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CHAPTER XXV THE ACTOR’S STORY
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 The afternoon of the next day Dominick came home earlier than usual. His New York friend, who was en route to Japan, had but a couple of days in San Francisco, and again claimed his company for dinner. The theater was to follow and Dominick had come home to change his clothes, and incidentally either to see Berny and explain his absence or to leave a message for her with the Chinaman.
 
He felt rather guilty where she was concerned. He had seen nothing of her for two days. The only time they met was in the evening after business hours, the only meal they took together was dinner. With every spark of affection dead between them, their married life the hollowest sham2, she had so long and so sternly trained him to be considerate of her and keep her on his mind, that he still instinctively3 followed the acquired habit of thinking of her comfort and arranging for it. He knew she would be annoyed at the two lonely dinners, and hoped to see her[448] before he left and suggest to her that she telephone for one of her sisters to join her.
 
The flat was very quiet when he entered, and after looking into one or two rooms for her he called the Chinaman, who said Mrs. Ryan had gone out early in the afternoon, leaving no message except that she would be home to dinner. Dominick nodded a dismissal and walked into the den1. He carried the evening papers in his hand, and looking at the clock he saw that he had an hour before it would be necessary for him to dress and leave the house. Berny would undoubtedly4 be home before then; she was rarely out after six. Meantime, the thought that she was not in and that he could read the papers in unmolested, uninterrupted silence caused a slight sense of relief to lighten the weight that was now always with him.
 
He had hardly opened the first sheet when a ring at the bell dispelled5 his hopes. It was one of his wife’s habits never to carry a latch-key, which she looked upon as a symbol of that bourgeois6, middle-class helpfulness that she had shaken off with her other working-girl manners and customs. Dominick dropped the paper, waiting for her entrance, and framing the words with which he would acquaint her with the fact that he was to be absent again. Instead, however, of the rustle7 of feminine skirts, he heard the Chinaman’s padding steps, and the servant[449] entered and presented him with a card. Traced on it in a sprawling8 handwriting was the name “James Defay Buford.” Dominick remembered his invitation to the man to call, and realized that this probably was the only time that the actor could conveniently do so. There was an hour yet before dinner would be served, and turning to the servant Dominick told him to show the gentleman up.
 
A moment later, Buford entered, smiling, almost patronizingly urbane9 and benign10. He was dressed with a rich and careful elegance11 which gave him a somewhat dandified air. After bestowing12 upon Dominick greetings that sounded as unctuous13 as a benediction14, he took his seat at the end of the cozy15 corner facing the door which led into the hall. From here he looked at the young man with a close, attentive16 scrutiny17, very friendly and yet holding, under its enfolding blandness18, something of absence, of inattention, as though his mind were not in the intimate customary connection with the words that issued from his lips. This suggestion of absence deepened, showed more plainly in an eye that wandered to the door, or, as Dominick spoke19, fell to the carpet and remained there, hidden by a down-drawn20 bush of eyebrow21. Dominick was in the middle of a query22 as to the continued success of the “Klondike Monologue” when the actor raised his head and said politely, but with a[450] politeness that contained a note of haste and eagerness beneath it,
 
“Is Madame at home?”
 
“No, she’s not at home,” said Madame’s husband. “But she may be in any moment now. She generally goes out for the afternoon and gets back about this time.”
 
“Perhaps you can tell me,” said Buford, looking sidewise at his gloves and cane23 as they lay on the end of the divan24, “who—you’ll pardon my seeming curiosity, but I’ll explain it presently—who was the lady that came in here last night at about half-past seven?”
 
He looked up and Dominick was suddenly aware that his face was charged with the tensest, the most vital interest. Thrust forward, it showed a hungriness of anticipation25 that was almost passionate26. The young man was not only surprised at the expression but at the question.
 
“I haven’t an idea,” he said. “I wasn’t home to dinner last night, and didn’t get in till late. Why do you want to know?”
 
