Plague - Mar 07

Only ________(生活必需品) were brought by road or air to Oran.

Thus the traffic ________([使]变得稀薄/稀疏/变少) progressively until hardly any private cars were on the roads; luxury shops closed overnight, and others began to put up “Sold Out” notices, while crowds of buyers stood waiting at their doors.

Naturally the picture-houses benefited by the situation and made money ________(迅速而大量地[赚钱或花钱]). They had one difficulty, however—to provide a change of program, since the circulation of films in the region had been suspended.

After a fortnight the various cinemas were obliged to exchange films and, after a further ________(时间的间隔), to show always the same program. In spite of this their ________(营业收入) did not ________(减少/跌落).

The cafés, thanks to the big stocks accumulated in a town where the wine-and-liquor trade holds ________(最醒目的位置/最重要的地位), were equally able to cater to their patrons.

The Prefect’s riposte to critisicms ________([态度、观点或说法的]重复、附和) by the press – Could not the regulations be modified and made less stringent? – was somewhat unexpected.

Every night, toward 2 A.M., quite a number of drunken men, ejected from the cafes, staggered down the streets, ________(大声嚷嚷着一些乐观言论).

And, to tell the truth, there was much ________(酗酒).

In short, they ________(保持体面). However, toward the end of the month, about the time of the Week of Prayer, which will be described later on, there were more serious developments, altering the whole aspect of the town.

There were feelings all could share, such as fear and separation, but personal interests, too, continued to ________(仍占领着人们的大部分思想).