美国小学英语教材6:第67课 洋基快速船(6)

 There was a certain old sailor, however, who scoffed¹ at all claims of the ship's speed, 有名老海军总在嘲笑这艘船的速度，

and who even refused to believe the record that she was making from day to day. 他们甚至不相信每天这艘船所创造的记录。

Twenty-three days is the best she will do, he vowed² over and over again. 它的最佳记录是23天，他总是在发誓。

I will stake a year's pay on it that she can't make an hour less. 我用我一年的薪水打赌，它一个小时也撑不住了。

Yet, on the nineteenth day of their passage, a warm, gusty³ afternoon of early May, 但是在他们的第19天行程中，五月初的下午气候温和，大风，

it was he who came himself to the captain, round-eyed with amazement⁴, to report There's land been sighted, sir, 他亲自和船长报告，睁着圆圆地眼睛显得十分吃惊，我们看到陆地了先生，

and I don't understand it at all. It—it looks like Gibraltar! 而我完全不明白，这很像直布罗陀。

So she came through the gates of the Mediterranean⁵, a gentle breeze behind her, sails all filled and asleep, 她穿越了地中海的大门，船后面微风拂过，船员们感到食饱和困意，

as the seamen⁶ said, a swift slender hull⁷ under a cloud of snowy canvas. 正如海员所说，一层雪白帆布下灵巧纤细的船体。

She pushed into the straits where had sailed back and forth⁸ the daring Phoenician vessels¹⁰, 它穿越了海峡，在腓尼基的轮船，

the Roman galleys¹¹, and the high-decked ships of Venice and of Spain, 罗马大帆船，和高甲板的威尼斯和西班牙舰船之中来回穿梭，

but she was no lesser¹² vessel⁹ than any one of them, for she was the first of the Yankee clipper ships! 但她却不输任何一个，因为它是第一艘杨基快船！

But that was only a trial, Humphrey kept saying, when we were learning to handle her. 当我们学习操控这艘船时，汉弗莱一直说这只是试验。

On the voyage home we'll show you even more plainly what she can do. 在返航途中，我们将向你们展示它的更多才艺。

SETTING A RECORD FOR THE RETURN VOYAGE 返航途中创纪录

That voyage was now soon to be, for the vessel had been selected to carry back the commodore's messages and reports to Washington from Tripoli. 返航马上到来了，人们选择这艘船送回海军准将的消息，以及从的黎波里带到华盛顿的报告。

On the day before she was to sail, a message came from the ruler of Tripoli that he was sending his personal agent, an Arab, 在它即将出海的前一天，收到了来自的黎波里统治者的消息，他派了他的私人代理人，一名阿拉伯人

to make the ship a friendly visit of farewell. 让这艘船成为友好往来的欢送。

Captain Reynolds sighed deeply when he heard this news, for it came from a government 雷诺兹船长听到这个消息后深深叹了口气，因为它来自政府，

which pretended to be very friendly but was secretly treacherous¹³. 表面看很友好，但背后却是欺诈。

The stout¹⁴ dusky minister of state came over the side, gorgeous in his jewels and satins, 这名强壮，黝黑的国务大臣来到这边，穿戴首饰和绸缎的他显得十分漂亮，

inspected the ship with solemn interest, and expressed not only surprise, 他很庄重地打量这艘船，他的表情不是惊讶，

but some doubts when told of the time she had made between America and Gibraltar. 而是怀疑它从美国到直布罗陀的航行时间。

 

1 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

4 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

5 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。

6 seamen   

n.海员

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather. 有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• In the storm, many seamen wished they were on shore. 在暴风雨中，许多海员想，要是他们在陆地上就好了。

7 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。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

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 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 galleys   

n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房

参考例句：

• Other people had drowned at sea since galleys swarmed with painted sails. 自从布满彩帆的大船下海以来，别的人曾淹死在海里。 来自辞典例句
• He sighed for the galleys, with their infamous costume. 他羡慕那些穿着囚衣的苦工。 来自辞典例句

12 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

13 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

14 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。