowball?”
 
“No, sir,” said Clark, “but if it hadn’t been for me, it would probably not have gone through your window.”
 
“Ah!” said the man, “I’m glad you didn’t throw it, and if it was aimed at any boy’s head, that boy owes you a debt of thanks, at least. See here; this was inside the ball. I was so mad before that I forgot to show it to you,” and he held out a rough, jagged[232] piece of brick. “That would have knocked the breath out of a boy, if it had hit him full in the face”; and leaving the brick in Clark’s hand, the man again departed.
 
There was more than scorn and contempt now in the eyes that turned towards Griffin, who, for the life of him, could not help cowering57 under the fire of indignant glances and the words that followed.
 
“You’d better blame Clark for knocking up your arm,” said Hamlin, and the man crossing the street smiled grimly as the clear, ringing voice reached even his ears. “You might have slept behind prison bars to-night, if it had not been for Clark’s quick eye and hand.”
 
“I wouldn’t have believed there was a fellow in the Central mean enough to do a thing like that,” added Gordon.
 
“Well, see here now, fellows.” It was Graham who said this. “Are we going to let Clark pay that debt for Griffin? I can’t, for one,” and the look he gave Clark said what his tongue could not say before all those listening ears.
 
“No! No!” shouted a score of voices.
 
“I can’t pay it, ’n that’s all there is about it,” said Griffin, his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ground.
 
There was a moment of silence. Many of the boys knew that Griffin belonged to a family that had no money to spare.
 
“Well,” said Graham, “if Griffin really can’t pay it, I’m the one to do it, and I will, though I can’t do it just now. Christmas cleared me out entirely58.”
 
“And me, too, of course,” said Hamlin; “that and the school dues that I paid yesterday.”
 
“See here, boys, neither Clark nor Graham ought to foot that bill, and I reckon we’re all pretty short just now. Say we all chip in and earn it to-day,” was Reed’s suggestion.
 
“Earn it, how?” cried several voices.
 
“Shoveling snow,” was the prompt reply. “This snow is so heavy that the fellows that usually go around to clear walks can’t begin to cover the ground that they generally do. You see they haven’t cleared anywhere about here yet. What’s the matter with our borrowing shovels again over yonder, or anywhere we can get ’em, and each of us clearing one sidewalk. At ten cents each, we’d raise six dollars that way in a jiffy.”
 
“Three cheers for Reed. His head’s level!” called out one; and in two minutes not a boy was to be seen on the vacant lots; not one except Griffin. He stood there biting his nails, and scraping a hole in the snow with the toe of his shoe. When the boys passed the lots with their borrowed shovels, Griffin was gone.
 
Late that afternoon, somebody left at Hamlin’s door twenty-five cents done up in a bit of paper, on which was scrawled59 the one word, “glass.”
 
 
“Griffin left that, I’m sure,” Hamlin said as he read the word. “I’m glad he had grace enough to do that much.”
 
He did not know that the boy had earned that quarter clearing off snow with a shovel that he had manufactured himself out of a broom-handle and a piece of a soap-box. Even Griffin was not all bad.
 
