20
　　Mr Horace Tipperlong gets a shock
　　The man guided the motor-boat expertly into the narrow channel of water, where the Lucky Starhad been battered¹ to pieces. He saw the bit of broken rope still round one of the rocks, and lookedat it, puzzled.
　　Dinah and Philip were crouching² behind two or three large rocks further up the cliff. They couldnot see what the man was doing, for they were afraid of being spotted³ if they peeped out.
　　Jack⁴ and Lucy-Ann were waiting on the cliff-top. Lucy-Ann was nervous. ‘My knees feelfunny,’ she complained to Jack. He laughed.
　　‘Don’t worry. Buck⁵ up, knees! Now – here he comes. You needn’t say a word if you don’t wantto.’
　　The man came up the rocky steps that led to the top of the cleft⁶ in the cliff. He was a thin fellow,rather weedy, with skinny legs. He wore shorts and a pullover. He had been burnt by the sun, andhis skin was blistered⁷.
　　He had a thin little moustache, and a high forehead on which the hair grew far back. He worevery dark glasses indeed, so that it was quite impossible to see his eyes. ‘He did not look anybodyto be very much feared,’ Jack thought.
　　‘Hallo, hallo, hallo,’ said the man, as he and the children met. ‘I was astonished to know therewere people on this island.’
　　‘Who told you?’ asked Jack at once.
　　‘Oh, nobody,’ said the man. ‘I saw your spire⁸ of smoke. Whatever are you doing here? Is therea camp of you, or something?’
　　‘There might be,’ said Jack, airily. ‘Why have you come here?’
　　‘I’m an ornithologist

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1 battered
adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损
参考例句：
He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。 The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

2 crouching
v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )
参考例句：
a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影 A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

3 spotted
adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的
参考例句：
The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。 Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

4 jack
n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克
参考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 buck
n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃
参考例句：
The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。 The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

6 cleft
n.裂缝；adj.裂开的
参考例句：
I hid the message in a cleft in the rock.我把情报藏在石块的裂缝里。 He was cleft from his brother during the war.在战争期间，他与他的哥哥分离。

7 blistered
adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂
参考例句：
He had a blistered heel. 他的脚后跟起了泡。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Their hands blistered, but no one complained. 他们手起了泡，可是没有一个人有怨言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 spire
n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点
参考例句：
The church spire was struck by lightning.教堂的尖顶遭到了雷击。 They could just make out the spire of the church in the distance.他们只能辨认出远处教堂的尖塔。

9 ornithologist
n.鸟类学家
参考例句：
That area is an ornithologist's paradise.那个地区是鸟类学家的天堂。 Now I know how an ornithologist feels.现在我知道做为一个鸟类学家的感受了。

10 giggle
n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说
参考例句：
Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。 All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。

11 mincing
adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎
参考例句：
She came to the park with mincing,and light footsteps.她轻移莲步来到了花园之中。 There is no use in mincing matters.掩饰事实是没有用的。

12 plunge
v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲
参考例句：
Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。 That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

13 burrow
vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞
参考例句：
Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。 The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

14 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 bulged
凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物）
参考例句：
His pockets bulged with apples and candy. 他的口袋鼓鼓地装满了苹果和糖。 The oranges bulged his pocket. 桔子使得他的衣袋胀得鼓鼓的。

16 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

17 groaning
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式
参考例句：
She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。 The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着，无人救助。

18 watery
adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的
参考例句：
In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。 Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

19 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

20 brazen
adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的
参考例句：
The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。 Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。