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Chapter 3
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D+03:14:26 (SPARTAN1-117 Mission Clock) / Surface.

Up ahead the Master Chief saw a light so bright that it seemed to competewith the sun. It originated somewhere beyond the rocks and trees ahead,surged up between the horns of a large U-shaped construct, and raced intothe sky where the planet Threshold served as a pastel backdrop. Was thepulse some sort of beacon2? Part of what held the ring world together? Therewas no way for him to know.

Cortana had already warned the Spartan that a group of Marines had crash-landed in the area, so he wasn’t surprised to hear the rattle4 of automaticweapons fire or the characteristic whine5 as Covenant6 energy weapons answeredin kind.

He eased his way through the scrub and onto the hillside above the U-shapededifice and the blocky structures that surrounded it. He could see a groupof Grunts8, Jackals, and Elites9 dashing back and forth11 as they tried tooverwhelm a group of Marines.

Rather than charge in, assault weapon blazing, the Master Chief chose to usehis M6D pistol instead. He raised the weapon, activated13 the 2Xmagnification, and took careful aim. A series of well-placed shots knocked atrio of Grunts off their feet.

Before the Covenant forces could locate where the incoming fire hadoriginated, the Master Chief opened fire on a blue-armored Elite10. It took afull magazine to put the warrior14 down, but it beat the hell out of goingtoe-to-toe with the alien when there wasn’t any need to.

The quick, unexpected sniping attack gave the Marines the opportunity theyneeded. There was a quick flurry of fire as the Spartan made his way downthe slope, paused to strip some plasma15 grenades off a dead Grunt7, and waswelcomed by a friendly private. “Good to see you, Chief. Welcome to theparty.”

The Spartan’s reply was a curt16 nod. “Where’s your CO, Private?”

“Back there,” the Marine3 said. He turned and called over his shoulder.

“Hey, Sarge!”

The Master Chief recognized the tough-looking Sergeant17 who trotted18 to jointhem. He’d last seen Sergeant Johnson during a search-and-destroy runaboard one of Reach’s orbital docking facilities.

“What’s your status here, Sergeant?”

“It’s a mess,” Johnson growled20. “We’re scattered21 all over thisvalley.” He paused, and added in a quiet voice, “We called for evac, butuntil you showed up, I thought we were done for.”

“Don’t worry,”Cortana said over the Spartan’s external speakers,“we’llstay here till evac arrives. I’ve been in touch with AI Wellsley. TheHelljumpers are in the process of taking over some Covenant real estate—andone of the Pelicans23 has been dispatched to pick you up.”

“Glad to hear it,” Johnson replied. “Some of my people need medicalattention.”

“Here comes another Covenant dropship,” the Private put in. “It’s timeto roll out the welcome mat!”

“Okay, Bisenti,” Johnson barked. “Re-form the squad25. Let’s get towork.”

The Master Chief looked up and saw that the Marine was correct—anotherCovenant landing craft hovered26 for a moment, then dropped close to theground. The oddly shaped vehicle dipped slightly, and the mandiblestructures that formed the bulk of the dropship’s fuselage hinged open. Aclutch of Grunts and an Elite dropped to the ground.

The Master Chief moved fifty meters to the right, and raised his pistol onceagain. In seconds, a team of Marines poured fire into the Covenant LZ andflushed them out. As the aliens scattered and dove for cover, the Spartanput them down one by one.

There was a brief respite27, and the Master Chief paused to survey thesituation. Cortana pulled up the Marine positions, tagged them asFIRE TEAM C ,and highlighted their locations on his HUD. Several of them had climbed thelarge structure that dominated the area, and the rest patrolled theperimeter.

He had just readied his assault rifle when a Marine voice called out:

“Contact! Enemy dropship sighted! They’re trying to flank us!”

Seconds later, the Spartan’s motion sensor28 painted a contact—a large one—nearby. He stayed close to a large boulder29 and used it for cover, thencautiously checked for targets.

The dropship disgorged another contingent31 of troops—including a trio ofJackals. Their distinctive32, glowing shields flared33 as Sergeant Johnson’smen opened fire. Bullets ricocheted as the birdlike aliens crouched34 behindtheir protective devices, like medieval footmen forming a shield wall.

Behind them, more Grunts and a blue Elite spread out in an envelopingformation. It was a good tactic35, particularly if there were more dropshipsinbound. Eventually, the Covenant would wear down the Marine defenses andoverrun the position.

There was just one problem with their plan: He was in a perfect flankingposition. He crouched, then sprinted37 forward into the Jackal’s line. Hisassault rifle barked and bullets tore into the exposed aliens. They hadbarely hit the ground as the Spartan spun38, primed a captured plasma grenade,and threw it at the Elite, almost thirty meters away.

The alien only had time to roar in surprise before the glowing plasma orbstruck him in the center of his helmet. The weapon fused to the alien’shelmet and began to pulse a sickly blue-white. A moment later, as the alienattempted to tear off his helmet, the grenade detonated.

After that it was a relatively40 simple matter for the Master Chief to movethrough the ruins and hunt down the remainder of the Covenant reactionforce.

A welcome voice sounded from his radio receiver.“This is Echo 419. Doesanyone read me? Repeat: any UNSC personnel, respond.”

Cortana was quick to reply on the same frequency.“Roger, Echo 419, we readyou. This is Fire Team Charlie. Is that you, Foehammer?”

“Roger, Fire Team Charlie,”Foehammer drawled,“it’s good to hear fromyou!”

There was a distant rumbling41, and the Master Chief turned to identify thesource of the noise. In the distance, he saw movement—lifeboats, trailingsmoke and fire as their friction-heated hulls42 tore through the atmosphere.

“They’re coming in fast,” Cortana warned. “If they make it down, theCovenant will be right on top of them.”

The Chief nodded. “Then we should find them first.”

“Foehammer, we need you to disengage your Warthog. The Master Chief and Iare going to see if we can save some soldiers.”

“Roger.”

The Pelican22 rounded the spire43 of the alien structure, circled the area once,then hovered above the crest44 of a nearby hill. Slung45 beneath the Pelican wasa four-wheeled vehicle—an M12 LRV Warthog. The light reconnaissance vehiclehung beneath the dropship for a moment, then dropped to the ground asFoehammer released it from her craft. The Warthog bounced once on its heavysuspension, slid five meters down the hill, then was still.

“Okay, Fire Team Charlie—one Warthog deployed46,”Foehammer said.“Saddle upand give ’em hell!”

“Roger, Foehammer, stand by to load survivors47 and evac them to safety.”

“That’s affirmative . . . Foehammer out.”

As the Marines sprinted for the Pelican, the Master Chief made his way tothe Warthog. The all-terrain48 vehicle was mounted with a standard M41 lightantiaircraft gun, or LAAG. The weapon fired five hundred rounds of 12.7X99mmarmor-piercing rounds per minute and was effective on both ground andairborne targets. The vehicle was capable of carrying up to three soldiers,and one Marine had already taken his place behind the gun. His rank and IDscrolled across the Spartan’s display:PFC .FITZGERALD ,M .

“Hey, Chief!” Fitzgerald said. “Sergeant Johnson said you could use agunner.”

The Spartan nodded. “That’s right, Private. There’s two boatloads ofMarines on the far side of that ridge50, and we’re going after them.”

Fitzgerald pulled the gun’s charging lever back toward his chest, andreleased it with a metallic51 snap. A shell slipped into the first of theweapon’s three barrels. “I’m your man, Chief! Let’s roll.”

The Master Chief pulled himself up behind the wheel, started the engine, andstrapped himself into the seat. The engine roared and the wheels kicked upgeysers of dirt. The Warthog accelerated to the top of a rise, caught someair, and landed with a spine-jarring thump52.

“I put a nav indicator53 on your HUD,” Cortana said, “just follow thearrow.”

“Figures,” the Spartan said, a hint of amusement in his level voice. “Youalways were a backseat driver.”

True to the aircraft’s nickname, Keyes heard the Banshee long before heactually caught a glimpse of the attack aircraft. The alien pilot had themon his sensors—Keyes was sure of that—and it wouldn’t be long beforeanother team dropped out of the sky in an attempt to root them out.

The hills, which had seemed so welcoming when the command party firstlanded, had been transformed into a hellish landscape where the humansscuttled from one rocky crevice54 to the next, always on the run, and neverallowed to rest.

They had faced capture on three different occasions, but each time CorporalWilkins and his Marines had managed to blow a hole in the Covenant’stightening net and lead the naval55 personnel to safety.

But for how much longer?Keyes wondered. The continuous scrambling56 throughthe rocks, the lack of sleep, and the constant danger not only left themexhausted but levied58 a toll59 on morale60 as well.

Abiad, Lovell, and Hikowa were still in fairly good shape, as were Wang andSingh, but Ensign Dowski had started to crack. It had started with a littleself-concerned whining61, grown into a stream of nonstop complaints, and nowthreatened to escalate62 into something worse.

The humans were gathered in a dry grotto63. Jagged rocks projected over theirheads to provide some protection from the Banshee above. Wang knelt next tothe thin, dirt-choked stream that gushed64 through the rocky passageway. Hesplashed water on his face. Singh was busy filling the command party’scanteens while Dowski sat on a rock and glowered65. “They know where weare,” the junior officer said accusingly, as if her commanding officer weresomehow at fault.

Keyes sighed. “ ‘They know where we are,sir .’ ”

“Okay,” the Ensign replied, “They know where we are,sir . So why continueto run? They’ll catch us in the end.”

“Maybe,” Keyes agreed as he dabbed66 ointment67 onto a burst blister68, “andmaybe not. I’ve been in contact with both Cortanaand Wellsley. They’reboth busy at the moment, but they’ll send help as soon as they can. In themeantime, we tie up as many of their resources as possible, avoid capture,and kill some of the bastards69 if we can.”

“For what?” Dowski demanded. “Soyou can make Admiral? I submit thatwe’ve done all we could reasonably be expected to do, that the longer wedelay the harsher the Covenant will be. It makes sense to surrendernow .”

“And you are anidiot ,” Lieutenant70 Hikowa put in, her eyes blazing withuncharacteristic anger. “First of all, the Captain rates the honorific‘sir.’ You will render that honorific or I will plant my foot in your ass12.

“Secondly, use your brain, assuming that you have one. The Covenantdoesn’t take prisoners, everyone knows that, so surrender equals death.”

“Oh, yeah?” Dowski said defiantly71. “Well, why haven’t they alreadykilled us then? They could strafe us with cannons72, fire rockets into therocks, or drop bombs on our position, but they haven’t. Explainthat .”

“Explainthis ,” Singh said, inserting the barrel of his M6D into theEnsign’s left ear. “I’m starting to think that you look a lot like aGrunt. Lovell . . . check her face. I’ll bet it peels right off.”

