高級英語 Advanced English(張漢熙) 第二冊 1.Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

1.Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

Joseph P. Blank

1 John Koshak, Jr., knew that Hurricane Camille would be bad. Radio and television warnings had sounded throughout that Sunday, last August 17, as Camille lashed northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico. It was certain to pummel Gulfport, Miss., where the Koshers lived. Along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, nearly 150,000 people fled inland to safer ground. But, like thousands of others in the coastal communities, john was reluctant to abandon his home unless the family -- his wife, Janis, and their seven children, abed 3 to 11 -- was clearly endangered.

2 Trying to reason out the best course of action, he talked with his father and mother, who had moved into the ten-room house with the Koshaks a month earlier from California. He also consulted Charles Hill, a long time friend, who had driven from Las Vegas for a visit.

3 John, 37 -- whose business was right there in his home ( he designed and developed educational toys and supplies, and all of Magna Products' correspondence, engineering drawings and art work were there on the first floor) -- was familiar with the power of a hurricane. Four years earlier, Hurricane Betsy had demolished undefined his former home a few miles west of Gulfport (Koshak had moved his family to a motel for the night). But that house had stood only a few feet above sea level. "We' re elevated 23 feet," he told his father, "and we' re a good 250 yards from the sea. The place has been here since 1915, and no hurricane has ever bothered it. We' II probably be as safe here as anyplace else."

4 The elder Koshak, a gruff, warmhearted expert machinist of 67, agreed. "We can batten down and ride it out," he said. "If we see signs of danger, we can get out before dark."

5 The men methodically prepared for the hurricane. Since water mains might be damaged, they filled bathtubs and pails. A power failure was likely, so they checked out batteries for the portable radio and flashlights, and fuel for the lantern. John's father moved a small generator into the downstairs hallway, wired several light bulbs to it and prepared a connection to the refrigerator.

6 Rain fell steadily that afternoon; gray clouds scudded in from the Gulf on the rising wind. The family had an early supper. A neighbor, whose husband was in Vietnam, asked if she and her two children could sit out the storm with the Koshaks. Another neighbor came by on his way in-land — would the Koshaks mind taking care of his dog?

7 It grew dark before seven o' clock. Wind and rain now whipped the house. John sent his oldest son and daughter upstairs to bring down mattresses and pillows for the younger children. He wanted to keep the group together on one floor. "Stay away from the windows," he warned, concerned about glass flying from storm-shattered panes. As the wind mounted to a roar, the house began leaking- the rain seemingly driven right through the walls. With mops, towels, pots and buckets the Koshaks began a struggle against the rapidly spreading water. At 8:30, power failed, and Pop Koshak turned on the generator.

8 The roar of the hurricane now was overwhelming. The house shook, and the ceiling in the living room was falling piece by piece. The French doors in an upstairs room blew in with an explosive sound, and the group heard gun-like reports as other upstairs windows disintegrated. Water rose above their ankles.

9 Then the front door started to break away from its frame. John and Charlie put their shoulders against it, but a blast of water hit the house, flinging open the door and shoving them down the hall. The generator was doused, and the lights went out. Charlie licked his lips and shouted to John. "I think we' re in real trouble. That water tasted salty." The sea had reached the house, and the water was rising by the minute!

10 "Everybody out the back door to the cars!" John yelled. "We' II pass the children along between us. Count them! Nine!"

11 The children went from adult to adult like buckets in a fire brigade. But the cars wouldn't start; the electrical systems had been killed by water. The wind was too Strong and the water too deep to flee on foot. "Back to the house!" john yelled. "Count the children! Count nine!"

12 As they scrambled back, john ordered, "Every-body on the stairs!" Frightened, breathless and wet, the group settled on the stairs, which were protected by two interiorwalls. The children put the cat, Spooky, and a box with her four kittens on the landing. She peered nervously at her litter. The neighbor's dog curled up and went to sleep.

