The starting gun blasted and they were off.是什么意思？

The starting gun blasted and they were off.

发令枪响了，他们冲了出去。

the

art. 指已提到的人（物），指说话人与听者已知的人（物），用于独一无二的事物前，与形容词最高级和序数词连用；

例句
He did have a real knowledge of the country...
他对该国的确知之甚多。

starting

n. 出发，开始；v. 出发，启程( start的现在分词 )，起动，提出（问题），开办；

例句
Four of the nine starting balloons were still aloft the next day.
9个开幕气球第二天还有4个飘在空中。

gun

n. 枪，发令枪声，受雇杀人的枪手，喷射器；vt. 射击（某人），给…加大油门，打猎；vi. 用枪打猎；

例句
He stood with the gun in his right hand and his left hand steadying his aim.
他站立着，右手举枪，左手稳住枪对准目标。

blasted

adj. 讨厌的，该死的，荒凉的；v. 炸毁，爆炸，枪击（ blast的过去式和过去分词 ）；

例句
There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.
爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

and

conj. 和，与，而且，于是，然后，因此；

例句
I spend a lot on expensive jewelry and clothing...
我花很多钱购买昂贵的首饰和衣服。

they

pron. 他/她/它们，人们，大家，政府，当局，她们；

例句
The storms had abated by the time they rounded Cape Horn.
他们绕过合恩角时，暴风雨已经减弱。

were

be的过去时复数和第二人称单数形式，有时代替 was,用于条件从句、动词 wish 之后等；

例句
Shops, houses, and vehicles were set ablaze.
店铺、房子和车辆全都陷于火海。

off

prep. 从…落下，离开，从…去掉，下班；adv. 离开，距，离，被取消，下班；adj. 不新鲜的，不能接受，不礼

例句
He eased his foot off the accelerator.
他松开了油门。