美国小学英语教材6:第127课 汤姆和他的财宝箱(4)

 Behind him walked two other figures; one was the half-naked negro, the other the man with the plaited queue and the earrings¹, 他后面还跟着两个人，一名是半裸的黑人，另外一个系着鞭子，戴着耳环，

whom Tom had seen lifting the chest out of the boat. Now they were carrying the heavy box between them, 汤姆之前看到他将箱子从船上搬出来，如今，他们将沉重的箱子放在俩人中间搬运，

laboring² through the sand as they bore it onward³. As he who was counting pronounced the word thirty, 他们搬着箱子在沙滩上努力前行，随着这名数数人说出数字三十，

the two men set the chest down on the sand with a grunt⁴, the white man panting and blowing and wiping his sleeve across his forehead. 这二人将箱子放在沙滩上，并发出了嘟囔声，这名白人气喘吁吁，用袖子擦去额头上的汗水。

And immediately he who counted took out a slip of paper and marked something down upon it. 突然，这名数数人拿出一张纸，在上面写了什么。

They stood there for a long time, during which Tom lay behind the sand hillock watching them, 他们站在那里有一会，在那期间汤姆躺在沙丘后面注视着他们，

and for a while the silence was not interrupted. In the perfect stillness, the washing of little waves beating upon the distant beach, 过了一会宁静还没有打破，在寂静中，只有海浪拍打远处沙滩的声音，

and once the far-away sound of a laugh, could be heard. One, two, three minutes passed, 可以听到远处传来的欢笑声，过了一分钟，两分钟，三分钟，

and then the men picked up the chest and started on again; and then again the other man began his counting. 之后这些男子拾起了箱子，并继续往前走，另一名男子再一次数数。

Thirty and one, and thirty and two, and thirty and three, and thirty and four, he walked straight across the open space, 三十一，三十二，三十三，三十四，他径直越过空旷地区，

still looking at that which he held in his hand, and thirty and five, and thirty and six, and thirty and seven, and so on, 一直看着他手中的东西，三十五，三十六，三十七....

until the three men disappeared, and still Tom could hear the sound of the counting voice in the distance. 直到这三人消失，汤姆也依然能在远处听到数数声。

Just as they disappeared behind the hill there was a sudden faint flash of light; and by and by, 就在他们消失在沙丘后面时，突然出现了一道微弱的光，不久以后，

as Tom lay still listening to the counting, he heard a far-away muffled⁵ rumble⁶ of distant thunder. 当汤姆还在那里躺着听数数声时，他听到了很远处一阵沉闷的隆隆声。

He waited for a while, and then arose and stepped to the top of the sand hillock behind which he had been lying. 他等了一会，之后起身走到沙丘顶端，他之前就在沙丘后面躺着。

He looked all about him, but there was no one else to be seen. 他四下望去，但看不到任何人。

Then he stepped down from the hillock and followed in the direction which the pirate captain and the two men carrying the chest had gone. 他从沙丘上下来，跟随着海盗船船长和二人抬着箱子远去的方向走。

He crept along cautiously, stopping now and then to make sure that he still heard the counting voice, 他小心翼翼地缓慢前行，时不时停下来确认他还能听到数数声，

and when it ceased he lay down upon the sand and waited until it began again. 当声音停止了，他就会躺在沙滩上等待声音再次响起。

 

1 earrings   

n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子

参考例句：

• a pair of earrings 一对耳环
• These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 laboring   

n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• The young man who said laboring was beneath his dignity finally put his pride in his pocket and got a job as a kitchen porter. 那个说过干活儿有失其身份的年轻人最终只能忍辱，做了厨房搬运工的工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• But this knowledge did not keep them from laboring to save him. 然而，这并不妨碍她们尽力挽救他。 来自飘（部分）

3 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

4 grunt   

v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝

参考例句：

• He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
• I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

5 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。