小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 英文短篇小说 » John Bull on the Guadalquivir » Chapter 1
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
Chapter 1
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
 I am an Englishman, living, as all Englishman should do, in England, and my wife would not, I think, be well pleased were any one to insinuate1 that she were other than an Englishwoman; but in the circumstances of my marriage I became connected with the south of Spain, and the narrative2 which I am to tell requires that I should refer to some of those details.
 
The Pomfrets and Daguilars have long been in trade together in this country, and one of the partners has usually resided at Seville for the sake of the works which the firm there possesses.  My father, James Pomfret, lived there for ten years before his marriage; and since that and up to the present period, old Mr. Daguilar has always been on the spot.  He was, I believe, born in Spain, but he came very early to England; he married an English wife, and his sons had been educated exclusively in England.  His only daughter, Maria Daguilar, did not pass so large a proportion of her early life in this country, but she came to us for a visit at the age of seventeen, and when she returned I made up my mind that I most assuredly would go after her.  So I did, and she is now sitting on the other side of the fireplace with a legion of small linen4 habiliments in a huge basket by her side.
 
I felt, at the first, that there was something lacking to make my cup of love perfectly5 delightful6.  It was very sweet, but there was wanting that flower of romance which is generally added to the heavenly draught7 by a slight admixture of opposition8.  I feared that the path of my true love would run too smooth.  When Maria came to our house, my mother and elder sister seemed to be quite willing that I should be continually alone with her; and she had not been there ten days before my father, by chance, remarked that there was nothing old Mr. Daguilar valued so highly as a thorough feeling of intimate alliance between the two families which had been so long connected in trade.  I was never told that Maria was to be my wife, but I felt that the same thing was done without words; and when, after six weeks of somewhat elaborate attendance upon her, I asked her to be Mrs. John Pomfret, I had no more fear of a refusal, or even of hesitation9 on her part, than I now have when I suggest to my partner some commercial transaction of undoubted advantage.
 
But Maria, even at that age, had about her a quiet sustained decision of character quite unlike anything I had seen in English girls.  I used to hear, and do still hear, how much more flippant is the education of girls in France and Spain than in England; and I know that this is shown to be the result of many causes—the Roman Catholic religion being, perhaps, chief offender10; but, nevertheless, I rarely see in one of our own young women the same power of a self-sustained demeanour as I meet on the Continent.  It goes no deeper than the demeanour, people say.  I can only answer that I have not found that shallowness in my own wife.
 
Miss Daguilar replied to me that she was not prepared with an answer; she had only known me six weeks, and wanted more time to think about it; besides, there was one in her own country with whom she would wish to consult.  I knew she had no mother; and as for consulting old Mr. Daguilar on such a subject, that idea, I knew, could not have troubled her.  Besides, as I afterwards learned, Mr. Daguilar had already proposed the marriage to his partner exactly as he would have proposed a division of assets.  My mother declared that Maria was a foolish chit—in which by-the-bye she showed her entire ignorance of Miss Daguilar’s character; my eldest11 sister begged that no constraint12 might he put on the young lady’s inclinations13—which provoked me to assert that the young lady’s inclinations were by no means opposed to my own; and my father, in the coolest manner suggested that the matter might stand over for twelve months, and that I might then go to Seville, and see about it!  Stand over for twelve months!  Would not Maria, long before that time, have been snapped up and carried off by one of those inordinately14 rich Spanish grandees15 who are still to be met with occasionally in Andalucia?
 
My father’s dictum, however, had gone forth16; and Maria, in the calmest voice, protested that she thought it very wise.  I should be less of a boy by that time, she said, smiling on me, but driving wedges between every fibre of my body as she spoke17.  “Be it so,” I said, proudly.  “At any rate, I am not so much of a boy that I shall forget you.”  “And, John, you still have the trade to learn,” she added, with her deliciously foreign intonation—speaking very slowly, but with perfect pronunciation.  The trade to learn!  However, I said not a word, but stalked out of the room, meaning to see her no more before she went.  But I could not resist attending on her in the hall as she started; and, when she took leave of us, she put her face up to be kissed by me, as she did by my father, and seemed to receive as much emotion from one embrace as from the other.  “He’ll go out by the packet of the 1st April,” said my father, speaking of me as though I were a bale of goods.  “Ah! that will be so nice,” said Maria, settling her dress in the carriage; “the oranges will be ripe for him then!”
 
On the 17th April I did sail, and felt still very like a bale of goods.  I had received one letter from her, in which she merely stated that her papa would have a room ready for me on my arrival; and, in answer to that, I had sent an epistle somewhat longer, and, as I then thought, a little more to the purpose.  Her turn of mind was more practical than mine, and I must confess my belief that she did not appreciate my poetry.
 
