高级英语第二册 1.Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

　　1.Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

　　Joseph P. Blank

　　1 John Koshak, Jr., knew that Hurricane Camille would be bad. Radio and television warnings had sounded throughout that Sunday, last August 17, as Camille lashed northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico. It was certain to pummel Gulfport, Miss., where the Koshers lived. Along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, nearly 150,000 people fled inland to safer ground. But, like thousands of others in the coastal communities, john was reluctant to abandon his home unless the family -- his wife, Janis, and their seven children, abed 3 to 11 -- was clearly endangered.

　　2 Trying to reason out the best course of action, he talked with his father and mother, who had moved into the ten-room house with the Koshaks a month earlier from California. He also consulted Charles Hill, a long time friend, who had driven from Las Vegas for a visit.

　　3 John, 37 -- whose business was right there in his home ( he designed and developed educational toys and supplies, and all of Magna Products' correspondence, engineering drawings and art work were there on the first floor) -- was familiar with the power of a hurricane. Four years earlier, Hurricane Betsy had demolished undefined his former home a few miles west of Gulfport (Koshak had moved his family to a motel for the night). But that house had stood only a few feet above sea level. "We' re elevated 23 feet," he told his father, "and we' re a good 250 yards from the sea. The place has been here since 1915, and no hurricane has ever bothered it. We' II probably be as safe here as anyplace else."

　　4 The elder Koshak, a gruff, warmhearted expert machinist of 67, agreed. "We can batten down and ride it out," he said. "If we see signs of danger, we can get out before dark."

　　5 The men methodically prepared for the hurricane. Since water mains might be damaged, they filled bathtubs and pails. A power failure was likely, so they checked out batteries for the portable radio and flashlights, and fuel for the lantern. John's father moved a small generator into the downstairs hallway, wired several light bulbs to it and prepared a connection to the refrigerator.

　　6 Rain fell steadily that afternoon; gray clouds scudded in from the Gulf on the rising wind. The family had an early supper. A neighbor, whose husband was in Vietnam, asked if she and her two children could sit out the storm with the Koshaks. Another neighbor came by on his way in-land — would the Koshaks mind taking care of his dog?

　　7 It grew dark before seven o' clock. Wind and rain now whipped the house. John sent his oldest son and daughter upstairs to bring down mattresses and pillows for the younger children. He wanted to keep the group together on one floor. "Stay away from the windows," he warned, concerned about glass flying from storm-shattered panes. As the wind mounted to a roar, the house began leaking- the rain seemingly driven right through the walls. With mops, towels, pots and buckets the Koshaks began a struggle against the rapidly spreading water. At 8:30, power failed, and Pop Koshak turned on the generator.

　　8 The roar of the hurricane now was overwhelming. The house shook, and the ceiling in the living room was falling piece by piece. The French doors in an upstairs room blew in with an explosive sound, and the group heard gun-like reports as other upstairs windows disintegrated. Water rose above their ankles.

　　9 Then the front door started to break away from its frame. John and Charlie put their shoulders against it, but a blast of water hit the house, flinging open the door and shoving them down the hall. The generator was doused, and the lights went out. Charlie licked his lips and shouted to John. "I think we' re in real trouble. That water tasted salty." The sea had reached the house, and the water was rising by the minute!

　　10 "Everybody out the back door to the cars!" John yelled. "We' II pass the children along between us. Count them! Nine!"

　　11 The children went from adult to adult like buckets in a fire brigade. But the cars wouldn't start; the electrical systems had been killed by water. The wind was too Strong and the water too deep to flee on foot. "Back to the house!" john yelled. "Count the children! Count nine!"

　　12 As they scrambled back, john ordered, "Every-body on the stairs!" Frightened, breathless and wet, the group settled on the stairs, which were protected by two interiorwalls. The children put the cat, Spooky, and a box with her four kittens on the landing. She peered nervously at her litter. The neighbor's dog curled up and went to sleep.

