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17.Mud
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Mud
Once, Ma guarded her trunk so fiercely. She rationed1 its contents and most of all she rationed its smell. Inside her trunk lives a musky perfume, bitter and sweet. A smell not of this land, diminished each time the lid lifted.
Now that same trunk gapes2, dresses and medicines spilled free. No need to hoard3 when they mean to set out for the harbor next week, leaving the trunk behind. Ma, her belly4 big and the baby weeks away, says they won’t need extra weight. Soon they’ll be living where that smell is common.
“Hao mei,” Ma says, handing Lucy a pair of delicate white shoes, beaded, long-coveted. “They suit you.”
Lucy spins as Ma bids her, then slips the shoes off. She refuses to admire the beadwork. Runs barefoot into the rain
“Don’t forget to thank him,” Ma calls.
There was a time when Ma’s praise quenched5 a thirst in Lucy. Now praise arrives like this season’s rain: too much, too early. The mine is flooding. More men are out of work. With the swirl6 of brown water rise rumors7, and tempers. Last week the mine boss visited unannounced to collect rent. He burst inside, gaze darting9. Lucy was glad, then, for how Ma had hid the pouches11. Ba stood by his pistol, but Ma was undisturbed. She smiled at the boss and stepped over the puddle12 he left. Only said they’d best get used to wet before sailing.
—
Storm encroaches on the order of Teacher Leigh’s house too. His coyote brush is bedraggled,
点击收听单词发音
1 rationed | |
限量供应,配给供应( ration的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2 gapes | |
v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的第三人称单数 );张开,张大 | |
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3 hoard | |
n./v.窖藏,贮存,囤积 | |
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4 belly | |
n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛 | |
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5 quenched | |
解(渴)( quench的过去式和过去分词 ); 终止(某事物); (用水)扑灭(火焰等); 将(热物体)放入水中急速冷却 | |
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6 swirl | |
v.(使)打漩,(使)涡卷;n.漩涡,螺旋形 | |
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7 rumors | |
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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8 dart | |
v.猛冲,投掷;n.飞镖,猛冲 | |
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9 darting | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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10 pouch | |
n.小袋,小包,囊状袋;vt.装...入袋中,用袋运输;vi.用袋送信件 | |
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11 pouches | |
n.(放在衣袋里或连在腰带上的)小袋( pouch的名词复数 );(袋鼠等的)育儿袋;邮袋;(某些动物贮存食物的)颊袋 | |
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12 puddle | |
n.(雨)水坑,泥潭 | |
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13 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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14 parlor | |
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅 | |
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15 collapsed | |
adj.倒塌的 | |
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16 whim | |
n.一时的兴致,突然的念头;奇想,幻想 | |
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17 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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18 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
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19 monograph | |
n.专题文章,专题著作 | |
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20 shack | |
adj.简陋的小屋,窝棚 | |
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21 eddies | |
(水、烟等的)漩涡,涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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22 stomping | |
v.跺脚,践踏,重踏( stomp的现在分词 ) | |
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23 guttering | |
n.用于建排水系统的材料;沟状切除术;开沟 | |
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24 imprint | |
n.印痕,痕迹;深刻的印象;vt.压印,牢记 | |
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25 dented | |
v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 );损害;伤害;挫伤(信心、名誉等) | |
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26 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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27 soften | |
v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和 | |
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28 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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29 creeks | |
n.小湾( creek的名词复数 );小港;小河;小溪 | |
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30 creek | |
n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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31 recurring | |
adj.往复的,再次发生的 | |
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32 sneaks | |
abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋(网球鞋)v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状 | |
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33 treacherous | |
adj.不可靠的,有暗藏的危险的;adj.背叛的,背信弃义的 | |
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34 swollen | |
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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35 fleck | |
n.斑点,微粒 vt.使有斑点,使成斑驳 | |
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36 petals | |
n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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37 bouquet | |
n.花束,酒香 | |
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38 discreet | |
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
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39 copper | |
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的 | |
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40 numb | |
adj.麻木的,失去感觉的;v.使麻木 | |
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41 upturns | |
n.好转,上升趋势( upturn的名词复数 ) | |
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42 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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43 clenched | |
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44 mumbles | |
含糊的话或声音,咕哝( mumble的名词复数 ) | |
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45 horrified | |
a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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46 slurs | |
含糊的发音( slur的名词复数 ); 玷污; 连奏线; 连唱线 | |
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47 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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48 mattress | |
n.床垫,床褥 | |
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49 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 | |
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50 cramped | |
a.狭窄的 | |
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51 fiber | |
n.纤维,纤维质 | |
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52 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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53 belongings | |
n.私人物品,私人财物 | |
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54 flecks | |
n.斑点,小点( fleck的名词复数 );癍 | |
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55 dabs | |
少许( dab的名词复数 ); 是…能手; 做某事很在行; 在某方面技术熟练 | |
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56 wring | |
n.扭绞;v.拧,绞出,扭 | |
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57 sleek | |
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢 | |
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58 rebuke | |
v.指责,非难,斥责 [反]praise | |
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59 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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60 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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61 canines | |
n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 );犬牙;犬科动物 | |
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62 hunch | |
n.预感,直觉 | |
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63 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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64 warping | |
n.翘面,扭曲,变形v.弄弯,变歪( warp的现在分词 );使(行为等)不合情理,使乖戾, | |
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16.Water
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18.Wind
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