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CHAPTER V AND THE SACRED BIRD
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 Lady Ryehampton did not easily tear herself away from the home; and the Terror did all he could to foster her interest in it. The crowning effect was the feeding of the kittens, which was indeed a very pretty sight, since twenty-three kittens could not feed together without many pauses to gambol1 and play. The only thing about the home which was not quite to the liking2 of Lady Ryehampton was the board over the door. She liked it as an advertisement of her philanthropy; but she did not like its form; she preferred her name in straighter letters, all of them of the same size. At the same time she did not like to hurt the feelings of the Terror by showing lack of appreciation3 of his handiwork.
 
Then she had a happy thought, and said: “By the way, I think that the board over the door ought to be uniform—the same as the boards over the entrances of my other cats’ homes. The lettering of them is always in gold.”
 
“All right. I’ll get some gold paint, and paint them over,” said the Terror readily, anxious to humor in every way this dispenser of salaries.
 
“No, no, I can’t give you the trouble of doing it all over again,” said Lady Ryehampton quickly. “I’ll have a board made, and painted in London—exactly like the board of my cats’ home at Tysleworth—and sent down to you to fix up.”
 
“Thanks very much,” said the Terror. “It will save me a great deal of trouble. Painting isn’t nearly so easy as it looks.”
 
Lady Ryehampton breathed a sigh of satisfaction. She invited them all to lunch at The Plough, where she had stayed the night; and Mrs. Pittaway racked her brains and strained all the resources of her simple establishment to make the lunch worthy4 of its giver. As she told her neighbors later, nobody knew what it was to have a lady of title in the house. The Twins enjoyed the lunch very much indeed; and even Erebus was very quiet for two hours after it.
 
Lady Ryehampton came to tea at Colet House; she paid a last gloating visit to the cats’ home, wrote a check for ten pounds payable5 to the Terror, and in a state of the liveliest satisfaction, took the train to London.
 
Sir Maurice stayed till a later train, for he had no great desire to travel with Lady Ryehampton. Besides, the question what was to be done with the eight cats he had brought with him, remained to be settled. He felt that he could not saddle the Twins with their care and up-keep, since only his unfounded distrust had brought them to the cats’ home. At the same time he could not bring himself to travel with them any more.
 
They discussed the matter. Erebus was inclined to keep the cats, declaring that it would be so nice to grow their own kittens. The Terror, looking at the question from the cold monetary6 point of view, wished to be relieved of them. In the end it was decided7 that Sir Maurice should make terms with one of the dealers9 from whom he had bought them, and that the Twins should forward them to that dealer8.
 
The next day the Twins discussed what should be done with this unexpected ten pounds which Lady Ryehampton had bestowed10 on the home. Erebus was for at once increasing their salaries to three shillings a week. The cautious Terror would only raise them to ninepence each. Then, keeping rather more than four pounds for current expenses, he put fifteen pounds in the Post-Office Savings11 Bank. He thought it a wise thing to do: it prevented any chance of their spending a large sum on some sudden overwhelming impulse.
 
Then for some time their lives moved in a smooth uneventful groove12. The cats were despatched to the London dealer; the neatly13 painted board came from Lady Ryehampton and was fixed14 up in the place of the Terror’s handiwork; they did their lessons in the morning; they rode out, along with Wiggins who now had his bicycle, in the afternoons.
 
Then came December; and early in the month they began to consider the important matter of their mother’s Christmas present.
 
One morning they were down at the home, giving the kittens their breakfasts and discussing it gravely. The kittens were indulging in engaging gambols15 before falling into the sleep of repletion16 which always followed their meals; but the Twins saw them with unsmiling eyes, for the graver matter wholly filled their minds. They could see their way to saving up seven or eight shillings for that present; and so large a sum must be expended17 with judgment18. It must procure19 something not only useful but also attractive.
 
They had discussed at some length the respective advantages and attractions of a hair-brush and a tortoise-shell comb to set in the hair, when Erebus, frowning thoughtfully, said: “I know what she really wants though.”
 
“What’s that?” said the Terror sharply.
 
“It’s one of those fur stoles in the window of Barker’s at Rowington,” said Erebus. “I heard her sigh when she looked at it. She used to have beautiful furs once—when father was alive. But she sold them—to get things for us, I suppose. Uncle Maurice told me so—at least I got it out of him.”
 
The Terror was frowning thoughtfully, too; and he said in a tone of decision: “How much is that stole?”
 
“Oh, it’s no good thinking about it—it’s three guineas,” said Erebus quickly.
 
