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VOA慢速英语207--'Love of Life,' by Jack London, Part Three

时间:2017-06-11 04:27来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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We present the third of four parts of the short story "Love of Life," by Jack1 London. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State.

The man had brought his gun half the distance to his shoulder before he realized what he was doing. He lowered it and drew his hunting knife from its cover. Before him was meat and life. He ran his finger along the edge of his knife. It was sharp. The point was sharp. He would throw himself on the bear and kill it. But his heart began its pounding. Then came its wild leap and he began to feel faint.

His wild courage was replaced by a great fear. In his weakness, what if the animal attacked him? He drew himself up tall, grasping the knife and staring hard at the bear. The bear advanced a couple of steps and stood up. If the man ran, the bear would run after him; but the man did not run. He was alive now with the courage of fear.

The bear moved away to one side with a threatening noise. He, himself, was fearful2 of this strange creature that appeared unafraid. But the man did not move. He stood still until the danger was past. Then he yielded3 to a fit of trembling and sank to his knees on the wet grass.

He regained4 control of himself and then started to move forward, afraid now in a new manner. It was not the fear that he would die from lack of food. He was afraid that he would be destroyed by forces other than starving. There were the wolves. Across the wasteland their howls could be heard, making the air itself a threat most real to him.

Now and again the wolves, in groups of two and three, crossed his path. But they stayed away from him. They were not in sufficient5 numbers to attack, and besides, they were hunting caribou6. Caribou did not battle, while this strange creature that walked on two legs might bite.

In the late afternoon he came upon scattered7 bones where the wolves had made a kill. What remained had been a young caribou an hour before. He studied the bones, cleaned of any flesh. They were still pink with the life in them which had not yet died. Might he look like that before the day was done? Was this life? A fleeting8 thing without meaning? It was only life that pained. There was no hurt in death. To die was to sleep. It meant rest. Then why was he not content to die?

But he did not think about these things for very long. He was soon seated in the grass, a bone in his mouth, biting at the bit of life that made it yet pink. The sweet meaty taste drove him mad. He closed his teeth firmly on the bones. Sometimes it was the bone that broke, sometimes his teeth. Then he crushed9 the bones between the rocks. He pounded them into tiny pieces, and ate them. He was in such a hurry that he pounded his fingers, too. He felt surprised at the fact that his fingers did not hurt much when they were caught under the rock.

Then came frightful10 days of snow and rain. He did not know when he made camp and when he broke camp. He traveled in the night as much as in the day. He rested whenever he fell, moving ahead whenever the dying11 life in him started up again. He, as a man, no longer struggled. It was the life in him, unwilling12 to die, that drove him on. He did not suffer, nor feel pain. But his mind was filled with hallucinations and wild dreams.

But he still ate the crushed bones of the young caribou, which he had gathered and carried with him. He crossed no more hills, but followed a large stream which flowed through a wide valley. He did not see this stream nor this valley. He saw nothing except hallucinations.

One morning he awakened13 with his mind clear, lying on his back on a rocky surface. The sun was shining bright and warm. Far away, he heard the noises made by young caribou. He remembered rain and wind and snow, but whether he had been beaten by the storm for two days or two weeks he did not know.

For some time he lay without movement. The friendly sun poured down upon him and filled his body with its warmth. A fine day, he thought. Perhaps he could succeed in locating himself. By a painful effort he rolled on his side.

Below him flowed a wide river. Its unfamiliarity14 puzzled him. Slowly he followed it with his eyes, as it curved15 among the bare hills. They were more bare and lower than any hills he had yet seen. Slowly, without excitement, he followed the course of the strange stream toward16 the skyline and saw that it emptied into a bright and shining sea. He was still unexcited. Most unusual, he thought. It was probably a trick of his mind. He was certain of this when he also saw a ship floating in the shining sea. He closed his eyes for a while, then opened them. It was strange how the sight continued. Yet it was not strange. He knew there were no seas nor ships in the middle of this land, as he had known there was no cartridge17 in the empty gun.

