“The wilfully5 idle man, like the wilfully barren woman, has no place in a sane6, healthy, vigorous community.”
That, after all, is as much a tradition of true society as it is of the plains and the fields. I do not yield to any man or any class in America in my detestation of idleness in man or woman. And I believe that the traditions of real American society support me in this attitude.
In spite of ourselves, we drifted into a period in which idleness became the fashion. We did not know just why the thing was true; but we were forced to recognize its truth. Now, looking back rather than forward over the past quarter of a century, one may see quite clearly how it came about. And I purpose, in the course of this book, to write down, perhaps for the amusement of my own contemporaries, perhaps for the guidance of those who have not yet begun to think about these matters, the causes that gave us this plague of idleness.
First of all, however, I would merely set down in a phrase the immediate9 cause of it, and then proceed to sketch10 the phenomenon itself, that one may know the things which are right. It was the magic of gold; it was the poison of idle wealth. It came at first like a little spot upon the body of a man. Quickly it spread from limb to limb, and part to part, until, in the fulness of time, it was a leprosy, following the body of society almost from head to foot. It was the curse of gold, no more, no less—the same condition that laid in the dust the glory of Athens, that hurled11 to ruin the splendour of Rome, that brought upon Bourbon France the terror of the Revolution.
Think, if you can, of the swift stages through which we pass. Picture the solid, conventional, Christian12, and cleanly society of New York immediately after the Civil War. To think of it now, even as I learned it by hearsay13, very likely, brings me a feeling of personal regret, as though I had lost a fine old friend. Picture, then, the beginning of a revolution, small, inconsequent—yet, to the most discerning, portentous14 of evil and pregnant of disaster. A few young men, sons of society, set up new idols15 in the ancient temples. They began to ape the habits and to imitate the morals of that world which, while possessing wealth in plenty, had never possessed16 the refinement17 or the ethical18 standards of true society.
It is a melancholy19 fact that the impetus20 toward extravagance, excess, debauchery, and shamelessness came to us from the under-world.
For always, in every country, just outside the gates, there lives a people peculiar21 to itself. They have wealth equal, perhaps, to that of any in the social world. They have education, it may be, of the finest. They have desires, just as all men have. They have instincts, it may be, little better or little worse than those of the best in the land. The gates are shut against them for reasons that, to those inside, seem quite sufficient. It may be vulgarity; it may be immorality22; it may be mere8 gaucherie of manners; it may be lack of education; or it may be any one of a dozen other reasons that puts them beyond the pale. Whatever may be the reason, the fact remains23 that they are beyond the pale.
In this class of society, always, in all races, morals, and manners tend to excesses. They are not restrained by sane conventions and laws that regulate society; nor are they held in the leash24 of respectability or in the chains of religion or of honour, as are the sturdy men and women of the so-called middle class. Constantly they are in rebellion against these laws and these traditions. Ever they are prone25 to substitute license26 for liberty, to plunge27 into immorality, to draw upon the stage in its worst moods for their passions and their pleasures, and to practise in their lives the vices28 of the decadent29 nations.
In this stage of our social life of which I write, the manners, the morals, and the practices of this social class crept into even that small section of society which calls itself “the Upper Class.” The young men—and unhappily the young women—of the finest families in our great cities began to copy the vices and to imitate the manners of this other class, and to plunge into the same excesses that marked its manner of life.
There is a vast difference between the healthy, wholesome30 spending of money for amusements, pleasures, and recreations and the feverish31 searching for some new sensation that can be had only at a tremendous cost. The simple expenditure32 of money, even in startling amounts, eventually fails to produce the thrill that it ought to have, and when the30 man or woman of fortune, with little to think of but the constant hunt for amusement and novelty, begins to suffer from continuous ennui33, the result is frequently amazing and sometimes sickening.