I landed at Cadiz, and was there joined by an old family friend, one of the very best fellows that ever lived.  He was to accompany me up as far as Seville; and, as he had lived for a year or two at Xeres, was supposed to be more Spanish almost than a Spaniard.  His name was Johnson, and he was in the wine trade; and whether for travelling or whether for staying at home—whether for paying you a visit in your own house, or whether for entertaining you in his—there never was (and I am prepared to maintain there never will be) a stancher friend, choicer companion, or a safer guide than Thomas Johnson.  Words cannot produce a eulogium sufficient for his merits.  But, as I have since learned, he was not quite so Spanish as I had imagined.  Three years among the bodegas of Xeres had taught him, no doubt, to appreciate the exact twang of a good, dry sherry; but not, as I now conceive, the exactest flavour of the true Spanish character.  I was very lucky, however, in meeting such a friend, and now reckon him as one of the stanchest allies of the house of Pomfret, Daguilar, and Pomfret.
 
He met me at Cadiz, took me about the town, which appeared to me to be of no very great interest;—though the young ladies were all very well.  But, in this respect, I was then a Stoic18, till such time as I might be able to throw myself at the feet of her whom I was ready to proclaim the most lovely of all the Dulcineas of Andalucia.  He carried me up by boat and railway to Xeres; gave me a most terrific headache, by dragging me out into the glare of the sun, after I had tasted some half a dozen different wines, and went through all the ordinary hospitalities.  On the next day we returned to Puerto, and from thence getting across to St. Lucar and Bonanza19, found ourselves on the banks of the Guadalquivir, and took our places in the boat for Seville.  I need say but little to my readers respecting that far-famed river.  Thirty years ago we in England generally believed that on its banks was to be found a pure elysium of pastoral beauty; that picturesque20 shepherds and lovely maidens21 here fed their flocks in fields of asphodel; that the limpid22 stream ran cool and crystal over bright stones and beneath perennial23 shade; and that every thing on the Guadalquivir was as lovely and as poetical24 as its name.  Now, it is pretty widely known that no uglier river oozes25 down to its bourn in the sea through unwholesome banks of low mud.  It is brown and dirty; ungifted by any scenic26 advantage; margined27 for miles upon miles by huge, flat, expansive fields, in which cattle are reared,—the bulls wanted for the bullfights among other; and birds of prey28 sit constant on the shore, watching for the carcases of such as die.  Such are the charms of the golden Guadalquivir.
 
At first we were very dull on board that steamer.  I never found myself in a position in which there was less to do.  There was a nasty smell about the little boat which made me almost ill; every turn in the river was so exactly like the last, that we might have been standing29 still; there was no amusement except eating, and that, when once done, was not of a kind to make an early repetition desirable.  Even Johnson was becoming dull, and I began to doubt whether I was so desirous as I once had been to travel the length and breadth of all Spain.  But about noon a little incident occurred which did for a time remove some of our tedium30.  The boat had stopped to take in passengers on the river; and, among others, a man had come on board dressed in a fashion that, to my eyes, was equally strange and picturesque.  Indeed, his appearance was so singular, that I could not but regard him with care, though I felt at first averse31 to stare at a fellow-passenger on account of his clothes.  He was a man of about fifty, but as active apparently32 as though not more than twenty five; he was of low stature33, but of admirable make; his hair was just becoming grizzled, but was short and crisp and well cared for; his face was prepossessing, having a look of good humour added to courtesy, and there was a pleasant, soft smile round his mouth which ingratiated one at the first sight.  But it was his dress rather than his person which attracted attention.  He wore the ordinary Andalucian cap—of which such hideous34 parodies35 are now making themselves common in England—but was not contented36 with the usual ornament37 of the double tuft.  The cap was small, and jaunty38; trimmed with silk velvet—as is common here with men careful to adorn39 their persons; but this man’s cap was finished off with a jewelled button and golden filigree40 work.  He was dressed in a short jacket with a stand up collar; and that also was covered with golden buttons and with golden button-holes.  It was all gilt41 down the front, and all lace down the back.  The rows of buttons were double; and those of the more backward row hung down in heavy pendules.  His waistcoat was of coloured silk—very pretty to look at; and ornamented42 with a small sash, through which gold threads were worked.  All the buttons of his breeches also were of gold; and there were gold tags to all the button-holes.  His stockings were of the finest silk, and clocked with gold from the knee to the ankle.
 