Keyes closed the fastener on the light-duty deck shoes, wished he had a pairof combat boots like the Marines wore, and knew Dowski was partiallycorrect, insubordination aside. Itdid seem as though the aliens were intenton capturing his party rather than killing74 them, but why? It didn’t squarewith their behavior in the past.

Of course, the Covenant had changed tactics on him before—when he’d beatenthe tar30 out of them at Sigma Octanus, and again when they’d returned thefavor at Reach.

The officer watched the tableau75 as it unfolded in front of him. Hikowa stoodwith her fists on her hips36, face contorted with anger, while Singh screwedhis weapon into Dowski’s ear. The rest of the bridge crew were frozen,uncertain. The Marines weren’t present, thank God, but it would be na.ve tothink they weren’t aware of the Ensign’s opinions, or of the discord76 amongtheir superiors. The enlisted77 ranksalways knew, one way or another. So, whatto do? Dowski wasn’t about to change her mind, that was obvious, and shewas becoming a liability.

The Banshee whined78 loudly as it passed over the grotto for the second time.

They needed to move and do it soon.

“Okay,” Keyes said, “you win. I should charge you with cowardice,insubordination, and dereliction of duty, but I’m a little pressed fortime. So I hereby give you permission to surrender. Hikowa, relieve her ofher weapon, ammo, and pack. Singh, truss her up. Nothing too tight . . .

just enough so she can’t follow us.”

A look of horror came over Dowski’s face. “You’re going to leave me? Allby myself? With no supplies?”

“No,” Keyes answered calmly, “youwanted to surrender, remember? TheCovenant will keep you company, and as for supplies, well, I have no ideawhat sort of rations79 they eat, but it should be interesting if they allowyou a last meal. Bon appétit.”

Dowski started to babble80 incoherently but Singh grew tired of it, shoved abattle dressing81 into the Ensign’s mouth, and used some all-purpose repairtape to hold it in place. He used some of the same tape to hog-tie theofficer. “That should keep her out of trouble for a while.”

Rocks clattered82 as Corporal Wilkins and two of his fellow Marines made theirway down the streambed. The noncom saw Dowski, nodded as if everything wereperfectly normal, and looked to Keyes. “A Covenant dropship landed a squadof Elites about one klick to the south, sir. It’s time to move.”

The Naval officer nodded. “Thank you, Corporal. The command team is ready.

Please lead the way.”

Meanwhile, a few hundred meters above, and half a klick to the north, theElite named Ado ’Mortumee put his Banshee into a wide turn, and watched thedropship touch down. There weren’t many places to land, which meant thatonce on the ground his fellow Elites would still have a ways to go.

Rather than drop hundreds of troops onto the rocky hillsides, and leave themto scramble83 over the exhausting up-and-down terrain, the Covenant commandstructure decided84 to use its air superiority to locate the humans andcapture them.

And there,’Mortumee mused,is the problem. Locating the aliens is one thing—capturing them is another. During the time since they had landed, thehumans had proven themselves to be quite resourceful. Not only had theyevaded capture, they had killed six of their pursuers, who, acting85 understrict orders to take the aliens alive, were at a considerable disadvantage.

It made more sense simply to kill the humans. Of course, he was a mere86 pilotand soldier, not privy87 to the machinations of the Prophets or the ShipMasters.

After the human lifeboat had been located, it wasn’t long before Covenantscouts found Isna ’Nosolee’s body, and ran a check on his identity.

Intelligence was notified, official wheels began to turn, and the Covenantcommanders were confronted with a problem: Why would an Ossoona risk hislife to board a human lifeboat and ride it to the surface? The answer seemedobvious: Because someone important was on that boat.

All of which served to explain why none of the humans had been killed. Therewas no way to knowwhich alien ’Nosolee had been after—so all of them hadto be preserved. ’Mortumee glanced down at the instruments arrayed in frontof him. A change! A string of seven heat blobs was winding88 its way toarbitrary “north,” while one remained behind. What did that signify?

It wasn’t long before ’Mortumee’s Banshee circled above the grotto.

Dowski wrestled89 to free herself from the tape, and the Covenant closed inaround her.

Smoke swirled90 around the top of the butte as a Pelican pilot made use of his70mm chin gun to silence a Covenant gun emplacement. Satisfied that theCovenant plasma turret—a powerful weapon that could be easily deployed andrecovered—was silent, he dropped down to within four feet of the top of thebutte.

Fifteen ODST Helljumpers—three more than the Pelican’s operational maximum—leaped from the Pelican’s troop bay and fanned out.

Cramming92 extra troops into a Pelican was a risky93 move, but Silva wanted toput as many soldiers as possible on the mesa, and Lieutenant “Cookie”

Peterson knew his ship. The Pelican was still in reasonably good shape, hehad the best maintenance crew in the Navy—what more could a pilot ask for?

Peterson felt the dropship drift upward as the Marines bailed94 out, and hefought to keep the ship steady and level. He spotted95 movement in the landingzone. The chin gun—linked to his helmet sensors—followed the movement ofPeterson’s head. He spotted a column of Covenant troopers and fired. Theheavy rotary96 cannon73 uttered a throaty roar and pounded the enemy formationinto a puddle97 of blue-green paste.

As the last of the Helljumpers jumped off, the Crew Chief yelled “Clear!”

over the intercom. Peterson fired the ship’s belly98 jets, demandedadditional power from the twin turbine engines, and left the butte behind.

“This is Echo 136,” the pilot said into his mike. “We are green, clean,and extremely mean. Over.”

“Roger that,” Wellsley replied emotionlessly. “Please return to way pointtwo-five for another load of troopers. And, if you’re going to insist onpoetry, try some Kipling. You might find some of it rather instructive. Overand out.”

Peterson grinned, directed a one-fingered salute99 in the general direction ofbattalion HQ, and banked the dropship into a wide turn.

Resistance had slackened within minutes of the first landing, which allowedLieutenant Melissa McKay and the surviving members of her company to advanceupward. A significant number of the path’s defenders101 were pulled away in alast-ditch attempt to hold their position.

McKay discovered that the path was blocked by an ancient rockfall aboutthirty meters up, but saw the side door that was located just downhill ofit, and knew what the aliens had been trying to defend. Here was the backdoor, the way she could enter the butte’s interior, and push upward fromthere.

Plasma fire stuttered out of the entryway, struck the cliff above her head,and blew rocky divots out of the smooth surface.

McKay motioned for her troops to retreat back around the pillar’s broadcurvature, and waved a hand in the air. “Hey, Top! I need a launcher!”

The company sergeant was six troopers back so that a single well-placedgrenade couldn’t kill both leaders at once. He signaled assent102, bawled103 anorder, and passed one of the M19s forward.

McKay accepted the weapon from the private behind her, checked to ensurethat it packed a full load of rockets, and inched around the curve. Plasmafire sizzled out of the door, but the officer forced herself to remainperfectly still. She triggered the weapon’s 2X scope, sighted carefully,and squeezed the trigger. The tube jumped as the 102mm rocket raced away,sailed through the hole, and detonated with a loud roar.

There must have been some ammo stored inside, because there was a blue-whitesecondary explosion which shook the rock beneath the ODST officer’s boots.

A gout of fire flared from the side of the cliff.

It was difficult to imagine anyone or anything having survived such a blast,so McKay passed the launcher to the rear, and waved her troops forward.

There was a cheer as the Marines ran up the path, shouldered their waythrough the smoke, and entered the butte’s ancient interior. There werebodies, or whathad been bodies. Fortunately, the tunnel was intact.

A couple of troopers collected plasma weapons, tried them out on the nearestwall, and added them to their personal armament.

Others, McKay included, stared up through a thirty-meter-wide well towardthe circle of daylight above. She saw a shadow pass overhead as one of thePelicans dropped even more Helljumpers onto the mesa. The distantthump! of afrag grenade detonation104 made dust and loose soil tumble down on them.

“Hey, Loot,” Private Satha said, “what’s the deal withthis ?”

Satha stomped105 on the floor and it rang in response. That was when McKayrealized that she and her troops were standing106 on a large metal grating.

“What’s it for?” the private wondered aloud. “To keep us out?”

McKay shook her head. “No, it looksold , too old to have been put in placeby the Covenant.”

“I found a lift!” one of the Marines yelled. “That’s what it looks like,anyway—come check it out!”

McKay went to investigate. Was this a way to reach the mesa? Her bootdislodged a shell casing which fell through one of the grating’srectangular holes and dropped into the darkness below. It was a long timebefore it could be heard clanging off ancient stone.

Silva, Wellsley, and the rest of the Major’s headquarters organization wereon top of the butte waiting for her by the time McKay rode the antigrav liftto the surface and stepped out into the harsh sunlight. She blinked as shelooked around.

Bodies lay everywhere. Some wore Marine green but the vast majority weredressed in the rainbow colors that the Covenant used to identify its variousranks and specialties107. A squad of Helljumpers moved through the carnage,searching for wounded humans, and kicking corpses108 to make sure that theenemy soldiers were actually dead. One of them attempted to rise andreceived a burst from an assault weapon for his trouble.

“Welcome to Alpha Base,” Major Silva said as he arrived at McKay’s side.

“You and your company did a damn good job, Lieutenant. Wellsley will havethe rest of the battalion100 up here within the hour. It looks like I owe youthat beer.”

“Yes, sir,” McKay replied happily. “You sure as hell do.”

The tunnel washuge , plenty large enough to handle a Scorpion110 tank, whichmeant that the Master Chief had little difficulty steering111 the Warthogthrough the initial opening.

He’d almost missed the entry, at the bottom of a large dry wash. Cortana’ssensors had identified the entrance to the tunnel system. “It’s not anatural formation,” she’d warned him.

That meant someone built it. Logically, it meant that the tunnelledsomewhere—and it might shave precious time off his search for the crashedlifeboats.

Once inside, things became a little more difficult as the Spartan was forcedto maneuver112 the LRV up ramps113, through a series of tight turns, and right tothe very edge of a pit.

A quick recon confirmed that the gap was narrow enough to jump, assuming the’Hog had a running start. The Master Chief backed away, warned the gunnerto hang on, and put his foot to the floor. The LRV raced up the ramp114, sailedthrough air, and jounced to a hard landing on the other side.

“I’m picking up lots of Covenant traffic,” Cortana said. “It sounds likeMajor Silva and the Helljumpers have captured an enemy position. If we canround up the rest of the survivors, and find Captain Keyes, we’ll have achance to coordinate115 some serious resistance.”

“Good,” the Master Chief answered. “It’s about time something broke ourway.”

The Warthog’s headlights swung across ancient walls as the Spartan turnedthe wheel, and the LRV emerged into a large open area, dotted withmysterious installations. It was dark; the road ended in front of a deepchasm. It wasn’t long before Covenant troops emerged like maggots spillingout of a rotting corpse109.

Plasma fire splashed across the Warthog’s windscreen. The Spartan dove fromthe vehicle, crouched near the driver’s-side front tire, and drew hispistol. Fitzgerald opened up with the LAAG and swept the area with fire.

