【饥饿游戏】41

But now Peeta has made me an object of love. Not just his.

To hear him tell it I have many admirers. And if the audience

really thinks we’re in love . . . I remember how strongly they

responded to his confession¹. Star-crossed lovers. Haymitch is

right, they eat that stuff up in the Capitol. Suddenly I’m worried

that I didn’t react properly.

“After he said he loved me, did you think I could be in love

with him, too?” I ask.

“I did,” says Portia. “The way you avoided looking at the

cameras, the blush.”

They others chime in, agreeing.

“You’re golden, sweetheart. You’re going to have sponsors

lined up around the block,” says Haymitch.

I’m embarrassed about my reaction. I force myself to acknowledge

Peeta. “I’m sorry I shoved you.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he shrugs². “Although it’s technically³ illegal.”

“Are your hands okay?” I ask. “They’ll be all right,” he says.

In the silence that follows, delicious smells of our dinner waft 

in from the dining room. “Come on, let’s eat,” says Haymitch.

We all follow him to the table and take our places. But

then Peeta is bleeding too heavily, and Portia leads him off for

medical treatment. We start the cream and rose-petal soup

without them. By the time we’ve finished, they’re back. Peeta’s

hands are wrapped in bandages. I can’t help feeling guilty. 

Tomorrow we will be in the arena⁴. He has done me a favor and 

I have answered with an injury. Will I never stop owing him?

After dinner, we watch the replay in the sitting room. I

seem frilly and shallow, twirling and giggling⁵ in my dress, 

although the others assure me I am charming. Peeta actually is

charming and then utterly⁶ winning as the boy in love. And

there I am, blushing and confused, made beautiful by Cinna’s

hands, desirable by Peeta’s confession, tragic⁷ by circumstance,

and by all accounts, unforgettable.

When the anthem⁸ finishes and the screen goes dark, a hush⁹

falls on the room. Tomorrow at dawn, we will be roused and

prepared for the arena. The actual Games don’t start until ten

because so many of the Capitol residents rise late. But Peeta and 

I must make an early start. There is no telling how far we will 

travel to the arena that has been prepared for this year’s Games.

I know Haymitch and Effie will not be going with us. As

soon as they leave here, they’ll be at the Games Headquarters,

hopefully madly signing up our sponsors, working out a strategy

on how and when to deliver the gifts to us. Cinna and Portia will 

travel with us to the very spot from which we will be launched 

into the arena. Still final good-byes must be said here.

Effie takes both of us by the hand and, with actual tears in

her eyes, wishes us well. Thanks us for being the best tributes

it has ever been her privilege to sponsor. And then, because

it’s Effie and she’s apparently¹⁰ required by law to say something

awful, she adds “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I finally

get promoted to a decent district next year!”

Then she kisses us each on the cheek and hurries out, overcome

with either the emotional parting or the possible improvement

of her fortunes.

Haymitch crosses his arms and looks us both over.

“Any final words of advice?” asks Peeta.

“When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there. You’re

neither of you up to the blood bath at the Cornucopia¹¹. Just

clear out, put as much distance as you can between yourselves

and the others, and find a source of water,” he says. “Got it?”

“And after that?” I ask.

“Stay alive,” says Haymitch. It’s the same advice he gave us

on the train, but he’s not drunk and laughing this time. And we

only nod. What else is there to say?

When I head to my room, Peeta lingers to talk to Portia. I’m

glad. Whatever strange words of parting we exchange can

wait until tomorrow. My covers are drawn¹² back, but there is

no sign of the redheaded Avox girl. I wish I knew her name. I

should have asked it. She could write it down maybe. Or act it

out. But perhaps that would only result in punishment for her.

I take a shower and scrub the gold paint, the makeup¹³, the scent 

of beauty from my body. All that remains¹⁴ of the designteam’s

efforts are the flames on my nails. I decide to keep them as 

reminder¹⁵ of who I am to the audience. Katniss, the girl who was 

on fire. Perhaps it will give me something to hold on to in the 

days to come.

I pull on a thick, fleecy nightgown and climb into bed. It

takes me about five seconds to realize I’ll never fall asleep.

And I need sleep desperately¹⁶ because in the arena every 

moment I give in to fatigue¹⁷ will be an invitation to death.

It’s no good. One hour, two, three pass, and my eyelids¹⁸

refuse to get heavy. I can’t stop trying to imagine exactly what

terrain¹⁹ I’ll be thrown into. Desert? Swamp? A frigid²⁰ wasteland?

Above all I am hoping for trees, which may afford me some 

means of concealment²¹ and food and shelter, Often there

are trees because barren landscapes are dull and the Games

resolve too quickly without them. But what will the climate be

like? What traps have the Gamemakers hidden to liven up the

slower moments? And then there are my fellow tributes . . .

The more anxious I am to find sleep, the more it eludes²² me.

Finally, I am too restless to even stay in bed. I pace the floor,

heart beating too fast, breathing too short. My room feels like

a prison cell. 

Cornucopia n. 哺乳宙斯的羊角；装满花果及谷穗表丰饶的羊角状物；丰饶的象征

terrain n. [地理] 地形，地势；领域；地带

1 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

2 shrugs   

n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. 匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。 来自互联网
• She shrugs expressively and takes a sip of her latte. 她表达地耸肩而且拿她的拿铁的啜饮。 来自互联网

3 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

4 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

5 giggling   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑，叫我真受不了，那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

7 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

8 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

9 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

10 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 cornucopia   

n.象征丰收的羊角

参考例句：

• The book is a cornucopia of information.书是知识的宝库。
• Our cornucopia is the human mind and heart.我们富足是由于人类的智慧和热情。

12 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

13 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

15 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

16 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

17 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

18 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

20 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

21 concealment   

n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒

参考例句：

• the concealment of crime 对罪行的隐瞒
• Stay in concealment until the danger has passed. 把自己藏起来，待危险过去后再出来。

22 eludes   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的第三人称单数 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• His name eludes me for the moment. 他的名字我一时想不起来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• But philosophers seek a special sort of knowledge that eludes exact definition. 但是，哲学家所追求的是一种难以精确定义的特殊知识。 来自哲学部分