【饥饿游戏】48

Eleven dead, but none from District 12. I try to work out

who is left. Five Career Tributes. Foxface. Thresh and Rue¹. Rue

. . . 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

long day’s journey into the arena². Slowly, I allow my muscles

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.

I have to bite my lip not to scream every foul³ name I know

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

the Games. Strapped⁵ in a tree. Not daring to flee since my

general location has just been broadcast to any killer⁶ who

cares. I mean, I know it’s cold out here and not everybody

has a sleeping bag. But then you grit⁷ your teeth and stick it

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

breaking into a run. The fire starter must have dozed⁹ off.

They’re on her before she can escape. I know it’s a girl now, I

can tell by the pleading, the agonized¹⁰ scream that follows.

Then there’s laughter and congratulations from several voices.

Someone cries out, “Twelve down and eleven to go!” which

gets a round of appreciative¹¹ hoots¹².

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

stinking¹³.” I’m almost certain that’s the brutish boy from District

2. There are murmurs¹⁴ of assent¹⁵ and then, to my horror, I

hear the pack heading toward me. They do not know I’m here.

How could they? And I’m well concealed¹⁶ in the clump¹⁷ of trees.

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

stone, not even daring to breathe. Have they spotted¹⁹ me? No,

not yet. I can tell from their words their minds are elsewhere.

“Shouldn’t we have heard a cannon²⁰ by now?”

“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

Thank goodness, I had the foresight²¹ to belt myself in. I’ve

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

inside my sleeping bag, braced²² against the trunk. There must

have been some rustling²³ when I tipped sideways, but the 

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

the girl by the fire. His face is swollen²⁴ with bruises²⁵, there’s a

bloody²⁶ bandage on one arm, and from the sound of his gait

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 

of things. Just the opposite of what Haymitch had mid²⁷ him to 

do. Okay, I can stomach that. Seeing all those supplies was

tempting²⁸. But this . . . this other thing. This teaming up with

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

are overly vicious, arrogant²⁹, better fed, but only because

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

back home now. And Peeta had the gall³⁰ to talk to me about

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,

muscles trembling with exertion³¹ for a while longer, then

hoist³² myself back onto my branch. I need to get down, to get

going, but for a moment I lie there, digesting what I’ve heard.

Not only is Peeta with the Careers, he’s helping³³ them find me.

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

warning call. A single note. Just like the one Gale³⁴ and I

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.

“Move,” I whisper to myself. I wriggle³⁵ out of my sleeping

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

and the willow³⁶ branches, it has probably been difficult for the

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

perplexed³⁷. Certainly not confused or frightened.

No, I need to look one step ahead of the game.

So as I slide out of the foliage³⁸ and into the dawn light, I

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!

I’m about to take off when I think of my snares³⁹. Maybe it’s

imprudent to check them with the others so close. But have to.

Too many years of hunting, I guess. And the lure⁴⁰ of possible

meat. I’m rewarded with one fine rabbit. In no time, I’ve

cleaned and gutted⁴¹ the animal, leaving the head, feet, tail, skin,

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

hunt, that I’m a good bet because I won’t be lured⁴² into traps as

easily as the others will by hunger. While the rabbit cooks, I

grind up part of a charred⁴³ branch and set about camouflaging⁴⁴

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. 

1 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。

2 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

3 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

4 cornucopia   

n.象征丰收的羊角

参考例句：

• The book is a cornucopia of information.书是知识的宝库。
• Our cornucopia is the human mind and heart.我们富足是由于人类的智慧和热情。

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

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

7 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

8 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

9 dozed   

v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He boozed till daylight and dozed into the afternoon. 他喝了个通霄，昏沉沉地一直睡到下午。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• I dozed off during the soporific music. 我听到这催人入睡的音乐，便不知不觉打起盹儿来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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

参考例句：

• All the time they agonized and prayed. 他们一直在忍受痛苦并且祈祷。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She agonized herself with the thought of her loss. 她念念不忘自己的损失，深深陷入痛苦之中。 来自辞典例句

11 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

12 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。

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

参考例句：

• I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。
• Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

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

参考例句：

• They spoke in low murmurs. 他们低声说着话。 来自辞典例句
• They are more superficial, more distinctly heard than murmurs. 它们听起来比心脏杂音更为浅表而清楚。 来自辞典例句

15 assent   

v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
• The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

16 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

17 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

18 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

19 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

20 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

21 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

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

参考例句：

• They braced up the old house with balks of timber. 他们用梁木加固旧房子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The house has a wooden frame which is braced with brick. 这幢房子是木结构的砖瓦房。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 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

24 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

25 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

27 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

28 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

29 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

30 gall   

v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难

参考例句：

• It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。
• No gall,no glory.没有磨难，何来荣耀。

31 exertion   

n.尽力，努力

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

32 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！

33 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

34 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。

35 wriggle   

v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒

参考例句：

• I've got an appointment I can't wriggle out of.我有个推脱不掉的约会。
• Children wriggle themselves when they are bored.小孩子感到厌烦时就会扭动他们的身体。

36 willow   

n.柳树

参考例句：

• The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。
• The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。

37 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

38 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。

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 )

参考例句：

• He shoots rabbits and he sets snares for them. 他射杀兔子，也安放陷阱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am myself fallen unawares into the snares of death. 我自己不知不觉跌进了死神的陷阱。 来自辞典例句

40 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

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

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

42 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

43 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

44 camouflaging   

v.隐蔽( camouflage的现在分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰

参考例句：

• Camouflaging an ammunition ship with the red cross is a filthy trick. 用红十字伪装一艘弹药船是下流的勾当。 来自辞典例句
• Lecture 2: Prefrontal Cortex and the Neural Basis of Cognitive Control. 课程单元2：额前皮质与认知控制的神经基础。 来自互联网