THE CLOCKWORK MAN INVESTIGATES MATTERS
I
Whatever inconveniences the Clockwork man suffered as a result of having lapsed2 into a world of strange laws and manifestations3, he enjoyed at least one advantage. His power of travelling over the earth at an enormous speed rendered the question of pursuit almost farcical. While Allingham's car sped over the neighbouring hills, the object of the chase returned by a circuitous4 route to Great Wymering, slowed down, and began to walk up and down the High Street. It was now quite dark, and very few people seemed to have noticed that odd figure ambling5 along, stopping now and again to examine some object that aroused his interest or got in his way. There is no doubt that during these lesser6 perambulations he contrived7 somehow to get the silencer under better control, so that his progress was now muted. It is possible also that his faculties8 began to adjust themselves a little to his strange surroundings, and that he now definitely tried to grasp his[Pg 85] environment. But he still suffered relapses. And the fact that he again wore a hat and wig9, although not his own, requires a word of explanation.
It was this circumstance that accounted for the Vicar's late arrival at the entertainment given in aid of the church funds that night. He had lingered over his sermon until the last moment, and then hurried off with only a slight pause in which to glance at himself in the hall mirror. He walked swiftly along the dark streets in the direction of the Templars' Hall, which was situated10 at the lower end of the town. Perhaps it was because of his own desperate hurry that he scarcely noticed that other figure approaching him, and in a straight line. He swerved11 slightly in order to allow the figure to pass, and continued on his way.
And then he stopped abruptly12, aware of a cool sensation on the top of his head. His hat and wig had gone! Aghast, he retraced13 his steps, but there was no sign of the articles on the pavement. It seemed utterly14 incredible, for there was only a slight breeze and he did not remember knocking into anything. He had certainly not collided with the stranger. Just for a moment he wondered.
But duty to his parishioners remained uppermost in the conscientious15 Vicar's mind, and it was not fair to them that he should[Pg 86] catch his death of cold. He hurried back to the vicarage. For a quarter of an hour he pulled open drawers, ransacked16 cupboards, searching everywhere for an old wig that had been discarded and a new hat that had never been worn. He found them at last and arrived, breathless and out of temper, in the middle of the cinematograph display which constituted the first part of the performance.
"My dear," he gasped17, as he slid into the seat reserved for him next to his wife, "I couldn't help it. Someone stole my hat and wig."
"Stole them, Herbert," she expostulated. "Not stole them."
"Yes, stole them. I'll tell you afterwards Is this the Palestine picture? Oh, yes—"
II
And so the Clockwork man was able to conceal18 his clock from the gaze of a curious world, and the grotesqueness19 of his appearance was heightened by the addition of a neatly20 trimmed chestnut21 wig and a soft round clerical hat. His perceptions must have been extraordinarily22 rapid, and he must have acted upon the instant. Nor did it seem to occur to him that in this world there are laws which forbid theft. Probably, in the world from which he[Pg 87] came such restrictions23 are unnecessary, and the exigency24 would not have arisen, every individual being provided by parliamentary statute25 with a suitable covering for that blatant26 and too obvious sign of the modus operandi in the posterior region of their craniums.
It was shortly after this episode that the Clockwork man experienced his first moment of vivid illumination about the world of brief mortal span.
He had become entangled27 with a lamp-post. There is no other way of describing his predicament. He came to rest with his forehead pressed against the post, and all his efforts to get round it ended in dismal28 failure. His legs kicked spasmodically and his arms revolved29 irregularly. There were intermittent30 explosions, like the back-firing of a petrol engine. The only person who witnessed these peculiar31 antics was P.C. Hawkins, who had been indulging in a quiet smoke beneath the shelter of a neighbouring archway.
At first it did not occur to the constable32 that the noise proceeded from the figure. He craned his head forward, expecting every moment to see a motor bicycle come along. The noise stopped abruptly, and he decided33 that the machine must have gone up a side street. Then he stepped out of his retreat and tapped the Clockwork man on the shoulder[Pg 88] The latter was quite motionless now and merely leaning against the lamp-post.
