Unit 6B - John Thomas’s Cube
John Thomas’s Cube
John Leimert
John Thomas Thompson, aged eight years and nine months, lived in a house with an old, warped, but extremely large and fruitful apple tree in the back yard. Beneath this tree, leaning with his back against the trunk, or in it, wedged between forking limbs, John Thomas often took refuge. Here he came to escape the turmoil of his expanding world and to dream the dreams and think the thoughts important to a boy aged eight years and nine months.
John Thomas went out to visit this tree at seven-thirty o’clock of the morning of September 30. He didn’t even wait for his breakfast. He just tumbled out of bed, threw his clothes on, and dashed out. He wasn’t much more than past the door when he set up a clamor for his mother to come and see what he had found. His mother, however, was busy making toast, and frying bacon, and pouring John's father's coffee. She called to him to hurry back into the house and eat his breakfast, and to be sure his hands and face were clean, or else he would be late for school.
John Thomas ordinarily was an obedient boy, but on this morning he ignored his mother's summons. "But, Mother," he said, "it's the queerest thing I've found. A little block of metal so heavy I can't lift it. Come and see. Please, Mother."
"You might just as well," John Thomas's father said.
When his mother came to where John Thomas was standing under the apple tree, she at first could see nothing. But the boy pointed to a bare spot and there on the ground was a perfect cube about one inch each way.
"It appears to be made of highly polished steel," Mrs. Thompson said, and stooped to pick it up. To her surprise, she could not lift it. "That's the strangest thing I ever saw", she said as her fingers slipped on the gleaming surfaces.
By this time Mr. Thompson had come out to see what was going on, and he, too, tried to lift the cube, without success. "John Thomas," he said, "did you bury a steel rod in the ground just to see what would happen?"
"No, Father", the boy said, "I didn’t. Honest. I found it that way."
"Why don't you get a shovel and see whether it's buried?" Mrs. Thompson asked reasonably.
"I believe I will," Mr. Thompson said. He got a garden spade from the garage and shoved it into the ground at an angle under the metal cube. The spade cut easily into the soft earth without striking an obstruction.
"You see", Mrs. Thompson said, "it isn't buried."
Mr. Thompson grasped the spade firmly and tried to lift the dirt with the cube resting on top. He couldn't do it. He then shifted both hands to the end of the spade handle and tried to pry with it. The handle bent slightly with his effort, but the metal cube remained immovable.
Mr. Thompson now pulled the spade out of the ground, bringing a quantity of loose dirt from beneath the cube as he did so. John Thomas squatted to inspect the cube more narrowly. "Look, Father," he said. "The block isn't even touching the ground."
"That," Mr. Thompson said, "is impossible." Nevertheless, he stooped to look, and after looking returned to his spade. He began to dig a hole around the cube, and before long he was able to take a spadeful from directly beneath it. The weight of the small cube had been astonishing enough, but what now occurred dumfounded them.
When the supporting column of earth was removed, the cube, contrary to all the laws with which the Thompsons were familiar, remained suspended a good two inches in the air. As they stared at the perverse, shiny object, a few grains of dirt fell from its under surface, as though to demonstrate that for dirt, at least, the law of gravitational attraction still held firm.
"Perhaps the hole isn't deep enough to make it fall," Mrs. Thompson said, and her husband, anxious for an explanation, excavated another six inches of dirt from beneath the cube. Nothing happened.
Mr. Thompson now thought of another force. "Stand back", he said to his wife and son. "I’ll fix this thing's clock for it." He raised the spade above his head, took careful aim, and then swung down at the cube with all his strength. He was rewarded with a terrific clang. The spade bounced into the air again, almost wrenching itself out of his hands, but the cube continued serenely to occupy the precise sections of time and space as before.
Five minutes later, when the city editor of the largest daily heard an excited account of these events from Mr. Thompson, he was understandably skeptical. Nevertheless, he sent a reporter out to have a look. The reporter, who was a cynical and degraded person, cynical without conviction and degraded without villainy, because his station in life required it of him, also was skeptical. He stopped along the way for two or three quick ones and when he finally arrived, looking bored and smelling of strong liquor, he found not only the Thompsons but most of their near neighbors impatiently awaiting him.