13 The wind sounded like the roar of a train passing a few yards away. The house shuddered and shifted on its foundations. Water inched its way up the steps as first- floor outside walls collapsed. No one spoke. Everyone knew there was no escape; they would live or die in the house.

14 Charlie Hill had more or less taken responsibility for the neighbor and her two children. The mother was on the verge of panic. She clutched his arm and kept repeating, "I can't swim, I can't swim."

15 "You won't have to," he told her, with outward calm. "It's bound to end soon."

16 Grandmother Koshak reached an arm around her husband's shoulder and put her mouth close to his ear. "Pop," she said, "I love you." He turned his head and answered, "I love you" -- and his voice lacked its usual gruffness.

17 John watched the water lap at the steps, and felt a crushing guilt. He had underestimated the ferocity of Camille. He had assumed that what had never happened could not happen. He held his head between his hands, and silently prayed: "Get us through this mess, will You?"

18 A moment later, the hurricane, in one mighty swipe, lifted the entire roof off the house and skimmed it 40 feet through the air. The bottom steps of the staircase broke apart. One wall began crumbling on the marooned group.

19 Dr. Robert H. Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., graded Hurricane Camille as "the greatest recorded storm ever to hit a populated area in the Western Hemisphere." in its concentrated breadth of some 70 miles it shot out winds of nearly 200 m.p.h. and raised tides as high as 30 feet. Along the Gulf Coast it devastated everything in its swath: 19,467 homes and 709 small businesses were demolished or severely damaged. it seized a 600, 000-gallon Gulfport oil tank and dumped it 3.5 miles away. It tore three large cargo ships from their moorings and beached them. Telephone poles and 20-inch-thick pines cracked like guns as the winds snapped them.

20 To the west of Gulfport, the town of Pass Christian was virtually wiped out. Several vacationers at the luxurious Richelieu Apartments there held a hurricane party to watch the storm from their spectacular vantage point. Richelieu Apartments were smashed apart as if by a gigantic fist, and 26 people perished.

21 Seconds after the roof blew off the Koshak house, john yelled, "Up the stairs -- into our bedroom! Count the kids." The children huddled in the slashing rain within the circle of adults. Grandmother Koshak implored, "Children, let's sing!" The children were too frightened to respond. She carried on alone for a few bars; then her voice trailed away.

22 Debris flew as the living-room fireplace and its chimney collapsed. With two walls in their bedroom sanctuary beginning to disintegrate, John ordered, "Into the television room!" This was the room farthest from the direction of the storm.

23 For an instant, John put his arm around his wife. Janis understood. Shivering from the wind and rain and fear, clutching two children to her, she thought, Dear Lord, give me the strength to endure what I have to. She felt anger against the hurricane. We won't let it win.

24 Pop Koshak raged silently, frustrated at not being able to do anything to fight Camille. Without reason, he dragged a cedar chest and a double mattress from a bed-room into the TV room. At that moment, the wind tore out one wall and extinguished the lantern. A second wall moved, wavered, Charlie Hill tried to support it, but it toppled on him, injuring his back. The house, shuddering and rocking, had moved 25 feet from its foundations. The world seemed to be breaking apart.

25 "Let's get that mattress up!" John shouted to his father. "Make it a lean-to against the wind. Get the kids under it. We can prop it up with our heads and shoulders!"

26 The larger children sprawled on the floor, with the smaller ones in a layer on top of them, and the adults bent over all nine. The floor tilted. The box containing the litter of kittens slid off a shelf and vanished in the wind. Spooky flew off the top of a sliding bookcase and also disappeared. The dog cowered with eyes closed. A third wall gave way. Water lapped across the slanting floor. John grabbed a door which was still hinged to one closet wall. "If the floor goes," he yelled at his father, "let's get the kids on this."

27 In that moment, the wind slightly diminished, and the water stopped rising. Then the water began receding. The main thrust of Camille had passed. The Koshaks and their friends had survived.

28 With the dawn, Gulfport people started coming back to their homes. They saw human bodies -- more than 130 men, women and children died along the Mississippi coast- and parts of the beach and highway were strewn with dead dogs, cats, cattle. Strips of clothing festooned the standing trees, and blown down power lines coiled like black spaghetti over the roads.

29 None of the returnees moved quickly or spoke loudly; they stood shocked, trying to absorb the shattering scenes before their eyes. "What do we do?" they asked. "Where do we go?"

30 By this time, organizations within the area and, in effect, the entire population of the United States had come to the aid of the devastated coast. Before dawn, the Mississippi National Guard and civil-defense units were moving in to handle traffic, guard property, set up communications centers, help clear the debris and take the homeless by truck and bus to refugee centers. By 10 a.m., the Salvation Army's canteen trucks and Red Cross volunteers and staffers were going wherever possible to distribute hot drinks, food, clothing and bedding.

31 From hundreds of towns and cities across the country came several million dollars in donations; household and medical supplies streamed in by plane, train, truck and car. The federal government shipped 4,400,000 pounds of food, moved in mobile homes, set up portable classrooms, opened offices to provide low-interest, long-term business loans.

32 Camille, meanwhile, had raked its way northward across Mississippi, dropping more than 28 inches of rain into West Virginia and southern Virginia, causing rampaging floods, huge mountain slides and 111 additional deaths before breaking up over the Atlantic Ocean.

33 Like many other Gulfport families, the Koshaks quickly began reorganizing their lives, John divided his family in the homes of two friends. The neighbor with her two children went to a refugee center. Charlie Hill found a room for rent. By Tuesday, Charlie's back had improved, and he pitched in with Seabees in the worst volunteer work of all--searching for bodies. Three days after the storm, he decided not to return to Las Vegas, but to "remain in Gulfport and help rebuild the community."

34 Near the end of the first week, a friend offered the Koshaks his apartment, and the family was reunited. The children appeared to suffer no psychological damage from their experience; they were still awed by the incomprehensible power of the hurricane, but enjoyed describing what they had seen and heard on that frightful night, Janis had just one delayed reaction. A few nights after the hurricane, she awoke suddenly at 2 a.m. She quietly got up and went outside. Looking up at the sky and, without knowing she was going to do it, she began to cry softly.

35 Meanwhile, John, Pop and Charlie were picking through the wreckage of the home. It could have been depressing, but it wasn't: each salvaged item represented a little victory over the wrath of the storm. The dog and cat suddenly appeared at the scene, alive and hungry.

36 But the blues did occasionally afflict all the adults. Once, in a low mood, John said to his parents, "I wanted you here so that we would all be together, so you could enjoy the children, and look what happened."

37 His father, who had made up his mind to start a welding shop when living was normal again, said, "Let's not cry about what's gone. We' II just start all over."

38 "You're great," John said. "And this town has a lot of great people in it. It' s going to be better here than it ever was before."

39 Later, Grandmother Koshak reflected : "We lost practically all our possessions, but the family came through it. When I think of that, I realize we lost nothing important.”

(from Rhetoric and Literature by P. Joseph Canavan)

第一課迎戰(zhàn)卡米爾號颶風

約瑟夫?布蘭克

小約翰。柯夏克已料到，卡米爾號颶風來勢定然兇猛。就在去年8月17日那個星期天，當卡米爾號颶風越過墨西哥灣向西北進襲之時，收音機和電視里整天不斷地播放著颶風警報?？孪目艘患揖幼〉牡胤揭?密西西比州的高爾夫港--肯定會遭到這場颶風的猛烈襲擊。路易斯安那、密西西比和亞拉巴馬三州沿海一帶的居民已有將近15萬人逃往內(nèi)陸安全地帶。但約翰就像沿海村落中其他成千上萬的人一樣，不愿舍棄家園，要他下決心棄家外逃，除非等到他的一家人一-妻子詹妮絲以及他們那七個年齡從三歲到十一歲的孩子一一眼看著就要災禍臨頭。