“For many reasons, or for one, perhaps—for one exceedingly important reason.”
 
He paused, his eyes again turned slantingly on the stick and gloves, his lips tight-pressed, one against the other.
 
“How did you know any woman came in here last night at that hour? Did you come up to call?” asked Dominick.
 
[451]“No—no—” the other spoke with quick impatience27 evidently from the surface of his mind, “no, it was—at first, anyway—purely accidental. I saw the woman—and—and—afterward28 I saw her enter here. Mr. Ryan,” he said suddenly, looking at his vis-à-vis with piercing directness and speaking with an intensity29 of urgency that was almost a command, “can you give me half an hour of your time and your full attention? I want to speak to you of a matter, that to me, at least, is of great—the greatest—importance. You can help me; at least you can, I hope, throw some light on what is a dark subject. Have I your permission to talk freely to you, freely and at length?”
 
Dominick, who was beginning to feel as if he were in a play, and was exceedingly surprised and intrigued30, nodded, remarking,
 
“Why, certainly, go on. If I can be of any help to you or explain anything for you, nothing would give me greater pleasure. Let me hear what it is.”
 
The actor dropped his glance to the floor for what seemed an anxiously-considering moment, then he raised his head and, looking directly at his host, said,
 
“You may remember that, while at Antelope31, I once spoke to you of having been married—of having, in fact, been unfortunate enough to lose my wife.”
 
[452]Dominick remembered, but it seemed imperfectly, for he said in a doubtful tone, which had more than a suggestion of questioning,
 
“She—er—she died?”
 
“No,” said the other, “she did not die. I lost her in a way that I think was more painful than death. She left me, voluntarily, of her own free will.”
 
“Oh, of course,” said the young man hastily. “I remember perfectly32, one day by the sitting-room33 fire. I remember it all as clearly as possible now.”
 
“That was the time—the only time I mentioned the subject to you. On another occasion I spoke to that lovely and agreeable young lady, Miss Cannon34, on the matter, and told her more fully35 of my domestic sorrows. But to you I made but that one allusion36. May I now, more at length, tell you of the misfortunes—I may say tragedy—of my married life?”
 
Dominick, mystified, nodded his head. He could not imagine why Buford should come to him at this particular moment and in this particularly theatrical37 manner with the history of his domestic troubles. But he was undeniably interested, and feeling himself more than ever like a character in a play, said,
 
“Go on. Tell me anything you like. And if in any way I can be of use to you, I’ll be only too happy to do it.”
 
[453]Looking at the carpet, a heat of inward excitement showing through the professional pomposity38 of his manner, Buford began slowly and solemnly:
 
“I’ll go back to seven years ago, when I was in Chicago. Previous to that, Mr. Ryan, I will tell you in confidence I had been a preacher, a Methodist, of good reputation, though, I am fain to confess, of small standing39 in the church. I left that esteemed40 body as I felt there were certain tenets of the faith I could not hold to. I am nothing if not honest, and I was too honest to preach doctrines41 with all of which I could not agree. I left the church as a pastor42 though I have never deserted43 it as a disciple44, and have striven to live up to its standards.”
 
He paused, and Dominick, feeling that he spoke sincerely, said,
 
“That was the only thing to do.”
 
“So it seemed to me. I left the town where I was living and moved to Chicago where, through the influences of a friend, I obtained a position in a school of acting45 and elocution. I instructed the pupils in voice production. You may have noticed that I have an unusually deep and resonant46 voice. Through that, I obtained this work and received the stipend47 of thirty-five dollars a week. It was fairly good pay, the hours were not too long, there was no demand made of a sacrifice of conscience, and I confess that I[454] felt much freer and more contented48 than I had in the church.
 
