The Japanese said they would come, and they were as good as their word.
My father was sleeping when the Japs and their puppet soldiers came to our village toconscript peasant labourers and confiscate6 their mules8 and horses. He was awakened9 by adisturbance near the distillery. Grandma dragged him over to the compound as fast as herbamboo- shoot feet would carry her. Back then there were a dozen or so huge vats10 in thecompound, each brimming with top-quality white liquor, the aroma11 of which hung over the entirevillage. Two khaki-clad Japanese soldiers with fixed12 bayonets stood there as a couple of black-clad Chinese, rifles slung13 over their backs, untied14 our two big black mules from a catalpa tree.
Uncle Arhat kept trying to get to the shorter puppet soldier, who was untying15 the tethers, but thetaller comrade forced him back with the muzzle16 of his rifle. Since Uncle Arhat was wearing onlya thin shirt in the early-summer heat, his exposed chest already showed a welter of circularbruises.
‘Brothers,’ he pleaded, ‘we can talk this over, we can talk it over.’
‘Get the hell out of here, you old bastard17,’ the taller soldier barked.
‘Those animals belong to the owner,’ Uncle Arhat said. ‘You can’t take them.’
The puppet soldier growled18 menacingly, ‘If I hear another word out of you, I’ll shoot yourlittle prick19 off!’
The Japanese soldiers stood like clay statues, holding their rifles in front of them.
As Grandma and my father entered the compound, Uncle Arhat wailed21, ‘They’re taking ourmules!’
‘Sir,’ Grandma said, ‘we’re good people.’
The Japanese squinted22 and grinned at her.
The shorter puppet soldier freed the mules and tried to lead them away; but they raised theirheads stubbornly and refused to budge23. His buddy24 walked up and prodded25 one of them in therump with his rifle; the angered animal pawed the ground with its rear hooves, its metal shoesglinting in the mud that sprayed the soldier in the face.
The tall soldier pointed27 his rifle at Uncle Arhat and bellowed28, ‘Come over here and take thesemules to the construction site, you old bastard!’
Uncle Arhat squatted29 on the ground without making a sound, so one of the Japanese soldierswalked up and waved his rifle in front of Uncle Arhat’s face. ‘Minliwala, yalalimin!’ he grunted30.
With the shiny bayonet glinting in front of his eyes, Uncle Arhat sat down. The soldier thrust hisbayonet forward, opening a tiny hole in Uncle Arhat’s shiny scalp.
Beginning to tremble, Grandma blurted31 out, ‘Do it, Uncle, take the mules for them.’
The other Jap soldier edged up close to Grandma, and Father noticed how young andhandsome he was, and how his dark eyes sparkled. But when he smiled, his lip curled to revealyellow buck32 teeth. Grandma staggered over to Uncle Arhat, whose wound was oozing33 blood thatspread across his scalp and down his face. The grinning Japanese soldiers drew closer. Grandmalaid her hands on Uncle Arhat’s scalp, then rubbed them on her face. Pulling her hair, she leapedto her feet like a madwoman, her mouth agape. She looked three parts human and seven partsdemon. The startled Japanese soldiers froze.
‘Sir,’ the tall puppet soldier said, ‘that woman’s crazy.’
One of the Jap soldiers mumbled34 something as he fired a shot over Grandma’s head. She satdown hard and began to wail20.
The tall puppet soldier used his rifle to prod26 Uncle Arhat, who got to his feet and took thetethers from the smaller soldier. The mules looked up; their legs trembled as they followed himout of the compound. The street was chaotic35 with mules, horses, oxen, and goats.
Grandma wasn’t crazy. The minute the Japs and the puppet soldiers left, she removed thewooden lid from one of the wine vats and looked at her frightful36, bloody37 reflection in themirrorlike surface. Father watched the tears on her cheeks turn red. She washed her face in thewine, turning it red.
Like the mules he was leading, Uncle Arhat was forced to work on the road that was takingshape in the sorghum field. The highway on the southern bank of the Black Water River wasnearly completed, and cars and trucks were driving up on the newly laid roadway with loads ofstone and yellow gravel38, which they dumped on the riverbank. Since there was only a singlewooden span across the river, the Japanese had decided39 to build a large stone bridge. Vast areasof sorghum on both sides of the highway had been levelled, until the ground seemed covered byan enormous green blanket. In the field north of the river, where black soil had been laid on eitherside of the road, dozens of horses and mules were pulling stone rollers to level two enormoussquares in the sea of sorghum. Men led the animals back and forth40 through the field, tramplingthe tender stalks, which had been bent41 double by the shod hooves, then flattening42 them with stonerollers turned dark green by the plant juices. The pungent43 aroma of green sorghum hung heavilyover the construction site.
