Chapter 72

In my case, to protect myself from Richard Parker while Itrained him, I made a shield with a turtle shell. I cut a notchon each side of the shell and connected them with a length ofrope. The shield was heavier than I would have liked, but dosoldiers ever get to choose their ordnance¹?
The first time I tried, Richard Parker bared his teeth, rotatedhis ears full round, vomited² a short guttural roar and charged.
A great, full-clawed paw rose in the air and cuffed³ my shield.
The blow sent me flying off the boat. I hit the water andinstantly let go of the shield. It sank without a trace afterhitting me in the shin. I was beside myself with terror – ofRichard Parker, but also of being in the water. In my mind ashark was at that very second shooting up for me. I swam forthe raft in frantic⁴ strokes, precisely⁵ the sort of wild thrashingthat sharks find so deliciously inviting⁶. Luckily there were nosharks. I reached the raft, let out all the rope and sat with myarms wrapped around my knees and my head down, trying toput out the fire of fear that was blazing within me. It was along time before the trembling of my body stopped completely.
I stayed on the raft for the rest of that day and the wholenight. I did not eat or drink.
I was at it again next time I caught a turtle. Its shell wassmaller, lighter⁷, and made for a better shield. Once more Iadvanced and started stamping on the middle bench with myfoot.
I wonder if those who hear this story will understand thatmy behaviour was not an act of insanity⁸ or a covert⁹ suicideattempt, but a simple necessity. Either I tamed him, made himsee who was Number One and who was Number Two – or Idied the day I wanted to climb aboard the lifeboat duringrough weather and he objected.
If I survived my apprenticeship¹⁰ as a high seas animal trainer,it was because Richard Parker did not really want to attackme. Tigers, indeed all animals, do not favour violence as ameans of settling scores. When animals fight, it is with theintent to kill and with the understanding that they may bekilled. A clash is costly¹¹. And so animals have a full system ofcautionary signals designed to avoid a showdown, and they arequick to back down when they feel they can. Rarely will a tigerattack a fellow predator¹² without warning. Typically a head-onrush for the adversary¹³ will be made, with much snarling¹⁴ andgrowling. But just before it is too late, the tiger will freeze, themenace rumbling¹⁵ deep in its throat. It will appraise¹⁶ thesituation. If it decides that there is no threat, it will turn away,feeling that its point has been made.
Richard Parker made his point with me four times. Fourtimes he struck at me with his right paw and sent meoverboard, and four times I lost my shield. I was terrifiedbefore, during and after each attack, and I spent a long timeshivering with fear on the raft. Eventually I learned to read thesignals he was sending me. I found that with his ears, his eyes,his whiskers, his teeth, his tail and his throat, he spoke¹⁷ asimple, forcefully punctuated¹⁸ language that told me what hisnext move might be. I learned to back down before he liftedhis paw in the air.
Then I made my point, feet on the gunnel, boat rolling, mysingle-note language blasting from the whistle, and RichardParker moaning and gasping¹⁹ at the bottom of the boat.
My fifth shield lasted me the rest of his training.

1 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

2 vomited   

参考例句：

• Corbett leaned against the wall and promptly vomited. 科比特倚在墙边，马上呕吐了起来。
• She leant forward and vomited copiously on the floor. 她向前一俯，哇的一声吐了一地。 来自英汉文学

3 cuffed   

v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She cuffed the boy on the side of the head. 她向这男孩的头上轻轻打了一巴掌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother cuffed the dog when she found it asleep on a chair. 妈妈发现狗睡在椅子上就用手把狗打跑了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

5 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

6 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

7 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

8 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

9 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

10 apprenticeship   

n.学徒身份；学徒期

参考例句：

• She was in the second year of her apprenticeship as a carpenter. 她当木工学徒已是第二年了。
• He served his apprenticeship with Bob. 他跟鲍勃当学徒。

11 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

12 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

13 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

14 snarling   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• "I didn't marry you," he said, in a snarling tone. “我没有娶你，"他咆哮着说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• So he got into the shoes snarling. 于是，汤姆一边大喊大叫，一边穿上了那双鞋。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

15 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

16 appraise   

v.估价，评价，鉴定

参考例句：

• An expert came to appraise the value of my antiques.一位专家来对我的古玩作了估价。
• It is very high that people appraise to his thesis.人们对他的论文评价很高。

17 spoke   

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。

18 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”