“It was at this stage of my career that I met the lady who became my wife. We lived at the same boarding-house—Mrs. Heeney’s, a most elegant, well-kept place, and Mrs. Heeney a lovely woman of one of the best southern families. It was at her table that I met the girl who was destined49 to have such a fatal influence on my life. She was a stenographer50 and typewriter in one of the largest firms in the city, earning her twenty dollars a week, as she was an expert and not to be beaten in the state. She was very pretty, the brunette type of beauty, black-eyed, and as smart as a steel trap. She was as dainty as a pink, always well-dressed and up-to-date, never anything sloppy51 or slouchy about her. Ask her to go to the theater and there wouldn’t be a woman in the house who could beat her for looks and style. Besides that, she was a fine conversationalist, could talk as easily as a book on any subject. If I brought her a novel, she’d read it and have the whole plot at her finger-ends, and be able to talk it all over, have her own opinions about every character. Oh, she was an accomplished52, fascinating woman, if I say it myself! Any man might have taken to her. She was for ever telling me about California, and how she wanted to get back there—”
 
[455]“California?” interrupted Dominick. “Did she come from California?”
 
“From here—from San Francisco. She was a native daughter of the state and the town. I was interested in California myself at that time, though I’d never seen it, and we’d talk of that and other things till, bit by bit, we drifted nearer and nearer together and the day came when we were engaged. I thought that was the happiest day of my life, and it would have been if she’d stayed true to her promises.”
 
The clock struck the single silvery note of the half-hour and Dominick heard it. He was interested in the story, but he had only another half-hour to give, and said as Buford paused,
 
“Go on. It’s very interesting. Don’t stop.”
 
“The first step in our married life that seemed to me strange, that cast, not what you’d call a cloud, but a shadow, over my happiness, was that she insisted on keeping the marriage secret. She had several reasons, all of which seemed good and sufficient to her. She said her people would not like her marrying a stranger away from home, and that they’d cut up very ugly when they heard it. Her principal reason, and the only one that seemed to me to have any force, was that she feared she’d lose her job. She had it on good authority that the firm where she worked wouldn’t employ married women, and if they knew she’d got a husband who was making a[456] fair salary, they’d give her the sack. Whether it was for all the reasons together, or for just this one I don’t know, but she’d only marry me if I’d solemnly promise to keep the matter secret. I’d have promised her anything. She’d out and out bewitched me.
 
“So we were married and went to housekeeping in a little flat in a suburb. We had our mail sent to our old address at Mrs. Heeney’s. She was in our secret, the only person who was. We had to let her know because of the letters, and inquiries53 that might have been made for us from time to time. We were married in the winter, and that winter was the happiest time of my life. I’ll never forget it. That little flat, and that little black-eyed woman,—they were just Paradise and the angel in it for me. Not but what she had her faults; she was hot-tempered, quick to flare54 up, and sharp with her tongue. But I never cared—just let her sputter55 and fizz till she’d worked it all off and then I’d take things up where they were before the eruption56 began. It was a happy time—a man in love and a woman that keeps him loving—you can’t beat it this side of Heaven.”
 
Dominick made no answer. The actor for a moment was silent and then with a sigh went on.
 
“I suppose it was too good to last. Anyway, it ended. We’d lived that way for six months when in the beginning of June the Dramatic[457] School failed and I lost my job. It came on us with almost no warning, and it sort of knocked us out for a bit. I wasn’t as upset by it as Mrs. Carter was, but she—”
 
“Who’s Mrs. Carter?” said Dominick.
 
“My wife. That’s my name, Junius Carter. Of course the name I use on the stage is not my own. I took that in the Klondike, made it up from my mother’s and the name of a pard I had who died. Well, as I was saying, Mrs. Carter took it hard. She couldn’t seem to get reconciled to it. I tried to brace57 her up and told her it would only be temporary, and I’d get another place soon, but she was terribly upset. We’d lived well, not saved a cent, furnished the flat nicely and kept a servant. There was nothing for it but to live on what she made. It was hard on her, but I’ve often thought she might have been easier on me. I didn’t want to be idle or eat the bread she paid for, the Lord knows! I tried hard enough to get work. I tramped those streets in sun and rain till the shoes were falling off my feet. But the times were hard, money was tight, and good jobs were not to be had for the asking. One of the worst features of the case was that I hadn’t any regular line of work or profession. The kind of thing I’d been doing don’t fit a man for any kind of job. If I couldn’t do my own kind of stunt58 I’d have to be just a general handy-man or stevedore59, and I’m not what you’d call rugged60.
 
