小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 经典英文小说 » The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle杜立特医生航海记6部分 » PART FIVE THE FIRST CHAPTER A GREAT MOMENT
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
PART FIVE THE FIRST CHAPTER A GREAT MOMENT
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
 HE next part of our problem was the hardest of all: how to roll aside, pull down or break open, that gigantic slab1. As we gazed up at it towering above our heads, it looked indeed a hopeless task for our tiny strength.
 
But the sounds of life from inside the mountain had put new heart in us. And in a moment we were all scrambling2 around trying to find any opening or crevice3 which would give us something to work on. Chee-Chee scaled up the sheer wall of the slab and examined the top of it where it leaned against the mountain’s side; I uprooted4 bushes and stripped off hanging creepers that might conceal5 a weak place; the Doctor got more leaves and composed new picture-letters for the Jabizri to take in if he should turn up again; whilst Polynesia carried up a handful of nuts and pushed them into the beetle’s hole, one by one, for the prisoners inside to eat.
 
“Nuts are so nourishing,” she said.
 
But Jip it was who, scratching at the foot of the slab like a good ratter, made the discovery which led to our final success.
 
“Doctor,” he cried, running up to John Dolittle with his nose all covered with black mud, “this slab is resting on nothing but a bed of soft earth. You never saw such easy digging. I guess the cave behind must be just too high up for the Indians to reach the earth with their hands, or they could have scraped a way out long ago. If we can only scratch the earth-bed away from under, the slab might drop a little. Then maybe the Indians can climb out over the top.”
 
The Doctor hurried to examine the place where Jip had dug.
 
“Why, yes,” he said, “if we can get the earth away from under this front edge, the slab is standing6 up so straight, we might even make it fall right down in this direction. It’s well worth trying. Let’s get at it, quick.”
 
We had no tools but the sticks and slivers7 of stone which we could find around. A strange sight we must have looked, the whole crew of us squatting8 down on our heels, scratching and burrowing9 at the foot of the mountain, like six badgers10 in a row.
 
After about an hour, during which in spite of the cold the sweat fell from our foreheads in all directions, the Doctor said,
 
“Be ready to jump from under, clear out of the way, if she shows signs of moving. If this slab falls on anybody, it will squash him flatter than a pancake.”
 
Presently there was a grating, grinding sound.
 
“Look out!” yelled John Dolittle, “here she comes!—Scatter!”
 
We ran for our lives, outwards11, toward the sides. The big rock slid gently down, about a foot, into the trough which we had made beneath it. For a moment I was disappointed, for like that, it was as hopeless as before—no signs of a cave-mouth showing above it. But as I looked upward, I saw the top coming very slowly away from the mountainside. We had unbalanced it below. As it moved apart from the face of the mountain, sounds of human voices, crying gladly in a strange tongue, issued from behind. Faster and faster the top swung forward, downward. Then, with a roaring crash which shook the whole mountain-range beneath our feet, it struck the earth and cracked in halves.
 
How can I describe to any one that first meeting between the two greatest naturalists12 the world ever knew, Long Arrow, the son of Golden Arrow and John Dolittle, M.D., of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh? The scene rises before me now, plain and clear in every detail, though it took place so many, many years ago. But when I come to write of it, words seem such poor things with which to tell you of that great occasion.
 
I know that the Doctor, whose life was surely full enough of big happenings, always counted the setting free of the Indian scientist as the greatest thing he ever did. For my part, knowing how much this meeting must mean to him, I was on pins and needles of expectation and curiosity as the great stone finally thundered down at our feet and we gazed across it to see what lay behind.
 
The gloomy black mouth of a tunnel, full twenty feet high, was revealed. In the centre of this opening stood an enormous red Indian, seven feet tall, handsome, muscular, slim and naked—but for a beaded cloth about his middle and an eagle’s feather in his hair. He held one hand across his face to shield his eyes from the blinding sun which he had not seen in many days.
 
“It is he!” I heard the Doctor whisper at my elbow. “I know him by his great height and the scar upon his chin.”
 
And he stepped forward slowly across the fallen stone with his hand outstretched to the red man.
 