"You go 'ome," suggested the constable, "I don't want to have to take you. This is one of my lenient34 nights, lucky for you."
"Wallabaloo," said the Clockwork man, faintly, "Wum—Wum—"
"Yes, we know all about that," said the constable, "but you take my tip and go 'ome. And I don't want any back answers neither."
The Clockwork man emitted a soft whistling sound from between his teeth, and rubbed his nose thoughtfully against the post.
"Lamp-post," rejoined the other, clicking his teeth, "L.A.M.P.-P.O.S.T. Lamp-post."
"I see—curious, only one lamp-post, though. In my country they grow like trees, you know—whole forests of them—galaxy of lights—necessary—illuminate multiform world."
The constable laughed gently and stroked his moustache. His theory about the condition of the individual before him slowly developed.
"You get along," he persuaded, "before there's trouble. I don't want to be 'arsh with you."
"Wait," said the Clockwork man, without altering his position, "moment of lucidity—see things as they are—begin to understand—[Pg 89]finite world—only one thing at a time. Now we've got it—a place for everything and everything in its place."
"Just what I'm always telling my missus," reflected the constable.
The Clockwork man shifted his head very slightly, and one eye screwed slowly round.
"I want to grasp things," he resumed, "I want to grasp you. So far as I can judge, I see before me—a constable—minion of the law—curious relic—primitive stage of civilisation—order people about finite world—lock people up—finite cell."
"That's my job," agreed the other, with a warning glint in his red eye.
"Finite world," proceeded the Clockwork man, "fixed36 laws—limited dimensions—essentially limited. Now, when I'm working properly, I can move about in all dimensions. That is to say, in addition to moving backwards37 and forwards, and this way and that, I can also move X and Y, and X2 and Y2."
The corners of the constable's eyes wrinkled a little. "Of course," he ruminated38, "if you're going to drag algebra39 into the discussion I shall 'ave to cry off. I never got beyond decimals."
"Let me explain," urged the Clockwork man, who was gaining in verbal ease and intellectual elasticity40 every moment. "Supposing[Pg 90] I was to hit you hard. You would fall down. You would become supine. You would assume a horizontal position at right angles to your present perpendicularity41." He gazed upwards42 at the tall figure of the constable. "But if you were to hit me, I should have an alternative. I could, for example, fall into the middle of next week."
The constable rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as though he thought this highly likely. "Whatdyemean by that," he demanded.
"I said next week," explained the other, "in order to make my meaning clear. Actually, of course, I don't describe time in such arbitrary terms. But when one is in Rome, you know. What I mean to convey is that I am capable of going not only somewhere, but also somewhen."
"'Ere, stow that gammon," broke in the constable, impatiently, "s'nuff of that sort of talk. You come along with me." He spat43 determinedly44 and prepared to take action.
But at that moment, as the constable afterwards described it to himself, it seemed to him that there came before his eyes a sort of mist. The figure leaning against the lamp-post looked less obvious. He did not appear now to be a palpable individual at all, but a sort of shadowy outline of himself, blurred45 and in[Pg 91]distinct. The constable rubbed his eyes and stretched out a hand.
"Alright," he heard a tiny, remote voice, "I'm still here—I haven't gone yet—I can't go—that's what's so distressing46. I don't really understand your world, you know—and I can't get back to my own. Don't be harsh with me—it's so awkward—between the devil and the deep sea."
"What's up?" exclaimed the constable, startled. "What yer playing at? Where are you?"
"Here I am," the thin voice echoed faintly. The constable wheeled round sharply and became aware of a vague, palpitating mass, hovering47 in the dark mouth of the archway. It was like some solid body subjected to intense vibration48. There was a high-pitched spinning noise.
"'Ere," said the constable, "cut that sort of caper49. What's the little game?" He made a grab at where he thought the shadowy form ought to be, and his hand closed on the empty air.
"Gawd," he gasped, "it's a blooming ghost."
He fancied he heard a voice very indistinctly begging his pardon. Again he clutched wildly at a shoulder and merely snapped his fingers. "Strike a light," he muttered, under his breath, "this ain't good enough. It ain't[Pg 92] nearly good enough." Reaching forward he stumbled, and to save himself from falling placed a hand against the wall. The next moment he leapt backwards with a yell. His hand and arm had gone clean through the filmy shape.
