PART 2 CHAPTER 30

PART 2 CHAPTER

30

I NMATES HAD DROPPED ALL HABITS OF SOLDIERING WITH THE EXCEPTION of marching around

the pen during the guard-ordered drills. Half-baked imitations of leisure activities at home

brought more comfort. Frank Armstrong and a number of fellows from his company organized

relay races against men in our division, or at least those with two fit legs. After morning drill on

cooler mornings, the boys formed one long line parallel to a line of fellows from the other

division and passed off a button, competing to see which division had the swiftest runners. Even

a week after my time in isolation¹, my gait wasn’t back to normal. I could only watch, but at my

best, I had never been as fast as a Fishersville man in our division who regularly won.

In August, my great uncle in Philadelphia had mailed a copy of Milton’s Paradise Lost,

which passed muster² with the prison censors³, along with another precious five-dollar gold coin

and his usual brief note regretting my choices. I bought more lemons and bread to share with

John Bibb but had no use for the book. From the little I knew, it seemed a wildly embroidered⁴

version of the Old Testament⁵’s account of man’s fall from grace. In my home, there was already

too much discussion and reading of the Old Testament. The book made a loud thud as I pitched

it to the rear of our sleeping shelf and gave it no more thought. I spent most of the scorching⁶

days leaning against the pen wall next to Bibb, limp from the heat but comforted by his

presence.

In early September, Schoepf decided⁷ that allowing men access to the sutler’s goods made

him appear too soft. Once again, this was Ahl’s doing, I was certain. He had found another way

to torture us by playing on Schoepf’s insecurities. The sutler was banned and didn’t return for

three months—not until too many men died from scurvy⁸ and starvation.

When the prison’s meat supply spoiled, we were forced to eat John Bibb’s diet, for which he

teased and fretted⁹ us. Breakfast was nothing but crumbling¹⁰ cornbread, and at supper there was

more cornbread and a cup of paltry¹¹ soup. When we grumbled¹², Zeke reminded us, “What are you

whining¹³ about? The meat for the past two weeks was crawling with worms, and you had to hold

your nose to eat it!” Zeke, with his usual irony¹⁴, also described our drinking water as “a turgid,

salty, jellied mass of waggle tails. It’s got dead fish, leaves, worms, and other putrescence that

show up in my cup and then get cast out by my gut¹⁵.”

One day in late September when the days had cooled slightly, Frank Armstrong joined me at

the wall’s edge where I watched boys play catch with a bound rag. He whistled for a few

minutes, glancing warily¹⁶ around with his hands crammed¹⁷ in his pockets. When it seemed safe,

he leaned toward my ear and said in a low voice, “Zeke and I are scheming to get out of here.

We’ve got some other boys you know on board too. Why don’t you join us?”

I kept my gaze forward, but my jaw¹⁸ dropped. “Have you lost your minds? You’ll never get

past these idiots with rifles.”

“Come on now. It isn’t such a bad idea. Last year, two hundred escaped by slipping into the

river one night. We’re talking about only a handful this time.”

Zeke leaned on the wall in the shade several feet away and overheard a few words of our

conversation. He moved closer. “Come on, Tom. This is a solid chance. Frankly¹⁹, I’ll go mad if

I’m here for another month. I’d risk everything to get out, and this plan is as good as any. “

“And what is this plan?” I asked.

Zeke ignored my skeptical²⁰ tone. “The guards go on leave just before next week’s waning²¹

moon and will be back when visibility is poorest, loaded down with bottles of fresh liquor.

We’re waiting until then. Frank has already loosened a board on the division’s back wall, just

where the canal emerges from the barracks. We’ll use the building as cover to gain the river

gates.”

“Even with no moonlight, the guards will notice,” I said.

“Not a chance. You saw how much liquor they hauled back from their last leave ashore²². Once

they start sousing it up at night, they’re oblivious²³.” Frank explained how the conspirators²⁴ were

trading pans, penknives, and other sutler goods for federally issued canteens. They would

become floatation devices, attached by ropes around their waists. Quite a few boys had agreed to

sacrifice theirs to help their bolder friends. But the owners were hanging on to them until the

chosen night so suspicions wouldn’t be aroused by any one man having too many.

