PART 2 CHAPTER 39

PART 2 CHAPTER

39

P HOEBE AGAIN CALLS TO ME WITHOUT MOVING HER LIPS. HER VOICE IS still faint, far off, but I

make out her question. “Why do you torment¹ yourself so for Bibb’s death? He was just one man

during four long years of combat, and you’ve told me about Sam, Zeke, and the others,” she

said. “You lost them too. And you must have killed lots of union soldiers. Why is Bibb

different?”

The sun has gone down without my notice or Phoebe’s, and objects in the room are now only

blue outlines made by the full moon beyond the windows. I sense another person in the room

before I see him. His shirt sparkles turquoise³ in the moonlight. It’s Tatternook, his black suit and

hat merging⁴ with the dark. He nods in recognition. A gasp⁵ escapes me, but then there’s a second

visitor. John Bibb stands beside him. With a slight movement of his hand, he greets me. How

long have they been there? I was too wrapped up in the worst of my past to note their arrival.

Now all three await my response to Phoebe’s question.

The images still vibrate in the room: Ahl and Old Hike in the pen, Beards’ reaction to my

desperate plan, Bibb’s motionless body as I crouch⁶ over it, Lewis and his lonely cabin. These

memories have been buried for so long, hidden below recollections of my family life in

Augusta. They have the shock of a fresh wound. But curiously⁷, the pain is less than I feared.

There my secret is, out in the open for the first time. What if I’d heard myself say these things to

Mary or Ellen long ago? Might my family have been as understanding? Spoken aloud over time,

would my guilt⁸ have lost its power? The words no longer weigh so heavily that I think they’ll

crush me. I see no blame or disgust on the faces of my present audience. They don’t condemn⁹,

but instead seem curious and accepting. Warmth floods my heart as I watch Phoebe sitting so

attentively¹⁰, so receptive to my confession¹¹. I feel a bond with her I haven’t felt with anyone since

my death. But I can’t help thinking: if only my wife or sister were sitting there instead.

At first, the answers to Phoebe’s question are formless bits careening in my mind, trying to

coalesce¹² but unable to find the proper joining. As I wait for a response to surface, Bibb has

seated himself in the parlor’s ladder-back chair. He observes me carefully. The silence deepens.

Haltingly, I begin. “I understand why you’d ask that question. Why my heart ached so because

of one man’s killing¹³ when I experienced so much slaughter¹⁴,” I say. “But the war’s slaughter

wasn’t of my doing. I had no control over the war, but I did have some control over the welfare

of my unit. Once Bibb joined us at Spotsylvania for the journey to Fort Delaware, he was one of

my men.”

I pause for a minute, guilt tightening¹⁵ my chest. “Remember, Bibb risked his life to save me at

Spotsylvania Courthouse and then died trying to save me from myself at Fort Delaware. I owed

no one else such a debt. If he hadn’t been so young and innocent, hadn’t depended upon me . . .”

I drop my head in my hands. “He could have lived a long life. The fighting was over, for

Chrissake.” I look across at Bibb. “You hadn’t been through the horrors we had; you might have

healed when you returned home.”

“Perhaps. But we’ll never know.” He regards me sadly. “Don’t you think there is more to

your melancholy¹⁶ than that, Tom?”

“What do you mean?” I can’t believe my ears. “How could there be more?”

“Look deeper. There’s more,” he says gently.

I’m confused by his words. “There’s nothing more. Your death and your family’s loss have

filled every corner of my heart.”

“Why is that?” he asks.

I’m irritated by his questions, until the truth breaks free. “So there would be no space to

consider the rest. All those young men, especially the ones I loved best, who lost their lives.”

I’m stunned¹⁷ by this admission. “And for something so foul¹⁸.”

Even as I speak, a frozen stream is melting within. I feel Bibb’s mind lock onto mine.

Tayloe’s gaunt face, Sam with his bloody¹⁹ teeth, and Zeke’s blank, drowned eyes—all appear

before me. And more. There’s McCorkle, who fought on after Spotsylvania but never made it

home to his wife and babe after Appomattox. There are the nine boys, almost a third of us

remaining in Company D as prisoners, who died under my helpless watch as sergeant²⁰ in Fort

Delaware. I could do nothing to stop disease and starvation.

And there are all the men who didn’t die, whom I saw every day in Augusta County, but

whose war damage was visible to all lookers. There was Mrs. Calliston’s son Ralph who shelved

goods in the General Store with his one arm, the other a stump²¹ disguised by a pinned-up shirt

sleeve. There was the owner of Staunton’s American Hotel whose guests averted²² their eyes to

avoid the disfiguring burn scars across his left brow, eye socket²³, and cheek. There were the

numerous one-legged men every Sunday at New Jerusalem, a thicket²⁴ of crutches²⁵ sprouting²⁶ from

the pews.