"Gawd, it's spirits—that's what it is."
"It's only me," remarked the Clockwork man, suddenly looming50 into palpable form again. "Don't be afraid. I must apologise for my eccentric behaviour. I tried an experiment. I thought I could get back. You said I was to go home, you know. But I can't get far." His voice shook a little. It jangled like a badly struck chord. "I'm a poor, maimed creature. You must make allowances for me. My clock won't work properly."
He began to vibrate again, his whole frame quivering and shaking. Little blue sparks scintillated51 around the back part of his head. He lifted one leg up as though to take a step forward; and then his ears flapped wildly, and he remained with one leg in mid-air and a finger to his nose.
The constable gave way to panic. He temporised with his duty. "Stow it," he begged, "I can't take you to the station like this. They'll never believe me." He took off his hat and rubbed his tingling52 forehead.[Pg 93] "Say it's a dream, mate," he added, in a whining53 voice. "'Ow can I go 'ome to the missus with a tale like this. She'll say it's the gin again. It's always my luck to strike something like this. When the ghost came to Bapchurch churchyard, it was me wot saw it first, and nobody believed me. You go along quietly, and we'll look over it this time."
But the Clockwork man made no reply. He was evidently absorbed in the effort to restart some process in himself. Presently his foot went down on the pavement with a smart bang. There followed a succession of sharp explosions, and the next second he glided54 smoothly55 away.
The constable returned furtively56 to his shelter beneath the arch, hitched57 himself thoughtfully, and found half a cigarette inside his waistcoat pocket.
"It's the gin," he ruminated, half out loud, "I'll 'ave to knock it off. 'Tain't as though I ain't 'ad warnings enough. I've seen things before and I shall see them again—"
He lit the cigarette end and puffed58 out a cloud of smoke. "I never see 'im," he soliloquised, "not really."
IV
Perhaps it was the strong glare of light issuing from the half-open door of the[Pg 94] Templar's Hall that attracted the attention of the Clockwork man as he wandered along towards the lower end of the town. He entered, and found himself in a small lobby curtained off from the main body of the hall. He must have made some slight noise as he stepped upon the bare boards, for the curtain was swept hastily back, and the Curate, who was acting59 as chief steward60 of the proceedings61, came hurriedly forward.
As he approached the figure standing62 beneath the incandescent63 lamp, the clerical beam upon the Curate's clean-shaven features deepened into a more secular64 expression of heartfelt relief.
"I'm so glad you have come at last," he began, in a strong whisper, "I was beginning to be afraid you were going to disappoint us."
"I am certainly late," remarked the Clockwork man, "about eight thousand years late, so far as I can judge."
The Curate scarcely seemed to catch this remark. "Well, I'm glad you've turned up," he went on, "it's so pitiful when the little ones have to be disappointed, and they have been so looking forward to the conjuring65. Your things have arrived."
"What things?" enquired the Clockwork man.
"Your properties," said the Curate, "the[Pg 95] rabbits and mice, and so forth66. They came this afternoon. I had them put on the stage."
He fingered nervously67 with his watch, and then his eye rested for a second upon the other's head gear.
"Excuse me, but you are the conjurer, aren't you?" he enquired, a trifle anxiously.
Before the Clockwork man had time to reply to this embarrassing question, the curtain was again swiftly drawn68, and an anxious female face appeared. "James, has the conjurer—Oh, yes, I see he has. Do be quick, James. The picture is nearly over."
The face disappeared, and the Curate's doubts evaporated for the moment. "Will you come this way?" he continued, and led the way through a long, dark passage to the back of the hall. Behind the screen, upon which the picture was being shown, there was a small space, and here a stage had been erected69. Upon a small table in the centre stood a large bag and some packages. The Curate adjusted the small gas-jet so as to produce an illumination sufficient to move about. "We must talk low," he explained, pointing to the screen in front of them, "the cinematograph is still showing. We shall be ready in about ten minutes. Can you manage in that time?"