　　13 The wind sounded like the roar of a train passing a few yards away. The house shuddered and shifted on its foundations. Water inched its way up the steps as first- floor outside walls collapsed. No one spoke. Everyone knew there was no escape; they would live or die in the house.

　　14 Charlie Hill had more or less taken responsibility for the neighbor and her two children. The mother was on the verge of panic. She clutched his arm and kept repeating, "I can't swim, I can't swim."

　　15 "You won't have to," he told her, with outward calm. "It's bound to end soon."

　　16 Grandmother Koshak reached an arm around her husband's shoulder and put her mouth close to his ear. "Pop," she said, "I love you." He turned his head and answered, "I love you" -- and his voice lacked its usual gruffness.

　　17 John watched the water lap at the steps, and felt a crushing guilt. He had underestimated the ferocity of Camille. He had assumed that what had never happened could not happen. He held his head between his hands, and silently prayed: "Get us through this mess, will You?"

　　18 A moment later, the hurricane, in one mighty swipe, lifted the entire roof off the house and skimmed it 40 feet through the air. The bottom steps of the staircase broke apart. One wall began crumbling on the marooned group.

　　19 Dr. Robert H. Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., graded Hurricane Camille as "the greatest recorded storm ever to hit a populated area in the Western Hemisphere." in its concentrated breadth of some 70 miles it shot out winds of nearly 200 m.p.h. and raised tides as high as 30 feet. Along the Gulf Coast it devastated everything in its swath: 19,467 homes and 709 small businesses were demolished or severely damaged. it seized a 600, 000-gallon Gulfport oil tank and dumped it 3.5 miles away. It tore three large cargo ships from their moorings and beached them. Telephone poles and 20-inch-thick pines cracked like guns as the winds snapped them.

　　20 To the west of Gulfport, the town of Pass Christian was virtually wiped out. Several vacationers at the luxurious Richelieu Apartments there held a hurricane party to watch the storm from their spectacular vantage point. Richelieu Apartments were smashed apart as if by a gigantic fist, and 26 people perished.

　　21 Seconds after the roof blew off the Koshak house, john yelled, "Up the stairs -- into our bedroom! Count the kids." The children huddled in the slashing rain within the circle of adults. Grandmother Koshak implored, "Children, let's sing!" The children were too frightened to respond. She carried on alone for a few bars; then her voice trailed away.

　　22 Debris flew as the living-room fireplace and its chimney collapsed. With two walls in their bedroom sanctuary beginning to disintegrate, John ordered, "Into the television room!" This was the room farthest from the direction of the storm.

　　23 For an instant, John put his arm around his wife. Janis understood. Shivering from the wind and rain and fear, clutching two children to her, she thought, Dear Lord, give me the strength to endure what I have to. She felt anger against the hurricane. We won't let it win.

　　24 Pop Koshak raged silently, frustrated at not being able to do anything to fight Camille. Without reason, he dragged a cedar chest and a double mattress from a bed-room into the TV room. At that moment, the wind tore out one wall and extinguished the lantern. A second wall moved, wavered, Charlie Hill tried to support it, but it toppled on him, injuring his back. The house, shuddering and rocking, had moved 25 feet from its foundations. The world seemed to be breaking apart.

　　25 "Let's get that mattress up!" John shouted to his father. "Make it a lean-to against the wind. Get the kids under it. We can prop it up with our heads and shoulders!"

　　26 The larger children sprawled on the floor, with the smaller ones in a layer on top of them, and the adults bent over all nine. The floor tilted. The box containing the litter of kittens slid off a shelf and vanished in the wind. Spooky flew off the top of a sliding bookcase and also disappeared. The dog cowered with eyes closed. A third wall gave way. Water lapped across the slanting floor. John grabbed a door which was still hinged to one closet wall. "If the floor goes," he yelled at his father, "let's get the kids on this."

