美国小学英语教材6:第70课 洋基快速船(9)

 The days passed while the men grew weaker and more sluggish¹ at their work, but still the breeze held and the speed of the West Wind did not falter². 日子一天天过去，工人们越来越虚弱，工作越来越懒，但海上一直刮着风，“西风号”的速度丝毫没有减弱。

They passed no ship from which they could obtain water; their only hope lay in the making of port. 他们没有碰上任何可以获得水源的船，他们唯一的希望在于建造港口。

They turned northward³, lost the trade winds, seemed for a terrible moment to be hanging becalmed, 他们把船转向北方后失去了信风，似乎可怕的时刻就要到来了，他们会悬在无风的海面上，

but a stiff breeze caught them and bore them still toward home. 但一阵强风把他们吹向了家。

Captain Reynolds himself looked more worn and haggard than did any of his men. 雷诺船长本人比他的部下显得更加疲惫和憔悴。

They were like the flitting ghosts of a ship's crew that morning when the lookout's husky call of Land-ho announced the low green shore of Maryland. 那天早晨，当守望员嘶哑的喊出“Land-ho”，宣布他们到达了马里兰州的低绿海岸时，他们就像船员们漂浮的幽灵一样。

Eighteen days from Gibraltar and all records broken at last! She came into the Susquehanna River for repairs, 从直布罗陀到这里，整整十八天，所有记录终于被打破了！人们把她送到萨斯奎哈纳河修理。

did the worn but triumphant⁴ West Wind, and Jonathan Adams came rowing out to board her, his sober face for once all wreathed in smiles. 西风号很疲惫，但还是获得了胜利，乔纳森·亚当斯划着船过来，登上自己的船，他那严肃的脸上第一次露出了笑容。

By five days you shortened the voyage, he said, and I had not really hoped for more than four. 你们把航程缩短了五天，他说，我本来期望的是最多缩短四天。

I always said she was not a tub, but a real ship at last. There will be others like her, 我总是说她不是一只浴盆，而是一艘真正的船。将来还会有像她一样的船，

and her children's children will dare to spread such sail that they will cross the Atlantic in half your time. 她孩子们的孩子们也会勇敢地展开这样的风帆，用你一半的时间，

Jonathan Adams' ship the West Wind sailed on many voyages and was the model for other vessels⁵ of her class, 他们就能横渡大西洋。乔纳森·亚当斯的船“西风号”进行了多次航行，她是她的同级别的船只的楷模，

bigger and swifter even than herself—the great race of American clippers that once ruled the seas. 是比她还要大、还要快的船只的楷模，是曾经统治海洋的伟大的美国快船队的楷模。

They gave our country the highest place in the world's shipping⁶, and they brought her, 他们让我们的国家处于世界上最高的航运地位，

even as Humphrey had said, a thousand miles nearer to her neighbors across the Atlantic. 正如汉弗莱所说，他们把她带到了大西洋对岸，离邻国更近了一千英里。

 

1 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

2 falter   

vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚

参考例句：

• His voice began to falter.他的声音开始发颤。
• As he neared the house his steps faltered.当他走近房子时，脚步迟疑了起来。

3 northward   

adv.向北；n.北方的地区

参考例句：

• He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。
• I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。

4 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

5 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》

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。