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Chapter 2
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 I used to walk out with her about the city, seeing all that is there of beauty and magnificence.  And in what city is there more that is worth the seeing?  At first this was very delightful1 to me, for I felt that I was blessed with a privilege that would not be granted to any other man.  But its value soon fell in my eyes, for others would accost2 her, and walk on the other side, talking to her in Spanish, as though I hardly existed, or were a servant there for her protection.  And I was not allowed to take her arm, and thus to appropriate her, as I should have done in England.  “No, John,” she said, with the sweetest, prettiest smile, “we don’t do that here; only when people are married.”  And she made this allusion3 to married life out, openly, with no slightest tremor4 on her tongue.
 
“Oh, I beg pardon,” said I, drawing back my hand, and feeling angry with myself for not being fully5 acquainted with all the customs of a foreign country.
 
“You need not beg pardon,” said she; “when we were in England we always walked so.  It is just a custom, you know.”  And then I saw her drop her large dark eyes to the ground, and bow gracefully6 in answer to some salute7.
 
I looked round, and saw that we had been joined by a young cavalier,—a Spanish nobleman, as I saw at once; a man with jet black hair, and a straight nose, and a black moustache, and patent leather boots, very slim and very tall, and—though I would not confess it then—uncommonly handsome.  I myself am inclined to be stout8, my hair is light, my nose broad, I have no hair on my upper lip, and my whiskers are rough and uneven9.  “I could punch your head though, my fine fellow,” said I to myself, when I saw that he placed himself at Maria’s side, “and think very little of the achievement.”
 
The wretch10 went on with us round the plaza11 for some quarter of an hour talking Spanish with the greatest fluency12, and she was every whit13 as fluent.  Of course I could not understand a word that they said.  Of all positions that a man can occupy, I think that that is about the most uncomfortable; and I cannot say that, even up to this day, I have quite forgiven her for that quarter of an hour.
 
“I shall go in,” said I, unable to bear my feelings, and preparing to leave her.  “The heat is unendurable.”
 
“Oh dear, John, why did you not speak before?” she answered.  “You cannot leave me here, you know, as I am in your charge; but I will go with you almost directly.”  And then she finished her conversation with the Spaniard, speaking with an animation14 she had never displayed in her conversations with me.
 
It had been agreed between us for two or three days before this, that we were to rise early on the following morning for the sake of ascending16 the tower of the cathedral, and visiting the Giralda, as the iron figure is called, which turns upon a pivot17 on the extreme summit.  We had often wandered together up and down the long dark gloomy aisle18 of the stupendous building, and had, together, seen its treasury19 of art; but as yet we had not performed the task which has to be achieved by all visitors to Seville; and in order that we might have a clear view over the surrounding country, and not be tormented20 by the heat of an advanced sun, we had settled that we would ascend15 the Giralda before breakfast.
 
And now, as I walked away from the plaza towards Mr. Daguilar’s house, with Maria by my side, I made up my mind that I would settle my business during this visit to the cathedral.  Yes, and I would so manage the settlement that there should be no doubt left as to my intentions and my own ideas.  I would not be guilty of shilly-shally conduct; I would tell her frankly21 what I felt and what I thought, and would make her understand that I did not desire her hand if I could not have her heart.  I did not value the kindness of her manner, seeing that that kindness sprung from indifference22 rather than passion; and so I would declare to her.  And I would ask her, also, who was this young man with whom she was intimate—for whom all her volubility and energy of tone seemed to be employed?  She had told me once that it behoved her to consult a friend in Seville as to the expediency23 of her marriage with me.  Was this the friend whom she had wished to consult?  If so, she need not trouble herself.  Under such circumstances I should decline the connection!  And I resolved that I would find out how this might be.  A man who proposes to take a woman to his bosom24 as his wife, has a right to ask for information—ay, and to receive it too.  It flashed upon my mind at this moment that Donna Maria was well enough inclined to come to me as my wife, but —.  I could hardly define the “buts” to myself, for there were three or four of them.  Why did she always speak to me in a tone of childish affection, as though I were a schoolboy home for the holidays?  I would have all this out with her on the tower on the following morning, standing25 under the Giralda.
 
