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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Eleven dead, but none from District 12. I try to work out
. . . so she made it through the first day after all. I can’t help
feeling glad. That makes ten of us. The other three I’ll figure
out tomorrow. Now when it is dark, and I have traveled far,
and I am nestled high in this tree, now I must try and rest.
I haven’t really slept in two days, and then there’s been the
to relax. My eyes to close. The last thing I think is it’s lucky I
don’t snore. . . .
Snap! The sound of a breaking branch wakes me. How long
have I been asleep? Four hours? Five? The tip of my nose is icy
cold. Snap! Snap! What’s going on? This is not the sound of a
branch under someone’s foot, but the sharp crack of one coming
from a tree. Snap! Snap! I judge it to be several hundred
yards to my right. Slowly, noiselessly, I turn myself in that
direction. For a few minutes, there’s nothing but blackness and
some scuffling. Then I see a spark and a small fire begins to
bloom. A pair of hands warms over flames, but I can’t make
out more than that.
at the fire starter. What are they thinking? A fire I’ll just at
nightfall would have been one thing. Those who battled at the
Cornucopia4, with their superior strength and surplus of
supplies, they couldn’t possibly have been near enough to spot
the flames then. But now, when they’ve probably been combing
the woods for hours looking for victims. You might as well be
waving a flag and shouting, “Come and get me!”
And here I am a stone’s throw from the biggest idiot in
cares. I mean, I know it’s cold out here and not everybody
out until dawn!
I lay smoldering8 in my bag for the next couple of hours really
thinking that if I can get out of this tree, I won’t have the least
problem taking out my new neighbor. My instinct has been to
flee, not fight. But obviously this person’s a hazard. Stupid
people are dangerous. And this one probably doesn’t have
much in the way of weapons while I’ve got this excellent knife.
The sky is still dark, but I can feel the first signs of dawn
approaching. I’m beginning to think we — meaning the person
whose death I’m now devising and me — we might actually
have gone unnoticed. Then I hear it. Several pairs of feet
They’re on her before she can escape. I know it’s a girl now, I
Then there’s laughter and congratulations from several voices.
Someone cries out, “Twelve down and eleven to go!” which
So they’re fighting in a pack. I’m not really surprised. Often
alliances are formed in the early stages of the Games. The
strong band together to hunt down the weak then, when the
tension becomes too great, begin to turn on one another. I
don’t have to wonder too hard who has made this alliance. It’ll
be the remaining Career Tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4.
Two boys and three girls. The ones who lunched together.
For a moment, I hear them checking the girl for supplies. I
can tell by their comments they’ve found nothing good. I
wonder if the victim is Rue but quickly dismiss the thought.
She’s much too bright to be building a fire like that.
“Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts
hear the pack heading toward me. They do not know I’m here.
At least while the sun stays down. Then my black sleeping bag
will turn from camouflage18 to trouble. If they just keep moving,
they will pass me and be gone in a minute.
But the Careers stop in the clearing about ten yards from
my tree. They have flashlights, torches. I can see an arm here,
a boot there, through the breaks in the branches. I turn to
not yet. I can tell from their words their minds are elsewhere.
“I’d say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately.”
“Unless she isn’t dead.”
“She’s dead. I stuck her myself.”
“Then where’s the cannon?”
“Someone should go back. Make sure the job’s done.”
“Yeah, we don’t want to have to track her down twice.”
“I said she’s dead!”
An argument breaks out until one tribute silences the others.
“We’re wasting time! I’ll go finish her and let’s move on!”
I almost fall out of the tree. The voice belongs to Peeta.
a stone’s throw 一箭之遥
Chapter 12
rolled sideways off the fork and I’m facing the ground, held in
place by the belt, one hand, and my feet straddling the pack
Careers have been too caught up in their own argument to catch
it. “Go on, then, Lover Boy,” says the boy from District 2. “See
for yourself.”
I just get a glimpse of Peeta, lit by a torch, heading back to
he’s limping somewhat. I remember him shaking him his head,
telling me not to go into the fight for the supplies, when all
along, all along he’d planned to throw himself into the thick
do. Okay, I can stomach that. Seeing all those supplies was
the Career wolf pack to hunt down the rest of us. No one from
District 12 would think of doing such a thing! Career tributes
they’re the Capitol’s lapdogs.
Universally, solidly hated by all but those from their own
districts. I can imagine the things they’re saying about him
disgrace?
Obviously, the noble boy on the rooftop was playing just
one more game with me. But this will be his last. I will eagerly
watch the night skies for signs of his death, if I don’t kill him
first myself.
The Career tributes are silent until he gets out of ear shot,
then use hushed voices.
“Why don’t we just kill him now and get it over with?”
“Let him tag along. What’s the harm? And he’s handy with
that knife.”
Is he? That’s news. What a lot of interesting things I’m
learning about my friend Peeta today.
“Besides, he’s our best chance of finding her.”
It takes me a moment to register that the “her” they’re
referring to is me.
