THIS fifth trip was quite different from any of the others. In the first place, the little gallipot of a boat that we were in was gravely overloaded¹. Five grown men, and three of them - Trelawney, Redruth, and the captain - over six feet high, was already more than she was meant to carry. Add to that the powder, pork, and bread-bags. The gunwale was lipping astern. Several times we shipped a little water, and my breeches and the tails of my coat were all soaking wet before we had gone a hundred yards.

The captain made us trim the boat, and we got her to lie a little more evenly. All the same, we were afraid to breathe.

In the second place, the ebb² was now making-a strong rippling³ current running westward⁴ through the basin, and then south'ard and seaward down the straits by which we had entered in the morning. Even the ripples⁵ were a danger to our overloaded craft; but the worst of it was that we were swept out of our true course, and away from our proper landing-place behind the point. If we let the current have its way we should come ashore⁶ beside the gigs, where the pirates might appear at any moment.

`I cannot keep her head for the stockade<sup>7</sup>, sir,' said I to the captain. I was steering<sup>8</sup>, while he and Redruth, two fresh men, were at the oars<sup>9</sup>. `The tide keeps washing her down. Could you pull a little stronger?'

`Not without swamping the boat,' said he. `you must bear up, sir, if you please - bear up until you see you're gaining.'

I tried, and found by experiment that the tide kept sweeping¹⁰ us westward until I had laid her head due east, or just about right angles to the way we ought to go.

点击收听单词发音  

1 overloaded
a.超载的，超负荷的
参考例句：
He's overloaded with responsibilities. 他担负的责任过多。 She has overloaded her schedule with work, study, and family responsibilities. 她的日程表上排满了工作、学习、家务等，使自己负担过重。

2 ebb
vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态
参考例句：
The flood and ebb tides alternates with each other.涨潮和落潮交替更迭。 They swam till the tide began to ebb.他们一直游到开始退潮。

3 rippling
起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的
参考例句：
I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。 The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。

4 westward
n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西
参考例句：
We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。 Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。

5 ripples
逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。 The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

6 ashore
adv.在(向)岸上，上岸
参考例句：
The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。 He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

7 stockade
n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护
参考例句：
I had not gone a hundred yards when I reached the stockade.我跑了不到一百码，就到了栅栏前。 A heavy stockade around the cabin protected the pioneer from attack.小屋周围的厚厚的栅栏保护拓荒者免受攻击。

8 steering
n.操舵装置
参考例句：
He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。 Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

9 oars
n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。 The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 sweeping
adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的
参考例句：
The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。 Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

11 leeward
adj.背风的；下风的
参考例句：
The trees all listed to leeward.树木统统向下风方向倾。 We steered a course to leeward.我们向下风航驶。

12 dodge
v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计
参考例句：
A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。 The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

13 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。

14 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 rogues
n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽
参考例句：
'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

17 tarpaulin
n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽
参考例句：
The pool furniture was folded,stacked,and covered with a tarpaulin.游泳池的设备都已经折叠起来，堆在那里，还盖上了防水布。 The pool furniture was folded,stacked,and covered with a tarpaulin.游泳池的设备都已经折叠起来，堆在那里，还盖上了防水布。

18 axe
n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减
参考例句：
Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。 The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

19 hoarsely
adv.嘶哑地
参考例句：
"Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。 Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

20 rascal
n.流氓；不诚实的人
参考例句：
If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。 The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

21 squire
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句：
I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。 The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

22 contrived
adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的
参考例句：
There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。 The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

23 slewed
adj.喝醉的v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去式 )( slew的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The car skidded and slewed sideways. 汽车打滑，向一侧偏去。 The bus slewed sideways. 公共汽车滑到了一边。 来自辞典例句

24 muzzle
n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默
参考例句：
He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。 The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

25 rammer
n.撞锤；夯土机；拨弹机；夯
参考例句：
Because of rammer one time machine, has not wanted again. 因为硪错过了一次机会了，不想再错过。 来自互联网 This paper presents the construction method of pneumatic rammer piling. 文章介绍了气动夯锤打桩的施工方法。 来自互联网

26 concealed
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。 I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

27 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

28 drenched
adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）
参考例句：
We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。 The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 wade
v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉
参考例句：
We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。 We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

30 waded
（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。 He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。