Never Let a Friend Down.ppt

Text B Never Let a Friend Down Jim Hutchison 1 Coming to the football match this afternoon? Bill McIntosh asked 59-year-old Royce Wedding as they drank beer at the Eureka Hotel in the Australian town of Rainbow. Royce shook his head. I promised Mom Id burn off the weeds on one of our fields. 下午去看足球赛吗？比尔·麦金托什问59岁的罗伊斯·韦丁。他们两人正在澳大利亚的虹镇尤里卡饭店喝啤酒。罗伊斯摇摇头。我答应我妈给我家的一块地烧荒。“ 2 Bill, who was thin but strong, looking far less than his 79 years, peered outside at the heat. A light breeze was blowing from the north, making conditions perfect for the burn. But Bill felt uneasy about Royce doing the job alone. The farmer had a bad leg and walked with great difficulty. 比尔瘦削而结实，79岁，但看上去远没有那么老。他望着外面的炎热空气。一阵轻风自北向南吹，这条件最适宜烧荒了。不过比尔对罗伊斯独自干这活不放心。这个农夫有条腿不好，行走很费劲。 3 The pair had been best of friends for 30 years, ever since the days when they traveled together from farm to farm in search of work. Now, living alone 12 miles east of town, Bill scraped a living hunting foxes and rabbits. Once a fortnight he went to town to buy supplies and catch up with Royce, who helped run the Wedding familys farm. Ill give you a hand, Bill said. 两人曾一起从一个农场走到另一个农场寻些活儿干，迄今已是30年的好朋友了。如今比尔独自一人住在镇东12英里处，靠打狐狸和野兔勉强过活。他两个星期一次前来小镇购物，会会帮着经管自家的农场的罗伊斯。我帮你一把，比尔说。 4 The pair set off in Royces car. Soon they were bumping over a sandy track to the weed-choked 120-acre field. Fires the only way to get rid of this stuff, said Bill as they tied an old tire to the tow bar with a 50-foot chain. Soaking the tire with gasoline, Bill put a match to it and jumped in the car. 两人坐着罗伊斯的车动身了。没多一会儿他们就颠簸在一条沙土路上，朝一块面积120公顷、杂草丛生的田地开去。火是除去这玩意儿的惟一办法，比尔说。他们用根50英尺长的链条把一个旧轮胎绑在牵引杆上。比尔在轮胎上浇透汽油，划根火柴一点，便跳进车里。 5 Driving slowly from the southern edge of the field, they worked their way upwind, leaving a line of burning weeds in their wake. Half way up the field, and without warning, the car pitched violently forward, plowing into a hidden bank of sand. 两人从农田的南边缓缓开车逆风而行，所过之处留下一条燃着的草带。开到地当中，车猛地朝前一颠，没等察觉，就陷进了一个被草遮着的沙堆。 6 The breeze suddenly