Mr. Preston had many causes for rejoicing: he might have forgotten this discomfiture29, as he chose to feel it, in the remembrance of an increase of income, and in the popularity he enjoyed in his new abode30. All Hollingford came forward to do the earl’s new agent honour. Mr. Sheepshanks had been a crabbed31, crusty old bachelor, frequenting inn-parlours on market-days, not unwilling32 to give dinners to three or four chosen friends and familiars, with whom, in return, he dined from time to time, and with whom, also, he kept up an amicable33 rivalry34 in the matter of wines. But he ‘did not appreciate female society,’ as Miss Browning elegantly worded his unwillingness35 to accept the invitations of the Hollingford ladies. He was unrefined enough to speak of these invitations to his intimate friends aforesaid in the following manner, ‘Those old women’s worrying,’ but, of course, they never heard of this. Little quarter-of-sheet notes, without any envelopes — that invention was unknown in those days — but sealed in the corners when folded up instead of gummed as they are fastened at present, occasionally passed between Mr. Sheepshanks and the Miss Brownings, Mrs. Goodenough or others. In the first instance, the form ran as follows:—‘Miss’ Browning and her sister, Miss Phoebe Browning, present their respectful compliments to Mr. Sheepshanks, and beg to inform him that a few friends have kindly36 consented to favour them with their company at tea on Thursday next. Miss Browning and Miss Phoebe will take it very kindly if Mr. Sheepshanks will join their little circle.’
Now for Mrs. Goodenough:—
‘Mrs. Goodenough’s respects to Mr. Sheepshanks, and hopes he is in good health. She would be very glad if he would favour her with his company to tea on Monday. My daughter, in Combermere, has sent me a couple of guinea fowls38, and Mrs. Goodenough hopes Mr. Sheepshanks will stay and take a bit of supper.’
No need for the dates of the days of the month. The good ladies would have thought that the world was coming to an end if the invitation had been sent out a week before the party therein named. But not even guinea-fowls for supper could tempt39 Mr. Sheepshanks. He remembered the made-wines he had tasted in former days at Hollingford parties, and shuddered40. Bread-and-cheese, with a glass of bitter-beer, or a little brandy-and-water, partaken of in his old clothes (which had worn into shapes of loose comfort, and smelt41 strongly of tobacco), he liked better than roast guinea-fowl and birch-wine, even without throwing into the balance the stiff uneasy coat, and the tight neckcloth and tighter shoes. So the exagent had been seldom, if ever, seen at the Hollingford tea-parties. He might have had his form of refusal stereotyped42, it was so invariably the same.
‘Mr. Sheepshanks’ duty to Miss Browning and her sister’ (to Mrs Goodenough, or to others, as the case might be). ‘Business of importance prevents him from availing himself of their polite invitation; for which he begs to return his best thanks.’
But now that Mr. Preston had succeeded, and come to live in Hollingford, things were changed.
He accepted every civility right and left, and won golden opinions accordingly. Parties were made in his honour, ‘just as if he had been a bride,’ Miss Phoebe Browning said; and to all of them he went.
‘What’s the man after?’ said Mr. Sheepshanks to himself, when he heard of his successor’s affability, and sociability44, and amiability45, and a variety of other agreeable ‘ilities,’ from the friends whom the old steward46 still retained at Hollingford.
‘Preston’s not a man to put himself out for nothing. He’s deep. He’ll be after something solider than popularity.’
The sagacious old bachelor was right. Mr. Preston was ‘after’ something more than mere37 popularity. He went wherever he had a chance of meeting Cynthia Kirkpatrick.
It might be that Molly’s spirits were more depressed47 at this time than they were in general; or that Cynthia was exultant48, unawares to herself, in the amount of attention and admiration50 she was receiving from Roger by day, from Mr. Preston in the evenings, but the two girls seemed to have parted company in cheerfulness. Molly was always gentle, but very grave and silent. Cynthia, on the contrary, was merry, full of pretty mockeries, and hardly ever silent. When first she came to Hollingford, one of her great charms had been that she was such a gracious listener; now her excitement, by whatever caused, made her too restless to hold her tongue; yet what she said was too pretty, too witty51, not to be a winning and sparkling interruption, eagerly welcomed by those who were under her sway. Mr Gibson was the only one who observed this change, and reasoned upon it.