Blue and many others simply passed away before their time. Four years without adequate

food and the effects of war-contracted diseases took their toll²⁷. Poor, disheveled Beards buried

carrion²⁸ until the end of his shortened days. He, like so many others, was crushed in spirit and

remained a ward²⁹ of his family, incapable³⁰ of a normal life. Although Mary would have cared

lovingly for him, he had traveled beyond anyone’s reach. For the rest of my life, I couldn’t

escape all those in town or on the county roads who’d lost a limb or their good sense to that

conflict. They were everywhere one turned.

“There’s more, Tom,” Bibb says. His eyes soften³¹ with kindness.

“I could never live up to the blessings³² of my life in the midst of those poor souls.” I continue.

“Who was I to deserve such good fortune?” The words pour out of me. “My wedding night, the

birth of our first son, the awakening³³ of spring in the mountains, the presentation of my daughter

Cara in marriage to a neighbor’s boy—all these joyful³⁴ times were marred³⁵ by the shadow of what

you and all the others were missing.”

I can’t stem the flood. “Twenty-six major battles. That’s how many I survived. And I escaped

smallpox³⁶, cholera³⁷, and diphtheria that killed as many as the bullets and the cannon³⁸ balls. Every

day I’m tormented³⁹ by the question of why me and not the others.” Tears flood my eyes until the

room wavers.

Disappointment clouds Bibb’s face. What more could he want to hear that I haven’t said? I

sit in quiet bewilderment. The answer should come easily to me; after all, I’ve always thought of

him as my younger, more innocent self, the part that died during the war. I know him so well. In

some timeless place, our bond seems to have grown lighter⁴⁰ and sweeter, beyond my guilty

obsession⁴¹. And then a bitterness arises from my stomach, pushes against my ribs⁴², and explodes

from my lips like bile after a bout² of purging⁴³. A blindfold⁴⁴ has been lifted from my eyes, and I

understand what Bibb has been waiting to hear.

“Oh my lord, all this grief, pain, and death . . . yours as well, would never have happened but

for one thing. And that was the greed that kept slavery alive. The deep truth, the hard truth, is

that I murdered men so that white people could continue to torture other human beings, could

use them however they wanted, and could deny they were human like themselves. I’ve been

terrified of the painful clarity that ripped through my heart and soul during the war. I didn’t have

it in me afterward⁴⁵ to live day to day viewing humankind in that strong light. Instead, I’ve

traveled in a fog, unable to navigate⁴⁶ its sharp edge of truth.” I hold my hands before me as if I

can see blood on them. “I’m ashamed, so ashamed.” The room falls still, even the creek’s

whispering and the calls of night birds are muffled⁴⁷. It occurs to me—is my repentance⁴⁸ Bibb’s

also? He wasn’t on the killing fields for very long, but he desperately⁴⁹ wanted to be there, just as

I did, while fooling himself about the cause he was joining.

He steps toward me. He speaks slowly and with gravity. “Tom, you are forgiven for my

death. You always were. Let go of that guilt. But all of us bear the larger guilt.”

Tatternook holds out his hand. A ray of light flashes like a shooting star and enters my heart.

The tears that have been falling there for so many years dry up. The ray goes deeper and deeper,

a pebble⁵⁰ sinking into an ocean. I find myself in the station I glimpsed long ago in that icy prison

yard the night Bibb was shot. There is the sound of an unearthly harmony, rising and falling in a

multitude of divine voices. A golden train arrives, not on wheels, but borne on the backs of

winged creatures from whom the singing comes. The brilliant glare of the rail cars almost stuns⁵¹

me, and I feel a great urgency. I must get on board.

But I owe Phoebe a debt of gratitude⁵² — one as deep as I owed Bibb for saving me at

Spotsylvania Courthouse. She took pity on me and led me to this point of release. Ignoring her

fear, she found an unexpected well of courage. She was as valiant⁵³ as any soldier. One who

should never again feel shame. I lay my hand on her shoulder as a father might his daughter and

think how fond I’ve become of her. Despite my resentment⁵⁴ of Phoebe and Harry’s changes to

my house, I recognize that they’ve made it a place that will now last for generations to come. It

will stand firm and strong for others to enjoy as I did. Maybe they’ll be my descendants, and my

story won’t be forgotten. I give her shoulder a squeeze of farewell. Phoebe shivers, her eyes

brim with tears, and her face glows. She knows.

