【饥饿游戏】28

“And you’re good?” asks Haymitch.

I have to think about it. I’ve been putting food on the table

for four years. That’s no small task. I’m not as good as my father

was, but he’d had more practice. I’ve better aim than Gale¹, but 

I’ve had more practice. He’s a genius with traps and snares². 

“I’m all right,” I say.

“She’s excellent,” says Peeta. “My father buys her squirrels.

He always comments on how the arrows never pierce the

body. She hits every one in the eye. It’s the same with the rabbits

she sells the butcher. She can even bring down deer.”

This assessment³ of my skills from Peeta takes me totally by

surprise. First, that he ever noticed. Second, that he’s talking

me up. “What are you doing?” I ask him suspiciously.

“What are you doing? If he’s going to help you, he has to know 

what you’re capable of. Don’t underrate yourself,” says Peeta.

I don’t know why, but this rubs me the wrong way. “What about 

you? I’ve seen you in the market. You can lift hundred pound

bags of flour,” I snap at him. “Tell him that. That’s not nothing.”

“Yes, and I’m sure the arena⁴ will be full of bags of flour for

me to chuck at people. It’s not like being able to use a weapon.

You know it isn’t,” he shoots back.

“He can wrestle⁵,” I tell Haymitch. “He came in second in our

school competition last year, only after his brother.”

“What use is that? How many times have you seen someone

wrestle someone to death?” says Peeta in disgust.

“There’s always hand-to-hand combat. All you need is to

come up with a knife, and you’ll at least stand a chance. If I get

jumped, I’m dead!” I can hear my voice rising in anger.

“But you won’t! You’ll be living up in some tree eating raw

squirrels and picking off people with arrows. You know what

my mother said to me when she came to say good-bye, as if to

cheer me up, she says maybe District Twelve will finally have

a winner. Then I realized, she didn’t mean me, she meant

you!” bursts out Peeta.

“Oh, she meant you,” I say with a wave of dismissal.

“She said, ‘She’s a survivor⁶, that one.’ She is,” says Peeta.

That pulls me up short.(我一时无话可说) Did his mother 

really say that about me? Did she rate me over her son? I see 

the pain in Peeta’s eyes and know he isn’t lying.

Suddenly I’m behind the bakery and I can feel the chill of

the rain running down my back, the hollowness in my belly⁷. 

I sound eleven years old when I speak. 

“But only because someone helped me.”

Peeta’s eyes flicker⁸ down to the roll in my hands, and I

know he remembers that day, too. But he just shrugs⁹. “People

will help you in the arena. They’ll be tripping over each other

to sponsor you.”

“No more than you,” I say.

Peeta rolls his eyes at Haymitch. “She has no idea. The effect

she can have.” He runs his fingernail along the wood grain

in the table, refusing to look at me.

What on earth does he mean? People help me? When we

were dying of starvation, no one helped me! No one except

Peeta. Once I had something to barter¹⁰ with, things changed.

I’m a tough trader. Or am I? What effect do I have? That I’m

weak and needy¹¹? Is he suggesting that I got good deals because

people pitied me? I try to think if this is true. Perhaps some of 

the merchants were a little generous in their trades, but I always 

attributed that to their long-standing relationship with my father. 

Besides, my game is first-class. No one pitied me!

I glower¹² at the roll sure he meant to insult me.

After about a minute of this, Haymitch says, “Well, then.

Well, well, well. Katniss, there’s no guarantee they’ll be bows

and arrows in the arena, but during your private session with

the Gamemakers, show them what you can do. Until then, stay

clear of archery. Are you any good at trapping?”

“I know a few basic snares,” I mutter.

“That may be significant in terms of food,” says Haymitch.

“And Peeta, she’s right, never underestimate strength in the

arena. Very often, physical power tilts¹³ the advantage to a

player. In the Training Center, they will have weights, but

don’t reveal how much you can lift in front of the other 

tributes. The plan’s the same for both of you. You go to group

training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don’t

know. Throw a spear. Swing a mace¹⁴. Learn to tie a decent

knot. Save showing what you’re best at until your private 

sessions. Are we clear?” says Haymitch. Peeta and I nod.

“One last thing. In public, I want you by each other’s side

every minute,” says Haymitch. We both start to object, but

Haymitch slams his hand on the table. “Every minute! It’s not

open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be 

together, you will appear amiable¹⁵ to each other. Now get out.

Meet Effie at the elevator at ten for training.”

I bite my lip and stalk back to my room, making sure Peeta

can hear the door slam. 

1 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。

2 snares   

n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He shoots rabbits and he sets snares for them. 他射杀兔子，也安放陷阱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am myself fallen unawares into the snares of death. 我自己不知不觉跌进了死神的陷阱。 来自辞典例句

3 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

4 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

5 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

6 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

7 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

8 flicker   

vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现

参考例句：

• There was a flicker of lights coming from the abandoned house.这所废弃的房屋中有灯光闪烁。
• At first,the flame may be a small flicker,barely shining.开始时，光辉可能是微弱地忽隐忽现，几乎并不灿烂。

9 shrugs   

n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. 匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。 来自互联网
• She shrugs expressively and takes a sip of her latte. 她表达地耸肩而且拿她的拿铁的啜饮。 来自互联网

10 barter   

n.物物交换，以货易货，实物交易

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar.在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。
• They have arranged food imports on a barter basis.他们以易货贸易的方式安排食品进口。

11 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

12 glower   

v.怒目而视

参考例句：

• He glowered at me but said nothing.他怒视着我，却一言不发。
• He glowered and glared,but she steadfastly refused to look his way.他怒目而视，但是她铁了心不肯朝他这边看。

13 tilts   

（意欲赢得某物或战胜某人的）企图，尝试( tilt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• As the kitten touches it, it tilts at the floor. 它随着击碰倾侧，头不动，眼不动，还呆呆地注视着地上。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
• The two writers had a number of tilts in print. 这两位作家写过一些文章互相攻击。

14 mace   

n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮

参考例句：

• The sword and mace were favourite weapons for hand-to-hand fighting.剑和狼牙棒是肉搏战的最佳武器。
• She put some mace into the meat.她往肉里加了一些肉豆蔻干皮。

15 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。