[458]“It was an awful summer! The heat was fierce. Our little flat was like an oven and, after my long day’s tramp after work, I used to go home just dead beat and lie on the lounge and not say a word. My wife was worn out. She wasn’t accustomed to warm weather, and that and the worry and the hard work sort of wore on her, and there were evenings when she’d slash61 round so with her tongue that I’d get up, half-dead as I was, and go out and sit on the door-step till she’d gone to bed. I’m not blaming her. She had enough to try her. Working at her machine all day in that weather would wear anybody’s temper to a frazzle. But she said some things to me that bit pretty deep. It seemed impossible it could be the same woman I’d got to know so well at Mrs. Heeney’s. We were both just about used up, thin as fiddle-strings, and like fiddle-strings ready to snap at a touch. Seems queer to think that thirty-five dollars a week could make such a difference! With it we were in Paradise; without it we were as near the other place as people can get, I guess.
 
“Well, it was too much for her. She was one of those women who can’t stand hardships and she couldn’t make out in the position she was in. Love wasn’t enough for her, there had to be luxury and comfort, too. One day I came home and she was gone. No,” in answer to a look of inquiry62 on Dominick’s face, “there was no other[459] man. She wasn’t that kind, always as straight as a string. No, she just couldn’t stand the grind any longer. She left a letter in which she said some pretty hard things to me, but I’ve tried to forget and not bear malice63. It was a woman half crazy with heat and nerves and overwork that wrote them. The gist64 of it was that she’d gone back to California, to her sisters who lived there, and she was not coming back. She didn’t like it,—marriage, or me, or Chicago. She was just going to throw the whole business overboard. She told me if I followed her, or tried to hold her, she’d disappear, hinted that she’d kill herself. That was enough for me. God knows if she didn’t want me I wasn’t going to force myself upon her. And, anyway, she knew fast enough I couldn’t follow her. I hadn’t money to have my shoes patched, much less buy a ticket to California.
 
“After that there were some dark days for me. Deserted, with no money, with no work, and no prospects—I tell you that’s the time the iron goes down into a man’s soul. I didn’t know what was going to become of me, and I didn’t care. One day on the street I met an old chum of mine, a fellow called Defay, that I hadn’t seen for years. He was going to the Klondike, and when he heard my hard-luck story, he proposed to me to join forces and go along with him. I jumped at it, anything to get away from that[460] town and state that was haunted with memories of her.
 
“It was just the beginning of the gold rush and we went up there and stayed for two years. Defay was one of the finest men I ever knew. Life’s all extremes and contrasts; there’s a sort of balance to it if you come to look close into it. I’d had an experience with the kind of woman that breaks a man’s heart as you might a pipe-stem, then I ran up against the kind of man that gives you back your belief in human nature. He died of typhoid a year and a half after we got there. I had it first and nearly died; in fact, the rumor65 went out that it was I that was dead and not Defay. As I changed my name and went on the stage soon afterward, it was natural enough for people to say Junius Carter was dead.
 
“I was pretty near starving when I drifted on the stage. I had learned some conjuring66 tricks, and that and my voice took me there. I just about made a living for a year, and then I floated back down here. I never played in San Francisco till now. I acted on the western circuits, used to go as far East as Denver and Kansas City, and then swing round the circle through the northwestern cities and Salt Lake. I managed to make a living and no more. I was cast in parts that didn’t suit me. The ‘Klondike Monologue’ was the first thing I did that was in my line.”
 
