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Chapter 4 Martha
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When she opened her eyes in the morning it was becausea young housemaid had come into her room to lightthe fire and was kneeling on the hearth1-rug rakingout the cinders2 noisily. Mary lay and watched her fora few moments and then began to look about the room.

  She had never seen a room at all like it and thought itcurious and gloomy. The walls were covered with tapestrywith a forest scene embroidered3 on it. There werefantastically dressed people under the trees and in thedistance there was a glimpse of the turrets4 of a castle.

  There were hunters and horses and dogs and ladies.

  Mary felt as if she were in the forest with them.

  Out of a deep window she could see a great climbingstretch of land which seemed to have no trees on it,and to look rather like an endless, dull, purplish sea.

  "What is that?" she said, pointing out of the window.

  Martha, the young housemaid, who had just risen to her feet,looked and pointed5 also. "That there?" she said.

  "Yes.""That's th' moor6," with a good-natured grin. "Does tha'

  like it?""No," answered Mary. "I hate it.""That's because tha'rt not used to it," Martha said,going back to her hearth. "Tha' thinks it's too big an'

  bare now. But tha' will like it.""Do you?" inquired Mary.

  "Aye, that I do," answered Martha, cheerfully polishingaway at the grate. "I just love it. It's none bare.

  It's covered wi' growin' things as smells sweet.

  It's fair lovely in spring an' summer when th' gorse an'

  broom an' heather's in flower. It smells o' honey an'

  there's such a lot o' fresh air--an' th' sky looksso high an' th' bees an' skylarks makes such a nicenoise hummin' an' singin'. Eh! I wouldn't live away from th'

  moor for anythin'."Mary listened to her with a grave, puzzled expression.

  The native servants she had been used to in Indiawere not in the least like this. They were obsequiousand servile and did not presume to talk to their mastersas if they were their equals. They made salaams8 and calledthem "protector of the poor" and names of that sort.

  Indian servants were commanded to do things, not asked.

  It was not the custom to say "please" and "thank you"and Mary had always slapped her Ayah in the face when shewas angry. She wondered a little what this girl woulddo if one slapped her in the face. She was a round,rosy, good-natured-looking creature, but she had a sturdyway which made Mistress Mary wonder if she might noteven slap back--if the person who slapped her was only alittle girl.

  "You are a strange servant," she said from her pillows,rather haughtily9.

  Martha sat up on her heels, with her blackingbrush in her hand,and laughed, without seeming the least out of temper.

  "Eh! I know that," she said. "If there was a grand Missusat Misselthwaite I should never have been even one of th'

  under house-maids. I might have been let to be scullerymaidbut I'd never have been let upstairs. I'm too common an'

  I talk too much Yorkshire. But this is a funny house forall it's so grand. Seems like there's neither Master norMistress except Mr. Pitcher10 an' Mrs. Medlock. Mr. Craven,he won't be troubled about anythin' when he's here, an'

  he's nearly always away. Mrs. Medlock gave me th'

  place out o' kindness. She told me she could never havedone it if Misselthwaite had been like other big houses.""Are you going to be my servant?" Mary asked, still in herimperious little Indian way.

  Martha began to rub her grate again.

  "I'm Mrs. Medlock's servant," she said stoutly11.

  "An' she's Mr. Craven's--but I'm to do the housemaid'swork up here an' wait on you a bit. But you won't needmuch waitin' on.""Who is going to dress me?" demanded Mary.

  Martha sat up on her heels again and stared. She spokein broad Yorkshire in her amazement14.

  "Canna' tha' dress thysen!" she said.

  "What do you mean? I don't understand your language,"said Mary.

  "Eh! I forgot," Martha said. "Mrs. Medlock told me I'dhave to be careful or you wouldn't know what I was sayin'.

  I mean can't you put on your own clothes?""No," answered Mary, quite indignantly. "I never didin my life. My Ayah dressed me, of course.""Well," said Martha, evidently not in the least awarethat she was impudent15, "it's time tha' should learn.

