Jonathan circled slowly over the Far Cliffs, watching. This rough young Fletcher Gull¹ was very nearly a perfect flight-student. He was strong and light and quick in the air, but far and away more important, he had a blazing drive to learn to fly.

乔纳森在远崖上空慢慢盘旋，仔细观望。这个粗野的年轻海鸥弗莱契，已非常近于一个尽善尽美的飞行员了。在空中，他顽强、轻巧而敏捷。但更重要的是，他有学习飞行的炽烈欲望。

 Here he came this minute, a blurred² gray shape roaring out of a dive, flashing one hundred fifty miles per hour past his instructor³. He pulled abruptly⁴ into another try at a sixteen point vertical⁵ slow roll, calling the points out loud.

一霎时，他飞了过来，只见一个模糊的灰色形体，从一次俯冲中翻飞出来，以每小时一百五十英里的速度，闪电般掠过他的导师。他一转身又作另一次尝试，这次是十六点垂直慢滚，一边翻滚一边大声数着点。

 “...eight... nine... ten... see-Jonathan-l’m-running-out-ofairspeed.. eleven... I-want-good-sharp-stops- like-yours... twelve... but-blast-it-I-just-can’t-make... - thirteen... theselast-three-points... without... fourtee ...aaakk!”

“……八……九……十……瞧，乔纳森，我已经——低于——空中——速度了……十—……我——想——像你——一样——一下子——煞——住……十二……可是，——天——啊——我——办——不——到……十三……最——后——三——点——啦……不成……啊呀呀”

 Fletcher’s whipstall at the top was all the worse for his rage and fury at failing. He fell backward, tumbled, slammed savagely⁶

点击收听单词发音  

1 gull
n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈
参考例句：
The ivory gull often follows polar bears to feed on the remains of seal kills.象牙海鸥经常跟在北极熊的后面吃剩下的海豹尸体。 You are not supposed to gull your friends.你不应该欺骗你的朋友。

2 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》

3 instructor
n.指导者，教员，教练
参考例句：
The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。 The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

4 abruptly
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。

5 vertical
adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置
参考例句：
The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。 Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

6 savagely
adv. 野蛮地，残酷地
参考例句：
The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。 He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。

7 inverted
adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Only direct speech should go inside inverted commas. 只有直接引语应放在引号内。 Inverted flight is an acrobatic manoeuvre of the plane. 倒飞是飞机的一种特技动作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 unlimited
adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的
参考例句：
They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。 There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

9 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。

10 anguish
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼
参考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。 The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

11 overlapping
adj./n.交迭（的）
参考例句：
There is no overlapping question between the two courses. 这两门课程之间不存在重叠的问题。 A trimetrogon strip is composed of three rows of overlapping. 三镜头摄影航线为三排重迭的象片所组成。

12 smoothly
adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地
参考例句：
The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。 Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

13 wry
adj.讽刺的；扭曲的
参考例句：
He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。 Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

14 gulls
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
A flock of sea gulls are hovering over the deck. 一群海鸥在甲板上空飞翔。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The gulls which haunted the outlying rocks in a prodigious number. 数不清的海鸥在遥远的岩石上栖息。 来自辞典例句

15 onward
adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先
参考例句：
The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。 He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

16 determined
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。

17 furtive
adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的
参考例句：
The teacher was suspicious of the student's furtive behaviour during the exam.老师怀疑这个学生在考试时有偷偷摸摸的行为。 His furtive behaviour aroused our suspicion.他鬼鬼祟祟的行为引起了我们的怀疑。

18 huddled
挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。 We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

19 miserably
adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地
参考例句：
The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。 It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 condemned
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。 The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

21 collapse
vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷
参考例句：
The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。 The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

22 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。

23 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

24 spoke
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。

25 superstition
n.迷信，迷信行为
参考例句：
It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。 Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

26 glide
n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝
参考例句：
We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。 So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。

27 streak
n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动
参考例句：
The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。 Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

28 glided
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔
参考例句：
The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。 They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 granite
adj.花岗岩，花岗石
参考例句：
They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。 The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

30 glazed
adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神
参考例句：
eyes glazed with boredom 厌倦无神的眼睛 His eyes glazed over at the sight of her. 看到她时，他的目光就变得呆滞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 beaks
n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者
参考例句：
Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网 Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网

32 insanity
n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐
参考例句：
In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。 He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

33 hatred
n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨
参考例句：
He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。 The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

34 knack
n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法
参考例句：
He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。 Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

35 shimmering
v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。 The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句

36 transparent
adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的
参考例句：
The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。 The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

37 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
参考例句：
Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》