NOTHING of importance had occurred hitherto in the passage through Chili¹; but all the obstacles and difficulties incident to a mountain journey were about to crowd on the travelers now.

One important question had first to be settled. Which pass would take them over the Andes, and yet not be out of their fixed² route?

On questioning the CATAPEZ on the subject, he replied:

“There are only two practicable passes that I know of in this part of the Cordilleras.”

“The pass of Arica is one undoubtedly³ discovered by Valdivia Mendoze,” said Paganel.

“Just so.”

“And that of Villarica is the other.”

“Precisely.”

“Well, my good fellow, both these passes have only one fault; they take us too far out of our route, either north or south.”

“Have you no other to propose?” asked the Major.

“Certainly,” replied Paganel. “There is the pass of Antuco, on the slope of the volcano, in latitude⁴, 37 degrees 30’, or, in other words, only half a degree out of our way.”

“That would do, but are you acquainted with this pass of Antuco, CATAPEZ?” said Glenarvan.

“Yes, your Lordship, I have been through it, but I did not mention it, as no one goes that way but the Indian shepherds with the herds⁵ of cattle.”

“Oh, very well; if mares and sheep and oxen can go that way, we can, so let’s start at once.”

The signal for departure was given immediately, and they struck into the heart of the valley of Las Lejas, between great masses of chalk crystal. From this point the pass began to be difficult, and even dangerous. The angles of the declivities widened and the ledges⁶ narrowed, and frightful⁷ precipices⁸ met their gaze. The

点击收听单词发音  

1 chili
n.辣椒
参考例句：
He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。 It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

2 fixed
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。

3 undoubtedly
adv.确实地，无疑地
参考例句：
It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。 He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

4 latitude
n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区
参考例句：
The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。 The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

5 herds
兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众
参考例句：
Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。 There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

6 ledges
n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台
参考例句：
seabirds nesting on rocky ledges 海鸟在岩架上筑巢 A rusty ironrod projected mournfully from one of the window ledges. 一个窗架上突出一根生锈的铁棒，真是满目凄凉。 来自辞典例句

7 frightful
adj.可怕的；讨厌的
参考例句：
How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！ We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

8 precipices
n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Sheer above us rose the Spy-glass, here dotted with single pines, there black with precipices. 我们的头顶上方耸立着陡峭的望远镜山，上面长着几棵孤零零的松树，其他地方则是黑黝黝的悬崖绝壁。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 Few people can climb up to the sheer precipices and overhanging rocks. 悬崖绝壁很少有人能登上去。 来自互联网

9 mules
骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者
参考例句：
The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。 She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。

10 scenting
vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式）
参考例句：
Soames, scenting the approach of a jest, closed up. 索来斯觉察出有点调侃的味儿来了，赶快把话打断。 来自辞典例句 The pale woodbines and the dog-roses were scenting the hedgerows. 金银花和野蔷薇把道旁的树也薰香了。 来自辞典例句

11 caravan
n.大蓬车；活动房屋
参考例句：
The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。 Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

12 tinkle
vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声
参考例句：
The wine glass dropped to the floor with a tinkle.酒杯丁零一声掉在地上。 Give me a tinkle and let me know what time the show starts.给我打个电话，告诉我演出什么时候开始。

13 winding
n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈
参考例句：
A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。 The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

14 crevasse
n. 裂缝，破口；v.使有裂缝
参考例句：
The deep crevasse yawned at their feet.他们脚下的冰川有一道深深的裂缝。 He fell down a crevasse.他从裂缝处摔了下来。

15 fathoms
英寻( fathom的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。 One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。

16 gulf
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。 There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

17 interrogate
vt.讯问，审问，盘问
参考例句：
The lawyer took a long time to interrogate the witness fully.律师花了很长时间仔细询问目击者。 We will interrogate the two suspects separately.我们要对这两个嫌疑人单独进行审讯。

18 haphazard
adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的
参考例句：
The town grew in a haphazard way.这城镇无计划地随意发展。 He regrerted his haphazard remarks.他悔不该随口说出那些评论话。

19 gorges
n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕
参考例句：
The explorers were confronted with gorges(that were)almost impassable and rivers(that were)often unfordable. 探险人员面临着几乎是无路可通的峡谷和常常是无法渡过的河流。 来自辞典例句 We visited the Yangtse Gorges last summer. 去年夏天我们游历了长江三峡。 来自辞典例句

20 perpendicularly
adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地
参考例句：
Fray's forehead was wrinkled both perpendicularly and crosswise. 弗雷的前额上纹路纵横。 Automatic resquaring feature insures nozzle is perpendicularly to the part being cut. 自动垂直功能，可以确保刀头回到与工件完全垂直的位置去切割。