On that morning we met together in the patio26, soon after five o’clock, and started for the cathedral.  She looked beautiful, with her black mantilla over her head, and with black gloves on, and her black morning silk dress—beautiful, composed, and at her ease, as though she were well satisfied to undertake this early morning walk from feelings of good nature—sustained, probably, by some under-current of a deeper sentiment.  Well; I would know all about it before I returned to her father’s house.
 
There hardly stands, as I think, on the earth, a building more remarkable27 than the cathedral of Seville, and hardly one more grand.  Its enormous size; its gloom and darkness; the richness of ornamentation in the details, contrasted with the severe simplicity29 of the larger outlines; the variety of its architecture; the glory of its paintings; and the wondrous30 splendour of its metallic31 decoration, its altar-friezes, screens, rails, gates, and the like, render it, to my mind, the first in interest among churches.  It has not the coloured glass of Chartres, or the marble glory of Milan, or such a forest of aisles32 as Antwerp, or so perfect a hue33 in stone as Westminster, nor in mixed beauty of form and colour does it possess anything equal to the choir34 of Cologne; but, for combined magnificence and awe35-compelling grandeur36, I regard it as superior to all other ecclesiastical edifices37.
 
It is its deep gloom with which the stranger is so greatly struck on his first entrance.  In a region so hot as the south of Spain, a cool interior is a main object with the architect, and this it has been necessary to effect by the exclusion39 of light; consequently the church is dark, mysterious, and almost cold.  On the morning in question, as we entered, it seemed to be filled with gloom, and the distant sound of a slow footstep here and there beyond the transept inspired one almost with awe.  Maria, when she first met me, had begun to talk with her usual smile, offering me coffee and a biscuit before I started.  “I never eat biscuit,” I said, with almost a severe tone, as I turned from her.  That dark, horrid40 man of the plaza—would she have offered him a cake had she been going to walk with him in the gloom of the morning?  After that little had been spoken between us.  She walked by my side with her accustomed smile; but she had, as I flattered myself, begun to learn that I was not to be won by a meaningless good nature.  “We are lucky in our morning for the view!” that was all she said, speaking with that peculiarly clear, but slow pronunciation which she had assumed in learning our language.
 
We entered the cathedral, and, walking the whole length of the aisle, left it again at the porter’s porch at the farther end.  Here we passed through a low door on to the stone flight of steps, and at once began to ascend.  “There are a party of your countrymen up before us,” said Maria; “the porter says that they went through the lodge42 half an hour since.”  “I hope they will return before we are on the top,” said I, bethinking myself of the task that was before me.  And indeed my heart was hardly at ease within me, for that which I had to say would require all the spirit of which I was master.
 
The ascent43 to the Giralda is very long and very fatiguing44; and we had to pause on the various landings and in the singular belfry in order that Miss Daguilar might recruit her strength and breath.  As we rested on one of these occasions, in a gallery which runs round the tower below the belfry, we heard a great noise of shouting, and a clattering45 of sticks among the bells.  “It is the party of your countrymen who went up before us,” said she.  “What a pity that Englishmen should always make so much noise!”  And then she spoke41 in Spanish to the custodian46 of the bells, who is usually to be found in a little cabin up there within the tower.  “He says that they went up shouting like demons,” continued Maria; and it seemed to me that she looked as though I ought to be ashamed of the name of an Englishman.  “They may not be so solemn in their demeanour as Spaniards,” I answered; “but, for all that, there may be quite as much in them.”
 
We then again began to mount, and before we had ascended47 much farther we passed my three countrymen.  They were young men, with gray coats and gray trousers, with slouched hats, and without gloves.  They had fair faces and fair hair, and swung big sticks in their hands, with crooked48 handles.  They laughed and talked loud, and, when we met them, seemed to be racing49 with each other; but nevertheless they were gentlemen.  No one who knows by sight what an English gentleman is, could have doubted that; but I did acknowledge to myself that they should have remembered that the edifice38 they were treading was a church, and that the silence they were invading was the cherished property of a courteous50 people.
 
