美国小学英语教材6:第66课 洋基快速船(5)

 There were many lively encounters during that little war, many feats¹ of daring seamanship of which history has lost sight. 在那场小小的战争中有许多精彩的对战，许多勇敢的航海壮举都已消失在历史的洪流中。

But for years after the struggle was over, the United States still policed the Mediterranean² Sea with such thoroughness 但在这场斗争结束多年后，美国仍然完全的监管着地中海区域，

that the pirate ships that dared risk leaving port were bold and desperate indeed. 而那些敢于冒险离开港口的海盗船确实是胆大妄为，铤而走险。

It was thither³ that the West Wind was to sail, with important messages for the commodore of the Mediterranean fleet. 西风号就是在那里航行的，它向地中海舰队的海军准将传达了重要的信息。

OFF TO PIRATE WATERS 驶往海盗水域

At last the ship was ready, a rare and beautiful sight with her slim hull⁴, her rows of guns, and her towering sails of silvery new canvas. 最后，船终于建好了，这艘船有着修长的船身、一排排的大炮和银色新帆布制成的高耸的船帆，

She sailed with the early tide, at daybreak of a mid-April morning, a ghostly fairy-like thing, 这真是一幅罕见而美丽的景象。四月中旬的一个早晨，天刚破晓，她就随着早潮航行，

slipping away in the gray light and the mist of dawn. Jonathan stood on the dock to watch her go, 她就像一个幽灵般的精灵，在灰蒙蒙的晨光和黎明的薄雾中悄悄溜走了。乔纳森站在码头上，目送她离去，

staring fixedly⁵ after his winged dream, flying at last across the Atlantic. There will be tales to tell when she comes back, he said at last, 他目不转睛地盯着他那长着翅膀的梦想，终于飞越了大西洋。等她回来的时候，会有很多故事可讲的，他最后说，

and I look for her to cut down the sailing time by three, four, five days, perhaps. She is a good ship, and she will not disappoint us. 我希望她能把开船的时间缩短三、四天、五天，也许吧。她是艘好船，她是不会让我们失望的。

His stout⁶ faith in his ship was matched only by Humphrey's steady confidence. 乔纳森对他的船的信心十分坚定，这份信心唯有汉弗莱对船的信心才能匹配的上。

Others might have said that this maiden⁷ voyage was a heart-breaking one for Humphrey and his crew. 其他人可能会说，这次处女航让汉弗莱和他的船员心碎。

Their living-quarters were narrow, and the labor⁸ was heavy; while the handling of the new vessel⁹ was, in itself, very difficult to learn. 因为他们在船上的住舱狭小，劳动繁重；同时，这艘新船的操作本身就非常难学，

The weather was stormy and the winds fitful, but the West Wind did not disappoint the two good friends who had made her. 当时天气狂风大作，但西风并没有使建造这艘船的两个好朋友失望。

The storms lent her wings so that, at last, anxiety and discontent gave way entirely¹⁰ to pride in the speed that she was making. 暴风雨给了她翅膀，最后，人们对她的速度的自豪完全盖过了焦虑和不满。

 

1 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

4 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

5 fixedly   

adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地

参考例句：

• He stared fixedly at the woman in white. 他一直凝视着那穿白衣裳的女人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The great majority were silent and still, looking fixedly at the ground. 绝大部分的人都不闹不动，呆呆地望着地面。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

7 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

8 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

9 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。