【正文】
e remained in the car. We informed him that the fissure extended for fifty yards and was two feet wide and four feet deep. Even this had no effect. Bruce went into a low gear and drove at a terrifying speed, keeping the front wheels astride the crack as he followed its zigzag course. Before we had time to worry about what might happen, we were back on the plain again. Bruce consulted the map once more and told us that the village was now only fifteen miles away. Our next obstacle was a shallow pool of water about half a mile across. Bruce charged at it, but in the middle, the car came to a grinding halt. A yellow light on the dash board flashed angrily and Bruce cheerfully announced that there was no oil in the engine! 【課文翻譯】 穿越平原的道路高低不平,開車走了不遠(yuǎn),路面愈加崎嶇。我們想勸說布魯斯把車開回我們出發(fā)的那個(gè)村莊去。盡管路面布滿石頭,坑坑洼洼,但布魯斯卻一點(diǎn)兒不慌亂。他瞥了一眼地圖,告訴我們前面再走不到20英里就是一個(gè)村莊。這并不是說布魯斯總是低估困難,而是他壓根兒沒有一點(diǎn)兒危險(xiǎn)感。他認(rèn)為不管路面情況如何,車必須以速度前進(jìn)?! ∥覀?cè)趬m士飛揚(yáng)的道路上顛簸,車子?xùn)|拐西彎,以躲開那些大圓石。車輪攪起的石塊錘擊車身,發(fā)出不祥的錘擊聲。我們想念遲早會(huì)飛起一個(gè)石塊把油箱砸開一個(gè)窟窿,或者把發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)砸壞。因此,我們不時(shí)地掉過頭,懷疑車后是否留下了機(jī)油和汽油的痕跡?! ⊥蝗淮笫瘔K不見了,前面是一片平地,的障礙只有一簇簇灌木叢。這使我們長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)地松了口氣。但是更糟糕的事情在等著我們,離我們不遠(yuǎn)處,出現(xiàn)一個(gè)大裂縫。我們?cè)俅窝肭蟛剪斔剐⌒模@才把車停了下來。我們紛紛下車察看那個(gè)大裂縫,他卻呆在車上。我們告訴他那個(gè)大裂縫長(zhǎng)50碼,寬2英尺,深4英尺。這也沒有對(duì)他產(chǎn)生任何影響。布魯斯掛上慢檔,把兩只前輪分別擱在裂縫的兩邊,順著彎彎曲曲的裂縫,以發(fā)瘋的速度向前開去。我們還未來得及擔(dān)心后果,車已重新開上了平地。布魯斯又看了一眼地圖,告訴我們那座村莊離我們只有15英里了。下一個(gè)障礙是一片約半英里寬的淺水塘。布魯斯向水塘沖去,但車開到水塘當(dāng)中,嘎吱一聲停住了。儀表盤一盞黃燈閃著刺眼的光芒,布魯斯興致勃勃地宣布發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)里沒油了! 【詞匯】 rough adj. 崎嶇不平的 boulder n. 大石塊 pit v. 使得坑坑洼洼 perturb v. 使不安 underestimate v. 低估 swerve v. 轉(zhuǎn)向 scoop v. 挖出 hammer v. (用錘)擊打,錘打 ominously adv. 有預(yù)兆的,不祥的 rip v. 劃破,撕,扯 petrol n. 汽油 stretch n. 一大片(平地或水) obstacle n. 障礙 clump n. 叢,簇 fissure n. (石、地的)深縫 renew v. 重復(fù) pleading n. 懇求 gear n. (汽車)排檔 astride prep. 騎,跨 crack n. 縫隙 zigzag n. “之”字形 shallow adj. 淺的 grind v. 磨擦 halt n. ?! ashboard n. (汽車上的)儀表盤