Chapter 22 Thibault

 "I think I want to be an astronaut," Ben said. Thibault was playing chess with him on the back porch and trying to figure out his next move. He had yet to win a game, and though he wasn't absolutely sure, the fact that Ben had started talking struck him as a bad sign. They'd been playing a lot of chess lately; there hadn't been a day without steady, heavy rain since October began nine days earlier. Already, the eastern part of the state was flooding, with additional rivers rising daily. "Sounds good." "Either that or a fireman." Thibault nodded. "I've known a couple of firemen." "Or a doctor." 'Hmm," Thibault said. He began reaching for his bishop¹. "I wouldn't do that," Ben said. Thibault looked up. I know what you're thinking you should do," Ben added. "It won't work." "What should I do?" "Not that." Thibault drew his hand back. It was one thing to lose, it was another thing to lose continually. Worse, he didn't seem to be closing the gap. If anything, Ben was getting better faster than he was. The previous game had lasted all of twenty-one moves. "Would you like to see my tree house?" Ben said. "It's really cool. It's got the big platform that hangs out over the creek², and this shaky bridge." "I'd love to see it." "Not now. Some other time, I mean." "Sounds great," Thibault said. He reached for his rook. "I wouldn't move that one either." Thibault arched his brow as Ben leaned back. "I'm just telling you," he added. "What should I do?" He shrugged³, looking and sounding like the ten-year-old he was. "Whatever you want." "Except move the bishop and the rook?" Ben pointed⁴ to another piece. "And your other bishop. Knowing you, that's what you'll try next, since you're trying to set up your knight⁵. But it won't work either, since I'll sacrifice the bishop for mine, and move my queen in to take the pawn⁶ over there. That freezes your queen, and after I castle my king, I'll move my knight there. Two moves after that, I'll have you in checkmate." Thibault brought his hand to his chin. "Do I have any chance in this game?" "No." "How many moves do I have left?" "Anywhere from three to seven." "Then maybe we should start over." Ben pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Maybe." "You could have told me earlier." "You seemed so serious about the game. I didn't want to bother you." The next game was no better. If anything, it was worse because Elizabeth had decided⁷ to join them and their conversation proceeded in much the same way. He could see Elizabeth trying to stifle⁸ her giggles⁹. Over the last week and a half, they'd settled into a routine. After work, with overpowering rain coming down continuously, he'd come up to the house to play a few games of chess with Ben and stay for dinner, where the four of them would sit at the table, chatting amiably¹⁰. After that, Ben would go upstairs to shower and Nana would send them outside to sit on the porch while she stayed in the kitchen to clean up, saying things like, "Cleaning to me is like being naked to a monkey." Thibault knew she wanted to give them time alone before he left. It still amazed him that she was able to stop being the boss as soon as his workday was done and shift so easily to the role of grandmother of the woman he was dating. He didn't think there were many people who would be able to pull that off. It was getting late, though, and Thibault knew it was time to leave. Nana was talking on the phone, Elizabeth had gone inside to tuck Ben into bed, and as Thibault sat on the porch, he could feel the exhaustion¹¹ in his shoulders. He hadn't been sleeping much since his confrontation¹² with Clayton. That night, unsure how Clayton would respond, he'd gone back to his house and made it appear as though he planned to spend a normal evening at home. Instead, once he turned out the lights, he'd climbed out the window in his bedroom at the rear of the house and trotted¹³ into the woods, Zeus by his side. Despite the rain, he'd stayed out most of the night, watching for Clayton. The next night, he'd watched Elizabeth's; on the third night, he'd alternated between his house and hers. The endless rain didn't bother him or Zeus in the slightest; he'd rigged a couple of camouflaged¹⁴ lean-tos that kept them dry. The hard part for him was working after sleeping only the last few hours before dawn. Since then, he'd been alternating nights, but it still wasn't enough sleep for him to catch up. He wouldn't stop, though. The man was unpredictable, and he looked for signs of Clayton's presence when he was at work and when he ran errands in town. In the evening, he took different routes home, cutting through wooded areas at a run and then watching the road to make sure Clayton wasn't following. He wasn't afraid of the man, but he wasn't stupid, either. Clayton was not only a member of the First Family of Hampton County, but also in law enforcement, and it was the latter that most concerned him. How hard would it be to plant something—drugs, stolen items, even a gun that had been used