balks

1.They braced up the old house with balks of timber.

他们用梁木加固旧房子。

2.It was a fine apartment in which we found ourselves, large, lofty, and heavily raftered with huge balks of age-blackened oak.

我们所在的房间确是华美，，因年久远了黑色的椽木巨梁密密地排着。