But the Clockwork man made no reply. He stood in the middle of the stage and slowly[Pg 96] lifted a finger to his nose. The Curate's doubts returned. Something seemed to occur to him as he examined his companion more closely. "You haven't been taking anything, my good man, have you? Anything of an alcholic nature?"
"Conjuring," said the Clockwork man, slowly, "obsolete70 form of entertainment. Quickness of the hand deceives the eye."
"Er—yes," murmured the Curate. He laughed, rather hysterically71, and clasped his hands behind his back. "I suppose you do the—er—usual things—gold watches and so forth out of—er—hats. The children have been so looking forward—"
He paused and unclasped his hands. The Clockwork man was looking at him very hard, and his eyes were rolling in their sockets72 in a most bewildering fashion. There was a long pause.
"Dear me," the Curate resumed at last, "there must be some mistake. You don't look to me like a conjurer. You see, I wrote to Gamages, and they promised they would send a man. Naturally, I thought when you—"
"Gamages," interrupted the Clockwork man, "wait—I seem to understand—it comes back to me—universal providers—cash account—nine and ninepence—nine and nine[Pg 97]pence—nine and ninepence—I beg your pardon."
"Really!" The Curate's jaw73 dropped several inches. "I must apologise. You see, I'm really rather flurried. I have the burden of this entertainment upon my shoulders. It was I who arranged the conjuring. I thought it would be so nice for the children." He started rubbing his hands together vigorously, as though to cover up his embarrassment74. "Then—then you aren't the man from Gamages?"
"No," said the Clockwork man, with a certain amount of dignity, "I am the man from nowhere."
The Curate's hands became still. "Oh, dear." He wrestled75 with the blankness in his mind. "You're certainly—forgive me for saying it—rather an odd person. I'm afraid we've both made a mistake, haven't we?"
"Wait," said the Clockwork man, as the Curate walked hesitatingly towards the door, "I begin to grasp things—conjuring—"
"But are you the conjurer?" asked the Curate, coming back.
"Where I come from," was the astonishing reply, "we are all conjurers. We are always doing conjuring tricks."
The Curate's hands were busy again. "I really am quite at a loss," he murmured.
[Pg 98]
"It was a characteristic of the earlier stages of the human race," said the Clockwork man, as though he were addressing a class of students upon some abstruse76 subject, "that they exercised the arts of legerdemain77, magic, illusion and so forth, purely78 as forms of entertainment in their leisure hours."
"Now that sounds interesting," murmured the Curate, as the other paused, although rather for matter than for breath, "it's so authoritative—as though it were a quotation79 from some standard work. All the same, and much as I should like to hear more—"
"It is a quotation," explained the Clockwork man solemnly, "from a work I was reading when I—when the thing happened to me. It is published by Gamages, and the price is nine and nine pence—nine and nine pence—Oh, bother—"
"I'll make a note of it," said the Curate. "But you must really excuse me now. I have so much to see to. There's the refreshments80. The sandwiches are only half cut—"
"It was not until the fifty-ninth century," continued the Clockwork man, speaking with a just perceptible click, "that man became a conjurer in real life. We have here an instance of the complete turning over of human ideas. Ancient man conjured81 for amusement; modern man conjures82 as a matter of course. Since the[Pg 99] invention of the clock and all that its action implies, including the discovery of at least three new dimensions, or fields of action, man's simplest act of an utilitarian83 nature may be regarded as a sort of conjuring trick. Certainly our forefathers84, if they could see us as we are now constituted, would regard them as such—"
"So frightfully interesting," the Curate managed to interpose, "but I really cannot spare the time." He had reverted85 now to the alcoholic86 diagnosis87.
"The work in question," continued the Clockwork man, without taking any notice at all of the other's impatience88, "is of a satirical nature. Its purpose is to awaken89 people to a sense of the many absurdities90 in modern life that result from a too mechanical efficiency. It is all in my head. I can spin it all out, word for word—"
"Not now," hastily pleaded the Curate. "Some other time I should be glad to hear it. I am," his mouth opened very wide, "a great reader myself. And of course, as a professional conjurer, your interest in such a book would be two-fold."
