英文短篇故事（纽约）129 A Schoolboy's Answered Prayer

 　　Victor always sat right behind Billy on the school bus. Victor kicked the back of Billy's seat all the way to school and from school. Billy hated Victor. Billy hated school. Every night Billy prayed that Victor would vanish¹. One morning Billy awoke and saw a yellow, plastic gun near his pillow. He put the little gun in his jacket pocket. Maybe he could scare Victor with it. Billy went outside. The bus arrived. He got on and sat down. Victor sat down behind him. Victor started kicking his seat. Billy turned around. He pointed² the gun at Victor. He told Victor to stop kicking his seat. Laughing, Victor kicked the seat harder. Billy closed his eyes. He pulled the trigger³. Victor stopped laughing. Billy opened his eyes. The seat was empty. Victor was gone. Billy dropped the gun. He sat down again. School will be okay now, he thought.

1 vanish   

vi.突然不见，消失；不复存在，绝迹

参考例句：

• With a wave of his hand,the magician made the rabbit vanish.魔术师手一挥兔子便不见了。
• All your troubles will vanish away when he returns safely. 他平安回来后，你就无忧无虑了。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 trigger   

n.触发器，板机，制滑机；v.触发（事件）

参考例句：

• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again.他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。
• He pulled the trigger but the gun didn't go off.他打了一枪，没有发火。