Stuart Little 精灵鼠小弟
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XIV. An Evening on the River

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XIV. An Evening on the River
When Stuart arrived at his camp site by the river, he was tired and hot. He put the canoe in the water and was sorry to see that it leaked badly. The birch bark at the stern was held together by a lacing, and the water came in through the seam. In a very few seconds the canoe was half full of water.
“Darn it!” said Stuart, “I’ve been swindled.” He had paid seventy-six cents for a genuine Indian birchbark canoe, only to find that it leaked.
“Darn, darn, darn,” he muttered.
Then he bailed1 out his canoe and hauled it up on the beach for repairs. He knew he couldn’t take Harriet out in a leaky boat—she wouldn’t like it. Tired though he was, he climbed a spruce tree and found some spruce gum. With this he plugged the seam and stopped the leak. Even so, the canoe turned out to be a cranky little craft.
If Stuart had not had plenty of experience on the water, he would have got into serious trouble with it. It was a tippy boat even for a souvenir. Stuart carried stones from the beach down to the water’s edge and ballasted the canoe with the stones until it floated evenly and steadily2. He made a back-rest so that Harriet would be able to lean back and trail her fingers in the water if she wished. He also made a pillow by tying one of his clean handkerchiefs around some moss3. Then he went for a paddle to practise his stroke. He was angry that he didn’t have anything better than a paper spoon for a paddle, but he decided4 that there was nothing he could do about it. He wondered whether Harriet would notice that his paddle was really just an ice cream spoon.
All that afternoon Stuart worked on the canoe, adjusting ballast, filling seams, and getting everything shipshape for the morrow. He could think of nothing else but his date with Harriet. At suppertime he took his ax, felled a dandelion, opened a can of deviled ham, and had a light supper of ham and dandelion milk. After supper, he propped5 himself up against a fern, bit off some spruce gum for a chew, and lay there on the bank dreaming and chewing gum. In his imagination he went over every detail of tomorrow’s trip with Harriet. With his eyes shut he seemed to see the whole occasion plainly—how she would look when she came down the path to the water, how calm and peaceful the river was going to be in the

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1 bailed 9d10cc72ad9f0a9c9f58e936ec537563     
保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • Fortunately the pilot bailed out before the plane crashed. 飞机坠毁之前，驾驶员幸运地跳伞了。
  • Some water had been shipped and the cook bailed it out. 船里进了些水，厨师把水舀了出去。
2 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
3 moss X6QzA     
n.苔，藓，地衣
参考例句：
  • Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
  • He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。
4 decided lvqzZd     
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。
5 propped 557c00b5b2517b407d1d2ef6ba321b0e     
支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
  • This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。
6 twilight gKizf     
n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期
参考例句：
  • Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
  • Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
7 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的
参考例句：
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
8 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
9 perspiration c3UzD     
n.汗水；出汗
参考例句：
  • It is so hot that my clothes are wet with perspiration.天太热了，我的衣服被汗水湿透了。
  • The perspiration was running down my back.汗从我背上淌下来。
10 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的，寒冷的
参考例句：
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。
11 stump hGbzY     
n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走
参考例句：
  • He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
  • He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。
12 peppermints 0861208365c44aa8cacf6bdeab27fccd     
n.薄荷( peppermint的名词复数 )；薄荷糖
参考例句：
  • She just curls up and sucks peppermints. 她老是蜷着腿躺着，吮着薄荷糖。 来自辞典例句
  • Enough, already with this mellow incense and peppermints vibe. 够了，我受够这些薰香以及薄荷的感觉了。 来自电影对白
13 peppermint slNzxg     
n.薄荷，薄荷油，薄荷糖
参考例句：
  • Peppermint oil is very good for regulating digestive disorders.薄荷油能很有效地调节消化系统失调。
  • He sat down,popped in a peppermint and promptly choked to death.他坐下来，突然往嘴里放了一颗薄荷糖，当即被噎死。
14 courteous tooz2     
adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的
参考例句：
  • Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
  • He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。
15 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。
16 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
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》
17 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的
参考例句：
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
18 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
19 twig VK1zg     
n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解
参考例句：
  • He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
  • The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。
20 gee ZsfzIu     
n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转
参考例句：
  • Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
  • Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！
21 fussy Ff5z3     
adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的
参考例句：
  • He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。
  • The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。
22 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地
参考例句：
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
23 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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