美国小学英语教材6:第231课 明星学徒(4)

（单词翻译）

For a moment the boy's mind went blank, and then he saw in a flash all the horror of the situation he was in.

那一刻男孩的脑子突然一片空白，转瞬间他看到了他面临的所有恐怖。

The acceptance tests were to begin at seven sharp in the morning!

明天早上准七点会开始验收试验！

There would be only a scant¹ five minutes after the whistle blew to get someone's attention,

在哨声引起人们注意之前，只有短短的五分钟，

even if he could find that wrench² in the night and judge the right time to begin his signals for help; for he had no watch.

即使他可以在夜间找到扳手，判断出发出求助信号的时间，但他没有表。

And unless he banged all night, he couldn't be sure of being heard in the morning.

除非他整夜敲击，他无法保证早上有人会听见。

Tim's flashlight, fortunately, was a new one, and undoubtedly³ he would be able to locate the wrench with it before long.

幸运的是，蒂姆的手电是个新的，毫无疑问他很快就可以用手电找寻扳手。

But as he set about doing it, his mind raced on, picturing what might happen within the next few hours. Suppose he found the wrench and used it.

但就在他准备行动时，他的心在加速，想象着未来几个小时会发生的事情，或许他可以找到扳手，并使用它。

Even suppose the men heard the noise he made before they started the Blower. Would they recognize it as a call for help,

甚至想有人会在启动吹风机之前听到他制造的噪音，他们会认为这是求救信号吗？

or would they think the great machine was merely stretching itself for its morning run?

或许会认为大型机器只不过是在早上进行简单的拉伸？

He was desperately⁴ afraid that they would do the latter.

他非常害怕他们会选择后者。

TIM MAKES HIS ESCAPE

蒂姆逃脱了

And now Tim's nerve was weakening. He slumped⁵ down in his tracks and wept, wept because,

如今蒂姆的神经正在衰弱，他在寻觅过程中突然坐下，并开始哭泣

as it suddenly flashed upon him, he would not be there to see his beloved Blower pass her tests.

他突然想到，他无法在现场看到心爱的吹风机通过测试。

Then came the slight bump of something touching⁶ his neck, it was the medal.

他感觉到有东西轻微触碰他的脖子，那是奖牌。

With his flash-light he examined its greasy⁷ inscription⁸, as if he did not know every word of it by heart already.

通过手电筒，他检查了泛着光的奖牌刻字，好似他已经记不起奖牌上的每一个字了。

For Faithful Service in the Company's Interest it read around the edge. The well-remembered words steadied him.

奖牌的边缘一周写着“送给为公司利益做出忠实服务的人”，这些已牢记的字让他镇定了下来。

Would it be faithful service, he asked himself, until all service was complete, and the Blower was on her way to India?

他扪心自问，这是忠诚的服务吗？直到所有服务结束，吹风机将前往印度？

No, it would not, decided⁹ the boy. It's up to me to come out of this hole alive, he said.

男孩认为这不是，他说是否活着从洞里出来由我来决定。

I believe it can be done, and I'll do it!

我相信可以做到，我可以做到！