[461]“Did you never see or hear of your wife?”
 
“Not a word. I didn’t know whether she was dead or living till last night.”
 
Buford raised his eyes and looked piercingly into the young man’s face. Dominick forgot the time, his engagement, Berny’s anticipated entrance. He drew himself up in his chair and said in a loud, astonished voice,
 
“Last night? Then the woman you saw here last night was your wife?”
 
The actor gravely inclined his head.
 
“I saw my wife,” he said solemnly, “last night at Deledda’s restaurant. It was entirely67 by accident. I liked the Mexican cooking and had been more than once to that place. Last night I was about to enter the back part of the restaurant when I saw her sitting there alone in the corner. For a moment I could not believe my eyes. I got behind a lace curtain and watched her. She was changed but it was she. I heard her speak to the waiter and if I’d never seen her face I’d have known the voice among a thousand. She’d grown stouter68 and I think even prettier, and she looked as if she were prosperous. She was well-dressed and her hands were covered with rings. When she went out I followed her and she came straight here from the restaurant and rang the bell and came in.”
 
“Are you sure she didn’t go into one of the other flats? There are four in the building.”
 
[462]“No, she came in here. I compared the number on the transom with the address you’d given me on the card.”
 
“What an extraordinary thing!” said Dominick. “It’s evidently some one my wife knows who came to see her that evening, probably to keep her company while I was out. But I can’t think who it could be.”
 
He tried to run over in his mind which one of Berny’s acquaintances the description might fit and could think of no one. Probably it was some friend of her working-girl days, who had dropped out of her life and now, guided by Fate had unexpectedly reappeared.
 
“It’s certainly a remarkable69 coincidence,” he went on, “that she should have come to this flat, one of the few places in the city where you know the people. If she’d gone to any of the others——”
 
A ring at the bell stopped him.
 
“There!” he said, “that’s Mrs. Ryan. Now we’ll hear who it was.”
 
For a moment they both sat silent, listening, the actor with his face looking sharp and pale in the suspense70 of the moment, the muscles of his lean cheeks working. The rustle of Berny’s dress sounded from the stairway and grew in volume as she slowly ascended71. The two men rose to their feet.
 
“Come in the den for a moment, Berny,”[463] Dominick called. “There’s a gentleman here who wants to see you.”
 
The rustle advanced up the hall, and the portière was drawn back. Bernice, brilliantly dressed, a mauve orchid72 pinned on her bosom73, stood in the aperture74, smiling.
 
Buford’s back was against the light, and, for the first moment she only saw him as a tall masculine outline and her smile was frank and natural. But he saw her plain as a picture and before Dominick could frame the words of introduction, started forward, crying,
 
“Bernice Iverson!”
 
She drew back as if struck and made a movement to drag the portière over her. Her face went white to the lips, the patches of rouge75 standing out on her cheeks like rose-leaves pasted on the sickly skin.
 
“Who—who’s that?” she stammered76, turning a wild eye on Dominick.
 
“Mr. Ryan,” the actor cried, beside himself with excitement, “this is my wife! This is the woman I’ve been talking of! Bernice, don’t you know me? Junius Carter?”
 
“He’s crazy,” she faltered77, her lips so loose and tremulous they could hardly form the words. “I never saw him before. I don’t know what he’s talking about. Who’s Junius Carter?”
 
“This is my wife, Mr. Buford,” said Dominick, who had been staring from one to the other in[464] blank astonishment78. “We’ve been married nearly three years. I don’t understand——”
 
“It’s Bernice Iverson, the girl I married in Chicago, that I’ve just been telling you about, that I saw last night at the Mexican restaurant. Why, she can’t deny it. She can’t look at me and say she doesn’t know me—Junius Carter, the man she married in the Methodist chapel79, seven years ago, in Chicago. Bernice——”
 
He approached her and she shrank back.
 