‘She is in a mental fever of some kind,’ thought he to himself. ‘She is very fascinating, but I don’t quite understand her.’ If Molly had not been so entirely52 loyal to her friend, she might have thought this constant brilliancy a little tiresome53 when brought into every-day life; it was not the sunshiny rest of a placid54 lake, it was rather the glitter of the pieces of a broken mirror, which confuses and bewilders. Cynthia would not talk quietly about anything now; subjects of thought or conversation seemed to have lost their relative value. There were exceptions to this mood of hers, when she sank into deep fits of silence, that would have been gloomy had it not been for the never varying sweetness of her temper. If there was a little kindness to be done to either Mr Gibson or Molly, Cynthia was just as ready as ever to do it; nor did she refuse to do anything her mother wished, however fidgety might be, the humour that prompted the wish. But in this latter case Cynthia’s eyes were not quickened by her heart.
Molly was dejected, she knew not why. Cynthia had drifted a little apart; that was not it. Her stepmother had whimsical moods; and if Cynthia displeased55 her, she would oppress Molly with small kindnesses and pseudo-affection. Or else everything was wrong, the world was out of joint56, and Molly had failed in her mission to set it right, and was to be blamed accordingly. But Molly was of too steady a disposition57 to be much moved by the changeableness of an unreasonable person. She might be annoyed, or irritated, but she was not depressed. That was not it. The real cause was certainly this. As long as Roger was drawn58 to Cynthia, and sought her of his own accord, it had been a sore pain and bewilderment to Molly’s heart; but it was a straightforward59 attraction, and one which Molly acknowledged, in her humility60 and great power of loving, to be the most natural thing in the world. She would look at Cynthia’s beauty and grace, and feel as if no one could resist it. And when she witnessed all the small signs of honest devotion which Roger was at no pains to conceal61, she thought, with a sigh, that surely no girl could help relinquishing62 her heart to such tender, strong keeping as Roger’s character ensured. She would have been willing to cut off her right hand, if need were, to forward his attachment63 to Cynthia; and the self-sacrifice would have added a strange zest64 to a happy crisis. She was indignant at what she considered to be Mrs. Gibson’s obtuseness65 to so much goodness and worth; and when she called Roger ‘a country lout’, or any other depreciative epithet66, Molly would pinch herself in order to keep silent. But after all those were peaceful days compared to the present, when she, seeing the wrong side of the tapestry67, after the wont68 of those who dwell in the same house with a plotter, became aware that Mrs. Gibson had totally changed her behaviour to Roger, from some cause unknown to Molly.
But he was always exactly the same; ‘steady as old Time,’ as Mrs Gibson called him, with her usual originality69; ‘a rock of strength, under whose very shadow there is rest,’ as Mrs. Hamley had once spoken of him. So the cause of Mrs. Gibson’s altered manner lay not in him. Yet now he was sure of a welcome, let him come at any hour he would. He was playfully reproved for having taken Mrs. Gibson’s words too literally70, and for never coming before lunch. But he said he considered her reasons for such words to be valid71, and should respect them. And this was done out of his simplicity72, and from no tinge73 of malice74. Then in their family conversations at home, Mrs Gibson was constantly making projects for throwing Roger and Cynthia together, with so evident a betrayal of her wish to bring about an engagement, that Molly chafed75 at the net spread so evidently, and at Roger’s blindness in coming so willingly to be entrapped76. She forgot his previous willingness, his former evidences of manly77 fondness for the beautiful Cynthia; she only saw plots of which he was the victim, and Cynthia the conscious if passive bait. She felt as if she could not have acted as Cynthia did; no, not even to gain Roger’s love. Cynthia heard and saw as much of the domestic background as she did, and yet she submitted to the role assigned to her! To be sure, this role would have been played by her unconsciously; the things prescribed were what she would naturally have done; but because they were prescribed — by implication only, it is true — Molly would have resisted; have gone out, for instance, when she was expected to stay at home; or have lingered in the garden when a long country walk was planned. At last — for she could not help loving Cynthia, come what would — she determined78 to believe that Cynthia was entirely unaware49 of all; but it was with an effort that she brought herself to believe it.