Dress any Englishman in such a garb43 and he will at once give you the idea of a hog44 in armour45.  In the first place he will lack the proper spirit to carry it off, and in the next place the motion of his limbs will disgrace the ornaments46 they bear.  “And so best,” most Englishmen will say.  Very likely; and, therefore, let no Englishman try it.  But my Spaniard did not look at like a hog in armour.  He walked slowly down the plank47 into the boat, whistling lowly but very clearly a few bars from a opera tune48.  It was plain to see that he was master of himself, of his ornaments, and of his limbs.  He had no appearance of thinking that men were looking at him, or of feeling that he was beauteous in his attire;—nothing could be more natural than his foot-fall, or the quiet glance of his cheery gray eye.  He walked up to the captain, who held the helm, and lightly raised his hand to his cap.  The captain, taking one hand from the wheel, did the same, and then the stranger, turning his back to the stern of the vessel49, and fronting down the river with his face, continued to whistle slowly, clearly, and in excellent time.  Grand as were his clothes they were no burden on his mind.
 
“What is he?” said I, going up to my friend Johnson with a whisper.
 
“Well, I’ve been looking at him,” said Johnson—which was true enough; “he’s a — an uncommonly51 good-looking fellow, isn’t he?”
 
“Particularly so,” said I; “and got up quite irrespective of expense.  Is he a—a—a gentleman, now, do you think?”
 
“Well, those things are so different in Spain that it’s almost impossible to make an Englishman understand them.  One learns to know all this sort of people by being with them in the country, but one can’t explain.”
 
“No; exactly.  Are they real gold?”
 
“Yes, yes; I dare say they are.  They sometimes have them silver gilt.”
 
“It is quite a common thing, then, isn’t it?” asked I.
 
“Well, not exactly; that—Ah! yes; I see! of course.  He is a torero.”
 
“A what?”
 
“A mayo.  I will explain it all to you.  You will see them about in all places, and you will get used to them.”
 
“But I haven’t seen one other as yet.”
 
“No, and they are not all so gay as this, nor so new in their finery, you know.”
 
“And what is a torero?”
 
“Well, a torero is a man engaged in bull-fighting.”
 
“Oh! he is a matador52, is he?” said I, looking at him with more than all my eyes.
 
“No, not exactly that;—not of necessity.  He is probably a mayo.  A fellow that dresses himself smart for fairs, and will be seen hanging about with the bull-fighters.  What would be a sporting fellow in England—only he won’t drink and curse like a low man on the turf there.  Come, shall we go and speak to him?”
 
“I can’t talk to him,” said I, diffident of my Spanish.  I had received lessons in England from Maria Daguilar; but six weeks is little enough for making love, let alone the learning of a foreign language.
 
“Oh!  I’ll do the talking.  You’ll find the language easy enough before long.  It soon becomes the same as English to you, when you live among them.”  And then Johnson, walking up to the stranger, accosted53 him with that good-natured familiarity with which a thoroughly54 nice fellow always opens a conversation with his inferior.  Of course I could not understand the words which were exchanged; but it was clear enough that the “mayo” took the address in good part, and was inclined to be communicative and social.
 
“They are all of pure gold,” said Johnson, turning to me after a minute, making as he spoke a motion with his head to show the importance of the information.
 
“Are they indeed?” said I.  “Where on earth did a fellow like that get them?”  Whereupon Johnson again returned to his conversation with the man.  After another minute he raised his hand, and began to finger the button on the shoulder; and to aid him in doing so, the man of the bull-ring turned a little on one side.
 
“They are wonderfully well made,” said Johnson, talking to me, and still fingering the button.  “They are manufactured, he says, at Osuna, and he tells me that they make them better there than anywhere else.”
 
“I wonder what the whole set would cost?” said I.  “An enormous deal of money for a fellow like him, I should think!”
 
“Over twelve ounces,” said Johnson, having asked the question; “and that will be more than forty pounds.”
 
“What an uncommon50 ass3 he must be!” said I.
 
As Johnson by this time was very closely scrutinising the whole set of ornaments I thought I might do so also, and going up close to our friend, I too began to handle the buttons and tags on the other side.  Nothing could have been more good-humoured than he was—so much so that I was emboldened55 to hold up his arm that I might see the cut of his coat, to take off his cap and examine the make, to stuff my finger in beneath his sash, and at last to kneel down while I persuaded him to hold up his legs that I might look to the clocking.  The fellow was thorough good-natured, and why should I not indulge my curiosity?
 
“You’ll upset him if you don’t take care,” said Johnson; for I had got fast hold of him by one ankle, and was determined56 to finish the survey completely.
 
“Oh, no, I shan’t,” said I; “a bull-fighting chap can surely stand on one leg.  But what I wonder at is, how on earth he can afford it!”  Whereupon Johnson again began to interrogate57 him in Spanish.
 
