It was a morning in the middle of September. The Jacksons werebreakfasting. Mr. Jackson was reading letters. The rest, includingGladys Maud, whose finely chiselled¹ features were graduallydisappearing behind a mask of bread-and-milk, had settled down toserious work. The usual catch-as-catch-can contest between Marjory andPhyllis for the jam (referee² and time-keeper, Mrs. Jackson) hadresulted, after both combatants had been cautioned by the referee, ina victory for Marjory, who had duly secured the stakes. The hour beingnine-fifteen, and the official time for breakfast nine o'clock, Mike'splace was still empty.

　　"I've had a letter from MacPherson," said Mr. Jackson.

　　MacPherson was the vigorous and persevering³ gentleman, referred to ina previous chapter, who kept a fatherly eye on the Buenos Ayres sheep.

　　"He seems very satisfied with Mike's friend Wyatt. At the moment ofwriting Wyatt is apparently⁴ incapacitated owing to a bullet in theshoulder, but expects to be fit again shortly. That young man seems tomake things fairly lively wherever he is. I don't wonder he found apublic school too restricted a sphere for his energies.""Has he been fighting a duel⁵?" asked Marjory, interested.

　　"Bushrangers," said Phyllis.

　　"There aren't any bushrangers in Buenos Ayres," said Ella.

　　"How do you know?" said Phyllis clinchingly.

　　"Bush-ray, bush-ray, bush-ray," began Gladys Maud, conversationally,through the bread-and-milk; but was headed off.

　　"He gives no details. Perhaps that letter on Mike's plate suppliesthem. I see it comes from Buenos Ayres.""I wish Mike would come and open it," said Marjory. "Shall I go andhurry him up?"The missing member of the family entered as she spoke⁶.

　　"Buck up, Mike," she shouted. "There's a letter from Wyatt. He's beenwounded in a duel.""With a bushranger," added Phyllis.

　　"Bush-ray," explained Gladys Maud.

　　"Is there?" said Mike. "Sorry I'm late."He opened the letter and began to read.

点击收听单词发音  

1 chiselled
adj.凿过的，凿光的； （文章等）精心雕琢的v.凿，雕，镌( chisel的过去式 )
参考例句：
A name was chiselled into the stone. 石头上刻着一个人名。 He chiselled a hole in the door to fit a new lock. 他在门上凿了一个孔，以便装一把新锁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 referee
n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人
参考例句：
The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。 The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

3 persevering
a.坚忍不拔的
参考例句：
They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 Success belongs to the persevering. 胜利属于不屈不挠的人。

4 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 duel
n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争
参考例句：
The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。 Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。

6 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。

7 gaucho
n. 牧人
参考例句：
Outside the city there are many countryside ranches for city dwellers to live the gaucho life,or just enjoy country life in the pampas,the grasslands outside buenos aires.城外有许多农庄，可以供城市居民前往居住和体验牛仔生活，或者只是去享受一下草原上的农家生活。 There are many working estancias where tourists can live out the gaucho lifestyl

8 lodge
v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆
参考例句：
Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？ I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

9 tightening
上紧，固定，紧密
参考例句：
Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。 It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

10 chambers
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅
参考例句：
The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

11 toddled
v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的过去式和过去分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步
参考例句：
It's late — it's time you toddled off to bed. 不早了—你该去睡觉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Her two-year-old son toddled into the room. 她的两岁的儿子摇摇摆摆地走进屋里。 来自辞典例句

12 cramp
n.痉挛；[pl.](腹)绞痛；vt.限制，束缚
参考例句：
Winston stopped writing,partly because he was suffering from cramp.温斯顿驻了笔，手指也写麻了。 The swimmer was seized with a cramp and had to be helped out of the water.那个在游泳的人突然抽起筋来，让别人帮着上了岸。