"It's hopeless," Weedon Scott confessed.

　　He sat on the step of his cabin and stared at the dog-musher, whoresponded with a shrug¹ that was equally hopeless.

　　Together they looked at White Fang² at the end of his stretched chain,bristling³, snarling⁴, ferocious⁵, straining to get at the sled-dogs. Havingreceived sundry⁶ lessons from Matt, said lessons being imparted by meansof a club, the sled-dogs had learned to leave White Fang alone; and eventhen they were lying down at a distance, apparently⁷ oblivious⁸ of his existence.

　　"It's a wolf and there's no taming it," Weedon Scott announced.

　　"Oh, I don't know about that," Matt objected. "Might be a lot of dog in'm, for all you can tell. But there's one thing I know sure, an' that there's nogettin' away from."The dog-musher paused and nodded his head confidentially⁹ atMoosehide Mountain.

　　"Well, don't be a miser¹⁰ with what you know," Scott said sharply, afterwaiting a suitable length of time. "Spit it out. What is it?"The dog-musher indicated White Fang with a backward thrust of his thumb.

　　"Wolf or dog, it's all the same - he's ben tamed 'ready.""No!""I tell you yes, an' broke to harness. Look close there. D'ye see themmarks across the chest?""You're right, Matt. He was a sled-dog before Beauty Smith got hold of him.""And there's not much reason against his bein' a sled-dog again.""What d'ye think?" Scott queried¹¹

点击收听单词发音  

1 shrug
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句：
With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。 I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

2 fang
n.尖牙，犬牙
参考例句：
Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。 The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。

3 bristling
a.竖立的
参考例句：
"Don't you question Miz Wilkes' word,'said Archie, his beard bristling. "威尔克斯太太的话，你就不必怀疑了。 "阿尔奇说。他的胡子也翘了起来。 You were bristling just now. 你刚才在发毛。

4 snarling
v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说
参考例句：
"I didn't marry you," he said, in a snarling tone. “我没有娶你，"他咆哮着说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 So he got into the shoes snarling. 于是，汤姆一边大喊大叫，一边穿上了那双鞋。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

5 ferocious
adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的
参考例句：
The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。 The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

6 sundry
adj.各式各样的，种种的
参考例句：
This cream can be used to treat sundry minor injuries.这种药膏可用来治各种轻伤。 We can see the rich man on sundry occasions.我们能在各种场合见到那个富豪。

7 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 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。

9 confidentially
ad.秘密地，悄悄地
参考例句：
She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。 Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

10 miser
n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly)
参考例句：
The miser doesn't like to part with his money.守财奴舍不得花他的钱。 The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。

11 queried
v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问
参考例句：
She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》 \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

12 bristled
adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
They bristled at his denigrating description of their activities. 听到他在污蔑他们的活动，他们都怒发冲冠。 All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。

13 snarled
v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说
参考例句：
The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。 As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 crouched
v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。 The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

15 contrived
adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的
参考例句：
There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。 The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

16 imprisoned
下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。 They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

17 assailed
v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对
参考例句：
He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。 He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》

18 unprecedented
adj.无前例的，新奇的
参考例句：
The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。 A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

19 perplexed
adj.不知所措的
参考例句：
The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。 The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

20 shrugged
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》

21 jaws
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

22 overthrown
adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词
参考例句：
The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。 He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

23 exclamation
n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词
参考例句：
He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。 The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

24 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》

25 cylinder
n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸
参考例句：
What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？ The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

26 gasp
n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说
参考例句：
She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。 The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

27 whoops
int.呼喊声
参考例句：
Whoops! Careful, you almost spilt coffee everywhere. 哎哟！小心点，你差点把咖啡洒得到处都是。 We were awakened by the whoops of the sick baby. 生病婴儿的喘息声把我们弄醒了。

28 soothingly
adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地
参考例句：
The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 impending
a.imminent, about to come or happen
参考例句：
Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。 The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

30 vigilant
adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的
参考例句：
He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。 The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

31 antipathy
n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物
参考例句：
I feel an antipathy against their behaviour.我对他们的行为很反感。 Some people have an antipathy to cats.有的人讨厌猫。

32 descended
a.为...后裔的，出身于...的
参考例句：
A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

33 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

34 yearning
a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的
参考例句：
a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往 He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

35 slash
vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩
参考例句：
The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。 Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

36 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

37 catching
adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住
参考例句：
There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。 Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

38 fangs
n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座
参考例句：
The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 malignant
adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的
参考例句：
Alexander got a malignant slander.亚历山大受到恶意的诽谤。 He started to his feet with a malignant glance at Winston.他爬了起来，不高兴地看了温斯顿一眼。

40 everlastingly
永久地，持久地
参考例句：
Why didn't he hold the Yankees instead of everlastingly retreating? 他为什么不将北军挡住，反而节节败退呢？ "I'm tired of everlastingly being unnatural and never doing anything I want to do. "我再也忍受不了这样无休止地的勉强自己，永远不能赁自己高兴做事。

41 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

42 culmination
n.顶点；最高潮
参考例句：
The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。 It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。