“He says he has got no children,” said Johnson, having received a reply, “and that as he has nobody but himself to look after, he is able to allow himself such little luxuries.”
 
“Tell him that I say he would be better with a wife and couple of babies,” said I—and Johnson interpreted.
 
“He says that he’ll think of it some of these days, when he finds that the supply of fools in the world is becoming short,” said Johnson.
 
We had nearly done with him now; but after regaining58 my feet, I addressed myself once more to the heavy pendules, which hung down almost under his arm.  I lifted one of these, meaning to feel its weight between my fingers; but unfortunately I gave a lurch59, probably through the motion of the boat, and still holding by the button, tore it almost off from our friend’s coat.
 
“Oh, I am so sorry,” I said, in broad English.
 
“It do not matter at all,” he said, bowing, and speaking with equal plainness.  And then, taking a knife from his pocket, he cut the pendule off, leaving a bit of torn cloth on the side of his jacket.
 
“Upon my word, I am quite unhappy,” said I; “but I always am so awkward.”  Whereupon he bowed low.
 
“Couldn’t I make it right?” said I, bringing out my purse.
 
He lifted his hand, and I saw that it was small and white; he lifted it and gently put it upon my purse, smiling sweetly as he did so.  “Thank you, no, se?or; thank you, no.”  And then, bowing to us both, he walked away down into the cabin.
 
“Upon my word he is a deuced well-mannered fellow,” said I.
 
“You shouldn’t have offered him money,” said Johnson; “a Spaniard does not like it.”
 
“Why, I thought you could do nothing without money in this country.  Doesn’t every one take bribes60?”
 
“Ah! yes; that is a different thing; but not the price of a button.  By Jove! he understood English, too.  Did you see that?”
 
“Yes; and I called him an ass!  I hope he doesn’t mind it.”
 
“Oh! no; he won’t think anything about it,” said Johnson.  “That sort of fellows don’t.  I dare say we shall see him in the bull-ring next Sunday, and then we’ll make all right with a glass of lemonade.”
 
And so our adventure ended with the man of the gold ornaments.  I was sorry that I had spoken English before him so heedlessly, and resolved that I would never be guilty of such gaucherie again.  But, then, who would think that a Spanish bull-fighter would talk a foreign language?  I was sorry, also, that I had torn his coat; it had looked so awkward; and sorry again that I had offered the man money.  Altogether I was a little ashamed of myself; but I had too much to look forward to at Seville to allow any heaviness to remain long at my heart; and before I had arrived at the marvellous city I had forgotten both him and his buttons.
 
Nothing could be nicer than the way in which I was welcomed at Mr. Daguilar’s house, or more kind—I may almost say affectionate—than Maria’s manner to me.  But it was too affectionate; and I am not sure that I should not have liked my reception better had she been more diffident in her tone, and less inclined to greet me with open warmth.  As it was, she again gave me her cheek to kiss, in her father’s presence, and called me dear John, and asked me specially61 after some rabbits which I had kept at home merely for a younger sister; and then it seemed as though she were in no way embarrassed by the peculiar62 circumstances of our position.  Twelve months since I had asked her to be my wife, and now she was to give me an answer; and yet she was as assured in her gait, and as serenely63 joyous64 in her tone, as though I were a brother just returned from college.  It could not be that she meant to refuse me, or she would not smile on me and be so loving; but I could almost have found it in my heart to wish that she would.  “It is quite possible,” said I to myself, “that I may not be found so ready for this family bargain.  A love that is to be had like a bale of goods is not exactly the love to suit my taste.”  But then, when I met her again in the morning I could no more have quarrelled with her than I could have flown.
 
I was inexpressibly charmed with the whole city, and especially with the house in which Mr. Daguilar lived.  It opened from the corner of a narrow, unfrequented street—a corner like an elbow—and, as seen from the exterior65, there was nothing prepossessing to recommend it; but the outer door led by a short hall or passage to an inner door or grille, made of open ornamental66 iron-work, and through that we entered a court, or patio67, as they I called it.  Nothing could be more lovely or deliciously cool than was this small court.  The building on each side was covered by trellis-work; and beautiful creepers, vines, and parasite68 flowers, now in the full magnificence of the early summer, grew up and clustered round the windows.  Every inch of wall was covered, so that none of the glaring whitewash69 wounded the eye.  In the four corners of the patio were four large orange-trees, covered with fruit.  I would not say a word in special praise of these, remembering that childish promise she had made on my behalf.  In the middle of the court there was a fountain, and round about on the marble floor there were chairs, and here and there a small table, as though the space were really a portion of the house.  It was here that we used to take our cup of coffee and smoke our cigarettes, I and old Mr. Daguilar, while Maria sat by, not only approving, but occasionally rolling for me the thin paper round the fragrant70 weed with her taper71 fingers.  Beyond the patio was an open passage or gallery, filled also with flowers in pots; and then, beyond this, one entered the drawing-room of the house.  It was by no means a princely palace or mansion72, fit for the owner of untold73 wealth.  The rooms were not over large nor very numerous; but the most had been made of a small space, and everything had been done to relieve the heat of an almost tropical sun.
 