Spent shell casings rained all around them.

The Chief peered over the edge of the Warthog. They were dangerouslyexposed. The roadway they’d been using was devoid117 of cover, elevatedroughly three meters above the rest of the massive vaulted118 chamber119. Worse,it bisected the chamber, which left them exposed on virtually all sides.

The giant enclosure was dimly lit; visibility was poor and the muzzle120 flashfrom the Warthog’s gun played hell with his night vision. He blinked hiseyes to clear them, then activated his pistol’s scope.

The metal floor dropped away to either side, and every surface was engravedwith the strange geometric patterns that festooned Halo’s mysteriousarchitecture. Set well back from their position were a number of smallstructures, pillars, and support pylons121. The Covenant were dug in amongthem.

A Grunt popped out from cover, his plasma pistol glowing green—he’dovercharged the weapon. The little SOBs122 liked to dump energy into theweapon, and discharge it all at once. It drained the weapon damn quick, butit also inflicted123 hellish damage on a target. A pulsing green-white orb19 ofplasma sizzled past the Warthog.

The Master Chief returned fire, then dropped back behind the ’Hog.

“Fitzgerald,” he barked. “Keep fire on them. I’ll move up on the leftand take them out.”

“Got it.” The tribarreled gun thundered, and fire hosed the Covenantposition.

The Spartan was prepared to charge ahead and into the fight when his motionsensor painted movement from the rear. The LAAG ceased fire as Fitzgeraldyelled in pain and fell from the back of the Warthog. The Marine’s helmetcracked into the metal floor.

A shard124 of glassy, translucent125 material, tapered126 to a wicked point,protruded from the Marine’s bicep. The shard glowed a ghostly purple.

“Goddamn it!” Fitzgerald grunted127, as he tried to regain128 his footing. Twoseconds later, the purple shard exploded, and blood sprayed from the wound.

Fitzgerald howled in agony.

There was no time to tend to Fitzgerald’s injuries. A pair of Gruntscharged up the slight incline and opened fire. A barrage129 of the glassyprojectiles arced toward them and ricocheted madly from the Warthog.

They were too close. The Chief fired at the nearest Grunt, three shots insuccession. A trio of bullet pocks formed a neat cluster in the alien’schest. The Grunt’s partner squealed131 in anger and brought his gun to bear—an odd, hunchbacked device with a ridge of the glassy projectiles130 protrudingfrom it like dorsal132 fins133. The weapon spat24 purple-white needles at him.

He sidestepped and slammed the butt91 of the pistol into the Grunt’s head.

The alien’s skull134 caved in. He kicked the corpse back down the incline.

Fitzgerald had crawled to cover behind the Warthog. He was pale, but didn’tlook shocky yet. The Spartan grabbed a first aid kit135 and expertly treatedthe wound. Self-sealing bio-foam filled the wound, packed it off, and numbedit. The young Marine would need some stitches and some time to rebuild thetorn, savaged136 muscle of his arm, but he’d live—if either of them made itout of here alive.

“You okay?” he asked the wounded soldier. Fitzgerald nodded, wiped sweatfrom his forehead with a bloody137 hand, then struggled back to his feet.

Without another word, he manned the LAAG.

It took the better part of fifteen minutes for the Master Chief and thegunner to sweep the area clear of Covenant forces. The Spartan patrolled theperimeter. To the left of the Warthog, the chamber stretched roughly eightymeters, then ended—as did the road ahead—in a massive chasm116.

“Any ideas?” he asked Cortana.

There was a brief pause as the AI examined the data. “The roadway aheadends in a gap, but it’s logical to assume that there’s some kind of bridgemechanism. Find the controls that extend the bridge and we should be able toget across.”

He nodded. He turned back and crossed the roadway and headed off to theright of the parked Warthog. As he passed the vehicle, he called over hisshoulder to Fitzgerald. “Wait here. I’m going to find us a way across.”

The Master Chief marched across the chamber, and checked the odd structuresthat dotted the landscape. Some were illuminated139 by the dim glow from somekind of light panels, but there was no indication what powered them, or whatthe structures contained.

He frowned. There didn’t seem to be any sign of mechanisms140 or controls. Hewas about to head back to the Warthog and backtrack their course, thenstopped. He stared at one of the massive pillars that stretched to theceiling far overhead.

There was nothing down here, but perhaps the mechanism138 he sought was abovethem.

He moved as far to the end of the area as he could. Unlike the opposite sideof the chamber, this half was bordered by a high, grooved141 metal wall. Hefollowed the edge of the barrier and was gratified to locate a gap in thewall—a doorway142.

Inside, a ramp led up twenty meters, then turned ninety degrees to the left.

The Spartan drew his pistol, activated his helmet lamp, and crept up theramp.

His caution was justified143. As he reached the top, his motion sensor showed acontact—right on top of him. He ducked around the corner just in time tomeet the charge of a crimson-armored Elite. The Elite growled a challengeand swung a vicious blow at the Chief’s head.

He ducked, and his shields took the brunt of the blow. He fired at point-blank range, not even bothering to aim. The Elite reared and returned fireand plasma blasts slashed144 through the narrow corridor.

In one fluid motion, the Chief drew, primed, and dropped a frag grenade,practically at the Elite’s feet. The alien warbled in surprise as theSpartan spun and ducked back around the corner.

He was rewarded by a flash of smoke and fire. A spray of purple-black bloodsplashed the metal wall. He rounded the corner, pistol at the ready, andstepped over the Elite’s smoking corpse.

The Chief continued along the corridor, which opened onto a narrow ledge145.

Directly to his right, the thick metal walls stretched up and out of sight.

To his left, the metal sloped away at a steep angle that led back to themain floor, that gradually gave way to the yawning abyss as he continuedforward. Ahead of him, there was a pulsing glow, like the strobe of aPelican’s running lights.

He stopped at the source of the light: A pair of small, glowing orbs39 hungsuspended above a roughly rectangular frame of blue matte metal. Floatingwithin the frame were a series of pulsing, shifting displays—semitransparent, like Cortana’s holographic appearance, though there was novisible projection146 device. The display’s shimmering147 geometric patternsnagged at him, as if he should recognize them somehow. Even with hisenhanced memory, he couldn’t place where he’d seen them before. They justseemed . . . familiar.

He reached a finger out to one of the symbols, a blue-green circle. TheSpartan expected his finger to pass through nothing more than air. He wassurprised when his finger met resistance—and the panel lights began topulse more quickly.

“What did you do?” Cortana asked, her voice alarmed. “I’m detecting anenergy spike148.”

“I . . . don’t know,” the Spartan admitted. He wasn’t sure why hetouched the “button” on the display. He just knew it felt right.

There was a high-pitched whine and, from his vantage point, he could see thegap in the roadway in the distance. At its edges, harsh white light spranginto view, forming a path across the break in the road, like a flashlightbeam in smoke.

The light brightened, and there was a tremendous ripping sound. “I’mshowing a lot of photonic activity,” Cortana said. “The excited photonshave displaced the air around the light path.”

“Which means?”

“Which means,” she continued, “that the light has become coherent.

Solid.”

She paused, then added, “How did you know what control to push?”

“I didn’t. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

The ride across the light bridge was harrowing. He had tested the phenomenonwith his foot, and discovered that it was as solid and unyielding as rock.

Then he’d shrugged149, told Fitzgerald to hang on, and sped the Warthogdirectly at the beam of illumination. He could hear Fitzgerald alternatebetween cursing and praying as they drove over the seemingly bottomlesschasm on nothing more than a beam of light.

Once on the other side, they followed the tunnel out into the valley beyond,where the Master Chief guided the ’Hog up through a scattering150 of rocks andtrees, to the top of a grassy151 rise. A sheer cliff threatened to blockprogress to the right, forcing them to stay to the left, as they headedtoward a gap to the south.

The vehicle splashed through a shallow river. They saw the mouth of apassageway off to the right, decided that it would be best to investigate,and guided the all-terrain vehicle up through a rocky pass.

It was only a matter of minutes before the Warthog arrived on a ledge thatlooked out over a valley below. The Master Chief could see a UNSC lifeboatand a scattering of Covenant troops, but no Marines. Not a good sign.

A vaguely152 pyramidal structure rose to dominate the very center of thevalley. The Master Chief saw a pulse of light race toward the sky, and knewthat the structure had to be similar to whatever caused the flash he’d seenearlier.

There was only a moment to take in the situation before the aliens openedfire and the gunner replied in kind. It was time to put the ’Hog intomotion. The Master Chief drove as the M41 LAAG whirred and rattled153 behindhim. Marine Fitzgerald shouted, “You like that? Here, have some more!” andfired another sustained burst. A pair of Grunts rolled in oppositedirections, as a squat154, long-armed Jackal was cut in half, and the heavy-caliber slugs blew divots out of the ground beyond.

As the LRV swung past the pyramid, Cortana said, “There are some Marineshiding up on the hill. Let’s give them a hand.”

The Spartan aimed for a gap between two trees and saw a tall, angular Elitestep out from cover. The Elite raised a weapon but was quickly transformedinto a speed bump as the Warthog knocked him down and the huge tires crushedhis body.

The Marines appeared soon after that, holding their assault weapons in theair, and calling greetings. A sergeant nodded. “It’s good to see you,Chief. It was starting to get a little bit warm around here.”

Covenant forces made a run at the hill after that, but the 12.7X99 mm roundsmade short work of them, and the slope was soon littered with their bodies.

The Master Chief heard a burst of static, followed by Foehammer’svoice.“Echo 419 to Cortana . . . come in.”

“We read you, 419. We have survivors and need immediate155 dust-off.”

“Roger, Cortana. On my way. I spotted additional lifeboats in your area.”

“Acknowledged,”Cortana answered.“We’re on our way.”

It took the better part of the afternoon to check the interlocking valleys,locate the rest of the survivors, and deal with the Covenant forces whoattempted to interfere156. But finally, having rounded up a total of sixty-three Marines and naval personnel, the Spartan watched Echo 419 land for thelast time, and jumped aboard. Foehammer looked back over her shoulder. “Youput in a long day, Chief. Nice job. Our ETA at Alpha Base is thirtyminutes.”

“Acknowledged,” the Spartan said. He exhaled157, then softened158 his clippedtone. He allowed himself to lean back against the bulkhead and added,“Thanks for the ride.”

Thirty seconds later he was asleep.

Captain Jacob Keyes stood, hands on knees, panting in front of a verticalcliff face. He and the rest of the command party had been running off and onfor three hours. Even the Marines were exhausted57, as the shadow cast by theCovenant dropship drifted over them and blocked the sun.

Keyes considered making use of Dowski’s pistol to fire at the aircraft butcouldn’t summon the energy. The voice that boomed through the externallymounted speakers was all too familiar.“Captain Keyes? This is Ellen Dowski.

