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CHAPTER I
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 It was Lady Windermere’s last reception before Easter, and Bentinck House was even more crowded than usual.  Six Cabinet Ministers had come on from the Speaker’s Levée in their stars and ribands, all the pretty women wore their smartest dresses, and at the end of the picture-gallery stood the Princess Sophia of Carlsrühe, a heavy Tartar-looking lady, with tiny black eyes and wonderful emeralds, talking bad French at the top of her voice, and laughing immoderately at everything that was said to her.  It was certainly a wonderful medley1 of people.  Gorgeous peeresses chatted affably to violent Radicals2, popular preachers brushed coat-tails with eminent3 sceptics, a perfect bevy4 of bishops5 kept following a stout6 prima-donna from room to room, on the staircase stood several Royal Academicians, disguised as artists, and it was said that at one time the supper-room was absolutely crammed7 with geniuses.  In fact, it was one of Lady Windermere’s best nights, and the Princess stayed till nearly half-past eleven.
 
As soon as she had gone, Lady Windermere returned to the picture-gallery, where a celebrated8 political economist9 was solemnly explaining the scientific theory of music to an indignant virtuoso10 from Hungary, and began to talk to the Duchess of Paisley.  She looked wonderfully beautiful with her grand ivory throat, her large blue forget-me-not eyes, and her heavy coils of golden hair.  Or pur they were—not that pale straw colour that nowadays usurps11 the gracious name of gold, but such gold as is woven into sunbeams or hidden in strange amber12; and they gave to her face something of the frame of a saint, with not a little of the fascination13 of a sinner.  She was a curious psychological study.  Early in life she had discovered the important truth that nothing looks so like innocence14 as an indiscretion; and by a series of reckless escapades, half of them quite harmless, she had acquired all the privileges of a personality.  She had more than once changed her husband; indeed, Debrett credits her with three marriages; but as she had never changed her lover, the world had long ago ceased to talk scandal about her.  She was now forty years of age, childless, and with that inordinate15 passion for pleasure which is the secret of remaining young.
 
Suddenly she looked eagerly round the room, and said, in her clear contralto voice, ‘Where is my cheiromantist?’
 
‘Your what, Gladys?’ exclaimed the Duchess, giving an involuntary start.
 
‘My cheiromantist, Duchess; I can’t live without him at present.’
 
‘Dear Gladys! you are always so original,’ murmured the Duchess, trying to remember what a cheiromantist really was, and hoping it was not the same as a cheiropodist.
 
‘He comes to see my hand twice a week regularly,’ continued Lady Windermere, ‘and is most interesting about it.’
 
‘Good heavens!’ said the Duchess to herself, ‘he is a sort of cheiropodist after all.  How very dreadful.  I hope he is a foreigner at any rate.  It wouldn’t be quite so bad then.’
 
‘I must certainly introduce him to you.’
 
‘Introduce him!’ cried the Duchess; ‘you don’t mean to say he is here?’ and she began looking about for a small tortoise-shell fan and a very tattered17 lace shawl, so as to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
 
‘Of course he is here; I would not dream of giving a party without him.  He tells me I have a pure psychic18 hand, and that if my thumb had been the least little bit shorter, I should have been a confirmed pessimist19, and gone into a convent.’
 
‘Oh, I see!’ said the Duchess, feeling very much relieved; ‘he tells fortunes, I suppose?’
 
‘And misfortunes, too,’ answered Lady Windermere, ‘any amount of them.  Next year, for instance, I am in great danger, both by land and sea, so I am going to live in a balloon, and draw up my dinner in a basket every evening.  It is all written down on my little finger, or on the palm of my hand, I forget which.’
 
‘But surely that is tempting20 Providence21, Gladys.’
 
‘My dear Duchess, surely Providence can resist temptation by this time.  I think every one should have their hands told once a month, so as to know what not to do.  Of course, one does it all the same, but it is so pleasant to be warned.  Now if some one doesn’t go and fetch Mr. Podgers at once, I shall have to go myself.’
 
‘Let me go, Lady Windermere,’ said a tall handsome young man, who was standing22 by, listening to the conversation with an amused smile.
 