“Keep away from me,” she cried hoarsely80, stretching out a trembling hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re crazy. Junius Carter’s dead—” then suddenly turning on Dominick with a blazing look of fury—“It’s you that have done this! It’s you, you snake! I’ll be even with you yet!”
 
She tore herself out of the folds of the portière which she had clutched to her and rushed into the hall and into her own room. The banging of the door behind her shook the house.
 
The two men stood as she had left them, staring at each other, not knowing what to say, speechless and aghast.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 den 5w9xk     
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室
参考例句:
  • There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
  • The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。
2 sham RsxyV     
n./adj.假冒(的),虚伪(的)
参考例句:
  • They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
  • His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。
3 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 undoubtedly Mfjz6l     
adv.确实地,无疑地
参考例句:
  • It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
  • He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
5 dispelled 7e96c70e1d822dbda8e7a89ae71a8e9a     
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。
  • The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 bourgeois ERoyR     
adj./n.追求物质享受的(人);中产阶级分子
参考例句:
  • He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。
  • The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。
7 rustle thPyl     
v.沙沙作响;偷盗(牛、马等);n.沙沙声声
参考例句:
  • She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。
  • He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。
8 sprawling 3ff3e560ffc2f12f222ef624d5807902     
adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
  • a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇
9 urbane GKUzG     
adj.温文尔雅的,懂礼的
参考例句:
  • He tried hard to be urbane.他极力作出彬彬有礼的神态。
  • Despite the crisis,the chairman's voice was urbane as usual.尽管处于危机之中,董事长的声音还象通常一样温文尔雅。
10 benign 2t2zw     
adj.善良的,慈祥的;良性的,无危险的
参考例句:
  • The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
  • Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。
11 elegance QjPzj     
n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙
参考例句:
  • The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
  • John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。
12 bestowing ec153f37767cf4f7ef2c4afd6905b0fb     
砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖
参考例句:
  • Apollo, you see, is bestowing the razor on the Triptolemus of our craft. 你瞧,阿波罗正在把剃刀赠给我们这项手艺的特里泼托勒默斯。
  • What thanks do we not owe to Heaven for thus bestowing tranquillity, health and competence! 我们要谢谢上苍,赐我们的安乐、健康和饱暖。
13 unctuous nllwY     
adj.油腔滑调的,大胆的
参考例句:
  • He speaks in unctuous tones.他说话油腔滑调。
  • He made an unctuous assurance.他做了个虚请假意的承诺。
14 benediction 6Q4y0     
n.祝福;恩赐
参考例句:
  • The priest pronounced a benediction over the couple at the end of the marriage ceremony.牧师在婚礼结束时为新婚夫妇祈求上帝赐福。
  • He went abroad with his parents' benediction.他带着父母的祝福出国去了。
15 cozy ozdx0     
adj.亲如手足的,密切的,暖和舒服的
参考例句:
  • I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯,因为他们是舒适的。
  • We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
16 attentive pOKyB     
adj.注意的,专心的;关心(别人)的,殷勤的
参考例句:
  • She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
  • The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。
17 scrutiny ZDgz6     
n.详细检查,仔细观察
参考例句:
  • His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好,但是经不起仔细检查。
  • Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。
18 blandness daf94019dba9916badfff53f8a741639     
n.温柔,爽快
参考例句:
  • Blandness in the basic politics of the media became standard. 传播媒介在基本政治问题上通常采取温和的态度。 来自辞典例句
  • Those people who predicted an exercise in bureaucratic blandness were confounded. 那些认为这一系列政治活动将会冠冕堂皇的走过场的人是糊涂和愚蠢的。 来自互联网
19 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
20 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
21 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
22 query iS4xJ     
n.疑问,问号,质问;vt.询问,表示怀疑
参考例句:
  • I query very much whether it is wise to act so hastily.我真怀疑如此操之过急地行动是否明智。
  • They raised a query on his sincerity.他们对他是否真诚提出质疑。
23 cane RsNzT     
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的
参考例句:
  • This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
  • English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。
24 divan L8Byv     
n.长沙发;(波斯或其他东方诗人的)诗集
参考例句:
