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25.

Hugh and Emilie were old friends of Pa’s. They lived in Norfolk, and we often went to visit themfor a week or two, during school holidays and summers. They had four sons with whom Willy andI were always thrown together, like pups into a bunch of pit bulls.

We played games. One day Hide and Seek, the next Capture the Flag. But whatever the gameit was always an excuse for a massive scrap¹, and whatever the scrap, there were no winnersbecause there were no rules. Hair-pulling, eye-gouging, arm-twisting, sleeper² holds, all was fair inlove and war and at Hugh and Emilie’s country house.

As the youngest and smallest I always took the brunt. But I also did the most escalating³, themost asking for it, so I deserved everything I got. Black eye, violet welt, puffed⁴ lip, I didn’t mind.

On the contrary. Maybe I wanted to look tough. Maybe I just wanted to feel something. Whatevermy motivation, my simple philosophy when it came to scrapping⁵ was: More, please.

The six of us cloaked our pretend battles in historic names. Hugh and Emilie’s house wouldoften be converted into Waterloo, the Somme, Rorke’s Drift. I can see us charging each other,screaming: Zulu!

Battle lines were often blood lines, though not always. It wasn’t always Windsor versusOthers. We’d mix and match. Sometimes I was fighting alongside Willy, sometimes against. Nomatter the alliances, though, it often happened that one or two of Hugh and Emilie’s boys wouldturn and set upon Willy. I’d hear him crying out for help and down would come the red mist, likea blood vessel⁶ bursting behind my eyes. I’d lose all control, all ability to focus on anything butfamily, country, tribe, and hurl⁷ myself at someone, everyone. Kicking, punching, strangling,taking out legs.

Hugh and Emilie’s boys couldn’t deal with that. There was no dealing⁸ with it.

Get him off, he’s mad!

I don’t know how effective or skilled a fighter I was. But I always succeeded in providingenough diversion for Willy to get away. He’d check his injuries, wipe his nose, then jump straightback in. When the scrap finally ended for good, when we hobbled away together, I always feltsuch love for him, and I sensed love in return, but also some embarrassment⁹. I was half Willy’ssize, half his weight. I was the younger brother: he was supposed to save me, not the other wayaround.

Over time the scraps¹⁰ became more pitched. Small-arms fire was introduced. We’d hurl Romancandles at each other, make rocket launchers from golf-ball tubes, stage night battles with two ofus defending a stone pillbox in the middle of an open field. I can still smell the smoke and hear thehiss as a projectile¹¹ rocketed towards a victim, whose only armor would be a puffer jacket, somewool mittens¹², maybe some ski goggles¹³, though often not.

Our arms race accelerated. As they do. We began to use BB guns. At close range. How was noone maimed? How did no one lose an eye?

One day all six of us were walking in the woods near their house, looking for squirrels andpigeons to cull¹⁴. There was an old army Land Rover. Willy and the boys smiled.

Harold, jump in, drive away, and we’ll shoot you.

With what?

Shotgun.

No, thanks.

We’re loading. Either get in and drive or we shoot you right here.

I jumped in, drove away.

Moments later, bang. Buckshot rattling¹⁵ off the back.

I cackled and hit the accelerator.

Somewhere on their estate was a construction site. (Hugh and Emilie were building a newhouse.) This became the setting for possibly our fiercest battle. It was around dusk. One brotherwas in the shell of the new house, taking heavy fire. When he retreated we bombarded him withrockets.

And then…he was gone.

Where’s Nick?

We shone a torch. No Nick.

We marched forward, steadily¹⁶, came upon a giant hole in the ground, almost like a squarewell, alongside the construction site. We peered over the edge and shone the torch down. Farbelow, lying on his back, Nick was moaning. Damned lucky to be alive, we all agreed.

What a great opportunity, we said.

We lit some firecrackers, big ones, and dropped them down into the pit.

 

1 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

2 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。

3 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

4 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 scrapping   

刮，切除坯体余泥

参考例句：

• He was always scrapping at school. 他在学校总打架。
• These two dogs are always scrapping. 这两条狗总是打架。

6 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

7 hurl   

vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂

参考例句：

• The best cure for unhappiness is to hurl yourself into your work.医治愁苦的最好办法就是全身心地投入工作。
• To hurl abuse is no way to fight.谩骂决不是战斗。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

10 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

11 projectile   

n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的

参考例句：

• The vertical and horizontal motions of a projectile can be treated independently.抛射体的竖直方向和水平方向的运动能够分开来处理。
• Have you altered the plans of the projectile as the telegram suggests?你已经按照电报的要求修改炮弹图样了吗?

12 mittens   

不分指手套

参考例句：

• Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。
• I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。

13 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

14 cull   

v.拣选；剔除；n.拣出的东西；剔除

参考例句：

• It is usually good practice to cull the poorest prior to field planting.通常在实践上的好方法是在出圃栽植前挑出最弱的苗木。
• Laura was passing around photographs she'd culled from the albums at home.劳拉正在分发她从家里相册中挑选出的相片。

15 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

16 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。