  Tha' cannot begin younger. It'll do thee good to waiton thysen a bit. My mother always said she couldn'tsee why grand people's children didn't turn out fairfools--what with nurses an' bein' washed an' dressed an'

  took out to walk as if they was puppies!""It is different in India," said Mistress Mary disdainfully.

  She could scarcely stand this.

  But Martha was not at all crushed.

  "Eh! I can see it's different," she answered almostsympathetically. "I dare say it's because there's sucha lot o' blacks there instead o' respectable white people.

  When I heard you was comin' from India I thought you was a blacktoo."Mary sat up in bed furious.

  "What!" she said. "What! You thought I was a native.

  You--you daughter of a pig!"Martha stared and looked hot.

  "Who are you callin' names?" she said. "You needn't beso vexed16. That's not th' way for a young lady to talk.

  I've nothin' against th' blacks. When you read about 'emin tracts17 they're always very religious. You always readas a black's a man an' a brother. I've never seen a black an'

  I was fair pleased to think I was goin' to see one close.

  When I come in to light your fire this mornin' I crep'

  up to your bed an' pulled th' cover back careful to lookat you. An' there you was," disappointedly, "no more blackthan me--for all you're so yeller."Mary did not even try to control her rage and humiliation18.

  "You thought I was a native! You dared! You don't knowanything about natives! They are not people--they're servantswho must salaam7 to you. You know nothing about India.

  You know nothing about anything!"She was in such a rage and felt so helpless before the girl'ssimple stare, and somehow she suddenly felt so horriblylonely and far away from everything she understoodand which understood her, that she threw herself facedownward on the pillows and burst into passionate19 sobbing20.

  She sobbed21 so unrestrainedly that good-natured YorkshireMartha was a little frightened and quite sorry for her.

  She went to the bed and bent22 over her.

  "Eh! you mustn't cry like that there!" she begged.

  "You mustn't for sure. I didn't know you'd be vexed.

  I don't know anythin' about anythin'--just like you said.

  I beg your pardon, Miss. Do stop cryin'."There was something comforting and really friendly in herqueer Yorkshire speech and sturdy way which had a good effecton Mary. She gradually ceased crying and became quiet.

  Martha looked relieved.

  "It's time for thee to get up now," she said.

  "Mrs. Medlock said I was to carry tha' breakfast an'

  tea an' dinner into th' room next to this. It's beenmade into a nursery for thee. I'll help thee on with thyclothes if tha'll get out o' bed. If th' buttons are at th'

  back tha' cannot button them up tha'self."When Mary at last decided23 to get up, the clothes Marthatook from the wardrobe were not the ones she had wornwhen she arrived the night before with Mrs. Medlock.

  "Those are not mine," she said. "Mine are black."She looked the thick white wool coat and dress over,and added with cool approval:

  "Those are nicer than mine.""These are th' ones tha' must put on," Martha answered.

  "Mr. Craven ordered Mrs. Medlock to get 'em in London.

  He said `I won't have a child dressed in black wanderin'

  about like a lost soul,' he said. `It'd make the placesadder than it is. Put color on her.' Mother she said sheknew what he meant. Mother always knows what a body means.

  She doesn't hold with black hersel'.""I hate black things," said Mary.

  The dressing24 process was one which taught them both something.

  Martha had "buttoned up" her little sisters and brothers but shehad never seen a child who stood still and waited for anotherperson to do things for her as if she had neither hands nor feetof her own.

  "Why doesn't tha' put on tha' own shoes?" she saidwhen Mary quietly held out her foot.

  "My Ayah did it," answered Mary, staring. "It was the custom."She said that very often--"It was the custom." The nativeservants were always saying it. If one told them to doa thing their ancestors had not done for a thousand yearsthey gazed at one mildly and said, "It is not the custom"and one knew that was the end of the matter.

  It had not been the custom that Mistress Mary shoulddo anything but stand and allow herself to be dressedlike a doll, but before she was ready for breakfast shebegan to suspect that her life at Misselthwaite Manorwould end by teaching her a number of things quitenew to her--things such as putting on her own shoesand stockings, and picking up things she let fall.

