Language Point 1
... Justin Thurston was an exceptional runner... (Para.1)
Meaning: ...Justin was an unusually good runner...
exceptional: a.
1) unusually good, outstanding
This man has an exceptional memory, and it's said that he can memorize 500 new words per day. 这个人记忆力非凡, 据说他每天能熟记500个生词。
Tom is an exceptional student. 汤姆是个出众的学生。
2）unusual and not likely to happen often
This is an exceptional case; I've never seen anything like it before. 这是个特例，以前我从来没见过。
It has been raining for 30 days — this kind of weather is exceptional for July in the southern part of China. 一直下了30天雨，七月的这种天气对于中国南部来说是不多见的。
Language Point 2
Gifted with a beautiful voice,...(Para.1)
Meaning: He was born with a beautiful voice,...
(be) gifted with: (be) endowed with, having a natural ability to do sth. well
She is gifted with an exceptional memory. 她天生具有非凡的记忆力。
Gifted with a superb voice, she became a good opera singer. 她天生嗓子好，所以成为一名出色的歌剧演员。
Language Point 3
Meanwhile, a stabbing pain in his back began waking Justin at nigh, and his legs tickled so much that he was always scratching. (Para.3)
Meaning: At the same time, Justin was always woken by a very sharp pain in his back at night, and his legs itched so much that he couldn't help scratching them.
stab: v. strike forcefully (into) with the point of sth. sharp, esp. a knife
She stabbed him in the leg with a knife. 她用刀子捅伤了他的腿。
She had been stabbed in the chest repeatedly. 她的胸口被反复刺伤。
stabbing: a. (esp. of pain) as if made by a knife; sharp and sudden
He had declined an invitation to dinner, as the stabbing pain in his head had been getting worse. 他婉言谢绝了吃饭的邀请，因为他头疼得越来越厉害。
He felt a sudden stabbing pain in the stomach. 他突然感到胃部剧疼。
tickle: vi. feel or give a sensation that makes you want to rub
The back part of his head tickled; he forced himself to control it but failed.他感到后脑勺发痒，他想强迫自己控制住但却控制不了。
Mommy, the fur collar tickles. 妈妈，毛领让我发痒。
vt. delight or amuse
It always tickled me to get a card from them. 从他们那里收到卡片总使我很开心。
I was tickled by her description of the wedding. 我听了她对婚礼的描述觉得很有趣。
Language Point 4
He couldn't even pedal a bicycle. (Para.3)
pedal: v. operate ( a bicycle, etc.) with the pedals
We pedalled slowly up the hill. 我们慢慢往山上骑去。
He sensed that even if he stopped pedalling, the bicycle would still somehow go forward. 他意识到即使停止踩踏板，自行车还是往前跑。
Language Point 5
... he could only groan and bang his head in agony and frustration. ( Para.3)
Meaning: ... he could do nothing but moan and hit his head painfully.
groan: vi. utter a deep moan expressing pain, grief, or displeasure
She sat down beside me and groaned about the working day she has just been through. 她坐在我旁边，开始抱怨刚结束的这一工作日。
The old man who had been injured in the accident lay groaning beside the road. 在车祸中受伤的老人躺在路边呻吟。
n. the sound made in groaning
We could hear the groans of the old man next door. 我们可以听到隔壁老人的呻吟声。
There were loud groans from the boys when the TV was turned off. 电视机关掉后，男孩子们大声抱怨。
agony: n. very great physical or mental pain
The wounded man was in agony; it seems that he's desperate.那个受伤的男人处在极度痛苦中，他好像是绝望了。
He is suffering from a stabbing pain in the back and can't help groaning in agony. 他背上剧疼，禁不住痛苦地呻吟起来。
Language Point 6
"Brace yourself — your son has a large tumor inside his spine."( Para.4)
Meaning: "Please prepare yourself for the bad news — there is a large tumor inside your son's spine."
brace: vt. prepare (oneself) for sth. unpleasant or difficult
She braced herself for the inevitable arguments. 她做好了思想准备去应对不可避免的争执。
You had better brace yourself, I have some bad news. 你最好做好思想准备，我有坏消息告诉你。
Language Point 7
But an underlying gloom ran through the whole day. (Para.11)
Meaning: But there was a kind of unseen depression penetrating the whole day.
gloom: n.
1) a feeling of great sadness and lack of hope; depression
The news of defeat filled them all with gloom. 失败的消息使他们很郁闷。
The news cast a deep gloom over the city. 这消息使全市笼罩在一片愁云之下。
2) partial or total darkness; dimness
In the gathering gloom it was hard to see anything distinctly.光线越来越暗，什么东西都看不清。
We inched forwards in the gloom. 我们在黑暗中缓慢地前进。
run through: be present in every part of (sth.)
