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Chapter 9 Mutiny
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People who live on solid ground, underneath1 safe skies, know nothing of this; they are like the English POWs in Dresden who continued to pour tea and dress for dinner, even as the alarms went off, even as the city became a towering ball of fire. Born of a green and pleasant land, a temperate2 land, the English have a basic inability to conceive of disaster, even when it is manmade.

  It is different for the people of Bangladesh, formerly3 East Pakistan, formerly India, formerly Bengal. They live under the invisible finger of random4 disaster, of flood and cyclone5, hurricane and mud-slide. Half the time half their country lies under water; generations wiped out as regularly asclockwork; individual life expectancy6 an optimistic fifty-two, and they are coolly aware that when you talk about apocalypse, when you talk about random death en masse, well, they are leading the way in that particular field, they will be the first to go, the first to slip Atlantis-like down to the seabed when the pesky polar ice-caps begin to shift and melt. It is the most ridiculous country in the world, Bangladesh. It is God's idea of a really good wheeze9, his stab at black comedy. You don't need to give out questionnaires to Bengalis. The facts of disaster are the facts of their lives.

  Between Alsana's sweet sixteenth birthday (1971), for example, and the year she stopped speaking directly to her husband (1985), more people died in Bangladesh, more people perished in the winds and the rain, than in Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Dresden put together. A million people lost lives that they had learnt to hold lightly in the first place.

  And this is what Alsana really held against Samad, if you want the truth, more than the betrayal, more than the lies, more than the basic facts of a kidnap: that Magid should learn to hold his life lightly. Even though he was relatively10 safe up there in the Chittagong Hills, the highest point of that low-lying, flatland country, still she hated the thought that Magid should be as she had once been: holding on to a life no heavier than a paisa coin, wading11 thoughtlessly through floods, shuddering12 underneath the weight of black skies .. .

  Naturally, she became hysterical13. Naturally, she tried to get him back. She spoke14 to the relevant authorities. The relevant authorities said things like, "To be honest, love, we're more worried about them coming in or "To tell you the truth, if it was your husband who arranged the trip, there's not a great deal that we-', so she put the phone down. After a few months she stopped ringing. She went to Wembley and Whitechapel in despair and sat in the houses of relatives for epic15 weekends of weeping and eating and commiserations, but her gut16 told her that though the curry17 was sound, the commiserations were not all they seemed. For there were those who were quietly pleased that Alsana Iqbal, with her big house and her blacky white friends and her husband who looked like Omar Sharif and her son who spoke like the Prince of Wales, was now living in doubt and uncertainty18 like the rest of them, learning to wear misery19 like old familiar silk. There was a certain satisfaction in it, even as Zinat (who never revealed her role in the deed) reached over the chair armto take Alsana's hand in her sympathetic claws. "Oh, Alsi, I just keep thinking what a shame it is that he had to take the good one! He was so very clever and so beautifully behaved! You didn't have to worry about drugs and dirty girls with that one. Only the price of spectacles with all that reading."Oh, there was a certain pleasure. And don't ever underestimate people, don't ever underestimate the pleasure they receive from viewing pain that is not their own, from delivering bad news, watching bombs fall on television, from listening to stifled21 sobs22 from the other end of a telephone line. Pain by itself is just Pain. But Pain + Distance can = entertainment, voyeurism23, human interest, cinema verite, a good belly24 chuckle25, a sympathetic smile, a raised eyebrow26, disguised contempt.

  Alsana sensed all these and more at the other end of her telephone line as the calls flooded in 28 May 1985 to inform her of, to offer commiserations for, the latest cyclone. "Alsi, I simply had to call. They say there are so many bodies floating in the Bay of Bengal...""I just heard the latest on the radio ten thousand!""And the survivors27 are floating on rooftops while the sharks and crocodiles snap at their heels.""It must be terrible, Alsi, not knowing, not being sure .. ."For six days and six nights, Alsana did not know, was not sure. During this period she read extensively from the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore and tried hard to believe his assurances (Night's darkness is a bag that bursts with the gold of the dawn), but she was, at heart, a practical woman and found poetry no comfort. For those six days her life was a midnight thing, a hair's breadth from the witching hour. But on the seventh day came light: the news arrived that Magid was fine, suffering only a broken nose delivered by a vase which had fallen from its perilous30 station on a high shelf in a mosque31, blown over in the first breath of the first winds (and keep one eye on that vase, please, it is the same vase that will lead Magid by the nose to his vocation). It was only the servants, having two days earlier taken a secret supply of gin and piled into the family's dilapidated transit32 van on a pleasure trip to Dhaka, who were now floating belly-up in the JamunaRiver as fish finned-silver stared up at them, pop-eyed and bemused.

  Samad was triumphant33. "You see? He'll come to no harm in Chittagong! Even better news,he was in a mosque. Better he break his nose in a mosque than in a Kilburn fight! It is exactly as I had hoped. He is learning the old ways. Is he not learning the old ways?"Alsana thought for a moment. Then she said: "Maybe, Samad Miah.""What do you mean, "maybe"?" "Maybe, Samad Miah, maybe not."Alsana had decided34 to stop speaking directly to her husband. Through the next eight years she would determine never to say yes to him, never to say no to him, but rather to force him to livelike she did never knowing, never being sure, holding Samad's sanity35 to ransom36, until she waspaid in full with the return of her number-one-son-eldest-by-two-minutes, until she could oncemore put a chubby37 hand through his thick hair. That was her promise, that was her curse uponSamad, and it was exquisite38 revenge. At times it very nearly drove him to the brink39, to thekitchen-knife stage, to the medicine cabinet. But Samad was the kind of person too stubborn to killhimself if it meant giving someone else satisfaction. He hung on in there. Alsana turning over in hersleep, muttering, "Just bring him back, Mr. Idiot... if it's driving you nut so just bring my baby back."But there was no money to bring Magid back even if Samad had been inclined to wave thewhite dhoti. He learnt to live with it. It got to the point where if somebody said 'yes' or no' toSamad in the street or in the restaurant, he hardly knew how to respond, he had come to forget whatthose two elegant little signifiers meant. He never heard them from Alsana's lips. Whatever thequestion in the Iqbal house, there would never again be a straight answer:

  "Alsana, have you seen my slippers40?""Possibly, Samad Miah.""What time is it'

  "It could be three, Samad Miah, but Allah knows it could also be four.""Alsana, where have you put the remote control?""It is as likely to be in the drawer, Samad Miah, as it is behind the sofa."And so it went.

  Sometime after the May cyclone, the Iqbals received a letter from theirelder-son-by-two-minutes, written in a careful hand on exercise paper and folded around a recen photograph. It was not the first time he had written, but Samad saw something different in this letter,something that excited him and validated41 the particular decision he had made; some change of tone,someSS o ^urity, of growing Eastern wisdom; and, having^carefully in the garden first, he took great pleasure in sneaking42 into the kitchen and reading italoud to Clara andAlcana who were drinking peppermint43 tea.

  Listen- here he says, "Yesterday, grandfather hit Tamm (he is the houseboy) with a belt until hisbottom was redder than a from to He said Tamim had stolen some candles (it's true. I saw Ct'it!),and this was what he got for it. He says; sometrmes MUh pun she's and sometimes men have to doit, and it >s a wise n who knows if it is Allah's turn or his own. I hope one day I can be a wiseman." Do you hear that? He wants to be a Wise man How many kids in that school do you knowwho want tobe wise men?"Maybe none, Samad Miah. Maybe all."Samad scowled44 at his wife and continued, "And here here where he talks about his nose: "Itseems to me that a vase should lot be in such a silly place where it can fall and break a boy s nose Itshould be somebody's fault and somebody should be punished (but not a bottom smack45 unless theywere small and not grown-up. If they were younger than twelve). When I grow up I Sink I shouldlike to make sure vases are not put in such places where they can be dangerous and I would complam about oAer dangerous things too (by the way, my nose is fine now!) See?"Clara frowned. "See what?"Clara rrownea. occ wA-.

  "Clearly he disapproves46 of iconography in the mosque, he dislikes all heathen, unnecessary,dangerous decoration! A boy like that is destined47 for greatness, isn't he?" "Maybe, Samad Miah,maybe not." Maybe he'll go into government, maybe the law, suggested^Rubbish' My son is for God, not men. He is not fearful of his duty. He is no" fearful to be areal Bengali, a proper MusUm.

  Here he tells me the goat in the photograph is dead. "I helped to kill the goat, Abba," he says. "Itkept on moving some time after we had split it in two." Is that a boy who is fearful?"It clearly being incumbent48 upon someone to say no, Clara said it with little enthusiasm andreached for the photograph Samad was passing her. There was Magid, dressed in his customarygrey, standing50 next to the doomed51 goat with the old house behind him.

  "Oh! Look at his nose! Look at the break. He's got a Roman nose, now. He looks like a littlearistocrat, like a little Englishman. Look, Millat." Clara put the photo under Millat's smaller, flatternose. "You two don't look so much like twins any more.""He looks," said Millat after a cursory52 glance, 'like a chief."Samad, never au fait with the language of the Willesden streets, nodded soberly and patted his son's hair. "It is good that you see the difference between you two boys, Millat, now rather than later." Samad glared at Alsana as she spun53 an index finger in a circle by her temple, as she tapped the side of her head: crazee, nut so "Others may scoff54, but you and I know that your brother will lead others out of the wilderness55. He will be a leader of tribes. He is a natural chief."Millat laughed so loud at this, so hard, so uncontrollably, that he lost his footing, slipped on a wash cloth and broke his nose against the sink.

  Two sons. One invisible and perfect, frozen at the pleasant age of nine, static in a picture framewhile the television underneath him spewed out all the shit of the eighties Irish bombs, English riots, transatlantic stalemates above which mess the child rose untouchable and unstained, elevatedto the status of ever smiling Buddha56, imbued57 with serene58 Eastern contemplation; capable of anything, a natural leader, a natural Muslim, a natural chief- in short, nothing but an apparition59. A ghostly daguerreotype60 formedfrom the quicksilver of the father's imagination, preserved by the salt solution of maternal61 tears.

  This son stood silent, distant and was 'presumed well', like one of Her Majesty's colonial islandoutposts, stuck in an eternal state of original naivety62, perpetual pre-pubescence. This son Samadcould not see. And Samad had long learnt to worship what he could not see.

  As for the son he could see, the one who was under his feet and in his hair, well, it is best not toget Samad started up on that subject, the subject of The Trouble with Millat, but here goes: he is thesecond son, late like a bus, late like cheap postage, the slow coach the catch-up-kid, losing that firstrace down the birth canal, and now simply a follower63 by genetic64 predisposition, by the intricatedesign of Allah, the loser of two vital minutes that he would never make up, not in those all-seeingparabolic mirrors, not in those glassy globes of the godhead, not in his father's eyes. Now, a moremelancholy child than Millat, a more deep thinking child, might have spent the rest of his lifehunting these two minutes and making himself miserable65, chasing the elusive66 quarry67, laying itfinally at his father's feet. But what his father said about him did not concern Millat all that much:

  he knew himself to be no follower, no chief, no wanker, no sell-out, no fuck wit no matter what hisfather said. In the language of the street Millat was a rude boy a badman, at the forefront, changingimage as often as shoes; sweet-as, safe, wicked, leading kids up hills to play football, downhill torifle fruit machines, out of schools, into video shops. In Rocky Video, Millat's favourite haunt, runby an unscrupulous coke-dealer, you got porn when you were fifteen, i8s when you were eleven,and snuff movies under the counter for five quid. Here was where Millat really learnt about fathers.