A much astonished gentleman was the one who was called to his door that evening to meet a delegation60 of high-school boys, one of whom handed him a five-dollar bill to pay for his broken window.
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 wade nMgzu     
v.跋涉,涉水;n.跋涉
参考例句:
  • We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
  • We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。
2 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
3 rosy kDAy9     
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的
参考例句:
  • She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作,生活看上去很美好。
  • She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。
4 vex TLVze     
vt.使烦恼,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Everything about her vexed him.有关她的一切都令他困惑。
  • It vexed me to think of others gossiping behind my back.一想到别人在背后说我闲话,我就很恼火。
5 catching cwVztY     
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。
6 dodge q83yo     
v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计
参考例句:
  • A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过。
  • The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。
7 dodged ae7efa6756c9d8f3b24f8e00db5e28ee     
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》
8 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 shovels ff43a4c7395f1d0c2d5931bbb7a97da6     
n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份
参考例句:
  • workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
  • In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天,我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句
10 shovel cELzg     
n.铁锨,铲子,一铲之量;v.铲,铲出
参考例句:
  • He was working with a pick and shovel.他在用镐和铲干活。
  • He seized a shovel and set to.他拿起一把铲就干上了。
11 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
12 haughtily haughtily     
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地
参考例句:
  • She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
  • Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯,走到二楼,我刚好站在那儿。
13 afterward fK6y3     
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。
14 spoke XryyC     
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。
15 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
16 followers 5c342ee9ce1bf07932a1f66af2be7652     
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件
参考例句:
  • the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
  • The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。
17 ammunition GwVzz     
n.军火,弹药
参考例句:
  • A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
  • They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。
18 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
19 exultant HhczC     
adj.欢腾的,狂欢的,大喜的
参考例句:
  • The exultant crowds were dancing in the streets.欢欣的人群在大街上跳起了舞。
  • He was exultant that she was still so much in his power.他仍然能轻而易举地摆布她,对此他欣喜若狂。
20 repel 1BHzf     
v.击退,抵制,拒绝,排斥
参考例句:
  • A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
  • Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。
21 descended guQzoy     
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
参考例句:
  • A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
  • The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
22 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
参考例句:
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
23 stratagem ThlyQ     
n.诡计,计谋
参考例句:
  • Knit the brows and a stratagem comes to mind.眉头一皱,计上心来。
  • Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty.商业折扣可以用作维护顾客忠诚度的一种竞争策略。
24 gem Ug8xy     
n.宝石,珠宝;受爱戴的人 [同]jewel
参考例句:
  • The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
  • The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。
25 burrow EsazA     
vt.挖掘(洞穴);钻进;vi.挖洞;翻寻;n.地洞
参考例句:
  • Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
  • The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。
26 burrowing 703e0bb726fc82be49c5feac787c7ae5     
v.挖掘(洞穴),挖洞( burrow的现在分词 );翻寻
参考例句:
  • What are you burrowing around in my drawer for? 你在我抽屉里乱翻什么? 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The forepaws are also used for burrowing and for dragging heavier logs. 它们的前爪还可以用来打洞和拖拽较重的树干。 来自辞典例句
27 mole 26Nzn     
n.胎块;痣;克分子
参考例句:
  • She had a tiny mole on her cheek.她的面颊上有一颗小黑痣。
  • The young girl felt very self- conscious about the large mole on her chin.那位年轻姑娘对自己下巴上的一颗大痣感到很不自在。
28 braced 4e05e688cf12c64dbb7ab31b49f741c5     
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来
参考例句:
  • They braced up the old house with balks of timber. 他们用梁木加固旧房子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The house has a wooden frame which is braced with brick. 这幢房子是木结构的砖瓦房。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
30 jigs f2cc1a426a389960af5feb3ecfe2a68d     
n.快步舞(曲)极快地( jig的名词复数 );夹具v.(使)上下急动( jig的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • The simplest method for small volume production requires a number of jigs. 对于小规模生产,最简单方法需要几个装配架。 来自辞典例句
  • So the old witch was forced to dance a jigs. 老女巫也只好跳起快步舞来。 来自辞典例句
31 joyfully joyfully     
adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地
参考例句:
  • She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着,脚底下轻飘飘的。
  • During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里,她干得很高兴。
32 whack kMKze     
v.敲击,重打,瓜分;n.重击,重打,尝试,一份
参考例句:
  • After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食,卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
  • He gave me a whack on the back to wake me up.他为把我弄醒,在我背上猛拍一下。
33 assented 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727     
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
  • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
34 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
35 snug 3TvzG     
adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房
参考例句:
  • He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
  • She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。
36 scramble JDwzg     
v.爬行,攀爬,杂乱蔓延,碎片,片段,废料
参考例句:
  • He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
  • It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。
37 swarm dqlyj     
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入
参考例句:
  • There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
  • A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。
38 derisive ImCzF     
adj.嘲弄的
参考例句:
  • A storm of derisive applause broke out.一阵暴风雨般的哄笑声轰然响起。
  • They flushed,however,when she burst into a shout of derisive laughter.然而,当地大声嘲笑起来的时候,她们的脸不禁涨红了。
39 hoots 328717a68645f53119dae1aae5c695a9     
咄,啐
参考例句:
  • His suggestion was greeted with hoots of laughter. 他的建议引起了阵阵嗤笑。
  • The hoots came from the distance. 远处传来呜呜声。
40 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
41 taunts 479d1f381c532d68e660e720738c03e2     
嘲弄的言语,嘲笑,奚落( taunt的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
  • He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。
42 defenders fe417584d64537baa7cd5e48222ccdf8     
n.防御者( defender的名词复数 );守卫者;保护者;辩护者
参考例句:
  • The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众,只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》
43 scrambling cfea7454c3a8813b07de2178a1025138     
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发,冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
44 breach 2sgzw     
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破
参考例句:
  • We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
  • He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。
45 slump 4E8zU     
n.暴跌,意气消沉,(土地)下沉;vi.猛然掉落,坍塌,大幅度下跌
参考例句:
  • She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
  • Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。
46 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
47 exultantly 9cbf83813434799a9ce89021def7ac29     
adv.狂欢地,欢欣鼓舞地
参考例句:
  • They listened exultantly to the sounds from outside. 她们欢欣鼓舞地倾听着外面的声音。 来自辞典例句
  • He rose exultantly from their profane surprise. 他得意非凡地站起身来,也不管众人怎样惊奇诅咒。 来自辞典例句
48 sullenly f65ccb557a7ca62164b31df638a88a71     
不高兴地,绷着脸,忧郁地
参考例句:
  • 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢?”汤姆绷着脸说。
  • Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完,想不出能找点什么事做,只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。
49 gaily lfPzC     
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。
50 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
51 standing 2hCzgo     
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。
52 rattle 5Alzb     
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
参考例句:
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
53 flinch BgIz1     
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。
54 bluff ftZzB     
v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗
参考例句:
  • His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
  • John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。
55 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
56 manly fBexr     
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地
参考例句:
  • The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
  • He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务,并希望别人效之。
57 cowering 48e9ec459e33cd232bc581fbd6a3f22d     
v.畏缩,抖缩( cower的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He turned his baleful glare on the cowering suspect. 他恶毒地盯着那个蜷缩成一团的嫌疑犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He stood over the cowering Herb with fists of fury. 他紧握着两个拳头怒气冲天地站在惊魂未定的赫伯面前。 来自辞典例句
58 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
59 scrawled ace4673c0afd4a6c301d0b51c37c7c86     
乱涂,潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
  • Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字:“请你收下吧,我多得是哩。”
60 delegation NxvxQ     
n.代表团;派遣
参考例句:
  • The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
  • We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。


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