“It is pretty, is it not?” she said, as she took me through it.
 
“Very pretty,” I said.  “I wish we could live in such houses.”
 
“Oh, they would not do at all for dear old fat, cold, cozy74 England.  You are quite different, you know, in everything from us in the south; more phlegmatic75, but then so much steadier.  The men and the houses are all the same.”
 
I can hardly tell why, but even this wounded me.  It seemed to me as though she were inclined to put into one and the same category things English, dull, useful, and solid; and that she was disposed to show a sufficient appreciation76 for such necessaries of life, though she herself had another and inner sense—a sense keenly alive to the poetry of her own southern chime; and that I, as being English, was to have no participation77 in this latter charm.  An English husband might do very well, the interests of the firm might make such an arrangement desirable, such a mariage de convenance—so I argued to myself—might be quite compatible with—with heaven only knows what delights of superterrestial romance, from which I, as being an English thick-headed lump of useful coarse mortality, was to be altogether debarred.  She had spoken to me of oranges, and having finished the survey of the house, she offered me some sweet little cakes.  It could not be that of such things were the thoughts which lay undivulged beneath the clear waters of those deep black eyes—undivulged to me, though no one else could have so good a right to read those thoughts!  It could not be that that noble brow gave index of a mind intent on the trade of which she spoke so often!  Words of other sort than any that had been vouchsafed78 to me must fall at times from the rich curves of that perfect month.
 
So felt I then, pining for something to make me unhappy.  Ah, me!  I know all about it now, and am content.  But I wish that some learned pundit79 would give us a good definition of romance, would describe in words that feeling with which our hearts are so pestered80 when we are young, which makes us sigh for we know not what, and forbids us to be contented with what God sends us.  We invest female beauty with impossible attributes, and are angry because our women have not the spiritualised souls of angels, anxious as we are that they should also be human in the flesh.  A man looks at her he would love as at a distant landscape in a mountainous land.  The peaks are glorious with more than the beauty of earth and rock and vegetation.  He dreams of some mysterious grandeur81 of design which tempts82 him on under the hot sun, and over the sharp rock, till he has reached the mountain goal which he had set before him.  But when there, he finds that the beauty is well-nigh gone, and as for that delicious mystery on which his soul had fed, it has vanished for ever.
 
I know all about it now, and am, as I said, content.  Beneath those deep black eyes there lay a well of love, good, honest, homely83 love, love of father and husband and children that were to come—of that love which loves to see the loved ones prospering84 in honesty.  That noble brow—for it is noble; I am unchanged in that opinion, and will go unchanged to my grave—covers thoughts as to the welfare of many, and an intellect fitted to the management of a household, of servants, namely, and children, and perchance a husband.  That mouth can speak words of wisdom, of very useful wisdom—though of poetry it has latterly uttered little that was original.  Poetry and romance!  They are splendid mountain views seen in the distance.  So let men be content to see them, and not attempt to tread upon the fallacious heather of the mystic hills.
 