“Why? You think she bought into that sappy romance
stuff?”
“She might have. Seemed pretty simpleminded to me. Every
time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to
puke.”
“Wish we knew how she got that eleven.”
“Bet you Lover Boy knows.”
The sound of Peeta returning silences them.
“Was she dead?” asks the boy from District 2.
“No. But she is now,” says Peeta. Just then, the cannon fires.
“Ready to move on?”
The Career pack sets off at a run just as dawn begins to break,
and birdsong fills the air. I remain in my awkward position,
going, but for a moment I lie there, digesting what I’ve heard.
The simpleminded girl who has to be taken seriously because
of her eleven. Because she can use a bow and arrow. Which
Peeta knows better than anyone.
But he hasn’t told them yet. Is he saving that information
because he knows it’s all that keeps him alive? Is he still
pretending to love me for the audience? What is going on in
his head?
Suddenly, the birds fall silent. Then one gives a highpitched
heard when the redheaded Avox girl was caught. High above
the dying campfire a hovercraft materializes. A set of huge
metal teeth drops down. Slowly, gently, the dead tribute girl is
lifted into the hovercraft. Then it vanishes. The birds resume
their song.
bag, roll it up, and place it in the pack. I take a deep breath.
While I’ve been concealed by darkness and the sleeping bag
cameras to get a good shot of me. I know they must be tracking
me now though. The minute I hit the ground, I’m guaranteed
a close-up.
The audience will have been beside themselves, knowing I
was in the tree, that I overheard the Careers talking, that I
discovered Peeta was with them. Until I work out exactly how
I want to play that, I’d better at least act on top of things. Not
No, I need to look one step ahead of the game.
pause a second, giving the cameras time to lock on me. Then I
cock my head slightly to the side and give a knowing smile.
There! Let them figure out what that means!
imprudent to check them with the others so close. But have to.
meat. I’m rewarded with one fine rabbit. In no time, I’ve
and innards, under a pile of leaves. I’m wishing for a fire —
eating raw rabbit can give you rabbit fever, a lesson I learned
the hard way — when I think of the dead tribute. I hurry back
to her camp. Sure enough, the coals of her dying fire are still
hot. I cut up the rabbit, fashion a spit out of branches, and set
it over the coals.
I’m glad for the cameras now. I want sponsors to see I can
easily as the others will by hunger. While the rabbit cooks, I
my orange pack. The black tones it down, but I feel a layer of
mud would definitely help. Of course, to have mud, I’d need
water . . .
I pull on my gear, grab my spit, kick some dirt over the
coals, and take off in the opposite direction the Careers went.
点击收听单词发音
1 rue | |
n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 | |
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2 arena | |
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台 | |
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3 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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4 cornucopia | |
n.象征丰收的羊角 | |
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5 strapped | |
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带 | |
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6 killer | |
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者 | |
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7 grit | |
n.沙粒,决心,勇气;v.下定决心,咬紧牙关 | |
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8 smoldering | |
v.用文火焖烧,熏烧,慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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9 dozed | |
v.打盹儿,打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10 agonized | |
v.使(极度)痛苦,折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 );苦斗;苦苦思索;感到极度痛苦 | |
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11 appreciative | |
adj.有鉴赏力的,有眼力的;感激的 | |
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12 hoots | |
咄,啐 | |
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13 stinking | |
adj.臭的,烂醉的,讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 );发臭味;名声臭;糟透 | |
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14 murmurs | |
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 );低语声;怨言;嘀咕 | |
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15 assent | |
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
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16 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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17 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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18 camouflage | |
n./v.掩饰,伪装 | |
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19 spotted | |
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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20 cannon | |
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮 | |
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21 foresight | |
n.先见之明,深谋远虑 | |
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22 braced | |
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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23 rustling | |
n. 瑟瑟声,沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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24 swollen | |
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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25 bruises | |
n.瘀伤,伤痕,擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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26 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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27 mid | |
adj.中央的,中间的 | |
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28 tempting | |
a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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29 arrogant | |
adj.傲慢的,自大的 | |
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30 gall | |
v.使烦恼,使焦躁,难堪;n.磨难 | |
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31 exertion | |
n.尽力,努力 | |
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32 hoist | |
n.升高,起重机,推动;v.升起,升高,举起 | |
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33 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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34 gale | |
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) | |
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35 wriggle | |
v./n.蠕动,扭动;蜿蜒 | |
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36 willow | |
n.柳树 | |
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37 perplexed | |
adj.不知所措的 | |
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38 foliage | |
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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39 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 ) | |
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40 lure | |
n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引 | |
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41 gutted | |
adj.容易消化的v.毁坏(建筑物等)的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 );取出…的内脏 | |
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42 lured | |
吸引,引诱(lure的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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43 charred | |
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式);烧焦 | |
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44 camouflaging | |
v.隐蔽( camouflage的现在分词 );掩盖;伪装,掩饰 | |
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