　　27 In that moment, the wind slightly diminished, and the water stopped rising. Then the water began receding. The main thrust of Camille had passed. The Koshaks and their friends had survived.

　　28 With the dawn, Gulfport people started coming back to their homes. They saw human bodies -- more than 130 men, women and children died along the Mississippi coast- and parts of the beach and highway were strewn with dead dogs, cats, cattle. Strips of clothing festooned the standing trees, and blown down power lines coiled like black spaghetti over the roads.

　　29 None of the returnees moved quickly or spoke loudly; they stood shocked, trying to absorb the shattering scenes before their eyes. "What do we do?" they asked. "Where do we go?"

　　30 By this time, organizations within the area and, in effect, the entire population of the United States had come to the aid of the devastated coast. Before dawn, the Mississippi National Guard and civil-defense units were moving in to handle traffic, guard property, set up communications centers, help clear the debris and take the homeless by truck and bus to refugee centers. By 10 a.m., the Salvation Army's canteen trucks and Red Cross volunteers and staffers were going wherever possible to distribute hot drinks, food, clothing and bedding.

　　31 From hundreds of towns and cities across the country came several million dollars in donations; household and medical supplies streamed in by plane, train, truck and car. The federal government shipped 4,400,000 pounds of food, moved in mobile homes, set up portable classrooms, opened offices to provide low-interest, long-term business loans.

　　32 Camille, meanwhile, had raked its way northward across Mississippi, dropping more than 28 inches of rain into West Virginia and southern Virginia, causing rampaging floods, huge mountain slides and 111 additional deaths before breaking up over the Atlantic Ocean.

　　33 Like many other Gulfport families, the Koshaks quickly began reorganizing their lives, John divided his family in the homes of two friends. The neighbor with her two children went to a refugee center. Charlie Hill found a room for rent. By Tuesday, Charlie's back had improved, and he pitched in with Seabees in the worst volunteer work of all--searching for bodies. Three days after the storm, he decided not to return to Las Vegas, but to "remain in Gulfport and help rebuild the community."

　　34 Near the end of the first week, a friend offered the Koshaks his apartment, and the family was reunited. The children appeared to suffer no psychological damage from their experience; they were still awed by the incomprehensible power of the hurricane, but enjoyed describing what they had seen and heard on that frightful night, Janis had just one delayed reaction. A few nights after the hurricane, she awoke suddenly at 2 a.m. She quietly got up and went outside. Looking up at the sky and, without knowing she was going to do it, she began to cry softly.

　　35 Meanwhile, John, Pop and Charlie were picking through the wreckage of the home. It could have been depressing, but it wasn't: each salvaged item represented a little victory over the wrath of the storm. The dog and cat suddenly appeared at the scene, alive and hungry.

　　36 But the blues did occasionally afflict all the adults. Once, in a low mood, John said to his parents, "I wanted you here so that we would all be together, so you could enjoy the children, and look what happened."

　　37 His father, who had made up his mind to start a welding shop when living was normal again, said, "Let's not cry about what's gone. We' II just start all over."

　　38 "You're great," John said. "And this town has a lot of great people in it. It' s going to be better here than it ever was before."

　　39 Later, Grandmother Koshak reflected : "We lost practically all our possessions, but the family came through it. When I think of that, I realize we lost nothing important.”

　　(from Rhetoric and Literature by P. Joseph Canavan)

　　第一课迎战卡米尔号飓风

　　约瑟夫?布兰克

　　小约翰。柯夏克已料到，卡米尔号飓风来势定然凶猛。就在去年8月17日那个星期天，当卡米尔号飓风越过墨西哥湾向西北进袭之时，收音机和电视里整天不断地播放着飓风警报。柯夏克一家居住的地方一-密西西比州的高尔夫港--肯定会遭到这场飓风的猛烈袭击。路易斯安那、密西西比和亚拉巴马三州沿海一带的居民已有将近15万人逃往内陆安全地带。但约翰就像沿海村落中其他成千上万的人一样，不愿舍弃家园，要他下决心弃家外逃，除非等到他的一家人一-妻子詹妮丝以及他们那七个年龄从三岁到十一岁的孩子一一眼看着就要灾祸临头。