A wearied, bored group of men arranged a dinner. They had been attending dinners until such functions had lost interest for them. Similarly their friends were wearied by the conventional dinner of the time. Why not prepare a meal, the like of which had never been before? Why not amuse society and astonish the part of the community that is outside of society? They did so. The dinner was served on horseback on the upper floor of a fashionable New York resort, the name of which is known from coast to coast; the guests were attired34 in riding habits; the handsomely groomed35 horses pranced36 and clattered31 about the magnificent dining-room, each bearing, besides its rider, a miniature table. The hoofs37 of the animals were covered with soft rubber pads to save the waxed floor from destruction. At midnight a reporter for an active and sensational38 morning newspaper ran across the choice bit of news. He telephoned the information to his city editor and the reply of that moulder39 of opinion was brief and to the point.
“You’re lying to me,” said the editor.
The most sensational paper in town refused to believe its reporter, who attempted later on to reach the scene of the event, but was repulsed40 and driven away.
“How much did it cost?” the public inquired interestedly. The man who paid the bill knew. The public and its newspapers guessed, their estimates running from ten thousand to fifty thousand dollars.
The fond owner of a diminutive41 black-and-tan 32dog gave a banquet in honour of the animal. The dog was worth, perhaps, fifty dollars. The festivities were very gay. The man’s friends came to his dinner in droves, the men in evening clothes and the women bedecked in shimmering42 silks and flashing jewels. In the midst of the dinner, the man formally decorated his dog with a diamond collar worth fifteen thousand dollars. It contained seven hundred small brilliants, varying in weight from one sixth to one carat. The guests shouted their approval, and the dinner was regarded as a huge success.
The leader of a wealthy clique43 in a Western city was struck with a unique idea. He was tired of spending money. There was nothing new for which to spend it. He gave a “poverty social.” The thirty33 guests came to his palatial44 home in rags and tatters. Scraps45 of food were served on wooden plates. The diners sat about on broken soap boxes, buckets, and coal-hods. Newspapers, dust cloths, and old skirts were used as napkins, and beer was served in a rusty46 tin can, instead of the conventional champagne47. They played being poor for one night, and not one of them but joined in ecstatic praise of their host and his unusual ability to provide a sensation.
A bored individual with a fondness for gems48 covered as much of his person as possible with diamonds. When he walked abroad, he flashed and sparkled in the sunlight. He, also, became the possessor of a happy inspiration. He went to his dentist and had little holes bored in his teeth, into which the tooth expert inserted34 twin rows of diamonds. He had found another way of spending money.
A Southern millionaire purchased an imported motor car. It cost him twelve thousand dollars when it came off the ship. He looked at it in scorn and called in decorators. The car was refitted completely. It was equipped with two diminutive rooms, a living apartment, and a sleeping room. Hot and cold water fixtures49 were put in and space was found for a small bath-tub. A kitchen with a full equipment of cooking utensils50 was added, and, when the various tradesmen and mechanics completed their work, the car resembled a complete and luxuriously51 furnished home on wheels. The original cost of twelve thousand dollars had been brought up to thirty thousand and the owner was temporarily contented52.
Very young and very wealthy was the35 young man whose attentions to an embryonic53 actress amused a community a few years back. It was the young man’s opinion that he was desperately54 in love with the lady, who in later years married a publisher of songs. The millionaire youngster showered the girl with gifts. He gave her rings, bracelets55, necklaces, and diamond-studded combs for her black tresses until she glistened56 from head to foot. The very buttons of her gloves were diamonds and her shoes were fastened with monster pearls. The question of taste never entered into the situation. It was simply the spending of money and the bedecking of a coarse, but crafty57, stage girl. In three years, she succeeded in throwing away almost a million dollars for the deluded58 youngster, at the end of which time they parted.
At the conclusion of an elaborate affair 36in New York City, the guests leaned back in their chairs to listen to the singers. The cigarettes were passed around. Oddly enough, the banquet had not been marked until that moment, and, as the host was famous for the unusualness of his dinners, many of the diners were disappointed. Their disappointment gave way to admiration59. Each cigarette was rolled, not in white paper, but in a one hundred dollar bill and the initials of the host were engraved60 in gold letters. This strange conceit61 was applauded until the voices of the singers struggled amid the uproar62.