Uncle Arhat, who was sent to the southern bank of the river to haul rocks to the other side,reluctantly handed the mules over to an old geezer with festering eyes. The little wooden bridgeswayed so violently it seemed about to topple as he crossed to the southern bank, where aChinese overseer tapped him on the head with a purplish rattan44 whip and said, ‘Start luggingrocks to the other side.’ Uncle Arhat rubbed his eyes – the blood from his scalp wound hadsoaked his eyebrows46. He picked up an average-sized rock and carried it to the other side, wherethe old geezer stood with the mules. ‘Use them sparingly,’ he said. ‘They belong to the family Iwork for.’ The old geezer lowered his head numbly47, then turned and led the mules over to whereteams of animals were working on the connecting road. The shiny rumps of the black mulesreflected specks49 of sunlight. His head still bleeding, Uncle Arhat hunkered down, scooped50 upsome black dirt, and rubbed it on the wound. A dull, heavy pain travelled all the way down to histoes.
Armed Jap and puppet soldiers stood on the fringes of the construction site; the overseer, whipin hand, roamed the site like a spectre. The eyes of the frightened labourers rolled as theywatched Uncle Arhat, his head a mass of blood and mud, pick up a rock and take a couple ofsteps. Suddenly he heard a crack behind him, followed by a drawn-out, stinging pain on his back.
He dropped the rock and looked at the grinning overseer. ‘Your honour, if you have something tosay, say it. Why hit me?’
Without a word, the grinning overseer flicked52 his whip in the air and wrapped it around UncleArhat’s waist, all but cutting him in half. Two streams of hot, stinging tears oozed53 out of thecorners of Uncle Arhat’s eyes, and blood rushed to his head, which began to throb54 as though itmight split open.
‘Your honour!’ Uncle Arhat protested.
His honour whipped him again.
‘Your honour,’ Uncle Arhat said, ‘why are you hitting me?’
His honour flicked the whip and grinned until his eyes were mere55 slits56: ‘Just giving you a taste,you son of a bitch.’
Uncle Arhat choked off his sobs57 as his eyes pooled with tears. He bent over, picked up a largerock from the pile, and staggered with it towards the little bridge. The jagged edges dug deeplyinto his gut58 and his rib59 cage, but he didn’t feel the pain.
The overseer stood rooted to the spot, whip in hand, and Uncle Arhat trembled with fear as helugged the rock past his gaze. With the whip cutting into his neck he fell forward, landed on hisknees, and hugged the rock to his chest. It tore the skin on his hands and left a deep gash61 in hischin. Stunned62, he began to blubber like a baby; a purple tongue of flame licked out in theemptiness inside his skull63.
He strained to pull his hands out from under the rock, stood up, and arched his back like athreatened, skinny old tomcat. Just then a middle-aged64 man, grinning from ear to ear, walked up.
He took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and held one up to the overseer, who parted his lipsto accept the offering, then waited for the man to light it for him.
‘Revered one,’ the man said, ‘that stinking65 blockhead isn’t worth getting angry over.’
The overseer exhaled66 the smoke through his nose and said nothing. Uncle Arhat stared at thewhip in his twitching67 yellowed fingers.
The middle-aged man stuffed the pack of cigarettes into the pocket of the overseer, whoseemed not to notice; then, snorting lightly, he patted his pocket, turned, and walked away.
‘Are you new here, elder brother?’ the man asked.
Uncle Arhat said he was.
‘You didn’t give him anything to grease the skids68?’
‘Those mad dogs dragged me here against my will.’
‘Give him a little money or a pack of cigarettes. He doesn’t hit the hard workers, and hedoesn’t hit the slackers. The only ones he hits are those who have eyes but won’t see.’
All that morning, Uncle Arhat desperately69 lugged60 rocks, like a man without a soul. The scabon his scalp, baked by the sun, caused terrible pain as it dried and cracked. His hands were rawand bloody, and the stiffened70 gash on his chin made him drool. The purplish flame kept licking atthe inside of his skull – sometimes strong, sometimes weak, but never dying out completely.
