Chapter 3

 TWO months later the first instalment of Heartsease Fitzroy: the Story of a Young Girl, by Pearl¹ Bellairs, appeared in the pages of Hildebrand’s Home Weekly. Three and a quarter millions read and approved. When the story appeared in book form, two hundred thousand copies were sold in six weeks; and in the course of the next two years no less than sixteen thousand female² infants³ in London alone were christened Heartsease. With her fourth novel and her two hundred and fiftieth Sunday paper article, Pearl Bellairs was well on her way to becoming a household word.

Meanwhile Dick was in receipt⁴ of an income far beyond the wildest dreams of his avarice⁵. He was able to realize the two great ambitions of his life—to wear silk underclothing and to smoke good (but really good) cigars.

 

1 pearl   

n.珍珠，珍珠母

参考例句：

• He bought his girlfriend a pearl necklace.他给他女朋友买了一条珍珠项链。
• The crane and the mother-of-pearl fight to death.鹬蚌相争。

2 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

3 infants   

婴儿，幼儿( infant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a nursery for infants under two 两岁以下婴幼儿的托儿所
• Infants were rent from their mother's arms. 婴儿从母亲手里被夺走。

4 receipt   

n.收据，收条；收到，接到

参考例句：

• We are in receipt of your letter of the 10th.我们收到了您十日的来函。
• I asked for a receipt.我要一张收据。

5 avarice   

n.贪婪；贪心

参考例句：

• Avarice is the bane to happiness.贪婪是损毁幸福的祸根。
• Their avarice knows no bounds and you can never satisfy them.他们贪得无厌，你永远无法满足他们。