This is a box canyon159. There’s no place for you to run. You might as wellpack it in.”

The darkness cast by the ship shifted as the aircraft lowered itself ontothe bottom of the canyon. The engines howled and blew dust in all directionsbefore eventually spooling160 down. A hatch opened and Dowski jumped to theground. She appeared to be unharmed and wore what could only be described asa self-satisfied smirk161. “You see? It’s just like I told you it would be.”

A half dozen veteran Elites dropped to the ground, followed by a brace162 ofGrunts. All were heavily armed. Gravel163 crunched164 as they approached the cliffface. One of the aliens spoke165, his booming voice warbling the human speechwith detectable166 discomfort167. “You will drop your weapons.Now. ”

The command crew looked at Keyes. He shrugged, bent168 over, and laid the M6Don the ground. The others did likewise.

The Grunts scurried169 about and collected the weapons. One of them chortled inhis own language, as he collected all three of the Marines’ assaultweapons, and carried them away.

“Which?” the Elite with the translator demanded, and looked at Dowski.

“That one!” the renegade officer proclaimed, and pointed170 at Keyes.

Hikowa started forward. “You little bitch! I’ll—”

No one ever learned what Hikowa would do, because the Elite shot her dead.

Keyes lunged forward and attempted to tackle the Elite, to no avail. Alightning-fast blow clipped the side of his head, hard enough that hisvision grayed out. He fell to the dirt.

The Elite was methodical. Starting with the Marines, he shot each capturedhuman in the head. Wang attempted to run but a plasma bolt hit him betweenthe shoulder blades. Lovell made a grab for the pistol, and took a blast tothe face.

Keyes struggled to his feet again, dizzy and disoriented, and attempted torush the Elite. He was clubbed to the ground a second time. Hikowa’s deadeyes stared vacantly back at him.

Finally, after the last plasma bolt had been fired and while the odor ofburned flesh still hung in the air, only two members of the command crewwere still alive: Keyes and Dowski. The Ensign was pale. She shook her headand wrung171 her hands. “I didn’t know, sir, honest I didn’t. They told me—”

The Elite snapped up a fallen M6D pistol and shot Dowski. The bullet hit herin the center of her forehead. The pistol’s report echoed down the canyon.

The Ensign’s eyes rolled back in her head, her knees gave way, and shecollapsed in a heap.

The Elite turned the M6D over in his hand. The weapon was small comparedtohis pistol—and his finger didn’t fit easily inside the trigger guard.

“Projectiles. Very primitive172. Take him away.”

Keyes felt the other Elites grab him by the arms and drag him up a ramp intothe dropship’s murky173 interior. It seemed that the Covenant’s rules hadchanged again. Now theydid take prisoners—just not very many. The shiplifted, and the only human to survive sincerely wished that he hadn’t.

Alpha Base didn’t offer a whole lot of amenities174, but the Spartan took fulladvantage of what few there were. First came a full ten hours of completelyuninterrupted sleep, followed by components175 selected from two MREs, or MealsReady to Eat, and a two-minute hot shower.

The water was provided by the ring itself, the heat was courtesy of aCovenant power plant, and the showerhead had been fabricated by one of thetechs from thePillar of Autumn . Though brief, the shower felt good,verygood, and the Spartan enjoyed every second of it.

The Master Chief had dried off, scrounged a fresh set of utilities, and wasjust about to run a routine maintenance check on his armor when a privatestuck his head into the Spartan’s quarters, a prefab memory-plastic cubiclethat had replaced the archaic176 concept of tents.

“Sorry to bother you, Chief, but Major Silva would like to see you in theCommand Post . . . on the double.”

The Spartan wiped his hands with a rag. “I’ll be right there.”

The Master Chief was just about to take the armor off standby when theMarine reappeared. “One more thing . . . The Major said to leave your armorhere.”

The Spartan frowned. He didn’t like to be separated from his armor,especially in a combat zone. But an order was an order, and until hedetermined what had happened to Keyes, Silva was in command.

He nodded. “Thank you, Private.” He checked to ensure that his gear wassquared away, activated the armor’s security system, and buckled177 an M6Daround his waist.

The Major’s office was located in Alpha Base’s CP, the centermost of thealien structures at the top of the butte. He made his way through the halls,and down a bloodstained corridor. A pair of manacled Grunt POWs were hard atwork scrubbing the floor under the watchful178 gaze of a Navy guard.

Two Helljumpers stood guard outside of Silva’s door. Both looked extremelysharp for troopers who had been in combat the day before. They favored theSpartan with the casually179 hostile look that members of the ODST reserved foranyone or anything that wasn’t part of their elite organization. The largerof the pair eyed the noncom’s collar insignia. “Yeah, Chief, what can wedo for you?”

“Master Chief SPARTAN-117, reporting to Major Silva.”

“SPARTAN-117” was the only official designation he had in the eyes of themilitary. It occurred to him that, after Reach fell, there was no one leftwho knew his name was John.

“SPARTAN-117?” the smaller of the two Marines inquired. “What the hellkind of name is that?”

“Look who’s talking,” McKay interrupted, as she approached the MasterChief from behind. “That’s a pretty strange question coming from a guynamed Yutrzenika.”

Both of the Helljumpers laughed, and McKay waved the Spartan through thedoor. “Never mind those two, Chief. They’re jump happy. My name is McKay.

Go on in.”

The Spartan said “Thank you, ma’am,” took three steps forward, and foundhimself standing in front of a makeshift desk. Major Silva looked up fromwhat he was doing and met the Master Chief’s eyes. The Chief snapped toattention. “Sir! Master Chief SPARTAN-117, reporting as ordered, sir!”

The chair had been salvaged180 from a UNSC lifeboat. It made a gentle hissingnoise as Silva leaned backward. He held a stylus which he used to tap hislips. That was the moment when most officers would have said, “At ease,”

and the fact that he didn’t was a clear indication that something waswrong. But what?

McKay circled around to Silva’s left, where she leaned on the wall andwatched the scene through hooded181 eyes. She wore her hair Helljumper style,short on the sides so that the tattoos182 on her scalp could be seen, and flaton top. She had green eyes, a slightly flattened183 nose, and full lips. Itmanaged to be both a soldier’s faceand a woman’s face at the same time.

When Silva spoke, it was as if he could read the Spartan’s mind. “So,you’re wondering who I am, and what this is all about. That’sunderstandable, especially given your elite status, your close relationshipwith Captain Keyes, and the fact that we now know he has been captured.

Loyalty184 is a fine thing, one of the many virtues185 for which the military isknown, and a quality I admire.”

Silva stood and started to pace back and forth behind his chair. “However,there is a chain of command, which means that you report tome .Not toKeyes,not to Cortana, andnot to yourself.”

The Marine stopped, turned, and looked the Master Chief square in the eye.

“I thought it would be a good idea for you and I to pull a com check. So,here’s the deal. I’m short a Captain, so Lieutenant McKay is serving as myExecutive Officer. If either one of us says ‘crap,’ then I expect you toask ‘what color, how much, and where do you want it?’ Do you read me?”

The Chief stared for a moment and clenched186 his jaw187. “Perfectly, sir.”

“Good. Now one more thing. I’m familiar with your record and I admire it.

You are one helluva soldier. That said, you are also afreak , the lastremaining subject in a terribly flawed experiment, and one which shouldnever be repeated.”

McKay watched the Master Chief’s face. His hair was worn short, not asshort as hers, but short. He had serious eyes, a firm mouth, and a strongjaw. His skin hadn’t been exposed to the sun for a long time and it waswhite,too white, like something that lived in the deep recesses188 of a cave.

From what she had heard he had been a professional soldier since the age ofsix, which meant he was an expert at controlling what showed on his face,but she could see the words hit like bullets striking a target. Nothingovert, just a slight narrowing of the eyes, and a tightness around hismouth. She looked at Silva, but if the Major was aware of the changes, hedidn’t seem to care.

“The whole notion of selecting people at birth, screwing with their minds,and modifying their bodies is wrong. First, because the candidates have nochoice, second, because the subjects of the program are transformed intohuman aliens, and third, because the Spartan program failed.

“Are you familiar with a man named Charles Darwin? No, probably not,because he never went to war. Darwin was a naturalist189 who proposed a theorycalled ‘natural selection.’ Simply put, he believed that those speciesbest equipped to survive would do so—while other, less effective organismswould eventually die out.

“That’s what happened to the Spartans190, Chief:They died out. Or will, onceyou’re gone. And that’s where the ODST comes in. It was the Helljumperswho took this butte, son—not a bunch of augmented191 freaks dressed in fancyarmor.

“When we push the Covenant back, which I sincerely believe we will, thatvictory will be the result of work by men and women like Lieutenant McKay.

Human beings who are razor-sharp, metal tough, and green to the core. Do youread me?”

The Master Chief remembered Linda, James, and all the rest of the seventy-three boys and girls with whom he learned to fight. All dead, all labeled as“freaks,” all dismissed as having been part of a failed experiment. Hetook a deep breath.

“Sir, no sir!”

There was a long moment of silence as the two men stared into each other’seyes. Finally, after a good five seconds had elapsed, the Major nodded. “Iunderstand. ODSTs are loyal to our dead, as well. But that doesn’t changethe facts. The Spartan program isover . Human beings will win this war . . .

so you might as well get used to it. In the meantime, we need every warriorwe have—especially those who have more medals than the entire general staffput together.”

Then, as if some sort of switch had been thrown, the ODST officer’s entiredemeanor changed. He said, “At ease,” invited both of his guests to sitdown, and proceeded to brief the Master Chief on his upcoming mission. TheCovenant had Captain Keyes, recon had confirmed it, and Silva was determinedto get him back.

Though their ship had been damaged by thePillar of Autumn during her brieframpage through the system, the Covenant’s Engineers were hard at workmaking repairs to theTruth and Reconciliation193 . Now, hovering194 only a fewhundred units off Halo’s surface, the ship had become a sort of de factoheadquarters for those assigned to “harvest” the ring world’s technology.

The warship195 was at the very center of the command structure’s activities.

The corridors were thick with officer Elites, major Jackals, and veteranGrunts. There was also a scattering of Engineers, amorphous-lookingcreatures held aloft by gas bladders, who had a savantlike ability todismantle, repair, and reassemble any complex technology.

But all of them, regardless of how senior they might be, hurried to get outof the way as Zuka ’Zamamee marched through the halls, closely followed bya reluctant Yayap. Not because of his rank, but because of his appearanceand the message it sent. The arrogant197 tilt198 of his head, the space-blackarmor, and the steadyclick-clack of his heels all seemed to radiateconfidence and authority.

Still, formidable as ’Zamamee was, no one was allowed onto the command deckwithout being screened, and no less than six black-clad Elites were waitingwhen he and his aide stepped off the gravity lift. If these Elites wereintimidated by their fellow’s demeanor192 they gave no sign of it.