He heard a noise behind him. It seemed like the dry sound that comes from the throat when air is forced out in a cough. Very slowly, because of his weakness and stiffness18, he rolled to his other side. He could see nothing near, but he waited patiently. Again came the cough, and there, between two rocks, he saw the gray head of a wolf. The sharp ears did not stand up as straight as he had seen them on other wolves. The eyes were dull and the head seemed to hang. The animal opened and shut its eyes frequently in the sunshine. It seemed sick. As he looked, it coughed again.

This was real, he thought. He turned on the other side to see the reality of the world which had been hidden from him before by his hallucination. But the sea still shone and the ship was still there. Was it reality? He closed his eyes for a long while and thought, and then he remembered.

He had been traveling north by east, away from the Dease Divide and into the Coppermine Valley. This wide river was the Coppermine. That shining sea was the Arctic19 Ocean. That ship was a fishing boat which had wandered east from the mouth of the Mackenzie River. Now it was lying in Coronation Gulf20. He remembered the map that he had seen long ago, and it was all clear and reasonable to him.

He sat up and turned his attention to immediate21 affairs. He had worn holes through the blanket wrappings, and his feet were like shapeless pieces of meat. His last blanket was gone. His gun and knife were both lost. He had also lost his hat somewhere, with the matches in the band. The matches against his chest were safe and dry inside the paper. He looked at his watch. It marked eleven o’clock and was still going. This proved that he had kept it wound.

He was calm. Although very weak, he had no feeling of pain. He was not hungry. The thought of food was not even pleasant to him. Whatever he did was done entirely22 by reasoning. He tore off the legs of his trousers to the knees and bound23 them about his feet. Somehow he had succeeded in keeping the tin container. He would have some hot water before he began what he knew was to be an awful journey to the ship.

His movements were slow. He shook as if with a disease24. When he started to gather dried grasses he found he could not rise to his feet. He tried again and again. Then he contented25 himself with moving about on his hands and knees. Once he went near the sick wolf. The animal dragged itself out of the way, licking26 its face with a tongue which seemed hardly to have the strength to curl27. The man noticed that the tongue was not the customary28 healthy red, but was a yellowish brown and covered with a half-dried coating.

After he drank some hot water, the man found he was able to stand. He could even walk as well as a dying man might be supposed to walk. But every minute or two he was forced to rest. His steps were unsteady, as were the steps of the wolf behind him. That night, when the shining sea was hidden in the blackness, he knew he was nearer to it by no more than four miles.

Through the night he heard the cough of the sick wolf; now and then, the noises of the young caribou. There was life all around him. But it was strong life, very much alive and well. He knew the sick wolf was following the sick man’s steps in the hope that the man would die first. In the morning, when he opened his eyes, he saw it looking at him with a hungry stare. It stood with its tail between its legs like an unhappy dog.

The sun rose brightly, and all morning the man headed toward the ship on the shining sea. The weather was perfect. It was the brief return of summer which was usual in that country. It might continue for a week. Or, tomorrow or the next day, it might be gone.

Words in This Story

leap - v. to jump from a surface

courage - n. the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous

grasp(ing) - v. to take and hold something with your fingers, hands, etc.

starving - v. suffering or dying from lack of food

scatter(ed) - v. to cause things or people to separate and go in different directions

gather(ed) - v. to bring things or people together in a group

puzzle(d) - v. to confuse someone; to be difficult for someone to understand

cough - n. a short, loud noise made by forcing air through your throat, often because you are sick

watch - n. a device29 that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist or carry in a pocket

wound - v. (passive tense form of wind) to turn a knob30, handle, etc., on something (such as a clock) several times so that it can work

journey - n. an act of traveling from one place to another

shook - v. (past tense form of shake) to move sometimes violently back and forth or up and down with short, quick movements