It may be all very pleasant ‘to sport with Amaryllis in the shade, or with the tangles79 of Neaera’s hair,’ but young men at the outset of their independent life have many other cares in this prosaic80 England to occupy their time and their thoughts. Roger was Fellow of Trinity, to be sure; and from the outside it certainly appeared as if his position, as long as he chose to keep unmarried, was a very easy one. His was not a nature, however, to sink down into inglorious ease, even had his fellowship income been at his disposal. He looked forward to an active life; in what direction he had not yet determined. He knew what were his talents and his tastes; and did not wish the former to lie buried, nor the latter, which he regarded as gifts, fitting him for some peculiar81 work, to be disregarded or thwarted82. He rather liked awaiting an object, secure in his own energy to force his way to it, when he once saw it clearly. He reserved enough of money for his own personal needs, which were small, and for the ready furtherance of any project he might see fit to undertake; the rest of his income was Osborne’s; given and accepted in the spirit which made the bond between these two brothers so rarely perfect. It was only the thought of Cynthia that threw Roger off his balance. A strong man in everything else, about her he was as a child. He knew that he could not marry and retain his fellowship; his intention was to hold himself loose from any employment or profession until he had found one to his mind, so there was no immediate83 prospect84 — no prospect for many years, indeed, that he would be able to marry. Yet he went on seeking Cynthia’s sweet company, listening to the music of her voice, basking85 in her sunshine, and feeding his passion in every possible way, just like an unreasoning child. He knew that it was folly86 — and yet he did it; and it was perhaps this that made him so sympathetic with Osborne. Roger racked his brains about Osborne’s affairs much more frequently than Osborne troubled himself. Indeed, he had become so ailing43 and languid of late, that even the squire made only very faint objections to his desire for frequent change of scene, though formerly87 he used to grumble88 so much at the necessary expenditure89 it involved.
‘After all, it does not cost much,’ the squire said to Roger one day. ‘Choose how he does it, he does it cheaply; he used to come and ask me for twenty, where now he does it for five. But he and I have lost each other’s language, that’s what we have! and my dictionary’ (only he called it ‘dixonary’) ‘has all got wrong because of those confounded debts — which he will never explain to me, or talk about — he always holds me off at arm’s length when I begin upon it — he does, Roger — me, his old dad, as was his primest favourite of all, when he was a little bit of a chap!’
The squire dwelt so much upon Osborne’s reserved behaviour to himself’ that brooding over this one subject perpetually he became more morose90 and gloomy than ever in his manner to Osborne, resenting the want of the confidence and affection that he thus repelled91. So much so that Roger, who desired to avoid being made the receptacle of his father’s complaints against Osborne — and Roger’s passive listening was the sedative92 his father always sought — had often to have recourse to the discussion of the drainage works as a counter-irritant. The squire had felt Mr. Preston’s speech about the dismissal of his workpeople very keenly; it fell in with the reproaches of his own conscience, though, as he would repeat to Roger over and over again — ‘I could not help it — how could I? — I was drained dry of ready money — I wish the land was drained as dry as I am,’ said he, with a touch of humour that came out before he was aware, and at which he smiled sadly enough. ‘What was I to do, I ask you, Roger? I know I was in a rage — I’ve had a deal to make me so — and maybe I did not think as much about consequences as I should ha’ done, when I gave orders for ’em to be sent off; but I could not have done otherwise if I’d ha’ thought for a twelvemonth in cool blood. Consequences! I hate consequences; they’ve always been against me; they have. I’m so tied up I can’t cut down a stick more, and that’s a “consequence” of having the property so deucedly well settled; I wish I’d never had any ancestors. Ay, laugh, lad! it does me good to see thee laugh a bit, after Osborne’s long face, which always grows longer at sight o’ me!’
‘Look here, father!’ said Roger suddenly, ‘I’ll manage somehow about the money for the works. You trust to me; give me two months to turn myself in, and you shall have some money, at any rate, to begin with.’
The squire looked at him, and his face brightened as a child’s does at the promise of a pleasure made to him by some one on whom he can rely. He became a little graver, however, as he said — ‘But how will you get it? It’s hard enough work.’
‘Never mind; I’ll get it — a hundred or so at first — I don’t yet know how — but remember, father, I’m a Senior Wrangler93, and a “very promising94 young writer,” as that review called me. Oh, you don’t know what a fine fellow you’ve got for a son. You should have read that review to know all my wonderful merits.’
‘I did, Roger. I heard Gibson speaking of it, and I made him get it for me. I should have understood it better if they could have called the animals by their English names, and not put so much of their French jingo into it.’
‘But it was an answer to an article by a French writer,’ pleaded Roger.
‘I’d ha’ let him alone!’ said the squire earnestly. ‘We had to beat ’em, and we did it at Waterloo; but I’d not demean myself by answering any of their lies, if I was you. But I got through the review, for all their Latin and French; I did, and if you doubt me, you just look at the end of the great ledger95, turn it upside down, and you’ll find I’ve copied out all the fine words they said of you: “careful observer,” “strong nervous English,” “rising philosopher.” Oh! I can nearly say it all off by heart, for many a time when I am frabbed by bad debts, or Osborne’s bills, or moidered with accounts, I turn the ledger wrong way up, and smoke a pipe over it, while I read those pieces out of the review which speak about you, lad!’