A member of the idle rich rumbled63 along a Jersey64 highway in his motor car. He approached an excavation65 where workmen were manœuvring cranes and hoists66. At the side of the road lay a dying horse.37 It had fallen into a hole and two of its legs were broken. The workmen were waiting for the arrival of a policeman to put the suffering animal to death.
“I’ll save that horse,” decided67 the wealthy motorist. His decision was simply an idle whim68. When the policeman came, the motorist had already bought the useless horse for a ten dollar bill. He procured69 an ambulance and had the animal removed to his own stable. He summoned the foremost veterinarians in New York and the crippled work horse was patched up. For weeks it hung suspended in a sling70 and finally the broken bones knitted and the horse hobbled about. The veterinarians demanded five thousand dollars for their work and were paid without complaint. In his stoutest71 days, the saved horse was worth no more than a hundred dollars.
A well known metropolitan72 spender has 38an annual bill of some ten thousand dollars for shoes alone. His order stands in every manufactory in America and Europe. Whenever a new style of men’s shoes is designed, a sample pair is immediately shipped to him. He cannot possibly wear a tenth of the shoes sent to him, but he has the satisfying knowledge that he is never behind the style.
The wife of a Western man owns a pet monkey. The little beast lives in a private room and is constantly attended by a valet. It rides abroad behind its private trotter, has its own outfit73 of clothes, its dining table, and a bed made of solid ivory, tipped with gold ornaments74. All told, perhaps a dozen human beings minister to the comfort of the little simian75 and the mistress cheerfully pays from ten to39 fifteen thousand dollars yearly on this one extravagance. She became dissatisfied with the dining service in the monkey-room of her home, and her pet now eats its meals off solid silver plates.
At a dinner party given by a notorious millionaire, each guest discovered in one of his oysters76 a magnificent black pearl. It was a fitting prelude77 to a sumptuous78 banquet and it contained an element of surprise. It was said that the dinner cost the giver twenty thousand dollars.
A party of engineers were studying the country in a Southern state with an eye to a future railroad. Accompanying them was a tired young man of wealth, who had little interest in what they were doing, and who had gone with them in search of possible amusement. He found it. The party discovered an aged79 family of primitive40 negroes living in a wretched hovel on the edge of a swamp. The millionaire was struck by the utter desolation of the house and its occupants. It occurred to him that he might find it interesting to aid the darkeys. He parted company with the engineers, and, with a single friend, he gave himself over to bettering the condition of the coloured family. Carpenters appeared from New Orleans. Materials were dragged through the country behind mules80. Decorations were shipped from New York. The tottering81 shack82 came down and a splendid country bungalow83 was reared in its place. The interior was furnished with a lavish84 hand and with a total disregard for expense. White pillars supported the roof. Old-fashioned fireplaces were built into the walls and plate-glass windows were set into the doors.41 The floors were paved with concrete, and a handsome bath room was fitted up for the amazed and awe-stricken family. When he had finished the home, the young man turned his attention to its inmates85. He bought them clothes—such clothes as they had never before dreamed of. He provided them with toilet articles and trifling87 luxuries, and, before he went away, he supplied the larder88 with enough food to last a year. That negro family is still the talk of the entire state in which it lives and its members regard what has happened as a manifestation89 from on high. The young man in search of interesting occupation parted from twenty thousand of his innumerable dollars and probably thinks of the whole affair with satisfaction.
An Italian savant and student has visited America. He has set down his opinions42 and some of them are interesting. He finds, for instance, that the wife of one of our foremost millionaires wears a necklace that cost more than six hundred thousand dollars. The infant son of this favoured lady reposed90, during his tenderer years, in a cradle that was valued at ten thousand dollars and immediately following the birth of the boy—an event that was flashed by telegraph to the furthest corners of the earth—a retinue91 of servants was formed for the sole benefit of the infant. This corps92 of retainers consisted of four nurse ladies, four high-priced physicians, who examined the child four times a day, and posted serious bulletins for the information of the clamant press and public.
