29
The lava at the crater`s centre had looked harmless enough as we had driven in.Now,it had burst into life,throwing up fountains of molten rock high into the air.Jameson turned around in his seat.
‘Not to worry!`he shouted.‘It won`t reach us here.We`re sticking to the edge until we reach the north wall.We leave the crater there and head down to a ski resort called Piano Provenzana.There`s transport there to take us to Linguaglossa.I`ve got a car waitng at Linguaglossa that should get us to Taormina in good time for your fishing trip.`
I had begun to enjoy the natural‘firework`display when I noticed that Jameson kept looking in the driving mirror.
‘We`ve got a tail-another jeep close behind us.In all this light from the fireworks,I`m pretty sure I know who.It`s Filippo Gela,Lippari`s lieutenant-one of the best “hit”men to crawl out of the slums of Palermo.`
He tossed a pistol into the back of the jeep.
‘I`m going to try to lose him.Get down on the floor and hang on.The gun`s a “Magnum”-not a toy!I`ll tell you if I want you to use it.`
I could see nothing out of the back of the jeep because of the canvas cover,but I threw myself to the floor just as we lurched forward into a wild swerve.I coud feel that we were travelling downhill.The bumping got worse and the increasing sensation of speed more frightening .
Ash started to rain down on the canvas above me.Suddenly,it burst into flame and hot rock splattered the floor around.Jameson had gone mad!I eased myself off the floor,Jameson had gone.The driver`s seat was empty!I could see nothing ahead but fountains of molten lava!The canvas at the back of the jeep was already burning.I flung myself through it.
I landed in hot,soft ash.Before I could move,there was a roar in my ears and a wave of heat shot over me.The jeep had exploded!
I had to get away from the heat.Hot ash and small rocks were scorching my skin and burning my clothes.I staggered upwards towards the rim.Was there a boat at Taormina(33) Could I make it to Palermo and hope that someone would believe my story(35)
註釋：
1，lava：火山岩漿，熔岩。harmless：無害的；harm：有害的。
2，burst into life：突然有了生命。
3，throwing up fountains of molten rock high into the air：熾熱的石塊像噴泉般高高地射向天空。
fountain：噴泉；molten：熔化的，熾熱的。
4，stick to ：堅持；edge：邊緣；wall：牆一般的崖壁。
5，head down to a ski resort called Piano Provenzana：下山到達一個叫皮亞諾·普羅文扎諾的滑雪場。
6，I`ve got a car waitng at··· that should get us ：我搞了輛車在林瓜羅薩等着，那輛車會帶我們及時趕到陶爾米納送你上漁船。a car有兩個定語：waitng at和定語從句that should get us···，關係代詞that在從句中作主語。
7，firework display ：焰火表演，燃放煙花。when：突然，就在那時。driving mirror：（汽車）後視鏡。
8，pretty sure：相當地確定。“hit”men ：“成功”人士。此處用引號有特殊意義。crawl out of the slums：從平民窟爬出來。
9，tossed a pistol into:扔過來一支手槍。
10，try to lose him：想法甩掉他。
11，Get down on the floor and hang on：趴在車底板上，抓緊扶手。
12,Magnum:馬格南牌的手槍。
13,because of：由於，因為；because of是介詞，後接名詞或名詞性短語；because 是連詞，後接句子；canvas cover:帆布頂篷。
14，just as：正當；lurched forward into a wild swerve：急轉彎而向一側傾斜。lurch：突然傾斜，搖晃； swerve：轉彎，突然轉向。
15,bumping got worse···the increasing sensation of speed more frightening ：顛簸更加厲害，感到車速越來越快，也越加令人恐懼。
16，Ash started to rain down ：火山灰開始雨點般落下。
17，burst into flame：着火。splatter：（液體）飛濺，濺落。go mad：發瘋，發狂。
18, ease··· off：把······輕輕移開。had gone：不見了。
19，I flung myself through it：我飛身穿越火焰，（躍出車外）。fling：投擲；it：指火焰。
20，land：着陸，着地。
21，move：移動，動彈。roar：呼嘯，巨響； a wave of heat shot over me：一波熱浪蓋過了我。explode; 爆炸。
22，scorch：燒焦，灼傷。stagger：（步履蹣跚/搖搖晃晃地）走。upwards:向上； towards：向前；
rim：邊緣。
23，make it to：到達，及時趕到。
29
我們駛進火山口的時候，中心的熔岩看起來還在酣睡。此刻，它突然迸發出了生命，一下子活躍了起來：熾熱的石塊像噴泉般高高地射向天空。詹姆森轉過頭來。
“別擔心！”他大聲說，“那些岩石落不到我們這兒來。我們緊貼着邊緣開到北面那堵像牆一樣的山壁，從那兒下山，到達一個叫皮亞諾·普羅文扎諾的滑雪場；滑雪場有交通工具帶我們到林瓜羅薩；我搞了輛車在那兒等着，那輛車會帶我們及時趕到陶爾米納送你上船。”
我正要好好地欣賞一下這大自然展示的煙花美景，突然注意到詹姆森不停地看着後視鏡。
“後面有個尾巴——另一輛吉普緊緊咬住了我們。憑藉這些亮光，我可以肯定是菲利普·傑拉，李帕利的副官，他是從巴勒莫貧民窟里爬出來的最‘成功’的人士之一。”
他扔過來一支手槍。
“我得想辦法甩掉他。趴在車底板上，抓緊扶手。這是馬格南手槍，可不是玩具。需要用槍時，我會叫你。”
因為帆布頂篷擋着，我朝後面什麼也看不見。吉普突然向一側傾斜，狂野地轉着急彎，我撲到在地板上。我感覺到已在下坡；顛簸越來越猛，車速越來越快，恐懼越來越烈。
火山灰開始雨點般地打在車篷頂上。突然，車篷燃了起來，滾燙的岩石濺落下來。車子發瘋般地疾駛。我輕輕移開地板，卻見駕駛員座位上空空如也，詹姆森已不知去向！除了噴泉般的熔岩，前面什麼也看不見！此刻，吉普車頂篷的後半部分也已經燃起來了！我飛身穿越火焰，躍出車外。
我掉進了灼熱而鬆軟的火山灰里。還未來得及動彈，只聽一聲巨響，熱浪鋪天蓋地：吉普車爆炸了！
必須立即脫離這灼熱之地。滾燙的火山灰和那些小石塊灼傷我的皮膚，燃燒着我的衣服。我掙扎着爬起來，搖搖晃晃地朝上走向火山口的邊緣。
陶爾米納果真有船接我（33）？我還能夠成功地回到巴勒莫並有望讓人相信我的經歷嗎（35）？