美国小学英语教材6:第15课 森林恐怖之王(4)

 　　From the jungle beyond us came the sound of splashing water. Tigers play in water. 我们前方的森林传来了哗啦哗啦的水声，老虎在水中嬉戏。

　　Was it the tiger or was it the herd¹ of wild cattle we had seen the day before? 这是老虎吗？还是我们前天看到的一群野牛？

　　I looked questioningly down at the tracker; he grinned back at me as if he, too, thought it were a tiger. 我用疑问的眼光看着跟踪者，他转过头朝我笑了笑，好像他觉得这是老虎。

　　A little later it seemed to me that I could see the gleam of a striped face for an instant between the green jungle growths. 不久后，我好像看到带着条纹的脸在森林从中闪了一下。

　　It was gone even as I thought I saw it, and I told myself that it was all a trick of my straining eyes. 正当我觉得我看清时它不见了，我告诉自己这是因为眼睛累了。

　　I was getting so that I could see tigers all over the place. 我觉得我可以在任何地方看到老虎。

　　At two o'clock came a rush of clouds, which gave warning of the storm that was sweeping² up toward us. 两点钟天空出现了乌云，警告我们风暴就要来了。

　　The darkness shut swiftly in about us, the heavens opened overhead, 天空马上黑了下来，头顶开始下雨了，

　　and all the waters in them came crashing down on us. 大雨倾盆而下。

　　The tracker shivered and slipped softly away up the ravine. 跟踪者颤抖了，慢慢悠悠，轻声慢步地走上山涧。

　　We put our guns under our coats to keep them dry, and for the next two hours we stood there in the soaking downpour, 我们将猎枪放在衣服里面，以免枪支着水，我们在大雨下站了两个小时，

　　wondering if we had really been nice and dry and hot a short time before. 在想我们不久前是否经历了干燥和炎热。

　　Then the rain ceased and the sun came out more faintly; the tall grass about us, bending with rain, 之后雨停了，太阳的光芒很弱，在我们旁边满是被雨水折弯的高耸野草，

　　began to straighten, while the glistening³, beaded drops on it dried. 他们开始伸直了，亮晶晶的露珠也开始融化了。

　　We now took turns sitting down close by the blind, cautiously stretching a cramped⁴ arm or leg. 我们轮流坐在隐蔽的地方，小心翼翼地伸伸酸疼的胳臂或腿。

　　There was little hope, just determination left. 没有任何希望，只剩下坚定决心了。

　　The tiger comes 老虎来了

　　The day was fading fast. Five-thirty...Five-forty.... 天马上黑了，五点半，五点四十。

　　In a few minutes it would be too dark to see to shoot if anything did come. 再过几分钟，但凡有任何行动都无法开枪了，天太黑什么也看不见。

　　As soon as it was dusk, the tiger might begin to prowl, and do his prowling anywhere about us. 一到黄昏，老虎或许要在任何地方开始潜行了。

1 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

4 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作