"When you asked me if I were a conjurer," said the Clockwork man, "I at once recalled the book. You see, it's actually in my head. That is how we read books now. We wear[Pg 100] them inside the clock, in the form of spools91 that unwind. What you have said brings it all back to me. It suddenly occurs to me that I am indeed a conjurer, and that all my actions in this backward world must be regarded in the light of magic."
The Curate's eyebrows92 shot up in amazement93. "Magic?" he queried94, with a short laugh. "Oh, we didn't bargain for magic. Only the usual sleight95 of hand."
"You see, I had lost faith in myself," said the Clockwork man, plaintively96. "I had forgotten what I could do. I was so terribly run down."
"Ah," said the Curate, kindly97, "very likely that's what it is. The weather has been very trying. One does get these aberrations98. But I do hope you will be able to struggle through the performance, for the children's sake. Dear me, how did you manage to do that?"
The Curate's last remark was rapped out on a sharp note of fright and astonishment99, for the Clockwork man, as though anxious to demonstrate his willingness to oblige, had performed his first conjuring trick.
III
Now the Curate, apart from a tendency to lose his head on occasion, was a perfectly[Pg 101] normal individual. There was nothing myopic100 about him. The human mind is so constituted that it can only receive certain impressions of abnormal phenomena101 slowly and through the proper channels. All sorts of fantastic ideas, intuitions, apprehensions102 and vague suspicions had been dancing upon the floor of the Curate's brain as he noticed certain peculiarities103 about his companion. But he would probably not have given them another thought if it had not been for what now happened.
It would require a mathematical diagram to describe the incident with absolute accuracy. The Curate, of course, had heard nothing about the Clockwork man's other performances; he had scarcely heeded104 the hints thrown out about the possibility of movement in other dimensions. It seemed to him, in the uncertain light of their surroundings, that the Clockwork man's right arm gradually disappeared into space. There was no arm there at all. Afterwards, he remembered a brief moment when the arm had begun to grow vague and transparent105; it was moving very rapidly, in some direction, neither up nor down, nor this way or that, but along some shadowy plane. Then it went into nothing, evaporated from view. And just as suddenly, it swung back into the plane of the curate's vision, and the hand at the end of it grasped a silk hat.
[Pg 102]
The Curate's heart thumped106 slowly. "But how did you do it?" he gasped. "And your arm, you know—it wasn't there!"
So far as the Clockwork man's features were capable of change, there passed across them a faint expression of triumph and satisfaction. "I perceive," he remarked, "that I have indeed lapsed into a world of curiously107 insufficient108 and inefficent beings. I have fallen amongst the Unclocked. They cannot perceive Nowhere. They do not understand Nowhen. They lack senses and move about on a single plane. Henceforth, I shall act with greater confidence."
"Stop it!" the Curate gasped. "My heart, you know—I have been warned—sudden shocks." He staggered to the wall and groped blindly for an emergency exit, which he knew to be there somewhere. He found it, forced the door open and fell limply upon the pavement outside.
The Clockwork man turned slowly and surveyed the prostrate110 figure. "A rudimentary race," he soliloquised, with his finger nosewards, "half blind, and painfully restricted in their movements. Evidently they have only a few senses—five at the most." He passed out into the street, carefully avoiding the body.[Pg 103] "They have a certain freedom," he continued, still nursing his nose, "within narrow limits. But they soon grow limp. And when they fall down, or lose balance, they have no choice but to embrace the earth."
He waddled111 along, with his head stuck jauntily112 to one side. "I have nothing to fear," he added, "from such a rudimentary race of beings."
V
"Evidently," his thoughts ran on, "they must regard me as an extraordinary being. And, of course, I am—and far superior. I am a superior being suffering from a nervous breakdown113."
He stopped himself abruptly, as though this view of the matter solved a good many problems.
"I must get myself seen to," he mused114, "because, of course, that accounts for everything; my lapse1 into this defunct115 order of things and my inability to move about freely in the usual, multiform manner. And it accounts for my absurd behaviour just now."