The station door has sailed open, and I must hurry. I take one departing look at my home and

Phoebe in the library and then rush through. But just as my foot touches the embossed metal step

and I grab the shiny hand rail, everything disappears in a burst of light. There is the ear-splitting

sound of something crashing down, falling apart, shattering into jagged pieces. At my feet lies

the shriveled, lifeless body of Moloch, Milton’s dark god of guilt from Paradise Lost. The

station and the train no longer exist. My house, the farm, Phoebe, Tatternook, and John Bibb are

gone. Tom Smiley is disappearing too. Everything I treasured about myself has almost

evaporated. But I have no fear or sense of loss as before. There is nothing to lose. I have no

gender⁵⁵, no name, no position in society, or any possessions. But I am awash in peace and

contentment, pulsing with the expanding and contracting vibrations⁵⁶ of the universe. Bibb,

Tatternook, Phoebe, and I are all particles of a grand, luminous⁵⁷ wave of life. I am pure

awareness⁵⁸, nothing more and nothing less. This is the first and last of what I am.

1 torment   

n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠

参考例句：

• He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
• Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

2 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

3 turquoise   

n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的

参考例句：

• She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
• The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。

4 merging   

合并（分类）

参考例句：

• Many companies continued to grow by merging with or buying competing firms. 许多公司通过合并或收买竞争对手的公司而不断扩大。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• To sequence by repeated splitting and merging. 用反复分开和合并的方法进行的排序。

5 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。

6 crouch   

v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏

参考例句：

• I crouched on the ground.我蹲在地上。
• He crouched down beside him.他在他的旁边蹲下来。

7 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

8 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

9 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

10 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

12 coalesce   

v.联合，结合，合并

参考例句：

• And these rings of gas would then eventually coalesce and form the planets.这些气体环最后终于凝结形成行星。
• They will probably collide again and again until they coalesce.他们可能会一次又一次地发生碰撞，直到他们合并。

13 killing   

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。

14 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

15 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

16 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

17 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

18 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

19 bloody   

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。

20 sergeant   

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？

21 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

22 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

23 socket   

n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口

参考例句：

• He put the electric plug into the socket.他把电插头插入插座。
• The battery charger plugs into any mains socket.这个电池充电器可以插入任何类型的电源插座。

24 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

25 crutches   

n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑

参考例句：

• After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
• When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

26 sprouting   

v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• new leaves sprouting from the trees 树上长出的新叶
• They were putting fresh earth around sprouting potato stalks. 他们在往绽出新芽的土豆秧周围培新土。 来自名作英译部分

27 toll   

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。

28 carrion   

n.腐肉

参考例句：

• A crow of bloodthirsty ants is attracted by the carrion.一群嗜血的蚂蚁被腐肉所吸引。
• Vultures usually feed on carrion or roadkill.兀鹫通常以腐肉和公路上的死伤动物为食。

29 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

30 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

31 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

32 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

33 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。

34 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

35 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

36 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

37 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

38 cannon   

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。

39 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。

40 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

41 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

42 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：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

43 purging   

清洗； 清除； 净化； 洗炉

参考例句：

• You learned the dry-mouthed, fear-purged, purging ecstasy of battle. 你体会到战斗中那种使人嘴巴发干的，战胜了恐惧并排除其他杂念的狂喜。
• Purging databases, configuring, and making other exceptional requests might fall into this category. 比如清空数据库、配置，以及其他特别的请求等都属于这个类别。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

44 blindfold   

vt.蒙住…的眼睛；adj.盲目的；adv.盲目地；n.蒙眼的绷带[布等]； 障眼物，蒙蔽人的事物

参考例句：

• They put a blindfold on a horse.他们给马蒙上遮眼布。
• I can do it blindfold.我闭着眼睛都能做。

45 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。

46 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

47 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

48 repentance   

n.懊悔

参考例句：

• He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。
• Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。

49 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

50 pebble   

n.卵石，小圆石

参考例句：

• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。
• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。

51 stuns   

v.击晕( stun的第三人称单数 )；使大吃一惊；给（某人）以深刻印象；使深深感动

参考例句：

• But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens. 但总有那么一个瞬间让我们惊喜。 来自互联网
• Shield Stun: Stuns the top of the aggro chart, 3s stun. 盾牌昏迷：最大眩晕，3秒钟晕眩。 来自互联网

52 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

53 valiant   

adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人

参考例句：

• He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
• Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。

54 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

55 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

56 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

57 luminous   

adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的

参考例句：

• There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
• Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。

58 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。