  Godfathers, blood-brothers, pacinodeniros, men in black who looked good, who talked fast, whonever waited a (mutherfuckin') table, who had two, fully20 functioning, gun-toting hands. He learntthat you don't need to live underflood, under cyclone, to get a little danger, to be a wise man. You go looking for it. Aged68 twelve,Millat went out looking for it, and though Willesden Green is no Bronx, no South Central, he founda little, he found enough. He was arsey and mouthy, he had his fierce good looks squashed tightlyinside him like a jack-in-a-box set to spring aged thirteen, at which point he graduated from leaderof zit-faced boys to leader of women. The Pied Piper of Willesden Green, smitten69 girls trailingbehind him, tongues out, breasts pert, falling into pools of heartbreak.. . and all because he was theBIGGEST and the BADDEST, living his young life in CAPITALS: he smoked first, he drank first,he even lost it IT! aged thirteen and a half. OK, so he didn't FEEL muchorTOUCHmuch,itwasMOIST andCONFUS IN G, he lost IT without even knowing where IT went, but he stilllost IT because there was no doubt, NONE, that he was the best of the rest, on any scale of juveniledelinquency he was the shining light of the teenage community, the DON, the BUSINESS, theDOG'S GENITALIA, a street boy, a leader of tribes. In fact, the only trouble with Millat was thathe loved. trouble. And he was good, at it. Wipe that. He was great.

  Still, there was much discussion at home, at school, in the various kitchens of the widespread Iqbal/Begum clan70 about The Trouble with Millat, mutinous71 Millat aged thirteen, who farted inmosque, chased blondes and smelt72 of tobacco, and not just Millat but all the children: Mujib(fourteen, criminal record for joyriding), Khandakar (sixteen, white girlfriend, wore mascara in theevenings), Dipesh (fifteen, marijuana), Kurshed (eighteen, marijuana and very baggy73 trousers),Khaleda (seventeen, sex before marriage with Chinese boy), Bimal (nineteen, doing a diploma in Drama); what was wrong with all the children, what had gone wrong with these first descendants ofthe great ocean crossing experiment? Didn't they have everything they could want? Was there not a substantial garden area, regular meals, clean clothes from Marks 'n' Sparks, A-class top-notch education?

  Hadn't the elders done their best? Hadn't they all come to this island for a reason? To be safe.

  Weren't they safe"!

  "Too safe," Samad explained, patiently consoling one or other weeping, angry ma or baba, perplexed74 and elderly dadu or dida, 'they are too safe in this country, accha? They live in big plasticbubbles of our own creation, their lives all mapped out for them. Personally, you know I would spiton Saint Paul, but the wisdom is correct, the wisdom is really Allah's: put away childish things.

  How can our boys become men when they are never challenged like men? Hmm? No doubt about it,on reflection, sending Magid back was the best thing. I would recommend it."At which point, the assembled weepers and moaners all look mournfully at the treasured pictureof Magid and goat. They sit mesmerized75, like Hindus waiting for a stone cow to cry, until a visibleaura seems to emanate76 from the photo: goodness and bravery through adversity, through hell andhigh water; the true Muslim boy; the child they never had. Pathetic as it was, Alsana found it faintlyamusing, the tables having turned, no one weeping for her, everyone weeping for themselves and their children, for what the terrible eighties were doing to them both. These gatherings77 were like last-ditch political summits, they were like desperate meetings of government and church behindclosed doors while the mutinous mob roamed wild on the streets, smashed windows. A distancewas establishing itself, not simply between father sons old young bomtherebornhere, but between those who stayed indoors and those who ran riot outside.

  "Too safe, too easy," repeated Samad, as great-aunt Bibi wiped Magid lovingly with some Mr. Sheen. "A month back home would sort each and every one of them out."But the fact was Millat didn't need to go back home: he stood schizophrenic, one foot in Bengal and one in Willesden. In his mind he was as much there as he was here. He did not require a passport to live in two places at once, he needed no visa to live his brother's life and his own (he was a twin after all). Alsana was the first to spot it. She confided78 to Clara: By God, they're tied together like a cat's cradle,connected like a see-saw, push one end, other goes up, whatever Millat sees, Magid saw and vice79 versa! And Alsana only knew the incidentals: similar illnesses, simultaneous accidents, pets dying continents apart. She did not know that while Magid watched the 1985 cyclone shake things from high places, Millat was pushing his luck along the towering wall of the cemetery80 in Fortune Green;that on 10 February 1988, as Magid worked his way through the violent crowds of Dhaka, duckingthe random blows of those busy settling an election with knives and fists, Millat held his own against three sotted, furious, quick footed Irishmen outside Biddy Mulligan's notorious Kilburn public house. Ah, but you are not convinced by coincidence? You want fact fact fact? You want brushes with the Big Man with black hood82 and scythe83? OK: on the 28th of April, 1989, a tornado84 whisked the Chittagong kitchen up into the sky, taking everything with it except Magid, left miraculously85 curled up in a ball on the floor. Now, segue to Millat, five thousand miles away, lowering himself down upon legendary86 sixth-former Natalia Cavendish (whose body is keeping adark secret from her); the condoms are unopened in a box in his back pocket; but somehow he will not catch it; even though he is moving rhythmically87 now, up and in, deeper and sideways, dancing with death.

  Three days:

  1 October 1987Even when the lights went out and the wind was beating the shit out of the double glazing88,Alsana, a great believer in the oracle89 that is the BBC, sat in a nightie on the sofa, refusing to budge90.

  "If that Mr. Fish says it's OK, it's damn well OK. He's BBC, for God's sake!"Samad gave up (it was almost impossible to change Alsana's mind about the inherent reliabilityof her favoured English institutions, amongst them: Princess Anne, Blu-Tack, Children's RoyalVariety Performance, Eric Morecambe, Woman's Hour). He got the torch from the kitchen drawerand went upstairs, looking for Millat.

  "Millat? Answer me, Millat! Are you there?""Maybe, Abba, maybe not."Samad followed the voice to the bathroom and found Millat chin-high in dirty pink soap suds, reading Viz.

  "Ah, Dad, wicked. Torch. Shine it over here so I can read.""Never mind that." Samad tore the comic from his son's hands. There's a bloody91 hurricane blowing and your crazy mother intends to sit here until the roof falls in. Get out of the bath. I needyou to go to the shed and find some wood and nails so that we can-'

  "But Abba, I'm butt-naked!""Don't split the hairs with me this is an emergency. I want you to '

  An almighty92 ripping noise, like something being severed93 at the roots and flung against a wall, came from outside.

  Two minutes later and the family Iqbal were standing regimental in varying states of undress, looking out through the long kitchen window on to a patch in the lawn where the shed used to be.

  Millat clicked his heels three times and hammed it up with corner shop accent, "O me O my.

  There's no place like home. There's no place like home.""All right, woman. Are you coming now?""Maybe, Samad Miah, maybe.""Dammit! I'm not in the mood for a referendum. We're going to Archibald's. Maybe they still have light. And there is safety in numbers. Both of you get dressed, grab the essentials, the life or death things, and get in the car!"Holding the car boot open against a wind determined94 to bringit down, Samad was first amused and then depressed95 by the items his wife and son determined essential, life or death things:

  Millat AbanaBorn to Run (album) Sewing machineSpringsteen Three pots of tiger balmPoster of De Niro in "You tal- Leg of lamb (frozen)kin' to me' scene from Taxi Foot bathDriver Linda Goodman's Starsigns Betamax copy of Purple Rain (book) (rock movie) Huge box of beedi cigarettesShrink-to-fit Levis 501 (red tab) Divargiit Singh in Moonshine Pair of black converse96 baseball over Kerala (musical video)shoes A Clockwork Orange (book)Samad slammed the boot down.

  "No pen knife, no edibles97, no light sources. Bloody great. No prizes for guessing which one of the Iqbals is the war veteran. Nobody even thinks to pick up the Qur'an. Key item in emergencysituation: spiritual support. I am going back in there. Sit in the car and don't move a muscle."Once in the kitchen Samad flashed his torch around: kettle, oven hob, teacup, curtain and then a surreal glimpse of the shed sitting happy like a treehouse in next door's horse chestnut98 He picked upthe Swiss army knife he remembered leaving under the sink, collected his gold-plated,velvet-fringed Qur'an from the living room and was about to leave when the temptation to feel the gale99, to see a little of the formidable destruction, came over him. He waited for a lull100 in the windand opened the kitchen door, moving tentatively into the garden, where a sheet of lightning lit up a scene of suburban101 apocalypse: oaks, cedars102, sycamores, elms felled in garden after garden, fences down, garden furniture demolished103. It was only his own garden, oftenridiculed for its corrugated-iron surround, treeless interior and bed after bed of sickly smelling herbs, that had remained relatively intact.

  He was just in the process of happily formulating104 some allegory regarding the bending Eastern reed versus105 the stubborn Western oak, when the wind reasserted itself, knocking him sideways and continuing along its path to the double glazing, which it cracked and exploded effortlessly, blowingglass inside, regurgitating everything from the kitchen out into the open air. Samad, a recently airborne col lander resting on his ear, held his book tight to his chest and hurried to the car.

  "What are you doing in the driving seat?"Alsana held on to the wheel firmly and talked to Millat via the rear-view mirror. "Will someoneplease tell my husband that I am going to drive. I grew up by the Bay of Bengal. I watched my mother drive through winds like these while my husband was poncing about in Delhi with a load of fairy college boys. I suggest my husband gets in the passenger seat and doesn't fart unless I tell him toAlsana drove at three miles an hour through the deserted106, blacked-out high road while winds of no mph. relentlessly107 battered108 the tops of the highest buildings.

  "England, this is meant to be! I moved to England so I wouldn't have to do this. Never again will I trust that Mr. Crab109.""Amma, it's Mr. Fish.""From now on, he's Mr. Crab to me," snapped Alsana with a dark look. "BBC or no BBC."The lights had gone out at Archie's, but the Jones household was prepared for every disastrous110 eventuality from tidal wave to nuclear fallout; by the time the Iqbals got there the place was lit with dozens of gas lamps, garden candles and night lights, the front door and windows had been speedilyreinforced with hardboard, and the garden trees had their branches roped together.