　　为了找出应付这场风灾的最佳对策，他与父母商量过。两位老人是早在一个月前就从加利福尼亚迁到这里来，住进柯夏克一家所住的那幢十个房间的屋子里。他还就此征求过从拉斯韦加斯开车来访的老朋友查理?希尔的意见。

　　约翰的全部产业就在自己家里(他开办的玛格纳制造公司是设计、研制各种教育玩具和教育用品的。公司的一切往来函件、设计图纸和工艺模具全都放在一楼)。37岁的他对飓风的威力是深有体会的。四年前，他原先拥有的位于高尔夫港以西几英里外的那个家就曾毁于贝翠号飓风(那场风灾前夕柯夏克已将全家搬到一家汽车旅馆过夜)。不过，当时那幢房子所处的地势偏低，高出海平面仅几英尺。"我们现在住的这幢房子高了23英尺，，'他对父亲说，"而且距离海边足有250码远。这幢房子是1915年建造的。至今还从未受到过飓风的袭击。我们呆在这儿恐怕是再安全不过了。"

　　老柯夏克67岁．是个语粗心慈的熟练机械师。他对儿子的意见表示赞同。"我们是可以严加防卫。度过难关的，"他说?"一但发现危险信号，我们还可以赶在天黑之前撤出去。" 为了对付这场飓风，几个男子汉有条不紊地做起准备工作来。自米水管道可能遭到破坏，他们把浴盆和提俑都盛满水。飓风也可能造成断电，所以他们检查r手提式收音机和手电筒里的电池以及提灯里的燃料油。约翰的父亲将一台小发电机搬到楼下门厅里．接上几个灯泡。并做好把发电机与电冰箱接通的准备。

　　那天下午，雨一直下个不停．乌云随着越来越猛的暴风从海湾上空席卷而来。全家早早地用r晚餐。邻居中一个丈夫去了越南的妇女跑过来。问她和她的两个孩子是否能搬进柯夏克家躲避风灾：另一个准备向内陆带转移的邻居也跑来问柯夏克家能否替他照看一下他的狗。

　　不到七点钟，天就黑了．，狂风暴雨拍打着屋子。约翰让大儿子和大女儿上楼去取来被褥和枕头给几个小一点的孩子。他想把全家人都集中在同一层楼上。"不要靠近窗户!"他警告说，担心在飓风巾震破的玻璃碎片会飞来伤人。风凶猛地咆哮起来?屋子开始漏雨了……那雨水好像能穿墙透壁，往屋里直灌。一家人都操起拖把、毛巾、盆罐和水桶，展l开了一场排水战。到八点半钟，电没有了。柯夏克老爹便启动了小发电机。

　　飓风的咆哮声压倒了一切。房子摇晃着，起居室的天花板一块块掉下来。楼上一个房问的法兰西式两用门砰地一声被风吹开了。楼下的人还听到楼上其他玻璃窗破碎时发出的劈劈啪啪的响声。积水已经漫到脚踝上了。

　　随后，前门开始从门框上脱落。约翰和查理用肩膀抵住¨，但一股水浪冲击过来。撞开了大门，把两人都掀倒在地板上。发电机泡在水里，电灯熄灭了。查理舔了舔嘴唇，对着约翰大喊道："这回可真是大难临头了。这水是成的。"海水已经漫到屋子跟前?积水仍不断上涨。

　　"都从后门到汽车上去!"约翰提高嗓门大叫道。"我们把孩子2们一个个递过去，数一数!一共九个!"