The hole had been enlarged by succeeding workers, who had the same idea as John Thomas's father, to a diameter of four feet and a depth of two. The reporter surveyed the hole, the block of metal suspended above it, and a branch of the apple tree directly above the cube. Then he said knowingly, "Which is the kid who found it?"
"I am," John Thomas said.
"Quite a magician, ain't you?" the reporter said, and taking off his hat, he swung it vigorously above the cube. The hat met nothing more resistant than air, and there with the reporter became the first of a series of professional gentlemen who came to scoff and stayed to wonder.
The news spread rapidly and the mayor was among the earliest of the dignitaries to arrive. He was followed by a committee of inquiry from the university, consisting of its president, the head of the physics department, the head of the chemistry department, an associate professor who was an expert metallurgist, the professor of astronomy, and their respective assistants bearing scientific instruments of all kinds.
"Here, gentlemen," the mayor greeted them, "is an incredible situation. This block of metal arrived in the Thompsons' yard, no one knows precisely when nor from where. There it remains, suspended in mid-air. Where did it come from? Why doesn't it fall? Will there be more like it? When will it go?"
"One question at a time, if you please, Mr. Mayor," the president of the university said. "Let us first have the facts so far known, and then proceed with an orderly inquiry. Mr. Thompson, would you mind telling us whatever you know about this cube?"
John Thomas's father obliged with a recital of the events of the morning, suppressing, however, the episode of hitting the cube with the spade. He did not want these people to know that he could lose his temper at an inanimate object.
When Mr. Thompson had finished, the president of the university went on. "I have formed a hypothesis that I am confident will explain all the puzzling questions that here confront us. There was a shower of no meteors last night, a fact that my astronomical colleague will confirm, and this object arrived in the place it now is, in the form it now has, from the limitless distances of outer space.
"Why does it neither fall nor fly away again? We all know that there are two opposite but unequal forces that act upon every body at the earth's surface. One of these is the centrifugal force that results from the spinning of the earth upon its axis, a force that tends to hurl objects away. The other and stronger force is that of gravity, tending to pull objects towards the earth’s center.
"This particular object, moving freely at tremendous velocity through space, entered into the gravitational field of the earth and was pulled from its course. As it hurtled through the atmosphere that envelops us, it became increasingly hot from friction, with the result that its molecular activity was distorted in such a way as to set up within the structure of the cube itself a force that neutralizes the force of gravity.
"The result we all see. The cube is at rest in a perfect state of equilibrium. Centrifugal force plus the gravity-resistant force within the material itself exactly equals the force of gravity. In a moment I shall prove my contention by lifting upward against the cube, thus giving it an impetus that will destroy its perfect balance and send it flying back into the void from whence it came. Before I do so, does anyone question the accuracy of my hypothesis?"
The various scientists present remained silent, but John Thomas said, "I don’t think it will fly away."
"Well, well," the president of the university said. "And why not, my little man?"
"Because my father hit it with a spade and it didn’t budge. "
The president reversed his field with a mental agility that no doubt had contributed to his reputation as an administrator. "Exactly", he said. "What this boy has said exactly proves the point I was trying to make. When confronted with the unknown, it is idle to speculate, however rationally, without having first erected a sound foundation of fact. I shall now retire in favor of my colleagues of the physics and chemistry departments. When they have examined this object from every scientific aspect, we shall consult together and, in the light of known mathematical formulae, arrive at the correct description."
The chemists and physicists now came forward with acids and bases, with agents and reagents, with spectroscopes and microscopes, with cyclotrons and atom smashers, with electric furnaces and vacuum machines — in fact with every known instrument by means of which man projects his senses into the infinite. The results were disappointing.
Viewed under the most powerful microscope, the surface of the cube looked no different than when viewed with the naked eye. No slightest fissure was revealed, no clue obtained as to the structure of the block. After finishing this part of the examination, the metallurgist said, "All I can say is that the surface is absolutely smooth, so that no part of it reflects more or less light than any other part. It is amazing."
