3-9

 

9.

I felt enormous pressure, the next day, sitting down to write the next letter. A paralyzing case ofwriter’s block. I just couldn’t find the words to express my excitement, my contentment, mylonging. My hopes.

The next best thing, I figured, in the absence of lyricism, would be to make the letterphysically beautiful.

Alas¹, I wasn’t in a location conducive² to arts and crafts. The lads’ trip was now moving intophase three—an eight-hour game drive into the arse end of nowhere.

What to do?

At a break I jumped out of the truck, ran into the bush.

Spike³, where you going?

I didn’t answer.

What’s with him?

Wandering wasn’t advisable in these parts. We were deep in lion country. But I was hell-benton finding…something.

I stumbled, staggered, saw nothing but endless brown grass. Are we in the bloody⁴ Outback?

Adi had taught me how to look for flowers in the desert. When it came to thornbushes, healways said, check the highest branches. So I did. And sure enough: Bingo! I climbed thethornbush, picked the flowers, put them into a little bag slung⁵ over my shoulder.

Later in our drive we came into a mopani forest, where I spotted⁶ two bright pink impala lilies.

I picked them too.

Soon enough I’d assembled a small bouquet⁷.

We now came to a part of the forest scorched⁸ by recent fires. Within the charred⁹ landscape Ispotted an interesting piece of bark from a leadwood. I grabbed it, nestled it into my bag.

We got back to camp at sunset. I wrote the second letter, singed¹⁰ the paper’s edges, surroundedit with my flowers and placed it inside the burned bark, then took a photo of it with Adi’s phone. Isent this to Meg and counted the seconds until I got a reply, which she signed “Your girl.”

By means of improvisation¹¹, and sheer determination, I managed somehow, throughout thatlads’ trip, to stay in constant contact. When I finally returned to Britain I felt a huge sense ofaccomplishment. I hadn’t let soaked phones, drunken mates, lack of mobile reception, or a dozenother obstacles, scuttle¹² the beginning of this beautiful…What to call it?

Sitting in Nott Cott, bags all around me, I stared at the wall and quizzed myself. What is this?

What’s the word?

Is it…

The One?

Have I found her?

At long, long last?

I’d always told myself that there were firm rules about relationships, at least when it came toroyalty, and the main one was that you absolutely must date a woman for three years before takingthe plunge¹³. How else could you know about her? How else could she know about you—and yourroyal life? How else could both of you be sure that this was what you wanted, that it was a thingyou could endure together?

It wasn’t for everybody.

But Meg seemed the shining exception to this rule. All rules. I knew her straightaway, and sheknew me. The true me. Might seem rash, I thought, might seem illogical, but it’s true: For the firsttime, in fact, I felt myself to be living in truth.

 

1 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

2 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

3 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

4 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

5 slung   

抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往

参考例句：

• He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩，挎在肩上。
• He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。

6 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

7 bouquet   

n.花束，酒香

参考例句：

• This wine has a rich bouquet.这种葡萄酒有浓郁的香气。
• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。

8 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

9 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 singed   

v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿]

参考例句：

• He singed his hair as he tried to light his cigarette. 他点烟时把头发给燎了。
• The cook singed the chicken to remove the fine hairs. 厨师把鸡燎一下，以便去掉细毛。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 improvisation   

n.即席演奏(或演唱)；即兴创作

参考例句：

• a free-form jazz improvisation 自由创作的爵士乐即兴演出
• Most of their music was spontaneous improvisation. 他们的大部分音乐作品都是即兴创作的。

12 scuttle   

v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗

参考例句：

• There was a general scuttle for shelter when the rain began to fall heavily.下大雨了，人们都飞跑着寻找躲雨的地方。
• The scuttle was open,and the good daylight shone in.明朗的亮光从敞开的小窗中照了进来。

13 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。