　　孩子们从大人手上像救火队的水桶一样被递了过去。可是汽车不能发动了?它的点火系统被水泡坏了。水深风急。又不可能靠两只脚逃命。"回屋里去!．'约翰高声喊道。"数一数孩子们。一共九个!"

　　等他们爬着回到屋里后。约翰又命令道："都到楼梯上去!，，于是大家都跑到靠两堵内墙保护的楼梯上歇着。个个吓得要命，气喘吁吁，浑身湿透。孩子们把取名为斯普琪的一只猫和一个装着四只小猫仔的盒子放在楼梯平台上。斯普琪心神不定地打量着自己的幼仔，邻人的那条狗已蜷起身子睡着了。

　　狂风就像在身边呼啸而过的列车一样发出震耳的响声，房屋在地基上晃动移位。一楼的外墙坍塌了，海水渐渐地漫上了楼梯。大家沉默无语?谁都明白现在已是无路可逃．死活都只好留在崖子里了。

　　查理。希尔对邻家的妇女和她那两个孩子多少尽了一点责任。那妇女简直吓昏了头。她紧紧地抓住他的胳膊连声叫道："我不会游泳，我可不会游泳啊r

　　"不会游泳也不要紧?"他强作镇定地安慰她道，．．一会儿便什么都过去了。"

　　柯夏克老奶奶伸出胳臂挽住丈夫的肩膀。把嘴凑到他的耳边说，"老爷子，我爱你。"柯老爹扭过头来也回了一句"我爱你，，一一…说话声已不像平日那样粗声粗气的厂。

　　约翰望着海水漫过一级一级的台阶，心里感到一阵强烈的内疚。都怪他低估了卡米尔号飓风的危险性，一直认为未曾发生过的事情决不会发生。他两手抱着头，默默地祈祷着："啊．上帝，保佑我们度过这～难关吧!"

　　不一会儿，?阵强风掠过，将整个屋顶卷入空中，抛向4()英尺以外。楼梯底层的几级台阶断裂开来。有一堵墙眼看着就要倒向这群陷入进退维谷境地的男女老少。

　　设在弗罗里达州迈阿密的国家飓风中心主任罗伯特．H．辛普森博士将卡米尔号飓风列为"有过记载的袭击西半球有人居住地区的最猛烈的一场飓风"。在飓风中心纵横约70英里的范围内，其风速接近每小时200英里，掀起的浪头高达30英尺。海湾沿岸风过之处，所有东西都被一扫而光。19 467户人家和709家小商号不是完全被毁，便是遭到严重破坏。高尔夫港一个60万加仑的油罐被狂风刮起，摔到3．5英里以外。三艘大型货轮被刮离泊位，推上岸滩。电线杆和20英寸粗的松树一遇狂风袭击便像连珠炮似的根根断裂。

　　位于高尔夫港以西的帕斯克里斯琴镇几乎被夷为平地。住在该镇那座豪华的黎赛留公寓度假的几位旅客组织了一次聚会，从他们所居的有利地位观赏飓风的壮观景象，结果像是有一个其大无比的拳头把公寓打得粉碎，26人因此丧生。

　　柯夏克家的屋顶一被掀走，约翰就高喊道："快上楼一一到卧室里去!数数孩子。"在倾盆大雨中，大人们围成一圈，让孩子们紧紧地挤在中间。柯夏克老奶奶哀声切切地说道："孩子们，咱们大家来唱支歌吧!"孩子们都吓呆了，根本没一点反应。老奶奶独个儿唱了几句，然后她的声音就完全消失了。

　　客厅的壁炉和烟囱崩塌了下来。弄得瓦砾横飞。眼看他们栖身的那间卧室电有两面墙壁行将崩塌，约翰立即命令大伙："进电视室去!"这是离开风头最远的一个房间。

　　约翰用手将妻子搂了一下。詹妮丝心里明白了他的意思。由于风雨和恐惧，她不住地发抖。她一面拉过两个孩子紧贴在自己身边，一面默祷着：亲爱的上帝啊，赐给我力量，让我经受住必须经受的一切吧。她心里怨恨这场飓风。我们一定不会让它得胜。