“They are all just the same as big boys,” said Maria.  The colour instantly flew into my face, and I felt that it was my duty to speak up for my own countrymen.  The word “boys” especially wounded my ears.  It was as a boy that she treated me; but, on looking at that befringed young Spanish Don—who was not, apparently51, my elder in age—she had recognised a man.  However, I said nothing further till I reached the summit.  One cannot speak with manly52 dignity while one is out of breath on a staircase.
 
“There, John,” she said, stretching her hands away over the fair plain of the Guadalquivir, as soon as we stood against the parapet; “is not that lovely?”
 
I would not deign53 to notice this.  “Maria,” I said, “I think that you are too hard upon my countrymen?”
 
“Too hard! no; for I love them.  They are so good and industrious54; and come home to their wives, and take care of their children.  But why do they make themselves so—so—what the French call gauche55?”
 
“Good and industrious, and come home to their wives!” thought I.  “I believe you hardly understand us as yet,” I answered.  “Our domestic virtues56 are not always so very prominent; but, I believe, we know how to conduct ourselves as gentlemen: at any rate, as well as Spaniards.”  I was very angry—not at the faults, but at the good qualities imputed57 to us.
 
“In affairs of business, yes,” said Maria, with a look of firm confidence in her own opinion—that look of confidence which she has never lost, and I pray that she may never lose it while I remain with her—“but in the little intercourses58 of the world, no!  A Spaniard never forgets what is personally due either to himself or his neighbours.  If he is eating an onion, he eats it as an onion should be eaten.”
 
“In such matters as that he is very grand, no doubt,” said I, angrily.
 
“And why should you not eat an onion properly, John?  Now, I heard a story yesterday from Don—about two Englishmen, which annoyed me very much.”  I did not exactly catch the name of the Don in question but I felt through every nerve in my body that it was the man who had been talking to her on the plaza.
 
“And what have they done?” said I.  “But it is the same everywhere.  We are always abused; but, nevertheless, no people are so welcome.  At any rate, we pay for the mischief59 we do.”  I was angry with myself the moment the words were out of my mouth, for, after all, there is no feeling more mean than that pocket-confidence with which an Englishman sometimes swaggers.
 
“There was no mischief done in this case,” she answered.  “It was simply that two men have made themselves ridiculous for ever.  The story is all about Seville, and, of course, it annoys me that they should be Englishmen.”
 
“And what did they do?”
 
“The Marquis D’Almavivas was coming up to Seville in the boat, and they behaved to him in the most outrageous60 manner.  He is here now and is going to give a series of fêtes.  Of course he will not ask a single Englishman.”
 
“We shall manage to live even though the Marquis D’Almavivas may frown upon us,” said I, proudly.
 
“He is the richest, and also the best of our noblemen,” continued Maria; “and I never heard of anything so absurd as what they did to him.  It made me blush when Don — told me.”  Don Tomàs, I thought she said.
 
“If he be the best of your noblemen, how comes it that he is angry because he has met two vulgar men?  It is not to be supposed that every Englishman is a gentleman.”
 
“Angry!  Oh, no! he was not angry; he enjoyed the joke too much for that.  He got completely the best of them, though they did not know it; poor fools!  How would your Lord John Russell behave if two Spaniards in an English railway carriage were to pull him about and tear his clothes?”
 
“He would give them in charge to a policeman, of course,” said I, speaking of such a matter with the contempt it deserved.
 
“If that were done here your ambassador would be demanding national explanations.  But Almavivas did much better;—he laughed at them without letting them know it.”
 
“But do you mean that they took hold of him violently, without any provocation61?  They must have been drunk.”
 
“Oh, no, they were sober enough.  I did not see it, so I do not quite know exactly how it was, but I understand that they committed themselves most absurdly, absolutely took hold of his coat and tore it, and—; but they did such ridiculous things that I cannot tell you.”  And yet Don Tomàs, if that was the man’s name, had been able to tell her, and she had been able to listen to him.
 
“‘What made them take hold of the marquis?” said I.
 
“Curiosity, I suppose,” she answered.  “He dresses somewhat fancifully, and they could not understand that any one should wear garments different from their own.”  But even then the blow did not strike home upon me.
 