“I could get you some, easy,” Zeke said.

Because I only knew the shallow creek²⁵ below the house, I was ignorant about swimming.

“No thanks, Zeke. I’ll take my chances here. But I wish you fellows the best of luck.” Zeke and

Frank exchanged disappointed glances and then strolled away.

Our bunk²⁶ gang impatiently watched for the waning harvest moon. When the guards returned

from furlough with bottles clinking in their haversacks, the group gathered that night in our

barrack. We wordlessly watched Zeke while he tied his canteens around his torso. He was lucky

to have found some unclaimed rope in the pen and had hidden a coil under a floorboard. Usually

hoarded²⁷ to prevent pants from drifting below shrunken waistlines, it was now cut with the

whittling²⁸ knife and divided among the twelve “swimmers.”

“We’ll send you poor wretches²⁹ leftovers³⁰ of the delicious vittles we’ll be eating every day.

What shall it be? Cake? Roast pork? Apple pie?” Zeke joked. Frank added, “Or maybe we’ll

write you a line or two saying how many times we’ve been kissed by our sweethearts—if we

have energy left over for the task.” There was much guffawing³¹ and pounding fellows roughly on

the shoulder.

I threw my arm around Zeke, feeling his shoulders’ broad sharpness and the rough texture³² of

his worn shirt. I wondered if I might ever see him again. During the past three years, his wry³³

humor and quirky perspective on the world had meant a lot. He always made me see the hidden

side of things that were, in fact, the most important. I’d miss him mightily³⁴. But I wouldn’t

begrudge³⁵ anyone a chance to get out of that place. John Bibb couldn’t conceal³⁶ his sorrow. He’d

known Zeke for only a brief time, but Zeke had understood him when he was most

downhearted. “I’ll be thinking about you, hoping you are living on the high side,” Bibb told

him. “Maybe someday, when this madness is over, we’ll meet again.” Zeke looked away

without speaking.

Frank and his fellow escapees slipped through the loose board and eased into the canal. The

night swallowed them, and we returned to our sleeping boards, each of us vaguely³⁷ regretting our

decision to stay. Blue and Beards were alert on their backs as rigidly³⁸ as I was, dreading³⁹ any

sound of trouble. After about ten minutes, a cry erupted from the river, followed by a guard’s

shouts of, “Escape! Prisoners are escaping!” I held my breath as boots thudded in the direction

of the water, and rifle blasts sliced the air. One guard screamed, “They got no weapons—shoot

to kill!” After a few minutes, all fell quiet.

“Holy Lord God,” Beards said. We strained to hear what might come next. But there was

nothing.

“Maybe they got away. Maybe that’s what the silence means,” I said, rising up on my

elbows.

But then footsteps sounded near the barrack, and a guard gloated, “By hounds’ teeth, I finally

got to shoot at the dummkopfs! I hope I sank at least one.” My blood boiled. I fervently⁴⁰ prayed

that liquor had destroyed his aim.

I heard Bibb whisper after a while. “Do you think they made it? I can’t sleep for worrying

about Zeke.”

“Sure they did. That Zeke is strong as a horse,” I assured him. “He can handle anything.”

Then I lay awake, counting the hours to dawn.

Racing⁴¹ to the sinks at sunrise, I spied a body face down in the murky⁴² shallows of the beach.

Its arms and legs loosely bobbed to their own secret tune⁴³ in the tide’s flow. Three guards had

also spotted⁴⁴ the floater, and they waded⁴⁵ into the foaming⁴⁶ brown water. They grasped the corpse⁴⁷

by the collar and seat of its pants and tugged⁴⁸ it, face down and dripping, to shore. When they

pitched the body up on the mud, I could hardly breathe, fearing the worst. They flipped⁴⁹ over the

limp form, now gray-faced and bloated but still identifiable. It was Zeke. I gasped⁵⁰, and my legs

gave out from under me. Then, through my own darkness I watched the wheelbarrow man

collect Zeke’s body. I couldn’t imagine how I’d break the news to Bibb and the others.

Days later the rumor⁵¹ spread that someone at the sinks had heard a man cry out in the water.

The waves surged over Zeke’s head before the guards’ bullets could find their mark. He must

have gotten a crippling cramp⁵².

