【有声英语文学名著】英国病人 92

"3 CC’s BROMPTON COCKTAIL¹. 3:00 P.M." Caravaggio slips the book out of the man’s hands. “When you crashed in the desert—where were you flying from?” He asks.

“I was leaving the Gilf Kebir. I had gone there to collect someone. In late August. Nineteen forty-two.” 

“During the war? Everyone must have left by then.” 

“Yes. There were just armies.” 

(“The Gilf Kebir.” 

“Yes.” 

“Where is it?” 

“Give me the Kipling book... here.” 

On the frontispiece of Kirn was a map with a dotted line for the path the boy and the Holy One took. It showed just a portion of India—a darkly cross-hatched Afghanistan, and Kashmir in the lap of the mountains. He traces his black hand along the Numi River till it enters the sea at 23°3o’ latitude². He continues sliding his finger seven inches west, off the page, onto his chest; he touches his rib³. 

“Here. The Gilf Kebir, just north of the Tropic of Cancer. On the Egyptian-Libyan border.” )

"What happened in 1942? " Caravaggio asks.

And the English patient begins,"I had made the journey to Cairo and was returning from there. I was slipping between the enemy, remembering old maps, hitting the pre-war caches of petrol and water, driving towards Uweinat. It was easier now that I was alone. Miles from the Gilf Kebir, the truck exploded and I capsized, rolling automatically into the sand, not wanting a spark to touch me. (In the desert one is always frightened of fire. )

1 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

2 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

3 rib   

n.肋骨，肋状物

参考例句：

• He broke a rib when he fell off his horse.他从马上摔下来折断了一根肋骨。
• He has broken a rib and the doctor has strapped it up.他断了一根肋骨，医生已包扎好了。