“Is it not pretty to look down upon the quiet town?” she said, coming close up to me, so that the skirt of her dress pressed me, and her elbow touched my arm.  Now was the moment I should have asked her how her heart stood towards me; but I was sore and uncomfortable, and my destiny was before me.  She was willing enough to let these English faults pass without further notice, but I would not allow the subject I drop.
 
“I will find out who these men were,” said I, “and learn the truth of it.  When did it occur?”
 
“Last Thursday, I think he said.”
 
“Why, that was the day we came up in the boat, Johnson and myself.  There was no marquis there then, and we were the only Englishmen on board.”
 
“It was on Thursday, certainly, because it was well known in Seville that he arrived on that day.  You must have remarked him because he talks English perfectly—though by-the-bye, these men would go on chattering62 before him about himself as though it were impossible that a Spaniard should know their language.  They are ignorant of Spanish, and they cannot bring themselves to believe that any one should be better educated than themselves.”
 
Now the blow had fallen, and I straightway appreciated the necessity of returning immediately to Clapham where my family resided, and giving up for ever all idea of Spanish connections.  I had resolved to assert the full strength of my manhood on that tower, and now words had been spoken which left me weak as a child.  I felt that I was shivering, and did not dare to pronounce the truth which must be made known.  As to speaking of love, and signifying my pleasure that Don Tomàs should for the future be kept at a distance, any such effort was quite beyond me.  Had Don Tomàs been there, he might have walked off with her from before my face without a struggle on my part.  “Now I remember about it,” she continued, “I think he must have been in the boat on Thursday.”
 
“And now that I remember,” I replied, turning away to hide my embarrassment63, “he was there.  Your friend down below in the plaza seems to have made out a grand story.  No doubt he is not fond of the English.  There was such a man there, and I did take hold—”
 
“Oh, John, was it you?”
 
“Yes, Donna Maria, it was I; and if Lord John Russell were to dress himself in the same way—”  But I had no time to complete my description of what might occur under so extravagantly65 impossible a combination of circumstances, for as I was yet speaking, the little door leading out on to the leads of the tower was opened and my friend, the mayo of the boat, still bearing gewgaws on his back, stepped up on to the platform.  My eye instantly perceived that the one pendule was still missing from his jacket.  He did not come alone, but three other gentlemen followed him, who, however, had no peculiarities66 in their dress.  He saw me at once and bowed and smiled; and then observing Donna Maria, he lifted his cap from his head, and addressing himself to her in Spanish, began to converse67 with her as though she were an old friend.
 
“Se?or,” said Maria, after the first words of greeting had been spoken between them; “you must permit me to present to you my father’s most particular friend, and my own,—Mr. Pomfret; John, this is the Marquis D’Almavivas.”
 
I cannot now describe the grace with which this introduction was effected, or the beauty of her face as she uttered the word.  There was a boldness about her as though she had said, “I know it all—the whole story.  But, in spite of that you must take him on my representation, and be gracious to him in spite of what he has done.  You must be content to do that; or in quarrelling with him you must quarrel with me also.”  And it was done at the spur of the moment—without delay.  She, who not five minutes since had been loudly condemning68 the unknown Englishman for his rudeness, had already pardoned him, now that he was known to be her friend; and had determined69 that he should be pardoned by others also or that she would share his disgrace.  I recognised the nobleness of this at the moment; but, nevertheless, I was so sore that I would almost have preferred that she should have disowned me.
 
The marquis immediately lifted his cap with his left hand while he gave me his right.  “I have already had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman,” he said; “we had some conversation in the boat together.”
 
“Yes,” said I, pointing to his rent, “and you still bear the marks of our encounter.”
 
“Was it not delightful, Donna Maria,” he continued, turning to her; “your friend’s friend took me for a torero?”
 
“And it served you properly, se?or,” said Donna Maria, laughing, “you have no right to go about with all those rich ornaments70 upon you.”
 
“Oh! quite properly; indeed, I make no complaint; and I must beg your friend to understand, and his friend also, how grateful I am for their solicitude71 as to my pecuniary72 welfare.  They were inclined to be severe on me for being so extravagant64 in such trifles.  I was obliged to explain that I had no wife at home kept without her proper allowance of dresses, in order that I might be gay.”
 
