美国语文第四册 第119期:失踪的孩子(2)

 The search was continued in vain till nine o'clock in the evening. 晚上九点的时候，依然没找到孩子。

Then, one of the party was sent back to the village, to collect the inhabitants for a more extensive search. 于是他们派了一个人返回村庄，召集更多的村民进行更彻底地搜索。

The bell rung the alarm, and the cry of fire resounded¹ through the streets. 报警的钟声响了，失火的叫喊声响彻大街。

It was ascertained², however, that it was not fire which caused the alarm, but that the bell tolled³ the more solemn tidings of a lost child. 后来证实敲响警钟并不是因为失火，而是因为更严重的消息：一个孩子失踪了。

Every heart sympathized in the sorrows of the distracted parents. 每个人的心中都对失踪孩子父母的痛苦感到同情。

Soon, multitudes of the people were seen ascending⁴ the hill, upon the declivity⁵ of which the village stood, to aid in the search. 村庄就坐落在山坡上，大批人开始爬山，帮助寻找。

Ere long, the rain began to fall, but no tidings came back to the village of the lost child. 不久，雨下了起来，但是还没有失踪孩子的消息。

Hardly an eye was that night closed in sleep, and there was not a mother who did not feel for the parents. 那个晚上，几乎没有人睡觉，妈妈们没有不同情失踪孩子父母的。

The night passed away, and the morning dawned, and yet no tidings came. 黑夜过去，黎明到来，仍然没有一点消息。

At last, those engaged in the search met together and held a consultation⁶. 最后，搜寻的人聚在一起，商量下一步的行动。

They made arrangements for a more minute search, and agreed that, in case the child was found, a gun should be fired, to give a signal to the rest of the party. 他们安排了更仔细的搜寻，并且商量好在找到孩子的时候，向空中放一枪，给其他人报信。

As the sun arose, the clouds were scattered⁷, and the whole landscape glittered in the rays of the bright morning. 太阳升起来，乌云散开了，清晨明亮的光线闪烁着。

But that village was deserted⁸ and still. The stores were closed, and business was hushed. 但是村庄像没有人住一样悄无声息。商店关着门，人们低声说话。

Mothers were walking the streets, with sympathizing countenances⁹ and anxious hearts. 但是村庄像没有人住一样悄无声息。商店关着门，人们低声说话。

There was but one thought in every mind: "What has become of the lost child?" 每个人的心里只有一个念头：“失踪孩子怎么样了呢？”

All the affections and interest of the neighborhood were flowing in one deep and broad channel toward the little wanderer. 邻居们的情感和关注都集中在了失踪的孩子身上。

About nine in the morning, the signal gun was fired, which announced that the child was found; 早上大约九点的时候，一声报信的枪声响了，向人们通报孩子找到了。

and, for a moment, how dreadful was the suspense¹⁰! Was it found a mangled¹¹ corpse¹²? or was it alive and well? 可是，人们仍然十分担心！找到的是孩子的尸身？还是健健康康的孩子？

 

1 resounded   

v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音

参考例句：

• Laughter resounded through the house. 笑声在屋里回荡。
• The echo resounded back to us. 回声传回到我们的耳中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tolled   

鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Bells were tolled all over the country at the King's death. 全国为国王之死而鸣钟。
• The church bell tolled the hour. 教堂的钟声报时。

4 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

5 declivity   

n.下坡，倾斜面

参考例句：

• I looked frontage straightly,going declivity one by one.我两眼直视前方，一路下坡又下坡。
• He had rolled down a declivity of twelve or fifteen feet.他是从十二尺或十五尺高的地方滚下来的。

6 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

7 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

8 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

9 countenances   

n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持

参考例句：

• 'stood apart, with countenances of inflexible gravity, beyond what even the Puritan aspect could attain." 站在一旁，他们脸上那种严肃刚毅的神情，比清教徒们还有过之而无不及。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The light of a laugh never came to brighten their sombre and wicked countenances. 欢乐的光芒从来未照亮过他们那阴郁邪恶的面孔。 来自辞典例句

10 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

11 mangled   

vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• His hand was mangled in the machine. 他的手卷到机器里轧烂了。
• He was off work because he'd mangled his hand in a machine. 他没上班，因为他的手给机器严重压伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 corpse   

n.尸体，死尸

参考例句：

• What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
• The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。