gropingly 摸索着，暗中探索地

infant 婴儿，幼儿，未成年人

emerge 浮现，摆脱，暴露

creep in 偷偷潜入，偷偷跟进

by the time 等到，到…时候，在…以前

parlor 客厅，会客室，业务室

squint 迷眼看，斜视，窥视

vibration 震动，犹豫，心灵感应

minuscule 极小的

in the current 当前

minor 未成年的，次要的，较小的

slippery 狡猾的，不稳定的

elusive 难懂的，易忘的，逃避的

ravenous 贪婪的，渴望的，狼吞虎咽的

void 空的，无效的，无人的，空虚，空间，使无效，排放

nonbeing  不存在的事

stake 资助，支持，系…于桩上，棍子，赌注，火刑

swaddle 用襁褓包，束缚

stash 存放，贮藏，藏匿处，藏匿物

crawlspace 狭小空隙，窄小空间

imagery 意象，比喻，形象化

motionless 静止的，不运动的

impale 刺住，钉住，使绝望

dab 轻拍，少量，涂抹，轻擦

forearm 前臂，预先武装，准备

petition 请愿，请求，祈求

porch 门廊，走廊

theatrical 戏剧性的，夸张的，做作的

prop 支柱，支撑物，支持者，道具

vaguely 含糊地，暧昧地，茫然地

wedge 挤进

sweep away 清除，一扫而空

penetrate 渗透，穿透，洞察

spectator 观众，参观者

spectator sport 观赏运动

tick 标记号于，发出滴答声

careen 倾斜

collar 衣领，惊圈

stomach 胃口，腹部

push past 从…身边挤过去

drawn 淹没，把…淹死

relent 变温和，变宽厚，减弱，缓和

sweep along (使)不费力地前移，傲慢地走过，完全控制住…的思想感情

vibrate 震动，颤动，摇摆，踌躇

pluck 拉，扯，勇气，内脏，快而猛地拉

barrel down 迅速下降

bunch up 聚成一团

reach out 伸出

duck 鸭子，鸭肉，闪避，躲避，没入水中

peek 偷看，偷瞥，窥视，偷看

jumpsuit跳伞装，连体裤

overgrown 蔓生的，生长过快的

mite 极小量，小虫，微小的的东西

limply 柔软地，四肢无力地，软绵绵地

engulf 吞没，吞食，狼吞虎咽

skulk 潜伏，偷偷隐躲

hunch 预感，大块，耸肩，预感到

offhandedly 即席地，立即地，不客气地

prominent 突出的，显著的，杰出的，卓越的

pit 矿井，深坑，陷阱

lodge 旅馆，门房，山中小屋，提出，寄存，借住

nip 小饮，夹，捏，剪短

Dying is a matter of being reborn.

We play endlessly over the surface of things.

Only memory remains slippery and elusive, memories won’t keep faith with you. They’ll go sliding away into the ravenous void of nonbeing.

Memories must be staked to the back of something, swaddled in objects, wrapped around the table legs.

She opens the door wider to admit him.

For a moment, I’ve swept away by a wedge of light that cuts into us, penetrates the layers and dust that have accumulated in the hall

His eyes tick down and careen back up her face.

She takes another step torward him, so they are standing less than a foot apart.

All the threads are pulled right in that instant. The air vibrates like a plucked violin string.

Just like that, the threads are cut up. They instinctively step away each other.