The Secret of the Reef
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER XII—READY FOR THE FRAY

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 The train was held up on its way to the Canadian frontier by a wash-out farther along the track. Devereux Clay stood in the noon sunshine talking to Osborne at a small wayside station while groups of impatient passengers strolled about the line, stopping now and then to glance at a gap in the somber1 firs where the rails gleamed in the strong sunshine; the engineer, leaning out from his cab, had his eyes turned in the same direction. There was, however, nothing to be seen but climbing trees, whose ragged2 spires3 rose one behind the other far up the steep hillside, and the fragrance4 the hot noon sun drew out from them mingled5 with the sharp smell of creosote from the ties. Except for the murmur6 of voices and the panting of the locomotive pump, it was very quiet in the narrow clearing, and the sound of falling water came up faintly from a deep hollow where a lake glittered among the firs.
 
Clay leaned against the agent’s wooden shack7, with his watch in his hand, for time was of value to him just then.
 
“Twenty minutes yet, from what that fellow said,” he grumbled8. “Give me a cigar—I’ve run out—and you needn’t wait.”
 
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” said Osborne, glancing toward his automobile9, which stood outside the station. “I suppose it’s the labor10 trouble that’s taking you to Vancouver?”
 
“You’ve hit it,” Clay answered in a

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 somber dFmz7     
adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的
参考例句：
  • He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
  • His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。
2 ragged KC0y8     
adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的
参考例句：
  • A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
  • Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
3 spires 89c7a5b33df162052a427ff0c7ab3cc6     
n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 fragrance 66ryn     
n.芬芳，香味，香气
参考例句：
  • The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
  • The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。
5 mingled fdf34efd22095ed7e00f43ccc823abdf     
混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]
参考例句：
  • The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
  • The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。
6 murmur EjtyD     
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
  • They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
  • There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
7 shack aE3zq     
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。
8 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
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。
9 automobile rP1yv     
n.汽车，机动车
参考例句：
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
10 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦
参考例句：
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。
11 confidential MOKzA     
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
  • He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
  • We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
12 agitation TN0zi     
n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动
参考例句：
  • Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
  • These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
13 addicted dzizmY     
adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的
参考例句：
  • He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
  • She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。
14 hovering 99fdb695db3c202536060470c79b067f     
鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
  • The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
  • I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。
15 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
16 fixed JsKzzj     
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。
17 winced 7be9a27cb0995f7f6019956af354c6e4     
赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
  • He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。
18 allusion CfnyW     
n.暗示，间接提示
参考例句：
  • He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
  • She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。
19 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上
参考例句：
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
20 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 truculent kUazK     
adj.野蛮的，粗野的
参考例句：
  • He was seen as truculent,temperamental,too unwilling to tolerate others.他们认为他为人蛮横无理，性情暴躁，不大能容人。
  • He was in no truculent state of mind now.这会儿他心肠一点也不狠毒了。
22 superintendent vsTwV     
n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长
参考例句：
  • He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
  • He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。
23 afterward fK6y3     
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。
24 shrill EEize     
adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫
参考例句：
  • Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
  • The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。
25 gravel s6hyT     
n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石
参考例句：
  • We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
  • More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。
26 plow eu5yE     
n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough
参考例句：
  • At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
  • We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。
27 clattering f876829075e287eeb8e4dc1cb4972cc5     
发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式）
参考例句：
  • Typewriters keep clattering away. 打字机在不停地嗒嗒作响。
  • The typewriter was clattering away. 打字机啪嗒啪嗒地响着。
28 lumber a8Jz6     
n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动
参考例句：
  • The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
  • They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。
29 swirled eb40fca2632f9acaecc78417fd6adc53     
v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The waves swirled and eddied around the rocks. 波浪翻滚着在岩石周围打旋。
  • The water swirled down the drain. 水打着旋流进了下水道。
30 moored 7d8a41f50d4b6386c7ace4489bce8b89     
adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
  • We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。
31 eddy 6kxzZ     
n.漩涡，涡流
参考例句：
  • The motor car disappeared in eddy of dust.汽车在一片扬尘的涡流中不见了。
  • In Taylor's picture,the eddy is the basic element of turbulence.在泰勒的描述里，旋涡是湍流的基本要素。
32 glimmer 5gTxU     
v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光
参考例句：
  • I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
  • A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。
33 stumps 221f9ff23e30fdcc0f64ec738849554c     
（被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分
参考例句：
  • Rocks and stumps supplied the place of chairs at the picnic. 野餐时石头和树桩都充当了椅子。
  • If you don't stir your stumps, Tom, you'll be late for school again. 汤姆，如果你不快走，上学又要迟到了。
34 picturesqueness aeff091e19ef9a1f448a2fcb2342eeab     
参考例句：
  • The picturesqueness of the engineer's life was always attractive to Presley. 这司机的丰富多彩的生活，始终叫普瑞斯莱醉心。
  • Philip liked the daring picturesqueness of the Americans'costume. 菲利浦喜欢美国人装束的那种粗犷的美。
35 cedar 3rYz9     
n.雪松，香柏(木)
参考例句：
  • The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
  • She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。
36 injustice O45yL     
n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利
参考例句：
  • They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
  • All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。
37 complicate zX1yA     
vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂
参考例句：
  • There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
  • These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。
38 concessions 6b6f497aa80aaf810133260337506fa9     
n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权
参考例句：
  • The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
  • The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。
39 dictating 9b59a64fc77acba89b2fa4a927b010fe     
v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布
参考例句：
  • The manager was dictating a letter to the secretary. 经理在向秘书口授信稿。 来自辞典例句
  • Her face is impassive as she listens to Miller dictating the warrant for her arrest. 她毫无表情地在听米勒口述拘留她的证书。 来自辞典例句
40 earnings rrWxJ     
n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得
参考例句：
  • That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
  • Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。
41 frankly fsXzcf     
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。
42 avarice KeHyX     
n.贪婪；贪心
参考例句：
  • Avarice is the bane to happiness.贪婪是损毁幸福的祸根。
  • Their avarice knows no bounds and you can never satisfy them.他们贪得无厌，你永远无法满足他们。
43 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
44 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。
45 engross 0ZEzS     
v.使全神贯注
参考例句：
  • I go into bookshops and engross myself in diet books and cookbooks.我走进书店，聚精会神地读关于饮食的书以及食谱。
  • If there was one piece of advice I would offer to improve your reading rate it would be simply to engross yourself in the material you are studying.如果让我给你一个忠告来提高你的阅读速度的话，那就是全神贯注的研究你的资料。
46 glimmered 8dea896181075b2b225f0bf960cf3afd     
v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • "There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray." 她胸前绣着的字母闪着的非凡的光辉，将温暖舒适带给他人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • The moon glimmered faintly through the mists. 月亮透过薄雾洒下微光。 来自辞典例句
47 blurred blurred     
v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离
参考例句：
  • She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
  • Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
48 hiss 2yJy9     
v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满
参考例句：
  • We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
  • Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。
49 apprehensions 86177204327b157a6d884cdb536098d8     
疑惧
参考例句：
  • He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
  • But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。
50 galloping galloping     
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式
参考例句：
  • The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
  • Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。
51 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
52 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
53 grievance J6ayX     
n.怨愤，气恼，委屈
参考例句：
  • He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
  • He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。
54 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的
参考例句：
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
55 budge eSRy5     
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。
56 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
57 envoy xoLx7     
n.使节，使者，代表，公使
参考例句：
  • Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
  • The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

分享到：


返回目录

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010