  "It's all about preparation," announced Archie, opening the door to the desperate Iqbals and their armfuls of belongings111, like a DIY king welcoming the dispossessed. "I mean, you've got to protect your family, haven't you? Not that you've failed in that de par8 you know what I mean 'sjustthe way I see it: it's me against the wind. If I've told you once, Ick-Ball, I've told you a million times: check the supporting walls. If they're not in tiptop condition, you're buggered, mate. You really are. And you've got to keep a pneumatic spanner in the house. Essential.""That's fascinating, Archibald. May we come in?"Archie stepped aside. "Course. Tell the truth, I was expecting you. You never did know a drill bit from a screw handle, Ick-Ball. Good with the theory, but never got the hang of the practicalities.

  Go on, up the stairs, mind the night lights good idea that, eh? Hello, Alsi, you look lovely as ever; hello, Millboid, yer scoundrel. So Sam, out with it: what have you lost?"Samad sheepishly recounted the damage so far.

  "Ah, now you see, that's not your glazing that's fine, / put that in it's the frames. Just ripped out of that crumbling112 wall, I'll bet."Samad grudgingly113 acknowledged this to be the case.

  "There'll be worst to come, mark mine. Well, what's done is done. Clara and Me are in the kitchen. We've got a Bunsen burner going, and grub's up in a minute. But what a bloody storm, eh?

  Phone's out. "Lectricity's out. Never seen the likes of it."In the kitchen, a kind of artificial calm reigned114. Clara was stirring some beans, quietly hummingthe tune81 to Buffalo115 Soldier. Me was hunched116 over a notepad, writing her diary obsessively117 in the manner of thirteen-year-olds:

  8.30 p.m. Millat just walked in. He's sooo gorgeous but ultimately irritating! Tight jeans as usual. Doesn't look at me (as usual, except in a FRIENDLY way). I'm in love with a fool (stupid me)! If only he hadhis brother's brains ... oh well, blah blah. I've got puppy love and puppy fat aaaagh! Storm still crazy. Got to go. Will write later.

  "All right," said Millat.

  "All right," said Me.

  "Crazy this, eh?""Yeah, mental.""Dad's having a fit. House is torn to shit.""Ditto. It's been madness around here too.""I'd like to know where you'd be without me, young lady," said Archie, banging another nail into some hardboard. "Best protected house in Willesden, this is. Can't hardly tell there's a storm going on from here.""Yeah," said Millat, sneaking a final thrilling peek118 through the window at the apoplectic119 trees before Archie blocked out the sky entirely120 with wood and nails. "That's the problem."Samad clipped Millat round the ear. "Don't you start in on the cheekiness. We know what we're doing. You forget, Archibald and I have coped with extreme situations. Once you have fixed121 a five-man tank in the middle of a battlefield, your life at risk at every turn, bullets whizzing inchesfrom your arse, while simultaneously122 capturing the enemy in the harshest possible conditions, let me be telling you, hurricane is little tiny small fry. You could do a lot worse than yes, yes, very amusing I'm sure," muttered Samad, as the two children and the two wives feigned123 narcolepsy.

  "Who wants some of these beans? I'm dishing out.""Someone tell a story," said Alsana. "It's going to get oh so boring if we have to listen to old warhorse big mouths all night.""Go on, Sam," said Archie with a wink124. "Give us the one about Mangal Pande. That's always good for a laugh."A clamour of Nooo's, mimed125 slitting126 of throats and self asphyxiation127 went round the assembled company.

  "The story of Mangal Pande," Samad protested, 'is no laughing matter. He is the tickle128 in the sneeze, he is why we are the waywe are, the founder129 of modern India, the big historical cheese."Alsana snorted. "Big fat nonsense. Every fool knows Gandhi gee130 is the big cheese. Or Nehru.

  Or maybe Akbar, but he was crook-backed, and huge-nosed, I never liked him.""Dammit! Don't talk nonsense, woman. What do you know about it? Fact is: it is simply a matter of market economy, publicity131, movie rights. The question is: are the pretty men with the big white teeth willing to play you, et cetera. Gandhi had Mr. Kingsley bully132 for him but who will do Pande, eh? Pande's not pretty enough, is he? Too Indian-looking, big nose, big eyebrows133. That's why I am always having to tell you ingrates a thing or two about Mangal Pande. Bottom line: if I don't, nobody will.""Look," said Millat, "I'll do the short version. Greatgrandfather '

  "Your great-great-grandfather, stupid," corrected Alsana.

  "Whatever. Decides to fuck the English'

  "To rebel against the English, all on his Jack-Jones, spliffed up to the eyeballs, tries to shoot his captain, misses, tries to shoot himself, misses, gets hung '

  "Hanged," said Clara absentmindedly.

  "Hanged or hung? I'll get the dictionary," said Archie, laying down his hammer and climbing off the kitchen counter.

  "Whatever. End of story. Boring."And now a mammoth134 tree the kind endemic to North London, the ones that sprout135 three smaller trees along the trunk before finally erupting into glorious greenery, city-living for whole diaspora of magpie136 a tree of this kind tore itself from the dog shit and the concrete, took one tottering137 step forward, swooned and collapsed138; through the guttering140, through the double glazing, through the hardboard, knocked over a gas lamp, and then landed in an absence that was Archie-shaped, for hehad just left it.

  Archie was the first to leap into action, throwing a towel on the small fire progressing along the cork141 kitchen tiles, while everyone else trembled and wept and checked each other for injury. ThenArchie, visibly shaken by this blow to his DIY supremacy142, reclaimed143 control over the elements, tying some of the branches with kitchen rags and ordering Millat and Irie to go around the house, putting out the gas lamps.

  "We don't want to burn ourselves to death, now do we? I better find some black plastic and gaffer tape. Do something about this."Samad was incredulous. "Do something about it, Archibald? I fail to see how some gaffer tape will change the fact there is a half a tree in the kitchen.""Man, I'm terrified," stuttered Clara, after a few minutes' silence, as the storm lulled144. "The quietis always a bad sign. My grandmother God rest her she always said that. The quiet is just God pausing to take a breath before he shouts all over again. I think we should go into the other room.""That was the only tree on this side. Best stay in here. Worst's done here. Besides," said Archie, touching145 his wife's arm affectionately, 'you Bowdens have seen worse than this! Your mother was born in a bloody earthquake, for Christ's sake. 1907, Kingston's falling apart and Hortense pops into the world. You wouldn't see a little storm like this worrying her. Tough as nails, that one.""Not toughness," said Clara quietly, standing up to look through the broken window at the chaos146 outside, 'luck. Luck and faith.""I suggest we pray," said Samad, picking up his novelty Qur'an. "I suggest we acknowledge the might of the Creator as he does his worst this evening."Samad began nicking through and, finding what he wanted, brought it patrician-like under his wife's nose, but she slammed it shut and glared at him. Ungodly Alsana, who was yet a nifty hand with the word of God (good schooling147, proper parents, oh yes), lacking nothing but the faith, prepared to do what she did only in emergency: recite: "I donot serve what you worship, nor do you serve what I worship. I shall never serve what you worship, nor will you ever serve what I worship. You have your own religion, and I have mine. Sura 109, translation N. J. Dawood." Now, will someone," said Alsana, looking to Clara, 'please remind my husband that he is not Mr. Manilow and he does not have the songs that make the whole world sing.

  He will whistle his tune and I will whistle mine."Samad turned contemptuously from his wife and placed both hands rigidly148 on his book. "Who will pray with me?""Sorry, Sam," came a muffled149 voice (Archie had his head in the cupboard and was searching for the bin29 bags). "Not really my cup of tea, either. Never been a church man. No offence."Five more minutes passed without the wind. Then the quiet burst and God shouted just as Ambrosia150 Bowden had told her granddaughter he would. Thunder went over the house like a dying man's bile, lightning followed like his final malediction151, and Samad closed his eyes.

  The Millat called Clara, then Alsana. No answer. Standing bolt upright in the cupboard, smashing his head against the spice shelf, Archie said, "It's been ten minutes. Oh blimey. Where are the kids?"One kid was in Chittagong, being dared by a friend to take off his lungi and march through a renowned152 crocodile swamp; the other two had sneaked153 out of the house to feel the eye of the storm, and were walking against the wind as if thigh-high in water. They waded154 into Willesden recreation ground, where the following conversation took place.

  "This is incredible.""Yeah, mental!""You're mental.""What do you mean? I'm fine!""No, you're not. You're always looking at me. And what were you writing? You're such a nerd.

  You're always writing"Nothing. Stuff. You know, diary stuff.""You've got the blatant155 hots for me.""I can't hear you! Louder!""THE HOTS! BLATANTLY156! YOU CAN HEAR ME.""I have not! You're an egomaniac.""You want my arse.""Don't be a wanker!""Well, it's no good, anyway. You're getting a bit big. I don't like big. You can't have me.""I wouldn't want to, Mr. Egomaniac.""Plus: imagine what our kids would look like.""I think they'd look nice.""Browny-black. Blacky-brown. Afro, flat nose, rabbit teeth and freckles157. They'd be freaks!" "You can talk. I've seen that picture of your gran dad --'

  "GREAT-GREATGRANDAD.""Massive nose, horrible eyebrows'

  "That's an artist's impression, you chief.""And they'd be crazy he was crazy your whole family's crazy. It's genetic.""Yeah, yeah. Whatever.""And for your information, I don't fancy you, anyway. You've got a bent49 nose. And you're trouble. Who wants trouble?""Well, watch out," said Millat, leaning forward, colliding with some buck158 teeth, slipping a tongue in momentarily, and then pulling back. "Cos that's all the trouble you're getting."14 January 1989Millat spread his legs like Elvis and slapped his wallet down on the counter. "One for Bradford, yeah?"The ticket-man put his tired face close up to the glass. "Are you asking me, young man, or telling me?""I just say, yeah? One for Bradford, yeah? You got some problem, yeah? Speaka da English?

  This is King's Cross, yeah? One for Bradford, in nitMillat's Crew (Rajik, Ranil, Dipesh and Hifan) sniggered and shuffled159 behind him, joining in on the ye ahs like some kind of backing group.

  "Please?""Please what, yeah? One for Bradford, yeah? You get me? One for Bradford. Chief.""And would that be a return? For a child?""Yeah, man. I'm fifteen, yeah? "Course I want a return, I've got a bar ii to get back to like everybody else.""That'll be seventy-five pounds, then, please."This was met with displeasure by Millat and Millat's Crew.

  "You what? Takin' liberties! Seventy chaaaa, man. That's moody160. I ain't payin' no seventy-five pounds!""Well, I'm afraid that's the price. Maybe next time you mug some poor old lady," said the ticket-man, looking pointedly161 at the chunky gold that fell from Millat's ears, wrists, fingers and from around his neck, 'you could stop in here first before you get to the jewellery store.""Liberties!" squealed163 Hifan.

  "He's cussin' you, yeah?" confirmed Ranil.

  "You better tell 'im," warned Rajik.

  Millat waited a minute. Timing164 was everything. Then he turned around, stuck his arse in the air, and farted long and loud in the ticket-man's direction.

