美国小学英语教材5:第50课 午夜猎狮(6)

 MORE LIONS COME 来了更多狮子

Several hours later we were awakened¹ by a violent shake of the truck. 几个小时后，我们被卡车猛烈的摇晃惊醒。

We heard growling² outside. 我们听到外面的咆哮声。

After some minutes of lying in bed, shivering with both fright and excitement, we got up enough courage to shine our lights out the back. 我们在床上躺了几分钟，又害怕又兴奋，浑身发抖，终于鼓足勇气把后面的灯照灭了。

Just under us was an old lioness calmly chewing on a tire. 就在我们下面，有一只老母狮在平静地嚼着一只轮胎。

Twenty-five feet away on the bait, we saw four other lions. 在离诱饵二十五英尺远的地方，我们看到了另外四只狮子。

And as we watched, two more joined in. 就在我们观看的时候，又有两头加入进来。

Then the old lioness went back to the group. 然后，老母狮回到了狮群中。

There were three big ones with manes, three smaller ones, and one toto, or young one. 有三个长着鬃毛的大狮子，三个个头小的，和一个小狮子。

Surely we believe it was the most exciting moment of our lives, and also one of the most interesting. 当然，我们相信这是我们生命中最激动人心的时刻，也是最有趣的时刻之一。

In spite of their fierce looks, the lions were exactly like a bunch of cats quarreling over a meal. 狮子们虽然看起来凶猛，但实际上却像一群正在为一顿饭而争吵的猫。

They lay there, one at the head of the zebra, two at the back, two at the side, and one on the haunches. 他们卧在那里，一个在吃斑马的头，两个在后面，两个在一边，一个在腰部。

The toto stood off a few feet, watching his chance to slip into the feast. 小狮子站在离他几英尺远的地方，寻找加入这场饕餮盛宴的机会。

Our light seemed not to bother them, for they just looked up now and then and blinked. 我们的灯光似乎并没有打扰他们，因为他们只是不时抬起头来眨眼。

However, the one whom we had made the picture of before seemed a bit suspicious. 然而，我们之前拍照的那头狮子似乎有点可疑。

When we moved the light, he would crouch³ down behind the zebra. 当我们移动灯时，他会蹲在斑马的后面。

Perhaps he had been frightened by the flash of the camera flares⁴. 也许他被照相机的闪光吓坏了。

But he soon got over his fright, and took his place among the others. 但他很快就克服了恐惧，在其他人中间占了一席之地。

 

1 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

3 crouch   

v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏

参考例句：

• I crouched on the ground.我蹲在地上。
• He crouched down beside him.他在他的旁边蹲下来。

4 flares   

n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开

参考例句：

• The side of a ship flares from the keel to the deck. 船舷从龙骨向甲板外倾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation. 他是火爆性子，一点就着。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》