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
2 fearful tksxs     
adj.惧怕的,担心的;可怕的,吓人的
参考例句:
  • What a fearful waste of time!简直太浪费时间了!
  • They are fearful of another business depression.他们担心会再次发生商业萧条。
3 yielded 8a35a9cad976f1ddb4a529c2a7e3ef97     
vt.屈服,投降(yield的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • She yielded me her books. 她把书让给了我。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She yielded her property to me. 她把她的财产让给我了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 regained 51ada49e953b830c8bd8fddd6bcd03aa     
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
  • She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻,但很快恢复了镇静。
5 sufficient Zsyw6     
adj.enough充足的,充分的
参考例句:
  • His income is sufficient for his needs.他的收入能满足他的需要。
  • Have you had sufficient?你吃饱了没有?
6 caribou 8cpyD     
n.北美驯鹿
参考例句:
  • Afar off he heard the squawking of caribou calves.他听到远处有一群小驯鹿尖叫的声音。
  • The Eskimos played soccer on ice and used balls filled with caribou hair and grass.爱斯基摩人在冰上踢球,他们用的是驯鹿的毛发和草填充成的球。
7 scattered 7jgzKF     
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 fleeting k7zyS     
adj.短暂的,飞逝的
参考例句:
  • The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
  • Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝,于是让自已尽情地享受。
9 crushed 8v6zDH     
a.压碎的,倒碎的
参考例句:
  • The car was completely crushed under the truck. 小轿车被卡车压得完全变形了。
  • The box was crushed when the car ran over it. 汽车辗过箱子时把它给压碎了。
10 frightful Ghmxw     
adj.可怕的;讨厌的
参考例句:
  • How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊!
  • We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
11 dying 1rGx0     
adj.垂死的,临终的
参考例句:
  • He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
  • She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子,那里有一个垂死的人。
12 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
13 awakened de71059d0b3cd8a1de21151c9166f9f0     
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
参考例句:
  • She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
  • The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 unfamiliarity Dkgw4     
参考例句:
  • And unfamiliarity with a new electoral system may also deter voters. 而对新的选举体系的不熟悉,也会妨碍一些选民投票。 来自互联网
  • Her temporary shyness was due to her unfamiliarity with the environment. 她暂时的害羞是因为对环境不熟悉。 来自互联网
15 curved CvNzJL     
a.弯曲的
参考例句:
  • His lips curved in a barely perceptible smile. 他的嘴角弯了弯,露出一丝几乎察觉不到的笑容。
  • The missile curved gracefully towards its target. 导弹呈优美的曲线状飞向目标。
16 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
17 cartridge fXizt     
n.弹壳,弹药筒;(装磁带等的)盒子
参考例句:
  • Unfortunately the 2G cartridge design is very difficult to set accurately.不幸地2G弹药筒设计非常难正确地设定。
  • This rifle only holds one cartridge.这支来复枪只能装一发子弹。
18 stiffness hhYz7L     
n.硬度
参考例句:
  • You may want to boil out some of the stiffness. 你也许想烫掉一些浆性。
  • The stiffness and self-consciousness soon disappeared. 那种不自然和害羞的感觉不久便消失了。
19 Arctic czLzw     
adj.北极的;n.北极
参考例句:
  • They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
  • The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。
20 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
参考例句:
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
21 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
22 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
23 bound fRUyQ     
adj.一定的,必然的;受约束的,有义务的
参考例句:
  • I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
  • If he signs that paper,he will be bound hand and foot.如果他签署那份文件,他就会受到束缚。
24 disease etMxx     
n.疾病,弊端
参考例句:
  • The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
  • He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。
25 contented Gvxzof     
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
参考例句:
  • He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
  • The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
26 licking licking     
n. 殴打,挫败 动词lick的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The steak is so delicious that he's licking his lips. 牛排这么香,使得他垂涎欲滴了。
  • The little boy is licking the ice-cream cone. 小男孩在舔着冰淇淋蛋卷。
27 curl FyFxi     
n.(一绺)鬈发;卷曲;vt.卷曲;vi.卷曲;缭绕
参考例句:
  • She put her hair in rollers to make it curl.她用卷发夹子把头发弄鬈曲。
  • Does her hair curl naturally?她的头发是天然鬈曲的吗?
28 customary wyWxb     
adj.习惯上的,惯常的,合乎习俗的
参考例句:
  • He makes his customary visit every week.他每星期都按照惯例造访一次。
  • It is customary with me to do so.这样做是我的习惯。
29 device Bv8x6     
n.器械,装置;计划,策略,诡计
参考例句:
  • The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
  • The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。
30 knob NkCyB     
n.球形把手,球形柄,旋钮,小块
参考例句:
  • There is a knob of butter on the table.桌子上有一小块黄油。
  • This knob is only held on by sellotape.这个旋钮只是用透明胶带固定住的。
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