The old gentleman swivelled his eyes on him like opera glasses and went on coughing: hack, hack, hack: the vocal chords dry as straw.

• 老人仔细打量着他，恨不得用观剧镜将他看个通透。接着又“咳，咳，咳”地咳嗽起来，嗓音干涩如稻草。