美国语文第六册 第28期:受惊的艺术家(4)

 　　Now, alas¹! however, even that one hope had deserted² him. 然而，现在所有的愿望都破灭了。

　　He thought himself dying, and thought it hard to die without one to look kindly³ upon him, 他觉得自己快死了，但是他不想就这么轻易死掉，因为还没有人好好地照看过他，

　　without the words of comfort that might soothe⁴ his passage to another world. 也没有人说过一些安慰他的话，让他安心去另一个世界。

　　He fancied his bed surrounded by fiendish faces, grinning at his sufferings, and taunting⁵ his inability to summon power to disperse⁶ them. 他幻想着自己的床周围都是恶魔般的脸孔，他们对他的不幸遭遇进行冷嘲热讽，他无力驱散这些邪恶的面孔。

　　At length the apparition⁷ faded away, and the patient sunk into an exhausted⁸ slumber⁹. 最终那些面孔消失了，他很快陷入了疲惫的沉睡中。

　　He awoke unrefreshed; it was the fifth day he had lain there neglected. 他醒来时，觉得一点精神都没有；他已经在这里躺了五天五夜，但就是没有人来看他。

　　His mouth was parched¹⁰; he turned over, and feebly stretched out his hand toward the earthen pitcher¹¹, from which, since the first day of his illness, he had quenched¹² his thirst. 他的嘴干得难受，翻了一下身，无力地伸手去够盛水的瓦罐，从生病第一天起他就用水罐里的水来止渴。

　　Alas! it was empty! Samuel lay for a few moments thinking what he should do. 天啊，瓦罐里已经没有水了！萨缪尔躺在那儿愣怔了好一会儿，琢磨怎样才能止渴。

　　He knew he must die of want if he remained there alone; but to whom could he apply for aid? 他清楚自己要是再一个人躺下去的话，必然死于饥渴。但是，谁会来搭救他呢？

　　An idea seemed, at last, to strike him. 最后，他想到一个主意。

　　He arose slowly, and with difficulty, from the bed, went to the other side of the room, and took up the picture he had painted last. 他费了好大力气，慢慢爬起身，挪到房间的另一侧，举起他最后画完的那幅画。

　　He resolved to carry it to the shop of a salesman, and hoped to obtain for it sufficient to furnish him with the necessaries of life for a week longer. 他下定决心要把这幅画拿到画商的店里，盼望能换回足以维持他一周生计的生活必需品。

1 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

2 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

3 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

4 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

5 taunting   

嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• She wagged a finger under his nose in a taunting gesture. 她当着他的面嘲弄地摇晃着手指。
• His taunting inclination subdued for a moment by the old man's grief and wildness. 老人的悲伤和狂乱使他那嘲弄的意图暂时收敛起来。

6 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

7 apparition   

n.幽灵，神奇的现象

参考例句：

• He saw the apparition of his dead wife.他看见了他亡妻的幽灵。
• But the terror of this new apparition brought me to a stand.这新出现的幽灵吓得我站在那里一动也不敢动。

8 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

9 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

10 parched   

adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干

参考例句：

• Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
• The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

11 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

12 quenched   

解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却

参考例句：

• He quenched his thirst with a long drink of cold water. 他喝了好多冷水解渴。
• I quenched my thirst with a glass of cold beer. 我喝了一杯冰啤酒解渴。