美国语文第五册 第121期:勒克瑙救援(1)

 On every side death stared us in the face; no human skill could avert¹ it any longer. 死亡四处紧紧地盯着我们，再也没有任何路可以幸免逃脱。

We saw the moment approach when we must bid farewell to earth, 当我们看到死亡的脚步一步步走近，意识到与这个世界最后告别的时刻即将来临；

yet without feeling that unutterable horror which must have been experienced by the unhappy victims at Cawnpore. 伴随内心无以言传的巨大恐惧，相必坎布尔不幸的罹难者肯定也经历类似濒死体验；

We were resolved rather to die than to yield, and were fully² persuaded that in twenty-four hours all would be over. 我们打定主意，即便受难赴死也不会屈服，甚至完全相信，不过区区24小时之内，一切终将尘埃落定，

The engineer had said so, and all knew the worst. 那位随军工程师也是这么说的。大家都很清楚，我们已经深陷最为难捱的黑暗。

We women strove to encourage each other, and to perform the light duties which had been assigned to us, such as conveying orders to the batteries, 女人们彼此拼命鼓劲，完成分配给我们那些较轻的活儿，比如给那些街垒炮手送送消息，

and supplying the men with provisions, especially cups of coffee, which we prepared day and night. 或给男人们发些生活补给；咖啡尤其必不可少，为此，我们从早到晚忙碌不停。

I had gone out to try to make myself useful, in company with Jessie Brown, the wife of a corporal in my husband's regiment³. 我走出家门，看自己能否帮上什么忙，还要去陪伴杰西.布朗，我丈夫那个团里一位下士的妻子。

Poor Jessie had been in a state of restless excitement all through the siege, and had fallen away visibly within the last few days. 可怜的杰西从围城开始，一直焦躁不安，不过几天时间，她明显地消瘦了，

A constant fever consumed her, and her mind wandered occasionally, 还一直在发烧，时而精神恍惚；

especially that day, when the recollections of home seemed powerfully present to her. 尤其那天她似乎失去自控，真的好像回到了家乡；

At last, overcome with fatigue⁴, she lay down on the ground, wrapped up in her plaid. 后来因疲劳过度躺卧地上，身上裹着一条格子呢毛毯。

I sat beside her, promising⁵ to awaken⁶ her when, as she said, her "father should return from the plowing⁷." 我坐在她的身边，指望能够唤醒她，她突然开口说道：“爸爸该从地里回来了。”

 

1 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

4 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

7 plowing   

v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• "There are things more important now than plowing, Sugar. "如今有比耕种更重要的事情要做呀，宝贝儿。 来自飘（部分）
• Since his wife's death, he has been plowing a lonely furrow. 从他妻子死后，他一直过着孤独的生活。 来自辞典例句