“That’s a mort o’ money, as old Stubbs says,” said the Terror; and the frown deepened on his brow.
 
“I wonder if we could get it?” said Erebus, and a faint hopefulness dawned in her eyes as she looked at his pondering face. “I should like to. It must be hard on Mum not to have nice things—much harder than for us, because we’ve never had them—at least, we had them when we were small, but we never got used to them. So we’ve forgotten.”
 
“No, we’re all right as long as we have useful things,” said the Terror, without relaxing his thoughtful frown. “But you’re right about Mum—she must be different. I’ve got to think this out.”
 
“Three guineas is such a lot to think out,” said Erebus despondently20.
 
“I thought out thirty pounds not so very long ago,” said the Terror firmly. “And if you come to think of it, Mum’s stole is really more important than bicycles and a cats’ home, though not so useful.”
 
“But it’s different—we had to have bicycles—you said so,” said Erebus eagerly.
 
“Well, we’ve got to have this stole,” said the Terror in a tone of finality; and the matter settled, his brow smoothed to its wonted serenity22.
 
“But how?” said Erebus eagerly.
 
“Things will occur to us. They always do,” said the Terror with a careless confidence.
 
They began to put the kittens into their hutches. Half-way through the operation the Terror paused:
 
“I wonder if we could sell any of these kittens? Does any one ever buy kittens?”
 
“We did; we gave threepence each for these,” said Erebus.
 
“Ah, but we had to buy something in the way of cats for the home. We should never have bought a kitten but for that. We shouldn’t have dreamt of doing such a thing.”
 
“I should buy kittens if I were rich and hadn’t got any,” said Erebus in a tone of decision.
 
“You would, would you? That’s just what I wanted to know: girls will buy kittens,” said the Terror in a tone of satisfaction. “Well, we’ll sell these.”
 
“But we can’t empty the home,” said Erebus.
 
“We wouldn’t. We’d buy fresh ones, just able to lap, for threepence each, and sell these at a shilling. We might make nearly a sovereign that way.”
 
“So we should—a whole sovereign!” cried Erebus; then she added in a somewhat envious23 tone: “You do think of things.”
 
“I have to. Where should we be, if I didn’t?” said the Terror.
 
“But who are we going to sell them to? Everybody round here has cats.”
 
“Yes, they have,” said the Terror, frowning again. “Well, we shall have to sell them somewhere else.”
 
They put the sleepy kittens back in their hutches, and walked back to the house, pondering. The Terror collected the books for his morning’s work slowly, still thoughtful.
 
As he was leaving the house he said: “Look here; the place for us to sell them is Rowington. The people round here sell most of their things at Rowington—butter and eggs and poultry24 and rabbits.”
 
“And Ellen would sell them for us—in the market,” said Erebus quickly.
 
“Of course she would! You see, you think of things, too!” cried the Terror; and he went off to his lessons with an almost cheerful air.
 
After lunch they rode to Great Deeping to discuss with Ellen the matter of selling their kittens. She had been their nurse for the first four years of their stay at Colet House; and she had left them to marry a small farmer. She had an affection for them, especially for the Terror; and she had not lost touch with them. She welcomed them warmly, ushered25 them into her little parlor26, brought in a decanter of elderberry wine and a cake. When she had helped them to cake and poured out their wine, the Terror broached27 the matter that had brought them to her house.
 
Ellen’s mind ran firmly and unswerving in the groove of butter and eggs and poultry, which she carried every market-day to Rowington in her pony-cart. She laughed consumedly at the Terror’s belief that any one would want to buy kittens. But unmoved by her open incredulity, he was very patient with her and persuaded her to try, at any rate, to sell their kittens at her stall in Rowington market. Ellen consented to make the attempt, for she had always found it difficult to resist the Terror when he had set his mind on a thing, and she was eager to oblige him; but she held out no hopes of success.
 
The Terror came away content, since he had gained his end, and did not share her despondency. Erebus, on the other hand, infected by Ellen’s pessimism28, rode in a gloomy depression.
 
Presently her face brightened; and with an air of inspiration she said: “I tell you what: even if we don’t sell those kittens, we can always buy the stole. There’s all that cats’ home money in the bank. We can take as much of it as we want, and pay it back by degrees.”
 
“No, we can’t,” said the Terror firmly. “We’re not going to use that money for anything but the cats’ home. I promised Mum I wouldn’t. Besides, she’d like the stole ever so much better if we’d really earned it ourselves.”
 
“But we shan’t,” said Erebus gloomily. “If we sold all the kittens, it will only make twenty-three shillings.”
 