In the first week of my sojourn85 in Seville I spoke no word of overt86 love to Maria, thinking, as I confess, to induce her thereby87 to alter her mode of conduct to myself.  “She knows that I have come here to make love to her—to repeat my offer; and she will at any rate be chagrined88 if I am slow to do so.”  But it had no effect.  At home my mother was rather particular about her table, and Maria’s greatest efforts seemed to be used in giving me as nice dinners as we gave her.  In those days I did not care a straw about my dinner, and so I took an opportunity of telling her.  “Dear me,” said she, looking at me almost with grief, “do you not?  What a pity!  And do you not like music either.”  “Oh, yes, I adore it,” I replied.  I felt sure at the time that had I been born in her own sunny clime, she would never have talked to me about eating.  But that was my mistake.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 insinuate hbBzH     
vt.含沙射影地说,暗示
参考例句:
  • He tried to insinuate himself into the boss's favor.他设法巧妙地渐渐取得老板的欢心。
  • It seems to me you insinuate things about her.我觉得你讲起她来,总有些弦外之音。
2 narrative CFmxS     
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的
参考例句:
  • He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
  • Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
3 ass qvyzK     
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人
参考例句:
  • He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
  • An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。
4 linen W3LyK     
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的
参考例句:
  • The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
  • Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。
5 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
6 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
参考例句:
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
7 draught 7uyzIH     
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计
参考例句:
  • He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
  • It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗,没有过堂风。
8 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
9 hesitation tdsz5     
n.犹豫,踌躇
参考例句:
  • After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天,他终于直说了。
  • There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。
10 offender ZmYzse     
n.冒犯者,违反者,犯罪者
参考例句:
  • They all sued out a pardon for an offender.他们请求法院赦免一名罪犯。
  • The authorities often know that sex offenders will attack again when they are released.当局一般都知道性犯罪者在获释后往往会再次犯案。
11 eldest bqkx6     
adj.最年长的,最年老的
参考例句:
  • The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
  • The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
12 constraint rYnzo     
n.(on)约束,限制;限制(或约束)性的事物
参考例句:
  • The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
  • The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。
13 inclinations 3f0608fe3c993220a0f40364147caa7b     
倾向( inclination的名词复数 ); 倾斜; 爱好; 斜坡
参考例句:
  • She has artistic inclinations. 她有艺术爱好。
  • I've no inclinations towards life as a doctor. 我的志趣不是行医。
14 inordinately 272444323467c5583592cff7e97a03df     
adv.无度地,非常地
参考例句:
  • But if you are determined to accumulate wealth, it isn't inordinately difficult. 不过,如果你下决心要积累财富,事情也不是太难。 来自互联网
  • She was inordinately smart. 她非常聪明。 来自互联网
15 grandees b56a4bfd572b54025901b6b6f4afff8a     
n.贵族,大公,显贵者( grandee的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The highest-ranking members of the Spanish aristocracy are the grandees. 西班牙贵族中爵位最高的成员乃是大公。 来自辞典例句
  • Several grandees of the town are present at the party. 城里的几位要人出席了晚会。 来自互联网
16 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
17 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
18 stoic cGPzC     
n.坚忍克己之人,禁欲主义者
参考例句:
  • A stoic person responds to hardship with imperturbation.坚忍克己之人经受苦难仍能泰然自若。
  • On Rajiv's death a stoic journey began for Mrs Gandhi,supported by her husband's friends.拉吉夫死后,索尼亚在丈夫友人的支持下开始了一段坚忍的历程。
19 bonanza ctjzN     
n.富矿带,幸运,带来好运的事
参考例句:
  • Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
  • What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说,这是多好的运气啊。
20 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
参考例句:
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
21 maidens 85662561d697ae675e1f32743af22a69     
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球
参考例句:
  • stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
  • Transplantation is not always successful in the matter of flowers or maidens. 花儿移栽往往并不成功,少女们换了环境也是如此。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
22 limpid 43FyK     
adj.清澈的,透明的
参考例句:
  • He has a pair of limpid blue eyes.他有一双清澈的蓝眼睛。
  • The sky was a limpid blue,as if swept clean of everything.碧空如洗。
23 perennial i3bz7     
adj.终年的;长久的
参考例句:
  • I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
  • There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。
24 poetical 7c9cba40bd406e674afef9ffe64babcd     
adj.似诗人的;诗一般的;韵文的;富有诗意的
参考例句:
  • This is a poetical picture of the landscape. 这是一幅富有诗意的风景画。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • John is making a periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion. 约翰正在对陈腐的诗风做迂回冗长的研究。 来自辞典例句
25 oozes 1d93b6d63593be8d249e2bb6d5dae2bd     
v.(浓液等)慢慢地冒出,渗出( ooze的第三人称单数 );使(液体)缓缓流出;(浓液)渗出,慢慢流出
参考例句:
  • The spring oozes out of a rock. 泉水从岩石中渗出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Blood oozes from a wound. 血从伤口渗出。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
26 scenic aDbyP     
adj.自然景色的,景色优美的
参考例句:
  • The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
  • The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。
27 margined 35fa9b68c8ffcc1996b1de57fef600c7     
[医]具边的
参考例句:
  • The shore was margined with foam. 岸边都是泡沫。
