Chapter 39

I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on the half-unrolledtarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below. It was a miracle Ididn't hurt myself. I lost the life jacket, except for the whistle,which stayed in my hand. The lifeboat had been loweredpartway and left to hang. It was leaning out from its davits,swinging in the storm, some twenty feet above the water. Ilooked up. Two of the men were looking down at me, pointingwildly at the lifeboat and shouting. I didn't understand whatthey wanted me to do. I thought they were going to jump inafter me. Instead they turned their heads, looked horrified², andthis creature appeared in the air, leaping with the grace of aracehorse. The zebra missed the tarpaulin¹. It was a male Grant,weighing over five hundred pounds. It landed with a loud crashon the last bench, smashing it and shaking the whole lifeboat.
The animal called out. I might have expected the braying³ of anass or the neighing of a horse. It was nothing of the sort. Itcould only be called a burst of barking, a kwa-ha-ha,kwa-ha-ha, kwa-ha-ha put out at the highest pitch of distress⁴.
The creature's lips were widely parted, standing⁵ upright andquivering, revealing yellow teeth and dark pink gums. Thelifeboat fell through the air and we hit the seething⁶ water.

1 tarpaulin   

n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽

参考例句：

• The pool furniture was folded,stacked,and covered with a tarpaulin.游泳池的设备都已经折叠起来，堆在那里，还盖上了防水布。
• The pool furniture was folded,stacked,and covered with a tarpaulin.游泳池的设备都已经折叠起来，堆在那里，还盖上了防水布。

2 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

3 braying   

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

参考例句：

• A donkey was braying on the hill behind the house. 房子后面的山上传来驴叫声。 来自互联网
• What's the use of her braying out such words? 她粗声粗气地说这种话有什么用呢？ 来自互联网

4 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

5 standing   

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。

6 seething   

沸腾的，火热的

参考例句：

• The stadium was a seething cauldron of emotion. 体育场内群情沸腾。
• The meeting hall was seething at once. 会场上顿时沸腾起来了。