At noon a brown truck drove up the barely negotiable road. Dimly Uncle Arhat heard a shrillwhistle and watched the labourers stumble up to the truck. He sat mindlessly on the ground,showing no interest in the truck. The middle-aged man walked over and pulled him to his feet.
‘Elder brother, come on, it’s mealtime. Try some Japanese rice.’
Uncle Arhat stood up and followed him.
Large buckets of snowy white rice were handed down from the truck, along with a basket ofwhite ceramic72 bowls with blue floral patterns. A fat Chinese stood next to the baskets, handingbowls to the men as they filed past. A skinny Chinese stood beside the buckets, ladling rice. Thelabourers stood around the truck, wolfing down their food, bare hands serving as chopsticks.
The overseer walked up, whip in hand, the enigmatic grin still on his face. The flame in UncleArhat’s skull blazed, illuminating73 thoughts of the hard morning that he had tried to cast off.
Armed Japanese and puppet sentries74 walked up and stood around a galvanised-iron bucket to eattheir lunch. A guard dog with a long snout and trimmed ears sat behind the bucket, its tonguelolling as it watched the labourers.
Uncle Arhat counted the dozen or so Japs and the dozen or so puppet soldiers standing75 aroundthe bucket eating their lunch; the word ‘escape’ flashed into his mind. Escape! If he could makeit to the sorghum field, these fuckers wouldn’t be able to catch him. The soles of his feet were hotand sweaty; the moment the idea to flee entered his mind, he grew fidgety and anxious.
Something was hidden behind the calm, cold grin on the face of the overseer. Whatever it was, itmade Uncle Arhat’s thoughts grow muddled76.
The fat Chinese took the bowls from the labourers before they were finished. They licked theirlips and stared longingly77 at kernels78 of rice stuck to the sides of the buckets, but didn’t dare move.
A mule7 on the northern bank of the river brayed79 shrilly81. Uncle Arhat recognised the familiarsound. Tethered to rolling stones beside the newly ploughed roadbed, the listless mules nibbledstalks and leaves of sorghum that had been trampled82 into the earth.
That afternoon a man in his twenties darted84 into the sorghum field when he thought theoverseer wasn’t looking. A bullet followed his path of retreat. He lay motionless on the fringe ofthe field.
The brown truck drove up again as the sun was sinking in the west. Uncle Arhat’s digestivesystem, used to sorghum, was intent on ridding itself of this mildewy85 white rice, but he forced thefood past the knots in his throat. The thought of escape was stronger than ever; he longed to seehis own compound, where the pungent odour of wine pervaded86 the air, in that village a dozen orso li away. The distillery hands had all fled with the arrival of the Japanese, and the wine cookernow stood cold. Even more he longed to see my grandma and my father. He hadn’t forgotten thewarmth and contentment she had bestowed87 upon him alongside the pile of sorghum leaves.
After dinner the labourers were herded88 into an enclosure of fir stakes covered with tarpaulins90.
Wires the thickness of mung beans had been strung between the stakes, and the gate was made ofthick metal rods. The Jap and puppet soldiers were billeted in separate tents several yards away;the guard dog was tethered to the flap of the Jap tent. Two lanterns hung from a tall post at theentrance of the enclosure, around which soldiers took turns at sentry91 duty. Mules and horses weretethered to posts in a razed92 section of the sorghum field west of the enclosure.
The stench inside the enclosure was suffocating93. Some of the men snored loudly; others got upto piss in a tin pail, raising a noisy liquid tattoo94, like pearls falling onto a jade95 plate. The lanternscast a pale light, under which the sentries’ long shadows flickered96.
As the night stretched on, the cold became unbearable97, and Uncle Arhat couldn’t sleep. Withhis thoughts focused on escape, he lay there not daring to move; eventually he fell into a muddledsleep. In his dream his head felt as though it were being carved by a sharp knife, while his handfelt seared as if he clasped a branding iron. He awoke covered in sweat; his pants were soakedwith piss. The shrill71 crow of a rooster floated over from the distant village. The mules and horsespawed the ground and snorted. Stars winked98 slyly through holes in the tattered99 tarpaulin89 abovehim.
The man who had come to his aid that day quietly sat up. Even in the relative darkness of theenclosure, Uncle Arhat could see his blazing eyes, and could tell that he was no ordinary man. Helay there, watching silently.
