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Chapter 17
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The ball was on a Friday evening at a reception centre on theriver. For efficiency, I had brought my costume to work, andpractised the cha-cha and rhumba with my skeleton while Iwaited to leave. When I went to the lab to get a beer, I felt astrong twinge of emotion. I was missing the stimulation1 of theFather Project.
The morning suit, with its tails and tall hat, was totallyimpractical for cycling, so I took a taxi and arrived at exactly7.55 p.m., as planned.
Behind me, another taxi pulled up and a tall, dark-hairedwoman stepped out. She was wearing the world’s mostamazing dress: multiple bright colours – red, blue, yellow, green– with a complex structure including a split up one side. I hadnever seen anyone so spectacular. Estimated age thirty-five,BMI twenty-two, consistent with the questionnaire responses.
Neither a little early nor a little late. Was I looking at myfuture wife? It was almost unbelievable.
As I stepped out of the taxi, she looked at me for a momentthen turned and walked towards the door. I took a deepbreath and followed. She stepped inside and looked around.
She saw me again, and139/290looked more carefully this time. I approached her, close enoughto speak, being careful not to invade her personal space. Ilooked into her eyes. I counted one, two. Then I lowered myeyes a little, downwards2, but only a tiny distance.
‘Hi,’ I said. ‘I’m Don.’
She looked at me for a while before extending her hand toshake with low pressure.
‘I’m Bianca. You’ve … really dressed up.’
‘Of course, the invitation specified3 formal.’
After approximately two seconds she burst into laughter. ‘Youhad me for a minute there. So deadpan4. You know, you write“good sense of humour” on the list of things you’re lookingfor, but you never expect to get a real comedian5. I think youand I are going to have fun.’
Things were going extremely well.
The ballroom6 was huge – dozens of tables with formallydressed academics. Everyone turned to look at us, and it wasobvious that we had made an impression. At first I thought itmust be Bianca’s spectacular dress, but there were numerousother interestingly dressed women. Then I noticed that the menwere almost without exception dressed in black suits with whiteshirts and bowties. None wore tails or a hat. It accounted forBianca’s initial reaction. It was annoying, but not a situation Iwas unfamiliar7 with. I doffed8 my hat to the crowd and theyshouted greetings. Bianca seemed to enjoy the attention.
We were at table twelve, according to the seating index, righton the edge of the dance floor. A band was tuning9 up.
Observing their instru-ments, it seemed that my skills atcha-cha, samba, rhumba, foxtrot, waltz, tango and lambadawould not be required. I would need to draw on the work ofthe second day of the dancing project – rock ’n’ roll.
Gene10’s recommendation to arrive thirty minutes after the officialstart time meant that all but three of the seats at the tablewere already140/290occupied. One of these belonged to Gene, who was walkingaround, pouring Champagne11. Claudia was not present.
I identified Laszlo Hevesi from Physics, who was dressed totallyinappropriately in combat trousers and a hiking shirt, sittingnext to a woman whom I recognised with surprise as Francesfrom the speed-dating night. On Laszlo’s other side was TheBeautiful Helena. There was also a dark-haired man of aboutthirty (BMI approximately twenty) who appeared not to haveshaved for several days, and, beside him, the most beautifulwoman I had ever seen. In contrast to the complexity12 ofBianca’s costume, she was wearing a green dress with zerodecoration, so minimal13 that it did not even have straps14 to holdit in place. It took me a moment to realise that its wearer wasRosie.
Bianca and I took the two vacant seats between Stubble Manand Frances, following the alternating male-female pattern thathad been established. Rosie began the introductions, and Irecognised the protocol15 that I had learned for conferences andnever actually used.
‘Don, this is Stefan.’ She was referring to Stubble Man. Iextended my hand, and shook, matching his pressure, which Ijudged as excessive. I had an immediate16 negative reaction tohim. I am generally not competent at assessing other humans,except through the content of their conversation or writtencommunication. But I am reasonably astute17 at identifyingstudents who are likely to be disruptive.