“Then we must find something else to sell,” said the Terror with decision.
 
His mind was running on this line, when a quarter of a mile from Little Deeping they came upon Tom Cobb leaning over a gate surveying a field of mangel-wurzel with vacant amiability29.
 
Tom Cobb was the one villager they respected; and he and they were very good friends. Carping souls often said that Tom Cobb had never done an honest day’s work in his life. Yet he was the smartest man in the village, the most neatly dressed, always with money in his pocket.
 
It was common knowledge that his fortunate state arose from his constitutional disability to observe those admirable laws which have been passed for the protection of the English pheasants from all dangers save the small shot of those who have them fed. Tom Cobb waged war, a war of varying fortunes against the sacred bird. Sometimes for a whole season he would sell the victims of the carnage of the war with never a check to his ardor30. In another season some prying31 gamekeeper would surprise him glutting32 his thirst for blood and gold, and an infuriated bench of magistrates33 would fine him. The fine was always paid. Tom Cobb was one of those thrifty34 souls who lay up money against a rainy day.
 
He turned at the sound of their coming; and he and the Twins greeted one another with smiles of mutual35 respect. They rode on a few yards; and then the Terror said, “By Jove!” stopped, slipped off his bicycle, and wheeled it back to the gate. Erebus followed him more slowly.
 
“I’ve been wondering if you’d do me a favor, Tom,” said the Terror. “I’ve always wanted to know how to make a snare36. I’ll give you half-a-crown if you’ll teach me.”
 
Tom Cobb’s clear blue eyes sparkled at the thought of half-a-crown, but he hesitated. He knew the Twins; he knew that with them a little knowledge was a dangerous thing—for others. He foresaw trouble for the sacred bird; he foresaw trouble for his natural foes37, the gamekeepers. He did not foresee trouble for the Twins; he knew them. And very distinctly he saw half-a-crown.
 
He grinned and said slowly, “Yes, Master Terror, I’ll be very ’appy to teach you ’ow to make a snare.”
 
“Thank you. I’ll come around to-morrow afternoon, about two,” said the Terror gratefully.
 
“It will be nice to know how to make snares38!” cried Erebus happily as they rode on. “I wonder we never thought of it before.”
 
“We didn’t want a fur stole before,” said the Terror.
 
The next afternoon Erebus in vain entreated39 him to take her with him to Tom Cobb’s cottage to share the lesson in the art of making snares. But the Terror would not. Often he was indulgent; often he was firm. To-day he was firm.
 
He returned from his lesson with a serene40 face, but he said rather sadly: “I’ve still a lot to learn. But come on: I’ve got to buy something in Rowington.”
 
They rode swiftly into Rowington, for the next day was market-day, and they had to get the kittens ready for Ellen to sell. At Rowington the Terror bought copper41 wire at an ironmonger’s; and he was very careful to buy it of a certain thickness.
 
They rode home swiftly, and at once selected six kittens for the experiment. Much to the surprise and disgust of those kittens, they washed them thoroughly42 in the kitchen. They dried them, and decided to keep them in its warmth till the next morning.
 
After the washing of the kittens, they betook themselves to the making of snares. Erebus, ever sanguine43, supposed that they would make snares at once. The Terror had no such expectation; and it was a long while before he got one at all to his liking.
 
Remembering Tom Cobb’s instructions, he washed it, and then put on gloves before setting it in the hole in the hedge through which the rabbits from the common were wont21 to enter their garden to eat the cabbages. He was up betimes next morning, found a rabbit in the snare, and thrilled with joy. The fur stole had come within the range of possibility.
 
Before breakfast they made the toilet of the six chosen kittens, brushing them with the Terror’s hair-brush till their fur was of a sleekness44 it had never known before. Then Erebus adorned45 the neck of each with a bow of blue ribbon. Knowing the ways of kittens, she sewed on the bows, and sewed them on firmly. It could not be doubted that they looked much finer than ordinary unwashed kittens. Directly after breakfast, the Twins put three in the basket of either of their bicycles, rode over to Rowington and handed them over to Ellen.
 
They would have liked to stay to see what luck she had with them but they had to return to their lessons. After lunch they made three more snares; and the Terror found that the fingers of Erebus were, if anything, more deft46 at snare-making than his own.
 
It was late in the afternoon when they reached Rowington again; and when they came to Ellen’s stall, they found to their joy that the basket which had held the six kittens was empty.
 