The use of various chemicals proved equally ineffective. The block was impervious to every test and shed the most vitriolic concoctions like water off a duck's back. When it was exposed to intense heat, it not only remained cool, but it refused to expand or contract. No matter what they did to it, its dimensions remained constant.
It proved to be a nonconductor of electricity and had neither a positive nor a negative pole; yet when someone touched the base of an electric light bulb to it, the bulb lit. When this phenomenon occurred, the scientists retired to a corner of the yard for consultation.
Their places were taken by a delegation from the principal churches of the town headed by the president of the local theological seminary. "Mr. Mayor," this gentleman said, "we believe that further scientific inquiry into the nature of this object will prove fruitless. It belongs not to man but to God. What we witness is a veritable and unquestioned miracle.
"No material description of this block is possible, since it is not material, but spiritual. God in His wisdom has chosen to send us a reminder made manifest that, though men can tinker with the building blocks of nature, they cannot explain them."
By now it was past noon and John Thomas suddenly realized that he was hungry. Not only that, but most of the discussions he had been hearing were totally without meaning for him. He recognized a word here and there, but that was all. It is true that the general feeling of excitement and wonder had communicated itself to him and he had enjoyed being the center, directly and indirectly, of so much attention. But at last he was bored and wanted his lunch.
His mother took him into the house and made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and gave him a glass of milk. While he was eating, he said to her, "Mother, do you like having that funny block in our back yard and all those queer people?"
"No," she said, "I don't. I'll never get any work done, and all that talk makes my head swim. I don't know who's right and who's wrong, but I do know that your father will want to stay around to superintend things, and the people he works for won’t like that. I wish that block would take itself off to whatever place it came from. "
"So do I," John Thomas said. "I’m tired of it."
At that precise moment there was a shout from the yard. "It's gone. The block has gone."
参考译文——约翰·托马斯的立方体
约翰·托马斯的立方体
约翰·莱默特
约翰·托马斯·汤普森时年八岁零九个月。他住的房子后院里长着一棵弯弯扭扭的老苹果树，这棵树十分巨大，果实累累。约翰·托马斯经常躲在这棵树下，背倚着树干或是爬到树上挤在分叉的树枝中间。他来到这儿是为了躲避他那越来越大的世界所带来的骚扰。在这里他做着对一个八岁零九个月的孩子来说极为重要的美梦，思考着一个八岁零九个月的孩子认为是重要的事情。
约翰·托马斯于9月30日早晨7点30分出门去到那棵树下。他甚至没等吃早饭。他一骨碌从床上爬了起来，匆匆套上衣服，冲了出去。他刚一出门就大声嚷起来，要他母亲出去看看他的发现。然而，他母亲正忙着烤面包，煎熏肉，给约翰的父亲倒咖啡。她叫约翰赶快回到屋里吃早饭，并且洗干净自己的手和脸，不然他上学就要迟到了。
约翰·托马斯平日是一个顺从的孩子，但是那个早上他却没有听他母亲的召唤。“可是，妈妈，”他说，“这是我发现的最奇怪的东西。这么一小块金属却重得我提都提不起来。快来看啊，妈妈。”
“你还是去看看吧，”约翰·托马斯的父亲说道。
他的母亲走到了约翰·托马斯站立的那棵苹果树下，起先她什么也没有看到。但是孩子指着一块空地，而在那块空地上确实有一个绝对标准的立方体物件，每一面约有一英寸。
“它看上去是由打磨得很光的钢制成的，”汤普森太太说。她弯腰想去将它捡起来。令她惊奇的是，她没能提起来。“这是我所见过的最奇怪的东西了，”她边说，手指边在那闪闪发光的表面上滑动着。
这时，汤普森先生也已走了出来，看看发生了什么事儿。他也想拿起那个立方体，但没有成功。“约翰·托马斯，“他说，“你没有在地里埋下一根钢棒，想看看会有什么结果吧?”