“They are foreigners, and you should forgive their error,” said she.
 
“And in token that I do so,” said the marquis, “I shall beg your friend to accept the little ornament28 which attracted his attention.”  And so saying, he pulled the identical button out of his pocket, and gracefully proffered73 it to me.
 
“I shall carry it about with me always,” said I, accepting it, “as a memento74 of humiliation75.  When I look at it, I shall ever remember the folly76 of an Englishman and the courtesy of a Spaniard;” and as I made the speech I could not but reflect whether it might, under any circumstances, be possible that Lord John Russell should be induced to give a button off his coat to a Spaniard.
 
There were other civil speeches made, and before we left the tower the marquis had asked me to his parties, and exacted from me an unwilling77 promise that I would attend them.  “The se?ora,” he said, bowing again to Maria, “would, he was sure, grace them.  She had done so on the previous year; and as I had accepted his little present I was bound to acknowledge him as my friend.”  All this was very pretty, and of course I said that I would go, but I had not at that time the slightest intention of doing so.  Maria had behaved admirably; she had covered my confusion, and shown herself not ashamed to own me, delinquent78 as I was; but, not the less, had she expressed her opinion, in language terribly strong, of the awkwardness of which I had been guilty, and had shown almost an aversion to my English character.  I should leave Seville as quickly as I could, and should certainly not again put myself in the way of the Marquis D’Almavivas.  Indeed, I dreaded79 the moment that I should be first alone with her, and should find myself forced to say something indicative of my feelings—to hear something also indicative of feelings.  I had come out this morning resolved to demand my rights and to exercise them—and now my only wish was to run away.  I hated the marquis, and longed to be alone that I might cast his button from me.  To think that a man should be so ruined by such a trifle!
 
We descended80 that prodigious81 flight without a word upon the subject, and almost without a word at all.  She had carried herself well in the presence of Almavivas, and had been too proud to seem ashamed of her companion; but now, as I could well see, her feelings of disgust and contempt had returned.  When I begged her not to hurry herself, she would hardly answer me; and when she did speak, her voice was constrained82 and unlike herself.  And yet how beautiful she was!  Well, my dream of Spanish love must be over.  But I was sure of this; that having known her, and given her my heart, I could never afterwards share it with another.
 
We came out at last on the dark, gloomy aisle of the cathedral, and walked together without a word up along the side of the choir, till we came to the transept.  There was not a soul near us, and not a sound was to be heard but the distant, low pattering of a mass, then in course of celebration at some far-off chapel83 in the cathedral.  When we got to the transept Maria turned a little, as though she was going to the transept door, and then stopped herself.  She stood still; and when I stood also, she made two steps towards me, and put her hand on my arm.  “Oh, John!” she said.
 
“‘Well,” said I; “after all it does not signify.  You can make a joke of it when my back is turned.”
 
“Dearest John!”—she had never spoken to me in that way before—“you must not be angry with me.  It is better that we should explain to each other, is it not?”
 
“Oh, much better.  I am very glad you heard of it at once.  I do not look at it quite in the same light that you do; but nevertheless—”
 
“What do you mean?  But I know you are angry with me.  And yet you cannot think that I intended those words for you.  Of course I know now that there was nothing rude in what passed.”
 
“Oh, but there was.”
 
“No, I am sure there was not.  You could not be rude though you are so free hearted.  I see it all now, and so does the marquis.  You will like him so much when you come to know him.  Tell me that you won’t be cross with me for what I have said.  Sometimes I think that I have displeased84 you, and yet my whole wish has been to welcome you to Seville, and to make you comfortable as an old friend.  Promise me that you will not be cross with me.”
 
Cross with her!  I certainly had no intention of being cross, but I had begun to think that she would not care what my humour might be.  “Maria,” I said, taking hold of her hand.
 
“No, John, do not do that.  It is in the church, you know.”
 
“Maria, will you answer me a question?”
 
“Yes,” she said, very slowly, looking dawn upon the stone slabs85 beneath our feet.
 
“Do you love me?”
 
“Love you!”
 