As the man knelt in the enclosure opening, he raised his arms slowly and deliberately100. UncleArhat’s eyes were riveted101 on his back and his head, around which hung an aura of mystery. Theman took a deep breath, cocked his head, and thrust out his hands, like arrows from a bow, tograb two metal rods. A green glare shot from his eyes, and seemed to crackle when it struck anobject. The metal rods silently parted, admitting more light into the enclosure from the lanternsand overhead stars, and revealing the shoe of a sentry. Uncle Arhat saw a dark shadow dart83 out ofthe enclosure. The Jap sentry grunted, then, in the man’s vicelike grip, crumpled102 to the ground.
The man picked up the Jap’s rifle and slipped silently into the darkness.
It took Uncle Arhat a moment to realise what had happened. The middle-aged man had shownhim the way to escape! Cautiously, he crawled out through the opening. The dead Jap lay on theground, face up, one leg still twitching.
After crawling into the sorghum field, Uncle Arhat straightened up and followed the furrows,taking care not to bump the stalks and get them rustling103. He found his way to the bank of theBlack Water River, where the three stars – Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Bellatrix – hung directlyoverhead. A heavy predawn darkness had fallen around him. Stars glistened104 in the water. As hestood briefly105 on the riverbank, he shivered from the cold, his teeth chattered106, and the ache in hischin spread to his cheeks and ears, finally merging107 with the throbbing108 pain in his festering scalp.
The crisp air of freedom, filtered through the juices of the sorghum plants, entered his nostrils,his lungs, and his intestines109. The ghostly light of the two lanterns shone weakly through the mist;the dark outline of the fir-stake enclosure was like an immense graveyard110. Astonished at havinggot away so easily, he strode onto the rickety wooden bridge, above splashing fish and ripplingwater, as a shooting star split the heavens. It was as though nothing had happened. He was free toreturn to his village to let his wounds mend and to go on living. But as he was crossing thebridge, he heard the plaintive111 braying112 of a mule on the southern bank. He turned back forGrandma’s mules. This decision would lead to a grand tragedy.
Horses and mules had been tied to a dozen or more tethering posts not far from the enclosure,in an area saturated113 with their foul-smelling urine. The horses were snorting and eating sorghumstalks; the mules were gnawing114 on the tethering posts and shitting loose stool. Uncle Arhat,stumbling three times for every step, stole in among them, where he smelled the welcome odourof our two big black mules and spotted115 their familiar shapes. Time to free his comrades insuffering. But the mules, strangers to the world of reason, greeted him with flying hooves.
‘Black mules,’ Uncle Arhat mumbled, ‘black mules, we can run away together!’ The iratemules pawed the earth to protect their territory from their master, who was unaware116 that thesmell of his dried blood and new wounds had changed his identity to them. Confused and upset,he stepped forward, and was knocked down by a flying hoof117. As he lay on the ground, his sidestarted turning numb48. The mule was still bucking118 and kicking, its steel-crescent shoes glintinglike little moons. Uncle Arhat’s hip45 swelled119 up painfully. He clambered to his feet, but fell back.
As soon as he hit the ground, he struggled back up. A thin-voiced rooster in the village crowedonce more, as the darkness began to give way to a glimmer120 of stars that illuminated121 the mules’
rumps and eyeballs.
‘Damned beasts!’
With anger rising in his heart, he stumbled around the area looking for a weapon. At theconstruction site of an irrigation ditch he found a sharp metal hoe. Now armed, he walked andcursed loudly, forgetting all about the men and their dog no more than a hundred paces distant.
He felt free – fear is all that stands in the way of freedom.
A red solar halo crumbled122 as the sun rose in the east, and in the predawn light the sorghum wasso still it seemed ready to burst. Uncle Arhat walked up to the mules, the rosy123 colour of dawn inhis eyes and bitter loathing124 in his heart. The mules stood calmly, motionlessly. Uncle Arhatraised his hoe, took aim on the hind51 leg of one of them, and swung with all his might. A coldshadow fell on the leg. The mule swayed sideways a couple of times, then straightened up, as abrutish, violent, stupefying, wrathful bray80 erupted from its head. The wounded animal thenarched its rump, sending a shower of hot blood splashing down on Uncle Arhat’s face. Seeing anopening, he swung at the other hind leg. A sigh escaped from the black mule as its rump settledearthwards and it sat down hard, propped125 up by its forlegs, its neck jerked taut126 by the tether; itbleated to the blue-grey heavens through its gaping127 mouth. The hoe, pinned beneath its rump,jerked Uncle Arhat into a squatting128 position. Mustering129 all his strength, he managed to pull itfree.
