英语听力：鲁宾孙漂游记 06. A footprint

　　6

　　A footprint¹

　　Then，one year，something strange and terrible happened. I often walked along the shore²，and one day I saw something in the sand. I went over to look at it more care－fully，and stopped in sudden³ surprise.

　　It was a footprint—the footprint of a man！

　　Who could this be？Afraid，I looked around me. I listened. I waited. Nothing. I was more and more afraid. Perhaps this man was one of those wild people who killed and ate other men！I looked everywhere，but there was nobody，and no other foot-print. I turned and hurried home. 'There's someone on my is－land，'I said to myself. 'Perhaps he knows about me…Per-haps he's watching me now from behind a tree…Perhaps he wants to kill me. '

　　That night I couldn't sleep. The next day I got all my guns ready and I put more wood and young trees around my house. Nobody could see me now. But，after fifteen years alone on the island，I was afraid，and I did not leave my cave⁴ for three days.

　　In the end，I had to go out to milk my goats⁵. But for two years I was afraid. I stayed near my home and I never used⁶ my guns because I didn't want to make a noise. I could not forget the footprint，but I saw and heard nothing more，and slowly I began to feel happier.

　　One day，a year later，I was over on the west side of the is-land. From there I could see the other islands，and I could also see a boat，far out to sea. 'If you have a boat，'I thought，'it's easy to sail⁷ across to this island. Perhaps that explains the foot-print—it was a visitor from one of the other islands. '

　　I began to move more freely⁸ around the island again，and built myself a third house. It was a very secret place in a cave. 'No wild man will ever find that，'I said to myself.

　　Then one year something happened which I can never forget. I was again on the west side of the island and was walk-ing along the shore. Suddenly，I saw something which made me feel ill. There were heads，arms，feet，and other pieces of men's bodies everywhere. For a minute，I couldn't think，and then I understood. Sometimes there were fights between the wild men on the other islands. Then they came here to my island with their prisoners，to kill them，cook them，and eat them. Slowly，I went home，but I was very angry. How could men do this？

　　For many months I watched carefully for the smoke from fires，but I didn't see anything. Somehow⁹ the wild men came and went，and I never saw them. I was angry and afraid. I wanted to shoot them all，but there were many of them and on-ly one of me. 'Perhaps I can shoot two or three，'I said to my－self，'but then they will kill and eat me. '

　　Then，one morning in my twenty-third year on the island，I was out in my fields and I saw the smoke from a fire. Quickly，I went up the hill to watch.

　　There were nine men around the fire，and they were cooking their terrible food. Then these wild men danced round the fire，singing and shouting. This went on for about two hours，and then they got into their boats and sailed¹⁰ away. I went down to the shore and saw the blood of the dead men on the sand. 'The next time they come，I'm going to kill them，'I said angrily.

　　6 一个脚印

　　有一年，古怪而且可怕的事情发生了。我经常沿着海岸走，一天我看见在沙滩上有些东西。我跑过去想瞧个仔细，但却在震惊中停了下来。

　　那是一个脚印——一个人的脚印！

　　这是谁的呢？我害怕极了，环顾四周，我倾听着、等候着，却什么也没有，我越来越怕。也许，这是一个杀死并吃掉其他人的野人！我到处看，但都没有人，也没有别的脚印。我转过身匆忙赶回家。“岛上有人，”我自言自语，“也许他知道我……也许他现在正从树后面观察我……也许他想杀了我。”

　　那一夜我不能入睡。第二天我把所有的枪备好并在房子的周围堆上更多的木头和小树。现在没有人能够看见我。可是，岛上独自生活了十五年后，我还是害怕，以至于一连三天没离开过我的山洞。

　　最终，我还是不得不出去给我的山羊挤奶，但两年里我一直提心吊胆。我呆在房子的附近，从来不使用我的枪因为我不想弄出声音。我忘不掉那个脚印，但由于再也没有听到其他什么，渐渐地，我的感觉开始好起来。