‘Your reputation precedes you,’ Stefan said.
Perhaps my assessment18 was too hasty.
‘You’re familiar with my work?’
‘You might say that.’ He laughed.
I realised that I could not pursue the conversation until Iintroduced Bianca.
‘Rosie, Stefan, allow me to present Bianca Rivera.’
Rosie extended her hand and said, ‘Delighted to meet you.’
They smiled hard at each other and Stefan shook Bianca’shand also.
141/290My duty done, I turned to Laszlo, whom I had not spoken tofor some time. Laszlo is the only person I know with poorersocial skills than mine, and it was reassuring20 to have himnearby for contrast.
‘Greetings, Laszlo,’ I said, assessing that formality would not beappropriate in his case. ‘Greetings, Frances. You found apartner. How many encounters were required?’
‘Gene introduced us,’ said Laszlo. He was staringinappropriately at Rosie. Gene gave a ‘thumbs up’ signal toLaszlo, then moved between Bianca and me with theChampagne bottle. Bianca immediately upen-ded her glass. ‘Donand I don’t drink,’ she said, turning mine down as well. Genegave me a huge smile. It was an odd response to an annoyingversion-control oversight21 on my part – Bianca had apparentlyresponded to the original questionnaire.
Rosie asked Bianca, ‘How do you and Don know each other?’
‘We share an interest in dancing,’ Bianca said.
I thought this was an excellent reply, not referring to the WifeProject, but Rosie gave me a strange look.
‘How nice,’ she said. ‘I’m a bit too busy with my PhD to havetime for dancing.’
‘You have to be organised,’ said Bianca. ‘I believe in being veryorganised.’
‘Yes,’ said Rosie, ‘I –’
‘The first time I made the final of the nationals was in themiddle of my PhD. I thought about dropping the triathlon orthe Japanese cook-ery course, but …’
Rosie smiled, but not in the way she usually did. ‘No, thatwould have been silly. Men love a woman who can cook.’
‘I like to think we’ve moved beyond that sort of stereo-typing,’
said Bianca. ‘Don’s quite a cook himself.’
142/290Claudia’s suggestion that I mention my competence23 in cookingon the questionnaire had obviously been effective. Rosieprovided some evidence.
‘He’s fabulous24. We had the most amazing lobster25 on hisbalcony.’
‘Oh, really?’
It was helpful that Rosie was recommending me to Bianca, butStefan was displaying the disruptive-student expression again. Iapplied my lecture technique of asking him a question first.
‘Are you Rosie’s boyfriend?’
Stefan did not have a ready answer, and in a lecture thatwould have been my cue to continue, with the student nowhealthily wary26 of me.
But Rosie answered for him.
‘Stefan is doing his PhD with me.’
‘I believe the term is partner,’ said Stefan.
‘For this evening,’ said Rosie.
Stefan smiled. ‘First date.’
It was odd that they did not seem to have agreed on thenature of their relationship. Rosie turned back to Bianca.
‘And yours and Don’s first date too?’
‘That’s right, Rosie.’
‘How did you find the questionnaire?’
Bianca looked quickly at me, then turned back to Rosie.
‘Wonderful.
Most men only want to talk about themselves. It was so niceto have someone focusing on me.’
‘I can see how that would work for you,’ said Rosie.
‘And a dancer,’ Bianca said. ‘I couldn’t believe my luck. Butyou know what they say: the harder I work, the luckier I get.’
Rosie picked up her Champagne glass, and Stefan said, ‘Howlong have you been dancing, Don? Won any prizes?’
I was saved from answering by the arrival of the Dean.
143/290She was wearing a complex pink dress, the lower part ofwhich spread out widely, and was accompanied by a woman ofapproximately the same age dressed in the standard male ballcostume of black suit and bowtie. The reaction of the ball-goerswas similar to that at my entrance, without the friendlygreetings at the end.
‘Oh dear,’ said Bianca. I had a low opinion of the Dean, butthe comment made me uncomfortable.