in a crime—in Thibault's home? Or claim that Thibault had them in his possession and arrange to have that evidence discovered? Not hard. Thibault was certain that any jury in the county would side with testimony¹⁶ provided by law enforcement over a stranger's, no matter how flimsy the evidence might be or what genuine alibi¹⁷ he had. Add to that the deep pockets and influence of the Claytons, and it wouldn't be hard to line up witnesses fingering Thibault for any number of crimes. The scary part was that he could imagine Clayton doing any of those things, which was why he'd gone to see Clayton and told him about both the disk and the videotape in the first place. Though he had neither—he'd cracked and tossed the disk soon after taking the camera, and the motion-activated recorder had been an inspired invention—bluffing seemed to be the only option he had to buy him enough time to figure out his next step. The animosity Clayton felt for him was dangerous and unpredictable. If he'd been willing to break into Thibault's house, if he'd manipulated Elizabeth's personal life, the man would probably do whatever he thought necessary to get rid of Thibault. The other threats—about the newspaper and the sheriff, the hint about informing the grandfather—simply reinforced the bluff¹⁸. He knew that Clayton was searching for the disk because he believed Thibault could use it against him. It was either because of his job or because of his family, and a few hours researching the illustrious family history in the library on Sunday afternoon had been enough to convince Thibault that it was probably a bit of both. But the problem with bluffs¹⁹ was that they worked until they didn't. How long would it be until Clayton called it? A few more weeks? A month? More than that? And what would Clayton do! Who could tell? Right now, Clayton thought Thibault had the upper hand, and Thibault had no doubt that was only enraging²⁰ Clayton even further. In time, the anger would get the better of him and Clayton would react, to either him, Elizabeth, or Ben. When Thibault didn't follow through in the aftermath and produce the disk, Clayton would be free to act as he pleased. Thibault still wasn't sure what to do about that. He couldn't imagine leaving Elizabeth … or Ben and Nana, for that matter. The longer he stayed in Hampton, the more it felt to him like this was the place he belonged, and that meant he had to not only watch out for Clayton, but avoid the man as much as possible. He supposed his hope was that after enough time, Clayton would simply accept the matter and let it rest. Unlikely, he knew, but for now, it was all he had. "You look distracted again," Elizabeth said, opening the screen door behind him. Thibault shook his head. "Just tired from the week. I thought the heat was hard, but at least I could dodge²¹ some of that- There's no avoiding the rain." She took a seat beside him on the porch swing. "You don't like being drenched²²?" "Let's just say it's not the same as being on vacation." "Well, I'm sorry." "It's okay. And I'm not complaining. I really don't mind it most of the time, and it's better me getting wet than Nana. And tomorrow's Friday, right?" She smiled. "Tonight I'm driving you home. No arguments this time." "Okay," he said. Elizabeth peeked²³ in the window before turning her attention to Thibault again. "You weren't lying when you said you could play the piano, right ?" "I can play." "When was the last time you played?" He shrugged, thinking about it. "Two or three years ago." "In Iraq?" He nodded. "One of my commanding officers was having a birthday. He loved Willie Smith, who was one of the great jazz pianists of the 1940s and 1950s. When word got out that I knew how to play, I got roped into doing a performance." "In Iraq," she said again, not hiding her disbelief. "Even marines need a break." She tucked a strand²⁴ of hair behind her ear. "I take it you can read music." "Of course," he said. "Why? Do you want me to teach Ben?" She didn't seem to hear him. "How about church? Do you ever go?" For the first time, he looked at her. "I'm getting the sense there's more to this conversation than simply the two of us getting to know each other better." "When I was inside, I heard Nana talking on the phone. You know how much Nana loves the choir²⁵, right? And that she just started to sing solos again?" He considered his response, suspicious of where this was going and not bothering to hide it. "Yes." "Her solo this Sunday is even longer. She's so excited about it." "Aren't you?" "Kind of." She sighed, a pained expression on her face. "It turns out that Abigail fell yesterday and broke her wrist. That's what Nana has been talking about on the phone." "Who's Abigail?" "The pianist with the church. She accompanies the choir every Sunday." Elizabeth started to move the swing back and forth²⁶, staring out into the storm. "Anyway, Nana said she'd find someone to fill in. In fact, she promised." "Oh?" he said. "She also said that she already had someone in mind." "I see." Elizabeth