The Battery and the Boiler
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Chapter Eight.

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 Laying The Cable—“Faults” and Fault-Finding—Anxieties, Accidents, and other Matters.
 
Come with us now, good reader, to another and very different scene—out upon the boundless1 sea. The great Atlantic is asleep, but his breast heaves gently and slowly like that of a profound sleeper2.
 
The Great Eastern looks like an island on the water—steady as a rock, obedient only to the rise and fall of the ocean swell3, as she glides5 along at the rate of six knots an hour. All is going well. The complicated-looking paying-out machinery6 revolves7 smoothly8; the thread-like cable passes over the stern, and down into the deep with the utmost regularity9.
 
The shore-end of the cable—twenty-seven miles in length, and much thicker than the deep-sea portion—had been laid at Valentia, on the 22nd of July, amid prayer and praise, speech-making, and much enthusiasm, on the part of operators and spectators. On the 23rd, the end of the shore cable was spliced11 to that of the main cable, and the voyage had begun.
 
The first night had passed quietly, and upwards12 of eighty miles of the cable had gone out of the after-tank, over the big ship’s stern, and down to its ocean-bed, when Robin13 Wright—unable to sleep—quietly slipped into his clothes, and went on deck. It was drawing near to dawn. A knot of electricians and others were chatting in

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1 boundless kt8zZ     
adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的
参考例句：
  • The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
  • His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。
2 sleeper gETyT     
n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺
参考例句：
  • I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
  • But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。
3 swell IHnzB     
vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强
参考例句：
  • The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
  • His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。
4 glide 2gExT     
n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝
参考例句：
  • We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
  • So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。
5 glides 31de940e5df0febeda159e69e005a0c9     
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 )；滑音；音渡；过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔
参考例句：
  • The new dance consists of a series of glides. 这种新舞蹈中有一连串的滑步。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The stately swan glides gracefully on the pond. 天鹅在池面上优美地游动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 machinery CAdxb     
n.(总称)机械，机器；机构
参考例句：
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
7 revolves 63fec560e495199631aad0cc33ccb782     
v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想
参考例句：
  • The earth revolves both round the sun and on its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是，轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 smoothly iiUzLG     
adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地
参考例句：
  • The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
  • Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。
9 regularity sVCxx     
n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐
参考例句：
  • The idea is to maintain the regularity of the heartbeat.问题就是要维持心跳的规律性。
  • He exercised with a regularity that amazed us.他锻炼的规律程度令我们非常惊讶。
10 splice irmyA     
v.接合，衔接；n.胶接处，粘接处
参考例句：
  • He taught me to edit and splice film.他教我剪辑和粘接胶片。
  • The film will be spliced with footage of Cypress Hill to be filmed in America.这部电影要和将在美国拍摄的柏树山乐队的音乐片段粘接在一起。
11 spliced 6c063522691b1d3a631f89ce3da34ec0     
adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等）
参考例句：
  • He spliced the two lengths of film together. 他把两段胶卷粘接起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Have you heard?John's just got spliced. 听说了吗？约翰刚结了婚。 来自辞典例句
12 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上，在更高处...以上
参考例句：
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
13 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟，红襟鸟
参考例句：
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。
14 subdued 76419335ce506a486af8913f13b8981d     
adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
  • I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。
15 accosting 35c05353db92b49762afd10ad894fb22     
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的现在分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭
参考例句：
  • The provider of our first breakfast was found by the King of Accosting. 首顿早餐的供货商，此地的发现得来于搭讪之王简称讪王千岁殿下的首次参上。 来自互联网
16 uncommonly 9ca651a5ba9c3bff93403147b14d37e2     
adv. 稀罕(极，非常)
参考例句：
  • an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童
  • My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。
17 specified ZhezwZ     
adj.特定的
参考例句：
  • The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
  • It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。
18 hitch UcGxu     
v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉
参考例句：
  • They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
  • All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。
19 insulation Q5Jxt     
n.隔离；绝缘；隔热
参考例句：
  • Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
  • It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。
20 secondly cjazXx     
adv.第二，其次
参考例句：
  • Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
  • Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。
21 copper HZXyU     
n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的
参考例句：
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
22 unwillingness 0aca33eefc696aef7800706b9c45297d     
n. 不愿意，不情愿
参考例句：
  • Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。
  • His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱，他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。
23 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
24 subtleties 7ed633566637e94fa02b8a1fad408072     
细微( subtlety的名词复数 )； 精细； 巧妙； 细微的差别等
参考例句：
  • I think the translator missed some of the subtleties of the original. 我认为译者漏掉了原著中一些微妙之处。
  • They are uneducated in the financial subtleties of credit transfer. 他们缺乏有关信用转让在金融方面微妙作用的知识。
25 aptitude 0vPzn     
n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资
参考例句：
  • That student has an aptitude for mathematics.那个学生有数学方面的天赋。
  • As a child,he showed an aptitude for the piano.在孩提时代，他显露出对于钢琴的天赋。
26 speck sFqzM     
n.微粒，小污点，小斑点
参考例句：
  • I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
  • The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。
27 glided dc24e51e27cfc17f7f45752acf858ed1     
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔
参考例句：
  • The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
  • They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 awe WNqzC     
n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧
参考例句：
  • The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
  • The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
29 conversing 20d0ea6fb9188abfa59f3db682925246     
v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • I find that conversing with her is quite difficult. 和她交谈实在很困难。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They were conversing in the parlor. 他们正在客厅谈话。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
30 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
31 swelling OUzzd     
n.肿胀
参考例句：
  • Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
  • There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。
33 wrench FMvzF     
v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受
参考例句：
  • He gave a wrench to his ankle when he jumped down.他跳下去的时候扭伤了足踝。
  • It was a wrench to leave the old home.离开这个老家非常痛苦。
34 intensity 45Ixd     
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。
35 consternation 8OfzB     
n.大为吃惊，惊骇
参考例句：
  • He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
  • Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。
36 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
37 commotion 3X3yo     
n.骚动，动乱
参考例句：
  • They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。
  • Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。
38 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句：
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
39 apparatus ivTzx     
n.装置，器械；器具，设备
参考例句：
  • The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
  • They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。
40 defective qnLzZ     
adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的
参考例句：
  • The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
  • If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。
41 spoke XryyC     
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。
42 boilers e1c9396ee45d737fc4e1d3ae82a0ae1f     
锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
  • The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。
43 delicacy mxuxS     
n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴
参考例句：
  • We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
  • He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。
44 lashed 4385e23a53a7428fb973b929eed1bce6     
adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥
参考例句：
  • The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
  • The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
45 fathoms eef76eb8bfaf6d8f8c0ed4de2cf47dcc     
英寻( fathom的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
  • One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。
46 varied giIw9     
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
47 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的
参考例句：
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
48 shackles 91740de5ccb43237ed452a2a2676e023     
手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊
参考例句：
  • a country struggling to free itself from the shackles of colonialism 为摆脱殖民主义的枷锁而斗争的国家
  • The cars of the train are coupled together by shackles. 火车的车厢是用钩链连接起来的。
49 virtue BpqyH     
n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
参考例句：
  • He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
  • You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
50 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句：
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
51 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地
参考例句：
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
52 hawk NeKxY     
n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员
参考例句：
  • The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
  • The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。
53 rattling 7b0e25ab43c3cc912945aafbb80e7dfd     
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词
参考例句：
  • This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
  • At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。
54 detention 1vhxk     
n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下
参考例句：
  • He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
  • He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。
55 favourably 14211723ae4152efc3f4ea3567793030     
adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably
参考例句：
  • The play has been favourably commented by the audience. 本剧得到了观众的好评。
  • The open approach contrasts favourably with the exclusivity of some universities. 这种开放式的方法与一些大学的封闭排外形成了有利的对比。
56 mishap AjSyg     
n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸
参考例句：
  • I'm afraid your son had a slight mishap in the playground.不好了，你儿子在操场上出了点小意外。
  • We reached home without mishap.我们平安地回到了家。

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