美国语文第六册 第200期:乘坐扫雪机(4)

You have made some impression on the breaker, and again the machine backs for a fair start, and then another plunge¹, and shock, and twilight².

想必你对断路器会留下几分印象，这台机器又向后倒退，准备重新启动，然后又一次猛地颠了一下，令人感到恐惧和目眩。

And so, from deep cut to deep cut, as if the season had packed all his winter clothes upon the track, until the stalled trains are reached and passed;

于是开始一遍遍地深挖，仿佛季节已经将所有冬天的行装都堆在了铁轨上，直到失速的火车从此经过。

and then, with alternate storm and calm, and halt and shock, till the way is cleared to Erie.

然后，暴风雪和雪过云开交替着，直到通往伊利湖的道路畅通为止。

It is Sunday afternoon, and Erie—"Mad Anthony Wayne's" old headquarters,

那是星期日的下午，伊利湖——“疯子安东尼·怀恩”的老巢，

has donned its Sunday clothes, and turned out by hundreds to see the great plow³ come in,—its first voyage over the line.

已经披上主日礼服，结果数以百计的人看到巨大的扫雪机扑面而至，这是它第一次在这条路线上露面。

scenery14

The locomotives set up a crazy scream, and you draw slowly into the depot⁴.

机车头发出尖厉的叫声，扫雪机徐徐驶进车站。

The door opened at last, you clamber down, and gaze up at the uneasy house in which you have been living.

最后，车门打开了，人们吃力地爬下来后举目凝视一直待着的那间很不舒服的座舱。

It looks as if an avalanche⁵ had tumbled down upon it,—white as an Alpine⁶ shoulder.

它看上去就像上面发生过大雪崩——白得像阿尔卑斯山的山脊。

Your first thought is gratitude⁷ that you have made a landing alive.

你第一个念头就是庆幸能活着下来。

Your second, a resolution that, if again you ride a hammer, it will not be when three engines have hold of the handle!

第二个念头恐怕就是如果再次乘这个铁榔头的话，当三台发动机的手柄合上时，它不会挪地方！

1 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

2 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

3 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

4 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

5 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

6 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

7 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。