美国小学英语教材6:第83课 波茨挽救夜行快车(4)

 Potts put on sand. The engine started forward more swiftly, its wheels biting the track with a firmer grip at every second of their progress. 波茨撒上了沙子，引擎开始迅速向前运转，轮胎的每次转动都与轨道紧紧相连。

The throttle¹ was now wide open. From the stack belched² a fierce fountain of sparks, and the bell jangled continuously. 节气阀完全打开，烟囱喷发出一团团火星，火车铃声不断发出丁零当啷的声音。

She'll do it; she'll do it; she'll do it, said Potts to the beating rhythm of the piston³ rod. 她一定能做到，一定能做到，一定能做到，波茨对有节奏感的活塞杆说。

The engineer knew the creature he was driving. He heard her pant with the exertion⁴, 工程师了解他操作的火车，他听到了火车行使的喘息声，

he saw the flames belching⁵ from her nostrils⁶, he heard her clamoring hoofs⁷, he heard the squeak⁸, squeak of a spot where the harness was wearing. 他看到她的鼻孔中迸发出了火焰，听到了吵闹的马蹄声，他听到了刺耳的声音，听到了保护带嘎吱作响。

The first half of the freight had now beaten past; there was the long flash of the open space soon to be filled with the wreck⁹, 货车的前端已经过去，这片空旷区域马上将被失事火车填充，

and then tank cars again, the tank cars of the flying end of the train. 之后是油槽车，以及油槽车的末端。

Then a streak¹⁰ of green light, and Potts knew that his engine was clear of the caboose. 之后是快速移动的绿光，波茨知道他的引擎越过了守车。

But would he pull past far enough to save the last sleeper¹¹? All this time the passengers slept quietly. 但是他要越过很远去救最后一节卧铺车厢吗？这个时候乘客正在熟睡。

The conductor was lounging in the baggage car, and the brakeman was joking with the newsboy. 操作员在行李车厢闲荡，制动手正在和送报员在一起。

No one knew of the danger save the two quiet, stern men in the engine cab. 没人知道危险，除了驾驶室那两名安静严苛的人。

And in the seconds which elapsed after Potts first scented¹² danger, they lived a year. 就在波茨首次感到危险过后的那一刻，他们好像过了一年。

 

1 throttle   

n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压

参考例句：

• These government restrictions are going to throttle our trade.这些政府的限制将要扼杀我们的贸易。
• High tariffs throttle trade between countries.高的关税抑制了国与国之间的贸易。

2 belched   

v.打嗝( belch的过去式和过去分词 )；喷出，吐出；打（嗝）；嗳（气）

参考例句：

• He wiped his hand across his mouth, then belched loudly. 他用手抹了抹嘴，然后打了个响亮的饱嗝。
• Artillery growled and belched on the horizon. 大炮轰鸣在地平面上猛烈地爆炸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 piston   

n.活塞

参考例句：

• They use a piston engine instead.他们改用活塞发动机。
• The piston moves by steam pressure.活塞在蒸汽压力下运动。

4 exertion   

n.尽力，努力

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

5 belching   

n. 喷出，打嗝 动词belch的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The Tartars employed another weapon, the so-called Chinese dragon belching fire. 鞑靼人使用了另一种武器，所谓中国龙喷火器。
• Billows of smoke were belching from the chimney. 巨浪似的烟正从烟囱里喷出来。

6 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

7 hoofs   

n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
• The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

8 squeak   

n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another squeak out of you!我不想再听到你出声！
• We won the game,but it was a narrow squeak.我们打赢了这场球赛，不过是侥幸取胜。

9 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

10 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

11 sleeper   

n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺

参考例句：

• I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
• But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

12 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》