Ellen greeted them with a smile of the liveliest satisfaction, and said: “Well, Master Terror, you were right, and I was wrong. I’ve sold them kitties—every one—and I’ve had two more ordered. It was when the ladies from the Hill came marketing47 that they went.”
 
She opened her purse, took out six shillings, and held them out to the Terror.
 
“Five,” said the Terror. “I must pay you a shilling for selling them. It’s what they call commission.”
 
“No, sir; I don’t want any commission,” said Ellen firmly. “As long as those kitties were there, I sold more butter and eggs and fowls48 than any one else in the market. I haven’t had such a good day not ever before. And I’ll be glad to sell as many kitties as you can bring me.”
 
The Terror pressed her to accept the shilling, but she remained firm. The Twins rode joyfully49 home with six shillings.
 
That night the Terror set his four snares in the hedge of the garden about the common. He caught three rabbits.
 
The next morning he was silent and very thoughtful as he helped feed the kittens and change the bay in the hutches.
 
At last he said rather sadly: “It’s sometimes rather awkward being a Dangerfield.”
 
“Why?” said Erebus surprised.
 
“Those rabbits,” said the Terror. “I want to sell them. But it’s no good going into Rowington and trying to sell them to a poulterer. Even if he wanted rabbits—which he mightn’t—he’d only give me sixpence each for them. But if I were to sell them myself here, I could get eightpence, or perhaps ninepence each for them. But, you see, a Dangerfield can’t go about selling things. Uncle Maurice said I had the makings of a millionaire in me, but a Dangerfield couldn’t go into business. It’s the family tradition not to. That’s what he said.”
 
“Perhaps he was only rotting,” said Erebus hopefully.
 
“No, he wasn’t. I asked Mum, and she said it was the family tradition, too. I expect that’s why we’re all so hard up.”
 
“But the squire51 sells things,” said Erebus quickly. “And you can’t say he isn’t a gentleman, though the Anstruthers aren’t so old as the Dangerfields.”
 
“Of course, he does. He sells some of his game,” said the Terror, in a tone of great relief. “Game must be all right, and we can easily count rabbits as game.”
 
Forthwith he proceeded to count rabbits as game; they put the four they had caught into the baskets of their bicycles and rode out on a tour of the neighborhood. The Terror went to the back doors of their well-to-do neighbors and offered his rabbits to their cooks with the gratifying result that in less than an hour he had sold all four of them at eightpence each.
 
They rode home in triumph: the fur stole was moving toward them. They had already eight shillings and eightpence out of the sixty-three shillings.
 
It was sometimes said of the Twins by the carping that they never knew when to stop; but in this case it was not their fault that they went on. It was the fault of the rabbit market. At the fifteenth rabbit, when they had but eighteen shillings and eightpence toward the stole, the bottom fell out of it. For the time the desire of Little Deeping to eat rabbits was sated.
 
It was also the fault of the insidious53 cook of Mrs. Blenkinsop, who, after refusing to buy the fifteenth rabbit, said: “Now, if you was to bring me a nice fat pheasant twice a week, it would be a very different thing, Master Dangerfield.”
 
The Terror looked at her thoughtfully; then he said: “And how much would you pay for pheasants?”
 
The cook made a silent appeal to those processes of mental arithmetic she had learned in her village school, saw her way to a profit of threepence, perhaps ninepence, on each bird, and said: “Two and threepence each, sir.”
 
The Terror looked at her again thoughtfully, considering her offer. He saw her profit of threepence, perhaps ninepence, and said: “All right, I’ll bring you two or three a week. But you’ll have to pay cash.”
 
“Oh, yes, sir. Of course, sir,” said the cook.
 
“Do you know any one else who’d buy pheasants?” he said.
 
“Well, there’s Mr. Carrington’s cook,” said the cook slowly. “She has the management of the housekeeping money like I do. I think she might buy pheasants from you. Mr. Carrington’s very partial to game.”
 
“Right,” said the Terror. “And thank you for telling me.”
 
He rode straight to the house of Mr. Carrington, and broached the matter to his cook, to whom he had already sold rabbits. He made a direct offer to her of two pheasants a week at two and threepence each. After a vain attempt to beat him down to two shillings, she accepted it.
 
He rode home in a pleasant glow of triumph: the snares which caught rabbits would catch pheasants. At first he was for catching54 those pheasants by himself. Snaring55 rabbits was a harmless enterprise; snaring pheasants was poaching; and poaching was not a girl’s work. Then he came to the conclusion that he would need the help of Erebus and must tell her.
 
When he revealed to her this vision of a new Eldorado, she said: “But where are you going to get pheasants from?”
 
