Chapter 81

I know my survival is hard to believe. When I think back, Ican hardly believe it myself.
My crude exploitation of Richard Parker's weak sea legs isnot the only explanation. There is another: I was the source offood and water. Richard Parker had been a zoo animal as longas he could remember, and he was used to sustenance¹ comingto him without his lifting a paw. True, when it rained and thewhole boat became a rain catcher, he understood where thewater came from. And when we were hit by a school of flyingfish, there too my role was not apparent. But these events didnot change the reality of things, which was that when helooked beyond the gunnel, he saw no jungle that he couldhunt in and no river from which he could drink freely. Yet Ibrought him food and I brought him fresh water. My agencywas pure and miraculous². It conferred power upon me. Proof:
I remained alive day after day, week after week. Proof: he didnot attack me, even when I was asleep on the tarpaulin³. Proof:
I am here to tell you this story.

1 sustenance   

n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

2 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

3 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。