The second mule stood stupidly, eyeing its fallen comrade and braying piteously, as thoughpleading for its life. When Uncle Arhat approached, dragging his hoe behind him, the mulebacked up until the tether seemed about to part and the post began to make cracking sounds.
Dark-blue rays of light flowed from its fist-sized eyeballs.
‘Scared? You damned beast! Where’s your arrogance130 now? You evil, ungrateful, parasiticbastard! You ass-kissing, treacherous131 son of a bitch!’
As he spat132 out wrathful obscenities, he raised his hoe and swung at the animal’s long,rectangular face. It missed, striking the tethering post. By twisting the handle up and down, backand forth, he finally managed to free the head from the wood. The mule struggled so violentlythat its rear legs arched like bows, its scrawny tail was noisily sweeping133 the ground. Uncle Arhattook careful aim at the animal’s face – crack – the hoe landed smack134 on its broad forehead,emitting a resounding135 clang as metal struck bone, the reverberation136 passing through the woodenhandle and stinging Uncle Arhat’s arms. Not a sound emerged from the black mule’s closedmouth. Its legs and hooves jerked and twitched137 furiously before it crashed to the ground like acapsized wall, snapping the tether in two, with one end hanging limply from the post and theother coiled beside the dead animal’s head. Uncle Arhat watched quietly, his arms at his sides.
The shiny wooden handle buried in the mule’s head pointed to heaven at a jaunty138 angle.
A barking dog, human shouts, dawn. The curved outline of a blood-red sun rose above thesorghum field to the east, its rays shining down on the black hole of Uncle Arhat’s open mouth.
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收听单词发音
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1
sorghum
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| n.高粱属的植物，高粱糖浆，甜得发腻的东西 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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restive
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| adj.不安宁的，不安静的 | |
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calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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confiscate
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| v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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vats
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| varieties 变化，多样性，种类 | |
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aroma
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| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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untying
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| untie的现在分词 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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bastard
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| n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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buddy
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| n.（美口）密友，伙伴 | |
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prodded
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| v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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prod
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| vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；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。 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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38
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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41
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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42
flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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43
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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44
rattan
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| n.藤条，藤杖 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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46
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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47
numbly
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| adv.失去知觉，麻木 | |
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48
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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49
specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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50
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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51
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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52
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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53
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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54
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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55
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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56
slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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57
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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58
gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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59
rib
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| n.肋骨，肋状物 | |
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60
lugged
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| vt.用力拖拉（lug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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61
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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62
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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63
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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64
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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65
stinking
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| adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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66
exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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67
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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68
skids
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| n.滑向一侧( skid的名词复数 )；滑道；滚道；制轮器v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的第三人称单数 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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69
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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70
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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71
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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72
ceramic
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| n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺 | |
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73
illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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74
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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75
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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76
muddled
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| adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子 | |
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77
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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78
kernels
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| 谷粒( kernel的名词复数 )； 仁； 核； 要点 | |
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79
brayed
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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80
bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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81
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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82
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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83
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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84
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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85
mildewy
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| adj.发霉的 | |
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86
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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88
herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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89
tarpaulin
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| n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽 | |
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90
tarpaulins
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| n.防水帆布，防水帆布罩( tarpaulin的名词复数 ) | |
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91
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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92
razed
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| v.彻底摧毁，将…夷为平地( raze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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94
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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95
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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96
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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97
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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98
winked
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| 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 | |
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99
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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100
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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101
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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102
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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103
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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104
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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106
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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107
merging
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| 合并（分类） | |
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108
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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109
intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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110
graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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111
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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112
braying
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的现在分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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113
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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114
gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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115
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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116
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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117
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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118
bucking
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| v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的现在分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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119
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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120
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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121
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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122
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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123
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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124
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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125
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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126
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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127
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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128
squatting
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| 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。 | |
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129
mustering
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的现在分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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130
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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131
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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132
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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133
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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134
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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135
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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136
reverberation
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| 反响； 回响； 反射； 反射物 | |
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137
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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138
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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