“Woods,” said the Terror, embracing the horizon in a sweeping56 gesture.
 
Erebus looked round the horizon with greedy eyes; they sparkled fiercely.
 
“The only thing is, we don’t know nearly enough about snaring pheasants. And I don’t like to ask Tom Cobb: he might talk about it; and that wouldn’t do at all,” said the Terror.
 
“But there’s nobody else to ask.”
 
“I don’t know about that. There’s Wiggins’ father. He knows a lot of useful things besides higher mathematics. The only thing is, we must do it in such a way that he doesn’t see we’re trying to get anything out of him.”
 
“Well, I should think we could do that. He’s really quite simple,” said Erebus.
 
“As long as you understand what I’m driving at,” said the Terror.
 
That evening they prepared eight more kittens for sale at Rowington market, and carried them into Rowington directly after breakfast next morning. Ellen told them, with some indignation, that two rival poultry-sellers had both brought three kittens to sell. The Twins at once went to inspect them, and came back with the cheering assurance that those kittens were not a patch on those she was selling. They were right, for Ellen sold all the eight before a rival sold one; and the joyful50 Twins carried home eight more shillings toward the stole.
 
On the next three afternoons they rode forth52 with the intention of coming upon Mr. Carrington by seeming accident; but it was not till the third afternoon that they came upon him and Wiggins, walking briskly, about three miles from Little Deeping.
 
The Twins, as a rule, were wont to shun57 Mr. Carrington. They had a great respect for his attainments58, but a much greater for his humor. In Erebus, this respect often took the form of wriggling59 in his presence. She did not know what he might say about her next. He was, therefore, somewhat surprised when they slipped off their bicycles and joined him. He wondered what they wanted.
 
Apparently60, they were merely in a gregarious61 mood, yearning62 for the society of their fellow creatures; but in about three minutes the talk was running on pheasants. Mr. Carrington did not like pheasants, except from the point of view of eating; and he dwelt at length on the devastation63 the sacred bird was working in the English countryside: villages were being emptied and let fall to ruin that it might live undisturbed; the song-birds were being killed off to give it the woods to itself.
 
It seemed but a natural step from the pheasant to the poacher; he was not aware that he took it at the prompting of the Terror; and he bewailed the degeneracy of the British rustic64, his slow reversion to the type of neolithic65 man, owing to the fact that the towns drained the villages of all the intelligent. The skilful66 poacher who harried67 the sacred bird was fast becoming extinct.
 
Then, at last, he came to the important matter of the wiles68 of the poacher; and the thirsty ears of the Terror drank in his golden words. He discussed the methods of the gang of poachers and the single poacher with intelligent relish69 and more sympathy than was perhaps wise to display in the presence of the young. The Terror came from that talk with a firm belief in the efficacy of raisins70.
 
The next afternoon the Twins rode into Rowington and bought a pound of raisins at the leading grocer’s. They might well have bought them at Little Deeping, encouraging local enterprise; but they thought Rowington safer. They always took every possible precaution at the beginning of an enterprise. They did not ride straight home. Three miles out of Rowington was a small clump71 of trees on a hill. At the foot of the hill, a hundred yards below the clump, lay Great Deeping wood, acre upon acre. It had lately passed, along with the rest of the Great Deeping estate, into the hands of Mr. D’Arcy Rosenheimer, a pudding-faced, but stanch72 young Briton of the old Pomeranian strain. He was not loved in the county, even by landed proprietors73 of less modern stocks, for, though he cherished the laudable ambition of having the finest pheasant shoot in England, and was on the way to realize it, he did not invite his neighbors to help shoot them. His friends came wholly from The Polite World which so adorns74 the illustrated75 weeklies.
 
It was in the deep December dusk that the Twins’ came to the clump on the hill. The Terror lifted their bicycles over the gate and set them behind the hedge. He removed the pound of raisins from his bicycle basket to his pocket, and leaving Erebus to keep watch, he stole down the hedge to the clump, crawled through a gap into it, and walked through it. One pheasant scuttled76 out of it, down the hedgerow to the wood below. The occurrence pleased him. He crawled out of the clump on the farther side, and proceeded to lay a train of raisins down the ditch of the hedge to the wood. He did not lay it right down to the wood lest some inquisitive77 gamekeeper might espy78 it. Then he returned with fine, red Indian caution to Erebus. They rode home well content.
 