There is a deep-seated conservatism running through our society. 我们社会中普遍存在着根深蒂固的保守思想。
With the war raging, fear ran through the whole country. 在战争的硝烟中，全国一片恐慌。
Language Point 8
... read a magazine article telling of a surgeon at New York Metropolitan Hospital named Israel Epstein... (Para.12)
metropolitan: a. of, relating to, or characteristic of a major city
He has been used to the metropolitan life there. 他已经习惯那里的大都市生活。
A country's main economic base is rooted in the metropolitan industry and commerce.一个国家的主要经济来源归根结底还在于大都市的工商业。
Language Point 9
... Dorothy went to see one of Justin's doctors, who promised to look up Epstein in a directory of surgeons;...( Para.12)
directory: n. an alphabetical or classified listing of names, addresses, and other data, such as telephone numbers, of specific persons, groups, or firms
It took him more than two hours to find the professor's home address in the directory. 他花了两个多小时才在电话号码簿上找到教授的家庭地址。
It's extremely convenient to have a directory. 有电话号码簿非常方便。
Language Point 10
I'm willing to deduct my fee from the bill. (Para.13)
deduct: vt. take away an amount from a total; subtract
After deducting fixed rental and running costs he earns only a small amount of money. 除去固定租金和经营成本以外，他所剩无几。
The money I lent you will be deducted from your account within a few days. 我借给你的钱将会在几天内从你账上扣除。
Language Point 11
But just as hope was fading,...(Para.14)
Meaning: But when the hope was gradually disappearing,...
fade: vi. disappear gradually; lose brightness, color, strength, freshness, etc.
The lights and music faded as we set sail from the harbor. 当我们从海港起航时，光线逐渐变暗，音乐声逐渐减弱。
When we see the summer flowers fading, we feel very sentimental. 看到夏季的花枯萎时，我们非常伤感。
Language Point 12
Minutes later, his back scrubbed clean and knocked out by drugs, Justin lay flat on the operating table. (Para.17)
Meaning: Soon after his back had been rubbed clean and he fell asleep because of drugs, Justin lay flat on the operating table.
scrub: vt. wash or clean sth. by rubbing it hard
He washed his bloodstained clothes, and scrubbed blood from his car. 他洗去了衣服上的血迹，又擦净车上的血污。
He scrubbed his face with the handkerchief she offered. 他用她给的手绢擦了擦脸。
knock out: (of a drug) make (sb.) go to sleep
A few drops of morphia will knock him out. 几滴吗啡会使他昏睡。
The tablets knocked her out for several hours. 药片使她睡了几个小时。
Language Point 13
Epstein opened his spine, exposing the opaque gray film covering the nerves,... (Para.17)
opaque: a.
1) not able to be seen through
We tried to see the inside of the room through the window, but failed because the glass in the window is opaque. 我们想透过窗户看看房间里面，但看不到，因为窗户上的玻璃是不透明的。
The kitchen has an opaque glass door. 厨房有一扇不透明的玻璃门。
2) difficult to understand
I felt that his report was deliberately opaque. 我觉得他的报告故意含糊其辞。
He has an opaque style of writing. 他的写作风格晦涩难懂。
Language Point 14
Finally, peeling the nerve bundle open, Epstein looked down at the long, red-brown tumor. (Para.17)
Meaning: At last, the outer layer of the nerve bundle was removed, and Epstein saw the long, red-brown tumor.
peel: vt. remove the outer covering from (sth.)
Lucy peeled the potatoes while Peter cleaned the floor. 露茜削土豆皮，彼得擦地板。
He bought a machince that peels fruits. 他买了一台削水果皮的机器。
vi. (of an outer covering or surface) come off in thin strips or pieces
The paint and the wallpaper are starting to peel off. 油漆和壁纸都开始脱落。
His sunburned skin began to peel. 他那经日光晒伤的皮肤开始剥落。
Language Point 15
It dwarfed anything he had ever seen,...(Para.17)
Meaning: It was bigger than any tumor he had ever seen,...
dwarf: vt. cause (sth. or sb.) to seem small by comparison
These two big men dwarfed the tiny office. 两位彪形大汉使这办公室显得更小。
The skyscraper dwarfs all the other buildings around. 这座摩天大楼使四周的大厦显得很低。
n. an abnormally short person
The old woman was narrating the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for children. 老奶奶给孩子们讲白雪公主与七个小矮人的故事。
Language Point 16
The surgeon now reached for the shaft of a pencil-like steel instrument with a tip that vibrates 26,000 times a second, breaking up the tissue it touches and then sucking it out through a tiny hose. (Para.18)
Meaning: The doctor now got the handle of a pencil-like steel instrument. The instrument has a tip that vibrates 26,000 times a second and breaks the tissue into pieces, which it then sucks out through a tiny tube.
shaft: n. the long, narrow handle of a tool or instrument
The shaft of the knife is very rough. 刀柄很粗糙。
hose: n. a flexible tube for conveying liquids or gases under pressure
The water flows along a hose to our houses. 水沿着管道流到我们家。
There are plenty of fire hoses in the building. 建筑物中有很多消防水管。
vt. water, or wash with a hose
Will you hose down my car? It's very dirty. 你能用水管冲洗一下我的汽车吗？车太脏了。
The bridge had been hosed down by the fire department. 桥已被消防部门用水龙冲洗过了。
Language Point 17
Looking through the operating microscope, Epstein turned a knob and carefully moved the vibrating tip against Justin's tumor. (Para.18)
Meaning: Epstein turned a switch and moved the steel instrument against Justin's tumor carefully by looking through the operating microscope.
knob: n.
1) a rounded control switch or dial
This machine has lots of knobs on it. Which one starts it? 这机器有许多旋钮，哪一个是启动旋钮？
I adjusted the volume knob and sat down. 我调了调音量旋钮便坐了下来。
2) a rounded handle, as on a drawer or door
He turned the door knob to open the door. 他扭动把手，把门打开。
Language Point 18
There was no room for error;...(Para.18)
Meaning: Any error would be unacceptable;...
Language Point 19
... even so much as grazing the nerve bundle could permanently paralyze the patient.( Para.18)
Meaning:... even slight damage to the nerve bundle could paralyze the patient forever.
graze: vt. rub or scrape (esp. the skin) so as to break the surface but cause little or no bleeding
The child fell and grazed her knee. 小孩儿跌了一跤，擦伤了膝盖。
A bullet grazed his arm. 子弹擦破了他的胳膊。
Language Point 20
Hours passed; occasionally a nurse sponged the sweat from Epstein's face. (Para.18)
Meaning: Hours passed; from time to time a nurse wiped out the sweat from Epstein's face with the sponge.
sponge: vt. wipe or clean (as if) with a sponge
He sponged the car carefully to remove the shampoo. 他用海绵把汽车上的香波小心地擦掉了。
Never scrub or violently sponge the rug, as this may damage it and cause the colours to run. 绝对不要猛擦或用海绵猛吸地毯，因为这样会损害它，造成褪色。
Language Point 21
... Epstein turned off the humming device, stitched up the wound, and stepped back from the operating table. (Para.18)
Meaning: ... Epstein stopped the humming instrument, sewed the wound with stitches, and moved away from the operating table.
hum: vi. make a steady continuous sound like that of a bee
They hummed for hours in the next room around noon. 他们中午在隔壁房间嘀咕了几个小时。
I wish I could remember the words of the song, but I've forgotten them, so I just hum along with the tune. 我希望我能记住歌词，但忘记了，所以只好跟着曲调哼哼。
stitch: v. join one's skin together after it has been cut
When the nurse was stitching up his wound, he found that it was painful seeing a needle flying upon his skin. 当护士给她缝合伤口时，他感到亲眼看见在自己皮肤上飞针走线是一件痛苦的事。
Language Point 22
Although there remained a slight chance that the growth might recur, ...(Para.23)
Meaning: Though it is slightly possible that the tumor might grow again, ...
recur: vi. happen, come up, or show up again or repeatedly
A leap year recurs every four years. 每四年闰年一次。
Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。
Language Point 23
... Epstein strode briskly into Justin's room. (Para.24)
Meaning: ... Epstein walked into Justin's room with big, quick steps.
stride: vi. walk with long steps, esp. in a hasty or vigorous way
She turned and strode off without a word. 她转过身子，一言不发就大步走了。
His face turned red, and he strode angrily out of the classroom. 他满脸通红，气愤地大步走出教室。
briskly: ad. in a lively and quick way
Mary is in a good mood today, and she is walking briskly. 玛丽今天心情很好，走路轻快。
He always walks briskly. This is his style. 他走路总是很轻快，这是他的风格。
Language Point 24
Dorothy gripped his hands as he slowly slid his feet to the tile floor. (Para.25)
tile: n. a thin, flat hard material such as baked clay or plastic, used esp. for floors, or walls
We use tiles to cover floors and walls. 我们用瓷砖铺地面和墙面。
Some of the tiles were broken. 一些地砖破裂了。
Language Point 25
Then he looked at his mother, his eyes sparkling. (Para.25)
Meaning: Then he looked at his mother, his eyes shining.
sparkle: vi. give off flashes of light
Her diamonds sparkled in the bright light. 她的钻石在亮光下闪闪发光。
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. 她的眼睛由于兴奋而发亮。