Another child came to another family, and Fifth Avenue trotted93 past the birthplace with bated breath and curious eyes.43 When the boy came to that stage of his development wherein the salutary bottle could be dispensed94 with, he was clothed in dignity and provided with a staff of personal attendants consisting of two able cooks, six grooms95, three coachmen, two valets, and one governess. He grew in health and strength and to-day he manages a railway with acumen96 and success.
A gentleman of improvident97 habits and few dollars packed his meagre belongings98 in a hand bag and departed for the West. Subsequently, he achieved fortune and fame and came into possession of a gold mine, the ledges99 of which soon placed his name high in the ranks of America’s millionaires. Overcome by gratitude100, he gave a commemorative dinner party in the sombre depths of the kindly101 mine. The space devoted102 to the festivities was forty44 feet wide and seventy feet long. One hundred guests assembled in the bowels103 of the mine and sat down to a sumptuous feast. The waiters were clad in imitation of miners. They hovered104 about attentively105 with oil lamps flaring106 from their foreheads. Picks and shovels107 decorated the uneven108 walls, and the various courses were lowered from the mouth of the mine in the faithful cage that had carried up to the grateful millionaire his many dollars. A band discoursed109 sweet music and the bill was some fourteen thousand dollars.
A man of common name, but of uncommon110 wealth, decided to have a home in New York City. He purchased the palace of a friend who had died and paid for it two million dollars, which was popularly supposed to be one half the original cost of the pile. On his garden, to make space45 for which he tore down a building that had cost a hundred thousand, the new owner spent five hundred thousand dollars. His bedstead is of carved ivory and ebony, inlaid with gold. It cost two hundred thousand dollars. The walls are richly carved and decorated with enamel111 and gold; they cost sixty-five thousand dollars. On the ceiling, the happy millionaire expended112 twenty thousand in carvings113, enamels115, and gold, and ten pairs of filmy curtains, costing two thousand a pair, wave in the morning breeze. The wardrobe in this famous bedroom represents an outlay116 of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars and the dressing117 table sixty-five thousand. The wash stand cost thirty-eight thousand, and the bed hangings, fifty dollars a yard. The chimney-piece and overhanging mantel threw into general46 circulation eight thousand more, and the four doors consumed another ten thousand.
A wealthy lover of music paid the highest price ever recorded for a piano. It was no ordinary piano. Its price was fifty thousand dollars. For a single painting a Westerner paid fifty-five thousand dollars. Another collector, whose name is known in the humblest homes, expended fifty thousand dollars for a silver trinket only four inches high.
An enthusiastic American happened to live in London at the time the North Pole was discovered. For an indefinite period of time the North Pole was seemingly discovered by two Americans. That controversy118 is ended and dead, but the memory of the dinner given in London by the proud American will live for many years. Thirty47 guests accepted the invitations, and, upon entering the home of their host, found themselves in a barren and icy waste. The prow119 of an ice-bound ship protruded120 from one side of the wall. Pale electric lights flashed coldly from a score of points. Icebergs121 towered above the dinner table, surmounted122 by polar bears. In the centre of the room was a huge oval table to represent a solid block of ice and thereon the brilliant feast was served. The waiters moved about noiselessly in the costumes of Eskimos, hooded123 in the skins of animals and clad in the white fur of polar bears. The dinner was a tremendous success. It cost the American ten thousand dollars and not one word of criticism was passed, except by the suffering waiters in their heavy furs on a warm mid-summer day.
A wealthy mining man wagered124 upon48 the outcome of an election and lost. He proceeded to pay his bet by giving a dinner in his stables. Thirty-five guests appeared and prepared to enjoy themselves to the fullest. The table was arranged in the shape of a horseshoe, and the waiters were jockeys in silken jackets and long peak caps. During the enthusiastic scenes that followed, the favourite horse of the host was admitted to the banquet room from his near-by box stall and diverted the guests by eating the flowers, with which the banquet table was heavily laden125, and by drinking champagne from the punch-bowl. Tiny Shetland ponies126 trotted and pranced about the diners and the favourite steed became mildly intoxicated127 from the champagne and was ridden about the room by hilarious128 men. The entire dinner was the exact opposite49 of monotony. It cost the loser of the bet twelve thousand dollars.