為了找出應付這場風災的最佳對策，他與父母商量過。兩位老人是早在一個月前就從加利福尼亞遷到這里來，住進柯夏克一家所住的那幢十個房間的屋子里。他還就此征求過從拉斯韋加斯開車來訪的老朋友查理?希爾的意見。

約翰的全部產(chǎn)業(yè)就在自己家里(他開辦的瑪格納制造公司是設計、研制各種教育玩具和教育用品的。公司的一切往來函件、設計圖紙和工藝模具全都放在一樓)。37歲的他對颶風的威力是深有體會的。四年前，他原先擁有的位于高爾夫港以西幾英里外的那個家就曾毀于貝翠號颶風(那場風災前夕柯夏克已將全家搬到一家汽車旅館過夜)。不過，當時那幢房子所處的地勢偏低，高出海平面僅幾英尺。"我們現(xiàn)在住的這幢房子高了23英尺，，'他對父親說，"而且距離海邊足有250碼遠。這幢房子是1915年建造的。至今還從未受到過颶風的襲擊。我們呆在這兒恐怕是再安全不過了。"

老柯夏克67歲.是個語粗心慈的熟練機械師。他對兒子的意見表示贊同。"我們是可以嚴加防衛(wèi)。度過難關的，"他說?"一但發(fā)現(xiàn)危險信號，我們還可以趕在天黑之前撤出去。" 為了對付這場颶風，幾個男子漢有條不紊地做起準備工作來。自米水管道可能遭到破壞，他們把浴盆和提俑都盛滿水。颶風也可能造成斷電，所以他們檢查r手提式收音機和手電筒里的電池以及提燈里的燃料油。約翰的父親將一臺小發(fā)電機搬到樓下門廳里.接上幾個燈泡。并做好把發(fā)電機與電冰箱接通的準備。

那天下午，雨一直下個不停.烏云隨著越來越猛的暴風從海灣上空席卷而來。全家早早地用r晚餐。鄰居中一個丈夫去了越南的婦女跑過來。問她和她的兩個孩子是否能搬進柯夏克家躲避風災：另一個準備向內(nèi)陸帶轉移的鄰居也跑來問柯夏克家能否替他照看一下他的狗。

不到七點鐘，天就黑了.，狂風暴雨拍打著屋子。約翰讓大兒子和大女兒上樓去取來被褥和枕頭給幾個小一點的孩子。他想把全家人都集中在同一層樓上。"不要靠近窗戶!"他警告說，擔心在颶風巾震破的玻璃碎片會飛來傷人。風兇猛地咆哮起來?屋子開始漏雨了……那雨水好像能穿墻透壁，往屋里直灌。一家人都操起拖把、毛巾、盆罐和水桶，展l開了一場排水戰(zhàn)。到八點半鐘，電沒有了。柯夏克老爹便啟動了小發(fā)電機。

颶風的咆哮聲壓倒了一切。房子搖晃著，起居室的天花板一塊塊掉下來。樓上一個房問的法蘭西式兩用門砰地一聲被風吹開了。樓下的人還聽到樓上其他玻璃窗破碎時發(fā)出的劈劈啪啪的響聲。積水已經(jīng)漫到腳踝上了。

隨后，前門開始從門框上脫落。約翰和查理用肩膀抵住¨，但一股水浪沖擊過來。撞開了大門，把兩人都掀倒在地板上。發(fā)電機泡在水里，電燈熄滅了。查理舔了舔嘴唇，對著約翰大喊道："這回可真是大難臨頭了。這水是成的。"海水已經(jīng)漫到屋子跟前?積水仍不斷上漲。

"都從后門到汽車上去!"約翰提高嗓門大叫道。"我們把孩子2們一個個遞過去，數(shù)一數(shù)!一共九個!"

孩子們從大人手上像救火隊的水桶一樣被遞了過去?？墒瞧嚥荒馨l(fā)動了?它的點火系統(tǒng)被水泡壞了。水深風急。又不可能靠兩只腳逃命。"回屋里去!.'約翰高聲喊道。"數(shù)一數(shù)孩子們。一共九個!"