  • Every page was margined with comments. 每页的页边上都加了评注。
28 prey g1czH     
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨
参考例句:
  • Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
  • The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
29 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
30 tedium ngkyn     
n.单调;烦闷
参考例句:
  • We played games to relieve the tedium of the journey.我们玩游戏,来解除旅行的沉闷。
  • In myself I could observe the following sources of tedium. 从我自己身上,我所观察到的烦闷的根源有下列一些。
31 averse 6u0zk     
adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的
参考例句:
  • I don't smoke cigarettes,but I'm not averse to the occasional cigar.我不吸烟,但我不反对偶尔抽一支雪茄。
  • We are averse to such noisy surroundings.我们不喜欢这么吵闹的环境。
32 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
33 stature ruLw8     
n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材
参考例句:
  • He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
  • The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。
34 hideous 65KyC     
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的
参考例句:
  • The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
  • They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗,是丑陋的畜牲。
35 parodies 5e0773b80b9f7484cf4a75cdbe6e2dbe     
n.拙劣的模仿( parody的名词复数 );恶搞;滑稽的模仿诗文;表面上模仿得笨拙但充满了机智用来嘲弄别人作品的作品v.滑稽地模仿,拙劣地模仿( parody的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Later, however, they delight in parodies of nursery rhymes. 可要不了多久,他们便乐于对它进行窜改。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
  • Most parodies are little more than literary teases. 大多数讽刺的模仿诗文只能算上是文学上的揶揄。 来自辞典例句
36 contented Gvxzof     
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
参考例句:
  • He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
  • The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
37 ornament u4czn     
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物
参考例句:
  • The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
  • She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。
38 jaunty x3kyn     
adj.愉快的,满足的;adv.心满意足地,洋洋得意地;n.心满意足;洋洋得意
参考例句:
  • She cocked her hat at a jaunty angle.她把帽子歪戴成俏皮的样子。
  • The happy boy walked with jaunty steps.这个快乐的孩子以轻快活泼的步子走着。
39 adorn PydzZ     
vt.使美化,装饰
参考例句:
  • She loved to adorn herself with finery.她喜欢穿戴华丽的服饰。
  • His watercolour designs adorn a wide range of books.他的水彩设计使许多图书大为生色。
40 filigree 47SyK     
n.金银丝做的工艺品;v.用金银细丝饰品装饰;用华而不实的饰品装饰;adj.金银细丝工艺的
参考例句:
  • The frost made beautiful filigree on the window pane.寒霜在玻璃窗上形成了美丽的花纹。
  • The art filigree tapestry is elegant and magnificent.嵌金银丝艺术挂毯,绚丽雅典。
41 gilt p6UyB     
adj.镀金的;n.金边证券
参考例句:
  • The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。
  • The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。
42 ornamented af417c68be20f209790a9366e9da8dbb     
adj.花式字体的v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She ornamented her dress with lace. 她用花边装饰衣服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
43 garb JhYxN     
n.服装,装束
参考例句:
  • He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
  • Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。
44 hog TrYzRg     
n.猪;馋嘴贪吃的人;vt.把…占为己有,独占
参考例句:
  • He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
  • Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。
45 armour gySzuh     
(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队
参考例句:
  • His body was encased in shining armour.他全身披着明晃晃的甲胄。
  • Bulletproof cars sheathed in armour.防弹车护有装甲。
46 ornaments 2bf24c2bab75a8ff45e650a1e4388dec     
n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 );点缀;装饰品;首饰v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
  • Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》
47 plank p2CzA     
n.板条,木板,政策要点,政纲条目
参考例句:
  • The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
  • They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。
48 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
49 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
50 uncommon AlPwO     
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的
参考例句:
  • Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
  • Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。
51 uncommonly 9ca651a5ba9c3bff93403147b14d37e2     
adv. 稀罕(极,非常)
参考例句:
  • an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童
  • My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。
52 matador BBRxD     
n.斗牛士
参考例句:
  • The matador and bull performed wonderfully in the ring.斗牛士和公牛在斗牛场中进行阗精彩的表演。
  • The matador had a narrow escape.这个斗牛士真是死里逃生。
53 accosted 4ebfcbae6e0701af7bf7522dbf7f39bb     
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭
参考例句:
  • She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上,一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
  • His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
54 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
55 emboldened 174550385d47060dbd95dd372c76aa22     
v.鼓励,使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆,走上前去向她作自我介绍。
  • His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
56 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
57 interrogate Tb7zV     
vt.讯问,审问,盘问
参考例句:
  • The lawyer took a long time to interrogate the witness fully.律师花了很长时间仔细询问目击者。
  • We will interrogate the two suspects separately.我们要对这两个嫌疑人单独进行审讯。
58 regaining 458e5f36daee4821aec7d05bf0dd4829     
复得( regain的现在分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉,但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
  • She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道,又马上重新振作起精神来。
59 lurch QR8z9     
n.突然向前或旁边倒;v.蹒跚而行
参考例句:
  • It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
  • He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。
60 bribes f3132f875c572eefabf4271b3ea7b2ca     
