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Part Two Chapter 16.
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Kabul, Spring1987JN ine-year-old Laila rose from bed, as she did mostmornings, hungry for the sight of her friend Tariq. Thismorning, however, she knew there would be no Tariq sighting.
"How long will you be gone?" she'd asked when Tariq hadtold her that his parents were taking him south, to the city ofGhazni, to visit his paternal1 uncle.
"Thirteen days.""Thirteen days?""It's not so long. You're making a face, Laila.""I am not.""You're not going to cry, are you?""I am not going to cry! Not over you. Not in a thousandyears."She'd kicked at his shin, not his artificial but his real one, andhe'd playfully whacked2 the back of her head.
Thirteen days. Almost two weeks. And, just five days in, Lailahad learned a fundamental truth about time: Like the accordionon which Tariq's father sometimes played old Pashto songs,time stretched and contracted depending on Tariq's absence orpresence-Downstairs, her parents were fighting. Again. Lailaknew the routine: Mammy, ferocious3, indomitable, pacing andranting; Babi, sitting, looking sheepish and dazed, noddingobediently, waiting for the storm to pass. Laila closed her doorand changed. But she could still hear them. She could stillhearher Finally, a door slammed. Pounding footsteps. Mammy'sbed creaked loudly. Babi, it seemed, would survive to seeanother day.
"Laila!" he called now. "I'm going to be late for work!""One minute!"Laila put on her shoes and quickly brushed hershoulder-length, blond curls in the mirror. Mammy always toldLaila that she had inherited her hair color-as well as herthick-lashed, turquoise4 green eyes, her dimpled cheeks, her highcheekbones, and the pout5 of her lower lip, which Mammyshared-from her great-grandmother, Mammy's grandmother.Shewas a pari,a stunner, Mammy said.Her beauty was the talk ofthe valley. It skipped two generations of women in our family,but it sure didn't bypass you, Laila The valley Mammy referredto was the Panjshir, the Farsi-speaking Tajik region onehundred kilometers northeast of Kabul. Both Mammy and Babi,who were first cousins, had been born and raised in Panjshir;they had moved to Kabul back in 1960 as hopeful, bright-eyednewlyweds when Babi had been admitted to Kabul University.
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1
paternal
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adj.父亲的,像父亲的,父系的,父方的 | |
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2
whacked
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a.精疲力尽的 | |
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3
ferocious
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adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的 | |
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4
turquoise
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n.绿宝石;adj.蓝绿色的 | |
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pout
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v.撅嘴;绷脸;n.撅嘴;生气,不高兴 | |
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scrambled
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v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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burrowing
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v.挖掘(洞穴),挖洞( burrow的现在分词 );翻寻 | |
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Soviet
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adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃 | |
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soviets
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苏维埃(Soviet的复数形式) | |
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ineptitude
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n.不适当;愚笨,愚昧的言行 | |
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spotted
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adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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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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mincing
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adj.矫饰的;v.切碎;切碎 | |
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belly
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n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛 | |
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fleeting
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adj.短暂的,飞逝的 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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bristles
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短而硬的毛发,刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 ) | |
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makeup
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n.组织;性格;化装品 | |
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jewelry
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n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝 | |
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brutes
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兽( brute的名词复数 ); 畜生; 残酷无情的人; 兽性 | |
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primitive
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adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物 | |
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dreaded
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adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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genially
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adv.亲切地,和蔼地;快活地 | |
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coup
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n.政变;突然而成功的行动 | |
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troublemakers
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n.惹是生非者,捣乱者( troublemaker的名词复数 ) | |
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rumors
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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 | |
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shipping
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n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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curt
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adj.简短的,草率的 | |
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elastic
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n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的 | |
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mischief
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n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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dispensing
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v.分配( dispense的现在分词 );施与;配(药) | |
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fend
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v.照料(自己),(自己)谋生,挡开,避开 | |
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reassurance
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n.使放心,使消除疑虑 | |
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timing
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n.时间安排,时间选择 | |
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labored
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adj.吃力的,谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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schooling
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n.教育;正规学校教育 | |
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determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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auto
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n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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offense
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n.犯规,违法行为;冒犯,得罪 | |
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malicious
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adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的 | |
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oblivious
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adj.易忘的,遗忘的,忘却的,健忘的 | |
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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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上一章:
Chapter 15.
下一章:
Chapter 17.
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