“Identification,” one of them said brusquely, and extended his hand.

’Zamamee dropped his disk into the other warrior’s hand with the air ofsomeone who was conferring a favor on a lesser199 being.

The security officer accepted ’Zamamee’s identity disk and dropped it intoa handheld reader. Data appeared and scrolled49 from right to left. “Placeyour hand in the slot.”

The second machine took the form of a rectangular black box which stoodabout five units high. Green light sprayed out of a slot located in thestructure’s side.

’Zamamee did as instructed, felt a sudden stab of pain as the machinesampled his tissue, and knew that a computer was busy comparing his DNA200 withthat on file. Not because he might be human, but because politics were rifewithin the Covenant, and there had been a few assassinations201 of late.

“Confirmed,” the Elite said. “It appears as though you are the same Zuka’Zamamee that’s scheduled to meet with the Council of Masters fifteenunits from now. The Council is running behind schedule, however, so you’llhave to wait. Please hand all personal weapons to me. There’s a waitingroom over there—but the Grunt will have to remain outside. You will becalled when the Council is ready.”

Though not burdened by his energy rifle, which he had given to Yayap tocarry, the Elite did have a plasma pistol, which he surrendered butt first.

’Zamamee made his way into the makeshift holding area and discovered that anumber of other beings had been forced to wait as well. Most sat hunchedover, kept to themselves, and stared at the deck.

Making matters even worse was the fact that, rather than first come, firstserved, it seemed as though rank definitely had its privileges, and the mostsenior penitents202 were seen first.

Not that the Elite could complain. Had it not been forhis rank the Councilwould never have agreed to see him atall . But finally, after what seemedlike an eternity203, ’Zamamee was ushered204 into the chamber where the CommandCouncil had convened205.

A minor206 Prophet sat, legs folded, at the center of a table which curvedaround a podium at which the Elite was clearly expected to stand. Whenever agust of air hit the exalted207 one he seemed to bob slightly, suggesting thatrather than sit on a chair, he preferred to let his antigrav belt supporthim, either as a matter of habit, or as a stratagem208 designed to remindothers of who and what he was. Something ’Zamamee not only understood, butadmired.

The Prophet wore a complex headpiece. It was set with gemstones and wiredfor communications. A silver mantle196 rested on his shoulders and supported afancifully woven cluster of gold wires which extended forward to place amicrophone in front of his bony lips. Richly embroidered209 red robes cascadeddown over his lap and fell to the deck. Obsidian210 black eyes tracked theElite all the way to the podium while an assistant whispered in his ear.

The other Elite, an aristocrat211 named Soha ’Rolamee, raised a hand palmoutward. “I greet you ’Zamamee. How is your wound? Healing nicely, Ihope.”

’Rolamee outranked ’Zamamee by two full levels. The junior officer gloriedin the respectful manner with which the other Elite had greeted him. “Thankyou, Excellency. I will heal.”

“Enough,” the Prophet said officiously, “we’re running late, so let’sget on with it. Zuka ’Zamamee comes before the Council seeking specialdispensation to take leave of the unit he commands, in order to locate andkill one particular human. A rather strange notion, since all of them lookalike and are equally annoying. However, according to our records, thisparticular human is responsible for hundreds of Covenant casualties.

“The Council notes that Officer ’Zamamee was wounded during an encounterwith this human, and reminds Officer ’Zamamee that the Covenant has notolerance for personal vendettas212. Please keep that in mind as you make yourcase, and be mindful of the time. A measure of brevity will serve youwell.”

’Zamamee lowered his eyes as a signal of respect. “Thank you, Excellency.

Our spies suspect that the individual in question was raised to be a warriorfrom a very young age, surgically213 altered to enhance his abilities, andfurnished with armor which may be superior to our own.”

“Better than our own?” the Prophet inquired, his tone making it clear thathe considered such a possibility extremely unlikely. “Mind your words,Officer ’Zamamee. The technology underlying214 the armor you wear camestraight from the Forerunners215. To say that it is in any way inferior vergeson sacrilege.”

“Still, what ’Zamamee says is true,” ’Rolamee put in. “The files arefull of reports which, though contradictory216 in some cases, all make mentionof one or more humans clad in reactive special armor. Assuming that theeyewitness accounts are accurate, it appears that this individual or groupof individuals can absorb a great deal of punishment without sufferingpersonal injury, have exceptional combat skills, and demonstrate superiorleadership capabilities217. Wherever he or they appear, other humans rally andfight with renewed vigor218.”

“Exactly,” ’Zamamee said gratefully. “Which is why I recommend that aspecial Hunter-Killer team be commissioned to find the human and retrievehis armor for analysis.”

“Noted,” the Prophet said gravely. “Withdraw while the Council confers.”

’Zamamee had little choice but to lower his eyes, back away from thepodium, and turn to the door. Once out in the hallway, the Elite wasrequired to wait for only a few units before his name again was called, andhe was ushered back into the room. ’Zamamee saw that both the Prophet andthe second Elite had disappeared, leaving ’Rolamee to deliver the news.

The other officer stood as if to reduce the width of the social gap thatseparated them. “I regret, ’Zamamee, that the Prophet places little weighton the reports, labeling them ‘combat-induced hysteria.’ More than that,we all agreed that you are far too valuable an asset to expend219 on a singletarget. Your request has been denied.”

’Zamamee knew that ’Rolamee had invented the “far too valuable” aspectof his report in order to cushion the blow, but appreciated the intentbehind the words. Though severely220 disappointed, he was a soldier, and thatmeant following orders. He lowered his eyes. “Yes, Excellency. Thank you,Excellency.”

Yayap saw the Elite emerge, read the slight droop221 of his shoulders, and knewhis prayers had been answered. The Council had denied the Elite’s insanerequest, he would be allowed to return to his unit, and life would return tonormal.

If ’Zamamee had been intimidating222 on his way to see the Council, he was agood deal less so on his way out. He walked even faster, however, forcingYayap to break into a run. The Grunt weaved his way through the foot trafficarrayed in front of him and struggled to keep pace with ’Zamamee.

Yayap squealed in surprise when he slammed into the back of ’Zamamee’sarmored legs; the Elite had come to a sudden halt. The Grunt noticed withunease that his new master’s hands were clenched. He followed ’Zamamee’sgaze and spotted a group of four Jackals.

They dragged a uniformed human between them.

Keyes had just been interrogated223 for the third time. Some sort of neuralshock treatment had been administered to make him talk, and his nerveendings continued to buzz as the aliens prodded224 his back, yelledincomprehensible gibberish into his ears, and laughed at his discomfort. Hetasted his own blood.

The procession came to a sudden stop as an Elite in black combat armorblocked the way, pointed a long slender finger at the human, and said “You!

Tell me where the I can find the human who wears the special armor.”

Keyes looked up, struggled to focus his eyes, and faced the alien. He sawthe dressing and guessed the rest. “I don’t have the foggiest idea,” hesaid. He managed a weak smile. “But the next time you run into him, youmight consider ducking.”

’Zamamee took a full step forward and backhanded the human across the face.

Keyes staggered, recovered his balance, and wiped a trace of blood away fromthe corner of his mouth. He locked eyes with the alien for the second time.

“Go ahead—shoot me.”