　　柯夏克老爹心中窝着一团火，深为自己在飓风面前无能为力而感到懊丧。也说不清为什么，他跑到一问卧室里去将一只杉木箱和一个双人床垫拖进了电视室。就在这里，一面墙壁被风刮倒了，提灯也被吹灭。另外又有一面墙壁在移动，在摇晃。查理.希尔试图以身子撑住它，但结果墙还是朝他这边塌了下来，把他的背部也给砸伤了。房子在颤动摇晃，已从地基上挪开了25英尺。整个世界似乎都要分崩离析了。

　　"我们来把床垫竖起来!"约翰对父亲大声叫道。"把它斜靠着挡挡风。让孩子们躲到垫子下面去，我们可以用头和肩膀把垫子 大一点的孩子趴在地板上，小一点的一层层地压在大的身上，大人们都弯下身子罩住他们。地板倾斜了。装着那一窝四只小猫的盒子从架上滑下来，一下子就在风中消失了。斯普琪被从一个嵌板书柜顶上刮走而不见踪影了。那只狗紧闭着双眼，缩成一团。又一面墙壁倒塌了。水拍打着倾斜的地板。约翰抓住一扇还连在壁柜墙上的门，对他父亲大声叫道："假若地板塌了，咱们就把孩子放到这块门板上面。"

　　就在这一刹那间，风势稍缓了一些，水也不再上涨了。随后水开始退落。卡米尔号飓风的中心过去了。柯夏克一家和他们的朋友都幸存下来了。

　　天刚破晓，高尔夫港的居民便开始陆续返回家园。他们看到了遇难者的尸体一一密西西比沿海一带就有130多名男女和儿童丧生一海滩和公路上有些地方布满了死狗死猫和死牲畜。尚未被风刮倒的树上结彩似地挂满被撕成布条的衣服，吹断的电线像黑色的实心面一样盘成一圈一圈地散在路面上。

　　那些从外面返回家乡的人们个个都是慢慢地走动着，也没有谁高声大叫。他们怔住了，呆立当地，不知该怎么才能接受眼前这幅使人惊骇的惨景。他们问道："我们该怎么办?…'我们该上哪儿去呢?"

　　这时，该地区的一些团体，实际上还有全美国的人民，都向沿海受灾地区伸出了援助之手。天还没亮，密西西比州国民警卫队和一些民防队便开进灾区，管理交通，保护财物，建立通讯联络中心，帮助清理废墟并将无家可归的人送往难民收容中心。上午十时许，救世军的流动快餐车和红十字会志愿队及工作人员已开往所有能够到达的地方去分发热饮料、食品、衣服和卧具了。

　　全国各地的数百个城镇募集了数百万美元的捐款送往灾区。各种家用和医疗用品通过飞机、火车、卡车和轿车源源不断地运进灾区。联邦政府运来了440万磅食品，还运来了活动房屋，造起了活动教室，并开设了发放低息长期商业贷款的办事机构。

　　在此期间，卡米尔号飓风横扫密西西比州后继续北进，给弗吉尼亚州西部和南部带来了28英寸以上的暴雨，致使洪水泛滥，地塌山崩，又造成111人丧生，最后才在大西洋上空慢慢消散。