  The Crew, on cue: "Somokdmi!""What did you call me? You what did you say? You little bastards165. Can't tell me in English?

  Have to talk your Paki language?"Millat slammed his fist so hard on the glass that it reverberated166 down the booths to the ticket-man down the other end selling tickets to Milton Keynes.

  "First: I'm not a Paki, you ignorant fuck. And second: you don't need translator, yeah? I'll give it to you straight. You're a fucking faggot, yeah? Queer boy, poofter, batty-rider, shit-dick." There was nothing Millat's Crew prided themselves on more than the number of euphemisms167 they could offer for homosexuality.

  "Arse-bandit, fairy-fucker, toilet-trader.""You want to thank God for the glass between us, boy.""Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thank Allah, yeah? I hope he fucks you up wicked, yeah? We're going to Bradford to sort out the likes of you, yeah? Chief!"Halfway168 up platform 12" about to board a train they had no tickets for, a King's Cross security guy stopped Millat's Crew to ask them a question. "You boys not looking for any trouble, are you?"The question was fair. Millat's Crew looked like trouble. And, at the time, a crew that looked like trouble in this particular way had a name, they were of a breed: Raggastani.

  It was a new breed, just recently joining the ranks of the other street crews: Becks, B-boys, Indic kids, wide-boys, ravers, rude-boys, Acidheads, Sharons, Tracies, Kevs, Nation Brothers, Raggas and Pakis; manifesting itself as a kind of cultural mongrel of the last three categories.

  Raggastanis spoke a strange mix of Jamaican patois169, Bengali, Gujarati and English. Their ethos, their manifesto170, if it could be called that, was equally a hybrid171 thing: A&ahfeatured, but more as a collective big brother than a supreme172 being, a hard-as-fuck geezer who would fight in their corner if necessary; Kung Fu and the works of Bruce Lee were also central to the philosophy; added to this was a smattering of Black Power(as embodied173 by the album Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy); but mainly their mission was to put the Invincible174 back in Indian, the Bad-aaa ass7 back in Bengali, the P-Funk back in Pakistani. People had fucked with Rajik back in the days when he was into chess and wore V-necks.

  People had fucked with Ranil, when he sat at the back of the class and carefully copied all teacher's comments into his book. People had fucked with Dipesh and Hifan when they wore traditional dress in the playground. People had even fucked with Millat, with his tight jeans and his white rock.

  But no one fucked with any of them any more because they looked like trouble. They looked like trouble in stereo. Naturally, there was a uniform. They each dripped gold and wore bandanas, either wrapped around their foreheads or tied at the joint175 of an arm or leg. The trousers were enormous, swamping things, the left leg always inexplicably176 rolled up to the knee; the trainers were equallyspectacular, with tongues so tall they obscured the entire ankle; baseball caps were compulsory177, low slung178 and irremovable, and everything, everything, everything was Nike(tm); wherever the five of them went the impression they left behind was of one gigantic swoosh, one huge mark of corporate179 approval. And they walked in a very particular way, the left side of their bodies assuming a kind of loose paralysis180 that needed carrying along by the right side; a kind of glorified181, funky182 limp like theslow, padding movement that Yeats imagined for his rough millennial183 beast. Ten years early, while the happy acid heads danced through the Summer of Love, Millat's Crew were slouching towards Bradford.

  "No trouble, yeah?" said Millat to the security guy.

  "Just going' began Hifan.

  "To Bradford," said Rajik.

  "For business, yeah?" explained Dipesh.

  "See-ya! Bidayo!" called Hifan, as they slipped into the train, gave him the finger, and shoved their arses up against the closing doors.

  "Tax the window seat, yeah? Nice. I've blatantly got to have a fag in here, yeah? I'm fuckin' wired, yeah? This whole business, man. This fuckin' geezer, man. He's a fuckin' coconut184 I'd like to fuck him up, yeah?""Is he actually gonna be there?"All serious questions were always addressed to Millat, and Millat always answered the group as a whole. "No way. He ain't going to be there. Just brothers going to be there. It's a fucking protest,you chief, why's he going to go to a protest against himself?""I'm just saying," said Ranil, wounded, "I'd fuck him up, yeah? If he was there, you know. Dirty fucking book.""It's a fucking insult!" said Millat, spitting some gum against the window. "We've taken it too long in this country. And now we're getting it from our own, man. Rhas clut! He's a fucking bad or white man's puppet.""My uncle says he can't even spell," said a furious Hifan, the most honestly religious of the lot.

  "And he dares to talk about Allah!""Allah'll fuck him up, yeah?" cried Rajik, the least intelligent, who thought of God as some kind of cross between Monkey Magic and Bruce Willis. "He'll kick him in the balls. Dirty book.""You read it?" asked Ranil, as they whizzed past Finsbury Park.

  There was a general pause.

  Millat said, "I haven't exackly read it exackly but I know all about that shit, yeah?"To be more precise, Millat hadn't read it. Millat knew nothing about the writer, nothing about the book; could not identify the book if it lay in a pile of other books; could not pick out the writer in a line-up of other writers (irresistible, this line-up of offending writers: Socrates, Protagoras,Ovid and Juvenal, Rad clyffe Hall, Boris Pasternak, D. H. Lawrence, Solzhenitsyn, Nabokov, all holding up their numbers for the mug shot, squinting185 in the flashbulb). But he knew other things.

  He knew thathe, Millat, was a Paid no matter where he came from; that he smelt of curry; had no sexual identity; took other people's jobs; or had no job and bummed186 off the state; or gave all the jobs to his relatives; that he could be a dentist or a shop-owner or a curry-shifter, but not a foot baller or afilm-maker; that he should go back to his own country; or stay here and earn his bloody keep; that he worshipped elephants and wore turbans; that no one who looked like Millat, or spoke like Millat, or felt like Millat, was ever on the news unless they had recently been murdered. In short, he knew he had no face in this country, no voice in the country, until the week before last when suddenlypeople like Millat were on every channel and every radio and every newspaper and they were angry, and Millat recognized the anger, thought it recognized him, and grabbed it with both hands.

  "So .. . you ain't read it?" asked Ranil nervously187.

  "Look: you best believe I ain't buying that shit, man. No way, star."The neither," said Hifan.

  "True star," said Rajik.

  "Fucking nastiness," said Ranil.

  "Twelve ninety-five, you know!" said Dipesh.

  "Besides," said Millat, with a tone of finality despite his high rising terminals, 'you don't have to read shit to know that it's blasphemous188, you get me?"Back in Willesden, Samad Iqbal was expressing the very same sentiment loudly over the evening news.

  "I don't need to read it. The relevant passages have been photocopied189 for me.""Will someone remind my husband," said Alsana, speaking to the news reader 'that he does not even know what the bloody book is about because the last thing he read was the bloody AZ.""I'm going to ask you one more time to shut up so I can watch the news.""I can hear screaming but it does not appear to be my voice.""Can't you understand, woman? This is the most important thing to happen to us in this country, ever. It's crisis point. It's the tickle in the sneeze. It's big time." Samad hit the volume button a few times with his thumb. "This woman Moira whateverhernameis she mumbles190. Why is she reading news if she can't speak properly?"Moira, turned up suddenly in mid-sentence, said, '.. . the writer denies blasphemy191, and argues that the book concerns the struggle between secular192 and religious views of life."Samad snorted. "What struggle! I don't see any struggle. I get on perfectly193 OK. All grey cells in good condition. No emotional difficulties."Alsana laughed bitterly. "My husband fights the Third World War every single bloody day in his head, so does everybody '

  "No, no, no. No struggle. What's he on about, eh? He can't wangle out of it by being rational.

  Rationality! Most overrated Western virtue194! Oh no. Fact is, he is simply offensive he has offended '

  "Look," Alsana cut in. "When my little group get together, if we disagree about something, we can sort it out. Example: Mohona Hossain hates Divargiit Singh. Hates all his movies. Hates him with a passion. She likes that other fool with the eyelashes like a lady! But we compromise. Never once have I burned a single video of hers.""Hardly the same thing, Mrs. Iqbal, hardly the same kettle with fish in it.""Oh, passions are running high at the Women's Committee shows how much Samad Iqbalknows. But I am not like Samad Iqbal. I restrain myself. I live. I let live.""It is not a matter of letting others live. It is a matter of protecting one's culture, shielding one's religion from abuse. Not that you'd know anything about that, naturally. Always too busy with this Hindi brain popcorn195 to pay any attention to your own culture!""My own culture? And what is that please?""You're a Bengali. Act like one.""And what is a Bengali, husband, please?""Get out of the way of the television and look it up."Alsana took out baltic-brain, number three of their 24setReader's Digest Encyclopedia196, and read from the relevant section:

  The vast majority of Bangladesh's inhabitants are Bengalis, who are largely descended197 from Indo-Aryans who began to migrate into the country from the west thousands of years ago and who mixed within Bengal with indigenous198 groups of various racial stocks. Ethnic199 minorities include the Chakma and Mogh, Mongoloid peoples who live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts200 District; the Santal, mainly descended from migrants from present-day India; and the Biharis, non-Bengali Muslims who migrated from India after the partition.

  "Oi, mister! Indo-Aryans... it looks like I am Western after all! Maybe I should listen to Tina Turner, wear the itsy-bitsy leather skirts. Pah. It just goes to show," said Alsana, revealing her English tongue, 'you go back and back and back and it's still easier to find the correct Hoover bag than to find one pure person, one pure faith, on the globe. Do you think anybody is English? Really English? It's a fairy-tale!""You don't know what you're talking about. You're out of your depth."Alsana held up the encyclopedia. "Oh, Samad. Miah. You want to burn this too?""Look: I've no time to play right now. I am trying to listen to a very important news story.

  Serious goings on in Bradford. So, if you don't mind '

  "Oh dear God!" screamed Alsana, the smile leaving her face,falling to her knees in front of the television, tracing her finger past the burning book to the face she recognized, smiling up at her through light tubes, her pixilated second-son beneath her picture-framed first. "What is he doing? Is he crazy? Who does he think he is? What on earth is hedoing there? He's meant to be in school! Has the day come when the babies are burning the books, has it? I don't believe it!""Nothing to do with me. Tickle in the sneeze, Mrs. Iqbal," said Samad coolly, sitting back in his armchair. "Tickle in the sneeze."When Millat came home that evening, a great bonfire was raging in the back garden. All his secular stuff four years' worth of cool, pre- and post-Raggastani, every album, every poster, special-edition t-shirts, club fliers collected and preserved over two years, beautiful Air Maxtrainers, copies 20-75 of 2000 AD Magazine, signed photo of Chuck D." impossibly rare copy of Slick Rick's Hey Young World, Catcher in the Rye, his guitar, Godfather I and II, Mean Streets, Rumblefish, Dog Day Afternoon and Shaft201 in Africa- all had been placed on the funeral pyre, now a smouldering mound202 of ashes that was giving off fumes203 of plastic and paper, stinging the boy's eyes that were already filled with tears.

