【饥饿游戏】14

It’s like having a piece of my father with me, protecting me. 

I fasten the pin onto my shirt, and with the dark green fabric 

as a background, I can almost imagine the mockingjay flying

through the trees.

Effie Trinket comes to collect me for supper. I follow her

through the narrow, rocking corridor into a dining room with

polished paneled walls. There’s a table where all the dishes

are highly breakable. Peeta Mellark sits waiting for us, the

chair next to him empty.

“Where’s Haymitch?” asks Effie Trinket brightly.

“Last time I saw him, he said he was going to take a nap,”

says Peeta.

“Well, it’s been an exhausting day,” says Effie Trinket. I

think she’s relieved by Haymitch’s absence, and who can

blame her?

The supper comes in courses. A thick carrot soup, green

salad, lamb chops and mashed² potatoes, cheese and fruit, a

chocolate cake. Throughout the meal, Effie Trinket keeps 

reminding us to save space because there’s more to come. But

I’m stuffing myself because I’ve never had food like this, so

good and so much, and because probably the best thing I can

do between now and the Games is put on a few pounds.

“At least, you two have decent manners,” says Effie as we’re

finishing the main course. “The pair last year ate everything

with their hands like a couple of savages³. It completely upset

my digestion⁴.”

The pair last year were two kids from the Seam who’d never,

not one day of their lives, had enough to eat. And when

they did have food, table manners were surely the last thing

on their minds. Peeta’s a baker’s son. My mother taught Prim⁵

and I to eat properly, so yes, I can handle a fork and knife. But

I hate Effie Trinket’s comment so much I make a point of eating

the rest of my meal with my fingers. Then I wipe my hands

on the tablecloth⁶. This makes her purse her lips tightly together.

Now that the meal’s over, I’m fighting to keep the food

down. I can see Peeta’s looking a little green, too. Neither of

our stomachs is used to such rich fare. But if I can hold down

Greasy⁷ Sae’s concoction⁸ of mice meat, pig entrails, and tree

bark — a winter specialty⁹ — I’m determined¹⁰ to hang on to

this.

We go to another compartment¹¹ to watch the recap of the

reapings across Panem. They try to stagger them throughout

the day so a person could conceivably watch the whole thing

live, but only people in the Capitol could really do that, since

none of them have to attend reapings themselves.

One by one, we see the other reapings, the names called,

(the volunteers stepping forward or, more often, not. We 

examine the faces of the kids who will be our competition. 

A few stand out in my mind. A monstrous¹² boy who lunges 

forward to volunteer from District 2. A fox-faced girl with 

sleek¹³ red hair from District 5. A boy with a crippled foot from 

District 10. And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old girl from 

District 11. She has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than 

that, she’s very like Prim in size and demeanor¹⁴. Only when she

mounts the stage and they ask for volunteers, all you can hear

is the wind whistling through the decrepit¹⁵ buildings around

her. There’s no one willing to take her place.

Last of all, they show District 12. Prim being called, me

running forward to volunteer. You can’t miss the desperation

in my voice as I shove Prim behind me, as if I’m afraid no one

will hear and they’ll take Prim away. But, of course, they do

hear. I see Gale¹⁶ pulling her off me and watch myself mount the

stage. The commentators¹⁷ are not sure what to say about the

crowd’s refusal to applaud. The silent salute¹⁸. One says that

District 12 has always been a bit backward but that local 

customs can be charming. As if on cue, Haymitch falls off the

stage, and they groan¹⁹ comically. Peeta’s name is drawn²⁰, and he

quietly takes his place. We shake hands. They cut to the anthem²¹

again, and the pro-gram ends.

Effie Trinket is disgruntled about the state her wig²² was in.

“Your mentor²³ has a lot to learn about presentation. A lot about

televised behavior.”

Peeta unexpectedly laughs. “He was drunk,” says Peeta.

“He’s drunk every year.”

“Every day,” I add. I can’t help smirking²⁴ a little. Effie Trinket

makes it sound like Haymitch just has somewhat rough manners

that could be corrected with a few tips from her.

“Yes,” hisses²⁵ Effie Trinket. “How odd you two find it amusing.

You know your mentor is your lifeline to the world in

these Games. The one who advises you, lines up your sponsors,

and dictates²⁶ the presentation of any gifts. Haymitch can

well be the difference between your life and your death!”

Just then, Haymitch staggers into the compartment. “I miss

supper?” he says in a slurred²⁷ voice. Then he vomits²⁹ all over

the expensive carpet and falls in the mess.

“So laugh away!” says Effie Trinket. She hops¹ in her pointy

shoes around the pool of vomit²⁸ and flees the room.

1 hops   

跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• The sparrow crossed the lawn in a series of hops. 那麻雀一蹦一跳地穿过草坪。
• It is brewed from malt and hops. 它用麦精和蛇麻草酿成。

2 mashed   

a.捣烂的

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。

3 savages   

未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
• That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。

4 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

5 prim   

adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地

参考例句：

• She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板，不喜欢听粗野的笑话！
• He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨

6 tablecloth   

n.桌布，台布

参考例句：

• He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。
• She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。

7 greasy   

adj. 多脂的，油脂的

参考例句：

• He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

8 concoction   

n.调配(物)；谎言

参考例句：

• She enjoyed the concoction of foreign dishes.她喜欢调制外国菜。
• His story was a sheer concoction.他的故事实在是一纯属捏造之事。

9 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。

12 monstrous   

adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的

参考例句：

• The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
• Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

13 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

14 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

15 decrepit   

adj.衰老的，破旧的

参考例句：

• The film had been shot in a decrepit old police station.该影片是在一所破旧不堪的警察局里拍摄的。
• A decrepit old man sat on a park bench.一个衰弱的老人坐在公园的长凳上。

16 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

17 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

19 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

20 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

21 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

22 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

23 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

24 smirking   

v.傻笑( smirk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Major Pendennis, fresh and smirking, came out of his bedroom to his sitting-room. 潘登尼斯少校神采奕奕，笑容可掬地从卧室来到起居室。 来自辞典例句
• The big doll, sitting in her new pram smirking, could hear it quite plainly. 大娃娃坐在崭新的童车里，满脸痴笑，能听得一清二楚。 来自辞典例句

25 hisses   

嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The speaker was received with a mixture of applause and hisses. 那演说者同时得到喝彩声和嘘声。
• A fire hisses if water is thrown on it. 把水浇到火上，火就发出嘶嘶声。

26 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 slurred   

含糊地说出( slur的过去式和过去分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱

参考例句：

• She had drunk too much and her speech was slurred. 她喝得太多了，话都说不利索了。
• You could tell from his slurred speech that he was drunk. 从他那含糊不清的话语中你就知道他喝醉了。

28 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

29 vomits   

呕吐物( vomit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A baby vomits milk from repletion. 婴儿吃饱会吐奶。
• An active volcano vomits forth smoke and lava. 活火山喷出烟雾和熔岩。