　　一年以后的一天，我来到小岛的西侧，从那儿我能看到其他岛和远处大海中的船。“如果有一只船，”我想，“穿过海面来到这个岛是挺容易，也许，这样可以解释这脚印——是一个来自其他岛的来访者。”

　　我又开始在岛上自由自在地走动并给自己建了第三所房子。它是在一个山洞里非常隐蔽的地方。“没有野人能够找到它，”我对自己说。

　　然而有一年，有些事出现令我永远不能忘记。我又一次在岛的西侧沿着海岸散步。突然，我瞧见令我作呕的东西，那儿到处是人头、手臂、脚和一些人体其他部位的碎块。那一刻，我简直无法思考，随即，我就明白了。以前另一个岛上的野人之间发生了一场战斗，然后他们带着他们的俘虏来到了我的岛上，杀了俘虏，接着烹了吃掉。慢慢地，我走回家中，我愤怒。人怎么能够做这样的事？

　　几个月来，我仔细观察火堆升起的烟，但我什么也没看见。究竟野人如何来来去去我却从来没有发现过。我又愤怒又害怕。我想把他们全都杀了，但他们很多人而我只有一个人。“也许，我可以杀死两、三个，”我自言自语，“可是，然后他们却会杀了我并把我吃掉。”

　　此后，正是我在岛上的第23个年头的一个早上，我正在我的地里劳作，我看见一堆火上升起的烟，飞快地，我爬上山去观察。

　　有9个人围绕着火堆，正在烹煮着可怕37的食物。接着那些野人围绕着火堆跳起了舞，唱着叫着。这样整整持续了两个小时，然后他们上了小船离去。我下到海滩上，目睹了沙滩上死人的淋漓鲜血。“下次他们来，我一定会杀了他们，”我愤怒地说。 

1 footprint   

n.足迹

参考例句：

• I was standing inside a footprint!我刚才站在一个脚印里！
• She was staring at the footprint,full of fear.她盯着脚印，内心充满了恐惧。

2 shore   

n.海岸，海滨，斜撑柱；vt.支撑，支持

参考例句：

• It was a mile by water,four miles round the shore.由水路去只有一英里，沿岸绕行要四英里。
• The ship's cinema was empty because everyone was on shore.船上电影院空无一人，因为大家都上岸去了。

3 sudden   

n.突然，忽然；adj.突然的，意外的，快速的

参考例句：

• All of a sudden he turned about and saw me.他突然转过身来看见了我。
• The horse was badly frightened by the sudden noise.那匹马被突然而来的嘈杂声吓坏了。

4 cave   

n.洞穴；窑洞

参考例句：

• Where's the entrance to the cave?这个洞穴的入口在哪里？
• They opened the door and a great cave opened out before them.他们打开门，看到了一个大洞穴展现在面前。

5 goats   

n.山羊( goat的名词复数 )；老色鬼；色狼；好色之徒

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar. 在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The time had come to drive the goats homeward. 该是把山羊赶回家去的时候了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 used   

adj.用旧了的，旧的；习惯于…；过去惯/经常

参考例句：

• I used to work until nearly 6:00 o'clock each day.我过去常常工作到6:00左右。
• He used to walk anywhere from two to five miles an hour.他过去经常一小时走二至五英里。

7 sail   

n.帆，乘船航行；vt.乘船航行，浮游，启航；vi.驾船航行

参考例句：

• Ships can sail round the world.轮船能做环球航行。
• Ships can sail on the sea.轮船能在海上航行。

8 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

9 somehow   

adv.以某种方式，不知怎么搞地

参考例句：

• Somehow,I never got the chance to learn.不知怎么的，我从来都没有学的机会。
• But somehow,he got out.He's alive.可不知怎么的，他还活着出来了。

10 sailed   

v.驾驶( sail的过去式和过去分词 )；起航；坐船旅行；掠

参考例句：

• The ship, with the help of radar, sailed in thick fog. 船借助于雷达在浓雾中航行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The captain sailed his ship through the narrow channel. 船长驾驶他的船穿过了狭窄的航道。 来自《简明英汉词典》