  "Everyone has to be taught a lesson," Alsana had said, lighting204 the match with heavy heart some hours earlier. "Either everything is sacred or nothing is. And if he starts burning other people's things, then he loses something sacred also. Everyone gets what's coming, sooner or later."10 November 1989A wall was coming down. It was something to do with history. It was an Historic occasion. No one really knew quite who had put it up or who was tearing it down or whether this was good, bad or something else; no one knew how tall it was, how long it was, or why people had died trying to cross it or whether they would stop dying in future, but it waseducational all the same; as good an excuse for a get-together205 as any. It was a Thursday night, Alsana and Clara had cooked, and everybody was watching history on TV.

  "Who's for more rice?"Millat and Me held out their plates, jostling for prime position.

  "What's happening now?" asked Clara, rushing back to her seat with a bowl of Jamaican fried dumplings, from which Irie snatched three.

  "Same, man," Millat grumbled206. "Same. Same. Same. Dancing on the wall, smashing it with a hammer. Whatever. I wanna see what else is on, yeah?"Alsana snatched the remote control and squeezed in between Clara and Archie. "Don't you dare, mister.""It's educational," said Clara deliberately207, her pad and paper on the arm rest, waiting to leap into action at the suggestion of anything edifying208. "It's the kind of thing we all should be watching."Alsana nodded and waited for two awkward-shaped bhajis to go down the gullet. "That's what I try and tell the boy. Big business. Tip-top historic occasion. When your own little Iqbals tug209 at your trousers and ask you where you were when'

  Till say I was bored shitless watching it on TV."Millat got a thwack round the head for 'shitless' and another one for the impertinence of the sentiment. Irie, looking strangely like the crowd on top of the wall in her everyday garb210 of CND badges, graffiti-covered trousers and beaded hair, shook her head in saddened disbelief. She wasthat age. Whatever she said burst like genius into centuries of silence. Whatever she touched was the first stroke of its kind. Whatever she believed was not formed by faith but carved from certainty.

  Whatever she thought was the first time such a thought had ever been thunk.

  That's totally your problem, Mill. No interest in the outsideworld. I think this is amazing. They're all free! After all this time, don't you think that's amazing?

  That after years under the dark cloud of Eastern communism they're coming into the light of Western democracy, united," she said, quoting Newsnight faithfully. "I just think democracy is man's greatest invention."Alsana, who felt personally that Clara's child was becoming impossibly pompous211 these days, held up the head of a Jamaican fried fish in protest. "No, dearie. Don't make that mistake. Potato peeler is man's greatest invention. That or Poop-a-Scoop.""What they want," said Millat, 'is to stop pissing around wid dis hammer business and jus' get some Semtex and blow de djam ting up, if they don't like it, you get me? Be quicker, in nit"Why do you talk like that?" snapped Irie, devouring212 a dumpling. That's not your voice. You sound ridiculous!""And you want to watch dem dumplings," said Millat, patting his belly. "Big ain't beautiful.""Oh, get lost.""You know," murmured Archie, munching213 on a chicken wing, "I'm not so sure that it's such a good thing. I mean, you've got to remember, me and Samad, we were there. And believe me, there's a good reason to have it split in two. Divide and conquer, young lady.""Jesus Christ, Dad. What are you on?""He's not on anything," said Samad severely214. "You younger people forget why certain things were done, you forget their significance. We were there. Not all of us think fondly upon a united Germany. They were different times, young lady.""What's wrong with a load of people making some noise about their freedom? Look at them.

  Look at how happy they are."Samad looked at the happy people dancing on the wall and felt contempt and something more irritating underneath it that could have been jealousy215.

  "It is not that I disagree with rebellious216 acts per se. It is simply that if you are to throw over an old order, you must be sure thatyou can offer something of substance to replace it; that is what Germany needs to understand.

  As an example, take my great grandfather Mangal Pande '

  Me sighed the most eloquent217 sigh that had ever been sighed. "I'd rather not, if it's all the same."TheI' said Clara, because she felt she should.

  Me huffed. And puffed218.

  "Well! He goes on like he knows everything. Everything's always about him and I'm trying to talk about now, today, Germany. I bet you," she said, turning to Samad, "I know more about it than you do. Go on. Try me. I've been studying it all term. Oh, and by the way: you weren't there. You and Dad left in 1945. They didn't do the wall until 1961.""Cold War," said Samad sourly, ignoring her. "They don't talk about hot war any more. The kind where men get killed. That's where I learnt about Europe. It cannot be found in books.""Oi-oi," said Archie, trying to diffuse219 a row. "You do know Last of the Summer Wine's on in ten minutes? BBC Two.""Go on," persisted Me, kneeling up and turning around to face Samad. "Try me.""The gulf220 between books and experience," intoned Samad solemnly, 'is a lonely ocean.""Right. You two talk such a load of sh '

  But Clara was too quick with a slap round the ear. TheI'

  Me sat back down, not so much defeated as exasperated221 and turned up the TV volume.

  The 28-mile-long scar the ugliest symbol of a divided world, East and West has no meaning any more. Few people, including this reporter, thought to see it happen in their lifetimes, but last night,at the stroke of midnight, thousands lingering both sides of the wall gave a great roar and began to pour through checkpoints and to climb up and over it.

  "Foolishness. Massive immigration problem to follow," said Samad to the television, dipping a dumpling into some ketchup222. "You just can't let a million people into a rich country. Recipe for disaster.""And who does he think he is? Mr. Churchill-gee?" laughed Alsana scornfully. "Originalwhitecliffsdover piesnmash jelly eels28 royal variety british bulldog hell?""Scar," said Clara, noting it down. "That's the right word, isn't it?""Jesus Christ. Can't any of you understand the enormity of what's going on here? These are the last days of a regime. Political apocalypse, meltdown. It's an historic occasion.""So everyone keeps saying," said Archie, scouring223 the TV Times. "But what about The Krypton Factor, I TV? That's always good, eh? "Son now.""And stop sayin' "an historic"," said Millat, irritated at all the poncey political talk. "Why can't you just say "a", like everybody else, man? Why d'you always have to be so la di da?""Oh, for fuck's sake!" (She loved him, but he was impossible.) "What possible fuckingdifference can it make?"Samad rose out of his seat. TheI This is my house and you are still a guest. I won't have that language in it!""Fine! I'll take it to the streets with the rest of the proletariat.""That girl," tutted Alsana as her front door slammed. "Swallowed an encyclopedia and a gutter139 Millat sucked his teeth at his mother. "Don't you start, man. What's wrong with "a" encyclopedia? Why's everyone in this house always puttin' on fuckin' airs?"Samad pointed162 to the door. "OK, mister. You don't speak to your mother like that. You out too.""I don't think," said Clara quietly, after Millat had stormed up to his room, 'that we should discourage the kids from having an opinion. It's good that they're freethinkers."Samad sneered224, "And you would know .. . what? You do aSamadl984, 1SS7great deal of free-thinking? In the house all day, watching the television?""Excuse me?""With respect: the world is complex, Clara. If there's one thing these children need to understand it is that one needs rules to survive it, not fancy.""He's right, you know," said Archie earnestly, ashing a fag in an empty curry bowl. "Emotionalmatters then yes, that's your department '