The weather was chilly⁵³ by early October and provided a foretaste of winter in our drafty,

oversized shack⁵⁴. Many of us were captured in the late spring and early summer after the last

prison distribution of socks and underwear had been made. Most had no coats, other cold-

weather clothes, or boots. We had only what we wore when we were taken, and was so

threadbare now that it offered only modest cover in warmer months.

By November, we shivered all day in bed, shrouded⁵⁵ in thin prison blankets. Or we hovered⁵⁶

near the wood stove in the center of the division aisle⁵⁷. Boys formed double and triple lines to

take their turn standing⁵⁸ near the heat for a few minutes, then would move so that another could

take his place. The rotation⁵⁹ would go on until we wearied of standing and crawled back to our

shelves to cocoon⁶⁰ under thin, scratchy cover. When the barracks emptied for trips to the dining

hall, we were an exodus⁶¹ of army-issue bats, blankets pulled around our heads and flapping at our

sides as we trudged⁶² across the yard to the dining barrack.

One chilly morning, an idea about how to help John Bibb surfaced in my head. He now was thin

as a reed. When there was meat in the dining hall or good rat hunting, I gave him my morning

and evening cornbread, but it wasn’t enough to put flesh on his bones. His spirit was

diminishing as quickly as his body. Intent on keeping my mind active and thinking it might

distract him from morbid⁶³ musings, I suggested that we memorize Paradise Lost. The book was

still where I’d thrown it at the back of my bunk. If the poem was merely a form of mental

exercise, I might overcome my disdain⁶⁴ for it. I didn’t anticipate how seductive the tales would

become.

Every day after drill and breakfast, when light was brightest in the barrack, John and I took

turns reading aloud a verse, and then we’d see how many words we could remember, reciting

lines until they were firmly fixed⁶⁵ in mind. Gradually, the others, wound in their blankets,

huddled⁶⁶ around on the tiers to listen. Jim Blue, Beards, and the boys in nearby bunks⁶⁷ became

regular spectators, memorized the lines too, and then called out the correct phrase when John

Bibb or I faltered⁶⁸. The exercise became a competition. Boys took sides, betting shirt buttons on

which of the two of us could recite the most lines without a slip. Cheering erupted whenever one

of us was able to recount first a line and then an entire verse flawlessly. There was plenty of

material to keep us occupied—the longest was Book IV with 1,189 lines! These were first-rate

stories. When John and I recited Book I, which describes Satan’s legions of fallen angel warriors⁶⁹

and the horrors of the Hell world where God banished⁷⁰ them, listeners were spellbound. The two

of us spent a week repeating the monstrous⁷¹ descriptions all day and chiseled⁷² the words in our

brains until we could declaim them without consulting the text.

The first section told of a monumental three-day war between good and evil. All had been

perfect between God and His favorite archangel, with whom He shared the benefits of His

power. But then He created a Son. Jealous, the archangel vowed⁷³ to overthrow⁷⁴ the kingdom and

duped a multitude of angels into waging a violent rebellion. Some fellows joked that it reminded

them of the battle at Spotsylvania Courthouse. In the story, both sides abandoned weapons and

wrenched⁷⁵ vast mountaintops out of the ground and hurled⁷⁶ entire forests—as well as streams and

giant boulders—at the enemy, flattening⁷⁷ them beneath otherworldly weight.

Witnessing Heaven perilously⁷⁸ close to annihilation, God charged His Son with dominion⁷⁹

over the realm. The Son righted the mountains and steered⁸⁰ His chariot over the enemy, crushing

their skulls⁸¹ beneath. He then pitched their shattered bodies through Heaven’s crystal gates into

the eternal void of Hell.

At this point, Bibb addressed the group. “Don’t you fellows see how the men who got us into

this are like Milton’s Satan? And aren’t we like his deceived angels? How could secession be

worth the cost? We’ve thumbed our noses at the federal government, a force mighty⁸² as God.”

“Oh, for Chrissake, John, spare us the sermon,” one fellow said.

“But can’t you see? union troops have stolen, burned, chopped, and trampled⁸³ their way

across our homeland. Worse than anything in this tale. And the Confederacy hasn’t a chance in

hell of stopping this business we began.”

