When they woke on Saturday morning, they were fam-ished, but with the power out and the storm slowly wind-ing down, Paul brought the cooler up to the room and they ate in the comfort of bed, alternately laughing and being serious, teasing each other or staying silent, savoring¹ each other and the moment.

By noon, the wind had died down enough for them to venture out and stand on the porch. The sky above them was beginning to clear, but the beach was littered with de-bris: old tires and washed-out steps from homes that had been set too close to the water and had been caught by the wind-swollen tides. The air was growing warmer; it was still too cold to stay outside without a jacket, hut Adrienne re-moved her gloves so she could feel Paul’s hand in her own.

The power came back on with a flicker³ around two, went out again, and came on for good twenty minutes later. The food in the refrigerator hadn’t spoiled, so Adrienne broiled⁴ a couple of steaks, and they lingered over a long meal and their third bottle of wine. Afterward⁵ they took a bath together. Paul sat behind her, and as she rested her head on his chest, he ran the washcloth over her stomach and breasts, Adrienne closed her eyes, sinking into his arms, feeling the warm water wash over her skin.

That night, they went into town. Rodanthe was coming back to life after the storm, and they spent part of the evening in a dingy⁶ bar, listening to music from the jukebox and dancing to a few of the songs. The bar was crowded with locals who wanted to share their stories of the storm, and Paul and Adrienne were the only ones who braved the floor. He pulled her close and they rotated slowly in circles, her body against his, oblivious⁷ to the chatter⁸ and stares from the other patrons.

On Sunday, Paul took down the hurricane guards and stored them, then put the rockers back in place on the porch. The sky had cleared for the first time since the storm, and they walked the beach, just as they’d done on their first night together, noticing how much had changed since then. The ocean had carved long, violent

点击收听单词发音  

1 savoring
v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的现在分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝
参考例句：
Cooking was fine but it was the savoring that he enjoyed most. 烹饪当然很好，但他最享受的是闻到的各种味道。 来自互联网 She sat there for a moment, savoring the smell of the food. 她在那儿坐了一会儿，品尝这些食物的香味。 来自互联网

2 jack
n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克
参考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 flicker
vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现
参考例句：
There was a flicker of lights coming from the abandoned house.这所废弃的房屋中有灯光闪烁。 At first,the flame may be a small flicker,barely shining.开始时，光辉可能是微弱地忽隐忽现，几乎并不灿烂。

4 broiled
a.烤过的
参考例句：
They broiled turkey over a charcoal flame. 他们在木炭上烤火鸡。 The desert sun broiled the travelers in the caravan. 沙漠上空灼人的太阳把旅行队成员晒得浑身燥热。

5 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

6 dingy
adj.昏暗的，肮脏的
参考例句：
It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。 The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。

7 oblivious
adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的
参考例句：
Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后，妈妈变得特别健忘。 He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。

8 chatter
vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战
参考例句：
Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。 I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

9 grooves
n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏
参考例句：
Wheels leave grooves in a dirt road. 车轮在泥路上留下了凹痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Sliding doors move in grooves. 滑动门在槽沟中移动。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 buckled
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。

11 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

12 exterior
adj.外部的，外在的；表面的
参考例句：
The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。 We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

13 standing
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。

14 aroma
n.香气，芬芳，芳香
参考例句：
The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。 The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

15 scrambled
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 squeaking
v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者
参考例句：
Squeaking floorboards should be screwed down. 踏上去咯咯作响的地板应用螺钉钉住。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Can you hear the mice squeaking? 你听到老鼠吱吱叫吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 ashtray
n.烟灰缸
参考例句：
He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。 She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。

18 inhaled
v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼，深深吸了一口气。 Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 exhaled
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

20 wheeze
n.喘息声，气喘声；v.喘息着说
参考例句：
The old man managed to wheeze out a few words.老人勉强地喘息着说出了几句话。 He has a slight wheeze in his chest.他呼吸时胸部发出轻微的响声。

21 accordion
n.手风琴；adj.可折叠的
参考例句：
The accordion music in the film isn't very beautiful.这部影片中的手风琴音乐不是很好。 The accordion music reminds me of my boyhood.这手风琴的乐声让我回忆起了我的少年时代。

22 tumor
n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour
参考例句：
He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。 The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

23 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

24 walnut
n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色
参考例句：
Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。 The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

25 schooling
n.教育；正规学校教育
参考例句：
A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。 Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

26 pier
n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱
参考例句：
The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。 The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

27 underneath
adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

28 savings
n.存款，储蓄
参考例句：
I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。 By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

29 dabbing
石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛
参考例句：
She was crying and dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. 她一边哭一边用手绢轻按眼睛。 Huei-fang was leaning against a willow, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. 四小姐蕙芳正靠在一棵杨柳树上用手帕揉眼睛。 来自子夜部分

30 numb
adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木
参考例句：
His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。 Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。