  If Martha had been a well-trained fine young lady's maidshe would have been more subservient25 and respectful andwould have known that it was her business to brush hair,and button boots, and pick things up and lay them away.

  She was, however, only an untrained Yorkshire rusticwho had been brought up in a moorland cottage with aswarm of little brothers and sisters who had neverdreamed of doing anything but waiting on themselvesand on the younger ones who were either babies in armsor just learning to totter26 about and tumble over things.

  If Mary Lennox had been a child who was ready to be amusedshe would perhaps have laughed at Martha's readiness to talk,but Mary only listened to her coldly and wondered at herfreedom of manner. At first she was not at all interested,but gradually, as the girl rattled27 on in her good-tempered,homely way, Mary began to notice what she was saying.

  "Eh! you should see 'em all," she said. "There's twelveof us an' my father only gets sixteen shilling a week. I cantell you my mother's put to it to get porridge for 'em all.

  They tumble about on th' moor an' play there all day an'

  mother says th' air of th' moor fattens28 'em. She says shebelieves they eat th' grass same as th' wild ponies29 do.

  Our Dickon, he's twelve years old and he's got a young ponyhe calls his own.""Where did he get it?" asked Mary.

  "He found it on th' moor with its mother when it wasa little one an' he began to make friends with it an'

  give it bits o' bread an' pluck young grass for it.

  And it got to like him so it follows him about an'

  it lets him get on its back. Dickon's a kind lad an'

  animals likes him."Mary had never possessed31 an animal pet of her ownand had always thought she should like one. So shebegan to feel a slight interest in Dickon, and as shehad never before been interested in any one but herself,it was the dawning of a healthy sentiment. When she wentinto the room which had been made into a nursery for her,she found that it was rather like the one she had slept in.

  It was not a child's room, but a grown-up person's room,with gloomy old pictures on the walls and heavy oldoak chairs. A table in the center was set with a goodsubstantial breakfast. But she had always had a verysmall appetite, and she looked with something more thanindifference at the first plate Martha set before her.

  "I don't want it," she said.

  "Tha' doesn't want thy porridge!" Martha exclaimed incredulously.

  "No.""Tha' doesn't know how good it is. Put a bit o'

  treacle on it or a bit o' sugar.""I don't want it," repeated Mary.

  "Eh!" said Martha. "I can't abide33 to see good victualsgo to waste. If our children was at this table they'dclean it bare in five minutes.""Why?" said Mary coldly. "Why!" echoed Martha. "Because theyscarce ever had their stomachs full in their lives.

  They're as hungry as young hawks34 an' foxes.""I don't know what it is to be hungry," said Mary,with the indifference32 of ignorance.

  Martha looked indignant.

  "Well, it would do thee good to try it. I can seethat plain enough," she said outspokenly35. "I've nopatience with folk as sits an' just stares at goodbread an' meat. My word! don't I wish Dickon and Phil an'

  Jane an' th' rest of 'em had what's here under their pinafores.""Why don't you take it to them?" suggested Mary.

  "It's not mine," answered Martha stoutly. "An' thisisn't my day out. I get my day out once a month sameas th' rest. Then I go home an' clean up for mother an'

  give her a day's rest."Mary drank some tea and ate a little toast and some marmalade.

  "You wrap up warm an' run out an' play you," said Martha.

  "It'll do you good and give you some stomach for your meat."Mary went to the window. There were gardens and pathsand big trees, but everything looked dull and wintry.

  "Out? Why should I go out on a day like this?" "Well, if tha'

  doesn't go out tha'lt have to stay in, an' what has tha'

  got to do?"Mary glanced about her. There was nothing to do.

  When Mrs. Medlock had prepared the nursery she had notthought of amusement. Perhaps it would be better to goand see what the gardens were like.

  "Who will go with me?" she inquired.

  Martha stared.

  "You'll go by yourself," she answered. "You'll have tolearn to play like other children does when they haven'tgot sisters and brothers. Our Dickon goes off on th'

  moor by himself an' plays for hours. That's how he madefriends with th' pony30. He's got sheep on th' moor thatknows him, an' birds as comes an' eats out of his hand.