Presently the Indian uncovered his eyes. And I saw that they had a curious piercing gleam in them—like the eyes of an eagle, but kinder and more gentle. He slowly raised his right arm, the rest of him still and motionless like a statue, and took the Doctor’s hand in his. It was a great moment. Polynesia nodded to me in a knowing, satisfied kind of way. And I heard old Bumpo sniffle sentimentally13.
 
Then the Doctor tried to speak to Long Arrow.But the Indian knew no English of course, and the Doctor knew no Indian. Presently, to my surprise, I heard the Doctor trying him in different animal languages.
 
“How do you do?” he said in dog-talk; “I am glad to see you,” in horse-signs; “How long have you been buried?” in deer-language. Still the Indian made no move but stood there, straight and stiff, understanding not a word.
 
The Doctor tried again, in several other animal dialects. But with no result.
 
Till at last he came to the language of eagles.
 
“Great Red-Skin,” he said in the fierce screams and short grunts14 that the big birds use, “never have I been so glad in all my life as I am to-day to find you still alive.”
 
In a flash Long Arrow’s stony15 face lit up with a smile of understanding; and back came the answer in eagle-tongue,
 
“Mighty White Man, I owe my life to you. For the remainder of my days I am your servant to command.”
 
Afterwards Long Arrow told us that this was the only bird or animal language that he had ever been able to learn. But that he had not spoken it in a long time, for no eagles ever came to this island.
 
Then the Doctor signaled to Bumpo who came forward with the nuts and water. But Long Arrow neither ate nor drank. Taking the supplies with a nod of thanks, he turned and carried them into the inner dimness of the cave. We followed him.
 
Inside we found nine other Indians, men, women and boys, lying on the rock floor in a dreadful state of thinness and exhaustion16.
 
Some had their eyes closed, as if dead. Quickly the Doctor went round them all and listened to their hearts. They were all alive; but one woman was too weak even to stand upon her feet.
 
At a word from the Doctor, Chee-Chee and Polynesia sped off into the jungles after more fruit and water.
 
While Long Arrow was handing round what food we had to his starving friends, we suddenly heard a sound outside the cave. Turning about we saw, clustered at the entrance, the band of Indians who had met us so inhospitably at the beach.
 
They peered into the dark cave cautiously at first. But as soon as they saw Long Arrow and the other Indians with us, they came rushing in, laughing, clapping their hands with joy and jabbering17 away at a tremendous rate.
 
Long Arrow explained to the Doctor that the nine Indians we had found in the cave with him were two families who had accompanied him into the mountains to help him gather medicine-plants. And while they had been searching for a kind of moss—good for indigestion—which grows only inside of damp caves, the great rock slab had slid down and shut them in. Then for two weeks they had lived on the medicine-moss and such fresh water as could be found dripping from the damp walls of the cave. The other Indians on the island had given them up for lost and mourned them as dead; and they were now very surprised and happy to find their relatives alive.
 
When Long Arrow turned to the newcomers and told them in their own language that it was the white man who had found and freed their relatives, they gathered round John Dolittle, all talking at once and beating their breasts.
 
Long Arrow said they were apologizing and trying to tell the Doctor how sorry they were that they had seemed unfriendly to him at the beach. They had never seen a white man before and had really been afraid of him—especially when they saw him conversing18 with the porpoises19. They had thought he was the Devil, they said.
 
Then they went outside and looked at the great stone we had thrown down, big as a meadow; and they walked round and round it, pointing to the break running through the middle and wondering how the trick of felling it was done.
 