n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂
参考例句:
  • It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
  • corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏
61 specially Hviwq     
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地
参考例句:
  • They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
  • The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。
62 peculiar cinyo     
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
参考例句:
  • He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
  • He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
63 serenely Bi5zpo     
adv.安详地,宁静地,平静地
参考例句:
  • The boat sailed serenely on towards the horizon.小船平稳地向着天水交接处驶去。
  • It was a serenely beautiful night.那是一个宁静美丽的夜晚。
64 joyous d3sxB     
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的
参考例句:
  • The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
  • They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。
65 exterior LlYyr     
adj.外部的,外在的;表面的
参考例句:
  • The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
  • We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。
66 ornamental B43zn     
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物
参考例句:
  • The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
  • The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。
67 patio gSdzr     
n.庭院,平台
参考例句:
  • Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there,I thought.我又忽然想到家里漂亮的院子,我能够在这里宁静地呆会。
  • They had a barbecue on their patio on Sunday.星期天他们在院子里进行烧烤。
68 parasite U4lzN     
n.寄生虫;寄生菌;食客
参考例句:
  • The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
  • I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫,我要自己养活自己。
69 whitewash 3gYwJ     
v.粉刷,掩饰;n.石灰水,粉刷,掩饰
参考例句:
  • They tried hard to whitewash themselves.他们力图粉饰自己。
  • What he said was a load of whitewash.他所说的是一大堆粉饰之词。
70 fragrant z6Yym     
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的
参考例句:
  • The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
  • The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。
71 taper 3IVzm     
n.小蜡烛,尖细,渐弱;adj.尖细的;v.逐渐变小
参考例句:
  • You'd better taper off the amount of time given to rest.你最好逐渐地减少休息时间。
  • Pulmonary arteries taper towards periphery.肺动脉向周围逐渐变细。
72 mansion 8BYxn     
n.大厦,大楼;宅第
参考例句:
  • The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
  • The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。
73 untold ljhw1     
adj.数不清的,无数的
参考例句:
  • She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
  • They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖,因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。
74 cozy ozdx0     
adj.亲如手足的,密切的,暖和舒服的
参考例句:
  • I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯,因为他们是舒适的。
  • We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
75 phlegmatic UN9xg     
adj.冷静的,冷淡的,冷漠的,无活力的
参考例句:
  • Commuting in the rush-hour requires a phlegmatic temperament.在上下班交通高峰期间乘坐通勤车要有安之若素的心境。
  • The british character is often said to be phlegmatic.英国人的性格常说成是冷漠的。
76 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
参考例句:
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
77 participation KS9zu     
n.参与,参加,分享
参考例句:
  • Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
  • The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。
78 vouchsafed 07385734e61b0ea8035f27cf697b117a     
v.给予,赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 );允诺
参考例句:
  • He vouchsafed to me certain family secrets. 他让我知道了某些家庭秘密。
  • The significance of the event does, indeed, seem vouchsafed. 这个事件看起来确实具有重大意义。 来自辞典例句
79 pundit G0yz3     
n.博学之人;权威
参考例句:
  • Even the outstanding excellent graduate will learn constantly if he likes to be a pundit.即使最优秀的结业生,要想成为一个博学的人也要不断地研究。
  • He is a well known political pundit.他是一个著名的政治专家。
80 pestered 18771cb6d4829ac7c0a2a1528fe31cad     
使烦恼,纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Journalists pestered neighbours for information. 记者缠着邻居打听消息。
  • The little girl pestered the travellers for money. 那个小女孩缠着游客要钱。
81 grandeur hejz9     
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
参考例句:
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
82 tempts 7d09cc10124deb357a618cdb6c63cdd6     
v.引诱或怂恿(某人)干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 );使想要
参考例句:
  • It tempts the eye to dream. 这种景象会使眼睛产生幻觉。 来自辞典例句
  • This is the tidbit which tempts his insectivorous fate. 就是这一点东西引诱它残杀昆虫。 来自互联网
83 homely Ecdxo     
adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的
参考例句:
  • We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
  • Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭,好吗?
84 prospering b1bc062044f12a5281fbe25a1132df04     
成功,兴旺( prosper的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Our country is thriving and prospering day by day. 祖国日益繁荣昌盛。
  • His business is prospering. 他生意兴隆。
85 sojourn orDyb     
v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留
参考例句:
  • It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间,那将是太不近人情的。
  • I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间,觉得体力日渐恢复。
86 overt iKoxp     
adj.公开的,明显的,公然的
参考例句:
  • His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
  • We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
87 thereby Sokwv     
adv.因此,从而
参考例句:
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
88 chagrined 55be2dce03734a832733c53ee1dbb9e3     
adj.懊恼的,苦恼的v.使懊恼,使懊丧,使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I was most chagrined when I heard that he had got the job instead of me. 当我听说是他而不是我得到了那份工作时懊恼极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He was [felt] chagrined at his failure [at losing his pen]. 他为自己的失败 [遗失钢笔] 而感到懊恼。 来自辞典例句


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533