2-7

 

7.

Pa knew I was living at Knights¹ Hill, knew what I was up to. And he was just down the road atSandringham on an extended visit. And yet he never dropped in. Giving me space, I guess.

Also, he was still very much in his newlywed phase, even though the wedding was more thantwo years prior.

Then one day he looked up in the sky and saw a Typhoon aircraft doing low passes along theseawall and he figured it must be me. So he got into his Audi and hurried over.

He found me in the marshes², on a quad³ bike, talking to a Typhoon some miles off. While Iwaited for the Typhoon to appear in the sky overhead we had a quick chat. He said he could seehow good I was getting at this new job. Above all, he could see how hard I was working at it, andthat delighted him.

Pa had always been a worker. He believed in work. Everyone must work, he often said. But hisown work was also a kind of religion, because he was furiously trying to save the planet. He’dbeen fighting for decades to alert people to climate change, never flagging, despite being cruellymocked by the press as a Henny Penny. Countless⁴ times, late at night, Willy and I would find himat his desk amid mountains of bulging⁵ blue postbags—his correspondence. More than once wediscovered him, face on the desk, fast asleep. We’d shake his shoulders and up he’d bob, a pieceof paper stuck to his forehead.

But along with the importance of work, he also believed in the magic of flight. He was ahelicopter pilot, after all, so he particularly loved seeing me steer⁶ these jets over the marshy⁷ flats atungodly speeds. I mentioned that the good citizens of Wolferton didn’t share his enthusiasm. Aten- thousand- kilo jet roaring just over their tiled roofs didn’t exactly cause jubilation⁸. RAFMarham had received dozens of complaints. Sandringham was supposed to be a no-fly zone.

All complainants were told: Such is war.

I loved seeing Pa, loved feeling his pride, and I felt buoyed⁹ by his praise, but I had to get backto work. I was mid-control, couldn’t tell the Typhoon to please hold on a moment.

Yes, yes, darling boy, back to work.

He drove off. As he went down the track I told the Typhoon: New target. Gray Audi. Headedsoutheast from my position down track. Towards a big silver barn oriented east-west.

The Typhoon tracked Pa, did a low pass straight over him, almost shattering the windows ofhis Audi.

But ultimately spared him. On my orders.

It went on to blow a silver barn to smithereens.

 

1 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

2 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 quad   

n.四方院；四胞胎之一；v.在…填补空铅

参考例句：

• His rooms were on the left-hand side of the quad.他的房间位于四方院的左侧。
• She is a 34-year-old mother of quads.她是个生了四胞胎的34岁的母亲。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 bulging   

膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱

参考例句：

• Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。
• Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她：“问问是不是重要的事。”

6 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

7 marshy   

adj.沼泽的

参考例句：

• In August 1935,we began our march across the marshy grassland. 1935年8月，我们开始过草地。
• The surrounding land is low and marshy. 周围的地低洼而多沼泽。

8 jubilation   

n.欢庆，喜悦

参考例句：

• The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans.主场球迷为进球欢呼。
• The whole city was a scene of jubilation.全市一片欢腾。

9 buoyed   

v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神

参考例句：

• Buoyed by their win yesterday the team feel confident of further success. 在昨天胜利的鼓舞下，该队有信心再次获胜。
• His encouragement buoyed her up during that difficult period. 他的鼓励使她在那段困难时期恢复了乐观的情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》