早读英语精华本上册 Unit20

　　The Story of a Fire
Thirteen years have passed since, but it is all to me as if it had happened yesterday, -- the clanging of the fire-bells, the hoarse¹ shouts of the firemen, the wild rush and terror of the streets; then the great hush² that fell upon the crowd; the sea of upturned faces with the fire glow upon it; and there, against the background of black smoke that poured from roof and attic³, the boy clinging to the narrow ledge⁴ so far up that it seemed humanly impossible that help could ever come.
But even then it was coming. Up from the street, while the crew of the truck-company were labouring with the heavy extension ladder that at its longest stretch was many feet too short, crept four men upon long slender poles with cross- bars, iron-hooked at the end. Standing⁵ in one window, they reached up and thrust the hook through the next one above, then mounted a storey higher. Again the crash of glass, and again the dizzy ascent⁶. Straight up the wall they crept, looking like human flies on the ceiling, and clinging as close, never resting, reaching one recess⁸ only to set out for the next; nearer and nearer in the race for life, until but a single span separated the foremost from the boy. And now the iron hook fell at his feet, and the fireman stood upon the step with :the rescued lad in his arms, just as the pentup flame burst lurid⁹ from the attic window, reaching with impotent fury for its prey¹⁰. The next moment the) were safe upon the great ladder waiting to receive them below.
Then such a shout went up ! Men fell on each other's necks, and cried and laughed at once. trangers slapped one another on the back with glistening¹¹ faces, shook hands, and behaved generally like men gone suddenly mad. Women wept in the street. The driver of a car stalled in the crowd, who had stood through it all speechless, clutching the reins¹², whipped his horses into a gallop¹³ and drove away, yelling like a Comanche, to relieve his feelings. The boy and his rescuer were carried across the street without anyone knowing how. Policemen forgot their dignity and shouted with the rest. Fire, peril¹⁴, terror, and loss were alike forgotten in the one touch of nature that makes the whole world kin⁷.
Fireman John Binns was made captain of his crew, and the Bennett medal was pinned on his coat on the next parade day.
火灾见闻
事情已经过去十三年了，然而对我来说，它仿佛是昨天才发生似的--报火警钟的当当声，消防队员声嘶力竭的喊叫声，大街上人们狂奔乱跑，惊恐万分。突然，人群寂静无声。熊熊的火光照着那无数张向上仰望着的脸。那边，小男孩紧紧地拽住墙壁上狭窄的突出部分，后面是屋顶和顶楼里喷涌而出的黑烟，他离地面是那么高，看来人力是无法搭救他的了。
但是，尽管这样，还是有人来搭救了。消防梯车上的救火队员正在费劲地架起笨重的伸缩梯，但是那梯子伸足后还是太短，差了一大截。这时候，四名消防队员缘着细长的杆子从街面往楼上爬，杆子上装有横档，顶端用铁钩钩住。他们站上一扇窗口，把杆子伸上去，用钩子钩住上面的窗子，随后又爬上一层楼。接着，又一阵砸碎玻璃的砰砰声，又一次令人头晕目眩的攀登。他们沿着墙壁笔直地往上爬，看上去小得好似天花板上的苍蝇。四名消防队员紧贴着墙，不歇气地一个窗台接着一个窗台向上爬。在这场争夺生命的竞赛中，他们愈爬愈近了，爬在最前面的消防队员离小孩只剩下一柞的距离了。这时候，铁钩落到了孩子的脚下，接着，消防队员站在踏脚上，用双手抱下了小男孩。就在这一刹那，一片火光，烈焰终于冲破浓烟，猛地从顶楼窗口喷了出来，想攫住它嘴边的猎物，可是却只能白白地冒火了。接着，消防队员和小男孩安然踏上了在下面候着他们的大梯子。
一下于，爆发出一阵热烈的欢呼声。男人们互相搂着脖子，又是叫，又是笑。互不相识的人拍打着对方的背脊，相互握手，脸上喜气洋洋，一个个象突然疯了似的。女人们在街上哭泣。一个马车夫连车带入被阻塞在人群牛，他紧握缰绳，自始至终没说过一句话，这时一声响鞭，策马驱车，飞驰而去，象科曼契人那样叫喊着，以发泄他心中的情感。那个小男孩和他的救命恩人被人们高抬着穿过大街，谁也不知道怎么会这样的。警察也忘了他们自己的身分，跟着别人高声欢呼。这四海之内皆兄弟的本性使人们把大火、险情、恐惧和损失全都忘得一千二净。
救火员约翰．宾斯被任命为消防队长。在下一次检阅中，宾斯的外衣上给佩上了一枚贝内特奖章。

1 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

2 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

3 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

4 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

7 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

8 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

9 lurid   

adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的

参考例句：

• The paper gave all the lurid details of the murder.这份报纸对这起凶杀案耸人听闻的细节描写得淋漓尽致。
• The lurid sunset puts a red light on their faces.血红一般的夕阳映红了他们的脸。

10 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

11 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

12 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

13 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

14 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。