shrugged. "I just thought you'd want to know. I'm pretty sure Nana will want to talk to you in a few minutes, but I didn't want her to blindside you. I figured it would be better if I did it." "I appreciate that." For a long moment, Thibault said nothing. In the silence, Elizabeth put a hand on his knee. "What do you think?" "I'm getting the sense I don't really have a choice." "Of course you have a choice. Nana won't force you to do it." "Even though she promised?" "She'd probably understand. Eventually." She placed a hand over her heart. "Once her broken heart healed, I'm sure she'd even forgive you." "Ah," he said. "And most likely it wouldn't make her health any worse, either. What with the stroke and all and the disappointment she'd feel. I'm sure she wouldn't end up bedridden or anything." Thibault cracked a smile. "Don't you think you're overdoing²⁷ it?" Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with mischief²⁸. "Maybe. But the question is, will you do it?" "I suppose." "Good. And you know you're going to have to practice tomorrow." "Okay." "It might be a long rehearsal²⁹. Friday rehearsals³⁰ are always long. They really love their music, you know." "Great," he said, and sighed. "Look at it this way: You won't have to work in the rain all day." "Great," he said again. She kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good man. I'll be si-fcndy cheering for you in the pews." Thanks." "Oh, and when Nana comes out, don't let her know I told you." "I won't." "And try to be more excited. Honored, even. Like you couldn't imagine that you'd ever be offered such a wonderful opportunity." "I can't just say yes?" "No. Nana will want you to be thrilled. Like I said, it means a lot to her." "Ah," he said again. He took her hand in his. "You do realize you simply could have asked me. I didn't need the whole guilt-inducing story." "I know," she said. "But it was a lot more fun to ask the other way." As if on cue, Nana stepped outside. She flashed a quick smile at both of them before wandering to the railing and turning toward him. "Do you ever play the piano anymore?" Nana asked. It was all Thibault could do not to laugh. Thibault met with the music director the following afternoon, and despite her initial dismay at his jeans, T-shirt, and long hair, it didn't take long for her to realize that Thibault not only could play, but was obviously an accomplished³¹ musician. Once he'd warmed up, he made very few errors, though it helped that the chosen musical pieces weren't terribly challenging. After rehearsal, when the pastor³² showed up, he was walked through the service so he'd know exactly what to expect. Nana, meanwhile, alternately beamed at Thibault and chattered³³ away with her friends, explaining that Thibault worked at the kennel³⁴ and was spending time with Beth. Thibault could feel the gazes of the women sweep over him with more than a little Interest and, for the most part, approval. On their way out the door, Nana looped her arm through his. "You were better than a duck on a stick," she said. "Thanks," he said, mystified. "Are you up for a little drive?" "Where?" "Wilmington. If we go now, I think I can have you back in time to take Beth to dinner. I'll watch Ben." "What am I going to buy?" "A sport jacket and chinos. A dressier shirt. I don't mind you in jeans, but if you're going to play the piano at the service on Sunday, you're going to need to dress up." "Ah," he said, recognizing at once that he had no choice in the matter. That evening, while dining at Cantina, the only Mexican restaurant downtown, Elizabeth stared over her margarita at Thibault. "You know you're in like Flynn now," she said. "With Nana?" "She couldn't stop talking about how good you were, and how polite you were to her friends, and how respectful you sounded when the pastor showed up." "You make it sound like she expected me to be a troglodyte³⁵." She laughed. "Maybe she did. I heard you were covered in mud before you went." "I showered and changed." "I know. She told me that, too." "What didn't she tell you?" "That the other women in the choir were swooning." "She said that?" "No. She didn't have to, but I could see it in her face. They were. It's not every day a young and handsome stranger comes into their church and dazzles them on the piano. How could they not swoon?" "I think you're probably overstating things." "I think," she said, dabbing³⁶ her finger on the rim¹⁵ of her glass and tasting the salt, "that you still have a lot to learn about living in a small southern town. This is big news. Abigail has played for fifteen years." "I'm not going to take her spot. This is temporary." "Even better. It'll give people a chance to pick sides. They'll talk about it for years." "This is what people do here?" "Absolutely," she said. "And by the way, there's no faster way to get accepted around here." "I don't need to be accepted by anyone but you." "Always the sweet talker." She smiled. "Okay, how about this? It'll drive Keith crazy." "Why?" "Because he's a