“Yes, do you love me?  You were to give me an answer here, in Seville, and now I ask for it.  I have almost taught myself to think that it is needless to ask; and now this horrid mischance—”
 
“What do you mean?” said she, speaking very quickly.
 
“Why this miserable86 blunder about the marquis’s button!  After that I suppose—”
 
“The marquis!  Oh, John, is that to make a difference between you and me?—a little joke like that?”
 
“But does it not?”
 
“Make a change between us!—such a thing as that!  Oh, John!”
 
“But tell me, Maria, what am I to hope?  If you will say that you can love me, I shall care nothing for the marquis.  In that case I can bear to be laughed at.”
 
“Who will dare to laugh at you?  Not the marquis, whom I am sure you will like.”
 
“Your friend in this plaza, who told you of all this.”
 
“What, poor Tomàs!”
 
“I do not know about his being poor.  I mean the gentleman who was with you last night.”
 
“Yes, Tomàs.  You do not know who he is?”
 
“Not in the least.”
 
“How droll87!  He is your own clerk—partly your own, now that you are one of the firm.  And, John, I mean to make you do something for him; he is such a good fellow; and last year he married a young girl whom I love—oh, almost like a sister.”
 
Do something for him!  Of course I would.  I promised, then and there, that I would raise his salary to any conceivable amount that a Spanish clerk could desire; which promise I have since kept, if not absolutely to the letter, at any rate, to an extent which has been considered satisfactory by the gentleman’s wife.
 
“But, Maria—dearest Maria—”
 
“Remember, John, we are in the church; and poor papa will be waiting breakfast.”
 
I need hardly continue the story further.  It will be known to all that my love-suit throve in spite of my unfortunate raid on the button of the Marquis D’Almavivas, at whose series of fêtes through that month I was, I may boast, an honoured guest.  I have since that had the pleasure of entertaining him in my own poor house in England, and one of our boys bears his Christian88 name.
 
From that day in which I ascended the Giralda to this present day in which I write, I have never once had occasion to complain of a deficiency of romance either in Maria Daguilar or in Maria Pomfret.