He turned slowly, as though considering whether to return and explain matters to the curate. "I must have frightened him," he whispered, almost audibly, "but I only wanted[Pg 104] to show him, and the parrot cage happened to be handy."
He trundled forward again and lurched into the middle of the street.
"Death," he reflected, "that was death, I suppose. They still die."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
lapse
|
|
| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
lapsed
|
|
| adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
manifestations
|
|
| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
circuitous
|
|
| adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
ambling
|
|
| v.（马）缓行( amble的现在分词 )；从容地走，漫步 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
lesser
|
|
| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
contrived
|
|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
faculties
|
|
| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
wig
|
|
| n.假发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
situated
|
|
| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
swerved
|
|
| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
retraced
|
|
| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
conscientious
|
|
| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
ransacked
|
|
| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
grotesqueness
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
20
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
chestnut
|
|
| n.栗树，栗子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
extraordinarily
|
|
| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
restrictions
|
|
| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
exigency
|
|
| n.紧急；迫切需要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
statute
|
|
| n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
blatant
|
|
| adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
entangled
|
|
| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
dismal
|
|
| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
revolved
|
|
| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
intermittent
|
|
| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
constable
|
|
| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
lenient
|
|
| adj.宽大的，仁慈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
enquired
|
|
| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
backwards
|
|
| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
ruminated
|
|
| v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
algebra
|
|
| n.代数学 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
elasticity
|
|
| n.弹性，伸缩力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
perpendicularity
|
|
| n.垂直，直立；垂直度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
spat
|
|
| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
determinedly
|
|
| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
blurred
|
|
| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
distressing
|
|
| a.使人痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
hovering
|
|
| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
vibration
|
|
| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
caper
|
|
| v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
looming
|
|
| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
scintillated
|
|
| v.（言谈举止中）焕发才智( scintillate的过去式和过去分词 )；谈笑洒脱；闪耀；闪烁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
tingling
|
|
| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
whining
|
|
| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
glided
|
|
| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
smoothly
|
|
| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
furtively
|
|
| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
hitched
|
|
| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
puffed
|
|
| 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： |
|
|
|
|
59
acting
|
|
| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
steward
|
|
| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
incandescent
|
|
| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
secular
|
|
| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
conjuring
|
|
| n.魔术 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
ERECTED
|
|
| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
obsolete
|
|
| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
hysterically
|
|
| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
sockets
|
|
| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
wrestled
|
|
| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
abstruse
|
|
| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
legerdemain
|
|
| n.戏法，诈术 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
purely
|
|
| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
quotation
|
|
| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
refreshments
|
|
| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
conjured
|
|
| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
conjures
|
|
| 用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
utilitarian
|
|
| adj.实用的，功利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
forefathers
|
|
| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
reverted
|
|
| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
alcoholic
|
|
| adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
diagnosis
|
|
| n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
impatience
|
|
| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
awaken
|
|
| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
absurdities
|
|
| n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
spools
|
|
| n.（绕线、铁线、照相软片等的）管( spool的名词复数 )；络纱；纺纱机；绕圈轴工人v.把…绕到线轴上（或从线轴上绕下来）( spool的第三人称单数 )；假脱机（输出或输入） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
92
eyebrows
|
|
| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
93
amazement
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
94
queried
|
|
| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
95
sleight
|
|
| n.技巧，花招 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
96
plaintively
|
|
| adv.悲哀地，哀怨地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
97
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
98
aberrations
|
|
| n.偏差( aberration的名词复数 )；差错；脱离常规；心理失常 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
99
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
100
myopic
|
|
| adj.目光短浅的，缺乏远见的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
101
phenomena
|
|
| n.现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
102
apprehensions
|
|
| 疑惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
103
peculiarities
|
|
| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
104
heeded
|
|
| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
105
transparent
|
|
| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
106
thumped
|
|
| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
107
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
108
insufficient
|
|
| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
109
infinity
|
|
| n.无限，无穷，大量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
110
prostrate
|
|
| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
111
waddled
|
|
| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
112
jauntily
|
|
| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
113
breakdown
|
|
| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
114
mused
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
115
defunct
|
|
| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |