Face to Face with Guns.docx

1、Face to Face with GunsFace to Face with GunsLike most city folks, Im cautious. I scan the street and pathways for anything or anyone unusual before pulling into the garage. That night was no exception. But, as I walked out of the garage, KFC chicken in hand, a portly, unshaven young man in a stockin

2、g cap and dark nylon jacket emerged from the shrub by the parking pad and put his pistol between my eyes.Give it up, mother , he threatened. Give it up.Hey, I said, just take it. As I spoke, I set the KFC box on the planter beside the pathway, contriving as I did so to toss my house keys into a bush

3、.Wheres your money? Wheres your money? he barked. Everything he said during our encounter was repeated; instinctively, I did the same.Its in my wallet. Its in my wallet, I said.He moved behind me, put his gun on my neck and began to search my trousers pockets.Wheres your wallet? he asked.Its in my b

4、ack pocket.Wheres the rest of your money?I dont have any more money.Wheres your watch?Here, I replied, extending my left arm sideways.Just then, his partner appeared. Slight and shorter, he held an enlarged blue steel pistol. His dark eyes shone like polished glass; his arms and legs moved unexpecte

5、dly, as if attached to unseen wires.His voice snapped, Stop looking at us. Stop looking at us.He wasnt stupid. Ive seen enough criminal trials to know victims of armed attacks are seldom able to identify their offenders because their attention focuses on the guns, rather than on their users. I consc

6、iously noted details of their faces.Im not looking at you, I lied as the big one ripped the watch from my wrist.Get down. Get down, the thin one ordered. He grabbed my glasses and tossed them onto the lawn.By then, I was flat on my face on the pathway, its dirt against my forehead. The big ones gun

7、dug into the back of my head, the thin ones pistol into my left temple.I thought, I am going to die. This is going to kill Leslie. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.Whats this? the big one asked.I rolled my head to the right.Its KFC chicken, I said.Well take it, the big one snapped.And, suddenly wall

8、et, watch and chicken in hand their footsteps faded down the darkened street.I turned to see their shadows get into a car and speed away.I had been spared, but by what? Mercy? A short attention span? Hunger?How peculiar, I thought, to have your life saved by fried chicken. I saw eternity; they saw f

9、ood.I got to my feet, found the keys, entered and called 911. The operator took a description of the robbers and sent a police car. I poured a stiff drink and, soon, two uniformed officers of the LAPD arrived. They took a report and admitted the important thing was nobody was hurt. But, one officer

10、said on leaving, taking your chicken, thats rough.Later, an officer telephoned for additional details. He said the pairs methods suggested they might be the same men who had committed a number of robberies in the area over the past few months. He asked me to come to the station and look through mug

11、shots.So, last Monday I looked through album-sized books of pictures mostly of young men an amazing number of them actually children.Turning those pages and studying their photographs is like flowing on a sad current that, like Blakes Thames, seems to mark in every face, marks of weakness, marks of

12、woe. Together, these young men are a kind of river one that is out of control, eating at the foundations of things we hold dear: our freedom to move about; the fruits of labor; our own lives and those of people we value. Some day, we will have to face this river and seek the depths of its discontent

13、.Presently, all we can do is look at mug shots and stick our fingers in the dam.Words: 687 NEW WORDScautiousa. taking great care to escape possible danger 十分小心的，谨慎的unusuala. not expected or usual 异乎寻常的，不平常的exceptionn. a person or thing that is not included 除外，例外；除外的人或事shavev. remove hair from the fa

14、ce or another part of the body with a razor 剃胡须，剃去上的毛发unshavena. not recently shaved 未剃须的，未修面的，有短髭的stockingn. (usu.pl.) 长（统）袜，袜子stocking cap 圆锥形绒线帽，针织帽nylona. & n. 耐纶（制的），尼龙的；耐纶织品，尼龙织品shrubn. a small bush 灌木padn. 1.（停车的）地方，（简易机场的）飞机起落段2. 垫，衬垫pistoln. a small gun that one holds in one hand 手枪contrive

15、v. manage to do or make something although there are difficulties 设法做到tossvt. throw into or through the air 扔，抛，掷barkv. 1. speak to someone in a loud voice with an angry or aggressive tone 厉声地说，咆哮2. (used about dogs) make a loud, short noise or noises （狗）吠，叫instinctn. natural habit of behaving in a

16、particular way, without thinking and without having been taught 本能，天性instinctivelyad. （出于）本能地，（出于）天性地walletn. a small case made of cloth, animal skin or plastic, etc. carried in the pocket and used for holding paper money, personal papers, etc. 皮夹子trousersn. （尤指男子穿的）长裤，西（装）裤sideway(s)ad. to or towar

17、ds one side （斜）向一边（或一侧），向旁边slighta. 1. thin and light 瘦小的2. small; not great; not very bad 少量的；轻微的；不严重的enlargevt. make sth. larger 扩大，扩展，使增大polishv. 1. make sth. smooth and shiny by rubbing 擦，擦光，擦亮2. improve 使完美，改进unexpecteda. not expected; sudden 没有料到的，突如其来的unexpectedlyad. in a way that is not expe

18、cted 没有料到地，突如其来地attachvt. tie or join sth. to sth. else 系，贴；连接criminala. against law 犯罪的，犯法的，刑事的n. a person who is at fault in a crime 罪犯victimn. a person who suffers harm or death as a result of someone elses action or a natural terrible event, etc.受害者，牺牲者offendv. 1. break a law, etc. 违法，违犯2. make

19、someone feel upset or angry 冒犯，触怒offendern. a person who offends against the law 犯法的人，犯规的人usern. a person who uses particular goods, machines or services 使用者，用户detailn. (often pl.)a small part or piece 细节，详情ripvt. remove sth. with speed and violence, using ones hands; tear 猛力扯掉，移去或去除wristn. the part

20、 of ones arm at the joint between hand and forearm 腕，腕关节lawnn. an area of grass in a garden or park that is regularly cut 草坪，草地dirtn. matter that is not clean, such as dust or wet earth 污物，烂泥，灰尘foreheadn. the part of the face above the eyebrows 额，前额templen. either of the flat parts of ones head at t

21、he side of the forehead 太阳穴lordn. (in the Christian faith) God or Jesus Christ 上帝，耶稣基督mercyn. kindness to sb. 慈悲，怜悯，仁慈sinn. wrong; a wicked act, especially one that breaks a religious law （违背道德规范的）罪；罪恶；（违犯宗教戒律的）罪孽vi. do wrong to commit a sin 违反教规，违犯戒律，犯罪sinnern. a person who sins （宗教、道德上的）罪人footstep

22、n. the sound made by walking 脚步（声）spann. the full time for which anything lasts 一段时间，持续时间fryvt. cook in hot oil or fat 油煎，油炒eternala. without end; lasting for ever 永恒的，永久的，不断的eternityn. 1. the state or time after death 不朽，来世2. time without end 永恒，无穷operatorn. 1. someone who connects telephone calls

23、电话接线员，机务员，话务员2. someone who works a machine 操作员，技工robvt. steal from a person, place, etc. 抢劫robbern. a person who steals from a person, place, etc. 抢劫者；强盗，盗贼robberyn. the crime of stealing from a person, place, etc. 抢劫罪，抢劫（案）stiffa. 1. (used about alcoholic drink) strong （酒）浓的，烈性的2. Very firm; not e

24、asily bent or folded; rigid 僵硬的，挺的，不易弯曲的additionala. extra 额外的，另外的currentn. a continuous flowing movement of water, air, etc.（水、空气等的）流，潮流a. from or about the present time 现时的，当前的woen. U great sadness 哀愁foundationn. 1. the idea, law, or fact on which sth. is based 基础，基本原理，根据2. an organization establi

25、shed with money so that it may continue into the future 基金会 3. the act of founding sth. 建立，设立presentlyad. 1. now 现在，目前2. soon 不久，一会儿damn. a wall built across a river to hold back the water and form a lake behind it 坝，堤PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONSface to face (with)1. close to and looking at someone or so

26、mething 面对面的地2. no escape from sth. and haveing to deal with it 无法逃避，只能去处理pull intoarrive and stop; move to (one side)（车）停靠；驶向（一旁等）as ifwith the appearance of; apparently 好像attach tofix sth. to sth. else; join to 系在上；连接到上rather thaninstead of; less likely 而不have mercy on someoneshow kindness to an e

27、nemy, sinner, one who does wrong, etc. 可怜某人get to ones feetstand up 站起来look throughlook quickly in; examine or study carefully 浏览；仔细检查be out of controlbe impossible to deal with or guide 失去控制eat (away) atdamage or destroy bit by bit 逐渐毁掉，侵蚀PROPER NAMESKFCKentucky Fried Chicken 肯德基炸鸡连锁店Leslie莱斯利（人名）LAPDthe Los Angeles Police Department 洛杉矶警察局Blake布莱克（1757-1827，英国诗人和版画家）Thames(the ) 英国英格兰南部泰晤士河（流经牛津、伦敦等