Chapter 50

A well-built teenaged boy in a soiled black leather studded vest and black jeans was crouched¹, waiting for us in the far corner of the cellar. He had a crowbar. He leaped up and began swinging it over his head. He was growling³. It had to be Irwin Snyder, the boy who had killed his parents. He was so damn young, just seventeen.  What had gotten into his head?
Gold fangs⁴ protruded⁵ from his mouth. Contacts made his eyes appear blood-red. His nose and eyebrows⁶ were pierced with at least a dozen gold and silver tiny hoops⁷. He was tightly muscled and over six feet tall. He’d been a star football player before he suddenly dropped out of school.
Snyder continued to growl² at us. He stood in an oozing⁸ groundwater puddle⁹ and didn’t seem aware of it. His eyes were glazed¹⁰ and seemed to be set way back in his skull¹¹.
‘Back off!’he shouted.’Y’all have no idea how much shit you’re in.  Y’all have no goddamn idea! Get the fuck out of here! Get out of our house!’He was serious; he believed every word he said.  He was still swinging the heavy, rusted¹² crowbar. We stopped moving. I wanted to hear whatever he had to say.  ‘What kind of shit are we in?’ I asked Snyder.  ‘I know who you are!’ he shouted, spraying spit all the way .across the room. He was in a murderous rage. He looked stoned beyond comprehension.
‘Who am I?’ I asked him. How could he know?
‘You’re fucking Cross, that’s who,’ he said, and bared long canine¹³ teeth, the smile of a madman. His answer shook me up. ‘The rest of /all are FBI dogs! Y’all deserve to die! You will! The Cross don’t work here, assholes.’
‘Why did you kill your mother and father?’ Kyle asked from his place on the stairs.
‘To free’m,’Snyder sneered¹⁴.’Now, they’re free as little birdies in the air.’
‘I don’t believe you,’I said. “That’s bullshit.’
He continued to growl like a barnyard dog.’Smarter than you look.
Cross.’
‘Why did you use metal fangs when you bit them? What does the Tiger mean, Irwin?’ I asked another couple of questions.  ‘You already know, or you wouldn’t ask,’ he said, and laughed wickedly. His real teeth were yellow and nicotine-stained. His black jeans were filthy¹⁵, and looked as if they’d been dipped in ashes. The leather vest had studs missing. The cellar smelled awful, like spoiled meat. What had happened down here? I almost didn’t want to know.
‘Why did you kill your parents?’ I asked again.  ‘Killed them to free myself,’he screamed.’Killed their asses¹⁶ ‘cause I follow the Tiger.’
‘Who’s the Tiger? What does the Tiger mean?’
His eyes danced with mischief¹⁷.’Oh, you’ll see soon enough. You’ll see. Then you’ll wish you hadn’t.’
He reached into his jeans and I rushed him. Irwin Snyder had a stiletto knife in his right hand. He swiped the knife at me and I pivoted¹⁸ away.
I wasn’t fast enough, and the blade sliced my arm. It burned like hell. Snyder screeched¹⁹ in triumph. He lunged at me again. Fast, athletic²⁰, forward.
I managed to wrestle²¹ the knife from his hand, but he bit into my right shoulder. He went for my neck! Kyle and the others were all over him now.
‘Goddamn it!’I yelled in pain. I punched his face. He bit me again.
This time on the back of my hand. Damn, it hurt!
The FBI agents had trouble pinning him down as he hurled²² a stream of curses and threats at all of us. They were afraid of being bitten.
‘Now you’re one of us!’he screeched at me.’You’re one of us! Now you can meet the Tiger,’ he howled, and laughed, grinned like a madman.

1 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

2 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

3 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

4 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 protruded   

v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The child protruded his tongue. 那小孩伸出舌头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The creature's face seemed to be protruded, because of its bent carriage. 那人的脑袋似乎向前突出，那是因为身子佝偻的缘故。 来自英汉文学

6 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

7 hoops   

n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓

参考例句：

• a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
• Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

8 oozing   

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

参考例句：

• Blood was oozing out of the wound on his leg. 血正从他腿上的伤口渗出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wound had not healed properly and was oozing pus. 伤口未真正痊瘉，还在流脓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

10 glazed   

adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神

参考例句：

• eyes glazed with boredom 厌倦无神的眼睛
• His eyes glazed over at the sight of her. 看到她时，他的目光就变得呆滞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

12 rusted   

v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I can't get these screws out; they've rusted in. 我无法取出这些螺丝，它们都锈住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My bike has rusted and needs oil. 我的自行车生锈了，需要上油。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 canine   

adj.犬的，犬科的

参考例句：

• The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。
• Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

14 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

15 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

16 asses   

n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人

参考例句：

• Sometimes I got to kick asses to make this place run right. 有时我为了把这个地方搞得像个样子，也不得不踢踢别人的屁股。 来自教父部分
• Those were wild asses maybe, or zebras flying around in herds. 那些也许是野驴或斑马在成群地奔跑。

17 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

18 pivoted   

adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling. 他一把把地拉着，两条老迈的腿儿和肩膀跟着转动。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• When air is moving, the metal is pivoted on the hinge. 当空气流动时，金属板在铰链上转动。 来自辞典例句

19 screeched   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• She screeched her disapproval. 她尖叫着不同意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The car screeched to a stop. 汽车嚓的一声停住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

21 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

22 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》