Next evening, with another bag of raisins, they sought the clump again. Again the Terror laid a trail of raisins along the ditch from the wood to the clump. But this evening he set a snare in the hedge of the clump. Just above the end of the ditch. Later he took from that snare a plump but sacred bird. Later still he sold it to the cook of Mrs. Blenkinsop for two and threepence.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 gambol EQ2zm     
v.欢呼,雀跃
参考例句:
  • He determined to revisit the scene of the last evening's gambol.他决计再到昨晚嬉戏的地方去一趟。
  • He didn't play sports or a musical instrument,gamble at whist or gambol on a horse.他不做运动,不玩乐器,不赌博,不骑马。
2 liking mpXzQ5     
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。
3 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
参考例句:
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
4 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
5 payable EmdzUR     
adj.可付的,应付的,有利益的
参考例句:
  • This check is payable on demand.这是一张见票即付的支票。
  • No tax is payable on these earnings.这些收入不须交税。
6 monetary pEkxb     
adj.货币的,钱的;通货的;金融的;财政的
参考例句:
  • The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
7 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
8 dealer GyNxT     
n.商人,贩子
参考例句:
  • The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
  • The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
9 dealers 95e592fc0f5dffc9b9616efd02201373     
n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者
参考例句:
  • There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
  • The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败,与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。
10 bestowed 12e1d67c73811aa19bdfe3ae4a8c2c28     
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
  • He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。
11 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
12 groove JeqzD     
n.沟,槽;凹线,(刻出的)线条,习惯
参考例句:
  • They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
  • The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。
13 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
14 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
15 gambols bf5971389a9cea0d5b426fe67e7e9ce4     
v.蹦跳,跳跃,嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
16 repletion vBczc     
n.充满,吃饱
参考例句:
  • It is better to die of repletion than to endure hunger.饱死胜过挨饿。
  • A baby vomits milk from repletion.婴儿吃饱会吐奶。
17 expended 39b2ea06557590ef53e0148a487bc107     
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:
  • She expended all her efforts on the care of home and children. 她把所有精力都花在料理家务和照顾孩子上。
  • The enemy had expended all their ammunition. 敌人已耗尽所有的弹药。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
19 procure A1GzN     
vt.获得,取得,促成;vi.拉皮条
参考例句:
  • Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗?
  • I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。
20 despondently 9be17148dd640dc40b605258bbc2e187     
adv.沮丧地,意志消沉地
参考例句:
  • It had come to that, he reflected despondently. 事情已经到了这个地步了,他沉思着,感到心灰意懒。 来自辞典例句
  • He shook his head despondently. 他沮丧地摇摇头。 来自辞典例句
21 wont peXzFP     
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯
参考例句:
  • He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
  • It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。
22 serenity fEzzz     
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗
参考例句:
  • Her face,though sad,still evoked a feeling of serenity.她的脸色虽然悲伤,但仍使人感觉安详。
  • She escaped to the comparative serenity of the kitchen.她逃到相对安静的厨房里。
23 envious n8SyX     
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的
参考例句:
  • I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
  • She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。
24 poultry GPQxh     
n.家禽,禽肉
参考例句:
  • There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
  • What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?
25 ushered d337b3442ea0cc4312a5950ae8911282     
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
  • A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
27 broached 6e5998583239ddcf6fbeee2824e41081     
v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 );打开并开始用;用凿子扩大(或修光);(在桶上)钻孔取液体
参考例句:
  • She broached the subject of a picnic to her mother. 她向母亲提起野餐的问题。 来自辞典例句
  • He broached the subject to the stranger. 他对陌生人提起那话题。 来自辞典例句
28 pessimism r3XzM     
n.悲观者,悲观主义者,厌世者
参考例句:
  • He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
  • There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。
29 amiability e665b35f160dba0dedc4c13e04c87c32     
n.和蔼可亲的,亲切的,友善的
参考例句:
  • His amiability condemns him to being a constant advisor to other people's troubles. 他那和蔼可亲的性格使他成为经常为他人排忧解难的开导者。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness. 我瞧着老师的脸上从和蔼变成严峻。 来自辞典例句
30 ardor 5NQy8     
n.热情,狂热
参考例句:
  • His political ardor led him into many arguments.他的政治狂热使他多次卷入争论中。
  • He took up his pursuit with ardor.他满腔热忱地从事工作。
