Lesson 08
Left for Dead (撇下死者不管)
by Norma Hutchinson
[1] Freed by the clock from the day’s unexpected responsibilities (临时有事), Troy Sallee locked the door of his (audio音频的<->) motorvideo store (音像店) and walked out into the summer evening. It was just after eight o'clock on July 11, 1988, and the neighborhood shopping center in Bedford, Ind. (=Indiana), was quiet. Only the drugstore (=pharmacy) a few doors away was still open.
[2] Sallee hadn't minded having to come in when the clerk on duty (值班的) became ill that afternoon. And later, instead of calling in (召回) another employee for the evening shift (n.夜班; vt.移动), he had remained (=stayed) until closing (打样).
[3] Unlocking his car, he paid little attention to (没注意) the silver dan (teens girl小轿车) that pulled up (=parked) by his shop, until one of the four (occupy: vt.占据->) occupants (=pas
ngers乘客) hailed (=called) him. "Can we still rent (租) a video?"
[4] Sallee hesitated (vi.犹豫), but only for a cond (=moment). At 27, he owned (=has) three video shops and was a successful businessman. He'd (=He had) often delayed closing for (为…推迟关门) customers. There was no reason not to accommodate (=rve接待->accommodation: n.住宿) this one.
[5] Back in the store, Sallee waited patiently while the man looked at titles (=names录像带名称). Five minutes later, two others left the car and joined their companion(与伙伴汇合). When they called Sallee to the showca (橱窗) to question one of the displays (展览的内容), he responded promptly(=quickly/ swiftly).
[6] "This is a (rub: 摩擦->rubber: 橡胶<->rob: vt.抢劫->) robbery (抢劫)," one of the men said in a raspy(=易怒的)voice, as (=when) another pulled a gun. "If you thereiscooperate (配合), we won’t hurt you. If you don't, we'll blow your head off (一枪爆头)."
[7] Sallee cooperated. He (empty: adj.空的->) emptied (vt.腾空) the register (登记簿¸ 收银箱) and pushed its contents (箱子里的东西) toward them.
一只叫snoopy的萌猫
[8] So far, so good, he thought.
[9] Grabbing Blindly (只顾抢钱). The trio (=three) took his wallet and keys. While one of them locked the front door, the other two ordered him to the rear (=back) of the building.
[10] There his captors (绑匪) tied his hands behind his back, bound (捆绑) his ankles (脚踝) and blindfolded (=covered his eyes蒙眼) him, remembering (=reminding提醒) their threat (恐吓), Sallee remained (=was) passive (没有反抗) when (=suddenly突然) they pushed him into the shop's (store: vt.储存; n.仓库->) storage closet (储藏室). He even complied (=obeyed配合) when (he was) ordered to tip back his head.
[11] Immediately he felt sharp, stinging (尖锐的刺痛) pressure across his throat, pressure that was repeated a couple of times. They're just trying to (car->scar->scarf->scarce: adj.稀少的->) scare (=frighten全免费英语学习网站) me, he thought, until he realized with horror (惊恐地) what had caud the sudden warmth spreading down his throat to his chest (热流到了胸口). It was blood.
[12] Shocked into the reality of what was happening, Sallee strained (vt.拉紧) at his bonds (绷带), trying to turn away from the slashing (尖锐的, 锋利的) knife. His attacker angrily pushed him out of the cramped (=crowded) clot. Sallee so soyanked (猛拉) his hands apart repeatedly until the cloth binding them (=hands) gave way (松脱).
[13] He grabbed blindly for (抢) the knife but caught its edge (刀锋), hg是什么意思slashingwithout you中文歌词 (割破) three fingers and almost vering (=cutting砍断) one. By that time he was losing feeling from the neck down (颈椎以下已经麻木), and he knew he was weakening (=fainting昏迷) rapidly.
[14] As the struggle continued, Sallee's blindfold dropped (蒙眼布掉落), but to little advantage (没多少用<->disadvantage: n.劣势). Surprid by their victim's resistance (抵抗) and strength (n.力气), the attackers curd (骂) Salle. One (One of the robbers) knocked him to the floor with a blow to the head (当头一击) and another began kicking him in the face.
[15] Sallee tried to get to his knees (膝盖->kneel: vi.跪下), but the man wielding (挥舞) t
he knife pinned (压住) him down, alternately (轮番, 交替) slicing (=cutting切, 割) his throat and burying the knife in his back and chest.
[16] Weak and dazed (眩晕), Sallee figured (=thought) that if he cead to fight (->stopped fighting停止反抗), his attackers might go away and leave him for dead (因其死亡而离去).
[17] He was right (=correct). Sure that their victim (受害者), lying limply (=softly) on the floor, would (blood: n.血液->) bleed to death before anyone found himidrop, they grabbed additional loot (战利品) -- a VCR (videocastte recorder盒录像机) and a telephone-- and left (vi.离开) by the back exit (后门).
[18] Life (was) Ebbing Away冬季安全知识 (生命垂危). Sallee waited, hardly breathing (几乎不能呼吸). He was afraid to move, afraid one of his attackers had been left (留下) to watch him. But he knew that if he didn't get help soon, he would die. Pulling himlf to the back doorway, which automatically locked when the robbers left, he slowly reached up and, with great effort, pushed the door open.