‘You have a problem with gay women?’ said Rosie, slightlyaggressively.
‘Not at all,’ said Bianca. ‘My problem’s with her dress sense.’
‘You’ll have fun with Don, then,’ said Rosie.
‘I think Don looks fabulous,’ said Bianca. ‘It takes flair27 to pulloff something a little different. Anyone can wear a dinner suitor a plain frock. Don’t you think so, Don?’
I nodded in polite agreement. Bianca was exhibiting exactly thecharacteristics I was looking for. There was every chance shewould be perfect. But for some reason my instincts wererebelling. Perhaps it was the no-drinking rule. My underlyingaddiction to alcohol was causing my subconscious28 to send asignal to reject someone who stopped me drinking. I needed toovercome it.
We finished our entrées and the band played a few loudchords. Stefan walked over to them and took the microphonefrom the singer.
‘Good evening, everyone,’ he said. ‘I thought you should knowthat we have a former finalist in the national dancingchampionships with us this evening. You may have seen heron television. Bianca Rivera.
Let’s give Bianca and her partner Don a few minutes toentertain us.’
I had not expected my first performance to be so public, butthere was the advantage of an unobstructed dance floor. Ihave given lectures to larger audiences, and participated inmartial-arts bouts29 in front of crowds. There was no reason tobe nervous. Bianca and I stepped onto the dance floor.
144/290I took her in the standard jive hold that I had practised onthe skeleton, and immediately felt the awkwardness, approachingrevulsion, that I feel when forced into intimate contact withanother human. I had mentally prepared for this, but not for amore serious problem. I had not practised with music. I amsure I executed the steps accurately30, but not at precisely31 thecorrect speed, and not at the same time as the beat. We wereimmediately tripping over each other and the net effect was adisaster. Bianca tried to lead, but I had no experience with aliving partner, let alone one who was trying to be in control.
People began laughing. I am an expert at being laughed atand, as Bianca pulled away from me, I scanned the audienceto see who was not laughing, an excellent means of identifyingfriends. Gene and Rosie and, surprisingly, the Dean and herpartner were my friends tonight. Stefan was definitely not.
Something major was required to save the situation. In mydancing research, I had noted32 some specialised moves that Ihad not intended to use but remembered because they wereso interesting. They had the advantage of not being highlydependent on synchronised timing33 or body contact. Now wasthe time to deploy34 them.
I performed the running man, milking the cow, and the fishingimit-ation, reeling Bianca in, though she did not actually moveas required.
In fact she was standing35 totally still. Finally, I attempted abody-contact manoeuvre36, traditionally used for a spectacularfinish, in which the male swings the female on either side, overhis back and between his legs. Unfortunately this requirescooperation on the part of the partner, particularly if she isheavier than a skeleton. Bianca offered no such cooperationand the effect was as if I had attacked her. Unlike aikido,dancing training apparently22 does not include practice in fallingsafely.
I offered to help her up, but she ignored my hand and walkedtowards the bathroom, apparently uninjured.
145/290I went back to the table and sat down. Stefan was stilllaughing.
‘You bastard,’ Rosie said to him.
Gene said something to Rosie, presumably to preventinappropriate public anger, and she seemed to calm down.
Bianca returned to her seat, but only to collect her bag.
‘The problem was synchronisation,’ I tried to tell her. ‘Themetro-nome in my head is not set to the same frequency asthe band.’
Bianca turned away, but Rosie seemed prepared to listen to myexplanation. ‘I turned off the sound during practice so I couldfocus on learning the steps.’
Rosie did not reply and I heard Bianca speaking to Stefan. ‘Ithappens. This isn’t the first time, just the worst. Men say theycan dance…’ She walked towards the exit without saying goodnight tome, but Gene followed and intercepted37 her.
This gave me an opportunity. I righted my glass, and filled itwith wine. It was a poorly made gordo blanco with excessiveresidual sugar.