等他們爬著回到屋里后。約翰又命令道："都到樓梯上去!，，于是大家都跑到靠兩堵內(nèi)墻保護的樓梯上歇著。個個嚇得要命，氣喘吁吁，渾身濕透。孩子們把取名為斯普琪的一只貓和一個裝著四只小貓仔的盒子放在樓梯平臺上。斯普琪心神不定地打量著自己的幼仔，鄰人的那條狗已蜷起身子睡著了。

狂風就像在身邊呼嘯而過的列車一樣發(fā)出震耳的響聲，房屋在地基上晃動移位。一樓的外墻坍塌了，海水漸漸地漫上了樓梯。大家沉默無語?誰都明白現(xiàn)在已是無路可逃.死活都只好留在崖子里了。

查理。希爾對鄰家的婦女和她那兩個孩子多少盡了一點責任。那婦女簡直嚇昏了頭。她緊緊地抓住他的胳膊連聲叫道："我不會游泳，我可不會游泳啊r

"不會游泳也不要緊?"他強作鎮(zhèn)定地安慰她道，..一會兒便什么都過去了。"

柯夏克老奶奶伸出胳臂挽住丈夫的肩膀。把嘴湊到他的耳邊說，"老爺子，我愛你。"柯老爹扭過頭來也回了一句"我愛你，，一一…說話聲已不像平日那樣粗聲粗氣的廠。

約翰望著海水漫過一級一級的臺階，心里感到一陣強烈的內(nèi)疚。都怪他低估了卡米爾號颶風的危險性，一直認為未曾發(fā)生過的事情決不會發(fā)生。他兩手抱著頭，默默地祈禱著："啊.上帝，保佑我們度過這～難關吧!"

不一會兒，?陣強風掠過，將整個屋頂卷入空中，拋向4()英尺以外。樓梯底層的幾級臺階斷裂開來。有一堵墻眼看著就要倒向這群陷入進退維谷境地的男女老少。

設在弗羅里達州邁阿密的國家颶風中心主任羅伯特.H.辛普森博士將卡米爾號颶風列為"有過記載的襲擊西半球有人居住地區(qū)的最猛烈的一場颶風"。在颶風中心縱橫約70英里的范圍內(nèi)，其風速接近每小時200英里，掀起的浪頭高達30英尺。海灣沿岸風過之處，所有東西都被一掃而光。19 467戶人家和709家小商號不是完全被毀，便是遭到嚴重破壞。高爾夫港一個60萬加侖的油罐被狂風刮起，摔到3.5英里以外。三艘大型貨輪被刮離泊位，推上岸灘。電線桿和20英寸粗的松樹一遇狂風襲擊便像連珠炮似的根根斷裂。

位于高爾夫港以西的帕斯克里斯琴鎮(zhèn)幾乎被夷為平地。住在該鎮(zhèn)那座豪華的黎賽留公寓度假的幾位旅客組織了一次聚會，從他們所居的有利地位觀賞颶風的壯觀景象，結果像是有一個其大無比的拳頭把公寓打得粉碎，26人因此喪生。

柯夏克家的屋頂一被掀走，約翰就高喊道："快上樓一一到臥室里去!數(shù)數(shù)孩子。"在傾盆大雨中，大人們圍成一圈，讓孩子們緊緊地擠在中間。柯夏克老奶奶哀聲切切地說道："孩子們，咱們大家來唱支歌吧!"孩子們都嚇呆了，根本沒一點反應。老奶奶獨個兒唱了幾句，然后她的聲音就完全消失了。

客廳的壁爐和煙囪崩塌了下來。弄得瓦礫橫飛。眼看他們棲身的那間臥室電有兩面墻壁行將崩塌，約翰立即命令大伙："進電視室去!"這是離開風頭最遠的一個房間。

約翰用手將妻子摟了一下。詹妮絲心里明白了他的意思。由于風雨和恐懼，她不住地發(fā)抖。她一面拉過兩個孩子緊貼在自己身邊，一面默禱著：親愛的上帝啊，賜給我力量，讓我經(jīng)受住必須經(jīng)受的一切吧。她心里怨恨這場颶風。我們一定不會讓它得勝。