  However little there is to eat, he always saves a bit o'

  his bread to coax36 his pets."It was really this mention of Dickon which made Mary decideto go out, though she was not aware of it. There would be,birds outside though there would not be ponies or sheep.

  They would be different from the birds in India and itmight amuse her to look at them.

  Martha found her coat and hat for her and a pair of stoutlittle boots and she showed her her way downstairs.

  "If tha' goes round that way tha'll come to th' gardens,"she said, pointing to a gate in a wall of shrubbery.

  "There's lots o' flowers in summer-time, but there'snothin' bloomin' now." She seemed to hesitate a secondbefore she added, "One of th' gardens is locked up.

  No one has been in it for ten years.""Why?" asked Mary in spite of herself. Here was anotherlocked door added to the hundred in the strange house.

  "Mr. Craven had it shut when his wife died so sudden.

  He won't let no one go inside. It was her garden.

  He locked th' door an' dug a hole and buried th' key.

  There's Mrs. Medlock's bell ringing--I must run."After she was gone Mary turned down the walk which ledto the door in the shrubbery. She could not help thinkingabout the garden which no one had been into for ten years.

  She wondered what it would look like and whether therewere any flowers still alive in it. When she had passedthrough the shrubbery gate she found herself in great gardens,with wide lawns and winding37 walks with clipped borders.

  There were trees, and flower-beds, and evergreens38 clippedinto strange shapes, and a large pool with an old grayfountain in its midst. But the flower-beds were bareand wintry and the fountain was not playing. This was notthe garden which was shut up. How could a garden be shutup? You could always walk into a garden.

  She was just thinking this when she saw that, at the endof the path she was following, there seemed to be along wall, with ivy39 growing over it. She was not familiarenough with England to know that she was coming upon thekitchen-gardens where the vegetables and fruit were growing.

  She went toward the wall and found that there was a greendoor in the ivy, and that it stood open. This wasnot the closed garden, evidently, and she could go into it.

  She went through the door and found that it was a gardenwith walls all round it and that it was only one of severalwalled gardens which seemed to open into one another.

  She saw another open green door, revealing bushes andpathways between beds containing winter vegetables.

  Fruit-trees were trained flat against the wall,and over some of the beds there were glass frames.

  The place was bare and ugly enough, Mary thought, as shestood and stared about her. It might be nicer in summerwhen things were green, but there was nothing pretty aboutit now.

  Presently an old man with a spade over his shoulder walkedthrough the door leading from the second garden. He lookedstartled when he saw Mary, and then touched his cap.

  He had a surly old face, and did not seem at all pleasedto see her--but then she was displeased40 with his gardenand wore her "quite contrary" expression, and certainlydid not seem at all pleased to see him.

  "What is this place?" she asked.

  "One o' th' kitchen-gardens," he answered.

  "What is that?" said Mary, pointing through the othergreen door.

  "Another of 'em," shortly. "There's another on t'otherside o' th' wall an' there's th' orchard41 t'other side o' that.""Can I go in them?" asked Mary.

  "If tha' likes. But there's nowt to see."Mary made no response. She went down the path and throughthe second green door. There, she found more wallsand winter vegetables and glass frames, but in the secondwall there was another green door and it was not open.

  Perhaps it led into the garden which no one had seen forten years. As she was not at all a timid child and alwaysdid what she wanted to do, Mary went to the green doorand turned the handle. She hoped the door would not openbecause she wanted to be sure she had found the mysteriousgarden--but it did open quite easily and she walkedthrough it and found herself in an orchard. There werewalls all round it also and trees trained against them,and there were bare fruit-trees growing in the winter-brownedgrass--but there was no green door to be seen anywhere.

  Mary looked for it, and yet when she had entered theupper end of the garden she had noticed that the walldid not seem to end with the orchard but to extendbeyond it as if it enclosed a place at the other side.

  She could see the tops of trees above the wall,and when she stood still she saw a bird with a brightred breast sitting on the topmost branch of one of them,and suddenly he burst into his winter song--almostas if he had caught sight of her and was calling to her.