member of the church. In fact, Ben will be with him when he sees you. It'll kill him to see how much everyone appreciates the way you pitched in to help." "I'm not sure I want him any angrier. I'm already worried about what he's going to do." "He can't do anything. I know what he's been up to." "I wouldn't be so sure," Thibault cautioned. "Why do you say that?" Thibault noted³⁷ the crowded tables surrounding them. She seemed to read his mind and slid out from her side of the booth to sit beside him. "You know something you're not telling me," she whispered. "What is it?" Thibault took a sip³⁸ of his beer. When he put the bottle back on the table, he described his encounters with her ex. As he told the story, her expression changed from disgusted to amused, finally settling into something resembling concern. "You should have told me earlier," she said, frowning. "I didn't get concerned until he broke into my house." "And you really think he's capable of setting you up?" "You know him better than I do." She realized she wasn't hungry anymore. "I thought I did." Because Ben was with his father—a situation that felt somewhat surreal to both of them considering the circumstances—Thibault and Elizabeth went to Raleigh on Saturday, which made it easy to avoid dwelling³⁹ on what Keith Clayton might or might not do. In the afternoon, they had lunch at a sidewalk cafe downtown and visited the Museum of Natural History; on Saturday evening, they made their way to Chapel⁴⁰ Hill. North Carolina was playing Clemson, and the game was being broadcast on ESPN. Though the game was in South Carolina, the bars downtown were packed, full of students watching it on giant flat-screen televisions. As Thibault heard them cheering and booing, as if the future of the world hung on the outcome of the game, he found himself thinking about the kids their age serving in Iraq and wondered what they would make of these college students. They didn't stay long. After an hour, Elizabeth was ready to leave. On their way back to the car, as they walked with their arms around each other, she leaned her head against his shoulder. "That was fun," she said. "But it was so loud in there." "You just say that because you're getting old." She squeezed his waist, liking⁴¹ the fact that there was nothing but skin and muscle there. "Watch it, bub, or you might not get lucky tonight." "Bub?" he repeated. "It's a term of endearment⁴². I say it to all the guys I date." "All of them?" "Yep. Strangers, too. Like if they give me their seat on the bus, I might say, 'Thanks, bub.'" "I guess I should feel special." "And don't you forget it." They walked among the throngs⁴³ of students on Franklin Street, peeking⁴⁴ in windows and soaking up the energy. It made sense to Thibault that she'd wanted to come here. This was an experience she'd missed because of Ben. Yet what impressed him most was that although she was obviously enjoying herself, she didn't seem wistful or bitter about what she'd missed. If anything, she acted more like an observant anthropologist⁴⁵, intent on studying newfound cultures. When he said as much, she rolled her eyes. "Don't ruin the evening. Trust me, I'm not thinking that deep. I just wanted to get out of town and have some fun." They went to Thibault's and stayed up late, talking and kissing and making love well into the night. When Thibault woke in the morning, he found Elizabeth lying beside him, studying his face. "What are you doing?" he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. "Watching you," she said. "Why?" "I wanted to." He smiled as he ran a finger over her arm, feeling a surge of gratitude⁴⁶ for her presence in his life. "You're pretty awesome⁴⁷, Elizabeth." "I know." That's it? You're just going to say, 'I know'?" he demanded in mock outrage⁴⁸. "Don't get needy⁴⁹ on me. I hate needy guys." "And I'm not sure I like women who hide their feelings." She smiled, leaning in to kiss him. "I had a great time yesterday." "I did, too." "I mean it. These last few weeks, being with you, have been the best weeks of my life. And yesterday, just being with you,, -…; you have no idea what that was like. Just being… a woman. Not a mother, not a teacher, not a granddaughter. Just me. It's been a long time since that has happened." "We've gone out before." "I know. But it's different now." She was talking about the future, he knew, a future that had acquired a clarity and purpose it never had before. Staring at her, he knew exactly what she meant. "So what's next?" he asked, his tone serious. She kissed him again, her breath on his lips warm and moist. "Next is getting up. You have to be at the church in a couple of hours." She swatted him on the hip⁵⁰. "That's a lot of time." "Maybe for you. But I'm here and my clothes are at home. You've got to get up and start getting ready, so I have time to get ready." "This church stuff is tough." "Sure," she said. "But it's not like you have an option. And by the way?" She reached for his hand before going on. "You're pretty awesome, too, Logan."

