You’ve probably never heard of crawdads, but you may love lobster. In fact, they are very similar. Crawdads look like lobsters, but are found in fresh water. To be where the crawdads sing is to be alone in nature. The same can be said for the main character in Delia Owen’s novel, Where the Crawdads Sing . The novel follows Kya, a young woman trying to survive in the marshof Barkley Cove, a small, fictionaltown in the US state of North Carolina.
Kya’s mother and siblingsleft when she was young. Her father stayed and taught her to fish, but he also abandoned her after a while. She continues fishing to make a living as she grows up. Following the advice of her friend, Tate, Kya publishes two books on the wildlife of the marsh she lives in. However, Kya’s life is turned upside downwhen Chase, her former lover, is found dead. As a suspect of his murder, Kya must prove her innocence to a town that looks down on her for her lifestyle.
The novel is a mixture of many genres. It is a coming-of-agestory, a romance, and a murder mystery all in one. Not only does Kya need to overcome the harsh environment of the marsh, but she must also face the challenges posed by society.
Words & Phrases
1. hear of sb/sth 聽過某人∕某事 I’d never heard of this writer before she won the prize. 在她獲獎之前，我從來沒有聽過這位作家。
2. survive [sɚˋvaɪv] vi. 存活 & vt. 熬過；從……生還 There are many families struggling to survive on low incomes. 有許多家庭靠著微薄的收入掙扎過活。
★ 3. abandon [əˋbændən] vt. 拋棄，遺棄 Emma abandoned the car after she hit a tree. 艾瑪開車撞到樹後就棄車而去。
4. make a living 謀生 Patrick has been making a living by driving a taxi for 20 years. 派翠克已經開計程車維生二十年了。
★ 5. innocence [ˋɪnəsns] n. 無罪，清白；純真 The lawyer made a strong argument for the innocence of his client. 那位律師力爭他的委託人是清白的。
6. look down on... 瞧不起…… Don’t look down on Tim just because he comes from a poor family. 不要因為提姆出身於貧窮家庭就瞧不起他。
★ 7. overcome [͵ovɚˋkʌm] vt. 克服 Mandy has been trying hard to overcome all of the difficulties in her life. 曼蒂一直在努力克服她人生中的所有困境。
★ 8. harsh [hɑrʃ] a. 嚴峻的；嚴厲的 No matter how harsh life gets, I never give up hope. 無論生活會有多艱難，我都不會放棄希望。
Tips in Use
not only... but (also)... 的用法
“not only... but (also)...” 為對等連接詞片語，表「不僅……而且……」，可連接對等的單字、片語或子句。 例: Beth is not only a singer but also a writer. 貝絲不僅是歌手還是作家。
例: Being on time not only shows respect but also makes a good impression on others. 準時不僅可以表示尊重，同時也能給別人留下好印象。
例: Carol not only treated us warmly, but she also cooked dinner for us. 卡蘿不僅熱情地招呼我們，還為我們準備了晚餐。
Extra Words & Phrases
► crawdad [ˋkrɔ͵dæd] n. 螯蝦，淡水龍蝦
► lobster [ˋlɑbstɚ] n. 龍蝦
► marsh [mɑrʃ] n. 沼澤
► cove [kov] n. 小海灣
► fictional [ˋfɪkʃən!] a. 虛構的
► sibling [ˋsɪblɪŋ] n. 兄弟姊妹
► turn... upside down 使……（生活）變得天翻地覆
► genre [ˋʒɑnrə] n. 文藝作品之類型
► coming-of-age [ :kvmɪgəv`eʒ ] a. 成年的
You Can Do This
請從下欄選出最適合的句子來完成該句
_____ 1. Looking down on others is
_____ 2. Rachel abandoned
_____ 3. In harsh environments,
A. her long-term boyfriend while abroad. B. animals often evolve. C. made a good living by selling automobiles. D. often an expression of a lack of confidence.
You Can Do This: 1. D 2. A 3. B
中文翻譯
一個揉合了捕魚、成長以及謀殺案的故事
Day 1
或許你從來沒有聽說過「螯蝦」，但你可能相當喜愛龍蝦。事實上，兩者十分相似。螯蝦形似龍蝦，但牠們生活在淡水裡。身處於螯蝦吟唱的地方，意思就是孑然一身處在大自然中。迪莉婭．歐文斯的小說《沼澤女孩》中的主角正是如此。這部小說敘述一位名為奇雅的年輕女子，在美國北卡羅萊納州的虛構小鎮巴克利海灣的沼澤中，掙扎生存的故事。
奇雅的母親及兄弟姊妹在她年幼時離開了她。她父親留下來並教她如何捕魚，但是一段時間後，他也離棄了奇雅。而她則繼續捕魚謀生長大。在採納她朋友泰特的建議下，奇雅出版了兩本關於她居住之沼澤中的野生動物的書。然而，當她的前男友柴斯被發現死亡時，奇雅的生活隨即天翻地覆。身為柴斯遇害的嫌疑人，奇雅必須向瞧不起她生活方式的小鎮證明自己的清白。
這部小說融合了許多題材。集結了邁入成人世界的故事、愛情以及凶殺謎團於一體。奇雅不僅需要克服沼澤的惡劣環境，她還必須面對社會帶來的嚴峻挑戰。