  She stopped and listened to him and somehow his cheerful,friendly little whistle gave her a pleased feeling--evena disagreeable little girl may be lonely, and the big closedhouse and big bare moor and big bare gardens had made thisone feel as if there was no one left in the world but herself.

  If she had been an affectionate child, who had beenused to being loved, she would have broken her heart,but even though she was "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary"she was desolate42, and the bright-breasted little birdbrought a look into her sour little face which was almosta smile. She listened to him until he flew away.

  He was not like an Indian bird and she liked him andwondered if she should ever see him again. Perhaps helived in the mysterious garden and knew all about it.

  Perhaps it was because she had nothing whatever to dothat she thought so much of the deserted43 garden. She wascurious about it and wanted to see what it was like.

  Why had Mr. Archibald Craven buried the key? If hehad liked his wife so much why did he hate her garden?

  She wondered if she should ever see him, but she knewthat if she did she should not like him, and he wouldnot like her, and that she should only stand and stareat him and say nothing, though she should be wantingdreadfully to ask him why he had done such a queer thing.

  "People never like me and I never like people," she thought.

  "And I never can talk as the Crawford children could.

  They were always talking and laughing and making noises."She thought of the robin44 and of the way he seemed to singhis song at her, and as she remembered the tree-top heperched on she stopped rather suddenly on the path.

  "I believe that tree was in the secret garden--I feel sureit was," she said. "There was a wall round the placeand there was no door."She walked back into the first kitchen-garden she had enteredand found the old man digging there. She went and stood besidehim and watched him a few moments in her cold little way.

  He took no notice of her and so at last she spoke12 to him.

  "I have been into the other gardens," she said.

  "There was nothin' to prevent thee," he answered crustily.

  "I went into the orchard.""There was no dog at th' door to bite thee," he answered.

  "There was no door there into the other garden,"said Mary.

  "What garden?" he said in a rough voice, stopping hisdigging for a moment.

  "The one on the other side of the wall," answered Mistress Mary.

  "There are trees there--I saw the tops of them. A birdwith a red breast was sitting on one of them and he sang."To her surprise the surly old weather-beaten faceactually changed its expression. A slow smile spreadover it and the gardener looked quite different. It madeher think that it was curious how much nicer a personlooked when he smiled. She had not thought of it before.

  He turned about to the orchard side of his garden and beganto whistle--a low soft whistle. She could not understandhow such a surly man could make such a coaxing45 sound.

  Almost the next moment a wonderful thing happened.

  She heard a soft little rushing flight through the air--andit was the bird with the red breast flying to them,and he actually alighted on the big clod of earth quite nearto the gardener's foot.

  "Here he is," chuckled47 the old man, and then he spoketo the bird as if he were speaking to a child.

  "Where has tha' been, tha' cheeky little beggar?"he said. "I've not seen thee before today. Has tha,begun tha' courtin' this early in th' season? Tha'rttoo forrad."The bird put his tiny head on one side and looked up at himwith his soft bright eye which was like a black dewdrop.

  He seemed quite familiar and not the least afraid.

  He hopped48 about and pecked the earth briskly, looking forseeds and insects. It actually gave Mary a queer feelingin her heart, because he was so pretty and cheerfuland seemed so like a person. He had a tiny plump bodyand a delicate beak49, and slender delicate legs.

  "Will he always come when you call him?" she asked almostin a whisper.

  "Aye, that he will. I've knowed him ever since he wasa fledgling. He come out of th' nest in th' other garden an'

  when first he flew over th' wall he was too weak to flyback for a few days an' we got friendly. When he wentover th' wall again th' rest of th' brood was gone an'

  he was lonely an' he come back to me.""What kind of a bird is he?" Mary asked.

  "Doesn't tha' know? He's a robin redbreast an'

  they're th' friendliest, curiousest birds alive.

  They're almost as friendly as dogs--if you know how to geton with 'em. Watch him peckin' about there an' lookin'

  round at us now an' again. He knows we're talkin' about him."It was the queerest thing in the world to see the old fellow.

  He looked at the plump little scarlet-waistcoated birdas if he were both proud and fond of him.