  "Oh women's work!" squealed Alsana, through a mouth full of curry. Thank you so much,Archibald."Archie struggled to continue. "But you can't beat experience, can you? I mean, you two, you're young women still, in a way. Whereas we, I mean, we are, like, wells of experience the children can use, you know, when they feel the need. We're like encyclopedias225. You just can't offer them what we can. In all fairness."Alsana put her palm on Archie's forehead and stroked it lightly. "You fool. Don't you know you're left behind like carriage and horses, like candle wax Don't you know to them you're old andsmelly like yesterday's fishnchip paper? I'll be agreeing with your daughter on one matter of importance." Alsana stood up, following Clara, who had left at this final insult and marched tearfully into the kitchen. "You two gentlemen talk a great deal of the youknowwhat."Left alone, Archie and Samad acknowledged the desertion of both families by a mutual226 rolling of eyes, wry227 smiles. They sat quietly for a moment while Archie's thumb flicked228 adeptly229 through An Historic Occasion, A Costume Drama Set in Jersey230, Two Men Trying to Build a Raft in Thirty Seconds, A Studio Debate on Abortion231, and back once more to An Historic Occasion.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  "Home? Pub? O'Connell's?"Archie was about to reach into his pocket for a shiny ten pence when he realized there was no need. "O'Connell's?" said Archie. "O'Connell's' said Samad.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 underneath VKRz2     
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
参考例句:
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
2 temperate tIhzd     
adj.温和的,温带的,自我克制的,不过分的
参考例句:
  • Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
  • Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。
3 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
4 random HT9xd     
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句:
  • The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
5 cyclone cy3x7     
n.旋风,龙卷风
参考例句:
  • An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
  • The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。
6 expectancy tlMys     
n.期望,预期,(根据概率统计求得)预期数额
参考例句:
  • Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
  • The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。
7 ass qvyzK     
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人
参考例句:
  • He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
  • An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。
8 par OK0xR     
n.标准,票面价值,平均数量;adj.票面的,平常的,标准的
参考例句:
  • Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
  • I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。
9 wheeze Ep5yX     
n.喘息声,气喘声;v.喘息着说
参考例句:
  • The old man managed to wheeze out a few words.老人勉强地喘息着说出了几句话。
  • He has a slight wheeze in his chest.他呼吸时胸部发出轻微的响声。
10 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
11 wading 0fd83283f7380e84316a66c449c69658     
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子,准备涉水。
  • The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。
12 shuddering 7cc81262357e0332a505af2c19a03b06     
v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动
参考例句:
  • 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕,”她发着抖,说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
  • She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤,深深吸了口气。 来自飘(部分)
13 hysterical 7qUzmE     
adj.情绪异常激动的,歇斯底里般的
参考例句:
  • He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
  • His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。
14 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。
15 epic ui5zz     
n.史诗,叙事诗;adj.史诗般的,壮丽的
参考例句:
  • I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗,而写了这个小故事。
  • They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。
16 gut MezzP     
n.[pl.]胆量;内脏;adj.本能的;vt.取出内脏
参考例句:
  • It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
  • My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。
17 curry xnozh     
n.咖哩粉,咖哩饭菜;v.用咖哩粉调味,用马栉梳,制革
参考例句:
  • Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
  • Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。
18 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。
19 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
参考例句:
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
20 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
21 stifled 20d6c5b702a525920b7425fe94ea26a5     
(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵
参考例句:
  • The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
  • The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。
22 sobs d4349f86cad43cb1a5579b1ef269d0cb     
啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
  • She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。
23 voyeurism 8563220b48f3d48766f3f75fbe337aec     
n.窥阴癖者
参考例句:
  • Portraiture merges here with voyeurism and surveillance. 肖像拍摄中夹杂着偷窥和监视。 来自互联网
  • And while Wife Swap was pure voyeurism, Boss Swap hints at some real issues. 《换妻》纯粹反映了一种偷窥心理,而《互换老板》则影射了一些真实的问题。 来自互联网
24 belly QyKzLi     
n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛
参考例句:
  • The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
  • His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。
25 chuckle Tr1zZ     
vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑
参考例句:
  • He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
  • I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个,我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。
26 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
27 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
28 eels eels     
abbr. 电子发射器定位系统(=electronic emitter location system)
参考例句:
  • Eels have been on the feed in the Lower Thames. 鳗鱼在泰晤士河下游寻食。
  • She bought some eels for dinner. 她买回一些鳗鱼做晚餐。
29 bin yR2yz     
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件
参考例句:
  • He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
  • He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。
30 perilous E3xz6     
adj.危险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
  • We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机,我们如今已安然无恙。
31 mosque U15y3     
n.清真寺
参考例句:
  • The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
  • Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前,清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。
32 transit MglzVT     
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过
参考例句:
  • His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
  • The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。
33 triumphant JpQys     
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的
参考例句:
  • The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
  • There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。
34 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。
35 sanity sCwzH     
n.心智健全,神智正常,判断正确
参考例句:
  • I doubt the sanity of such a plan.我怀疑这个计划是否明智。
  • She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
36 ransom tTYx9     
n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救
参考例句:
  • We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
  • The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。
37 chubby wrwzZ     
adj.丰满的,圆胖的
参考例句:
  • He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实,可并不发胖。
  • The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。
38 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。
39 brink OWazM     
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿
参考例句:
  • The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
  • The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。
40 slippers oiPzHV     
n. 拖鞋
参考例句:
  • a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
  • He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋,倒在床上。
41 validated c9e825f4641cd3bec0ba01a0c2d67755     
v.证实( validate的过去式和过去分词 );确证;使生效;使有法律效力
参考例句:
  • Time validated our suspicion. 时间证实了我们的怀疑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The decade of history since 1927 had richly validated their thesis. 1927年以来的十年的历史,充分证明了他们的论点。 来自辞典例句
42 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
43 peppermint slNzxg     
n.薄荷,薄荷油,薄荷糖
参考例句:
  • Peppermint oil is very good for regulating digestive disorders.薄荷油能很有效地调节消化系统失调。
  • He sat down,popped in a peppermint and promptly choked to death.他坐下来,突然往嘴里放了一颗薄荷糖,当即被噎死。
44 scowled b83aa6db95e414d3ef876bc7fd16d80d     
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
  • The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。
45 smack XEqzV     
vt.拍,打,掴;咂嘴;vi.含有…意味;n.拍
参考例句:
  • She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
  • I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。
46 disapproves 2409ec34a905c5a568c1e2e81c7efcdc     
v.不赞成( disapprove的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • She disapproves of unmarried couples living together. 她反对未婚男女同居。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her mother disapproves of her wearing transparent underwear. 她母亲不赞成她穿透明的内衣。 来自辞典例句
47 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
48 incumbent wbmzy     
adj.成为责任的,有义务的;现任的,在职的
参考例句:
  • He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
  • It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。
49 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
50 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。
51 doomed EuuzC1     
命定的
参考例句:
  • The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
  • A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。
52 cursory Yndzg     
adj.粗略的;草率的;匆促的
参考例句:
  • He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。
  • The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。
53 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
54 scoff mDwzo     
n.嘲笑,笑柄,愚弄;v.嘲笑,嘲弄,愚弄,狼吞虎咽
参考例句:
  • You are not supposed to scoff at religion.你不该嘲弄宗教。
  • He was the scoff of the town.他成为全城的笑柄。
55 wilderness SgrwS     
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
56 Buddha 9x1z0O     
n.佛;佛像;佛陀
参考例句:
  • Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
  • He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。
57 imbued 0556a3f182102618d8c04584f11a6872     
v.使(某人/某事)充满或激起(感情等)( imbue的过去式和过去分词 );使充满;灌输;激发(强烈感情或品质等)
参考例句:
  • Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness. 她的声音里充满着一种不寻常的严肃语气。
  • These cultivated individuals have been imbued with a sense of social purpose. 这些有教养的人满怀着社会责任感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
58 serene PD2zZ     
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的
参考例句:
  • He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
  • He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多,只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。
59 apparition rM3yR     
n.幽灵,神奇的现象
参考例句:
  • He saw the apparition of his dead wife.他看见了他亡妻的幽灵。
  • But the terror of this new apparition brought me to a stand.这新出现的幽灵吓得我站在那里一动也不敢动。
60 daguerreotype Iywx1     
n.银板照相
参考例句:
  • The inventor of the daguerreotype is a French artist.银版照相的发明者是位法国艺术家。
  • The image was taken by louis daguerre who invented the daguerreotype-one of the earliest methods of photography.这张照片是由路易斯达盖尔拍摄,他发明了银版照相法-摄影的最早方法之一。
61 maternal 57Azi     
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的
参考例句:
  • He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
  • The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。
62 naivety 0FLxO     
n.天真,纯朴,幼稚
参考例句:
  • Mozart's music is characterized by its naivety and clarity.莫扎特的音乐特色是纯朴兴清澈。
  • She has lost none of her naivety.她丝毫没有失去那份天真烂漫。
63 follower gjXxP     
n.跟随者;随员;门徒;信徒
参考例句:
  • He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
  • Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
64 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
65 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
参考例句:
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
66 elusive d8vyH     
adj.难以表达(捉摸)的;令人困惑的;逃避的
参考例句:
  • Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
  • Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。
67 quarry ASbzF     
n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找
参考例句:
  • Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
  • This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。
68 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
69 smitten smitten     
猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • From the moment they met, he was completely smitten by her. 从一见面的那一刻起,他就完全被她迷住了。
  • It was easy to see why she was smitten with him. 她很容易看出为何她为他倾倒。
70 clan Dq5zi     
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派
参考例句:
  • She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
  • The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以,中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。
71 mutinous GF4xA     
adj.叛变的,反抗的;adv.反抗地,叛变地;n.反抗,叛变
参考例句:
  • The mutinous sailors took control of the ship.反叛的水手们接管了那艘船。
  • His own army,stung by defeats,is mutinous.经历失败的痛楚后,他所率军队出现反叛情绪。
72 smelt tiuzKF     
v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼
参考例句:
  • Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
  • Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法,他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼,而改用焦炭。
73 baggy CuVz5     
adj.膨胀如袋的,宽松下垂的
参考例句:
  • My T-shirt went all baggy in the wash.我的T恤越洗越大了。
  • Baggy pants are meant to be stylish,not offensive.松松垮垮的裤子意味着时髦,而不是无礼。
74 perplexed A3Rz0     
adj.不知所措的
参考例句:
  • The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛,走了又回来,犹豫不决,总怕上当受骗。
  • The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。
75 mesmerized 3587e0bcaf3ae9f3190b1834c935883c     
v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The country girl stood by the road, mesmerized at the speed of cars racing past. 村姑站在路旁被疾驶而过的一辆辆车迷住了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • My 14-year-old daughter was mesmerized by the movie Titanic. 我14岁的女儿完全被电影《泰坦尼克号》迷住了。 来自互联网
76 emanate DPXz3     
v.发自,来自,出自
参考例句:
  • Waves emanate from the same atom source.波是由同一原子辐射的。
  • These chemicals can emanate certain poisonous gases.这些化学药品会散发出某些有毒的气味。
77 gatherings 400b026348cc2270e0046708acff2352     
聚集( gathering的名词复数 ); 收集; 采集; 搜集
参考例句:
  • His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
  • During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次,其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。
78 confided 724f3f12e93e38bec4dda1e47c06c3b1     
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等)