I drank it and poured another. Rosie got up from her seatand walked over to the band. She spoke19 to the singer, thenthe drummer.
She returned and pointed38 at me in a stylised manner. Irecognised the action – I had seen it twelve times. It was thesignal that Olivia Newton-John gave to John Travolta in Greaseto commence the dance sequence that I had been practisingwhen Gene interrupted me nine days earlier. Rosie pulled metowards the dance floor.
‘Dance,’ she said. ‘Just fucking dance.’
I started dancing without music. This was what I had practised.
Rosie followed according to my tempo39. Then she raised herarm and started waving it in time with our movements. I heardthe drummer start playing and could tell in my body that hewas in time with us. I barely noticed the rest of the band startup.
Rosie was a good dancer and considerably40 easier to manipulatethan the skeleton. I led her through the more difficult moves,totally146/290focused on the mechanics and on not making errors. TheGrease song finished and everyone clapped. But before wecould return to the table, the band started again and theaudience clapped in time: Satisfaction.
It may have been due to the effect of the gordo blanco on mycognitive functions, but I was suddenly overwhelmed by anextraordinary feeling – not of satisfaction but of absolute joy. Itwas the feeling I had in the Museum of Natural History andwhen I was making cocktails41. We started dancing again, andthis time I allowed myself to focus on the sensations of mybody moving to the beat of the song from my childhood andof Rosie moving to the same rhythm.
The music finished and everyone clapped again.
I looked for Bianca, my date, and located her near the exitwith Gene. I had presumed she would be impressed that theproblem was solved, but even from a distance and with mylimited ability to interpret expressions, I could see that she wasfurious. She turned and left.
The rest of the evening was incredible, changed totally by onedance.
Everyone came up to Rosie and me to offer compliments. Thephotographer gave us each a photo without charging us. Stefanleft early.
Gene obtained some high-quality Champagne from the bar, andwe drank several glasses with him and a Hungarian postdocnamed Klara from Physics. Rosie and I danced again, and thenI danced with almost every woman at the ball. I asked Gene ifI should invite the Dean or her partner, but he considered thisto be a question beyond even his social expertise42. In the end Idid not, as the Dean was visibly in a bad mood. The crowdhad made it clear that they would rather dance than listen toher scheduled speech.
At the end of the night, the band played a waltz, and when itwas finished I looked around and it was just Rosie and me onthe dance floor.
And everyone applauded again. It was only later that I realisedthat I had experienced extended close contact with anotherhuman without147/290feeling uncomfortable. I attributed it to my concentration oncorrectly executing the dance steps.
‘You want to share a taxi?’ asked Rosie.
It seemed a sensible use of fossil fuel.
In the taxi, Rosie said to me, ‘You should have practised withdifferent beats. You’re not as smart as I thought you were.’
I just looked out the window of the taxi.
Then she said, ‘No way. No fucking way. You did, didn’t you?
That’s worse. You’d rather make a fool of yourself in front ofeveryone than tell her she didn’t float your boat.’
‘It would have been extremely awkward. I had no reason toreject her.’
‘Besides not wanting to marry a parakeet,’ said Rosie.
I found this incredibly funny, no doubt as a result of alcoholand de-compensation after the stress. We both laughed forseveral minutes, and Rosie even touched me a few times onthe shoulder. I didn’t mind, but when we stopped laughing Ifelt awkward again and averted43 my gaze.
‘You’re unbelievable,’ said Rosie. ‘Look at me when I’m talking.’
I kept looking out the window. I was already over-stimulated. ‘Iknow what you look like.’
‘What colour eyes do I have?’
‘Brown.’
‘When I was born, I had blue eyes,’ she said. ‘Baby blues44. Likemy mother. She was Irish but she had blue eyes. Then theyturned brown.’
I looked at Rosie. This was incredible.
‘Your mother’s eyes changed colour?’
‘ My eyes. It happens with babies. That was when my motherrealised that Phil wasn’t my father. She had blue eyes and sodoes Phil.