The End

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 accost BJQym     
v.向人搭话,打招呼
参考例句:
  • He ruminated on his defenses before he should accost her father.他在与她父亲搭话前,仔细地考虑着他的防范措施。
  • They have been assigned to accost strangers and extract secrets from them.他们被指派去与生疏人搭讪从并从他们那里套出奥秘。
3 allusion CfnyW     
n.暗示,间接提示
参考例句:
  • He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
  • She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。
4 tremor Tghy5     
n.震动,颤动,战栗,兴奋,地震
参考例句:
  • There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
  • A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。
5 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
6 gracefully KfYxd     
ad.大大方方地;优美地
参考例句:
  • She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
7 salute rYzx4     
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮
参考例句:
  • Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
  • The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。
9 uneven akwwb     
adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的
参考例句:
  • The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
  • The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。
10 wretch EIPyl     
n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人
参考例句:
  • You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他,还埋怨他,真不知好歹。
  • The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。
11 plaza v2yzD     
n.广场,市场
参考例句:
  • They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
  • The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。
12 fluency ajCxF     
n.流畅,雄辩,善辩
参考例句:
  • More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。
  • Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。
13 whit TgXwI     
n.一点,丝毫
参考例句:
  • There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。
  • He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。
14 animation UMdyv     
n.活泼,兴奋,卡通片/动画片的制作
参考例句:
  • They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
  • The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。
15 ascend avnzD     
vi.渐渐上升,升高;vt.攀登,登上
参考例句:
  • We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
  • We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。
16 ascending CyCzrc     
adj.上升的,向上的
参考例句:
  • Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。
17 pivot E2rz6     
v.在枢轴上转动;装枢轴,枢轴;adj.枢轴的
参考例句:
  • She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴,表现出万物的女性面貌。
  • If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧,手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。
18 aisle qxPz3     
n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道
参考例句:
  • The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
  • The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。
19 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
20 tormented b017cc8a8957c07bc6b20230800888d0     
饱受折磨的
参考例句:
  • The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
  • He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠,深受嫉妒的折磨。
21 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
参考例句:
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
22 indifference k8DxO     
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
参考例句:
  • I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
  • He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
23 expediency XhLzi     
n.适宜;方便;合算;利己
参考例句:
  • The government is torn between principle and expediency. 政府在原则与权宜之间难于抉择。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It was difficult to strike the right balance between justice and expediency. 在公正与私利之间很难两全。 来自辞典例句
24 bosom Lt9zW     
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的
参考例句:
  • She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
  • A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
25 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。
26 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。
27 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
28 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。
29 simplicity Vryyv     
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯
参考例句:
  • She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
  • The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
30 wondrous pfIyt     
adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地
参考例句:
  • The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
  • We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。
31 metallic LCuxO     
adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的
参考例句:
  • A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me.外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。
  • He picked up a metallic ring last night.昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。
32 aisles aisles     
n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊
参考例句:
  • Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期,原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
  • They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近,并且很快就坐了下来。
33 hue qdszS     
n.色度;色调;样子
参考例句:
  • The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
  • The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
34 choir sX0z5     
n.唱诗班,唱诗班的席位,合唱团,舞蹈团;v.合唱
参考例句:
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。
35 awe WNqzC     
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧
参考例句:
  • The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
  • The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
36 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。
37 edifices 26c1bcdcaf99b103a92f85d17e87712e     
n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They complain that the monstrous edifices interfere with television reception. 他们抱怨说,那些怪物般的庞大建筑,干扰了电视接收。 来自辞典例句
  • Wealthy officials and landlords built these queer edifices a thousand years ago. 有钱的官吏和地主在一千年前就修建了这种奇怪的建筑物。 来自辞典例句
38 edifice kqgxv     
n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿,教室)
参考例句:
  • The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。
  • There is a huge Victorian edifice in the area.该地区有一幢维多利亚式的庞大建筑物。
39 exclusion 1hCzz     
n.拒绝,排除,排斥,远足,远途旅行
参考例句:
  • Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
  • He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球,其他运动一概不参加。
40 horrid arozZj     
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的
参考例句:
  • I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
  • The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃,她咽不下去。
41 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。
42 lodge q8nzj     
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆
参考例句:
  • Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
  • I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
43 ascent TvFzD     
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高
参考例句:
  • His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
  • Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮,电梯开始缓慢上升。
44 fatiguing ttfzKm     
a.使人劳累的
参考例句:
  • He was fatiguing himself with his writing, no doubt. 想必他是拼命写作,写得精疲力尽了。
  • Machines are much less fatiguing to your hands, arms, and back. 使用机器时,手、膊和后背不会感到太累。
45 clattering f876829075e287eeb8e4dc1cb4972cc5     
发出咔哒声(clatter的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Typewriters keep clattering away. 打字机在不停地嗒嗒作响。
  • The typewriter was clattering away. 打字机啪嗒啪嗒地响着。
46 custodian 7mRyw     
n.保管人,监护人;公共建筑看守
参考例句:
  • Benitez believes his custodian is among the top five in world football.贝尼特斯坚信他的门将是当今足坛最出色的五人之一。
