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Chapter 5.
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I know what I want," Mariam said to Jalil.
It was the spring of 1974, the year Mariam turned fifteen.
The three of them were sitting outside thekolba, in a patch ofshade thrown by the willows1, on folding chairs arranged in atriangle.
"For my birthday…I know what I want.""You do?" said Jalil, smiling encouragingly.
Two weeks before, at Mariam's prodding3, Jalil had let on thatan American film was playing at his cinema. It wasa specialkind of film, what he'd called a cartoon. The entire film was aseries of drawings, he said, thousands of them, so that whenthey were made into a film and projected onto a screen youhad the illusion that the drawings were moving. Jalil said thefilm told the story of an old, childless toymaker who is lonelyand desperately4 wants a son. So he carves a puppet, a boy,who magically comes to life. Mariam had asked him to tell hermore, and Jalil said that the old man and his puppet had allsorts of adventures, that there was a place called PleasureIsland, and bad boys who turned into donkeys. They even gotswallowed by a whale at the end, the puppet and his father.
Mariam had told Mullah Faizullah all about this film.
"I want you to take me to your cinema," Mariam said now. "Iwant to see the cartoon. I want to see the puppet boy."With this, Mariam sensed a shift in the atmosphere. Herparents stirred in their seats. Mariam could feel themexchanging looks.
"That's not a good idea," said Nana. Her voice was calm, hadthe controlled, polite tone she used around Jalil, but Mariamcould feel her hard, accusing glare.
Jalil shifted on his chair. He coughed, cleared his throat.
"You know," he said, "the picture quality isn't that good.
Neither is the sound. And the projector's been malfunctioningrecently. Maybe your mother is right. Maybe you can think ofanother present, Mariam jo.""Aneh,"Nana said. "You see? Your father agrees."* * *But later, at the stream, Mariam said, "Take me.""I'll tell you what," Jalil said. "I'll send someone to pick youup and take you. I'll make sure they get you a good seat andall the candy you want.""Nay5.Iwant you to take me.""Mariam jo-""And I want you to invite my brothers and sisters too. I wantto meet them. I want us all to go, together. It's what I want."Jalil sighed. He was looking away, toward the mountains.
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收听单词发音

1
willows
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n.柳树( willow的名词复数 );柳木 | |
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willow
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n.柳树 | |
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3
prodding
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v.刺,戳( prod的现在分词 );刺激;促使;(用手指或尖物)戳 | |
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4
desperately
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adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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5
nay
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adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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siblings
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n.兄弟,姐妹( sibling的名词复数 ) | |
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7
clenching
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v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的现在分词 ) | |
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8
guilt
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n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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grievances
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n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 );苦衷;不满;牢骚 | |
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10
lookout
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n.注意,前途,瞭望台 | |
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11
bazaar
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n.集市,商店集中区 | |
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minarets
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n.(清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的)光塔( minaret的名词复数 ) | |
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mules
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骡( mule的名词复数 ); 拖鞋; 顽固的人; 越境运毒者 | |
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swooping
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俯冲,猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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envious
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adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的 | |
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bazaars
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(东方国家的)市场( bazaar的名词复数 ); 义卖; 义卖市场; (出售花哨商品等的)小商品市场 | |
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pebbles
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[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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pebble
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n.卵石,小圆石 | |
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vertically
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adv.垂直地 | |
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privately
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adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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solitary
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adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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agonized
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v.使(极度)痛苦,折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 );苦斗;苦苦思索;感到极度痛苦 | |
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confrontation
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n.对抗,对峙,冲突 | |
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aggrieved
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adj.愤愤不平的,受委屈的;悲痛的;(在合法权利方面)受侵害的v.令委屈,令苦恼,侵害( aggrieve的过去式);令委屈,令苦恼,侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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domed
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adj. 圆屋顶的, 半球形的, 拱曲的 动词dome的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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periphery
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n.(圆体的)外面;周围 | |
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caterpillar
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n.毛虫,蝴蝶的幼虫 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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cypress
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n.柏树 | |
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pedestrians
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n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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opaque
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adj.不透光的;不反光的,不传导的;晦涩的 | |
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petunias
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n.矮牵牛(花)( petunia的名词复数 ) | |
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petals
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n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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sipped
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v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sprightly
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adj.愉快的,活泼的 | |
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vendors
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n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 );小贩;(房屋等的)卖主;卖方 | |
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mounds
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土堆,土丘( mound的名词复数 ); 一大堆 | |
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passersby
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n. 过路人(行人,经过者) | |
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falcons
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n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 ) | |
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hopped
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跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花 | |
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hood
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n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖 | |
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flattened
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[医](水)平扁的,弄平的 | |
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steering
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n.操舵装置 | |
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dousing
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v.浇水在…上( douse的现在分词 );熄灯[火] | |
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protruded
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v.(使某物)伸出,(使某物)突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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anticipation
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n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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engulf
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vt.吞没,吞食 | |
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tattooed
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v.刺青,文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 );连续有节奏地敲击;作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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51
muffled
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adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己) | |
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52
chirping
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鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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fumbling
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n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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bumpier
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adj.困难重重的( bumpy的比较级 );崎岖的;(使) 处境艰难;气流不稳的 | |
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frenzy
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n.疯狂,狂热,极度的激动 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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gust
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n.阵风,突然一阵(雨、烟等),(感情的)迸发 | |
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drooping
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adj. 下垂的,无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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dangling
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悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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Chapter 4.
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Chapter 6.
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