“Come on, Bibb. It isn’t as bad as you make it to be. Let’s get on with the game,” another

said.

“You’ll see,” Bibb said. “We Southerners will pay the whole price. After this conflict is

settled, we’ll be the ones with broken lives and ruined landscapes. Not the Yankees. And for

what gain to us?” He looked at me for a response and then glanced around the room, but no one

wanted to answer him. In my heart, I heard the whisper of a more important question, “And at

what cost to our souls?” I couldn’t give voice to the dark thought that constantly tormented⁸⁴ me:

Why so much death and destruction to preserve an evil? Was there any good reason? I hadn’t

found one.

Each day, the listeners multiplied, crowded into the bunk shelves and squatted⁸⁵ on the floor

until no one could budge⁸⁶. When Satan’s serpent lured⁸⁷ Eve into feasting from the Tree of

Knowledge, the crowd loudly hissed⁸⁸ and booed. Milton had painted her as an adoring and

compliant⁸⁹ companion to Adam, sensual and loving in every way. Eve was such a glorious

creature that Adam couldn’t tear his eyes away. The poem’s Eve set many to recalling and

longing⁹⁰ for a soft female hand on the arm, a head gently leaned into a shoulder or chest. We too

would have been lured to take a bite of the apple and wouldn’t have given a second thought to

breaking God’s rule. We understood why Adam couldn’t deny the stirring in his loins.

Memorization of Paradise Lost was finished in early December. I had etched every word in

my mind, without a single lapse⁹¹ of recall. As the story wound down, more than the everlasting⁹²

fate of a flawed mankind saddened the barrack. What would we do now that the weather was too

frigid⁹³ to stir beyond our bunks? There was still singing at night, but less of it now. Sometimes a

lone⁹⁴ voice would croon “Aura Lee” into the dark, and then one man after another would take up

the lyrics⁹⁵, as we bunched together for warmth. But many fellows by this time were too down at

heart to pay any mind. Singing sparked feelings of longing for home that ambushed⁹⁶ me with

their intensity⁹⁷, so I refrained from joining in.

1 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

2 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

3 censors   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。
• The censors let out not a word. 检察官一字也不发。

4 embroidered   

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。

5 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

6 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

7 decided   

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。

8 scurvy   

adj.下流的，卑鄙的，无礼的；n.坏血病

参考例句：

• Vitamin C deficiency can ultimately lead to scurvy.缺乏维生素C最终能道致坏血病。
• That was a scurvy trick to play on an old lady.用那样的花招欺负一个老太太可真卑鄙。

9 fretted   

焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的

参考例句：

• The wind whistled through the twigs and fretted the occasional, dirty-looking crocuses. 寒风穿过枯枝，有时把发脏的藏红花吹刮跑了。 来自英汉文学
• The lady's fame for hitting the mark fretted him. 这位太太看问题深刻的名声在折磨着他。

10 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

11 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

12 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

13 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）。

14 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

15 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

16 warily   

adv.留心地

参考例句：

• He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。
• They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。

17 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

18 jaw   

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。

19 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

20 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

21 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

23 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。

24 conspirators   

n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

25 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

26 bunk   

n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话

参考例句：

• He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
• Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。

27 hoarded   

v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It owned great properties and often hoarded huge treasures. 它拥有庞大的财产，同时往往窖藏巨额的财宝。 来自辞典例句
• Sylvia among them, good-naturedly applaud so much long-hoarded treasure of useless knowing. 西尔维亚也在他们中间，为那些长期珍藏的无用知识，友好地、起劲地鼓掌。 来自互联网

28 whittling   

v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Inflation has been whittling away their savings. 通货膨胀使他们的积蓄不断减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is whittling down the branch with a knife to make a handle for his hoe. 他在用刀削树枝做一把锄头柄。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 wretches   

n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋

参考例句：

• The little wretches were all bedraggledfrom some roguery. 小淘气们由于恶作剧而弄得脏乎乎的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The best courage for us poor wretches is to fly from danger. 对我们这些可怜虫说来，最好的出路还是躲避危险。 来自辞典例句

30 leftovers   

n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。
• She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。