柯夏克老爹心中窩著一團火，深為自己在颶風面前無能為力而感到懊喪。也說不清為什么，他跑到一問臥室里去將一只杉木箱和一個雙人床墊拖進了電視室。就在這里，一面墻壁被風刮倒了，提燈也被吹滅。另外又有一面墻壁在移動，在搖晃。查理.希爾試圖以身子撐住它，但結果墻還是朝他這邊塌了下來，把他的背部也給砸傷了。房子在顫動搖晃，已從地基上挪開了25英尺。整個世界似乎都要分崩離析了。

"我們來把床墊豎起來!"約翰對父親大聲叫道。"把它斜靠著擋擋風。讓孩子們躲到墊子下面去，我們可以用頭和肩膀把墊子 大一點的孩子趴在地板上，小一點的一層層地壓在大的身上，大人們都彎下身子罩住他們。地板傾斜了。裝著那一窩四只小貓的盒子從架上滑下來，一下子就在風中消失了。斯普琪被從一個嵌板書柜頂上刮走而不見蹤影了。那只狗緊閉著雙眼，縮成一團。又一面墻壁倒塌了。水拍打著傾斜的地板。約翰抓住一扇還連在壁柜墻上的門，對他父親大聲叫道："假若地板塌了，咱們就把孩子放到這塊門板上面。"

就在這一剎那間，風勢稍緩了一些，水也不再上漲了。隨后水開始退落?？谞柼栵Z風的中心過去了?？孪目艘患液退麄兊呐笥讯夹掖嫦聛砹?。

天剛破曉，高爾夫港的居民便開始陸續(xù)返回家園。他們看到了遇難者的尸體一一密西西比沿海一帶就有130多名男女和兒童喪生一海灘和公路上有些地方布滿了死狗死貓和死牲畜。尚未被風刮倒的樹上結彩似地掛滿被撕成布條的衣服，吹斷的電線像黑色的實心面一樣盤成一圈一圈地散在路面上。

那些從外面返回家鄉(xiāng)的人們個個都是慢慢地走動著，也沒有誰高聲大叫。他們怔住了，呆立當?shù)兀恢撛趺床拍芙邮苎矍斑@幅使人驚駭?shù)膽K景。他們問道："我們該怎么辦?…'我們該上哪兒去呢?"

這時，該地區(qū)的一些團體，實際上還有全美國的人民，都向沿海受災地區(qū)伸出了援助之手。天還沒亮，密西西比州國民警衛(wèi)隊和一些民防隊便開進災區(qū)，管理交通，保護財物，建立通訊聯(lián)絡中心，幫助清理廢墟并將無家可歸的人送往難民收容中心。上午十時許，救世軍的流動快餐車和紅十字會志愿隊及工作人員已開往所有能夠到達的地方去分發(fā)熱飲料、食品、衣服和臥具了。

全國各地的數(shù)百個城鎮(zhèn)募集了數(shù)百萬美元的捐款送往災區(qū)。各種家用和醫(yī)療用品通過飛機、火車、卡車和轎車源源不斷地運進災區(qū)。聯(lián)邦政府運來了440萬磅食品，還運來了活動房屋，造起了活動教室，并開設了發(fā)放低息長期商業(yè)貸款的辦事機構。

在此期間，卡米爾號颶風橫掃密西西比州后繼續(xù)北進，給弗吉尼亞州西部和南部帶來了28英寸以上的暴雨，致使洪水泛濫，地塌山崩，又造成111人喪生，最后才在大西洋上空慢慢消散。