‘Thanks so much, Lord Arthur; but I am afraid you wouldn’t recognise him.’
 
‘If he is as wonderful as you say, Lady Windermere, I couldn’t well miss him.  Tell me what he is like, and I’ll bring him to you at once.’
 
‘Well, he is not a bit like a cheiromantist.  I mean he is not mysterious, or esoteric, or romantic-looking.  He is a little, stout man, with a funny, bald head, and great gold-rimmed spectacles; something between a family doctor and a country attorney.  I’m really very sorry, but it is not my fault.  People are so annoying.  All my pianists look exactly like poets, and all my poets look exactly like pianists; and I remember last season asking a most dreadful conspirator23 to dinner, a man who had blown up ever so many people, and always wore a coat of mail, and carried a dagger24 up his shirt-sleeve; and do you know that when he came he looked just like a nice old clergyman, and cracked jokes all the evening?  Of course, he was very amusing, and all that, but I was awfully25 disappointed; and when I asked him about the coat of mail, he only laughed, and said it was far too cold to wear in England.  Ah, here is Mr. Podgers!  Now, Mr. Podgers, I want you to tell the Duchess of Paisley’s hand.  Duchess, you must take your glove off.  No, not the left hand, the other.’
 
‘Dear Gladys, I really don’t think it is quite right,’ said the Duchess, feebly unbuttoning a rather soiled kid glove.
 
‘Nothing interesting ever is,’ said Lady Windermere: ‘on a fait le monde ainsi.  But I must introduce you.  Duchess, this is Mr. Podgers, my pet cheiromantist.  Mr. Podgers, this is the Duchess of Paisley, and if you say that she has a larger mountain of the moon than I have, I will never believe in you again.’
 
‘I am sure, Gladys, there is nothing of the kind in my hand,’ said the Duchess gravely.
 
‘Your Grace is quite right,’ said Mr. Podgers, glancing at the little fat hand with its short square fingers, ‘the mountain of the moon is not developed.  The line of life, however, is excellent.  Kindly bend the wrist.  Thank you.  Three distinct lines on the rascette!  You will live to a great age, Duchess, and be extremely happy.  Ambition—very moderate, line of intellect not exaggerated, line of heart—’
 
‘Now, do be indiscreet, Mr. Podgers,’ cried Lady Windermere.
 
‘Nothing would give me greater pleasure,’ said Mr. Podgers, bowing, ‘if the Duchess ever had been, but I am sorry to say that I see great permanence of affection, combined with a strong sense of duty.’
 
‘Pray go on, Mr. Podgers,’ said the Duchess, looking quite pleased.
 
‘Economy is not the least of your Grace’s virtues,’ continued Mr. Podgers, and Lady Windermere went off into fits of laughter.
 
‘Economy is a very good thing,’ remarked the Duchess complacently26; ‘when I married Paisley he had eleven castles, and not a single house fit to live in.’
 
‘And now he has twelve houses, and not a single castle,’ cried Lady Windermere.
 
‘Well, my dear,’ said the Duchess, ‘I like—’
 
‘Comfort,’ said Mr. Podgers, ‘and modern improvements, and hot water laid on in every bedroom.  Your Grace is quite right.  Comfort is the only thing our civilisation27 can give us.
 
‘You have told the Duchess’s character admirably, Mr. Podgers, and now you must tell Lady Flora28’s’; and in answer to a nod from the smiling hostess, a tall girl, with sandy Scotch29 hair, and high shoulder-blades, stepped awkwardly from behind the sofa, and held out a long, bony hand with spatulate fingers.
 
‘Ah, a pianist! I see,’ said Mr. Podgers, ‘an excellent pianist, but perhaps hardly a musician.  Very reserved, very honest, and with a great love of animals.’
 
‘Quite true!’ exclaimed the Duchess, turning to Lady Windermere, ‘absolutely true!  Flora keeps two dozen collie dogs at Macloskie, and would turn our town house into a menagerie if her father would let her.’
 
‘Well, that is just what I do with my house every Thursday evening,’ cried Lady Windermere, laughing, ‘only I like lions better than collie dogs.’
 
‘Your one mistake, Lady Windermere,’ said Mr. Podgers, with a pompous30 bow.
 
‘If a woman can’t make her mistakes charming, she is only a female,’ was the answer.  ‘But you must read some more hands for us.  Come, Sir Thomas, show Mr. Podgers yours’; and a genial-looking old gentleman, in a white waistcoat, came forward, and held out a thick rugged31 hand, with a very long third finger.
 
‘An adventurous32 nature; four long voyages in the past, and one to come.  Been ship-wrecked three times.  No, only twice, but in danger of a shipwreck33 your next journey.  A strong Conservative, very punctual, and with a passion for collecting curiosities.  Had a severe illness between the ages sixteen and eighteen.  Was left a fortune when about thirty.  Great aversion to cats and Radicals.’
 
‘Extraordinary!’ exclaimed Sir Thomas; ‘you must really tell my wife’s hand, too.’
 
‘Your second wife’s,’ said Mr. Podgers quietly, still keeping Sir Thomas’s hand in his.  ‘Your second wife’s.  I shall be charmed’; but Lady Marvel34, a melancholy35-looking woman, with brown hair and sentimental36 eyelashes, entirely37 declined to have her past or her future exposed; and nothing that Lady Windermere could do would induce Monsieur de Koloff, the Russian Ambassador, even to take his gloves off.  In fact, many people seemed afraid to face the odd little man with his stereotyped38 smile, his gold spectacles, and his bright, beady eyes; and when he told poor Lady Fermor, right out before every one, that she did not care a bit for music, but was extremely fond of musicians, it was generally felt that cheiromancy was a most dangerous science, and one that ought not to be encouraged, except in a tête-à-tête.
 
Lord Arthur Savile, however, who did not know anything about Lady Fermor’s unfortunate story, and who had been watching Mr. Podgers with a great deal of interest, was filled with an immense curiosity to have his own hand read, and feeling somewhat shy about putting himself forward, crossed over the room to where Lady Windermere was sitting, and, with a charming blush, asked her if she thought Mr. Podgers would mind.
 
‘Of course, he won’t mind,’ said Lady Windermere, ‘that is what he is here for.  All my lions, Lord Arthur, are performing lions, and jump through hoops39 whenever I ask them.  But I must warn you beforehand that I shall tell Sybil everything.  She is coming to lunch with me to-morrow, to talk about bonnets40, and if Mr. Podgers finds out that you have a bad temper, or a tendency to gout, or a wife living in Bayswater, I shall certainly let her know all about it.’
 
Lord Arthur smiled, and shook his head.  ‘I am not afraid,’ he answered.  ‘Sybil knows me as well as I know her.’
 
‘Ah!  I am a little sorry to hear you say that.  The proper basis for marriage is a mutual41 misunderstanding.  No, I am not at all cynical42, I have merely got experience, which, however, is very much the same thing.  Mr. Podgers, Lord Arthur Savile is dying to have his hand read.  Don’t tell him that he is engaged to one of the most beautiful girls in London, because that appeared in the Morning Post a month ago.
 
‘Dear Lady Windermere,’ cried the Marchioness of Jedburgh, ‘do let Mr. Podgers stay here a little longer.  He has just told me I should go on the stage, and I am so interested.’
 
‘If he has told you that, Lady Jedburgh, I shall certainly take him away.  Come over at once, Mr. Podgers, and read Lord Arthur’s hand.’
 
‘Well,’ said Lady Jedburgh, making a little moue as she rose from the sofa, ‘if I am not to be allowed to go on the stage, I must be allowed to be part of the audience at any rate.’
 
‘Of course; we are all going to be part of the audience,’ said Lady Windermere; ‘and now, Mr. Podgers, be sure and tell us something nice.  Lord Arthur is one of my special favourites.’
 
But when Mr. Podgers saw Lord Arthur’s hand he grew curiously43 pale, and said nothing.  A shudder44 seemed to pass through him, and his great bushy eyebrows45 twitched46 convulsively, in an odd, irritating way they had when he was puzzled.  Then some huge beads47 of perspiration48 broke out on his yellow forehead, like a poisonous dew, and his fat fingers grew cold and clammy.
 
Lord Arthur did not fail to notice these strange signs of agitation49, and, for the first time in his life, he himself felt fear.  His impulse was to rush from the room, but he restrained himself.  It was better to know the worst, whatever it was, than to be left in this hideous50 uncertainty51.
 
‘I am waiting, Mr. Podgers,’ he said.
 
‘We are all waiting,’ cried Lady Windermere, in her quick, impatient manner, but the cheiromantist made no reply.
 
‘I believe Arthur is going on the stage,’ said Lady Jedburgh, ‘and that, after your scolding, Mr. Podgers is afraid to tell him so.’
 
Suddenly Mr. Podgers dropped Lord Arthur’s right hand, and seized hold of his left, bending down so low to examine it that the gold rims52 of his spectacles seemed almost to touch the palm.  For a moment his face became a white mask of horror, but he soon recovered his sang-froid, and looking up at Lady Windermere, said with a forced smile, ‘It is the hand of a charming young man.
 
‘Of course it is!’ answered Lady Windermere, ‘but will he be a charming husband?  That is what I want to know.’
 
‘All charming young men are,’ said Mr. Podgers.
 
‘I don’t think a husband should be too fascinating,’ murmured Lady Jedburgh pensively53, ‘it is so dangerous.’
 
‘My dear child, they never are too fascinating,’ cried Lady Windermere.  ‘But what I want are details.  Details are the only things that interest.  What is going to happen to Lord Arthur?’
 
‘Well, within the next few months Lord Arthur will go a voyage—’
 
‘Oh yes, his honeymoon54, of course!’
 
‘And lose a relative.’
 
‘Not his sister, I hope?’ said Lady Jedburgh, in a piteous tone of voice.
 
‘Certainly not his sister,’ answered Mr. Podgers, with a deprecating wave of the hand, ‘a distant relative merely.’
 
‘Well, I am dreadfully disappointed,’ said Lady Windermere.  ‘I have absolutely nothing to tell Sybil to-morrow.  No one cares about distant relatives nowadays.  They went out of fashion years ago.  However, I suppose she had better have a black silk by her; it always does for church, you know.  And now let us go to supper.  They are sure to have eaten everything up, but we may find some hot soup.  Fran?ois used to make excellent soup once, but he is so agitated55 about politics at present, that I never feel quite certain about him.  I do wish General Boulanger would keep quiet.  Duchess, I am sure you are tired?’
 
‘Not at all, dear Gladys,’ answered the Duchess, waddling56 towards the door.  ‘I have enjoyed myself immensely, and the cheiropodist, I mean the cheiromantist, is most interesting.  Flora, where can my tortoise-shell fan be?  Oh, thank you, Sir Thomas, so much.  And my lace shawl, Flora?  Oh, thank you, Sir Thomas, very kind, I’m sure’; and the worthy57 creature finally managed to get downstairs without dropping her scent-bottle more than twice.
 
All this time Lord Arthur Savile had remained standing by the fireplace, with the same feeling of dread16 over him, the same sickening sense of coming evil.  He smiled sadly at his sister, as she swept past him on Lord Plymdale’s arm, looking lovely in her pink brocade and pearls, and he hardly heard Lady Windermere when she called to him to follow her.  He thought of Sybil Merton, and the idea that anything could come between them made his eyes dim with tears.
 
Looking at him, one would have said that Nemesis58 had stolen the shield of Pallas, and shown him the Gorgon’s head.  He seemed turned to stone, and his face was like marble in its melancholy.  He had lived the delicate and luxurious59 life of a young man of birth and fortune, a life exquisite60 in its freedom from sordid61 care, its beautiful boyish insouciance62; and now for the first time he became conscious of the terrible mystery of Destiny, of the awful meaning of Doom63.
 
How mad and monstrous64 it all seemed!  Could it be that written on his hand, in characters that he could not read himself, but that another could decipher, was some fearful secret of sin, some blood-red sign of crime?  Was there no escape possible?  Were we no better than chessmen, moved by an unseen power, vessels65 the potter fashions at his fancy, for honour or for shame?  His reason revolted against it, and yet he felt that some tragedy was hanging over him, and that he had been suddenly called upon to bear an intolerable burden.  Actors are so fortunate.  They can choose whether they will appear in tragedy or in comedy, whether they will suffer or make merry, laugh or shed tears.  But in real life it is different.  Most men and women are forced to perform parts for which they have no qualifications.  Our Guildensterns play Hamlet for us, and our Hamlets have to jest like Prince Hal.  The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.
 
Suddenly Mr. Podgers entered the room.  When he saw Lord Arthur he started, and his coarse, fat face became a sort of greenish-yellow colour.  The two men’s eyes met, and for a moment there was silence.
 
‘The Duchess has left one of her gloves here, Lord Arthur, and has asked me to bring it to her,’ said Mr. Podgers finally.  ‘Ah, I see it on the sofa!  Good evening.’
 
‘Mr. Podgers, I must insist on your giving me a straightforward66 answer to a question I am going to put to you.’
 
‘Another time, Lord Arthur, but the Duchess is anxious.  I am afraid I must go.’
 
‘You shall not go.  The Duchess is in no hurry.’
 
‘Ladies should not be kept waiting, Lord Arthur,’ said Mr. Podgers, with his sickly smile.  ‘The fair sex is apt to be impatient.’
 
Lord Arthur’s finely-chiselled lips curled in petulant67 disdain68.  The poor Duchess seemed to him of very little importance at that moment.  He walked across the room to where Mr. Podgers was standing, and held his hand out.
 
‘Tell me what you saw there,’ he said.  ‘Tell me the truth.  I must know it.  I am not a child.’
 
Mr. Podgers’s eyes blinked behind his gold-rimmed spectacles, and he moved uneasily from one foot to the other, while his fingers played nervously69 with a flash watch-chain.
 
‘What makes you think that I saw anything in your hand, Lord Arthur, more than I told you?’
 
‘I know you did, and I insist on your telling me what it was.  I will pay you.  I will give you a cheque for a hundred pounds.’
 
The green eyes flashed for a moment, and then became dull again.
 
‘Guineas?’ said Mr. Podgers at last, in a low voice.
 
‘Certainly.  I will send you a cheque to-morrow.  What is your club?’
 
‘I have no club.  That is to say, not just at present.  My address is—, but allow me to give you my card’; and producing a bit of gilt-edge pasteboard from his waistcoat pocket, Mr. Podgers handed it, with a low bow, to Lord Arthur, who read on it,
 
    Mr. SEPTIMUS R. PODGERS
    Professional Cheiromantist
    103a West Moon Street
 
‘My hours are from ten to four,’ murmured Mr. Podgers mechanically, ‘and I make a reduction for families.’
 
‘Be quick,’ cried Lord Arthur, looking very pale, and holding his hand out.
 
Mr. Podgers glanced nervously round, and drew the heavy portière across the door.
 
‘It will take a little time, Lord Arthur, you had better sit down.’
 
‘Be quick, sir,’ cried Lord Arthur again, stamping his foot angrily on the polished floor.
 
Mr. Podgers smiled, drew from his breast-pocket a small magnifying glass, and wiped it carefully with his handkerchief.
 
‘I am quite ready,’ he said.
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 medley vCfxg     
n.混合
参考例句:
  • Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
  • China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。
2 radicals 5c853925d2a610c29b107b916c89076e     
n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 );根基;基本原理;[数学]根数
参考例句:
  • Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句
3 eminent dpRxn     
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的
参考例句:
  • We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
  • He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。
4 bevy UtZzo     
n.一群
参考例句:
  • A bevy of bathing beauties appeared on the beach.沙滩上出现了一群游泳的美女。
  • Look,there comes a bevy of ladies.看,一群女人来了。
5 bishops 391617e5d7bcaaf54a7c2ad3fc490348     
(基督教某些教派管辖大教区的)主教( bishop的名词复数 ); (国际象棋的)象
参考例句:
  • Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时,每名棋手有两只象。
  • "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫,抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。
7 crammed e1bc42dc0400ef06f7a53f27695395ce     
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)
参考例句:
  • He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
  • All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。
8 celebrated iwLzpz     
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的
参考例句:
  • He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
  • The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。
9 economist AuhzVs     
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人
参考例句:
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
10 virtuoso VL6zK     
n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家,行家里手
参考例句:
  • He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师,他声誉日隆。
  • His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。
11 usurps 8dbf0e32f1ac8a1ac33c15728d0f722f     
篡夺,霸占( usurp的第三人称单数 ); 盗用; 篡夺,篡权
参考例句:
  • The domestic and foreign each big bank also allin abundance usurps the credit card market. 国内外的各大银行也都纷纷强占信用卡市场。
12 amber LzazBn     
n.琥珀;琥珀色;adj.琥珀制的
参考例句:
  • Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗?
  • This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。
13 fascination FlHxO     
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋
参考例句:
  • He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
  • His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。
14 innocence ZbizC     
n.无罪;天真;无害
参考例句:
  • There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
  • The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。
15 inordinate c6txn     
adj.无节制的;过度的
参考例句:
  • The idea of this gave me inordinate pleasure.我想到这一点感到非常高兴。
  • James hints that his heroine's demands on life are inordinate.詹姆斯暗示他的女主人公对于人生过于苛求。
16 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
参考例句:
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
17 tattered bgSzkG     
adj.破旧的,衣衫破的
参考例句:
  • Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
  • Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。
18 psychic BRFxT     
n.对超自然力敏感的人;adj.有超自然力的
参考例句:
  • Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
  • She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能,能预知未来。
19 pessimist lMtxU     
n.悲观者;悲观主义者;厌世
参考例句:
  • An optimist laughs to forget.A pessimist forgets to laugh.乐观者笑着忘却,悲观者忘记怎样笑。
  • The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.悲观者在每个机会中都看到困难,乐观者在每个困难中都看到机会。
20 tempting wgAzd4     
a.诱人的, 吸引人的
参考例句:
  • It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
  • It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。
21 providence 8tdyh     
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝
参考例句:
  • It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
  • To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事,是违背上帝的意志的。
22 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。
23 conspirator OZayz     
n.阴谋者,谋叛者
参考例句:
  • We started abusing him,one conspirator after another adding his bitter words.我们这几个预谋者一个接一个地咒骂他,恶狠狠地骂个不停。
  • A conspirator is not of the stuff to bear surprises.谋反者是经不起惊吓的。
24 dagger XnPz0     
n.匕首,短剑,剑号
参考例句:
  • The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
  • The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。
25 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
参考例句:
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
26 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
27 civilisation civilisation     
n.文明,文化,开化,教化
参考例句:
  • Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
  • This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。
28 flora 4j7x1     
n.(某一地区的)植物群
参考例句:
  • The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
  • All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。
29 scotch ZZ3x8     
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的
参考例句:
  • Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
  • Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景,真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。
30 pompous 416zv     
adj.傲慢的,自大的;夸大的;豪华的
参考例句:
  • He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大,自视甚高。
  • He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢,其实是个好人。
31 rugged yXVxX     
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
参考例句:
  • Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
  • The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
32 adventurous LKryn     
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 
参考例句:
  • I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
  • He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。
33 shipwreck eypwo     
n.船舶失事,海难
参考例句:
  • He walked away from the shipwreck.他船难中平安地脱险了。
  • The shipwreck was a harrowing experience.那次船难是一个惨痛的经历。
34 marvel b2xyG     
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事
参考例句:
  • The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
  • The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。
35 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
36 sentimental dDuzS     
adj.多愁善感的,感伤的
参考例句:
  • She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人,她相信姻缘命中注定。
  • We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。
37 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
38 stereotyped Dhqz9v     
adj.(指形象、思想、人物等)模式化的
参考例句:
  • There is a sameness about all these tales. They're so stereotyped -- all about talented scholars and lovely ladies. 这些书就是一套子,左不过是些才子佳人,最没趣儿。
  • He is the stereotyped monster of the horror films and the adventure books, and an obvious (though not perhaps strictly scientific) link with our ancestral past. 它们是恐怖电影和惊险小说中的老一套的怪物,并且与我们的祖先有着明显的(虽然可能没有科学的)联系。
39 hoops 528662bd801600a928e199785550b059     
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓
参考例句:
  • a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
  • Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎,这个季节的裙圈比较宽大,裙裾却短一些。 来自飘(部分)
40 bonnets 8e4529b6df6e389494d272b2f3ae0ead     
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 );(烟囱等的)覆盖物;(苏格兰男子的)无边呢帽;(女子戴的)任何一种帽子
参考例句:
  • All the best bonnets of the city were there. 城里戴最漂亮的无边女帽的妇女全都到场了。 来自辞典例句
  • I am tempting you with bonnets and bangles and leading you into a pit. 我是在用帽子和镯子引诱你,引你上钩。 来自飘(部分)
41 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
参考例句:
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
42 cynical Dnbz9     
adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的,不信世道向善的
参考例句:
  • The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大,他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
  • He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。
43 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
44 shudder JEqy8     
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动
参考例句:
  • The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材,他浑身一阵战栗。
  • We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。
45 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
46 twitched bb3f705fc01629dc121d198d54fa0904     
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
  • The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着,像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
47 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链
参考例句:
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
48 perspiration c3UzD     
n.汗水;出汗
参考例句:
  • It is so hot that my clothes are wet with perspiration.天太热了,我的衣服被汗水湿透了。
  • The perspiration was running down my back.汗从我背上淌下来。
49 agitation TN0zi     
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动
参考例句:
  • Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
  • These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
50 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。
51 uncertainty NlFwK     
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
  • After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后,压力开始产生影响了。
52 rims e66f75a2103361e6e0762d187cf7c084     
n.(圆形物体的)边( rim的名词复数 );缘;轮辋;轮圈
参考例句:
  • As she spoke, the rims of her eyes reddened a little. 说时,眼圈微红。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
  • Her eyes were a little hollow, and reddish about the rims. 她的眼睛微微凹陷,眼眶有些发红。 来自辞典例句
53 pensively 0f673d10521fb04c1a2f12fdf08f9f8c     
adv.沉思地,焦虑地
参考例句:
  • Garton pensively stirred the hotchpotch of his hair. 加顿沉思着搅动自己的乱发。 来自辞典例句
  • "Oh, me,'said Carrie, pensively. "I wish I could live in such a place." “唉,真的,"嘉莉幽幽地说,"我真想住在那种房子里。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
54 honeymoon ucnxc     
n.蜜月(假期);vi.度蜜月
参考例句:
  • While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
  • The happy pair are leaving for their honeymoon.这幸福的一对就要去度蜜月了。
55 agitated dzgzc2     
adj.被鼓动的,不安的
参考例句:
  • His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定,回答全乱了。
  • She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时,她十分焦虑。
56 waddling 56319712a61da49c78fdf94b47927106     
v.(像鸭子一样)摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Rhinoceros Give me a break, were been waddling every day. 犀牛甲:饶了我吧,我们晃了一整天了都。 来自互联网
  • A short plump woman came waddling along the pavement. 有个矮胖女子一摇一摆地沿人行道走来。 来自互联网
57 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
58 nemesis m51zt     
n.给以报应者,复仇者,难以对付的敌手
参考例句:
  • Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
  • Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。
59 luxurious S2pyv     
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的
参考例句:
  • This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
  • The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。
60 exquisite zhez1     
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的
参考例句:
  • I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
  • I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。
61 sordid PrLy9     
adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的
参考例句:
  • He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。
  • They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。
62 insouciance 96vxE     
n.漠不关心
参考例句:
  • He replied with characteristic insouciance:"So what?"他以一贯的漫不经心回答道:“那又怎样?”
  • What explains this apparent insouciance?用什么能够解释这种视而不见呢?
63 doom gsexJ     
n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定
参考例句:
  • The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
  • The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。
64 monstrous vwFyM     
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的
参考例句:
  • The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升,形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
  • Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人!
65 vessels fc9307c2593b522954eadb3ee6c57480     
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人
参考例句:
  • The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
66 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
67 petulant u3JzP     
adj.性急的,暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He picked the pen up with a petulant gesture.他生气地拿起那支钢笔。
  • The thing had been remarked with petulant jealousy by his wife.
68 disdain KltzA     
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑
参考例句:
  • Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
  • A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。
69 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。


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