Chapter 87

One of my favourite methods of escape was what amountsto gentle asphyxiation¹. I used a piece of cloth that I cut fromthe remnants of a blanket. I called it my dream rag. I wet itwith sea water so that it was soaked but not dripping. I laycomfortably on the tarpaulin² and I placed the dream rag onmy face, fitting it to my features. I would fall into a daze³, notdifficult for someone in such an advanced state of lethargy tobegin with. But the dream rag gave a special quality to mydaze. It must have been the way it restricted my air intake⁴. Iwould be visited by the most extraordinary dreams, trances,visions, thoughts, sensations, remembrances. And time would begobbled up. When a twitch⁵ or a gasp⁶ disturbed me and therag fell away, I'd come to full consciousness, delighted to findthat time had slipped by. The dryness of the rag was partproof. But more than that was the feeling that things weredifferent, that the present moment was different from theprevious present moment.

1 asphyxiation   

n. 窒息

参考例句：

• Objective Inquiry into the heavy asphyxiation rescues measure of the new born. 摘要目的探讨新生儿重度窒息抢救的措施。
• Self-contained breathing apparatus(SCBA) may be required to prevent asphyxiation of rescue personnel. 可能要求有自给式呼吸器(SCBA)，以防止救援人员窒息。

2 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。

3 daze   

v.(使)茫然，(使)发昏

参考例句：

• The blow on the head dazed him for a moment.他头上受了一击后就昏眩了片刻。
• I like dazing to sit in the cafe by myself on Sunday.星期日爱独坐人少的咖啡室发呆。

4 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

5 twitch   

v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛

参考例句：

• The smell made my dog's nose twitch.那股气味使我的狗的鼻子抽动着。
• I felt a twitch at my sleeve.我觉得有人扯了一下我的袖子。

6 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。