詞匯(Vocabulary)

lash (v.): move quickly or violently猛烈沖擊;拍打

pummel (n.): beat or hit with repeated blows，esp.with the fist(尤指用拳頭)連續(xù)地打

course (n.): a way of behaving;mode 0f conduct行為;品行;做法

demolish (v.): pull down.tear down，or smash to pieces (a building，etc.)，destroy：ruin拉倒;打碎;拆毀;破壞;毀滅

motel (n.):a hotel intended primarily for those traveling by car, usually with direct access from each room to an area for cars汽車游客旅館

gruff (adj.): rough or surly in manner or speech;harsh and throaty;hoarse粗暴的，粗魯?shù)?粗啞的。嘶啞的

batten (n.): fasten with battens用壓條釘住(或固定)

methodically (adv.): orderly，systematically有秩序地;有條理地

main (n.): a principal pipe, or line in a distributing system for water, gas, electricity, etc(自來水，煤氣，電等的)總管

bathtub (n.): a tub，now usually a bathroom fixture，in which to take a bath浴盆，浴缸

generator (n.): a machine for changing mechanical energy into electrical energy;dynamo發(fā)電機，發(fā)動機

scud (v.): run or move swiftly;glide or skim along easily疾行，飛馳;掠過

mattress (n.): a casing of strong cloth or other fabric filled with cotton，hair，foam rubber，etc.床墊;褥子

pane (n.):a single division of a window，etc.，consisting of a sheet of glass in a frame;such a sheet of glass窗格;窗格玻璃

disintegrate (v.): separate into parts or fragments; break up;disunite分裂，分解，裂成碎塊

blast (n.): a strong rush of(air or wind)一股(氣流);一陣(風)

douse (n.): plunge or thrust suddenly into liquid;drench; pour liquid over把…浸入液體里;使浸透;潑液體在…上

brigade (n.): a group of people organized to function。。"unit in some work(組織起來執(zhí)行某種任務的)隊

scramble (v.): climb，crawl，or clamber hurriedly爬行;攀(登)

litter (n.): the young borne at one time by a dog，cat or other animal which normally bears several young at a delivery(狗、貓等多產(chǎn)動物)一胎生下的小動物

shudder (n.): shake or tremble suddenly and violently，as in horror or extreme disgust震顫，戰(zhàn)栗

ferocity (n.): wild force or cruelty;ferociousness兇猛;兇惡，殘忍;暴行

swipe (n.):a hard，sweeping blow[口]猛擊，重擊

maroon (av.): leave abandoned，isolated，or helpless使處于孤立無援的處境

devastate (nv.): destroy;lay waste;make desolate毀壞,摧毀;使荒蕪

swath (n.): the space or width covered with one cut of a scythe or other mowing device刈幅(揮動鐮刀所及的面積)

huddle (v.): crowd，push，or nestle close together。as cows do in a storm(如風暴中的牛群)擠成一團;擁擠;互相緊貼

slashing (a.): severe;merciless;violent嚴厲的;猛烈的

implore (v.): ask or beg earnestly; beseech懇求，哀求，乞

bar (v.): a vertical line across a staff，dividing it into measures;a measure小節(jié)線(五線譜上的縱線把五線譜分成小節(jié)); 小節(jié)

trail (v.):grow gradually weaker，dimmer，less direct，etc.漸弱;漸小;漸暗

debri (復：debris )(n.): a rough，broken bit and piece of a stone，wood，glass，etc.，as after destruction：rubble碎片，瓦礫

sanctuary (n.): a place of refuge or protection：asylum 避難所，庇護所

cedar (n.): any of a genus of widespreading coniferous trees of the pine family，having clusters of needlelike leaves，cones, and durable wood with a characteristic fragrance雪松(屬)

extinguish (v.): put out(a fire，etc.);quench;smother熄滅(火等)，滅(火);撲滅 waver v. swing or sway to and fro;flutter搖擺;搖晃;搖曳

topple (v.): fall top forward;lean forward as if on the point of falling向前倒;搖搖欲墜

lean-to (n.): a roof with a single slope，its upper edge abutting a wall or building;a shed with a one-slope roof單坡 屋頂;單坡屋頂?shù)呐?/p>