  • Lord Henry stretched himself out on the divan and laughed.亨利勋爵伸手摊脚地躺在沙发椅上,笑着。
  • She noticed that Muffat was sitting resignedly on a narrow divan-bed.她看见莫法正垂头丧气地坐在一张不宽的坐床上。
25 anticipation iMTyh     
n.预期,预料,期望
参考例句:
  • We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着,期待她的到来。
  • The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安,像是感到了地震即将发生。
26 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
27 impatience OaOxC     
n.不耐烦,急躁
参考例句:
  • He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢,他显得不耐烦。
  • He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。
28 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
29 intensity 45Ixd     
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度
参考例句:
  • I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
  • The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。
30 intrigued 7acc2a75074482e2b408c60187e27c73     
adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧!
  • He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。
31 antelope fwKzN     
n.羚羊;羚羊皮
参考例句:
  • Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。
  • The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。
32 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
33 sitting-room sitting-room     
n.(BrE)客厅,起居室
参考例句:
  • The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
  • Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。
34 cannon 3T8yc     
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮
参考例句:
  • The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
  • The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。
35 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
36 allusion CfnyW     
n.暗示,间接提示
参考例句:
  • He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
  • She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。
37 theatrical pIRzF     
adj.剧场的,演戏的;做戏似的,做作的
参考例句:
  • The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果,叫人失望。
  • She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。
38 pomposity QOJxO     
n.浮华;虚夸;炫耀;自负
参考例句:
  • He hated pomposity and disliked being called a genius. 他憎恶自负的作派,而且不喜欢被称为天才。 来自辞典例句
  • Nothing could deflate his ego/pomposity, ie make him less self-assured or pompous. 任何事都不能削弱他的自信心[气焰]。 来自辞典例句
39 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
40 esteemed ftyzcF     
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为
参考例句:
  • The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
41 doctrines 640cf8a59933d263237ff3d9e5a0f12e     
n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 );教义;学说;(政府政策的)正式声明
参考例句:
  • To modern eyes, such doctrines appear harsh, even cruel. 从现代的角度看,这样的教义显得苛刻,甚至残酷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
42 pastor h3Ozz     
n.牧师,牧人
参考例句:
  • He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
  • We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师:教会的事是由五位执事管理的。
43 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
44 disciple LPvzm     
n.信徒,门徒,追随者
参考例句:
  • Your disciple failed to welcome you.你的徒弟没能迎接你。
  • He was an ardent disciple of Gandhi.他是甘地的忠实信徒。
45 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
46 resonant TBCzC     
adj.(声音)洪亮的,共鸣的
参考例句:
  • She has a resonant voice.她的嗓子真亮。
  • He responded with a resonant laugh.他报以洪亮的笑声。
47 stipend kuPwO     
n.薪贴;奖学金;养老金
参考例句:
  • The company is going to ajust my stipend from this month onwards.从这一个月开始公司将对我的薪金作调整。
  • This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。
48 contented Gvxzof     
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
参考例句:
  • He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
  • The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
49 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
50 stenographer fu3w0     
n.速记员
参考例句:
  • The police stenographer recorded the man's confession word by word. 警察局速记员逐字记下了那个人的供词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • A qualified stenographer is not necessarily a competent secretary. 一个合格的速记员不一定就是个称职的秘书。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
51 sloppy 1E3zO     
adj.邋遢的,不整洁的
参考例句:
  • If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎,我话说在头里,可要给你打不及格了。
  • Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。
52 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
53 inquiries 86a54c7f2b27c02acf9fcb16a31c4b57     
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释,等候进一步调查。
  • I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
54 flare LgQz9     
v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发
参考例句:
  • The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
  • You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。
55 sputter 1Ggzr     
n.喷溅声;v.喷溅
参考例句:
  • The engine gave a sputter and died.引擎发出一阵劈啪声就熄火了。
  • Engines sputtered to life again.发动机噼啪噼啪地重新开动了。
56 eruption UomxV     
n.火山爆发;(战争等)爆发;(疾病等)发作
参考例句:
  • The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
  • The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。
57 brace 0WzzE     
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备
参考例句:
  • My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
  • You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。
58 stunt otxwC     
n.惊人表演,绝技,特技;vt.阻碍...发育,妨碍...生长
参考例句:
  • Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
  • Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。
59 stevedore 8hIz8h     
n.码头工人;v.装载货物
参考例句:
  • The stevedores'work is to load and unload ships.装卸工人的工作是装卸船只。
  • The stevedores are reluctant to be ordered around by the employers.装卸工人们不愿被雇主们差来遣去地随便使唤。
60 rugged yXVxX     
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
参考例句:
  • Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
  • The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
61 slash Hrsyq     
vi.大幅度削减;vt.猛砍,尖锐抨击,大幅减少;n.猛砍,斜线,长切口,衣衩
参考例句:
  • The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
  • Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。
62 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
63 malice P8LzW     
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋
参考例句:
  • I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
  • There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。
64 gist y6ayC     
n.要旨;梗概
参考例句:
  • Can you give me the gist of this report?你能告诉我这个报告的要点吗?
  • He is quick in grasping the gist of a book.他敏于了解书的要点。
65 rumor qS0zZ     
n.谣言,谣传,传说
参考例句:
  • The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
  • The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。
66 conjuring IYdyC     
n.魔术
参考例句:
  • Paul's very good at conjuring. 保罗很会变戏法。
  • The entertainer didn't fool us with his conjuring. 那个艺人变的戏法没有骗到我们。
67 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
68 stouter a38d488ccb0bcd8e699a7eae556d4bac     
粗壮的( stout的比较级 ); 结实的; 坚固的; 坚定的
参考例句:
  • Freddie was much stouter, more benevolent-looking, cheerful, and far more dandified. 弗烈特显得更魁伟,更善良、更快活,尤其更像花花公子。 来自教父部分
  • Why hadn't she thought of putting on stouter shoes last night? 她昨天晚上怎么没想起换上一双硬些的鞋呢?
69 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
70 suspense 9rJw3     
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑
参考例句:
  • The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
  • The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。
71 ascended ea3eb8c332a31fe6393293199b82c425     
v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》
72 orchid b02yP     
n.兰花,淡紫色
参考例句:
  • The orchid is a class of plant which I have never tried to grow.兰花这类植物我从来没种过。
  • There are over 35 000 species of orchid distributed throughout the world.有35,000多种兰花分布在世界各地。
73 bosom Lt9zW     
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的
参考例句:
  • She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
  • A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
74 aperture IwFzW     
n.孔,隙,窄的缺口
参考例句:
  • The only light came through a narrow aperture.仅有的光亮来自一个小孔。
  • We saw light through a small aperture in the wall.我们透过墙上的小孔看到了亮光。
75 rouge nX7xI     
n.胭脂,口红唇膏;v.(在…上)擦口红
参考例句:
  • Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂,使脸更漂亮。
  • She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮,不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。
76 stammered 76088bc9384c91d5745fd550a9d81721     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠,结结巴巴地说,“你是什么意思?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
77 faltered d034d50ce5a8004ff403ab402f79ec8d     
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃
参考例句:
  • He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
  • "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着:“这孩子脑袋真长。”
78 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇,惊异
参考例句:
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
79 chapel UXNzg     
n.小教堂,殡仪馆
参考例句:
  • The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
  • She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
80 hoarsely hoarsely     
adv.嘶哑地
参考例句:
  • "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
  • Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记


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