Language Point 1
Face to Face with Guns (title)
Meaning: Face guns in an encounter
face to face: 1) close to and looking at someone or something
We were in the downtown area when we came face to face with Jack. 遇到杰克时我们正在市中心。
2) no escape from sth. and have to deal with it
I was bit by bit being brought face to face with the fact that I had very little success. 渐渐地我得面对这样一个事实：我几乎没取得什么成功。
Language Point 2
Like most city folks, I'm cautious. I scan the street and pathways for anything - or anyone-unusual before pulling into the garage. (Para. 1)
Meaning: Like most people who live in a city, I act very carefully in order to escape possible danger. Before I drive my car into the garage to park, I look at the street and pathways very carefully to see whether there is anything unusual or there is any unusual person.
Language Point 3
Like most city folks, I'm cautious. (Para. 1)
cautious: a. taking great care to escape possible danger
You should be cautious when you cross the street.过马路时，你要小心 。
He is a very cautious man; he always thinks very carefully before he makes a decision. 他是个非常小心谨慎的人，在作出某项决定之前他总是先周密思考。
Language Point 4
I scan the street and pathways for anything-or anyone-unusual before pulling into the garage. (Para. 1)
unusual: a. not expected or usual
It is unusual to see snow in May in Beijing. 在北京五月份下雪是很少见的。
In China it is unusual for unmarried sons and daughters to live separately from their parents.在中国未婚儿女与父母分开居住是很异乎寻常的。
pull into: to arrive; stop one's journey at a place; move to
Let's pull into this roadside restaurant for something to eat. 咱们把车开到这家路边餐馆弄点吃的东西吧。
The bus pulled into the opening at the side of the road to let the cars pass. 公交车开到路边的空地上,让那些小汽车通过。
Language Point 5
That night was no exception. (Para. 1)
Meaning: That night, I did the exactly the same thing: I looked at the street and pathways very carefully to see whether there was anything unusual or there was any unusual person before pulling into the garage.
exception: n. a person or thing that is not included
Most tourists really enjoy visiting Disney world in Florida; the few who do not are exceptions. 大多数游客确实喜欢佛罗里达州的迪斯尼乐园，极少数不喜欢的属于例外。
It is possible to make rules about English spelling, but there are so many exceptions that the rules are not always helpful. 对于英语的拼法是可以列出规律来的，但存在着许许多多不合规律的例外情况。
Most children prefer playing to working, but Jim is an exception.许多孩子喜欢玩，而不喜欢做事，但吉姆是个例外。
no exception: sth. that is definitely included.
Marketing is everywhere these days and books are no exception. 如今到处都是买卖，书籍也不例外。
All fresh vegetables contain some vitamin C with no exception. 所有新鲜蔬菜无一例外会含有一些维生素C。
Language Point 6
...a portly, unshaven young man in a stocking cap and dark nylon jacket... (Para. 1)
be in: have sth. on, wear sth. (clothes, glove, cap, etc.)
a girl in red/in a fur coat穿红衣服/穿皮外套的女孩
a man in uniform 穿制服的男人
Language Point 7
"Give it up, mother-," he threatened. "Give it up." (Para. 2)
Meaning: He asked me to give my money to him or he would do something harmful to me. The word "mother" is used to express a slight with radical anger or annoyance. It is a very rude and offensive word if used in this way.
Language Point 8
"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. (Para. 3)
Meaning: I asked him to take it. While I was speaking, I put the KFC box on the planter beside the pathway, and at the same time I tossed my house keys on purpose into a bush.
contrive: vi. manage to do or make something although there are difficulties
He contrived to make a mix-up of the whole thing. 他费尽心机，结果反而把事情弄糟了。
Language Point 9
"Where's your money? Where's your money?" he barked. (Para. 4)
bark: v. speak to someone in a loud voice with an angry or aggressive tone that sounds like a dog barking; in US, sell goods in public by calling out
Please note that bark can be used both transitively and intransitively.