“没有，爸爸，”男孩说。“我没有埋。真的，我发现它时就是这个样儿。”
“你为什么不去拿把铁锹，看看是不是有钢棒埋着呢?”汤普森太太合乎情理地说道。
“我这就去。”汤普森先生答道。他从车库里拿了一把种花用的铁锹，斜着朝金属立方体的底下铲下去。铁锹一下子插进了松软的泥土，没有碰到任何障碍。
“你瞧，”汤普森太太说。“它不是埋着的。”
汤普森先生紧紧握住铁锹，试图把泥土和上面的立方体一起铲起来。但他铲不动。然后，他把双手挪到铁锹柄头上，想用铁锹撬。他一使劲，铁锹柄略微弯曲，而那金属立方体却纹丝未动。
汤普森先生从地里拔出铁锹，拔的时候从立方体下带出了一些松土。约翰·托马斯蹲下去更仔细地查看这个立方体。“爸爸，你看，”他说。“金属块连地都没有碰着!”
“那不可能，”汤普森先生说。然而，他还是弯下腰去看，看后再次操起铁锹。他开始在立方体周围挖坑，不一会儿，他就能直接从立方体正下面挖出整整一铲土。这个小立方体物件的重量本来就够惊人的了，但现在发生的事儿更让他们惊呆了。
当支撑立方体的泥土挖去后，立方体违反了汤普森一家所知道的一切规律，仍然悬在半空，离下面的土足有两英寸高。正当他们盯着这个反常的、闪亮的物体瞧个不停的当儿，有几粒碎土从它下面坠落，这像是证明，至少地球引力对泥土而言还在起作用。
“可能坑还不够深，这东西落不下去，”汤普森太太说。而她丈夫，急于搞个明白，又从立方体下面挖出了六英寸土。可情况照样没变。
汤普森先生现在想到了另一种力量。“往后站，”他对妻儿说。“我要收拾一下这个鬼玩意儿。“他把铁锹举过头，仔细瞄准，然后用尽全身力气，向立方体砸了下去。他得到的是当的一声巨响。铁锹弹回空中，几乎从他手中挣脱，但立方体仍然平静地一点不差地占据着它原来的时空。
五分钟后，那家最大的日报的当地新闻编辑听到了汤普森先生对这些事件的激动的叙述，他表示怀疑，这当然是可以理解的。尽管如此，他还是派了个记者去看看。这个记者是个愤世嫉俗的落魄的人，愤世嫉俗而无信念，落魄而无恶行。由于他的身份使然，他对这件事也持怀疑态度。他沿途停下来喝了两三杯酒，当他终于抵达现场时已是满脸倦容，一身酒气。他发现不光是托马斯一家还有他们的大多数近邻都已经等他等得不耐烦了。
跟约翰·托马斯的父亲想法相同的人们接着挖，已经把坑扩到了直径有四英尺，深达两英尺那么大。记者瞧了瞧那个坑，那悬在坑上的金属和那根伸在金属正上方的苹果树树枝，然后便会意地问道:“是哪个孩子发现它的?”
“是我，”约翰·托马斯说。
“好一个魔术师，不是吗?“记者说。他脱下帽子，使劲地在立方体上方挥摆。除空气外，帽子什么也没有碰着。于是打这位记者始，随之而来的一连串专业人士都是来时怀着讪笑的心情，但稍后便惊讶不已。
新闻迅速传开，市长成了最早到达的达官贵人，紧接着是一个来自大学的调查委员会，包括大学校长、物理系系主任、化学系系主任、一位身为冶金学专家的副教授、一位天文学教授以及他们各自的助手，随身携带着各种各样的科学仪器。
“先生们，”市长向他们招呼道:“这是一个令人难以置信的情况。这块金属落在汤普森的院子里，没有人确切知道它什么时候以及从什么地方来的。它还在那儿，悬在半空中。它是从哪儿来的呢？为什么不往下掉呢？还会有更多的像它这样的物体出现吗？它什么时候会离开呢?”
“市长先生，请一次问一个问题，”大学校长说道。“先让我们了解一下已知的情况，然后再进行有序的调查。汤普森先生，请你跟我们讲一讲你所知道的有关这个立方体的一切情况好吗?”