A famous ten thousand dollar dinner was given in the heart of the tired old metropolis129. The table was laid out as an oval and over its smooth surface costly130 flowers were spread in deep layers. In the centre was a lake of limpid131 water, suspended from the ceiling by gold wire network. Four white swans swam about during the progress of the banquet. From various rings in the ceiling hung golden cages containing rare song birds that twittered incessantly132 and the guests ate fruit from the branches of dwarf133 trees especially provided and at a cost that might seem staggering to the commonplace man of little wealth.
In Paris, a voluntarily exiled millionaire provided a dinner for twenty-two of his50 intimate friends. For each guest was a private carriage with a team of splendid horses, and when the fortunate diners arrived in state, each found before him a whole leg of mutton, a whole salmon134, an entire fowl135, a basket of assorted136 fruits, and several bottles of wine. A mysterious bag made its appearance toward the close of the feast and each diner was invited to explore it for a keepsake. The souvenirs consisted of pearl studs, emerald links, cigarette cases of solid gold, inlaid with jewels, diamond rings, and other trifles. Thirty thousand dollars went into the pockets of the Parisian shopkeepers from this single dinner.
In searching for an unusual manner to spend a large sum of money upon a single object, a man of wealth selected a beautiful pair of opera glasses. They were made of solid51 gold and the lenses were perfect. The cost was seventy-five thousand dollars, principally because of a lyre which surmounted the top, and which was encrusted with diamonds and sapphires137. Without the embellishments, glasses of equal worth may be purchased in any shop for twenty dollars.
What was at the time designated as a tame waste of wealth, drunkenness without conviviality138, the amusement of dull and unintelligent society, was a seventy-five thousand dollar feast given a few years ago. Monkeys sat between the guests and ducks swam about in pools contained in ivory fountains. An entire theatrical139 company journeyed from New York to provide entertainment for the favoured guests.
One of the most prominent band-masters in America was summoned by telegraph52 to gather an orchestra of forty pieces. The command came from a woman of vast wealth in whose service the man of music had often laboured. A child had been born to her. She desired to have the occasion fittingly celebrated140, and the diligent141 leader hurried home from the midst of a vacation, selected an orchestra, rehearsed, and eventually serenaded the new-come bit of humanity.
The “freak” dinner takes on many forms. One of the most unusual of this sort was given by a South African millionaire whose wealth had come from the diamond mines at Kimberly. The dinner was given amidst scenes of the Kimberly diggings. Beautiful birds flew about, and a hidden band wafted142 soft strains upon the assembled guests. Huge quartz143 blocks surrounded the table and formed the walls.53 The floor was inch deep with sand, and a monster tent raised its head in the centre of the space. On the wash stand was a rough board on which were scrawled144 the words: “Wash your hands before sitting down to eat.” It was all very amusing and undoubtedly145 unique. Veldt carts rumbled back and forth146, pickaxes hung suspended from silken cords, and bags of genuine gold-dust, lay scattered147 about. Turtle soup was served from a cauldron, and two armed Boers paced up and down as sentinels. The dinner cost twenty thousand dollars.
In Boston a man of gold fell ill. From his waist down, he became nerveless and helpless. The time hung heavily on his hands as he lay in a hospital bed, and he determined148 to provide adequate amusement. His bed was removed to the largest54 room in the hospital. An entire musical comedy company was transported from New York City and a popular production of the day was performed for the benefit of the invalid149. It cost him three thousand five hundred dollars, and it was probably worth it.
In Pittsburg, workmen went about their task mysteriously. They were constructing a great glass tank. For five days they laboured and finally the affair was completed. It was taken into the banquet room of a hotel and filled with water. A dinner was to be given by the officials of a corporation. As the hours wore on, the diners waxed enthusiastic and happy. The more important and dignified150 officials of the corporation left. They probably knew what was coming and desired to be absent in view of possible newspaper55 investigation151. Then came the solution of the mystery. A human gold fish swam about in the tank—a shapely girl, clad in golden spangles and scales. The dinner was very expensive. Those who attended the banquet afterward152 declined to discuss it with the reporters when questioned about the human gold fish.