  "He's a conceited50 one," he chuckled. "He likes to hearfolk talk about him. An' curious--bless me, there neverwas his like for curiosity an' meddlin'. He's always comin'

  to see what I'm plantin'. He knows all th' things MesterCraven never troubles hissel' to find out. He's th'

  head gardener, he is."The robin hopped about busily pecking the soil and nowand then stopped and looked at them a little. Mary thoughthis black dewdrop eyes gazed at her with great curiosity.

  It really seemed as if he were finding out all about her.

  The queer feeling in her heart increased. "Where did therest of the brood fly to?" she asked.

  "There's no knowin'. The old ones turn 'em out o' their nest an'

  make 'em fly an' they're scattered51 before you know it.

  This one was a knowin' one an, he knew he was lonely."Mistress Mary went a step nearer to the robin and lookedat him very hard.

  "I'm lonely," she said.

  She had not known before that this was one of the thingswhich made her feel sour and cross. She seemed to findit out when the robin looked at her and she lookedat the robin.

  The old gardener pushed his cap back on his bald headand stared at her a minute.

  "Art tha' th' little wench from India?" he asked.

  Mary nodded.

  "Then no wonder tha'rt lonely. Tha'lt be lonlier beforetha's done," he said.

  He began to dig again, driving his spade deep intothe rich black garden soil while the robin hoppedabout very busily employed.

  "What is your name?" Mary inquired.

  He stood up to answer her.

  "Ben Weatherstaff," he answered, and then he added with asurly chuckle46, "I'm lonely mysel' except when he's with me,"and he jerked his thumb toward the robin. "He's th'

  only friend I've got.""I have no friends at all," said Mary. "I never had.

  My Ayah didn't like me and I never played with any one."It is a Yorkshire habit to say what you think withblunt frankness, and old Ben Weatherstaff was a Yorkshiremoor man.

  "Tha' an' me are a good bit alike," he said.

  "We was wove out of th' same cloth. We're neither of usgood lookin' an' we're both of us as sour as we look.

  We've got the same nasty tempers, both of us, I'll warrant."This was plain speaking, and Mary Lennox had never heardthe truth about herself in her life. Native servantsalways salaamed52 and submitted to you, whatever you did.

  She had never thought much about her looks, but she wonderedif she was as unattractive as Ben Weatherstaff and shealso wondered if she looked as sour as he had lookedbefore the robin came. She actually began to wonderalso if she was "nasty tempered." She felt uncomfortable.

  Suddenly a clear rippling53 little sound broke out nearher and she turned round. She was standing54 a few feetfrom a young apple-tree and the robin had flown on to oneof its branches and had burst out into a scrap55 of a song.

  Ben Weatherstaff laughed outright56.

  "What did he do that for?" asked Mary.

  "He's made up his mind to make friends with thee,"replied Ben. "Dang me if he hasn't took a fancy to thee.""To me?" said Mary, and she moved toward the little treesoftly and looked up.

  "Would you make friends with me?" she said to the robinjust as if she was speaking to a person. "Would you?"And she did not say it either in her hard little voiceor in her imperious Indian voice, but in a tone so softand eager and coaxing that Ben Weatherstaff was as surprisedas she had been when she heard him whistle.

  "Why," he cried out, "tha' said that as nice an' human asif tha' was a real child instead of a sharp old woman.

  Tha' said it almost like Dickon talks to his wild things on th'

  moor.""Do you know Dickon?" Mary asked, turning round ratherin a hurry.

  "Everybody knows him. Dickon's wanderin' about everywhere.

  Th' very blackberries an' heather-bells knows him.

  I warrant th' foxes shows him where their cubslies an' th' skylarks doesn't hide their nests from him."Mary would have liked to ask some more questions.

  She was almost as curious about Dickon as she was aboutthe deserted garden. But just that moment the robin,who had ended his song, gave a little shake of his wings,spread them and flew away. He had made his visit and hadother things to do.

  "He has flown over the wall!" Mary cried out, watching him.

  "He has flown into the orchard--he has flown across theother wall--into the garden where there is no door!""He lives there," said old Ben. "He came out o' th' egg there.