约翰·托马斯的父亲复述了一遍早晨发生的事情，但他隐瞒了用铁锹猛击那个立方体的一段情节。他不想让这些人知道他竟会对一个没有生命的物体发脾气。
汤普森先生讲完之后，大学校长继续说:“我已经形成了一个假说，我相信它将能解释我们这里所面对的所有难题。昨天晚上下了一场流星雨，我的天文学同事将会证实这个事实。这个物体来自遥远的太空，以它现有的形式到达了它现在所在的地方。
“为什么这件物体既不往下掉也不再飞走呢？我们都知道有两种相反但强度不一样的作用力作用在地球表面每一个物体上。其中之一为离心力，它来自地球的自转，这个力会将物体抛掷出去。另一个更强的作用力为地球引力，它会将物体拉向地球中心。
“这一物体以极大的速度在空间自由运动，进入了地球的重力场并被拉离了原先的轨道。当它高速穿越环绕我们的大气层时，它的温度由于摩擦而不断升髙，结果它的分子运动被扭曲，从而在该立方体内部结构中形成一种足以抵消地球引力的力量。
“这一结果我们大家都看到了。这一立方体处于一种绝对的平衡状态。离心力加上该物体内部的抗地球引力恰好与地球引力相等。我马上就来证明我的观点，只要把这一立方体往上一提，给它一个推动力来破坏它的绝对平衡，它就会飞回太空，从哪里来回到哪里去。在我这么做之前，有人对我的假说的精确性提出异议吗?”
在场的各类专家都一言不发。但约翰·托马斯说:“我认为它不会飞走。”
“是吗，”大学校长说。“你说说它为什么不会飞走呢，我亲爱的小男子汉?”
“因为我爸用铁锹砸过它，而它却一动也不动。”
校长听后马上机灵地改变了他的立场。毫无疑问，这种随机应变的本领曾帮助他成为一位声名卓著的管理者。“正是，”他说。“这男孩所说的正好证明了我要说明的一个观点。当我们面对未知的事物时，不先建立扎实的事实基础而妄加推测是徒劳的，不管这种推测是多么合乎理性。现在我告退，让我的物理系和化学系的同行上场。当他们从所有的科学角度对这一物体进行考察之后，我们再一起讨论，并根据已知的数学公式对这一物体进行正确的描述。”
于是化学家和物理学家登场了。他们用酸和碱、各种试剂、分光镜和显微镜、回旋加速器和粒子加速器、电炉和真空机——事实上人类迄今为止用来认识这无穷尽的未知世界的所有仪器都用上了。但结果却令人失望。
在最强大的显微镜下，这个立方体的表面看起来与肉眼看见的样子没有任何不同。看不到哪怕是最细微的裂缝，也没有得到关于该物体的结构的任何线索。在完成了这部分考察之后，冶金学家说:“我能说的只是它的表面绝对平滑，所以每一部分的反光情况完全一样，这实在令人惊异。”
使用各种化学试剂的检测亦证明同样无效。任何试验对这个金属块都不起作用。连最有腐蚀性的化学试剂也从它上面一流而过，就像鸭背流水。当它暴露在髙温之下时，不仅不升温，而且既不膨胀也不收缩。无论他们怎么折腾它，它的长宽髙始终保持不变。
这个物体被证明是不导电的，既无阳极，也无阴极。然而当有人用电灯泡的基座去接触它时，灯泡却被点亮。当这种现象发生时，科学家们退到了院子的一角讨论去了。
他们的位置被来自该城一些主要教堂的一个代表团所取代，这个代表团由当地神学院的院长率领。“市长先生，”那位先生说道，“我们认为对这个物体的性质的进一步科学调查将是徒劳的。这件物体不属于人，而属于上帝。我们所见到的是一个的的确确的上帝创造的奇迹。
“对这块东西作物质的描述是不可能的，因为它不是物质的，而是精神的。上帝以其智慧选送给我们这块东西，以提醒我们明白一个道理，尽管人类能够摆弄大自然提供的各种素材，但却无法解释它们。”
其时已是午后了。约翰·托马斯突然感到饿了。不仅如此，而且他觉得他所听到的大多数争论对他毫无意义。他时而能听懂个把单词，仅此而已。他确实曾为人们的激动和惊奇的情绪所感染，而且他也乐于直接地或间接地成为众人注目的中心。但他终于厌倦了，只想吃午饭。
他的母亲把他带进了屋内，给他做了花生酱果子冻三明治，还给他一杯牛奶。他一边吃，一边对他的母亲说：“妈妈，你喜欢那个奇怪的金属块留在我们后院里吗？你喜欢那些怪人吗？”
“不，“她说，“我不喜欢。那样什么事也做不成了。那些谈话把我的头都搞晕了。我搞不明白谁对谁错，但我清楚，这一来你爸爸就得待在家里料理事情，而他的雇主却不会高兴。但愿这块东西自动离开，哪儿来，哪儿去。”
“我也希望如此。”约翰·托马斯说。“我对那玩意儿厌倦了。”
就在那一时刻，院子里传来一声大喊。“跑了，那块东西跑了。”