prop (v.): hold up，support or hold in place with or as with a prop支撐;維持;支持

tilt (v.): aslope;incline;slant;tip傾斜;傾側;翹起

cower (v.): crouch or huddle up，as from fear or cold(因害怕或寒冷而)蜷縮;退縮

slant (v.):incline or turn from a direct line or course, esp, one that is perpendicular or level;slope(使)傾斜;(使)變歪

hinge (v.): equip with or attach by a hinge靠鉸鏈轉動(或附著)

diminish (v.): reduce in size. degree，importance, etc.;lessen使變小;減少，縮減

thrust (n.): a sudden，forceful push or shove猛推

strew (v.): spread about here and there by or as by sprinkling：scatter.be scattered or dispersed over(a surface)撒(布);散播;被撒滿(表面)

festoon (v.): adorn or hang with flowers, leave, paper, etc.飾以(或懸掛)花彩，結彩于

coil (v.): wind around and around成卷狀;盤繞o卷

spaghetti (n.): paste in the form。f long，thin strings, cooked by boiling or steaming and served with a sauce細條實心面

salvation (n.): a saving 0r being saved from danger, evil，difficulty，destruction。etc.;rescue救助o拯救;援救

canteen (n.):a place where cooked food is dispensed to people in distress，as in a disaster area(在災區(qū)給災民分配熟食的)賑災處

staffer (n.): a member of a staff職員

rake (v.): scrape or sweep;move forward swiftly掠過;急速穿過;迅速向前移動

rampage (v.): rush violently or wildly about橫沖直撞

pitch (v.): [colloq] set to work energetically[口]拼命干起來，開始大干特干

wreckage (n.): the remains of something that has been wrecked殘骸;漂浮物

salvage (v.): save or rescue from shipwreck, fire，flood, etc.雷救o搶救;打撈

wrath (n.): intense anger;rage;fury憤怒;暴怒;勃然大怒

the blues: [colloq]a depressed.unhappy feeling[口]沮喪;憂郁

afflict (v.):cause pain or suffering to;distress very much 使痛苦，使苦惱.折磨

weld (v.): unite(pieces of metal，etc.)by heating until molten and fused or until soft enough to hammer or press together焊接;熔接

reflect (v.): think seriously;contemplate認真思考;沉思

短語 (Expressions)

reason out: to find out an explanation or solution to a problem，by thinking of all the possibilities尋找解決途徑

例：Let's reason this out instead of quarrelling.讓我們不要爭吵，商量出事情的解決方案

a good: at least，full至少，最少

例：They waited a good eight hours他們等了至少8個小時。

sit out: stay until the end of坐到結束

例：We forced ourselves to sit the play out.我們強迫自己坐到演出結束。

come by: to make a short visit to a place on one's way順便拜訪

例：I'll come by the house and get my stufflater，OK?我會順便過來取材料，好嗎?

by the minute: every minute，minute by minute一分鐘一分鐘地

例：I'm feeling better by the minute.我每分鐘都感覺好多了。

on the verge of: on the edge of，on the brink of接近于，瀕臨于

例：Scientists are on the verge of a major breakthrou曲.科學家們即將取得一項重大突破。

break apart: break up into piecesdisintegrate裂開，分裂解散

例：The grounds broke apart in earthquake.地面在地震時裂開了。

break up: to break or make sth break into many small pieces分裂

例：The ice will break up when the warm weather comes. 天氣轉暖，冰層就會破裂。

come through: to continue to live，exist，be strong，or succeed after a difficuh or dangerous time經(jīng)歷過……仍活著，經(jīng)歷，脫險

例：John was so iu but he was lucky to come through.約翰病得很厲害，依然活著算是很幸運的了。

pitch in: to set to work energetically拼命于起來，開始大干特干

例：If we pitch in，we will have it finished in no time.我們?nèi)绻疵苫?，就會馬上做完