Yayap saw the Elite consider doing just that, as his right hand went to thepistol, touched the butt, and fell away. Then, without another word,’Zamamee walked away. The Grunt followed. Somehow, by means Yayap wasn’tquite sure of, the human had won.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 spartan 3hfzxL     
adj.简朴的,刻苦的;n.斯巴达;斯巴达式的人
参考例句:
  • Their spartan lifestyle prohibits a fridge or a phone.他们不使用冰箱和电话,过着简朴的生活。
  • The rooms were spartan and undecorated.房间没有装饰,极为简陋。
2 beacon KQays     
n.烽火,(警告用的)闪火灯,灯塔
参考例句:
  • The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
  • The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。
3 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
4 rattle 5Alzb     
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
参考例句:
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
5 whine VMNzc     
v.哀号,号哭;n.哀鸣
参考例句:
  • You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
  • The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上,一声尖厉的呼啸,跳飞开去。
6 covenant CoWz1     
n.盟约,契约;v.订盟约
参考例句:
  • They refused to covenant with my father for the property.他们不愿与我父亲订立财产契约。
  • The money was given to us by deed of covenant.这笔钱是根据契约书付给我们的。
7 grunt eeazI     
v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝
参考例句:
  • He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
  • I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽,他只哼了一声。
8 grunts c00fd9006f1464bcf0f544ccda70d94b     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说; 石鲈
参考例句:
  • With grunts of anguish Ogilvie eased his bulk to a sitting position. 奥格尔维苦恼地哼着,伸个懒腰坐了起来。
  • Linda fired twice A trio of Grunts assembling one mortar fell. 琳达击发两次。三个正在组装迫击炮的咕噜人倒下了。
9 elites e3dbb5fd6596e7194920c56f4830b949     
精华( elite的名词复数 ); 精锐; 上层集团; (统称)掌权人物
参考例句:
  • The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
  • Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。
10 elite CqzxN     
n.精英阶层;实力集团;adj.杰出的,卓越的
参考例句:
  • The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
  • We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。
11 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
12 ass qvyzK     
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人
参考例句:
  • He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
  • An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。
13 activated c3905c37f4127686d512a7665206852e     
adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。
14 warrior YgPww     
n.勇士,武士,斗士
参考例句:
  • The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
  • A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。
15 plasma z2xzC     
n.血浆,细胞质,乳清
参考例句:
  • Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
  • The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分,不包含各种细胞。
16 curt omjyx     
adj.简短的,草率的
参考例句:
  • He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
  • He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。
17 sergeant REQzz     
n.警官,中士
参考例句:
  • His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
  • How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹?
18 trotted 6df8e0ef20c10ef975433b4a0456e6e1     
小跑,急走( trot的过去分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走
参考例句:
  • She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
  • Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。
19 orb Lmmzhy     
n.太阳;星球;v.弄圆;成球形
参考例句:
  • The blue heaven,holding its one golden orb,poured down a crystal wash of warm light.蓝蓝的天空托着金色的太阳,洒下一片水晶般明亮温暖的光辉。
  • It is an emanation from the distant orb of immortal light.它是从远处那个发出不灭之光的天体上放射出来的。
20 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
22 pelican bAby7     
n.鹈鹕,伽蓝鸟
参考例句:
  • The pelican has a very useful beak.鹈鹕有一张非常有用的嘴。
  • This pelican is expected to fully recover.这只鹈鹕不久就能痊愈。
23 pelicans ef9d20ff6ad79548b7e57b02af566ed5     
n.鹈鹕( pelican的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Kurt watched the Pelicans fire their jets and scorch the grass. 库尔特看着鹈鹕运兵船点火,它们的喷焰把草烧焦。 来自互联网
  • The Pelican Feeding Officers present an educational talk while feeding the pelicans. 那个正在喂鹈鹕的工作人员会边喂鹈鹕边给它上一节教育课。 来自互联网
24 spat pFdzJ     
n.口角,掌击;v.发出呼噜呼噜声
参考例句:
  • Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
  • There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。
25 squad 4G1zq     
n.班,小队,小团体;vt.把…编成班或小组
参考例句:
  • The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
  • A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。
26 hovered d194b7e43467f867f4b4380809ba6b19     
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
参考例句:
  • A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
  • A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。
27 respite BWaxa     
n.休息,中止,暂缓
参考例句:
  • She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。
  • Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。
28 sensor sz7we     
n.传感器,探测设备,感觉器(官)
参考例句:
  • The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
  • He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。
29 boulder BNbzS     
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
参考例句:
  • We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
  • He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
30 tar 1qOwD     
n.柏油,焦油;vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于
参考例句:
  • The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
  • We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。
31 contingent Jajyi     
adj.视条件而定的;n.一组,代表团,分遣队
参考例句:
  • The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
  • Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。
32 distinctive Es5xr     
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的
参考例句:
  • She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
  • This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。
33 Flared Flared     
adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
  • The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭,但它突然又燃烧起来。
34 crouched 62634c7e8c15b8a61068e36aaed563ab     
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。
35 tactic Yqowc     
n.战略,策略;adj.战术的,有策略的
参考例句:
  • Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
  • She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。
36 hips f8c80f9a170ee6ab52ed1e87054f32d4     
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯,耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 );[建筑学]屋脊;臀围(尺寸);臀部…的
参考例句:
  • She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
  • They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》
37 sprinted cbad7fd28d99bfe76a3766a4dd081936     
v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
  • Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句
38 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
39 orbs f431f734948f112bf8f823608f1d2e37     
abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球,天体,圆形物( orb的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • So strange did It'seem that those dark wild orbs were ignorant of the day. 那双狂热的深色眼珠竟然没有见过天日,这似乎太奇怪了。 来自辞典例句
  • HELPERKALECGOSORB01.wav-> I will channel my power into the orbs! Be ready! 我会把我的力量引导进宝珠里!准备! 来自互联网
40 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
41 rumbling 85a55a2bf439684a14a81139f0b36eb1     
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。
42 hulls f3061f8d41af9c611111214a4e5b6d16     
船体( hull的名词复数 ); 船身; 外壳; 豆荚
参考例句:
  • Hulls may be removed by aspiration on screens. 脱下的种皮,可由筛子上的气吸装置吸除。
  • When their object is attained they fall off like empty hulls from the kernel. 当他们的目的达到以后,他们便凋谢零落,就象脱却果实的空壳一样。
43 spire SF3yo     
n.(教堂)尖顶,尖塔,高点
参考例句:
  • The church spire was struck by lightning.教堂的尖顶遭到了雷击。
  • They could just make out the spire of the church in the distance.他们只能辨认出远处教堂的尖塔。
44 crest raqyA     
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
参考例句:
  • The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
  • He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。
45 slung slung     
抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往
参考例句:
  • He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩,挎在肩上。
  • He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。
46 deployed 4ceaf19fb3d0a70e329fcd3777bb05ea     
(尤指军事行动)使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 ); 施展; 部署; 有效地利用
参考例句:
  • Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
  • The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。
47 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
48 terrain sgeyk     
n.地面,地形,地图
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。
49 scrolled 313315b0796120af40f9657f89e85dc9     
adj.具有涡卷装饰的v.(电脑屏幕上)从上到下移动(资料等),卷页( scroll的过去式和过去分词 );(似卷轴般)卷起;(像展开卷轴般地)将文字显示于屏幕
参考例句:
  • Wherever the drop target can possibly be scrolled offscreen, the program needs to auto-scroll. 无论拖放的目标对象是否在屏幕之外,程序都需要自动滚动。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
  • If It'still is then you've not scrolled up enough lines. 如果还在说明你向上滚动的行数不够。 来自互联网
50 ridge KDvyh     
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭
参考例句:
  • We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
  • The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。
51 metallic LCuxO     
adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的
参考例句:
  • A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me.外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。
  • He picked up a metallic ring last night.昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。
52 thump sq2yM     
v.重击,砰然地响;n.重击,重击声
参考例句:
  • The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。
  • The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。
53 indicator i8NxM     
n.指标;指示物,指示者;指示器
参考例句:
  • Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
  • His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。
54 crevice pokzO     
n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝;缺口
参考例句:
  • I saw a plant growing out of a crevice in the wall.我看到墙缝里长出一棵草来。
  • He edged the tool into the crevice.他把刀具插进裂缝里。
55 naval h1lyU     
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的
参考例句:
  • He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
  • The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。
56 scrambling cfea7454c3a8813b07de2178a1025138     
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发,冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
57 exhausted 7taz4r     
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
  • Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
58 levied 18fd33c3607bddee1446fc49dfab80c6     
征(兵)( levy的过去式和过去分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税
参考例句:
  • Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
  • Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。
59 toll LJpzo     
n.过路(桥)费;损失,伤亡人数;v.敲(钟)
参考例句:
  • The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
  • The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
60 morale z6Ez8     
n.道德准则,士气,斗志
参考例句:
  • The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
  • He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。
61 whining whining     
n. 抱怨,牢骚 v. 哭诉,发牢骚
参考例句:
  • That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。
  • The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着(要进来)。
62 escalate biszi     
v.(使)逐步增长(或发展),(使)逐步升级
参考例句:
  • It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
  • Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。
63 grotto h5Byz     
n.洞穴
参考例句:
  • We reached a beautiful grotto,whose entrance was almost hiden by the vine.我们到达了一个美丽的洞穴,洞的进口几乎被藤蔓遮掩著。
  • Water trickles through an underground grotto.水沿着地下岩洞流淌。
64 gushed de5babf66f69bac96b526188524783de     
v.喷,涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 );滔滔不绝地说话
参考例句:
  • Oil gushed from the well. 石油从井口喷了出来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Clear water gushed into the irrigational channel. 清澈的水涌进了灌溉渠道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
65 glowered a6eb2c77ae3214b63cde004e1d79bc7f     
v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He just glowered without speaking. 他一言不发地皱眉怒视我。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He glowered at me but said nothing. 他怒视着我,却一言不发。 来自辞典例句
66 dabbed c669891a6c15c8a38e0e41e9d8a2804d     
(用某物)轻触( dab的过去式和过去分词 ); 轻而快地擦掉(或抹掉); 快速擦拭; (用某物)轻而快地涂上(或点上)…
参考例句:
  • She dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. 她轻轻擦了几下眼睛,擤了擤鼻涕。
  • He dabbed at the spot on his tie with a napkin. 他用餐巾快速擦去领带上的污点。
67 ointment 6vzy5     
n.药膏,油膏,软膏
参考例句:
  • Your foot will feel better after the application of this ointment.敷用这药膏后,你的脚会感到舒服些。
  • This herbal ointment will help to close up your wound quickly.这种中草药膏会帮助你的伤口很快愈合。
68 blister otwz3     
n.水疱;(油漆等的)气泡;v.(使)起泡
参考例句:
  • I got a huge blister on my foot and I couldn't run any farther.我脚上长了一个大水泡,没办法继续跑。
  • I have a blister on my heel because my shoe is too tight.鞋子太紧了,我脚后跟起了个泡。
69 bastards 19876fc50e51ba427418f884ba64c288     
私生子( bastard的名词复数 ); 坏蛋; 讨厌的事物; 麻烦事 (认为别人走运或不幸时说)家伙
参考例句:
  • Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的,不顾大局! 来自子夜部分
  • Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分
70 lieutenant X3GyG     
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员
参考例句:
  • He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
  • He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。
71 defiantly defiantly     
adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地
参考例句:
  • Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
72 cannons dd76967b79afecfefcc8e2d9452b380f     
n.加农炮,大炮,火炮( cannon的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • One company had been furnished with six cannons. 某连队装备了六门大炮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
73 cannon 3T8yc     
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮
参考例句:
  • The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
  • The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。
74 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
75 tableau nq0wi     
n.画面,活人画(舞台上活人扮的静态画面)
参考例句:
  • The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.这部电影的画面生动地描绘了军人的生活。
