【饥饿游戏】54

This could be it, I think. What chance do I have against

them? All six are there, the five Careers and Peeta, and my only

consolation¹ is they’re pretty beat-up, too. Even so, look at

their weapons. Look at their faces, grinning and snarling² at

me, a sure kill above them. It seems pretty hopeless. But then

something else registers. They’re bigger and stronger than I

am, no doubt, but they’re also heavier. There’s a reason it’s me

and not Gale³ who ventures up to pluck the highest fruit, or rob

the most remote bird nests. I must weigh at least fifty or sixty

pounds less than the smallest Career.

Now I smile. “How’s everything with you?” I call down

cheerfully.

This takes them aback, but I know the crowd will love it.

“Well enough,” says the boy from District 2. “Yourself?”

“It’s been a bit warm for my taste,” I say. I can almost hear

the laughter from the Capitol. “The air’s better up here. Why

don’t you come on up?”

“Think I will,” says the same boy.

“Here, take this, Cato,” says the girl from District 1, and she

offers him the silver bow and sheath of arrows. My bow! My

arrows! Just the sight of them makes me so angry I want to

scream, at myself, at that traitor⁴ Peeta for distracting me from

having them. I try to make eye contact with him now, but he

seems to be intentionally⁵ avoiding my gaze as he polishes his

knife with the edge of his shirt.

“No,” says Cato, pushing away the bow. “I’ll do better with

my sword.” I can see the weapon, a short, heavy blade at his

belt.

I give Cato time to hoist⁶ himself into the tree before I begin

to climb again. Gale always says I remind him of a squirrel the

way I can scurry⁷ up even the slenderest limb. Part of it’s my

weight, but part of it’s practice. You have to know where to

place your hands and feet. I’m another thirty feet in the air

when I hear the crack and look down to see Cato flailing⁹ as he

and a branch go down. He hits the ground hard and I’m hoping

he possibly broke his neck when he gets back to his feet,

swearing like a fiend.

The girl with the arrows, Glimmer¹⁰ I hear someone call her

— ugh, the names the people in District 1 give their children

are so ridiculous — anyway Glimmer scales the tree until the

branches begin to crack under her feet and then has the good

sense to stop. I’m at least eighty feet high now. She tries to

shoot me and it’s immediately evident that she’s incompetent¹¹

with a bow. One of the arrows gets lodged¹² in the tree near me

though and I’m able to seize it. I wave it teasingly above her

head, as if this was the sole purpose of retrieving¹³ it, when 

actually I mean to use it if I ever get the chance. I could kill them,

everyone of them, if those silver weapons were in my hands.

The Careers regroup on the ground and I can hear them

growling¹⁴ conspiratorially¹⁷ among themselves, furious I have

made them look foolish. But twilight¹⁸ has arrived and their

window of attack on me is closing. Finally, I hear Peeta say

harshly, “Oh, let her stay up there. It’s not like she’s going 

anywhere. We’ll deal with her in the morning.”

Well, he’s right about one thing. I’m going nowhere. All the

relief from the pool water has gone, leaving me to feel the full

potency¹⁹ of my burns. I scoot down to a fork in the tree and

clumsily prepare for bed. Put on my jacket. Lay out my sleeping

bed. Belt myself in and try to keep from moaning. The heat

of the bag’s too much for my leg. I cut a slash²⁰ in the fabric²¹ and

hang my calf²² out in the open air. I drizzle²³ water on the wound,

my hands.

All my bravado²⁴ is gone. I’m weak from pain and hunger but

can’t bring myself to eat. Even if I can last the night, what will

the morning bring? I stare into the foliage²⁵ trying to will myself

to rest, but the burns forbid it. Birds are settling down for the

night, singing lullabies to their young. Night creatures emerge.

An owl¹⁵ hoots²⁶. The faint scent²⁷ of a skunk²⁸ cuts through the

smoke. The eyes of some animal peer at me from the neighboring

tree — a possum maybe — catching²⁹ the firelight from

the Careers’ torches. Suddenly, I’m up on one elbow. Those

are no possum’s eyes, I know their glassy reflection too well.

In fact, those are not animal eyes at all. In the last dim rays of

light, I make her out, watching me silently from between the

branches. Rue³⁰.

How long has she been here? The whole time probably. Still

and unobserved as the action unfolded beneath her. Perhaps

she headed up her tree shortly before I did, hearing the pack

was so close.

For a while we hold each other’s gaze. Then, without even

rustling³¹ a leaf, her little hand slides into the open and points

to something above my head.

scurry vi. 急赶；急跑

flail⁸ vt. 打；用连枷打

conspiratorially adv. conspiratorial¹⁶的变形 adj. 阴谋的；阴谋者的

skunk  n. 臭鼬；臭鼬毛皮；讨厌鬼；卑鄙的人

possum n. 负鼠

1 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

2 snarling   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• "I didn't marry you," he said, in a snarling tone. “我没有娶你，"他咆哮着说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• So he got into the shoes snarling. 于是，汤姆一边大喊大叫，一边穿上了那双鞋。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

3 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。

4 traitor   

n.叛徒，卖国贼

参考例句：

• The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
• He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。

5 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

6 hoist   

n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起

参考例句：

• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
• Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！

7 scurry   

vi.急匆匆地走；使急赶；催促；n.快步急跑，疾走；仓皇奔跑声；骤雨，骤雪；短距离赛马

参考例句：

• I jumped on the sofa after I saw a mouse scurry by.看到一只老鼠匆匆路过,我从沙发上跳了起来。
• There was a great scurry for bargains.大家急忙着去抢购特价品。

8 flail   

v.用连枷打；击打；n.连枷（脱粒用的工具）

参考例句：

• No fence against flail.飞来横祸不胜防。
• His arms were flailing in all directions.他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。

9 flailing   

v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克

参考例句：

• He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句

10 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

11 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

12 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 retrieving   

n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Ignoring all, he searches the ground carefully for any cigarette-end worth retrieving. 没管打锣的说了什么，他留神的在地上找，看有没有值得拾起来的烟头儿。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Retrieving the nodules from these great depths is no easy task. 从这样的海底深渊中取回结核可不是容易的事情。 来自辞典例句

14 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

15 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

16 conspiratorial   

adj.阴谋的，阴谋者的

参考例句：

• She handed the note to me with a conspiratorial air. 她鬼鬼祟祟地把字条交给了我。 来自辞典例句
• It was enough to win a gap-toothed, conspiratorial grin. 这赢得对方咧嘴一笑。 来自互联网

17 conspiratorially   

参考例句：

• Winking conspiratorially at his chum. 对同房间的人狡黠地眨了眨眼。 来自互联网

18 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

19 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

20 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

21 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

22 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

23 drizzle   

v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨

参考例句：

• The shower tailed off into a drizzle.阵雨越来越小，最后变成了毛毛雨。
• Yesterday the radio forecast drizzle,and today it is indeed raining.昨天预报有小雨，今天果然下起来了。

24 bravado   

n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能

参考例句：

• Their behaviour was just sheer bravado. 他们的行为完全是虚张声势。
• He flourished the weapon in an attempt at bravado. 他挥舞武器意在虚张声势。

25 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

26 hoots   

咄，啐

参考例句：

• His suggestion was greeted with hoots of laughter. 他的建议引起了阵阵嗤笑。
• The hoots came from the distance. 远处传来呜呜声。

27 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

28 skunk   

n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥

参考例句：

• That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了，你这卑鄙的家伙！
• The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。

29 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

30 rue   

n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔

参考例句：

• You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
• You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

31 rustling   

n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的

参考例句：

• the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声
• the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声