【饥饿游戏】44

Chapter 11

Sixty seconds. That’s how long we’re required to stand on

our metal circles before the sound of a gong releases us. Step

off before the minute is up, and land mines blow your legs off.

Sixty seconds to take in the ring of tributes all equidistant

from the Cornucopia¹, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone²

with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet

high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in

the arena³. Food, containers of water, weapons, medicine, garments,

fire starters. Strewn around the Cornucopia are other

supplies, their value decreasing the farther they are from the

horn. For instance, only a few steps from my feet lays a threefoot

square of plastic. Certainly it could be of some use in a

downpour. But there in the mouth, I can see a tent pack that

would protect from almost any sort of weather. If I had the

guts⁴ to go in and fight for it against the other twenty-three tributes.

Which I have been instructed not to do.

We’re on a flat, open stretch of ground. A plain of hardpacked

dirt. Behind the tributes across from me, I can see

nothing, indicating either a steep downward slope or even

cliff. To my right lies a lake. To my left and back, spars piney

woods. This is where Haymitch would want me to go. Immediately.

I hear his instructions in my head. “Just clear out, put as

much distance as you can between yourselves and the others,

and find a source of water.”

But it’s tempting⁶, so tempting, when I see the bounty⁷ waiting

there before me. And I know that if I don’t get it, someone

else will. That the Career Tributes who survive the bloodbath

will divide up most of these life-sustaining spoils. Something

catches my eye. There, resting on a mound⁸ of blanket rolls, is a

silver sheath of arrows and a bow, already strung, just waiting

to be engaged. That’s mine, I think. It’s meant for me.

I’m fast. I can sprint⁹ faster than any of the girls in our

school although a couple can beat me in distance races. But

this forty-yard length, this is what I am built for. I know I can

get it, I know I can reach it first, but then the question is how

quickly can I get out of there? By the time I’ve scrambled¹⁰ up

the packs and grabbed the weapons, others will have reached

the horn, and one or two I might be able to pick off, but say

there’s a dozen, at that close range, they could take me down

with the spears and the clubs. Or their own powerful fists.

Still, I won’t be the only target. I’m betting many of the other

tributes would pass up a smaller girl, even one who scored

an eleven in training, to take out their more fierce adversaries¹¹.

Haymitch has never seen me run. Maybe if he had he’d tell

me to go for it. Get the weapon. Since that’s the very weapon

that might be my salvation¹². And I only see one bow in that

whole pile. I know the minute must be almost up and will have

to decide what my strategy will be and I find myself positioning

my feet to run, not away into the stir rounding forests but

toward the pile, toward the bow. When suddenly I notice Peeta,

he’s about five tributes to my right, quite a fair distance,

still I can tell he’s looking at me and I think he might be shaking

his head. But the sun’s in my eyes, and while I’m puzzling

over it the gong rings out.

And I’ve missed it! I’ve missed my chance! Because those

extra couple of seconds I’ve lost by not being ready are

enough to change my mind about going in. My feet shuffle¹³ for

a moment, confused at the direction my brain wants to take

and then I lunge forward, scoop¹⁴ up the sheet of plastic and a

loaf of bread. The pickings are so small and I’m so angry with

Peeta for distracting me that I sprint in twenty yards to retrieve¹⁵

a bright orange backpack that could hold anything because

I can’t stand leaving with virtually nothing.

A boy, I think from District 9, reaches the pack at the same

time I do and for a brief time we grapple for it and then he

coughs, splattering my face with blood. I stagger back, repulsed¹⁷

by the warm, sticky spray. Then the boy slips to the

ground. That’s when I see the knife in his back. Already other

tributes have reached the Cornucopia and are spreading out

to attack. Yes, the girl from District 2, ten yards away, running

toward me, one hand clutching a half-dozen knives. I’ve seen

her throw in training. She never misses. And I’m her next target.

All the general fear I’ve been feeling condenses into at immediate⁵

fear of this girl, this predator¹⁸ who might kill me in

seconds. Adrenaline shoots through me and I sling¹⁹ the pack

over one shoulder and run full-speed for the woods. I can hear

the blade whistling toward me and reflexively hike the pack

up to protect my head. The blade lodges²⁰ in the pack. Both

straps²¹ on my shoulders now, I make for the trees. Somehow I

know the girl will not pursue me. That she’ll be drawn²² back into

the Cornucopia before all the good stuff is gone. A grin

crosses my face. Thanks for the knife, I think.

At the edge of the woods I turn for one instant to survey the

field. About a dozen or so tributes are hacking²³ away at one

another at the horn. Several lie dead already on the ground.

Those who have taken flight are disappearing into the trees or

into the void opposite me. 

repulse¹⁶

adrenaline

reflexively adv.条件反射式地；反身地

1 cornucopia   

n.象征丰收的羊角

参考例句：

• The book is a cornucopia of information.书是知识的宝库。
• Our cornucopia is the human mind and heart.我们富足是由于人类的智慧和热情。

2 cone   

n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果

参考例句：

• Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
• The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。

3 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

4 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 immediate   

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。

6 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

7 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

8 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

9 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

10 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

12 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

13 shuffle   

n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走

参考例句：

• I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。
• Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。

14 scoop   

n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出

参考例句：

• In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。
• Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。

15 retrieve   

vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索

参考例句：

• He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
• The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。

16 repulse   

n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝

参考例句：

• The armed forces were prepared to repulse any attacks.武装部队已作好击退任何进攻的准备。
• After the second repulse,the enemy surrendered.在第二次击退之后，敌人投降了。

17 repulsed   

v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝

参考例句：

• I was repulsed by the horrible smell. 这种可怕的气味让我恶心。
• At the first brush,the enemy was repulsed. 敌人在第一次交火时就被击退了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

19 sling   

vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓

参考例句：

• The boy discharged a stone from a sling.这个男孩用弹弓射石头。
• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。

20 lodges   

v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• But I forget, if I ever heard, where he lodges in Liverpool. 可是我记不得有没有听他说过他在利物浦的住址。 来自辞典例句
• My friend lodges in my uncle's house. 我朋友寄居在我叔叔家。 来自辞典例句

21 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

22 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。

23 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。