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When Captain Gerilleau received instructions to take his new gunboat, the Benjamin Constant, to Badama on the Batemo arm of the Guaramadema and there assist the inhabitants against a plague of ants, he suspected the authorities of mockery. His promotion1 had been romantic and irregular, the affections of a prominent Brazilian lady and the captain’s liquid eyes had played a part in the process, and the Diario and O Futuro had been lamentably2 disrespectful in their comments. He felt he was to give further occasion for disrespect.
He was a Creole, his conceptions of etiquette3 and discipline were pure-blooded Portuguese4, and it was only to Holroyd, the Lancashire engineer who had come over with the boat, and as an exercise in the use of English — his “th” sounds were very uncertain — that he opened his heart.
“It is in effect,” he said, “to make me absurd! What can a man do against ants? Dey come, dey go.”
“They say,” said Holroyd, “that these don’t go. That chap you said was a Sambo ——”
“Zambo;— it is a sort of mixture of blood.”
“Sambo. He said the people are going!”
The captain smoked fretfully for a time. “Dese tings ‘ave to happen,” he said at last. “What is it? Plagues of ants and suchlike as God wills. Dere was a plague in Trinidad — the little ants that carry leaves. Orl der orange-trees, all der mangoes! What does it matter? Sometimes ant armies come into your houses — fighting ants; a different sort. You go and they clean the house. Then you come back again;— the house is clean, like new! No cockroaches5, no fleas6, no jiggers in the floor.”
“That Sambo chap,” said Holroyd, “says these are a different sort of ant.”
The captain shrugged7 his shoulders,
收听单词发音
1
promotion
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传
2
lamentably
adv.哀伤地,拙劣地
3
etiquette
n.礼仪,礼节;规矩
4
Portuguese
n.葡萄牙人;葡萄牙语
5
cockroaches
n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )
6
fleas
n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 );爱财如命;没好气地(拒绝某人的要求)
7
shrugged
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
8
fumed
愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 ); 大怒; 发怒; 冒烟
9
ashore
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸
10
marvelled
v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 )
11
sluice
n.水闸
12
animate
v.赋于生命,鼓励;adj.有生命的,有生气的
13
animated
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的
14
hovering
鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
15
wilderness
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
16
submission
n.服从,投降;温顺,谦虚;提出
17
insignificance
n.不重要;无价值;无意义
18
precarious
adj.不安定的,靠不住的;根据不足的
19
devious
adj.不坦率的,狡猾的;迂回的,曲折的
20
remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
21
ammunition
n.军火,弹药
22
industriously
23
substantive
adj.表示实在的;本质的、实质性的;独立的;n.实词,实名词;独立存在的实体
24
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
25
intercourse
n.性交;交流,交往,交际
26
alligator
n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)
27
alligators
n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )
28
beetles
n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )
29
scorch
v.烧焦,烤焦;高速疾驶;n.烧焦处,焦痕
30
suffocate
vt.使窒息,使缺氧,阻碍;vi.窒息,窒息而亡,阻碍发展
31
noxious
adj.有害的,有毒的;使道德败坏的,讨厌的
32
distraction
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐
33
distresses
n.悲痛( distress的名词复数 );痛苦;贫困;危险
34
anonymous
adj.无名的;匿名的;无特色的
35
beads
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链
36
interval
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
37
intervals
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
38
aggregations
n.聚集( aggregation的名词复数 );集成;集结;聚集体
39
mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
40
luminous
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的
41
throbbing
a. 跳动的,悸动的
42
deity
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物)
43
mused
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
44
swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入
45
knuckle
n.指节;vi.开始努力工作;屈服,认输
46
speck
n.微粒,小污点,小斑点
47
lieutenant
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员
48
conversational
adj.对话的,会话的
49
fungus
n.真菌,真菌类植物
50
specimens
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人
51
meditate
v.想,考虑,(尤指宗教上的)沉思,冥想
52
meditated
深思,沉思,冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 ); 内心策划,考虑
53
confluence
n.汇合,聚集
54
fore
adv.在前面;adj.先前的;在前部的;n.前部
55
abound
vi.大量存在;(in,with)充满,富于
56
moored
adj. 系泊的
动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式
57
decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
58
mattress
n.床垫,床褥
59
perplexed
adj.不知所措的
60
bulwark
n.堡垒,保障,防御
61
ripple
n.涟波,涟漪,波纹,粗钢梳;vt.使...起涟漪,使起波纹; vi.呈波浪状,起伏前进
62
murmur
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言
63
inhuman
adj.残忍的,不人道的,无人性的
64
specks
n.眼镜;斑点,微粒,污点( speck的名词复数 )
65
atlas
n.地图册,图表集
66
invincible
adj.不可征服的,难以制服的
67
assertive
adj.果断的,自信的,有冲劲的
68
prey
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨
69
deserted
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