参考例句:
  • She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
  • He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露,他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
79 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
80 cemetery ur9z7     
n.坟墓,墓地,坟场
参考例句:
  • He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
  • His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。
81 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
82 hood ddwzJ     
n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖
参考例句:
  • She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
  • The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。
83 scythe GDez1     
n. 长柄的大镰刀,战车镰; v. 以大镰刀割
参考例句:
  • He's cutting grass with a scythe.他正在用一把大镰刀割草。
  • Two men were attempting to scythe the long grass.两个人正试图割掉疯长的草。
84 tornado inowl     
n.飓风,龙卷风
参考例句:
  • A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
  • The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
85 miraculously unQzzE     
ad.奇迹般地
参考例句:
  • He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death. 他奇迹般地从死亡线上获救。
  • A schoolboy miraculously survived a 25 000-volt electric shock. 一名男学生在遭受2.5 万伏的电击后奇迹般地活了下来。
86 legendary u1Vxg     
adj.传奇(中)的,闻名遐迩的;n.传奇(文学)
参考例句:
  • Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
  • Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。
87 rhythmically 4f33fe14f09ad5d6e6f5caf7b15440cf     
adv.有节奏地
参考例句:
  • A pigeon strutted along the roof, cooing rhythmically. 一只鸽子沿着屋顶大摇大摆地走,有节奏地咕咕叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Exposures of rhythmically banded protore are common in the workings. 在工作面中常见有韵律条带“原矿石”。 来自辞典例句
88 glazing efbb002113a7b05827a36cd681ab6eb5     
n.玻璃装配业;玻璃窗;上釉;上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 );上釉于,上光;(目光)变得呆滞无神
参考例句:
  • You should ensure against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应装双层玻璃以免散热。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • You should ensure yourself against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应该装双层玻璃防止热量散失。 来自《简明英汉词典》
89 oracle jJuxy     
n.神谕,神谕处,预言
参考例句:
  • In times of difficulty,she pray for an oracle to guide her.在困难的时候,她祈祷神谕来指引她。
  • It is a kind of oracle that often foretells things most important.它是一种内生性神谕,常常能预言最重要的事情。
90 budge eSRy5     
v.移动一点儿;改变立场
参考例句:
  • We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来,但它连动都没动一下。
  • She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。
91 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
92 almighty dzhz1h     
adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的
参考例句:
  • Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
  • It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。
93 severed 832a75b146a8d9eacac9030fd16c0222     
v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂
参考例句:
  • The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
94 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
95 depressed xu8zp9     
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的
参考例句:
  • When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
  • His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
96 converse 7ZwyI     
vi.谈话,谈天,闲聊;adv.相反的,相反
参考例句:
  • He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
  • I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。
97 edibles f15585c612ecc5e917a4d4b09581427a     
可以吃的,可食用的( edible的名词复数 ); 食物
参考例句:
  • They freely offered for sale what edibles they had. 他们很自愿地把他们的一点点可吃的东西卖给我们。
  • Our edibles the wild vegetable. 我们只能吃野菜。
98 chestnut XnJy8     
n.栗树,栗子
参考例句:
  • We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
  • In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。
99 gale Xf3zD     
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等)
参考例句:
  • We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
  • According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报,明天有大风。
100 lull E8hz7     
v.使安静,使入睡,缓和,哄骗;n.暂停,间歇
参考例句:
  • The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
  • Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后,地面战又突然爆发了。
101 suburban Usywk     
adj.城郊的,在郊区的
参考例句:
  • Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
  • There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。
102 cedars 4de160ce89706c12228684f5ca667df6     
雪松,西洋杉( cedar的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The old cedars were badly damaged in the storm. 风暴严重损害了古老的雪松。
  • Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 1黎巴嫩哪,开开你的门,任火烧灭你的香柏树。
103 demolished 3baad413d6d10093a39e09955dfbdfcb     
v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 );推翻;拆毁(尤指大建筑物);吃光
参考例句:
  • The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
  • They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来,为了不让拆除他们的房子,他们一直在进行最后的努力。
104 formulating 40080ab94db46e5c26ccf0e5aa91868a     
v.构想出( formulate的现在分词 );规划;确切地阐述;用公式表示
参考例句:
  • At present, the Chinese government is formulating nationwide regulations on the control of such chemicals. 目前,中国政府正在制定全国性的易制毒化学品管理条例。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
  • Because of this, the U.S. has taken further steps in formulating the \"Magellan\" programme. 为此,美国又进一步制定了“麦哲伦”计划。 来自百科语句
105 versus wi7wU     
prep.以…为对手,对;与…相比之下
参考例句:
  • The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
  • The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。
106 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
107 relentlessly Rk4zSD     
adv.不屈不挠地;残酷地;不间断
参考例句:
  • The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head. 非洲的太阳无情地照射在他那发痛的头上。
  • He pursued her relentlessly, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. 他锲而不舍地追求她,拒不接受“不”的回答。
108 battered NyezEM     
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损
参考例句:
  • He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
  • The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
109 crab xoozE     
n.螃蟹,偏航,脾气乖戾的人,酸苹果;vi.捕蟹,偏航,发牢骚;vt.使偏航,发脾气
参考例句:
  • I can't remember when I last had crab.我不记得上次吃蟹是什么时候了。
  • The skin on my face felt as hard as a crab's back.我脸上的皮仿佛僵硬了,就象螃蟹的壳似的。
110 disastrous 2ujx0     
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的
参考例句:
  • The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
  • Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨,血本无归。
111 belongings oy6zMv     
n.私人物品,私人财物
参考例句:
  • I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
  • Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。
112 crumbling Pyaxy     
adj.摇摇欲坠的
参考例句:
  • an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
  • The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。
113 grudgingly grudgingly     
参考例句:
  • He grudgingly acknowledged having made a mistake. 他勉强承认他做错了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Their parents unwillingly [grudgingly] consented to the marriage. 他们的父母无可奈何地应允了这门亲事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
114 reigned d99f19ecce82a94e1b24a320d3629de5     
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式)
参考例句:
  • Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静,一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
115 buffalo 1Sby4     
n.(北美)野牛;(亚洲)水牛
参考例句:
  • Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
  • The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。
116 hunched 532924f1646c4c5850b7c607069be416     
(常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦)耸肩弓身的,伏首前倾的
参考例句:
  • He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。
  • Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。
117 obsessively 0c180424cba71c2e5a90cdda44a64400     
ad.着迷般地,过分地
参考例句:
  • Peter was obsessively jealous and his behaviour was driving his wife away. 彼得过分嫉妒的举止令他的妻子想离他而去。
  • He's rude to his friends and obsessively jealous. 他对他的朋友很无礼而且嫉妒心重。
118 peek ULZxW     
vi.偷看,窥视;n.偷偷的一看,一瞥
参考例句:
  • Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
  • Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛,别偷看。
119 apoplectic seNya     
adj.中风的;愤怒的;n.中风患者
参考例句:
  • He died from a stroke of apoplexy.他死于中风。
  • My father was apoplectic when he discovered the truth.我父亲在发现真相后勃然大怒。
120 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。
121 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
122 simultaneously 4iBz1o     
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地
参考例句:
  • The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
  • The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。
123 feigned Kt4zMZ     
a.假装的,不真诚的
参考例句:
  • He feigned indifference to criticism of his work. 他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
  • He accepted the invitation with feigned enthusiasm. 他假装热情地接受了邀请。
124 wink 4MGz3     
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁
参考例句:
  • He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
  • The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间,那颗卫星就消失了。
125 mimed 5166e355c3eabceea9e258c2192f768e     
v.指手画脚地表演,用哑剧的形式表演( mime的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The man mimed the slaying of an enemy. 此人比手划脚地表演砍死一个敌人的情况。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The acting students mimed eating an apple. 这些学生正在用哑剧形式表演吃苹果。 来自互联网
126 slitting 26672d4e519eeaafc4a21b6af263de4f     
n.纵裂(缝)v.切开,撕开( slit的现在分词 );在…上开狭长口子
参考例句:
  • She is slitting a man's throat. 她正在割一个男人的喉咙。 来自辞典例句
  • Different side of slitting direction will improve slitting edge and quality. 应用不同靠刀方向修边分条可帮助顺利排料,并获得更好的分条品质。 来自互联网
127 asphyxiation df310853a95d45c9d691f9e09b0cfdbb     
n. 窒息
参考例句:
  • Objective Inquiry into the heavy asphyxiation rescues measure of the new born. 摘要目的探讨新生儿重度窒息抢救的措施。
  • Self-contained breathing apparatus(SCBA) may be required to prevent asphyxiation of rescue personnel. 可能要求有自给式呼吸器(SCBA),以防止救援人员窒息。
128 tickle 2Jkzz     
v.搔痒,胳肢;使高兴;发痒;n.搔痒,发痒
参考例句:
  • Wilson was feeling restless. There was a tickle in his throat.威尔逊只觉得心神不定。嗓子眼里有些发痒。
  • I am tickle pink at the news.听到这消息我高兴得要命。
129 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者,缔造者
参考例句:
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
130 gee ZsfzIu     
n.马;int.向右!前进!,惊讶时所发声音;v.向右转
参考例句:
  • Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
  • Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇!我们会赚好多钱啦!
131 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告
参考例句:
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
132 bully bully     
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮
参考例句:
  • A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
  • The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
133 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。
134 mammoth u2wy8     
n.长毛象;adj.长毛象似的,巨大的
参考例句:
  • You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
  • Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。
135 sprout ITizY     
n.芽,萌芽;vt.使发芽,摘去芽;vi.长芽,抽条
参考例句:
  • When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角?
  • It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。
136 magpie oAqxF     
n.喜欢收藏物品的人,喜鹊,饶舌者
参考例句:
  • Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。
  • This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。
137 tottering 20cd29f0c6d8ba08c840e6520eeb3fac     
adj.蹒跚的,动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠
参考例句:
  • the tottering walls of the castle 古城堡摇摇欲坠的墙壁
  • With power and to spare we must pursue the tottering foe. 宜将剩勇追穷寇。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
138 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
139 gutter lexxk     
n.沟,街沟,水槽,檐槽,贫民窟
参考例句:
  • There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
  • He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活,并成为贵妇。
140 guttering e419fa91a79d58c88910bbf6068b395a     
n.用于建排水系统的材料;沟状切除术;开沟
参考例句:
  • a length of guttering 一节沟槽
  • The candle was guttering in the candlestick. 蜡烛在烛台上淌着蜡。 来自辞典例句
141 cork VoPzp     
n.软木,软木塞
参考例句:
  • We heard the pop of a cork.我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。
  • Cork is a very buoyant material.软木是极易浮起的材料。
142 supremacy 3Hzzd     
n.至上;至高权力
参考例句:
  • No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员,无人能胜过她。
  • Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说,她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。
143 reclaimed d131e8b354aef51857c9c380c825a4c9     
adj.再生的;翻造的;收复的;回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 );要求收回;从废料中回收(有用的材料);挽救
参考例句:
  • Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
144 lulled c799460fe7029a292576ebc15da4e955     
vt.使镇静,使安静(lull的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • They lulled her into a false sense of security. 他们哄骗她,使她产生一种虚假的安全感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The movement of the train lulled me to sleep. 火车轻微的震动催我进入梦乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
145 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
146 chaos 7bZyz     
n.混乱,无秩序
参考例句:
  • After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后,城市一片混乱。
  • The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。
147 schooling AjAzM6     
n.教育;正规学校教育
参考例句:
  • A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
  • Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。
148 rigidly hjezpo     
adv.刻板地,僵化地
参考例句:
  • Life today is rigidly compartmentalized into work and leisure. 当今的生活被严格划分为工作和休闲两部分。
  • The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age. 自儿童时起即已开始有严格的课程设置。
149 muffled fnmzel     
adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己)
参考例句:
  • muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
  • There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
150 ambrosia Retyv     
n.神的食物;蜂食
参考例句:
  • Later Aphrodite herself brought ambrosia.后来阿芙洛狄特亲自带了仙肴。
  • People almost everywhere are buying it as if it were the biggest glass of ambrosia in the world for a nickel.几乎所有地方的人们都在买它,就好像它是世界上能用五分钱买到的最大瓶的美味。
151 malediction i8izS     
n.诅咒
参考例句:
  • He was answered with a torrent of malediction.他得到的回答是滔滔不绝的诅咒。
  • Shakespeare's remains were guarded by a malediction.莎士比亚的遗骸被诅咒给守护著。
152 renowned okSzVe     
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的
参考例句:
  • He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
  • She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。
153 sneaked fcb2f62c486b1c2ed19664da4b5204be     
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状
参考例句:
  • I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
  • She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
154 waded e8d8bc55cdc9612ad0bc65820a4ceac6     