31 prying a63afacc70963cb0fda72f623793f578     
adj.爱打听的v.打听,刺探(他人的私事)( pry的现在分词 );撬开
参考例句:
  • I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活!
  • She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
32 glutting 66cc64641c76e6c9f770ac59353ebf07     
v.吃得过多( glut的现在分词 );(对胃口、欲望等)纵情满足;使厌腻;塞满
参考例句:
33 magistrates bbe4eeb7cda0f8fbf52949bebe84eb3e     
地方法官,治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
  • He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。
34 thrifty NIgzT     
adj.节俭的;兴旺的;健壮的
参考例句:
  • Except for smoking and drinking,he is a thrifty man.除了抽烟、喝酒,他是个生活节俭的人。
  • She was a thrifty woman and managed to put aside some money every month.她是个很会持家的妇女,每月都设法存些钱。
35 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
参考例句:
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
36 snare XFszw     
n.陷阱,诱惑,圈套;(去除息肉或者肿瘤的)勒除器;响弦,小军鼓;vt.以陷阱捕获,诱惑
参考例句:
  • I used to snare small birds such as sparrows.我曾常用罗网捕捉麻雀等小鸟。
  • Most of the people realized that their scheme was simply a snare and a delusion.大多数人都认识到他们的诡计不过是一个骗人的圈套。
37 foes 4bc278ea3ab43d15b718ac742dc96914     
敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
  • She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战,挫败过很多对手。
38 snares ebae1da97d1c49a32d8b910a856fed37     
n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 );圈套;诱人遭受失败(丢脸、损失等)的东西;诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉,诱陷,陷害( snare的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He shoots rabbits and he sets snares for them. 他射杀兔子,也安放陷阱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I am myself fallen unawares into the snares of death. 我自己不知不觉跌进了死神的陷阱。 来自辞典例句
39 entreated 945bd967211682a0f50f01c1ca215de3     
恳求,乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • They entreated and threatened, but all this seemed of no avail. 他们时而恳求,时而威胁,但这一切看来都没有用。
  • 'One word,' the Doctor entreated. 'Will you tell me who denounced him?' “还有一个问题,”医生请求道,“你可否告诉我是谁告发他的?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
40 serene PD2zZ     
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的
参考例句:
  • He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
  • He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多,只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。
41 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
42 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
43 sanguine dCOzF     
adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的
参考例句:
  • He has a sanguine attitude to life.他对于人生有乐观的看法。
  • He is not very sanguine about our chances of success.他对我们成功的机会不太乐观。
44 sleekness f75b4d07e063e96c6a6b7b25f1a9cd4e     
油滑; 油光发亮; 时髦阔气; 线条明快
参考例句:
  • The sleekness of his appearance reminded me of his financial successes. 他着装的光鲜告诉我他财大气粗。
  • Urban sleekness and traditional quaintness highlight the contrasts of Hong Kong. 城市的优美造型和传统的古雅情趣突出了香港的种种反差。
45 adorned 1e50de930eb057fcf0ac85ca485114c8     
[计]被修饰的
参考例句:
  • The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
  • And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。
46 deft g98yn     
adj.灵巧的,熟练的(a deft hand 能手)
参考例句:
  • The pianist has deft fingers.钢琴家有灵巧的双手。
  • This bird,sharp of eye and deft of beak,can accurately peck the flying insects in the air.这只鸟眼疾嘴快,能准确地把空中的飞虫啄住。
47 marketing Boez7e     
n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西
参考例句:
  • They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
  • He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。
48 fowls 4f8db97816f2d0cad386a79bb5c17ea4     
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马
参考例句:
  • A great number of water fowls dwell on the island. 许多水鸟在岛上栖息。
  • We keep a few fowls and some goats. 我们养了几只鸡和一些山羊。
49 joyfully joyfully     
adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地
参考例句:
  • She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着,脚底下轻飘飘的。
  • During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里,她干得很高兴。
50 joyful N3Fx0     
adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的
参考例句:
  • She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
  • They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。
51 squire 0htzjV     
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句:
  • I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
  • The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。
52 forth Hzdz2     
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。
53 insidious fx6yh     
adj.阴险的,隐匿的,暗中为害的,(疾病)不知不觉之间加剧
参考例句:
  • That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
  • Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。
54 catching cwVztY     
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
参考例句:
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
55 snaring e09fac482f68ebe25c250cf36017e933     
v.用罗网捕捉,诱陷,陷害( snare的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • They have the ability to perform mucosal biopsies, cautery and even snaring polyps. 他们能够学习肠粘膜活检、烧灼、甚至肠息肉套扎术。 来自互联网
