【时间旅行者的妻子】26

 I’m mostly sober now, and reasonably alert. Time passes, nothing happens. At last: I hear a soft thud, a gasp¹. Silence. I wait. I stand up, silently, and pad into the Hall, walking slowly through the light that slants² across the marble floor. I stand in the center of the doors and call out, not loud: “Henry.”

　Nothing. Good boy, wary³ and silent. I try again. “It’s okay, Henry. I’m your guide, I’m here to show you around. It’s a special tour. Don’t be afraid, Henry.”

　I hear a slight, oh-so-faint noise. “I brought you a T-shirt, Henry. So you won’t get cold while we look at the exhibits.” I can make him out now, standing⁴ at the edge of the darkness. “Here. Catch.” I throw it to him, and the shirt disappears, and then he steps into the light. The T-shirt comes down to his knees. Me at five, dark spiky⁵ hair, moon pale with brown almost Slavic eyes, wiry, coltish⁶. At five I am happy, cushioned in normality and the arms of my parents. Everything changed, starting now.

　I walk forward slowly, bend toward him, speak softly. “Hello. I’m glad to see you, Henry. Thank you for coming tonight.”

　“Where am I? Who are you?” His voice is small and high, and echoes a little off the cold stone.

　“You’re in the Field Museum. I have been sent here to show you some things you can’t see during the day. My name is also Henry. Isn’t that funny?”

　He nods.

　“Would you like some cookies? I always like to eat cookies while I look around museums.

1 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

2 slants   

（使）倾斜，歪斜( slant的第三人称单数 )； 有倾向性地编写或报道

参考例句：

• Most handwriting slants to the right. 大多数字体是向右倾斜的。
• That tree slants to one side because of the heavy winds. 因为刮大风，那棵树歪倒一边去了。

3 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 spiky   

adj.长而尖的，大钉似的

参考例句：

• Your hairbrush is too spiky for me.你的发刷，我觉得太尖了。
• The spiky handwriting on the airmail envelope from London was obviously hers.发自伦敦的航空信封上的尖长字迹分明是她的。

6 coltish   

adj.似小马的；不受拘束的；活泼的

参考例句：

• I feel big to the shoe makes me coltish.我觉得大鞋让我不受拘束。
• Jo,fifteen,was tall,thin,and coltish,and gloried in an unconcealed scorn of polite conventions.15岁的乔是个高瘦活泼女孩，得意于对传统礼仪的蔑视。