And she decided45 to tell him. I suppose I should be grateful hewasn’t a lion.’
148/290I was having trouble making sense of all that Rosie was saying,doubtless due to the effects of the alcohol and her perfume.
However, she had given me an opportunity to keep theconversation on safe ground. The inheritance of commongenetically influenced traits such as eye colour is more complexthan is generally understood, and I was confident that I couldspeak on the topic for long enough to occupy the remainder ofour journey. But I realised that this was a defensive47 action andimpolite to Rosie who had risked considerable embarrassmentand damage to her relationship with Stefan for my benefit.
I rolled back my thoughts and re-parsed her statement: ‘Isuppose I should be grateful he wasn’t a lion.’ I assumed shewas referring to our conversation on the night of the BalconyMeal when I informed her that lions kill the offspring ofprevious matings. Perhaps she wanted to talk about Phil. Thiswas interesting to me too. The entire motivation for the FatherProject was Phil’s failure in that role. But Rosie had offered noreal evidence beyond his opposition48 to alcohol, ownership of animpractical vehicle and selection of a jewellery box as a gift.
‘Was he violent?’ I asked.
‘No.’ She paused for a while. ‘He was just – all over the place.
One day I’d be the most special kid in the world, next day hedidn’t want me there.’
This seemed very general, and hardly a justification49 for a majorDNA-investigation project. ‘Can you provide an example?’
‘Where do I start? Okay, the first time was when I was ten.
He promised to take me to Disneyland. I told everyone atschool. And I waited and waited and waited and it neverhappened.’
The taxi stopped outside a block of flats. Rosie kept talking,looking at the back of the driver’s seat. ‘So I have this wholething about rejection50.’ She turned to me. ‘How do you dealwith it?’
‘The problem has never occurred,’ I told her. It was not thetime to begin a new conversation.
149/290‘Bullshit,’ said Rosie. It appeared that I would need to answerhonestly. I was in the presence of a psychology51 graduate.
‘There were some problems at school,’ I said. ‘Hence themartial arts. But I developed some non-violent techniques fordealing with difficult social situations.’
‘Like tonight.’
‘I emphasised the things that people found amusing.’
Rosie didn’t respond. I recognised the therapy technique, butcould not think of anything to do but elaborate.
‘I didn’t have many friends. Basically zero, except my sister.
Unfortunately she died two years ago due to medicalincompetence.’
‘What happened?’ said Rosie, quietly.
‘An undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy53.’
‘Oh, Don,’ said Rosie, very sympathetically. I sensed that I hadchosen an appropriate person to confide46 in.
‘Was she … in a relationship?’
‘No.’ I anticipated her next question. ‘We never found out thesource.’
‘What was her name?’
This was, on the surface, an innocuous question, though Icould see no purpose in Rosie knowing my sister’s name. Theindirect reference was unambiguous, as I had only one sister.
But I felt very uncomfortable. It took me a few moments torealise why. Although there had been no deliberate decision onmy part, I had not said her name since her death.
‘Michelle,’ I said to Rosie. After that, neither of us spoke for awhile.
The taxi driver coughed artificially. I presumed he wasn’t askingfor a beer.
‘You want to come up?’ said Rosie.
I was feeling overwhelmed. Meeting Bianca, dancing, rejectionby Bianca, social overload54, discussion of personal matters –now, just150/290when I thought the ordeal52 was over, Rosie seemed to beproposing more conversation. I was not sure I could cope.
‘It’s extremely late,’ I said. I was sure this was a sociallyacceptable way of saying that I wanted to go home.
‘The taxi fares go down again in the morning.’
If I understood correctly, I was now definitely far out of mydepth. I needed to be sure that I wasn’t misinterpreting her.
‘Are you suggesting I stay the night?’
‘Maybe. First you have to listen to the story of my life.’
Warning! Danger, Will Robinson. Unidentified alienapproaching!
I could feel myself slipping into the emotional abyss. I managedto stay calm enough to respond.