56 sweeping ihCzZ4     
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的
参考例句:
  • The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
  • Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗?
57 shun 6EIzc     
vt.避开,回避,避免
参考例句:
  • Materialists face truth,whereas idealists shun it.唯物主义者面向真理,唯心主义者则逃避真理。
  • This extremist organization has shunned conventional politics.这个极端主义组织有意避开了传统政治。
58 attainments 3f47ba9938f08311bdf016e1de15e082     
成就,造诣; 获得( attainment的名词复数 ); 达到; 造诣; 成就
参考例句:
  • a young woman of impressive educational attainments 一位学业成就斐然的年轻女子
  • He is a scholar of the highest attainments in this field. 他在这一领域是一位颇有造就的学者。
59 wriggling d9a36b6d679a4708e0599fd231eb9e20     
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等);蠕蠕
参考例句:
  • The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
  • Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句
60 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
61 gregarious DfuxO     
adj.群居的,喜好群居的
参考例句:
  • These animals are highly gregarious.这些动物非常喜欢群居。
  • They are gregarious birds and feed in flocks.它们是群居鸟类,会集群觅食。
62 yearning hezzPJ     
a.渴望的;向往的;怀念的
参考例句:
  • a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
  • He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。
63 devastation ku9zlF     
n.毁坏;荒废;极度震惊或悲伤
参考例句:
  • The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
  • There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
64 rustic mCQz9     
adj.乡村的,有乡村特色的;n.乡下人,乡巴佬
参考例句:
  • It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
  • We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。
65 neolithic 9Gmx7     
adj.新石器时代的
参考例句:
  • Cattle were first domesticated in Neolithic times.新石器时代有人开始驯养牛。
  • The monument was Stone Age or Neolithic.该纪念碑是属于石器时代或新石器时代的。
66 skilful 8i2zDY     
(=skillful)adj.灵巧的,熟练的
参考例句:
  • The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多,熟练的程度越高。
  • He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。
67 harried 452fc64bfb6cafc37a839622dacd1b8e     
v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 );不断烦扰;一再袭击;侵扰
参考例句:
  • She has been harried by the press all week. 整个星期她都受到新闻界的不断烦扰。
  • The soldiers harried the enemy out of the country. 士兵们不断作骚扰性的攻击直至把敌人赶出国境为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》
68 wiles 9e4z1U     
n.(旨在欺骗或吸引人的)诡计,花招;欺骗,欺诈( wile的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • All her wiles were to persuade them to buy the goods. 她花言巧语想打动他们买这些货物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The woman used all her wiles to tempt him into following her. 那女人用尽了自己的诱骗本领勾引着他尾随而去。 来自《用法词典》
69 relish wBkzs     
n.滋味,享受,爱好,调味品;vt.加调味料,享受,品味;vi.有滋味
参考例句:
  • I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
  • I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。
70 raisins f7a89b31fdf9255863139804963e88cf     
n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆,味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句
71 clump xXfzH     
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走
参考例句:
  • A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
  • It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。
72 stanch SrUyJ     
v.止住(血等);adj.坚固的;坚定的
参考例句:
  • Cuttlebone can be used as a medicine to stanch bleeding.海螵蛸可以入药,用来止血。
  • I thought it my duty to help stanch these leaks.我认为帮助堵塞漏洞是我的职责。
73 proprietors c8c400ae2f86cbca3c727d12edb4546a     
n.所有人,业主( proprietor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These little proprietors of businesses are lords indeed on their own ground. 这些小业主们,在他们自己的行当中,就是真正的至高无上的统治者。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Many proprietors try to furnish their hotels with antiques. 许多经营者都想用古董装饰他们的酒店。 来自辞典例句
74 adorns e60aea5a63f6a52627fe58d3354ca7f2     
装饰,佩带( adorn的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Have adornment, the building adorns the product of material. 有装饰,就有建筑装饰材料的制品。
  • In this case, WALL-E adorns every pillar. 在这段时间,Wall-E占据了各个显要位置。
75 illustrated 2a891807ad5907f0499171bb879a36aa     
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
  • The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。
76 scuttled f5d33c8cedd0ebe9ef7a35f17a1cff7e     
v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 );快跑,急走
参考例句:
  • She scuttled off when she heard the sound of his voice. 听到他的说话声,她赶紧跑开了。
  • The thief scuttled off when he saw the policeman. 小偷看见警察来了便急忙跑掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
77 inquisitive s64xi     
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的
参考例句:
  • Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
  • A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。
78 espy MnHxx     
v.(从远处等)突然看到
参考例句:
  • Where love fails,we espy all faults.一旦失恋,缺点易见。
  • Here,from a window,did Guinevere espy a knight standing in a woodman's cart.吉尼维尔是从这里透过窗户看到了站在樵夫车上的骑士。


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