　　词汇(Vocabulary)

　　lash (v.): move quickly or violently猛烈冲击；拍打

　　pummel (n.): beat or hit with repeated blows，esp．with the fist(尤指用拳头)连续地打

　　course (n.): a way of behaving；mode 0f conduct行为；品行；做法

　　demolish (v.): pull down．tear down，or smash to pieces (a building，etc．)，destroy：ruin拉倒；打碎；拆毁；破坏；毁灭

　　motel (n.):a hotel intended primarily for those traveling by car, usually with direct access from each room to an area for cars汽车游客旅馆

　　gruff (adj.): rough or surly in manner or speech；harsh and throaty；hoarse粗暴的，粗鲁的；粗哑的。嘶哑的

　　batten (n.): fasten with battens用压条钉住(或固定)

　　methodically (adv.): orderly，systematically有秩序地；有条理地

　　main (n.): a principal pipe, or line in a distributing system for water, gas, electricity, etc(自来水，煤气，电等的)总管

　　bathtub (n.): a tub，now usually a bathroom fixture，in which to take a bath浴盆，浴缸

　　generator (n.): a machine for changing mechanical energy into electrical energy；dynamo发电机，发动机

　　scud (v.): run or move swiftly；glide or skim along easily疾行，飞驰；掠过

　　mattress (n.): a casing of strong cloth or other fabric filled with cotton，hair，foam rubber，etc．床垫；褥子

　　pane (n.):a single division of a window，etc.，consisting of a sheet of glass in a frame；such a sheet of glass窗格；窗格玻璃

　　disintegrate (v.): separate into parts or fragments; break up；disunite分裂，分解，裂成碎块

　　blast (n.): a strong rush of(air or wind)一股(气流)；一阵(风)

　　douse (n.): plunge or thrust suddenly into liquid；drench; pour liquid over把…浸入液体里；使浸透；泼液体在…上

　　brigade (n.): a group of people organized to function。。"unit in some work(组织起来执行某种任务的)队

　　scramble (v.): climb，crawl，or clamber hurriedly爬行；攀(登)

　　litter (n.): the young borne at one time by a dog，cat or other animal which normally bears several young at a delivery(狗、猫等多产动物)一胎生下的小动物

　　shudder (n.): shake or tremble suddenly and violently，as in horror or extreme disgust震颤，战栗

　　ferocity (n.): wild force or cruelty；ferociousness凶猛；凶恶，残忍；暴行

　　swipe (n.):a hard，sweeping blow[口]猛击，重击

　　maroon (av.): leave abandoned，isolated，or helpless使处于孤立无援的处境

　　devastate (nv.): destroy；lay waste；make desolate毁坏,摧毁；使荒芜

　　swath (n.): the space or width covered with one cut of a scythe or other mowing device刈幅(挥动镰刀所及的面积)

　　huddle (v.): crowd，push，or nestle close together。as cows do in a storm(如风暴中的牛群)挤成一团；拥挤；互相紧贴

　　slashing (a.): severe；merciless；violent严厉的；猛烈的

　　implore (v.): ask or beg earnestly; beseech恳求，哀求，乞

　　bar (v.): a vertical line across a staff，dividing it into measures；a measure小节线(五线谱上的纵线把五线谱分成小节); 小节

　　trail (v.):grow gradually weaker，dimmer，less direct，etc．渐弱；渐小；渐暗

　　debri (复：debris )(n.): a rough，broken bit and piece of a stone，wood，glass，etc．，as after destruction：rubble碎片，瓦砾

　　sanctuary (n.): a place of refuge or protection：asylum 避难所，庇护所

　　cedar (n.): any of a genus of widespreading coniferous trees of the pine family，having clusters of needlelike leaves，cones, and durable wood with a characteristic fragrance雪松(属)

　　extinguish (v.): put out(a fire，etc．)；quench；smother熄灭(火等)，灭(火)；扑灭 waver v. swing or sway to and fro；flutter摇摆；摇晃；摇曳

　　topple (v.): fall top forward；lean forward as if on the point of falling向前倒；摇摇欲坠

　　lean-to (n.): a roof with a single slope，its upper edge abutting a wall or building；a shed with a one-slope roof单坡 屋顶；单坡屋顶的棚

