WE BURIED THE DEAD for six days straight. Then our dispirited army headed farther south.

In Caesarea, we joined forces with Count Robert of Flanders and Bohemond of Antioch, a heralded¹ fighter. They had recently taken Nicaea. Our spirits were bolstered² by the tales of Turks fleeing at full run, their towns now under Christian³ flags. Our once fledgling troop was now an army forty thousand strong.

Nothing lay in our path toward the Holy Land except the Moslem⁴ stronghold of Antioch. There, it was said, believers were being nailed to the city's walls, and the most precious relics⁵ in all of Christendom, a shroud⁶ stained by the tears of Mary and the very lance that had pierced the Savior's side on the cross, were being held for ransom⁷.

Yet nothing so far could prepare us for the hell we were about to face.

First it was the heat, the most hostile I had ever felt in my life.

The sun became a raging, red-eyed demon⁸ that, never sheltered, we grew to hate and curse. Hardened knights⁹, praised for valor¹⁰ in battle, howled in anguish¹¹, literally¹² roasting in their armor, their skin blistered¹³ from the touch of the metal. Men simply dropped as they marched, overcome, and were left, uncared for, where they fell.

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1 heralded
v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要）
参考例句：
The singing of the birds heralded in the day. 鸟鸣报晓。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bolstered
v.支持( bolster的过去式和过去分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助
参考例句：
He bolstered his plea with new evidence. 他举出新的证据来支持他的抗辩。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The data must be bolstered by inferences and indirect estimates of varying degrees of reliability. 这些资料必须借助于推理及可靠程度不同的间接估计。 来自辞典例句

3 Christian
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。 His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 Moslem
n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的
参考例句：
Moslem women used to veil their faces before going into public.信回教的妇女出门之前往往用面纱把脸遮起来。 If possible every Moslem must make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in his life.如有可能，每个回教徒一生中必须去麦加朝觐一次。

5 relics
[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸
参考例句：
The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。 Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

6 shroud
n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏
参考例句：
His past was enveloped in a shroud of mystery.他的过去被裹上一层神秘色彩。 How can I do under shroud of a dark sky?在黑暗的天空的笼罩下，我该怎么做呢？

7 ransom
n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救
参考例句：
We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。 The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

8 demon
n.魔鬼，恶魔
参考例句：
The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。 He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。

9 knights
骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马
参考例句：
stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事 He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

10 valor
n.勇气，英勇
参考例句：
Fortitude is distinct from valor.坚韧不拔有别于勇猛。 Frequently banality is the better parts of valor.老生常谈往往比大胆打破常规更为人称道。

11 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。

12 literally
adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实
参考例句：
He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。 Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

13 blistered
adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂
参考例句：
He had a blistered heel. 他的脚后跟起了泡。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Their hands blistered, but no one complained. 他们手起了泡，可是没有一个人有怨言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 scorched
烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦
参考例句：
I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。 The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

15 guzzle
v.狂饮，暴食
参考例句：
Melissa had guzzled gin and tonics like they were lemonade.梅利莎像喝柠檬汽水一样大口地喝着加奎宁水的杜松子酒。 Pigs guzzle their food.猪总是狼吞虎咽地吃东西。

16 trudged
vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。 He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 depleting
使大大的减少，使空虚( deplete的现在分词 )； 耗尽，使枯竭
参考例句：
Regulations are outlawing certain refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons, which contain ozone-depleting chemicals. 随后出台的政策禁用了部分制冷剂，如破坏臭氧层的氟氯碳化合物。 Aging, being a series of continual losses, can be keenly depleting. 老龄化，作为一个系列的连续亏损，可以清楚地消耗。

18 shuffling
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式
参考例句：
Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

19 inferno
n.火海；地狱般的场所
参考例句：
Rescue workers fought to get to victims inside the inferno.救援人员奋力营救大火中的受害者。 The burning building became an inferno.燃烧着的大楼成了地狱般的地方。

20 treacherous
adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的
参考例句：
The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。 The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

21 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

22 surmounted
战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上
参考例句：
She was well aware of the difficulties that had to be surmounted. 她很清楚必须克服哪些困难。 I think most of these obstacles can be surmounted. 我认为这些障碍大多数都是可以克服的。

23 humbly
adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地
参考例句：
We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。 "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

24 tunics
n.（动植物的）膜皮( tunic的名词复数 )；束腰宽松外衣；一套制服的短上衣；（天主教主教等穿的）短祭袍
参考例句：
After work colourful clothes replace the blue tunics. 下班后，蓝制服都换成了色彩鲜艳的衣服。 来自辞典例句 The ancient Greeks fastened their tunics with Buttons and loops. 古希腊人在肩部用钮扣与环圈将束腰外衣扣紧。 来自互联网