Lesson 21 Escape 逃避　

　　Words:

　　barbarian n. 野蛮人

　　barbecue n. 吃烤肉的野餐；烧烤

　　barber n. 理发师

　　bare adj. 无遮蔽的，赤裸的，光（秃）的；仅有的，勉强的

　　barely adv. 仅仅，几乎不能

　　barge n. 驳船

　　bark n. 树皮；vi./n. 狗叫，咆哮

　　barn n. 谷仓；牲口棚

　　baroque adj. （艺术、建筑等）高度装饰的，过分雕琢的

　　barrage n. 火力网，弹幕；（言语等）猛烈攻击

　　barrel n. 桶

　　barren adj. 贫瘠的（不结果实的）；荒凉的（无人烟的）

　　barricade v. 设栅栏挡；使躲在路障（或挡墙）后面；n. 栅栏，障碍物

　　barrier n. 屏障，障碍；栅栏

　　barter n. 物品交换，易货贸易；vt. 物品交换，交换

　　basement n. 地下室

　　bashful adj. 害羞的，难为情的

　　basin n. 盆地

　　baste vt. （烤肉时）涂油，把油涂在（肉上）；殴打，公开责骂

　　batter v. 打坏，猛击；n. 击球手

　　I live an isolated life in a small basin between two mountain ridges at the edge of an ocean. Due to the bad soil, the land is barren. However, I have a barn full of animals that supply me with all the food I need. There’s nothing more satisfying than basting pig meat over a barbecue. The weather is pretty good. There is always enough rain to fill my water barrel. But sometimes, a fierce storm will batter the barn all right.

　　The rough life I lead has made me look and feel like a barbarian. The heat from the sun has baked my bare skin brown. I haven’t been to the barber for two years. As a result, I think I would be bashful if anyone found me. I don’t have any money but I don’t need it. You can’t buy anything here. You can’t even barter. However, I’m not completely out of touch with civilization. Every few months, I can hear the sound of an ocean barge passing in the distance. I always run to the ocean side to see it. It reminds me that I’m still human.

　　You might think that I’m barely surviving but the opposite is true. This is the only place where I can escape the horrible war in the city. In my mind, I can still hear the barrage of gunfire smashing through our wooden barriers. I can still remember spending months, helplessly barricaded in the basement of one of our many, once beautiful, baroque style buildings. My life is more peaceful now. Perhaps after the war, I’ll find my way back home.

　　What’s that I hear? It’s the bark of my dog. I’ve got to run. Another barge is passing by.