　　prop (v.): hold up，support or hold in place with or as with a prop支撑；维持；支持

　　tilt (v.): aslope；incline；slant；tip倾斜；倾侧；翘起

　　cower (v.): crouch or huddle up，as from fear or cold(因害怕或寒冷而)蜷缩；退缩

　　slant (v.):incline or turn from a direct line or course, esp, one that is perpendicular or level；slope(使)倾斜；(使)变歪

　　hinge (v.): equip with or attach by a hinge靠铰链转动(或附着)

　　diminish (v.): reduce in size. degree，importance, etc.；lessen使变小；减少，缩减

　　thrust (n.): a sudden，forceful push or shove猛推

　　strew (v.): spread about here and there by or as by sprinkling：scatter．be scattered or dispersed over(a surface)撒(布)；散播；被撒满(表面)

　　festoon (v.): adorn or hang with flowers, leave, paper, etc．饰以(或悬挂)花彩，结彩于

　　coil (v.): wind around and around成卷状；盘绕o卷

　　spaghetti (n.): paste in the form。f long，thin strings, cooked by boiling or steaming and served with a sauce细条实心面

　　salvation (n.): a saving 0r being saved from danger, evil，difficulty，destruction。etc．；rescue救助o拯救；援救

　　canteen (n.):a place where cooked food is dispensed to people in distress，as in a disaster area(在灾区给灾民分配熟食的)赈灾处

　　staffer (n.): a member of a staff职员

　　rake (v.): scrape or sweep；move forward swiftly掠过；急速穿过；迅速向前移动

　　rampage (v.): rush violently or wildly about横冲直撞

　　pitch (v.): [colloq] set to work energetically[口]拼命干起来，开始大干特干

　　wreckage (n.): the remains of something that has been wrecked残骸；漂浮物

　　salvage (v.): save or rescue from shipwreck, fire，flood, etc．雷救o抢救；打捞

　　wrath (n.): intense anger；rage；fury愤怒；暴怒；勃然大怒

　　the blues: [colloq]a depressed．unhappy feeling[口]沮丧；忧郁

　　afflict (v.):cause pain or suffering to；distress very much 使痛苦，使苦恼．折磨

　　weld (v.): unite(pieces of metal，etc．)by heating until molten and fused or until soft enough to hammer or press together焊接；熔接

　　reflect (v.): think seriously；contemplate认真思考；沉思

　　短语 (Expressions)

　　reason out: to find out an explanation or solution to a problem，by thinking of all the possibilities寻找解决途径

　　例：Let's reason this out instead of quarrelling．让我们不要争吵，商量出事情的解决方案

　　a good: at least，full至少，最少

　　例：They waited a good eight hours他们等了至少8个小时。

　　sit out: stay until the end of坐到结束

　　例：We forced ourselves to sit the play out．我们强迫自己坐到演出结束。

　　come by: to make a short visit to a place on one's way顺便拜访

　　例：I'll come by the house and get my stufflater，OK?我会顺便过来取材料，好吗?

　　by the minute: every minute，minute by minute一分钟一分钟地

　　例：I'm feeling better by the minute．我每分钟都感觉好多了。

　　on the verge of: on the edge of，on the brink of接近于，濒临于

　　例：Scientists are on the verge of a major breakthrou曲．科学家们即将取得一项重大突破。

　　break apart: break up into piecesdisintegrate裂开，分裂解散

　　例：The grounds broke apart in earthquake．地面在地震时裂开了。

　　break up: to break or make sth break into many small pieces分裂

　　例：The ice will break up when the warm weather comes. 天气转暖，冰层就会破裂。

　　come through: to continue to live，exist，be strong，or succeed after a difficuh or dangerous time经历过……仍活着，经历，脱险

　　例：John was so iu but he was lucky to come through．约翰病得很厉害，依然活着算是很幸运的了。

　　pitch in: to set to work energetically拼命于起来，开始大干特干

　　例：If we pitch in，we will have it finished in no time．我们如果拼命干活，就会马上做完