He sweated steadily in spite of two fans, and the smell that rose form his damp skin reminded me of old wallpaper in a deserted house. His breath was black with the perfume of decomposition. (Just After Sunset by Stephen King)
即使有兩座風扇吹著，他還是止不住地流汗，從他濕答答的皮膚發出某種味道，讓我想起廢棄已久的屋子裏的舊壁紙。他的鼻息是黑色的，帶著一股腐爛的香味。(日落之後 / 史蒂芬．金)
箇中奧妙
故事主人翁的父親病入膏肓，臥病在床的日子久了，身上發出的味道和呼出來的氣息自然教人不敢恭維。為了讓讀者也能身歷其境，。史蒂芬．金精心挑選了如下的字眼sweated, damp skin, old wallpaper, deserted house, black, perfume, decomposition，作為其營造氛圍的核心元素，這其中包括令人不太舒服的動作（流汗），具體的圖像（濡濕的皮膚、廢棄已久的屋子、舊壁紙），以及最最讓人拍案叫絕的將顏色用在嗅覺上。就慣寫死亡的驚悚大師而言，黑色對任何感官來說應該都是最理所當然的顏色了（紅色當然必須保留給鮮血）。當然，所謂腐爛的香味，顯然是刻意矛盾以求反襯之效，所謂以反言正者也。讀著這樣一段文字，你是否也聞到了呢？
文法分析
He sweated steadily in spite of two fans, and
第一個主詞 第一個動詞 副詞 介詞片語作副詞 對等連接詞
the smell that rose form his damp skin reminded me
第二個主詞 關係代名詞引導的形容詞子句用以修飾主詞 第二個動詞 受詞
of old wallpaper in a deserted house.
介詞 介詞的受詞 介詞in引導的的形容詞片語以修飾wallpaper
His breath was black with the perfume of decomposition.
主詞 Be動詞 主詞補語 介詞with引導的的副詞片語以修飾black
第一個長句由對等連接詞and串聯二個獨立子句組成，化繁為簡可以改寫成幾個短句(這純粹是一種粗淺的文法練習，絕非對大師的刻意褻瀆):
He sweated steadily in spite of two fans. A smell rose from his damp skin. It (the smell) reminded me of old wallpaper (that is often found) in a deserted house.
進一步細究，請看以下的對比，介詞in引導的副詞片語置於句尾句首均可，讀者當可輕易看出這個副詞片語的作用是修飾全句的核心部分he sweated steadily。這一點從中文語意去理解也相當清楚: 即使有兩座風扇吹著，他還是止不住地流汗。
He sweated steadily in spite of two fans.
In spite of two fans, he sweated steadily.
此外，細心的讀者應該會注意到筆者在此對a smell與the smell作出區分。原因也很簡單，描述對象尚不明確的某種味道時，之前加上不定冠詞a，已經明確界定是特定病人身上發出的味道後，就該換上定冠詞the。
A smell rose from his damp skin.
The smell reminded me of old wallpaper.
關鍵字詞
1. smell: 一般而言， smell（名詞與動詞）用來描述味道時多半是中性的，可香可臭。同義詞（名詞）包括odor與scent（尤其指人或動物身上留下的氣味，印地安人與福爾摩斯進行追蹤時的重要憑藉也）。明確表達香味的字眼包括aroma, fragrance, perfume，而臭方團員則有foulness, reek, stench, stink。同樣地，透過例句來掌握此等字彙的實際用法要容易上手得多，尤其值得注意的是，它們作為不及物動詞時，其後通常先加上介詞of再接受詞，有時並且由單講味道延伸出譬喻之意。
“Ah, a scent of tobacco would have been worth a great deal to us in such an investigation.” (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes)
The plant has a strong fragrance.
The stench of corruption is sickening.
The noodle smells good.
The house stinks of dogs.
The place smells of death.
2. damp: 同樣表達潮濕之意的形容詞還有wet, moist, humid（濕熱）, dank（濕冷）。drench與soak這二個動詞則常用來表達渾身濕透之意。另外，clammy常用來形容教人感覺不舒服的既濕又黏之感。
We had an exceptionally wet winter this year.
Her eyes seem to be moist with tears.
The United Arab Emirates has a humid climate.
The basement is unpleasantly dank.
He was thoroughly drenched (=soaked=soaking wet=dripping wet).
A clammy handshake is what I hate most.
3. remind: 意指提醒，作為及物動詞，其後一般先接提醒的對象作為受詞，再以介詞of引導或以不定詞片語表達想要提醒的內容，有類似用法的動詞還有accuse（控訴）, inform（通知），請看例句:
Those pictures reminded me of college days.
You must remind John to call home.
He was accused of murder.
The committee is responsible for informing members of forthcoming events.
4. deserted: 意指被遺棄的，從文法上的運用來說，就是將動詞的過去分詞直接當作形容詞用，同義字包括abandon, forsake。
There is an abandoned mine nearby.
“Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land” is a role-playing game.
5. decomposition: de-是一個常見的字首，用以表達離開、去除、向下、相反之意，所以compose是構成、組合，decompose是分解、腐爛，類似的正反配對還真不少:
activate vs. deactivate （啟動vs.解除）
embark vs. debark （登機﹝船﹞vs.登陸、上岸）
accelerate vs. decelerate （加速vs.減速）
cipher vs. decipher （加密vs.解密）
increase vs. decrease （增加vs.減少）
inflate vs. deflate （膨脹vs.萎縮）
appreciate vs. depreciate （升值vs.貶值）
ascend vs. descend （上升vs.下降）
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