Travelers who have since visited Spidermonkey Island tell me that that huge stone slab is now one of the regular sights of the island. And that the Indian guides, when showing it to visitors, always tell their story of how it came there. They say that when the Doctor found that the rocks had entrapped20 his friend, Long Arrow, he was so angry that he ripped the mountain in halves with his bare hands and let him out.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 slab BTKz3     
n.平板,厚的切片;v.切成厚板,以平板盖上
参考例句:
  • This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
  • The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成,它们共同支撑着一块平板。
2 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》
3 crevice pokzO     
n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝;缺口
参考例句:
  • I saw a plant growing out of a crevice in the wall.我看到墙缝里长出一棵草来。
  • He edged the tool into the crevice.他把刀具插进裂缝里。
4 uprooted e0d29adea5aedb3a1fcedf8605a30128     
v.把(某物)连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 );根除;赶走;把…赶出家园
参考例句:
  • Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着,树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 conceal DpYzt     
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽
参考例句:
  • He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方,他只好隐瞒身份。
  • He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。
6 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。
7 slivers b1fe0d3c032bc08f91b6067bea26bdff     
(切割或断裂下来的)薄长条,碎片( sliver的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Margret had eight slivers of glass removed from her cheek. 从玛格列特的脸颊取出了八片碎玻璃。
  • Eight slivers are drawn together to produce the drawn sliver. 在末道并条机上,八根棉条并合在一起被牵伸成熟条。
8 squatting 3b8211561352d6f8fafb6c7eeabd0288     
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。
参考例句:
  • They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
  • They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 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
10 badgers d3dd4319dcd9ca0ba17c339a1b422326     
n.獾( badger的名词复数 );獾皮;(大写)獾州人(美国威斯康星州人的别称);毛鼻袋熊
参考例句:
  • Badgers had undermined the foundations of the church. 獾在这座教堂的地基处打了洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • And rams ' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood. 5染红的公羊皮,海狗皮,皂荚木。 来自互联网
11 outwards NJuxN     
adj.外面的,公开的,向外的;adv.向外;n.外形
参考例句:
  • Does this door open inwards or outwards?这门朝里开还是朝外开?
  • In lapping up a fur,they always put the inner side outwards.卷毛皮时,他们总是让内层朝外。
12 naturalists 3ab2a0887de0af0a40c2f2959e36fa2f     
n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 );(文学艺术的)自然主义者
参考例句:
  • Naturalists differ much in determining what characters are of generic value. 自然学者对于不同性状决定生物的属的含义上,各有各的见解。 来自辞典例句
  • This fact has led naturalists to believe that the Isthmus was formerly open. 使许多自然学者相信这个地蛱在以前原是开通的。 来自辞典例句
13 sentimentally oiDzqK     
adv.富情感地
参考例句:
  • I miss the good old days, ' she added sentimentally. ‘我怀念过去那些美好的日子,’她动情地补充道。 来自互联网
  • I have an emotional heart, it is sentimentally attached to you unforgettable. 我心中有一份情感,那是对你刻骨铭心的眷恋。 来自互联网
14 grunts c00fd9006f1464bcf0f544ccda70d94b     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说; 石鲈
参考例句:
  • With grunts of anguish Ogilvie eased his bulk to a sitting position. 奥格尔维苦恼地哼着,伸个懒腰坐了起来。
  • Linda fired twice A trio of Grunts assembling one mortar fell. 琳达击发两次。三个正在组装迫击炮的咕噜人倒下了。
15 stony qu1wX     
adj.石头的,多石头的,冷酷的,无情的
参考例句:
  • The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干,而且布满了石头。
  • He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。
16 exhaustion OPezL     
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述
参考例句:
  • She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
  • His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了,显然是太累了。
17 jabbering 65a3344f34f77a4835821a23a70bc7ba     
v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 );急促兴奋地说话;结结巴巴
参考例句:
  • What is he jabbering about now? 他在叽里咕噜地说什么呢?
  • He was jabbering away in Russian. 他叽里咕噜地说着俄语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 conversing 20d0ea6fb9188abfa59f3db682925246     
v.交谈,谈话( converse的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • I find that conversing with her is quite difficult. 和她交谈实在很困难。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They were conversing in the parlor. 他们正在客厅谈话。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
19 porpoises 223bb3a8f6402f66c6cab07736a435ff     
n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
  • In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句
20 entrapped eb21b3b8e7dad36e21d322e11b46715d     
v.使陷入圈套,使入陷阱( entrap的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was entrapped into undertaking the work. 他受骗而担任那工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt he had been entrapped into marrying her. 他觉得和她结婚是上了当。 来自辞典例句


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533