Key Words:
turmoil ['tə:mɔil]
n. 骚动，混乱
expanding [iks'pændiŋ]
扩展的，扩充的
block [blɔk]
n. 街区，木块，石块
n. 阻塞(物), 障
clamor ['klæmə]
n. 喧嚷，大声的要求 v. 喧嚷，大声要求
cube [kju:b]
n. 立方体，立方
vt. 求 ... 的立方
extremely [iks'tri:mli]
adv. 极其，非常
obedient [ə'bi:djənt]
adj. 服从的，顺从的
fruitful ['fru:tfəl]
adj. 多产的，富有成效的
refuge ['refju:dʒ]
n. 避难(处), 庇护(所)
v. 庇护，避
trunk [trʌŋk]
n. 树干，躯干，干线， 象鼻，(汽车后部)行李箱
pry [prai]
v. 打听，窥探，用杠杆撬开 n. 窥探，杠杆，爱打探的
handle ['hændl]
n. 柄，把手
v. 买卖，处理，操作，驾驭
polished ['pɔliʃt]
adj. 擦亮的；优美的；圆滑的 v. 擦亮（polis
immovable [i'mu:vəbl]
adj. 固定的，不动的，无法改变的，无感情的
striking ['straikiŋ]
adj. 吸引人的，显著的
n. 打击
obstruction [əb'strʌkʃən]
n. 障碍，妨碍，闭塞
slightly ['slaitli]
adv. 些微地，苗条地
bent [bent]
bend的过去式和过去分词 adj. 下定决心的，弯曲的
cube [kju:b]
n. 立方体，立方
explanation [.eksplə'neiʃən]
n. 解释，说明
astonishing [əs'tɔniʃiŋ]
adj. 惊人的 动词astonish的现在分词
column ['kɔləm]
n. 柱，圆柱，柱形物，专栏，栏，列
quantity ['kwɔntiti]
n. 量，数量，大量
contrary ['kɔntrəri]
adj. 相反的，截然不同的
adv. 相反
cube [kju:b]
n. 立方体，立方
vt. 求 ... 的立方
inspect [in'spekt]
vt. 调查，检阅
vi. 调查
suspended
adj. 悬浮的；暂停的，缓期的（宣判）
impossible [im'pɔsəbl]
adj. 不可能的，做不到的
fell [fel]
动词fall的过去式
nevertheless [.nevəðə'les]
adv. 仍然，不过
conj. 然而，不过
occupy ['ɔkjupai]
vt. 占领，占用，占据，使忙碌，使从事
branch [brɑ:ntʃ]
n. 分支，树枝，分店，分部
v. 分支，分岔
conviction [kən'vikʃən]
n. 定罪，信服，坚信
diameter [dai'æmitə]
n. 直径
cube [kju:b]
n. 立方体，立方
vt. 求 ... 的立方
skeptical ['skeptikəl]
adj. 怀疑的
knowingly ['nəuiŋli]
adv. 故意地；机警地，狡黠地
block [blɔk]
n. 街区，木块，石块
n. 阻塞(物), 障
cynical ['sinikəl]
adj. 愤世嫉俗的，吹毛求疵的
vigorously
adv. 精神旺盛地，活泼地
recital [ri'saitl]
n. 背诵，吟诵，详述 n. 独奏会，独唱会
professional [prə'feʃənl]
adj. 职业的，专业的，专门的
n. 专业人
resistant [ri'zistənt]
adj. 抵抗的，反抗的
n. 抵抗者
incredible [in'kredəbl]
adj. 难以置信的，惊人的
inquiry [in'kwaiəri]
n. 打听，询问，调查，查问
=enquiry
spread [spred]
v. 伸展，展开，传播，散布，铺开，涂撒
orderly ['ɔ:dəli]
adj. 有秩序的，整齐的，一丝不苟的，和平的
proceed [prə'si:d]
vi. 继续进行，开始，着手
block [blɔk]
n. 街区，木块，石块