1 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

2 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

3 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 pointed   

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。

5 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

6 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

7 decided   

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。

8 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

9 giggles   

n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 )；傻笑；玩笑；the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Her nervous giggles annoyed me. 她神经质的傻笑把我惹火了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I had to rush to the loo to avoid an attack of hysterical giggles. 我不得不冲向卫生间，以免遭到别人的疯狂嘲笑。 来自辞典例句

10 amiably   

adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地

参考例句：

• She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
• Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

12 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

13 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

14 camouflaged   

v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰

参考例句：

• We camouflaged in the bushes and no one saw us. 我们隐藏在灌木丛中没有被人发现。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• They camouflaged in bushes. 他们隐蔽在灌木丛中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

16 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

17 alibi   

n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口

参考例句：

• Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？
• The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

18 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

19 bluffs   

恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁

参考例句：

• Two steep limestone bluffs rise up each side of the narrow inlet. 两座陡峭的石灰石断崖耸立在狭窄的入口两侧。
• He bluffs his way in, pretending initially to be a dishwasher and then later a chef. 他虚张声势的方式，假装最初是一个洗碗机，然后厨师。

20 enraging   

使暴怒( enrage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The effrontery of his deceptions inside and outside the conference room could be enraging. 他在会议室内外放肆的欺骗手段简直令人怒火中烧。
• It buffeted the beasts, enraging them. 它打击着那些野兽，激怒着它们。

21 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

22 drenched   

adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。
• The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 peeked   

v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出

参考例句：

• She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句

24 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

25 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

26 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

27 overdoing   

v.做得过分( overdo的现在分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度

参考例句：

• He's been overdoing things recently. 近来他做事过分努力。 来自辞典例句
• You think I've been overdoing it with the work thing? 你认为我对工作的关注太过分了吗？ 来自电影对白

28 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

29 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

30 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

32 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

33 chattered   

（人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤

参考例句：

• They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。
• We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天，像两个十多岁的孩子。

34 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。

35 troglodyte   

n.古代穴居者；井底之蛙

参考例句：

• This is the most outstanding,intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region ecosystem.马泰拉地区是保存最为完好、典型的史前穴居人定居点。
• He dismissed advocates of a completely free market as economic troglodytes with no concern for the social consequences.他认为那些鼓吹完全自由市场经济的人对经济只是一知半解，完全没有顾及到可能产生的社会后果

36 dabbing   

石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛

参考例句：

• She was crying and dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. 她一边哭一边用手绢轻按眼睛。
• Huei-fang was leaning against a willow, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. 四小姐蕙芳正靠在一棵杨柳树上用手帕揉眼睛。 来自子夜部分

37 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

38 sip   

v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量

参考例句：

• She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
• Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

39 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

40 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

41 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

42 endearment   

n.表示亲爱的行为

参考例句：

• This endearment indicated the highest degree of delight in the old cooper.这个称呼是老箍桶匠快乐到了极点的表示。
• To every endearment and attention he continued listless.对于每一种亲爱的表示和每一种的照顾，他一直漫不在意。

43 throngs   

n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She muscled through the throngs of people, frantically searching for David. 她使劲挤过人群，拼命寻找戴维。 来自辞典例句
• Our friends threaded their way slowly through the throngs upon the Bridge. 我们这两位朋友在桥上从人群中穿过，慢慢地往前走。 来自辞典例句

44 peeking   

v.很快地看( peek的现在分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出

参考例句：

• I couldn't resist peeking in the drawer. 我不由得偷看了一下抽屉里面。
• They caught him peeking in through the keyhole. 他们发现他从钥匙孔里向里窥视。 来自辞典例句

45 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

46 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

47 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

48 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

49 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

50 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。