70
creek
n.小溪,小河,小湾
71
puma
美洲豹
72
jaguar
n.美洲虎
73
perfectly
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
74
civilisation
n.文明,文化,开化,教化
75
incessantly
ad.不停地
76
eddied
起漩涡,旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 )
77
phantom
n.幻影,虚位,幽灵;adj.错觉的,幻影的,幽灵的
78
moths
n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )
79
meditations
默想( meditation的名词复数 ); 默念; 沉思; 冥想
80
sinister
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的
81
intensified
v.(使)增强, (使)加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )
82
facade
n.(建筑物的)正面,临街正面;外表
83
monastery
n.修道院,僧院,寺院
84
downwards
adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地)
85
crouching
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )
86
ailed
v.生病( ail的过去式和过去分词 );感到不舒服;处境困难;境况不佳
87
collapsed
adj.倒塌的
88
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)
89
flopped
v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅
90
bulwarks
n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 );保障;支柱;舷墙
91
erratic
adj.古怪的,反复无常的,不稳定的
92
vessel
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
93
ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
94
gaped
v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 );张开,张大
95
inexplicably
adv.无法说明地,难以理解地,令人难以理解的是
96
planks
(厚)木板( plank的名词复数 ); 政纲条目,政策要点
97
riveted
铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 ); 把…固定住; 吸引; 引起某人的注意
98
dispersing
adj. 分散的
动词disperse的现在分词形式
99
grunted
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
100
scrutiny
n.详细检查,仔细观察
101
inspection
n.检查,审查,检阅
102
colloquy
n.谈话,自由讨论
103
embarked
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事
104
speculations
n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 );思考;投机活动;推断
105
vehemence
n.热切;激烈;愤怒
106
fussiness
[医]易激怒
107
tilted
v. 倾斜的
108
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
109
abruptly
adv.突然地,出其不意地
110
verge
n.边,边缘;v.接近,濒临
111
cowardice
n.胆小,怯懦
112
torrent
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发
113
saluted
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂
114
scattered
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
115
invader
n.侵略者,侵犯者,入侵者
116
dispersed
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的
117
peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
118
deliberately
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地
119
groaned
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
120
rigidly
adv.刻板地,僵化地
121
vividly
adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地
122
wrath
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒
123
purport
n.意义,要旨,大要;v.意味著,做为...要旨,要领是...
124
reverted
恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 ); 重提; 回到…上; 归还
125
furtive
adj.鬼鬼崇崇的,偷偷摸摸的
126
infantry
n.[总称]步兵(部队)
127
akin
adj.同族的,类似的
128
gathering
n.集会,聚会,聚集
129
accusation
n.控告,指责,谴责
130
plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降
131
swollen
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀
132
illuminate
vt.照亮,照明;用灯光装饰;说明,阐释
133
funnels
漏斗( funnel的名词复数 ); (轮船,火车等的)烟囱
134
harped
vi.弹竖琴(harp的过去式与过去分词形式)
135
swell
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强
136
swelled
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
137
inquiry
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
138
squeak
n.吱吱声,逃脱;v.(发出)吱吱叫,侥幸通过;(俚)告密
139
vindictively
adv.恶毒地;报复地
140
savage
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人
141
blasphemous
adj.亵渎神明的,不敬神的
142
zest
n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣
143
kerosene
n.(kerosine)煤油,火油
144
flaring
a.火焰摇曳的,过份艳丽的
145
flare
v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发
146
momentary
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的
147
silhouette
n.黑色半身侧面影,影子,轮廓;v.描绘成侧面影,照出影子来,仅仅显出轮廓
148
linguistics
n.语言学
149
canes
n.(某些植物,如竹或甘蔗的)茎( cane的名词复数 );(用于制作家具等的)竹竿;竹杖
150
hooted
(使)作汽笛声响,作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 )
151
postures
姿势( posture的名词复数 ); 看法; 态度; 立场
152
embarkation
n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船
153
distinguished
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的
154
conquerors
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 )
155
awakened
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
156
impatience
n.不耐烦,急躁
157
wrecked
adj.失事的,遇难的
158
inevitable
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
159
extirpation
n.消灭,根除,毁灭;摘除
160
plantations
n.种植园,大农场( plantation的名词复数 )
161
inexplicable
adj.无法解释的,难理解的
162
organisation
n.组织,安排,团体,有机休
163
previously
adv.以前,先前(地)
164
immediate
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
165
detailed
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
166
stimulates
v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 );激励;使兴奋;起兴奋作用,起刺激作用,起促进作用
167
implements
n.工具( implement的名词复数 );家具;手段;[法律]履行(契约等)v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 );执行;贯彻;使生效
168
feats
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 )
169
analogous
adj.相似的;类似的
170
slaughter
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