hypothesis [hai'pɔθisis]
n. 假设，猜测，前提
velocity [vi'lɔsiti]
n. 速度，速率，迅速
cube [kju:b]
n. 立方体，立方
vt. 求 ... 的立方
axis ['æksis]
n. 轴，中枢
friction ['frikʃən]
n. 摩擦，摩擦力，分歧
puzzling ['pʌzliŋ]
adj. 令人迷惑的，茫然不知所措的，莫名其妙的
hurl [hə:l]
n. 用力的投掷
v. 用力投掷，愤慨地说出，
colleague ['kɔli:g]
n. 同事
particular [pə'tikjulə]
adj. 特殊的，特别的，特定的，挑剔的
n.
gravitational ['grævə'teiʃənəl]
adj. 重力的，引力作用的
accuracy ['ækjurəsi]
n. 准确(性), 精确度
speculate ['spekjuleit]
vt. 推测，好奇
vi. 深思，投机
mental ['mentl]
adj. 精神的，脑力的，精神错乱的
n. 精
gravity ['græviti]
n. 重力，严重，庄重，严肃
foundation [faun'deiʃən]
n. 基础，根据，建立
n. 粉底霜，基
consult [kən'sʌlt]
v. 商讨，向 ... 请教，查阅
unknown ['ʌn'nəun]
adj. 未知的，不出名的
contention [kən'tenʃən]
n. 争论，争辩，所持的论点 [计算机] 线路争夺
description [di'skripʃən]
n. 描写，描述，说明书，作图，类型
agility [ə'dʒiliti]
n. 敏捷，灵活，轻快
infinite ['infinit]
adj. 无限的，无穷的
n. 无限
exposed [iks'pəuzd]
adj. 暴露的，无掩蔽的，暴露于风雨中的 v. 暴露，
impervious [im'pə:viəs]
adj. 不能渗透的，不为所动的
base [beis]
n. 基底，基础，底部，基线，基数，(棒球)垒，[化]碱
bulb [bʌlb]
n. 电灯泡，球状物
phenomenon [fi'nɔminən]
n. 现象，迹象，(稀有)事件
intense [in'tens]
adj. 强烈的，剧烈的，热烈的
contract ['kɔntrækt, kən'trækt]
n. 合同，契约，婚约，合约
v. 订合同，缩
cube [kju:b]
n. 立方体，立方
vt. 求 ... 的立方
expand [iks'pænd]
v. 增加，详述，扩展，使 ... 膨胀，
miracle ['mirəkl]
n. 奇迹
seminary ['seminəri]
n. 神学院，学院，发源地
inquiry [in'kwaiəri]
n. 打听，询问，调查，查问
=enquiry
indirectly [.indi'rektli]
adv. 间接地
superintend [.sju:prin'tend]
vt. 指挥，管理，监督
manifest ['mænifest]
n. 载货单，运货单，旅客名单
adj. 显然
block [blɔk]
n. 街区，木块，石块
n. 阻塞(物), 障
reminder [ri'maində]
n. 提醒物，提示
veritable ['veritəbl]
adj. 真实的，确实的，真正的
description [di'skripʃən]
n. 描写，描述，说明书，作图，类型
参考资料：
- http://www.kekenet.com/daxue/201612/46776shtml
- http://www.kekenet.com/daxue/201612/46776shtml
- http://www.kekenet.com/daxue/201612/46776shtml
- http://www.kekenet.com/daxue/201701/46776shtml
- http://www.kekenet.com/daxue/201701/46776shtml
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