  If he's courtin', he's makin' up to some young madamof a robin that lives among th' old rose-trees there.""Rose-trees," said Mary. "Are there rose-trees?"Ben Weatherstaff took up his spade again and began to dig.

  "There was ten year' ago," he mumbled57.

  "I should like to see them," said Mary. "Where isthe green door? There must be a door somewhere."Ben drove his spade deep and looked as uncompanionableas he had looked when she first saw him.

  "There was ten year' ago, but there isn't now," he said.

  "No door!" cried Mary. "There must be." "None as anyone can find, an' none as is any one's business.

  Don't you be a meddlesome58 wench an' poke13 your nose whereit's no cause to go. Here, I must go on with my work.

  Get you gone an' play you. I've no more time."And he actually stopped digging, threw his spade overhis shoulder and walked off, without even glancingat her or saying good-by.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hearth n5by9     
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
参考例句:
  • She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来,在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
  • She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里,打开电灯。
2 cinders cinders     
n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 );炭渣;煤渣路;煤渣跑道
参考例句:
  • This material is variously termed ash, clinker, cinders or slag. 这种材料有不同的名称,如灰、炉渣、煤渣或矿渣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Rake out the cinders before you start a new fire. 在重新点火前先把煤渣耙出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 embroidered StqztZ     
adj.绣花的
参考例句:
  • She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
  • She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。
4 turrets 62429b8037b86b445f45d2a4b5ed714f     
(六角)转台( turret的名词复数 ); (战舰和坦克等上的)转动炮塔; (摄影机等上的)镜头转台; (旧时攻城用的)塔车
参考例句:
  • The Northampton's three turrets thundered out white smoke and pale fire. “诺思安普敦号”三座炮塔轰隆隆地冒出白烟和淡淡的火光。
  • If I can get to the gun turrets, I'll have a chance. 如果我能走到炮塔那里,我就会赢得脱险的机会。
5 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。
6 moor T6yzd     
n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊
参考例句:
  • I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
  • There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。
7 salaam bYyxe     
n.额手之礼,问安,敬礼;v.行额手礼
参考例句:
  • And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好,灿然微笑着和我打招呼,说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
  • Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。
8 salaams 84cb0480ea6c108db9ea0e1ce2b2b9f1     
(穆斯林的)额手礼,问安,敬礼( salaam的名词复数 )
参考例句:
9 haughtily haughtily     
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地
参考例句:
  • She carries herself haughtily. 她举止傲慢。
  • Haughtily, he stalked out onto the second floor where I was standing. 他傲然跨出电梯,走到二楼,我刚好站在那儿。
10 pitcher S2Gz7     
n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐;(棒球)投手
参考例句:
  • He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
  • Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。
11 stoutly Xhpz3l     
adv.牢固地,粗壮的
参考例句:
  • He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
  • Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难,但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。
12 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。
13 poke 5SFz9     
n.刺,戳,袋;vt.拨开,刺,戳;vi.戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢
参考例句:
  • We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
  • Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。
14 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
15 impudent X4Eyf     
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的
参考例句:
  • She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
  • The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。
16 vexed fd1a5654154eed3c0a0820ab54fb90a7     
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论
参考例句:
  • The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
  • He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
17 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。
18 humiliation Jd3zW     
n.羞辱
参考例句:
  • He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
  • He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。
19 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
20 sobbing df75b14f92e64fc9e1d7eaf6dcfc083a     
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句:
  • I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
  • Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。
21 sobbed 4a153e2bbe39eef90bf6a4beb2dba759     
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说
参考例句:
  • She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
  • She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。
22 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。
23 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。
24 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
25 subservient WqByt     
adj.卑屈的,阿谀的
参考例句:
  • He was subservient and servile.他低声下气、卑躬屈膝。
  • It was horrible to have to be affable and subservient.不得不强作欢颜卖弄风骚,真是太可怕了。
26 totter bnvwi     
v.蹒跚, 摇摇欲坠;n.蹒跚的步子
参考例句:
  • He tottered to the fridge,got a beer and slumped at the table.他踉跄地走到冰箱前,拿出一瓶啤酒,一屁股坐在桌边。
