365个英语简短小故事-176. The Robbery at the Mall(1)

Cliff was on the phone. “I couldn’t believe it! It was broad daylight! These criminals have no conscience, no morals. They beat up and rob old people. They kidnap and rape¹ young women. It’s getting to the point where no one is safe anytime or anywhere.” Cliff’s wife had recently been punched, kicked, and robbed on a warm, sunny day. She had a black eye, sore ribs², and abrasions³ on her left elbow where she had been knocked to the pavement.

Janelle had gone to Santa Anita mall to buy a new pair of shoes. JC Penney was having a sale. As usual, the huge parking lot was crowded. The nearest parking spot she could find was almost 100 yards past the mall’s north entrance. She got out of her car and started walking south toward JC Penney, the mall’s northernmost anchor store.

She had only walked about 20 feet when she heard something behind her. She turned around. A hooded⁴ figure got out of the passenger side of a black Mustang. He walked right up to her. She clutched her purse. He punched her. She fell to the pavement, stunned⁵. The man grabbed her purse. She held tight, until he kicked her in her side. She screamed in pain and let go of her purse. The man yelled something at her and got back into the Mustang. She heard laughter as it drove off.

A minute later, another car pulled up. A woman got out and asked Janelle what was wrong. Janelle was crying. The woman called the police, and helped Janelle to her feet. A police car arrived about 10 minutes later. The officer called for an ambulance, but Janelle said to forget it. She knew that most Los Angeles area hospitals were usually overcrowded with emergency room patients. Even if the ambulance managed to find a hospital that wasn’t too overcrowded, she would have to wait hours before an emergency room doctor would see her and treat her. I could go online and learn how to treat myself by then, or maybe even be completely healed, Janelle thought.

 

1 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

2 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

3 abrasions   

n.磨损( abrasion的名词复数 )；擦伤处；摩擦；磨蚀（作用）

参考例句：

• He suffered cuts and abrasions to the face. 他的脸上有许多划伤和擦伤。
• The bacteria get into humans through abrasions in the skin. 细菌可以通过擦伤处进入人体。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hooded   

adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的

参考例句：

• A hooded figure waited in the doorway. 一个戴兜帽的人在门口等候。
• Black-eyed gipsy girls, hooded in showy handkerchiefs, sallied forth to tell fortunes. 黑眼睛的吉卜赛姑娘，用华丽的手巾包着头，突然地闯了进来替人算命。 来自辞典例句

5 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。