  • When his father died his uncle became his legal custodian.他父亲死后,他叔叔成了他的法定监护人。
47 ascended ea3eb8c332a31fe6393293199b82c425     
v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》
48 crooked xvazAv     
adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的
参考例句:
  • He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指,示意我们到他那儿去。
  • You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。
49 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
50 courteous tooz2     
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的
参考例句:
  • Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一,但她总是很谦恭有礼。
  • He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善,而且彬彬有礼。
51 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。
52 manly fBexr     
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地
参考例句:
  • The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
  • He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务,并希望别人效之。
53 deign 6mLzp     
v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)
参考例句:
  • He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
  • I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。
54 industrious a7Axr     
adj.勤劳的,刻苦的,奋发的
参考例句:
  • If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
  • She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。
55 gauche u6Sy6     
adj.笨拙的,粗鲁的
参考例句:
  • He now seems gauche and uninteresting.他显得又笨拙又古板。
  • She was a rather gauche,provincial creature.她是个非常不善交际、偏狭守旧的人。
56 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
参考例句:
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
57 imputed b517c0c1d49a8e6817c4d0667060241e     
v.把(错误等)归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • They imputed the accident to the driver's carelessness. 他们把这次车祸归咎于司机的疏忽。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • He imputed the failure of his marriage to his wife's shortcomings. 他把婚姻的失败归咎于妻子的缺点。 来自辞典例句
58 intercourses 79279be99b637499b32588b39e92c64e     
交流,交往,交际( intercourse的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Rainbow Salon aims at advancing Chinese traditional culture and the intercourses of various cultures. 彩虹沙龙旨在弘扬中国传统文化,促进中外文化交流。
59 mischief jDgxH     
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹
参考例句:
  • Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
  • He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
60 outrageous MvFyH     
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的
参考例句:
  • Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
  • Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。
61 provocation QB9yV     
n.激怒,刺激,挑拨,挑衅的事物,激怒的原因
参考例句:
  • He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子,一点就着。
  • They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。
62 chattering chattering     
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
  • I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。
63 embarrassment fj9z8     
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫
参考例句:
  • She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
  • Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
64 extravagant M7zya     
adj.奢侈的;过分的;(言行等)放肆的
参考例句:
  • They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
  • He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。
65 extravagantly fcd90b89353afbdf23010caed26441f0     
adv.挥霍无度地
参考例句:
  • The Monroes continued to entertain extravagantly. 门罗一家继续大宴宾客。 来自辞典例句
  • New Grange is one of the most extravagantly decorated prehistoric tombs. 新格兰奇是装饰最豪华的史前陵墓之一。 来自辞典例句
66 peculiarities 84444218acb57e9321fbad3dc6b368be     
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪
参考例句:
  • the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
  • He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。
67 converse 7ZwyI     
vi.谈话,谈天,闲聊;adv.相反的,相反
参考例句:
  • He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
  • I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。
68 condemning 3c571b073a8d53beeff1e31a57d104c0     
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的现在分词 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地
参考例句:
  • The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
  • I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
69 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。
70 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》
71 solicitude mFEza     
n.焦虑
参考例句:
  • Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
  • He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。
72 pecuniary Vixyo     
adj.金钱的;金钱上的
参考例句:
  • She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。
  • She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立,所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。
73 proffered 30a424e11e8c2d520c7372bd6415ad07     
v.提供,贡献,提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She proffered her cheek to kiss. 她伸过自己的面颊让人亲吻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He rose and proffered a silver box full of cigarettes. 他站起身,伸手递过一个装满香烟的银盒子。 来自辞典例句
74 memento nCxx6     
n.纪念品,令人回忆的东西
参考例句:
  • The photos will be a permanent memento of your wedding.这些照片会成为你婚礼的永久纪念。
  • My friend gave me his picture as a memento before going away.我的朋友在离别前给我一张照片留作纪念品。
75 humiliation Jd3zW     
n.羞辱
参考例句:
  • He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
  • He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。
76 folly QgOzL     
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话
参考例句:
  • Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
  • Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。
77 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
78 delinquent BmLzk     
adj.犯法的,有过失的;n.违法者
参考例句:
  • Most delinquent children have deprived backgrounds.多数少年犯都有未受教育的背景。
  • He is delinquent in paying his rent.他拖欠房租。
79 dreaded XuNzI3     
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
  • He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》
80 descended guQzoy     
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
参考例句:
  • A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
  • The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
81 prodigious C1ZzO     
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的
参考例句:
  • This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。
  • He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。
82 constrained YvbzqU     
adj.束缚的,节制的
参考例句:
  • The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服,他觉得不得不接受。
  • I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。
83 chapel UXNzg     
n.小教堂,殡仪馆
参考例句:
  • The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
  • She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
84 displeased 1uFz5L     
a.不快的
参考例句:
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。
  • He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。
85 slabs df40a4b047507aa67c09fd288db230ac     
n.厚板,平板,厚片( slab的名词复数 );厚胶片
参考例句:
  • The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块,大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句
86 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
参考例句:
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
87 droll J8Tye     
adj.古怪的,好笑的
参考例句:
  • The band have a droll sense of humour.这个乐队有一种滑稽古怪的幽默感。
  • He looked at her with a droll sort of awakening.他用一种古怪的如梦方醒的神情看着她.
88 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。


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