Another celebrated dinner that represented the effort of a wealthy man to vary the monotony of life and to provide a unique outlet153 for his money was the feast that culminated154 in the appearance of the girl in the pie. A monster pie was carried before the astounded155 diners upon the shoulders of four servants. The top crust was cut open. A slip of a girl bounded to her feet. A score of birds was released at the same moment.
In Los Angeles the son of a millionaire56 mine owner felt the time hanging heavily upon his hands. He wandered down to where the trains rumbled in and out of the station, and an idea possessed him. He ordered a special train of five coaches and informed his friends. Those who cared to go accompanied the young squanderer156. For fifty thousand dollars the railway company, which cares little about human emotions or desires, offered to take the young man to New York. Train despatchers cleared the rails. Switches were nailed fast. The young man and his special train were shot across the continent like a flying star. He was buying a fresh experience at a price that in all probability suited him.
A Nebraska individual is the proud owner of a hat that is made of greenbacks. It is rather a costly hat, as twenty thousand57 dollars in bills was used in making it. It weighs twenty ounces and it looks exactly like the white hats worn by gentlemen. A young Crœsus grew fond of a lady fair and sought to display a mark of his affection in some extraordinary manner. He commissioned eight of the foremost artists in America to paint a fan. The cost was one hundred thousand dollars.
For five years skilled artisans have been carving114 a tombstone. The man who ordered the tombstone is still living, but the tombstone is vast in bulk, and the carvers have plenty of space to display their ingenuity157. It is the order of the patron that work shall not cease until he is dead, and each year he sends the monument company a check for fifteen thousand dollars to cover running expenses. If the gentleman lives long enough, his tombstone58 will be a spectacle worth seeing when it is finally bundled into place over his casket.
One of the most lavish and expensive—probably the most expensive—dinners ever given in America was a hyphenated feast, the record of which is writ7 large upon the annals of metropolitan society. It endured for six hours and cost fourteen thousand dollars per hour.
But why enumerate158 any more of these instances? Our papers are full of them. My purpose, however, is larger than gossip and I shall mention other pieces of extravagance wherever they make a point.
59
“No men living are more worthy159 to be trusted than those who toil86 up from poverty—none less inclined to take or touch what they have not honestly earned. Let them beware of surrendering a political power which they already possess, and which, if surrendered, will surely be used to close the door of advancement160 against such as they, and to fix new disabilities and burdens upon them, till all of liberty shall be lost.”
—Abraham Lincoln.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
corrode
|
|
| v.使腐蚀，侵蚀，破害；v.腐蚀，被侵蚀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
chagrin
|
|
| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
condoned
|
|
| v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
invader
|
|
| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
wilfully
|
|
| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
sane
|
|
| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
writ
|
|
| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
sketch
|
|
| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
hearsay
|
|
| n.谣传，风闻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
portentous
|
|
| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
idols
|
|
| 偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
refinement
|
|
| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
ethical
|
|
| adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
impetus
|
|
| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
immorality
|
|
| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
leash
|
|
| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
prone
|
|
| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
license
|
|
| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
plunge
|
|
| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
vices
|
|
| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
decadent
|
|
| adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
wholesome
|
|
| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
feverish
|
|
| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
expenditure
|
|
| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
ennui
|
|
| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
attired
|
|
| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
groomed
|
|
| v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
pranced
|
|
| v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
hoofs
|
|
| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
sensational
|
|
| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
moulder
|
|
| v.腐朽，崩碎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
repulsed
|
|
| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
diminutive
|
|
| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
shimmering
|
|
| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
clique
|
|
| n.朋党派系，小集团 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
palatial
|
|
| adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
scraps
|
|
| 油渣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
rusty
|
|
| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
champagne
|
|
| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
gems
|
|
| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
fixtures
|
|
| （房屋等的）固定装置( fixture的名词复数 )； 如（浴盆、抽水马桶）； 固定在某位置的人或物； （定期定点举行的）体育活动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
utensils
|
|
| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
luxuriously
|
|
| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
contented
|
|
| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
embryonic
|
|
| adj.胚胎的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
bracelets
|
|
| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
glistened
|
|
| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
crafty
|
|
| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
deluded
|
|
| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
engraved
|
|
| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
conceit
|
|
| n.自负，自高自大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
uproar
|
|
| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
rumbled
|
|
| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
jersey
|
|
| n.运动衫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