点击收听单词发音
1 spoke | |
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 | |
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2 unreasonable | |
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的 | |
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3 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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4 instinctive | |
adj.(出于)本能的;直觉的;(出于)天性的 | |
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5 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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6 combativeness | |
n.好战 | |
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7 squire | |
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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8 patriotism | |
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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9 sociable | |
adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的 | |
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10 radical | |
n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的 | |
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11 shibboleth | |
n.陈规陋习;口令;暗语 | |
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12 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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13 hustings | |
n.竞选活动 | |
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14 digestion | |
n.消化,吸收 | |
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15 viands | |
n.食品,食物 | |
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16 intrigue | |
vt.激起兴趣,迷住;vi.耍阴谋;n.阴谋,密谋 | |
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17 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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18 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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19 marshy | |
adj.沼泽的 | |
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20 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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21 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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22 lout | |
n.粗鄙的人;举止粗鲁的人 | |
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23 receding | |
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
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24 tugged | |
v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25 mare | |
n.母马,母驴 | |
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26 dodge | |
v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计 | |
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27 brutal | |
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 | |
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28 pique | |
v.伤害…的自尊心,使生气 n.不满,生气 | |
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29 discomfiture | |
n.崩溃;大败;挫败;困惑 | |
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30 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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31 crabbed | |
adj.脾气坏的;易怒的;(指字迹)难辨认的;(字迹等)难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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33 amicable | |
adj.和平的,友好的;友善的 | |
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34 rivalry | |
n.竞争,竞赛,对抗 | |
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35 unwillingness | |
n. 不愿意,不情愿 | |
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36 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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37 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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38 fowls | |
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马 | |
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39 tempt | |
vt.引诱,勾引,吸引,引起…的兴趣 | |
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40 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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41 smelt | |
v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼 | |
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42 stereotyped | |
adj.(指形象、思想、人物等)模式化的 | |
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43 ailing | |
v.生病 | |
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44 sociability | |
n.好交际,社交性,善于交际 | |
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45 amiability | |
n.和蔼可亲的,亲切的,友善的 | |
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46 steward | |
n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员 | |
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47 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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48 exultant | |
adj.欢腾的,狂欢的,大喜的 | |
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49 unaware | |
a.不知道的,未意识到的 | |
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50 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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51 witty | |
adj.机智的,风趣的 | |
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52 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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53 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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54 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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55 displeased | |
a.不快的 | |
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56 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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57 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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58 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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59 straightforward | |
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
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60 humility | |
n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
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61 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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62 relinquishing | |
交出,让给( relinquish的现在分词 ); 放弃 | |
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63 attachment | |
n.附属物,附件;依恋;依附 | |
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64 zest | |
n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣 | |
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65 obtuseness | |
感觉迟钝 | |
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66 epithet | |
n.(用于褒贬人物等的)表述形容词,修饰语 | |
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67 tapestry | |
n.挂毯,丰富多采的画面 | |
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68 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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69 originality | |
n.创造力,独创性;新颖 | |
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70 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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71 valid | |
adj.有确实根据的;有效的;正当的,合法的 | |
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72 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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73 tinge | |
vt.(较淡)着色于,染色;使带有…气息;n.淡淡色彩,些微的气息 | |
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74 malice | |
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋 | |
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75 chafed | |
v.擦热(尤指皮肤)( chafe的过去式 );擦痛;发怒;惹怒 | |
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76 entrapped | |
v.使陷入圈套,使入陷阱( entrap的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77 manly | |
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地 | |
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78 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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79 tangles | |
(使)缠结, (使)乱作一团( tangle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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80 prosaic | |
adj.单调的,无趣的 | |
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81 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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82 thwarted | |
阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 ); 使受挫折; 挫败; 横过 | |
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83 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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84 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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85 basking | |
v.晒太阳,取暖( bask的现在分词 );对…感到乐趣;因他人的功绩而出名;仰仗…的余泽 | |
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86 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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87 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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88 grumble | |
vi.抱怨;咕哝;n.抱怨,牢骚;咕哝,隆隆声 | |
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89 expenditure | |
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 | |
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90 morose | |
adj.脾气坏的,不高兴的 | |
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91 repelled | |
v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 );使厌恶;排斥;推开 | |
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92 sedative | |
adj.使安静的,使镇静的;n. 镇静剂,能使安静的东西 | |
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93 wrangler | |
n.口角者,争论者;牧马者 | |
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94 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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95 ledger | |
n.总帐,分类帐;帐簿 | |
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