  • History is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.历史不过是由罪恶和灾难构成的静止舞台造型罢了。
76 discord iPmzl     
n.不和,意见不合,争论,(音乐)不和谐
参考例句:
  • These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
  • The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。
77 enlisted 2d04964099d0ec430db1d422c56be9e2     
adj.应募入伍的v.(使)入伍, (使)参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 );获得(帮助或支持)
参考例句:
  • enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
  • He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
78 whined cb507de8567f4d63145f632630148984     
v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 );哀诉,诉怨
参考例句:
  • The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句
79 rations c925feb39d4cfbdc2c877c3b6085488e     
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量
参考例句:
  • They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
  • The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。
80 babble 9osyJ     
v.含糊不清地说,胡言乱语地说,儿语
参考例句:
  • No one could understand the little baby's babble. 没人能听懂这个小婴孩的话。
  • The babble of voices in the next compartment annoyed all of us.隔壁的车厢隔间里不间歇的嘈杂谈话声让我们都很气恼。
81 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
82 clattered 84556c54ff175194afe62f5473519d5a     
发出咔哒声(clatter的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor. 他一失手,刀子当啷一声掉到石头地面上。
  • His hand went limp and the knife clattered to the ground. 他的手一软,刀子当啷一声掉到地上。
83 scramble JDwzg     
v.爬行,攀爬,杂乱蔓延,碎片,片段,废料
参考例句:
  • He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
  • It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。
84 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
85 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
86 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
87 privy C1OzL     
adj.私用的;隐密的
参考例句:
  • Only three people,including a policeman,will be privy to the facts.只会允许3个人,其中包括一名警察,了解这些内情。
  • Very few of them were privy to the details of the conspiracy.他们中很少有人知道这一阴谋的详情。
88 winding Ue7z09     
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
参考例句:
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
89 wrestled c9ba15a0ecfd0f23f9150f9c8be3b994     
v.(与某人)搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 );扭成一团;扭打;(与…)摔跤
参考例句:
  • As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。
  • Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
90 swirled eb40fca2632f9acaecc78417fd6adc53     
v.旋转,打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The waves swirled and eddied around the rocks. 波浪翻滚着在岩石周围打旋。
  • The water swirled down the drain. 水打着旋流进了下水道。
91 butt uSjyM     
n.笑柄;烟蒂;枪托;臀部;v.用头撞或顶
参考例句:
  • The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
  • He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。
92 cramming 72a5eb07f207b2ce280314cd162588b7     
n.塞满,填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 );填塞;塞满;(为考试而)死记硬背功课
参考例句:
  • Being hungry for the whole morning, I couldn't help cramming myself. 我饿了一上午,禁不住狼吞虎咽了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She's cramming for her history exam. 她考历史之前临时抱佛脚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
93 risky IXVxe     
adj.有风险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险,但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
  • He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
94 bailed 9d10cc72ad9f0a9c9f58e936ec537563     
保释,帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Fortunately the pilot bailed out before the plane crashed. 飞机坠毁之前,驾驶员幸运地跳伞了。
  • Some water had been shipped and the cook bailed it out. 船里进了些水,厨师把水舀了出去。
95 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
96 rotary fXsxE     
adj.(运动等)旋转的;轮转的;转动的
参考例句:
  • The central unit is a rotary drum.核心设备是一个旋转的滚筒。
  • A rotary table helps to optimize the beam incidence angle.一张旋转的桌子有助于将光线影响之方式角最佳化。
97 puddle otNy9     
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。
98 belly QyKzLi     
n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛
参考例句:
  • The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
  • His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。
99 salute rYzx4     
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮
参考例句:
  • Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
  • The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。
100 battalion hu0zN     
n.营;部队;大队(的人)
参考例句:
  • The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
  • At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后,队伍解散了。
101 defenders fe417584d64537baa7cd5e48222ccdf8     
n.防御者( defender的名词复数 );守卫者;保护者;辩护者
参考例句:
  • The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众,只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》
102 assent Hv6zL     
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可
参考例句:
  • I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
  • The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。
103 bawled 38ced6399af307ad97598acc94294d08     
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物)
参考例句:
  • She bawled at him in front of everyone. 她当着大家的面冲他大喊大叫。
  • My boss bawled me out for being late. 我迟到,给老板训斥了一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
104 detonation C9zy0     
n.爆炸;巨响
参考例句:
  • A fearful detonation burst forth on the barricade.街垒传来一阵骇人的爆炸声。
  • Within a few hundreds of microseconds,detonation is complete.在几百微秒之内,爆炸便完成了。
105 stomped 0884b29fb612cae5a9e4eb0d1a257b4a     
v.跺脚,践踏,重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She stomped angrily out of the office. 她怒气冲冲,重步走出办公室。
  • She slammed the door and stomped (off) out of the house. 她砰的一声关上了门,暮暮地走出了屋了。 来自辞典例句
106 standing 2hCzgo     
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。
107 specialties 4f19670e38d5e63c785879e223b3bde0     
n.专门,特性,特别;专业( specialty的名词复数 );特性;特制品;盖印的契约
参考例句:
  • Great Books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. 名著绝不引经据典,艰深难懂,而是通俗易读。它们不是专家为专业人员撰写的专业书籍。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • Brain drains may represent a substantial reduction in some labor force skills and specialties. 智力外流可能表示某种劳动力技能和特长大量减少。 来自辞典例句
108 corpses 2e7a6f2b001045a825912208632941b2     
n.死尸,尸体( corpse的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云,同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
109 corpse JYiz4     
n.尸体,死尸
参考例句:
  • What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
  • The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
110 scorpion pD7zk     
n.蝎子,心黑的人,蝎子鞭
参考例句:
  • The scorpion has a sting that can be deadly.蝎子有可以致命的螫针。
  • The scorpion has a sting that can be deadly.蝎子有可以致命的螫针。
111 steering 3hRzbi     
n.操舵装置
参考例句:
  • He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
  • Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵,口吻也马上变得温和了。
112 maneuver Q7szu     
n.策略[pl.]演习;v.(巧妙)控制;用策略
参考例句:
  • All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后,所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
  • I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。
113 ramps c6ff377d97c426df68275cb16cf564ee     
resources allocation and multiproject scheduling 资源分配和多项目的行程安排
参考例句:
  • Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。
  • He has the upper floor and ramps are fitted everywhere for his convenience. 他住在上面一层,为了他的方便着想,到处设有坡道。
114 ramp QTgxf     
n.暴怒,斜坡,坡道;vi.作恐吓姿势,暴怒,加速;vt.加速
参考例句:
  • That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
  • The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。
115 coordinate oohzt     
adj.同等的,协调的;n.同等者;vt.协作,协调
参考例句:
  • You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
  • Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。
116 chasm or2zL     
n.深坑,断层,裂口,大分岐,利害冲突
参考例句:
  • There's a chasm between rich and poor in that society.那社会中存在着贫富差距。
  • A huge chasm gaped before them.他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。
117 devoid dZzzx     
adj.全无的,缺乏的
参考例句:
  • He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
  • The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。
118 vaulted MfjzTA     
adj.拱状的
参考例句:
  • She vaulted over the gate and ran up the path. 她用手一撑跃过栅栏门沿着小路跑去。
  • The formal living room has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. 正式的客厅有一个壁炉和拱形天花板。
119 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
120 muzzle i11yN     
n.鼻口部;口套;枪(炮)口;vt.使缄默
参考例句:
  • He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
  • The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。
121 pylons 83acab7d35146f1ae87cc87cc56b9a21     
n.(架高压输电线的)电缆塔( pylon的名词复数 );挂架
参考例句:
  • A-form pylons are designed to withstand earthquake forces. A型框架式塔架设计中考虑塔架能够经受地震力的作用。 来自辞典例句
  • Who designed the arch bridge with granite-faced pylons at either end? 谁设计在拱桥两端镶有花岗岩的塔门? 来自互联网
122 sobs d4349f86cad43cb1a5579b1ef269d0cb     
啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
  • She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。
123 inflicted cd6137b3bb7ad543500a72a112c6680f     
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
  • Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。
124 shard wzDwU     
n.(陶瓷器、瓦等的)破片,碎片
参考例句:
  • Eyewitnesses spoke of rocks and shards of glass flying in the air.目击者称空中石块和玻璃碎片四溅。
  • That's the same stuff we found in the shard.那与我们发现的碎片在材质上一样。
125 translucent yniwY     
adj.半透明的;透明的
参考例句:
  • The building is roofed entirely with translucent corrugated plastic.这座建筑完全用半透明瓦楞塑料封顶。
  • A small difference between them will render the composite translucent.微小的差别,也会使复合材料变成半透明。
126 tapered 4c6737890eeff46eb8dd48dc0b94b563     
adj. 锥形的,尖削的,楔形的,渐缩的,斜的 动词taper的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The tail tapered to a rounded tip. 尾部越来越细,最后成了个圆尖。
  • The organization tapered off in about half a year. 那个组织大约半年内就逐渐消失了。
127 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
128 regain YkYzPd     
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复
参考例句:
  • He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
  • The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。
129 barrage JuezH     
n.火力网,弹幕
参考例句:
  • The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
  • The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。
130 projectiles 4aa229cb02c56b1e854fb2e940e731c5     
n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 );(炮弹、子弹等)射弹,(火箭等)自动推进的武器
参考例句:
  • These differences are connected with the strong absorption of the composite projectiles. 这些差别与复杂的入射粒子的强烈吸收有关。 来自辞典例句
  • Projectiles became more important because cannons could now fire balls over hundreds or yards. 抛射体变得更加重要,因为人们已能用大炮把炮弹射到几百码的距离之外。 来自辞典例句
131 squealed 08be5c82571f6dba9615fa69033e21b0     
v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
132 dorsal rmEyC     
adj.背部的,背脊的
参考例句:
  • His dorsal fin was down and his huge pectorals were spread wide.它的脊鳍朝下耷拉着,巨大的胸鳍大张着。
  • The shark's dorsal fin was cut off by the fisherman.鲨鱼的背鳍被渔夫割了下来。
133 fins 6a19adaf8b48d5db4b49aef2b7e46ade     
[医]散热片;鱼鳍;飞边;鸭掌
参考例句:
  • The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关,与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
  • Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句
134 skull CETyO     
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。
135 kit D2Rxp     
n.用具包,成套工具;随身携带物
参考例句:
  • The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
  • The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。
136 savaged 337d0bda5a4629deea7568b5d460285d     
(动物)凶狠地攻击(或伤害)( savage的过去式和过去分词 ); 残害; 猛烈批评; 激烈抨击
参考例句:
  • The horse threw its rider to the ground and savaged him. 那马将骑马者摔在地上,乱踢他。
  • The drink had savaged him. 酒使他变得野蛮。
137 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
138 mechanism zCWxr     
n.机械装置;机构,结构
参考例句:
  • The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
  • The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。
139 illuminated 98b351e9bc282af85e83e767e5ec76b8     
adj.被照明的;受启迪的
参考例句:
  • Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
  • the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市
140 mechanisms d0db71d70348ef1c49f05f59097917b8     
n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 );机械装置;[生物学] 机制;机械作用
参考例句:
  • The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
141 grooved ee47029431e931ea4d91d43608b734cb     
v.沟( groove的过去式和过去分词 );槽;老一套;(某种)音乐节奏
参考例句:
  • He was grooved in running errands for his neighbors. 他已习惯于为邻居跑腿。 来自辞典例句
  • The carpenter grooved the board. 木匠在木板上开槽。 来自辞典例句
142 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
143 justified 7pSzrk     
a.正当的,有理的
参考例句:
  • She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
  • The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
144 slashed 8ff3ba5a4258d9c9f9590cbbb804f2db     
v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 );鞭打;割破;削减
参考例句:
  • Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
  • He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
145 ledge o1Mxk     
n.壁架,架状突出物;岩架,岩礁
参考例句:
  • They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
  • Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上,摔倒了。
146 projection 9Rzxu     
n.发射,计划,突出部分
参考例句:
  • Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。
  • The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。
147 shimmering 0a3bf9e89a4f6639d4583ea76519339e     
v.闪闪发光,发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。
  • The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句
148 spike lTNzO     
n.长钉,钉鞋;v.以大钉钉牢,使...失效
参考例句:
  • The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
  • They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。
149 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
150 scattering 91b52389e84f945a976e96cd577a4e0c     
n.[物]散射;散乱,分散;在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的;分散在不同范围的;广泛扩散的;(选票)数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式);散布;驱散
参考例句:
  • The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒,把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
151 grassy DfBxH     
adj.盖满草的;长满草的
参考例句:
  • They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
  • Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。
152 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
153 rattled b4606e4247aadf3467575ffedf66305b     
慌乱的,恼火的
参考例句:
  • The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
  • Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里,窗户都格格作响。
154 squat 2GRzp     
v.蹲坐,蹲下;n.蹲下;adj.矮胖的,粗矮的
参考例句:
  • For this exercise you need to get into a squat.在这次练习中你需要蹲下来。
  • He is a squat man.他是一个矮胖的男人。
155 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
156 interfere b5lx0     
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
参考例句:
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
157 exhaled 8e9b6351819daaa316dd7ab045d3176d     
v.呼出,发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 );吐出(肺中的空气、烟等),呼气
参考例句:
  • He sat back and exhaled deeply. 他仰坐着深深地呼气。
  • He stamped his feet and exhaled a long, white breath. 跺了跺脚,他吐了口长气,很长很白。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
158 softened 19151c4e3297eb1618bed6a05d92b4fe     
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰
参考例句:
  • His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
  • The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
159 canyon 4TYya     
n.峡谷,溪谷
参考例句:
  • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
  • The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
160 spooling 3d678162e7b56b26cd84d1c2f1f4e66f     
n.络纱,络筒v.把…绕到线轴上(或从线轴上绕下来)( spool的现在分词 );假脱机(输出或输入)
参考例句:
  • Experimental equipment management system with Spooling technology and sharing of virtual equipment. 操作系统实验四设备管理用Spooling技术实现设备的虚拟与共享。 来自互联网
  • Current number of spooling jobs in a print queue. 在打印列队中当前有多少个后台打印作业。 来自互联网
161 smirk GE8zY     
n.得意地笑;v.傻笑;假笑着说
参考例句:
  • He made no attempt to conceal his smirk.他毫不掩饰自鸣得意的笑容。
  • She had a selfsatisfied smirk on her face.她脸上带着自鸣得意的微笑。
162 brace 0WzzE     
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备
参考例句:
  • My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
  • You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。
163 gravel s6hyT     
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石
参考例句:
  • We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
  • More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。
164 crunched adc2876f632a087c0c8d7d68ab7543dc     
v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的过去式和过去分词 );嘎吱作响;(快速大量地)处理信息;数字捣弄
参考例句:
  • Our feet crunched on the frozen snow. 我们的脚嘎吱嘎吱地踩在冻雪上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched. 他咬紧骨头,使劲地嚼。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
165 spoke XryyC     
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。
166 detectable tuXzmd     
adj.可发觉的;可查明的
参考例句:
  • The noise is barely detectable by the human ear.人的耳朵几乎是察觉不到这种噪音的。
  • The inflection point at this PH is barely detectable.在此PH值下,拐点不易发现。
167 discomfort cuvxN     
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便
参考例句:
  • One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
  • She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。
168 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
169 scurried 5ca775f6c27dc6bd8e1b3af90f3dea00     
v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She said goodbye and scurried back to work. 她说声再见,然后扭头跑回去干活了。
  • It began to rain and we scurried for shelter. 下起雨来,我们急忙找地方躲避。 来自《简明英汉词典》
170 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
171 wrung b11606a7aab3e4f9eebce4222a9397b1     
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水)
参考例句:
  • He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
  • He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。
172 primitive vSwz0     
adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物
参考例句:
  • It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
  • His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。
173 murky J1GyJ     
adj.黑暗的,朦胧的;adv.阴暗地,混浊地;n.阴暗;昏暗
参考例句:
  • She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
  • She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。
174 amenities Bz5zCt     
n.令人愉快的事物;礼仪;礼节;便利设施;礼仪( amenity的名词复数 );便利设施;(环境等的)舒适;(性情等的)愉快
参考例句:
  • The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
  • Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》
175 components 4725dcf446a342f1473a8228e42dfa48     
(机器、设备等的)构成要素,零件,成分; 成分( component的名词复数 ); [物理化学]组分; [数学]分量; (混合物的)组成部分
参考例句:
  • the components of a machine 机器部件
  • Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。
176 archaic 4Nyyd     
adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的,已不通用的
参考例句:
  • The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧,如记账不使用电脑。
  • Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一,有悠久的历史。
177 buckled qxfz0h     
a. 有带扣的
参考例句:
  • She buckled her belt. 她扣上了腰带。
  • The accident buckled the wheel of my bicycle. 我自行车的轮子在事故中弄弯了。
178 watchful tH9yX     
adj.注意的,警惕的
参考例句:
  • The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
  • It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。
179 casually UwBzvw     
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地
参考例句:
  • She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
  • I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
180 salvaged 38c5bbbb23af5841708243ca20b38dce     
(从火灾、海难等中)抢救(某物)( salvage的过去式和过去分词 ); 回收利用(某物)
参考例句:
  • The investigators studied flight recorders salvaged from the wreckage. 调查者研究了从飞机残骸中找到的黑匣子。
  • The team's first task was to decide what equipment could be salvaged. 该队的首要任务是决定可以抢救哪些设备。
181 hooded hooded     
adj.戴头巾的;有罩盖的;颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的
参考例句:
  • A hooded figure waited in the doorway. 一个戴兜帽的人在门口等候。
  • Black-eyed gipsy girls, hooded in showy handkerchiefs, sallied forth to tell fortunes. 黑眼睛的吉卜赛姑娘,用华丽的手巾包着头,突然地闯了进来替人算命。 来自辞典例句
182 tattoos 659c44f7a230de11d35d5532707cf1f5     
n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 );归营鼓;军队夜间表演操;连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青,文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 );连续有节奏地敲击;作连续有节奏的敲击
参考例句:
  • His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
  • His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》
183 flattened 1d5d9fedd9ab44a19d9f30a0b81f79a8     
[医](水)平扁的,弄平的
参考例句:
  • She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
  • I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。
184 loyalty gA9xu     
n.忠诚,忠心
参考例句:
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
185 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
参考例句:
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
186 clenched clenched     
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
  • She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上,以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
187 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
188 recesses 617c7fa11fa356bfdf4893777e4e8e62     
n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭
参考例句:
  • I could see the inmost recesses. 我能看见最深处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I had continually pushed my doubts to the darker recesses of my mind. 我一直把怀疑深深地隐藏在心中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
189 naturalist QFKxZ     
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
参考例句:
  • He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业,同时是个博物学爱好者。
  • The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。
190 spartans 20ddfa0d4a5efdeabf0d56a52a21151b     
n.斯巴达(spartan的复数形式)
参考例句:
  • The ancient Spartans used to expose babies that they did not want. 古斯巴达人常遗弃他们不要的婴儿。
  • But one by one the Spartans fell. 可是斯巴达人一个一个地倒下了。
191 Augmented b45f39670f767b2c62c8d6b211cbcb1a     
adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称:“科学家不会被取代;相反,他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
  • The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好,这篇报导的影响更大了。
192 demeanor JmXyk     
n.行为;风度
参考例句:
  • She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
  • The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。
193 reconciliation DUhxh     
n.和解,和谐,一致
参考例句:
  • He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
  • Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。
194 hovering 99fdb695db3c202536060470c79b067f     
鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
参考例句:
  • The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
  • I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。
195 warship OMtzl     
n.军舰,战舰
参考例句:
  • He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
  • The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。
196 mantle Y7tzs     
n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红
参考例句:
  • The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
  • The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。
197 arrogant Jvwz5     
adj.傲慢的,自大的
参考例句:
  • You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
  • People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。
198 tilt aG3y0     
v.(使)倾侧;(使)倾斜;n.倾侧;倾斜
参考例句:
  • She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
  • The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平,有点儿歪.
199 lesser UpxzJL     
adj.次要的,较小的;adv.较小地,较少地
参考例句:
  • Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
  • She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及,但程度较轻。
200 DNA 4u3z1l     
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸
参考例句:
  • DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
  • Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。
201 assassinations 66ad8b4a9ceb5b662b6302d786f9a24d     
n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来,无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
  • Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列,自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网
202 penitents f23c97a97c3ff0fec0c3fffc4fa0394c     
n.后悔者( penitent的名词复数 );忏悔者
参考例句:
203 eternity Aiwz7     
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷
参考例句:
  • The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
  • Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞,永世相随。
204 ushered d337b3442ea0cc4312a5950ae8911282     
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
  • A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
205 convened fbc66e55ebdef2d409f2794046df6cf1     
召开( convene的过去式 ); 召集; (为正式会议而)聚集; 集合
参考例句:
  • The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
  • The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。
206 minor e7fzR     
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修
参考例句:
  • The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
  • I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
207 exalted ztiz6f     
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的
参考例句:
  • Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
  • He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。
208 stratagem ThlyQ     
n.诡计,计谋
参考例句:
  • Knit the brows and a stratagem comes to mind.眉头一皱,计上心来。
  • Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty.商业折扣可以用作维护顾客忠诚度的一种竞争策略。
209 embroidered StqztZ     
adj.绣花的
参考例句:
  • She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
  • She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。
210 obsidian SIsxs     
n.黑曜石
参考例句:
  • Obsidian is sacred to the Maoris.黑曜石是毛利人的神圣之物。
  • Once you have enough obsidian,activate the idols.一旦你有足够的黑曜石,激活神像。
211 aristocrat uvRzb     
n.贵族,有贵族气派的人,上层人物
参考例句:
  • He was the quintessential english aristocrat.他是典型的英国贵族。
  • He is an aristocrat to the very marrow of his bones.他是一个道道地地的贵族。
212 vendettas 6287e0b3b258123640dc8d194bb4bb1c     
n.家族世仇( vendetta的名词复数 );族间仇杀;长期争斗;积怨
参考例句:
  • I'm not getting involved in your personal vendettas. 我没有牵扯到你们的私人恩怨里。 来自互联网
213 surgically surgically     
adv. 外科手术上, 外科手术一般地
参考例句:
  • Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
  • To bypass this impediment an almost mature egg cell is removed surgically. 为了克服这一障碍,通过手术,取出一个差不多成熟的卵细胞。
214 underlying 5fyz8c     
adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的
参考例句:
  • The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
  • This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。
215 forerunners 5365ced34e1aafb25807c289c4f2259d     
n.先驱( forerunner的名词复数 );开路人;先兆;前兆
参考例句:
  • Country music was undoubtedly one of the forerunners of rock and roll. 乡村音乐无疑是摇滚乐的先导之一。
  • Heavy clouds are the forerunners of a storm. 阴云密布是暴风雨的前兆。 来自《简明英汉词典》
216 contradictory VpazV     
adj.反驳的,反对的,抗辩的;n.正反对,矛盾对立
参考例句:
  • The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
  • What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。
217 capabilities f7b11037f2050959293aafb493b7653c     
n.能力( capability的名词复数 );可能;容量;[复数]潜在能力
参考例句:
  • He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大,自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
  • Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为,标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
218 vigor yLHz0     
n.活力,精力,元气
参考例句:
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在,她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。
219 expend Fmwx6     
vt.花费,消费,消耗
参考例句:
  • Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。
  • They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。
220 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
221 droop p8Zyd     
v.低垂,下垂;凋萎,萎靡
参考例句:
  • The heavy snow made the branches droop.大雪使树枝垂下来。
  • Don't let your spirits droop.不要萎靡不振。
222 intimidating WqUzKy     
vt.恐吓,威胁( intimidate的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
  • This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。
223 interrogated dfdeced7e24bd32e0007124bbc34eb71     
v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 );审问;(在计算机或其他机器上)查询
参考例句:
  • He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。
  • Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
224 prodded a2885414c3c1347aa56e422c2c7ade4b     
v.刺,戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 );刺激;促使;(用手指或尖物)戳
参考例句:
  • She prodded him in the ribs to wake him up. 她用手指杵他的肋部把他叫醒。
  • He prodded at the plate of fish with his fork. 他拿叉子戳弄着那盘鱼。 来自《简明英汉词典》


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