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
  • He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。
155 blatant ENCzP     
adj.厚颜无耻的;显眼的;炫耀的
参考例句:
  • I cannot believe that so blatant a comedy can hoodwink anybody.我无法相信这么显眼的一出喜剧能够欺骗谁。
  • His treatment of his secretary was a blatant example of managerial arrogance.他管理的傲慢作风在他对待秘书的态度上表露无遗。
156 blatantly rxkztU     
ad.公开地
参考例句:
  • Safety guidelines had been blatantly ignored. 安全规章被公然置之不顾。
  • They walked grandly through the lobby, blatantly arm in arm, pretending they were not defeated. 他们大大方方地穿过门厅,故意炫耀地挎着胳膊,假装他们没有被打败。
157 freckles MsNzcN     
n.雀斑,斑点( freckle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时,脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
158 buck ESky8     
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃
参考例句:
  • The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
  • The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。
159 shuffled cee46c30b0d1f2d0c136c830230fe75a     
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼
参考例句:
  • He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
  • Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
160 moody XEXxG     
adj.心情不稳的,易怒的,喜怒无常的
参考例句:
  • He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
  • I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。
161 pointedly JlTzBc     
adv.尖地,明显地
参考例句:
  • She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠,又刻意地看了看手表。
  • The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
162 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。
163 squealed 08be5c82571f6dba9615fa69033e21b0     
v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
164 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。
165 bastards 19876fc50e51ba427418f884ba64c288     
私生子( bastard的名词复数 ); 坏蛋; 讨厌的事物; 麻烦事 (认为别人走运或不幸时说)家伙
参考例句:
  • Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的,不顾大局! 来自子夜部分
  • Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分
166 reverberated 3a97b3efd3d8e644bcdffd01038c6cdb     
回响,回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 ); 使反响,使回荡,使反射
参考例句:
  • Her voice reverberated around the hall. 她的声音在大厅里回荡。
  • The roar of guns reverberated in the valley. 炮声响彻山谷。
167 euphemisms 2e52618fe6be3b868598f3bec8c0161d     
n.委婉语,委婉说法( euphemism的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • No point is in mincing words or hiding behind euphemisms. 没有必要闪烁其词或者羞羞答答。 来自辞典例句
  • No point in mincing words or hiding behind euphemisms. 没必要闪烁其词或者羞羞答答。 来自辞典例句
168 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
169 patois DLQx1     
n.方言;混合语
参考例句:
  • In France patois was spoken in rural,less developed regions.在法国,欠发达的农村地区说方言。
  • A substantial proportion of the population speak a French-based patois.人口中有一大部分说以法语为基础的混合语。
170 manifesto P7wzt     
n.宣言,声明
参考例句:
  • I was involved in the preparation of Labour's manifesto.我参与了工党宣言的起草工作。
  • His manifesto promised measures to protect them.他在宣言里保证要为他们采取保护措施。
171 hybrid pcBzu     
n.(动,植)杂种,混合物
参考例句:
  • That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
  • The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。
172 supreme PHqzc     
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的
参考例句:
  • It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
  • He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
173 embodied 12aaccf12ed540b26a8c02d23d463865     
v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 );象征;包括;包含
参考例句:
  • a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
  • The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
174 invincible 9xMyc     
adj.不可征服的,难以制服的
参考例句:
  • This football team was once reputed to be invincible.这支足球队曾被誉为无敌的劲旅。
  • The workers are invincible as long as they hold together.只要工人团结一致,他们就是不可战胜的。
175 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
参考例句:
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
176 inexplicably 836e3f6ed2882afd2a77cf5530fca975     
adv.无法说明地,难以理解地,令人难以理解的是
参考例句:
  • Inexplicably, Mary said she loved John. 真是不可思议,玛丽说她爱约翰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Inexplicably, she never turned up. 令人不解的是,她从未露面。 来自辞典例句
177 compulsory 5pVzu     
n.强制的,必修的;规定的,义务的
参考例句:
  • Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗?
  • Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。
178 slung slung     
抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往
参考例句:
  • He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩,挎在肩上。
  • He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。
179 corporate 7olzl     
adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的
参考例句:
  • This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
  • His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。
180 paralysis pKMxY     
n.麻痹(症);瘫痪(症)
参考例句:
  • The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
  • The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
181 glorified 74d607c2a7eb7a7ef55bda91627eda5a     
美其名的,变荣耀的
参考例句:
  • The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast-food cafe. 这地方美其名曰餐馆,其实只不过是个快餐店而已。
  • The author glorified the life of the peasants. 那个作者赞美了农民的生活。
182 funky 1fjzc     
adj.畏缩的,怯懦的,霉臭的;adj.新式的,时髦的
参考例句:
  • The kitchen smelled really funky.这个厨房有一股霉味。
  • It is a funky restaurant with very interesting art on the walls.那是一家墙上挂着很有意思的绘画的新潮餐馆。
183 millennial ef953914f342cb14bd9e488fe460c41e     
一千年的,千福年的
参考例句:
  • Both Russia and America looked to the future to fulfill their millennial expectations. 俄国和美国都把实现他们黄金时代的希望寄托于未来。
  • The millennial generation is celebrating the global commons every day, apparently unmindful of Hardin's warning. 千禧一代显然对哈丁的警告不以为然,每天都在颂扬全球“公地”。
184 coconut VwCzNM     
n.椰子
参考例句:
  • The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
  • The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。
185 squinting e26a97f9ad01e6beee241ce6dd6633a2     
斜视( squint的现在分词 ); 眯着眼睛; 瞟; 从小孔或缝隙里看
参考例句:
  • "More company," he said, squinting in the sun. "那边来人了,"他在阳光中眨巴着眼睛说。
  • Squinting against the morning sun, Faulcon examined the boy carefully. 对着早晨的太阳斜起眼睛,富尔康仔细地打量着那个年轻人。
186 bummed bdf9f789349f2148b0996a04724e0c3c     
失望的,沮丧的
参考例句:
  • I was really bummed out that there were no tickets left. 没有票了,我非常恼火。
  • I didn't do anything last summer; I just bummed around. 去年夏天我游手好闲,什么正经事也没做。
187 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。
188 blasphemous Co4yV     
adj.亵渎神明的,不敬神的
参考例句:
  • The book was declared blasphemous and all copies ordered to be burnt.这本书被断定为亵渎神明之作,命令全数焚毀。
  • The people in the room were shocked by his blasphemous language.满屋的人都对他那侮慢的语言感到愤慨。
189 photocopied d2825e34ce0c9fba8458f0b096d43f11     
v.影印,照相复制(photocopy的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • If neatly done, this field map can be photocopied and serve as a permanent map. 假如能精致地完成,这张野外图可以照象复制并作为永久性的地图。 来自辞典例句
  • She photocopied the town plan. 她复印了一份城市规划图。 来自互联网
190 mumbles e75cb6863fa93d697be65451f9b103f0     
含糊的话或声音,咕哝( mumble的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He always mumbles when he's embarrassed. 他感到难为情时说话就含糊不清了。
  • When the old lady speaks she often mumbles her words. 这位老妇人说起话来常常含糊不清。
191 blasphemy noyyW     
n.亵渎,渎神
参考例句:
  • His writings were branded as obscene and a blasphemy against God.他的著作被定为淫秽作品,是对上帝的亵渎。
  • You have just heard his blasphemy!你刚刚听到他那番亵渎上帝的话了!
192 secular GZmxM     
n.牧师,凡人;adj.世俗的,现世的,不朽的
参考例句:
  • We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
  • Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。
193 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
194 virtue BpqyH     
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力
参考例句:
  • He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
  • You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
195 popcorn 8lUzJI     
n.爆米花
参考例句:
  • I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时,喜欢吃爆米花。
  • He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后,嘴里塞满了爆米花。
196 encyclopedia ZpgxD     
n.百科全书
参考例句:
  • The encyclopedia fell to the floor with a thud.那本百科全书砰的一声掉到地上。
  • Geoff is a walking encyclopedia.He knows about everything.杰夫是个活百科全书,他什么都懂。
197 descended guQzoy     
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
参考例句:
  • A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
  • The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
198 indigenous YbBzt     
adj.土产的,土生土长的,本地的
参考例句:
  • Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
  • Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。
199 ethnic jiAz3     
adj.人种的,种族的,异教徒的
参考例句:
  • This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏,这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
  • The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。
200 tracts fcea36d422dccf9d9420a7dd83bea091     
大片土地( tract的名词复数 ); 地带; (体内的)道; (尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的)短文
参考例句:
  • vast tracts of forest 大片大片的森林
  • There are tracts of desert in Australia. 澳大利亚有大片沙漠。
201 shaft YEtzp     
n.(工具的)柄,杆状物
参考例句:
  • He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
  • This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。
202 mound unCzhy     
n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫
参考例句:
  • The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
  • The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。
203 fumes lsYz3Q     
n.(强烈而刺激的)气味,气体
参考例句:
  • The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
  • Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。
204 lighting CpszPL     
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光
参考例句:
  • The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
  • The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。
205 get-together 1sWzOV     
n.(使)聚集;(使)集合
参考例句:
  • Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯,黄小姐,我们打算大家小聚一番。
  • Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作?
206 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
参考例句:
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
207 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地
参考例句:
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
208 edifying a97ce6cffd0a5657c9644f46b1c20531     
adj.有教训意味的,教训性的,有益的v.开导,启发( edify的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Young students are advised to read edifying books to improve their mind. 建议青年学生们读一些陶冶性情的书籍,以提高自己的心智。 来自辞典例句
  • This edifying spectacle was the final event of the Governor's ball. 这个有启发性的表演便是省长的舞会的最后一个节目了。 来自辞典例句
209 tug 5KBzo     
v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船
参考例句:
  • We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
  • The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。
210 garb JhYxN     
n.服装,装束
参考例句:
  • He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
  • Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。
211 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。
212 devouring c4424626bb8fc36704aee0e04e904dcf     
吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句:
  • The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。
  • He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。
213 munching 3bbbb661207569e6c6cb6a1390d74d06     
v.用力咀嚼(某物),大嚼( munch的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果,但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句
214 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
215 jealousy WaRz6     
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌
参考例句:
  • Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
  • I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
216 rebellious CtbyI     
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的
参考例句:
  • They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反,他们就要发生危险。
  • Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和,但她的心里十分反感。
217 eloquent ymLyN     
adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的
参考例句:
  • He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩,胜过最好的演说家。
  • These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。
218 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
219 diffuse Al0zo     
v.扩散;传播;adj.冗长的;四散的,弥漫的
参考例句:
  • Direct light is better for reading than diffuse light.直射光比漫射光更有利于阅读。
  • His talk was so diffuse that I missed his point.他的谈话漫无边际,我抓不住他的要点。
220 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
参考例句:
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
221 exasperated ltAz6H     
adj.恼怒的
参考例句:
  • We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
  • Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。
222 ketchup B3DxX     
n.蕃茄酱,蕃茄沙司
参考例句:
  • There's a spot of ketchup on the tablecloth.桌布上有一点番茄酱的渍斑。
  • Could I have some ketchup and napkins,please?请给我一些番茄酱和纸手巾?
223 scouring 02d824effe8b78d21ec133da3651c677     
擦[洗]净,冲刷,洗涤
参考例句:
  • The police are scouring the countryside for the escaped prisoners. 警察正在搜索整个乡村以捉拿逃犯。
  • This is called the scouring train in wool processing. 这被称为羊毛加工中的洗涤系列。
224 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
225 encyclopedias a88b1e8f5e10dbff92d83626a0e989f5     
n.百科全书, (某一学科的)专科全书( encyclopedia的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • However, some encyclopedias can be found on the Web. 同时,一些百科全书能也在网络上找到。 来自互联网
  • Few people think of encyclopedias as creative enterprises; but they are. 鲜少有人想到百科全书是创意的工作,但它确实是。 来自互联网
226 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。
227 wry hMQzK     
adj.讽刺的;扭曲的
参考例句:
  • He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸,打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
  • Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马,噘了噘嘴。
228 flicked 7c535fef6da8b8c191b1d1548e9e790a     
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等)
参考例句:
  • She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
  • I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。
229 adeptly 0356e6c0b5f2311754461f791af5d22a     
参考例句:
  • The two departments adeptly pushed the ball back and forth into each other's court. 这两个部都很老练,把球来回地踢到对方的场地上去。 来自辞典例句
  • Can only say that is ornament which suitable to take adeptly on does not only photograph. 只能说是适合作为只拿手上不拍照的装饰品。 来自互联网
230 jersey Lp5zzo     
n.运动衫
参考例句:
  • He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
  • They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致,都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。
231 abortion ZzjzxH     
n.流产,堕胎
参考例句:
  • She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
  • A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。


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