选择字号:【大】【中】【小】 | 关灯
护眼
|
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
We ceased to gaze. We turned to each other, the same thought, the same question in our eyes. For these plants to grow, there must be some air, however attenuated1, air that we also should be able to breathe.
"The manhole?" I said.
"Yes!" said Cavor, "if it is air we see!"
"In a little while," I said, "these plants will be as high as we are. Suppose--suppose after all-- Is it certain? How do you know that stuff _is_ air? It may be nitrogen--it may be carbonic acid even!"
"That's easy," he said, and set about proving it. He produced a big piece of crumpled2 paper from the bale, lit it, and thrust it hastily through the man-hole valve. I bent3 forward and peered down through the thick glass for its appearance outside, that little flame on whose evidence depended so much!
I saw the paper drop out and lie lightly upon the snow. The pink flame of its burning vanished. For an instant it seemed to be extinguished. And then I saw a little blue tongue upon the edge of it that trembled, and crept, and spread!
Quietly the whole sheet, save where it lay in immediate4 contact with the snow, charred5 and shrivelled and sent up a quivering thread of smoke. There was no doubt left to me; the atmosphere of the moon was either pure oxygen or air, and capable therefore--unless its tenuity was excessive--of supporting our alien life. We might emerge--and live!
I sat down with my legs on either side of the manhole and prepared to unscrew it, but Cavor stopped me. "There is first a little precaution," he said. He pointed6 out that although it was certainly an oxygenated atmosphere outside, it might still be so rarefied as to cause us grave injury. He reminded me of mountain sickness, and of the bleeding that often afflicts7 aeronauts who have ascended8
收听单词发音
1
attenuated
v.(使)变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 );(使)变薄;(使)变小;减弱
2
crumpled
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的
动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
3
bent
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
4
immediate
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
5
charred
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式);烧焦
6
pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
7
afflicts
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的名词复数 )
8
ascended
v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
9
numb
adj.麻木的,失去感觉的;v.使麻木
10
undone
a.未做完的,未完成的
11
denser
adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的
12
cylinder
n.圆筒,柱(面),汽缸
13
shrill
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫
14
throb
v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动
15
noted
adj.著名的,知名的
16
puffs
n.吸( puff的名词复数 );(烟斗或香烟的)一吸;一缕(烟、蒸汽等);(呼吸或风的)呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
17
peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
18
exterior
adj.外部的,外在的;表面的
19
vertigo
n.眩晕
20
nausea
n.作呕,恶心;极端的憎恶(或厌恶)
21
abruptly
adv.突然地,出其不意地
22
sanguine
adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的
23
extraordinarily
adv.格外地;极端地
24
throbbing
a. 跳动的,悸动的
25
flake
v.使成薄片;雪片般落下;n.薄片
26
unfamiliar
adj.陌生的,不熟悉的
27
distress
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
28
grotesquely
adv. 奇异地,荒诞地
29
grotesque
adj.怪诞的,丑陋的;n.怪诞的图案,怪人(物)
30
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
31
conjuring
n.魔术
32
amazement
n.惊奇,惊讶
33
gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
34
dwindling
adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )
35
disorder
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调
36
crater
n.火山口,弹坑
37
bristling
a.竖立的
38
diversified
adj.多样化的,多种经营的v.使多样化,多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 );进入新的商业领域
39
bulging
膨胀; 凸出(部); 打气; 折皱
40
cactus
n.仙人掌
41
scarlet
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
42
lichen
n.地衣, 青苔
43
lichens
n.地衣( lichen的名词复数 )
44
wilderness
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
45
apparently
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
46
buttresses
n.扶壁,扶垛( buttress的名词复数 )v.用扶壁支撑,加固( buttress的第三人称单数 )
47
haziness
有薄雾,模糊; 朦胧之性质或状态; 零能见度
48
illuminated
adj.被照明的;受启迪的
49
eastward
adv.向东;adj.向东的;n.东方,东部
50
intensity
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度
51
desolate
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂
52
pinnacle
n.尖塔,尖顶,山峰;(喻)顶峰
53
crests
v.到达山顶(或浪峰)( crest的第三人称单数 );到达洪峰,达到顶点
54
darting
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔
55
cacti
n.(复)仙人掌
56
swelled
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
57
negation
n.否定;否认
58
scrap
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
59
lizard
n.蜥蜴,壁虎
60
meditative
adj.沉思的,冥想的
61
speck
n.微粒,小污点,小斑点
62
fixed
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
63
pricked
刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛
64
ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
65
magenta
n..紫红色(的染料);adj.紫红色的
66
behold
v.看,注视,看到
67
verge
n.边,边缘;v.接近,濒临
68
disappearance
n.消失,消散,失踪
69
delightful
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
70
beheld
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟
71
spiky
adj.长而尖的,大钉似的
72
yelp
vi.狗吠
73
scattering
n.[物]散射;散乱,分散;在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的;分散在不同范围的;广泛扩散的;(选票)数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式);散布;驱散
74
spores
n.(细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物)孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.(细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物)孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )
75
inquiry
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
76
dabbing
石面凿毛,灰泥抛毛
77
boulder
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
78
abrasions
n.磨损( abrasion的名词复数 );擦伤处;摩擦;磨蚀(作用)
79
slab
n.平板,厚的切片;v.切成厚板,以平板盖上
80
thicket
n.灌木丛,树林
81
spikes
n.穗( spike的名词复数 );跑鞋;(防滑)鞋钉;尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 );偷偷地给某人的饮料加入(更多)酒精( 或药物);把尖状物钉入;打乱某人的计划
82
mentor
n.指导者,良师益友;v.指导
83
locomotion
n.运动,移动
84
accustoming
v.(使)习惯于( accustom的现在分词 )
85
entangled
adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )
86
spiked
adj.有穗的;成锥形的;有尖顶的
87
fungi
n.真菌,霉菌
88
lichenous
adj.青苔的
89
sinuous
adj.蜿蜒的,迂回的
90
heed
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心
91
elation
n.兴高采烈,洋洋得意
92
confinement
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限
93
adventurous
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的
94
neatly
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
95
tempting
a.诱人的, 吸引人的
96
weird
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
97
spaciousness
n.宽敞
98
gust
n.阵风,突然一阵(雨、烟等),(感情的)迸发
99
gargantuan
adj.巨大的,庞大的
100
appreciation
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
101
appalling
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的