He barked at his assistants. 他对着助手们大吼大叫。
The street sellers repeatedly barked their selling cries about their goods. 马路上的小贩们一个劲儿大声叫卖货物。
Language Point 10
Everything he said during our encounter was repeated; instinctively, I did the same. (Para. 4)
Meaning: During our encounter, he said everything twice and by instinct, I said everything twice too.
instinctively: ad. without thinking and without having been taught
When attacked, he instinctively fought back to defend himself. 遭到袭击时，他本能地回击以保护自己。
instinct: n. natural habit of behaving in a particular way, without thinking and without having been taught
mothering instinct母亲的天性
language instinct语言的本能
pain-escaping instinct 逃避疼痛的本性
Language Point 11
Slight and shorter, he held an enlarged blue steel pistol. (Para. 13)
Meaning: He was slight and shorter than the first man and held a larger than usual blue steel pistol.
Language Point 12
His dark eyes shone like polished glass; his arms and legs moved unexpectedly, as if attached to unseen wires. (Para. 13)
Meaning: His dark eyes were very bright; he moved his arms and legs suddenly as if they were connected to hidden wires.
polish: v. 1. make something smooth and shiny by rubbing
He polishes his new car every weekend. 他每个周末擦洗他的新车。
2. improve
He spent much time polishing his article before having it printed. 文章付印之前他花了许多时间来润色。
attach to: to fix something to something else
Attach the handle to the box. 把这个把手装到箱子上。
We attached a business card to the briefcase. 我们在这小提箱上贴了一张名片。
Language Point 13
I've 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. (Para. 15)
Meaning: I've seem a lot of criminal trials so that I know only a very few victims of armed attacks are able to establish who their attackers are because they focus their attention on the guns and not on the users of the guns.
Language Point 14
I've seen enough criminal trials (Para. 15)
criminal: a. against the law
He was brought to the trial court because of his criminal actions. 由于他的犯罪行为，他被送到了初审法院。
criminal: n. a person who is at fault for a crime
Some people believe that punishment should be of such a kind that it would teach criminals to behave like ordinary, useful members of society. 有些人认为惩罚应教育罪犯成为普通的、有用的社会成员。
Language Point 15
...to know victims of armed attacks ...(Para. 15)
victim: n. a person who suffers harm or death as a result of someone else's action or a terrible natural event, etc.
The man was the victim of an attack. 这个男子是袭击的受害者。
The murder victim was found in her house. 在她的房子里找到了被谋害的人。
Many victims of the war lost their families.许多战争的受害者失去了他们的家庭。
Language Point 16
...are seldom able to identify their offenders...(Para. 15)
identify: vt. determine exactly who someone is or what something is
Please note that you learned this word in passage B, Unit 2. Be sure to learn how to use the word correctly!
I've 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. 我看过许多刑事审判，因而知道在那些武装袭击的受害者中，很少有人能够辨认出袭击他们的人，因为他们的注意力全集中在枪上，而没有放在持枪人上。(Para. 15)
He asked me to come to the station and identify these two robbers in the photos they kept. 他让我到警局去从他们弄到的照片上辩认那两个疑犯。(Para. 30)
offender: n. a person who offends against the law
offend: v. 1. break a law, etc.
What he had done offended against the rules of proper behavior. 他的所作所为违背了行为举止得体的准则。
2. make someone feel upset or angry
When you visit another country and do not understand the customs, it is easy to offend people. 当你访问一个国家，而不了解该国的风俗习惯，就很容易让人不愉快。
They were offended when she did not come to their wedding. 她没有参加他们的婚礼，他们对此很不高兴。
Language Point 17
...because their attention focuses on the guns, rather than on their users. (Para. 15)
rather than: instead of; in contrast to
I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee. 我想要一杯冷饮，而不是咖啡。
I want to see a funny program but not a serious one. I enjoy laughing rather than crying. 我想看轻松的节目，而不是严肃的节目。我喜欢笑而不是哭。
Language Point 18
I consciously noted details of their faces. (Para. 15)
Meaning: I looked carefully on purpose at their faces and paid attention to the personal specific parts of them.
detail: n. a small part or piece
When I read I can never remember the details. 我看书时，总是记不住细节。
We failed the test because many of the questions were about details. 我们考试没通过，因为许多问题都是关于细节方面的内容。
Language Point 19
I lied as the big one ripped the watch from my wrist. (Para. 16)
Meaning: I told a lie when the big young man tore the watch from my wrist.
rip: vt. remove something with speed and violence, using one's hands, tear
She ripped the paper in half and threw it away. 她把纸撕成两半，扔了。
I ripped my dress when I was getting out of the car. Do you have a needle and thread? 我下车时把衣服撕了，你有针线吗？
Language Point 20
By then, I was flat on my face on the pathway, its dirt against my forehead. (Para. 18)
Meaning: By that time, I was lying on the pathway with my face touching it and its dirt against my forehead.
Language Point 21
Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. (Para. 19)
Meaning: I prayed to God to have pity on me and help me even though I am not perfect.
have mercy on: show kindness or pity towards sb.
The seized soldier appealed to his enemy to have mercy on him. 被俘的士兵乞求敌人宽恕他。
Language Point 22
And, suddenly-wallet, watch and chicken in hand-their footsteps faded down the darkened street. (Para. 24)
Meaning: And all of sudden, they left with my wallet, watch and chicken in their hands and their footsteps disappeared in the dark street.
Language Point 23
I turned to see their shadows get into a car and speed away.（Para.25）
Meaning: I turned to see their dark shapes get into a car and drive away very quickly.
Language Point 24
I had been spared, but by what? Mercy? A short attention span? Hunger? (Para. 26)
Meaning: My life had been saved, but what save my life? Was it mercy? Was their attention span too short? Or was it their hunger that saved my life?
If a person is spared, he is not harmed, although someone or something threatened him or harmed other people. For example,
We have lost everything, but thank God, our lives have been spared. 我们已失去了一切，可是感谢上帝，我们保住了性命。
"Spare" can be also used in the sense of "afford to give".
I forgot to bring any money for lunch. Can you spare three dollars? 我忘了带午饭钱了，你能给我3美元吗？
No. I'm sorry. I can't spare any, but maybe Jim has some extra money. 不，对不起。我没钱，但吉姆可能有多余的钱。
Nowadays more people have more time to spare for cultural activities, and they can also spare more money for enjoyment. 现在越来越多的人有更多时间从事文化活动，他们也有更多的钱用于消遣。
span: n. the full time for which anything lasts
Over a span of 5 years, a lot of high-rises have been built in Shanghai; you can hardly identify the city now. 在5年中，上海建起了许多高楼，你现在几乎认不出这个城市了。
With the improving of living conditions, life span has been considerably extended. 随着生活条件的改善，人的寿命大大地延长了。
Language Point 25
"How peculiar," I thought, "to have your life saved by fried chicken. I saw eternity; they saw food." (Para. 26)
Meaning: I thought it was very strange that fried chicken had saved my life. I thought I had seen the state of time after my death and they had seen something to take care of their hunger: my fried chicken.
eternity: n. the state or time after death
Eternity has neither a beginning nor an end. 永恒既没有起点，也没有终点。
Please take care that the adjective form of "eternity" is "eternal".
eternal: a. without end; lasting for ever
These scientists are engaged in the eternal search for a way to cure people of AIDS. 这些科学家一直在致力于寻找治愈爱滋病患者的方法。
Language Point 26
I got to my feet, found the keys, entered and called 911. (Para. 28)
Meaning: I stood up, found the key and entered the house and made a phone call to the police department.
Language Point 27
The operator took a description of the robbers and sent a police car. (Para. 28)
Meaning: The operator wrote down my account of what the robbers looked like and sent a police car.
operator: here the word refers to a person at the phone company who helps you make a call
An operator can help you make a phone call or give you a phone number if you don't know it.电话接线员能帮你接通电话，或者在你不知道电话号码时，告诉你号码。
If you want to make a collect call, the operator will help you. 如果你要打对方付费的电话，接线员能给予你帮助。
Language Point 28
"But," one officer said on leaving, "taking your chicken, that's rough." (Para. 29)
Meaning: When they were leaving, one officer said that it was very rude of them to have taken my chicken.
Language Point 29
He said the pair's methods suggested they might be the same men who had committed a number of robberies in the area over the past few months. (Para. 30)
Meaning: The officer said that the method the two robbers used in my case showed that several other robberies in the area over the past few months might be committed by those two men.
Please note "commit", a word learned in Passage B, Unit 1.
commit: vt. do sth., usually a bad thing
That fellow committed a crime when he stole the library books and sold them. 那家伙偷了图书馆的书去卖掉，这就犯了罪。
No one learned who committed the murder. 没有人知道谁是杀人凶手。
Language Point 30
He asked me to come to the station and look through mug shots. (Para. 30)
A mug shot is a photograph of someone, especially a photograph of a criminal which has been taken by the police.
look through: to look quickly in; examine or study carefully
I'll look through my notes but I don't think I have a record of his name. 我会仔细看一下我的笔记，可我觉得我没有记下他的名字。
Look through your examination paper for any small mistakes before you hand it in. 交卷前，好好检查一下你的试卷，看看有没有小错。
Language Point 31
So, last Monday I looked through album-sized books of pictures mostly of young men-an amazing number of them actually children. (Para. 31)
Meaning: So, last Monday I examined carefully album-sized books of mug shots. Most of the pictures were of young men; a surprising number of them were actually children.
Language Point 32
Turning those pages and studying their photographs is like flowing on a sad current that, like Blake's Thames, seems to "mark in every face, marks of weakness, marks of woe." (Para. 32)
Meaning: Moving those pages one by one and studying their photographs is something similar to moving on a sad current. The current, like the English poet William Blake's Thames, seems to leave marks of weakness and marks of great sadness in every human's face.
current: n. a continuous flowing movement of water, air, etc.
Be careful as this wire carries electrical current. 小心，这电线有电。
Strong water currents can be dangerous to swimmers. 急流对游泳者来说是危险的。
current: a. from or about the present time
Because of developments in international communication, current news is at hand almost everywhere. 由于国际通讯的发展，到处都可以收到时事新闻。
Current directions in military science place great importance on defense networks. 现代军事科学的趋势是注重防卫系统。
Language Point 33
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. (Para. 32)
Meaning: These young men joined to form a kind of river, the river that is impossible to manage, and that is bit by bit damaging the ideas that are beyond value to us: our freedom to move about, the fruits of labor, our own lives and lives of people we have high a opinion of.
Language Point 34
Together, these young men are a kind of river - one that is out of control, ... (Para. 32)
out of control: impossible to manage
The fire is burning out of control. 大火烧得失去了控制。
I'm dealing with customers all the time who have let their bills get out of control. 我一直在同那些无法控制自己债务的顾客打交道。
Language Point 35
...eating at the foundations of things we hold dear... (Para. 32)
eat (away) at: to damage or destroy something bit by bit
The river is eating away at the bank. 这条河流正慢慢侵蚀着河堤。
foundation: n. 1. the idea, law, or fact on which something is based
My physics book is called Foundation of Physics; it covers all the basic theories. 我的物理书名为《基础物理》。这本书涵盖了所有的基本理论。
The foundation of that building is weak; it may fall down.这幢建筑物的地基很差，可能会倒塌。
2. an organization established with money so that it may continue into the future
Her university study is paid for by a scholarship from a private foundation. 她的学费是由一家私立基金会的奖学金来支付的。
The research of scientists is often supported by money from foundations. 科学家的科研经费常常得到基金会的支持。
hold dear: to value a great deal; care greatly.
These are the ideas we hold dear. 这些正是我们所珍视的信念。
Language Point 36
Some day, we will have to face this river and seek the depths of its discontent. (Para. 32)
Meaning: Some day, we will have to deal with these young men and try to find out the causes of their discontent.
Language Point 37
Presently, all we can do is look at mug shots and stick our fingers in the dam. (Para. 33)
Meaning: Now, what we can do is to look at these photos and try to stop the destroying of our values by catching one or two criminals at a time.
presently: ad. now, soon
Please just wait for a while for he is coming presently. 请稍等，他马上到。