‘Unfortunately I have a number of activities scheduled for themorning.’ Routine, normality.
Rosie opened the taxi door. I willed her to go. But she hadmore to say.
‘Don, can I ask you something?’
‘One question.’
‘Do you find me attractive?’
Gene told me the next day that I got it wrong. But he wasnot in a taxi, after an evening of total sensory55 overload, withthe most beautiful woman in the world. I believed I did well. Idetected the trick question.
I wanted Rosie to like me, and I remembered her passionatestatement about men treating women as objects. She wastesting to see if I saw her as an object or as a person.
Obviously the correct answer was the latter.
‘I haven’t really noticed,’ I told the most beautiful woman inthe world.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 stimulation BuIwL     
n.刺激,激励,鼓舞
参考例句:
  • The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
  • You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。
2 downwards MsDxU     
adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地)
参考例句:
  • He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
  • As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。
3 specified ZhezwZ     
adj.特定的
参考例句:
  • The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
  • It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。
4 deadpan 6yExR     
n. 无表情的
参考例句:
  • Some people don't catch his deadpan humor,that makes it even funnier.有些人不能了解他那种无表情的幽默,因此更有趣。
  • She put the letter on the desk in front of me,her face deadpan,not a flicker of a smile.她把那封信放在我面前的桌子上,故意一 脸严肃,没有一丝的笑容。
5 comedian jWfyW     
n.喜剧演员;滑稽演员
参考例句:
  • The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
  • The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。
6 ballroom SPTyA     
n.舞厅
参考例句:
  • The boss of the ballroom excused them the fee.舞厅老板给他们免费。
  • I go ballroom dancing twice a week.我一个星期跳两次交际舞。
7 unfamiliar uk6w4     
adj.陌生的,不熟悉的
参考例句:
  • I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
  • The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。
8 doffed ffa13647926d286847d70509f86d0f85     
v.脱去,(尤指)脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He doffed his hat. 他脱掉帽子。 来自互联网
  • The teacher is forced to help her pull next pulling again mouth, unlock button, doffed jacket. 老师只好再帮她拉下拉口,解开扣子,将外套脱了下来。 来自互联网
9 tuning 8700ed4820c703ee62c092f05901ecfc     
n.调谐,调整,调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
参考例句:
  • They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
10 gene WgKxx     
n.遗传因子,基因
参考例句:
  • A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
  • The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。
11 champagne iwBzh3     
n.香槟酒;微黄色
参考例句:
  • There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
  • They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。
12 complexity KO9z3     
n.复杂(性),复杂的事物
参考例句:
  • Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
  • The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。
13 minimal ODjx6     
adj.尽可能少的,最小的
参考例句:
  • They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
  • I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家,所以我的花费很小。
14 straps 1412cf4c15adaea5261be8ae3e7edf8e     
n.带子( strap的名词复数 );挎带;肩带;背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 );用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带
参考例句:
  • the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
  • The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。
15 protocol nRQxG     
n.议定书,草约,会谈记录,外交礼节
参考例句:
  • We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
  • The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。
16 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
17 astute Av7zT     
adj.机敏的,精明的
参考例句:
  • A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
  • The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾,足以对付侦探的机智。
18 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
19 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。
20 reassuring vkbzHi     
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的
参考例句:
  • He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
  • With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。
21 oversight WvgyJ     
n.勘漏,失察,疏忽
参考例句:
  • I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
  • Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。
22 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。
23 competence NXGzV     
n.能力,胜任,称职
参考例句:
  • This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
  • These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。
24 fabulous ch6zI     
adj.极好的;极为巨大的;寓言中的,传说中的
参考例句:
  • We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
  • This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。
25 lobster w8Yzm     
n.龙虾,龙虾肉
参考例句:
  • The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
  • I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾,但它不适宜于我的健康。
26 wary JMEzk     
adj.谨慎的,机警的,小心的
参考例句:
  • He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
  • Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头,突然警惕起来。
27 flair 87jyQ     
n.天赋,本领,才华;洞察力
参考例句:
  • His business skill complements her flair for design.他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。
  • He had a natural flair for business.他有做生意的天分。
28 subconscious Oqryw     
n./adj.潜意识(的),下意识(的)
参考例句:
  • Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
  • My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。
29 bouts 2abe9936190c45115a3f6a38efb27c43     
n.拳击(或摔跤)比赛( bout的名词复数 );一段(工作);(尤指坏事的)一通;(疾病的)发作
参考例句:
  • For much of his life he suffered from recurrent bouts of depression. 他的大半辈子反复发作抑郁症。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It was one of fistiana's most famous championship bouts. 这是拳击界最有名的冠军赛之一。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
30 accurately oJHyf     
adv.准确地,精确地
参考例句:
  • It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
  • Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。
31 precisely zlWzUb     
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
参考例句:
  • It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
  • The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
32 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
33 timing rgUzGC     
n.时间安排,时间选择
参考例句:
  • The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
  • The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。
34 deploy Yw8x7     
v.(军)散开成战斗队形,布置,展开
参考例句:
  • The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
  • The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。
35 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。
36 manoeuvre 4o4zbM     
n.策略,调动;v.用策略,调动
参考例句:
  • Her withdrawal from the contest was a tactical manoeuvre.她退出比赛是一个战术策略。
  • The clutter of ships had little room to manoeuvre.船只橫七竖八地挤在一起,几乎没有多少移动的空间。
37 intercepted 970326ac9f606b6dc4c2550a417e081e     
拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 ); 截住; 截击; 拦阻
参考例句:
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆,记者们把他拦截住了。
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走,记者把他截住了。
38 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
39 tempo TqEy3     
n.(音乐的)速度;节奏,行进速度
参考例句:
  • The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。
  • They waltz to the tempo of the music.他们跟着音乐的节奏跳华尔兹舞。
40 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
参考例句:
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
41 cocktails a8cac8f94e713cc85d516a6e94112418     
n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 );餐前开胃菜;混合物
参考例句:
  • Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来,我们喝鸡尾酒,吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
  • Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句
42 expertise fmTx0     
n.专门知识(或技能等),专长
参考例句:
  • We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
  • You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。
43 averted 35a87fab0bbc43636fcac41969ed458a     
防止,避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 ); 转移
参考例句:
  • A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
  • Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙,才避免了麻烦。
44 blues blues     
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
参考例句:
  • She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
  • He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。
45 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
46 confide WYbyd     
v.向某人吐露秘密
参考例句:
  • I would never readily confide in anybody.我从不轻易向人吐露秘密。
  • He is going to confide the secrets of his heart to us.他将向我们吐露他心里的秘密。
47 defensive buszxy     
adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的
参考例句:
  • Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题,使她警觉起来。
  • The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。
48 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
49 justification x32xQ     
n.正当的理由;辩解的理由
参考例句:
  • There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
  • In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。
50 rejection FVpxp     
n.拒绝,被拒,抛弃,被弃
参考例句:
  • He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
  • The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。
51 psychology U0Wze     
n.心理,心理学,心理状态
参考例句:
  • She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
  • He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
52 ordeal B4Pzs     
n.苦难经历,(尤指对品格、耐力的)严峻考验
参考例句:
  • She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
  • Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。
53 pregnancy lPwxP     
n.怀孕,怀孕期
参考例句:
  • Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
  • Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。
54 overload RmHz40     
vt.使超载;n.超载
参考例句:
  • Don't overload the boat or it will sink.别超载,否则船会沉。
  • Large meals overload the digestive system.吃得太饱会加重消化系统的负担。
55 sensory Azlwe     
adj.知觉的,感觉的,知觉器官的
参考例句:
  • Human powers of sensory discrimination are limited.人类感官分辨能力有限。
  • The sensory system may undergo long-term adaptation in alien environments.感觉系统对陌生的环境可能经过长时期才能适应。


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