  • The property market is tottering.房地产市场摇摇欲坠。
27 rattled b4606e4247aadf3467575ffedf66305b     
慌乱的,恼火的
参考例句:
  • The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
  • Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里,窗户都格格作响。
28 fattens 824b291ec737d111dd6eaf3c031e06a5     
v.喂肥( fatten的第三人称单数 );养肥(牲畜);使(钱)增多;使(公司)升值
参考例句:
  • The weekly with large fattens on sex, crime and scandal. 这家发行量甚大的周刊靠宣染性、罪和丑闻打开销路。 来自互联网
  • It boosts consumers' real incomes and fattens firms' profit margins. 这将增加消费者的收入提高企业的利润幅度。 来自互联网
29 ponies 47346fc7580de7596d7df8d115a3545d     
矮种马,小型马( pony的名词复数 ); £25 25 英镑
参考例句:
  • They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
  • She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。
30 pony Au5yJ     
adj.小型的;n.小马
参考例句:
  • His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
  • They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。
31 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
32 indifference k8DxO     
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
参考例句:
  • I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
  • He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
33 abide UfVyk     
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受
参考例句:
  • You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
  • If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部,你就得遵守它的规章。
34 hawks c8b4f3ba2fd1208293962d95608dd1f1     
鹰( hawk的名词复数 ); 鹰派人物,主战派人物
参考例句:
  • Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
  • Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。
35 outspokenly dc9d2cb154338255cd36545c44e3e84c     
参考例句:
  • He was outspokenly critical of the government's new social policy. 他坦率地批评了政府新的社会政策。
  • By contrast, some outspokenly anti-establishment candidates did well. 相反的,一些率直的反传统候选人却当选。
36 coax Fqmz5     
v.哄诱,劝诱,用诱哄得到,诱取
参考例句:
  • I had to coax the information out of him.我得用好话套出他掌握的情况。
  • He tried to coax the secret from me.他试图哄骗我说出秘方。
37 winding Ue7z09     
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
参考例句:
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
38 evergreens 70f63183fe24f27a2e70b25ab8a14ce5     
n.常青树,常绿植物,万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句
39 ivy x31ys     
n.常青藤,常春藤
参考例句:
  • Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
  • The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。
40 displeased 1uFz5L     
a.不快的
参考例句:
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。
  • He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。
41 orchard UJzxu     
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场
参考例句:
  • My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
  • Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
42 desolate vmizO     
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂
参考例句:
  • The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
  • We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后,我们都觉得万分孤寂。
43 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。
44 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
参考例句:
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
45 coaxing 444e70224820a50b0202cb5bb05f1c2e     
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱;“锻炼”效应
参考例句:
  • No amount of coaxing will make me change my mind. 任你费尽口舌也不会说服我改变主意。
  • It took a lot of coaxing before he agreed. 劝说了很久他才同意。 来自辞典例句
46 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。
47 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
48 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
49 beak 8y1zGA     
n.鸟嘴,茶壶嘴,钩形鼻
参考例句:
  • The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
  • This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。
50 conceited Cv0zxi     
adj.自负的,骄傲自满的
参考例句:
  • He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
  • I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。
51 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
52 salaamed e42b1dd9586f0237ba2cf511a33d4e22     
行额手礼( salaam的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He looked from one to the other of them, then salaamed and left. 他扫了他们每个人一眼,行了个额手礼就离开了。 来自柯林斯例句
53 rippling b84b2d05914b2749622963c1ef058ed5     
起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的
参考例句:
  • I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
  • The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。
54 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。
55 scrap JDFzf     
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
参考例句:
  • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
  • Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
56 outright Qj7yY     
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的
参考例句:
  • If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事,你应该直率地对我说。
  • You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
57 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
58 meddlesome 3CDxp     
adj.爱管闲事的
参考例句:
  • By this means the meddlesome woman cast in a bone between the wife and the husband.这爱管闲事的女人就用这种手段挑起他们夫妻这间的不和。
  • Get rid of that meddlesome fool!让那个爱管闲事的家伙走开!


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