21 remains
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。

22 gallop
v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展
参考例句：
They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。 The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

23 hesitation
n.犹豫，踌躇
参考例句：
After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。 There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

24 ascent
n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高
参考例句：
His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。 Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

25 exertion
n.尽力，努力
参考例句：
We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。 She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

26 fatigue
n.疲劳，劳累
参考例句：
The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。 I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

27 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

28 toiling
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉
参考例句：
The fiery orator contrasted the idle rich with the toiling working classes. 这位激昂的演说家把无所事事的富人同终日辛劳的工人阶级进行了对比。 She felt like a beetle toiling in the dust. She was filled with repulsion. 她觉得自己像只甲虫在地里挣扎，心中涌满愤恨。

29 steadily
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。

30 hoisting
起重，提升
参考例句：
The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆（格状抱杆、转盘抱杆）的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句 We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。

31 inaccessible
adj.达不到的，难接近的
参考例句：
This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。 The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

32 crevasses
n.破口，崩溃处，裂缝( crevasse的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Splays are commonly formed by currents from crevasses in levees. 嗽叭形堆积通常由堤防决口的洪流所形成。 来自辞典例句 The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses. 冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。 来自辞典例句

33 dexterity
n.(手的)灵巧，灵活
参考例句：
You need manual dexterity to be good at video games.玩好电子游戏手要灵巧。 I'm your inferior in manual dexterity.论手巧，我不如你。

34 vivacity
n.快活，活泼，精神充沛
参考例句：
Her charm resides in her vivacity.她的魅力存在于她的活泼。 He was charmed by her vivacity and high spirits.她的活泼与兴高采烈的情绪把他迷住了。

35 ardor
n.热情，狂热
参考例句：
His political ardor led him into many arguments.他的政治狂热使他多次卷入争论中。 He took up his pursuit with ardor.他满腔热忱地从事工作。

36 descending
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句：
The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。 The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

37 tint
n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色
参考例句：
You can't get up that naturalness and artless rosy tint in after days.你今后不再会有这种自然和朴实无华的红润脸色。 She gave me instructions on how to apply the tint.她告诉我如何使用染发剂。

38 perilous
adj.危险的，冒险的
参考例句：
The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。 We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

39 shrubs
灌木( shrub的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。 These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

40 cacti
n.（复）仙人掌
参考例句：
There we could see nothing but cacti.那里除了仙人掌我们什么也看不到。 Cacti can survive the lack of rainfall in the desert.仙人掌在降水稀少的沙漠中也能生存下去。

41 chasms
裂缝( chasm的名词复数 )； 裂口； 分歧； 差别
参考例句：
She found great chasms in her mathematics and physics. 她觉得她的数学课和物理课的知识还很欠缺。 The sectarian chasms remain deep, the wounds of strife raw. 各派别的分歧巨大，旧恨新仇交织。

42 catastrophes
n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难
参考例句：
Two of history's worst natural catastrophes occurred in 1970. 1970年发生了历史上最严重两次自然灾害。 来自辞典例句 The Swiss deposits contain evidence of such catastrophes. 瑞士的遗址里还有这种灾难的证据。 来自辞典例句

43 elevation
n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高
参考例句：
The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。 His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。

44 vapors
n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
His emotions became vague and shifted about like vapors. 他的心情则如同一团雾气，变幻无常，捉摸不定。 来自辞典例句 They have hysterics, they weep, they have the vapors. 他们歇斯底里，他们哭泣，他们精神忧郁。 来自辞典例句

45 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
参考例句：
The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。 Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

46 quartz
n.石英
参考例句：
There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。 The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。

47 denser
adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的
参考例句：
The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源 As Tito entered the neighbourhood of San Martino, he found the throng rather denser. 蒂托走近圣马丁教堂附近一带时，发现人群相当密集。

48 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

49 courageous
adj.勇敢的，有胆量的
参考例句：
We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。 He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

50 eastward
adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部
参考例句：
The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。 The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。

51 respiration
n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用
参考例句：
They tried artificial respiration but it was of no avail.他们试做人工呼吸，可是无效。 They made frequent checks on his respiration,pulse and blood.他们经常检查他的呼吸、脉搏和血液。

52 vertigo
n.眩晕
参考例句：
He had a dreadful attack of vertigo.他忽然头晕得厉害。 If you have vertigo it seems as if the whole room is spinning round you.如果你头晕，就会觉得整个房间都旋转起来

53 malady
n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)
参考例句：
There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。 They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

54 exhaustion
n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述
参考例句：
She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。 His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

55 desolate
adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂
参考例句：
The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。 We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。