31 guffawing   

v.大笑，狂笑( guffaw的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Then, hand in hand they made off, guffawing gloatingly. 然后，他们手挽着手，哈哈大笑着回到了欧洲。 来自互联网

32 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

33 wry   

adj.讽刺的；扭曲的

参考例句：

• He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
• Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

34 mightily   

ad.强烈地；非常地

参考例句：

• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet. 他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
• This seemed mightily to relieve him. 干完这件事后，他似乎轻松了许多。

35 begrudge   

vt.吝啬，羡慕

参考例句：

• I begrudge spending so much money on train fares.我舍不得把这么多钱花在火车票上。
• We should not begrudge our neighbour's richness.我们不应该嫉妒邻人的富有。

36 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

37 vaguely   

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。

38 rigidly   

adv.刻板地，僵化地

参考例句：

• Life today is rigidly compartmentalized into work and leisure. 当今的生活被严格划分为工作和休闲两部分。
• The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age. 自儿童时起即已开始有严格的课程设置。

39 dreading   

v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。
• This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。

40 fervently   

adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地

参考例句：

• "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦，我真高兴！”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊，我亲爱的，亲爱的，你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

41 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

42 murky   

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。

43 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

44 spotted   

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。

45 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

46 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

47 corpse   

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。

48 tugged   

v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
• A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

49 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

50 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

51 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

52 cramp   

n.痉挛；[pl.](腹)绞痛；vt.限制，束缚

参考例句：

• Winston stopped writing,partly because he was suffering from cramp.温斯顿驻了笔，手指也写麻了。
• The swimmer was seized with a cramp and had to be helped out of the water.那个在游泳的人突然抽起筋来，让别人帮着上了岸。

53 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

54 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

55 shrouded   

v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密

参考例句：

• The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
• The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

56 hovered   

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。

57 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

58 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。

59 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

60 cocoon   

n.茧

参考例句：

• A cocoon is a kind of silk covering made by an insect.蚕茧是由昆虫制造的一种由丝组成的外包层。
• The beautiful butterfly emerged from the cocoon.美丽的蝴蝶自茧中出现。

61 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

62 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

63 morbid   

adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的

参考例句：

• Some people have a morbid fascination with crime.一些人对犯罪有一种病态的痴迷。
• It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like.不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。

64 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

65 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

66 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

67 bunks   

n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话

参考例句：

• These bunks can tip up and fold back into the wall. 这些铺位可以翻起来并折叠收入墙内。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At last they turned into their little bunks in the cart. 最后他们都钻进车内的小卧铺里。 来自辞典例句

68 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

69 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

70 banished   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year. 他被放逐到一个无人居住的荒岛一年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

71 monstrous   

adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的

参考例句：

• The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
• Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

72 chiseled   

adj.凿刻的，轮廓分明的v.凿，雕，镌( chisel的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Woltz had chiseled the guy, given him peanuts for the book. 乌尔茨敲了这个作家的竹杠，用了他的书，却只给微不足道的一点点钱。 来自教父部分
• He chiseled the piece of wood into the shape of a head. 他把这块木头凿刻成人头的形状。 来自辞典例句

73 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

74 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

75 wrenched   

v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛

参考例句：

• The bag was wrenched from her grasp. 那只包从她紧握的手里被夺了出来。
• He wrenched the book from her hands. 他从她的手中把书拧抢了过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

76 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

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

77 flattening   

n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词

参考例句：

• Flattening of the right atrial border is also seen in constrictive pericarditis. 右心房缘变平亦见于缩窄性心包炎。
• He busied his fingers with flattening the leaves of the book. 他手指忙着抚平书页。

78 perilously   

adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地

参考例句：

• They were perilously close to the edge of the precipice. 他们离悬崖边很近，十分危险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It'seemed to me that we had come perilously close to failure already. 对我来说，好像失败和我只有一步之遥，岌岌可危。 来自互联网

79 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

80 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

81 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

82 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

83 trampled   

踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。
• People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

84 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

85 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：

• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

86 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

87 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

88 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

89 compliant   

adj.服从的，顺从的

参考例句：

• I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
• For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。

90 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

91 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

92 everlasting   

adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的

参考例句：

• These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
• He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

93 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

94 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

95 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

96 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

97 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。