选择字号:【大】【中】【小】 | 关灯
护眼
|
CHAPTER XII Captain Arcoll Sends a Message
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
I once read — I think in some Latin writer — the story of a man who was crushed to a jelly by the mere1 repeated touch of many thousand hands. His murderers were not harsh, but an infinite repetition of the gentlest handling meant death. I do not suppose that I was very brutally2 manhandled in the cave. I was trussed up tight and carried out to the open, and left in the care of the guards. But when my senses returned I felt as if I had been cruelly beaten in every part. The raw-hide bonds chafed3 my wrists and ankle and shoulders, but they were the least part of my aches. To be handled by a multitude of Kaffirs is like being shaken by some wild animal. Their skins are insensible to pain, and I have seen a Zulu stand on a piece of red-hot iron without noticing it till he was warned by the smell of burning hide. Anyhow, after I had been bound by Kaffir hands and tossed on Kaffir shoulders, I felt as if I had been in a scrimmage of mad bulls. I found myself lying looking up at the moon. It was the edge of the bush, and all around was the stir of the army getting ready for the road. You know how a native babbles4 and chatters5 over any work he has to do. It says much for Laputa’s iron hand that now everything was done in silence. I heard the nickering of horses and the jolt6 of carts as they turned from the bush into the path. There was the sound of hurried whispering, and now and then a sharp command. And all the while I lay, staring at the moon and wondering if I was going to keep my reason.
If he who reads this doubts the discomfort7 of bonds let him try them for himself. Let him be bound foot and hand and left alone, and in half an hour he will be screaming for release. The sense of impotence is stifling8, and I felt as if I were buried in some landslip instead of lying under the open sky, with the night wind fanning my face. I was in the second stage of panic, which is next door to
点击
收听单词发音

1
mere
![]() |
|
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2
brutally
![]() |
|
adv.残忍地,野蛮地,冷酷无情地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3
chafed
![]() |
|
v.擦热(尤指皮肤)( chafe的过去式 );擦痛;发怒;惹怒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4
babbles
![]() |
|
n.胡言乱语( babble的名词复数 );听不清的声音;乱哄哄的说话声v.喋喋不休( babble的第三人称单数 );作潺潺声(如流水);含糊不清地说话;泄漏秘密 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5
chatters
![]() |
|
(人)喋喋不休( chatter的第三人称单数 ); 唠叨; (牙齿)打战; (机器)震颤 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6
jolt
![]() |
|
v.(使)摇动,(使)震动,(使)颠簸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7
discomfort
![]() |
|
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8
stifling
![]() |
|
a.令人窒息的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9
collapse
![]() |
|
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10
squeak
![]() |
|
n.吱吱声,逃脱;v.(发出)吱吱叫,侥幸通过;(俚)告密 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11
ribs
![]() |
|
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12
brute
![]() |
|
n.野兽,兽性 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13
squatted
![]() |
|
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14
prodded
![]() |
|
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: |
|
|
15
savage
![]() |
|
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16
lash
![]() |
|
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17
brag
![]() |
|
v./n.吹牛,自夸;adj.第一流的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18
cannily
![]() |
|
精明地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19
vow
![]() |
|
n.誓(言),誓约;v.起誓,立誓 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20
bully
![]() |
|
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21
strapped
![]() |
|
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22
belly
![]() |
|
n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23
bridle
![]() |
|
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24
scapegoat
![]() |
|
n.替罪的羔羊,替人顶罪者;v.使…成为替罪羊 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25
uneven
![]() |
|
adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26
covenant
![]() |
|
n.盟约,契约;v.订盟约 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27
homage
![]() |
|
n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28
obstinately
![]() |
|
ad.固执地,顽固地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29
decrepit
![]() |
|
adj.衰老的,破旧的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30
marvelled
![]() |
|
v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31
infantry
![]() |
|
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32
disorder
![]() |
|
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33
knoll
![]() |
|
n.小山,小丘 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34
crest
![]() |
|
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35
Portuguese
![]() |
|
n.葡萄牙人;葡萄牙语 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36
rubies
![]() |
|
红宝石( ruby的名词复数 ); 红宝石色,深红色 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37
remains
![]() |
|
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38
warriors
![]() |
|
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39
exhaustion
![]() |
|
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40
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: |
|
|
41
joints
![]() |
|
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42
squatting
![]() |
|
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43
solitude
![]() |
|
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44
vat
![]() |
|
n.(=value added tax)增值税,大桶 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45
volatile
![]() |
|
adj.反复无常的,挥发性的,稍纵即逝的,脾气火爆的;n.挥发性物质 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46
veered
![]() |
|
v.(尤指交通工具)改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 );(指谈话内容、人的行为或观点)突然改变;(指风) (在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向)逐渐转向;风向顺时针转 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47
scattered
![]() |
|
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48
cipher
![]() |
|
n.零;无影响力的人;密码 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49
traitor
![]() |
|
n.叛徒,卖国贼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50
espoused
![]() |
|
v.(决定)支持,拥护(目标、主张等)( espouse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51
repented
![]() |
|
对(自己的所为)感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52
Ford
![]() |
|
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53
avert
![]() |
|
v.防止,避免;转移(目光、注意力等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54
knights
![]() |
|
骑士; (中古时代的)武士( knight的名词复数 ); 骑士; 爵士; (国际象棋中)马 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55
determined
![]() |
|
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56
standing
![]() |
|
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57
thoroughly
![]() |
|
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58
temporize
![]() |
|
v.顺应时势;拖延 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59
lighting
![]() |
|
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60
bluff
![]() |
|
v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61
flicking
![]() |
|
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的现在分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62
refinement
![]() |
|
n.文雅;高尚;精美;精制;精炼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63
shrieking
![]() |
|
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64
plight
![]() |
|
n.困境,境况,誓约,艰难;vt.宣誓,保证,约定 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65
fowl
![]() |
|
n.家禽,鸡,禽肉 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66
hatred
![]() |
|
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67
diplomacy
![]() |
|
n.外交;外交手腕,交际手腕 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68
confession
![]() |
|
n.自白,供认,承认 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69
scowl
![]() |
|
vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70
spat
![]() |
|
n.口角,掌击;v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71
savagery
![]() |
|
n.野性 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72
pretence
![]() |
|
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73
rawhide
![]() |
|
n.生牛皮 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74
farce
![]() |
|
n.闹剧,笑剧,滑稽戏;胡闹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75
chunk
![]() |
|
n.厚片,大块,相当大的部分(数量) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76
hoisted
![]() |
|
把…吊起,升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77
wink
![]() |
|
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78
slanting
![]() |
|
倾斜的,歪斜的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
79
grimace
![]() |
|
v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
80
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: |
|
|
81
circumvented
![]() |
|
v.设法克服或避免(某事物),回避( circumvent的过去式和过去分词 );绕过,绕行,绕道旅行 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
82
twilight
![]() |
|
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
83
glimmering
![]() |
|
n.微光,隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光,发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
©英文小说网 2005-2010