【英语时差8,16】流沙

It's been a staple¹ of adventure movies and fiction for generations. Our hero is traipsing through a swamp, fighting off all manner of alligators², giant snakes, and what-not, when--suddenly!--he discovers he's stepped into a pit of quicksand. Can he get free, or will he be drawn³ to certain death, leaving only his hat, bobbing on the surface, to advertise his fate? If this were real life, not the movies, and if he doesn't panic, our hero should have no trouble freeing himself from this peril⁴. Aside from Hollywood studios, quicksand is usually found near the mouths of large rivers or along beaches and streams where pools of water can become partly filled by sand. It's often formed by a flow of groundwater that passes upward through sand. Quicksand is a mixture of two things: sand and water. The reason you don't sink into ordinary sand is because the sand grains rest against each other in an interlocking pattern. This mutual⁵ contact helps them distribute your weight and hold you up. However, if there's enough water between the grains of sand to keep them out of contact, the sand can no longer bear your weight. The sand and water mixture functions like a liquid and you start to sink. Unlike in the movies, quicksand will not suck you under. The mixture of sand and water is denser⁶ than water alone, so it's actually more buoyant. You float better in quicksand than in water. The only reason some people have drowned in quicksand is because they've panicked. Don't ever play in quicksand, but in the unlikely event you're accidentally caught, stay calm, float on your back, and call for help. If no one's around, gently squirm on your back to firmer ground.

1 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

2 alligators   

n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
• In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 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。

5 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

6 denser   

adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• As Tito entered the neighbourhood of San Martino, he found the throng rather denser. 蒂托走近圣马丁教堂附近一带时，发现人群相当密集。