excavation
|
|
| n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
hoists
|
|
| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
whim
|
|
| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
procured
|
|
| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
sling
|
|
| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
stoutest
|
|
| 粗壮的( stout的最高级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
metropolitan
|
|
| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
outfit
|
|
| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
ornaments
|
|
| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
simian
|
|
| adj.似猿猴的；n.类人猿，猴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
oysters
|
|
| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
prelude
|
|
| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
sumptuous
|
|
| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
aged
|
|
| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
mules
|
|
| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
tottering
|
|
| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
shack
|
|
| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
bungalow
|
|
| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
lavish
|
|
| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
inmates
|
|
| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
toil
|
|
| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
trifling
|
|
| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
larder
|
|
| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
manifestation
|
|
| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
reposed
|
|
| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
retinue
|
|
| n.侍从；随员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
92
corps
|
|
| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
93
trotted
|
|
| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
94
dispensed
|
|
| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
95
grooms
|
|
| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
96
acumen
|
|
| n.敏锐，聪明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
97
improvident
|
|
| adj.不顾将来的，不节俭的，无远见的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
98
belongings
|
|
| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
99
ledges
|
|
| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
100
gratitude
|
|
| adj.感激，感谢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
101
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
102
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
103
bowels
|
|
| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
104
hovered
|
|
| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
105
attentively
|
|
| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
106
flaring
|
|
| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
107
shovels
|
|
| n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
108
uneven
|
|
| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
109
discoursed
|
|
| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
110
uncommon
|
|
| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
111
enamel
|
|
| n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
112
expended
|
|
| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
113
carvings
|
|
| n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
114
carving
|
|
| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
115
enamels
|
|
| 搪瓷( enamel的名词复数 )； 珐琅； 釉药； 瓷漆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
116
outlay
|
|
| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
117
dressing
|
|
| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
118
controversy
|
|
| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
119
prow
|
|
| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
120
protruded
|
|
| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
121
icebergs
|
|
| n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
122
surmounted
|
|
| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
123
hooded
|
|
| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
124
wagered
|
|
| v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的过去式和过去分词 )；保证，担保 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
125
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
126
ponies
|
|
| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
127
intoxicated
|
|
| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
128
hilarious
|
|
| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
129
metropolis
|
|
| n.首府；大城市 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
130
costly
|
|
| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
131
limpid
|
|
| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
132
incessantly
|
|
| ad.不停地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
133
dwarf
|
|
| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
134
salmon
|
|
| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
135
fowl
|
|
| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
136
assorted
|
|
| adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
137
sapphires
|
|
| n.蓝宝石，钢玉宝石( sapphire的名词复数 )；蔚蓝色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
138
conviviality
|
|
| n.欢宴，高兴，欢乐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
139
theatrical
|
|
| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
140
celebrated
|
|
| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
141
diligent
|
|
| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
142
wafted
|
|
| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
143
quartz
|
|
| n.石英 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
144
scrawled
|
|
| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
145
undoubtedly
|
|
| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
146
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
147
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
148
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
149
invalid
|
|
| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
150
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
151
investigation
|
|
| n.调查，调查研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
152
afterward
|
|
| adv.后来；以后 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
153
outlet
|
|
| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
154
culminated
|
|
| v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
155
astounded
|
|
| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
156
squanderer
|
|
| n.浪费者，放荡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
157
ingenuity
|
|
| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
158
enumerate
|
|
| v.列举，计算，枚举，数 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
159
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
160
advancement
|
|
| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |