All the Blueskins except a few soldiers had gone to bed and were sound asleep. A blue gloom hung over the city, which was scarcely relieved by a few bluish, wavering lights here and there, but
Trot1 knew the general direction in which the palace lay, and she
decided2 to go there first. She believed the Boolooroo would surely keep so important a prisoner as Cap'n Bill locked up in his own palace.
Once or twice the little girl lost her way, for the streets were very puzzling to one not accustomed to them, but finally she sighted the great palace and went up to the entrance. There she found a double guard posted. They were sitting on a bench outside the
doorway3, and both stood up as she approached.
"We thought we heard footsteps," said one.
"So did we," replied the other, "yet there is no one in sight."
Trot then saw that the guards were the two patched men, Jimfred Jonesjinks and Fredjim Jinksjones, who had been talking together quite cheerfully. It was the first time the girl had seen them together, and she marveled at the queer patching that had been so strongly united here, yet so
thoroughly4 separated them.
"You see," remarked Jimfred as they seated themselves again upon the bench, "The Boolooroo has ordered the patching to take place tomorrow morning after breakfast. The old Earth man is to be patched to poor Tiggle instead of Ghip-Ghisizzle, who has in some way managed to escape from the Room of the Great Knife—no one knows how but Tiggle, and Tiggle won't tell."
"We're sorry for anyone who has to be patched," replied Fredjim in a reflective tone, "for although it didn't hurt us as much as we expected, it's a terrible mix-up to be in until we become used to our strange combination. You and we are about alike, now, Jimfred, although we were so different before."
"Not so," said Jimfred. "We are really more intelligent than you are, for the left side of our brain was always the keenest before we were patched."
"That may be," admitted Fredjim, "but we are much the strongest, because our right arm was by far the best before we were patched."
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收听单词发音
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1
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 |
参考例句： |
- They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
- The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。
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2
decided
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| 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。
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3
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 |
参考例句： |
- They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
- Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
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4
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 |
参考例句： |
- The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
- The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
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5
nag
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| v.(对…)不停地唠叨；n.爱唠叨的人 |
参考例句： |
- Nobody likes to work with a nag.谁也不愿与好唠叨的人一起共事。
- Don't nag me like an old woman.别像个老太婆似的唠唠叨叨烦我。
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6
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 |
参考例句： |
- The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
- Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。
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7
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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8
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 |
参考例句： |
- They often stood sentry on snowy nights.他们常常在雪夜放哨。
- The sentry challenged anyone approaching the tent.哨兵查问任一接近帐篷的人。
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9
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 |
参考例句： |
- The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
- The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。
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10
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 |
参考例句： |
- He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
- The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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11
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 |
参考例句： |
- The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
- The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。
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12
huddled
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| 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。
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13
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的
动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句： |
- He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
- The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。
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14
snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 |
参考例句： |
- Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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15
spoke
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| 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。
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16
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 |
参考例句： |
- It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
- His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
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17
disappearance
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| 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。
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 |
参考例句： |
- She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
- That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 |
参考例句： |
- For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
- The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
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20
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 |
参考例句： |
- The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
- Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。
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21
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 |
参考例句： |
- The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
- The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。
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22
scrambled
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| 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》
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23
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 |
参考例句： |
- The police were able to deduce where the fugitive was hiding.警方成功地推断出那逃亡者躲藏的地方。
- The fugitive is believed to be headed for the border.逃犯被认为在向国境线逃窜。
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detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- They detested each other on sight. 他们互相看着就不顺眼。
- The freethinker hated the formalist; the lover of liberty detested the disciplinarian. 自由思想者总是不喜欢拘泥形式者，爱好自由者总是憎恶清规戒律者。 来自辞典例句
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mighty
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| 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。
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 |
参考例句： |
- The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
- He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。
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