Chapter 1

1915-1917 MEGGIE 1On December 8th, 1915, Meggie Cleary had her fourth birthday. After the breakfast dishes were put away hermother silently thrust a brown paper parcel into her arms and ordered her outside. So Meggie squatted¹ downbehind the gorse bush next to the front gate and tugged² impatiently. Her fingers were clumsy, the wrappingheavy; it smelled faintly of the Wahine general store, which told her that whatever lay inside the parcel hadmiraculously been bought, not homemade or donated. Something fine and mistily⁴ gold began to poke⁵ through acorner; she attacked the paper faster, peeling it away in long, ragged⁶ strips. "Agnes! Oh, Agnes!" she saidlovingly, blinking at the doll lying there in a tattered⁸ nest. A miracle indeed. Only once in her life had Meggiebeen into Wahine; all the way back in May, because she had been a very good girl. So perched in the buggybeside her mother, on her best behavior, she had been too excited to see or remember much. Except for Agnes,the beautiful doll sitting on the store counter, dressed in a crinoline of pink satin with cream lace frills all over it.

Right then and there in her mind she had christened it Agnes, the only name she knew elegant enough for such apeerless creature. Yet over the en-3 suing months her yearning⁹ after Agnes contained nothing of hope; Meggiedidn't own a doll and had no idea little girls and dolls belonged together. She played happily with the whistlesand slingshots and battered¹¹ soldiers her brothers discarded, got her hands dirty and her boots muddy. It neveroccurred to her that Agnes was to play with. Stroking the bright pink folds of the dress, grander than any she hadever seen on a human woman, she picked Agnes up tenderly. The doll had jointed¹³ arms and legs which could bemoved anywhere; even her neck and tiny, shapely waist were jointed. Her golden hair was exquisitely¹⁴ dressed ina high pompadour studded with pearls, her pale bosom¹⁶ peeped out of a foaming¹⁷ fichu of cream lace fastened witha pearl pin. The finely painted bone china face was beautiful, left unglazed to give the delicately tinted¹⁹ skin anatural matte texture²⁰. Astonishingly lifelike blue eyes shone between lashes²¹ of real hair, their irises²² streaked²³ andcircled with a darker blue; fascinated, Meggie discovered that when Agnes lay back far enough, her eyes closed.

High on one faintly flushed cheek she had a black beauty mark, and her dusky mouth was parted slightly to showtiny white teeth. Meggie put the doll gently on her lap, crossed her feet under her comfortably, and sat justlooking. She was still sitting behind the gorse bush when Jack²⁵ and Hughie came rustling²⁶ through the grass whereit was too close to the fence to feel a scythe²⁷. Her hair was the typical Cleary beacon²⁸, all the Cleary children saveFrank being martyred by a thatch²⁹ some shade of red; Jack nudged his brother and pointed³⁰ gleefully. Theyseparated, grinning at each other, and pretended they were troopers after a Maori renegade. Meggie would nothave heard them anyway, so engrossed³² was she in Agnes, humming softly to herself. "What's that you've got,Meggie?" Jack shouted, pouncing³³. "Show us!" "Yes, show us!" Hughie giggled³⁴, outflanking her.

She clasped the doll against her chest and shook her head. "No, she's mine! I got her for my birthday!""Show us, go on! We just want to have a look."Pride and joy won out. She held the doll so her brothers could see. "Look, isn't she beautiful? Her name isAgnes.""Agnes? Agnes?" Jack gagged realistically. "What a soppy name! Why don't you call her Margaret or Betty?""Because she's Agnes!"Hughie noticed the joint¹² in the doll's wrist, and whistled. "Hey, Jack, look! It can move its hand!""Where? Let's see.""No!" Meggie hugged the doll close again, tears forming. "No, you'll break her! Oh, Jack, don't take her awayyou'llbreak her!" "Pooh!" His dirty brown hands locked about her wrists, closing tightly. "Want a Chinese burn?

And don't be such a crybaby, or I'll tell Bob." He squeezed her skin in opposite directions until it stretchedwhitely, as Hughie got hold of the doll's skirts and pulled. "Gimme, or I'll do it really hard!""No! Don't, Jack, please don't! You'll break her, I know you will! Oh, please leave her alone! Don't take her,please!" In spite of the cruel grip on her wrists she clung to the doll, sobbing³⁷ and kicking. "Got it" Hughiewhooped, as the doll slid under Meggie's crossed forearms. Jack and Hughie found her just as fascinating asMeggie had; off came the dress, the petticoats and long, frilly drawers. Agnes lay naked while the boys pushedand pulled at her, forcing one foot round the back of her head, making her look down her spine⁴⁰, every possiblecontortion they could think of. They took no notice of Meggie as she stood crying; it did not occur to her to seekhelp, for in the Cleary family those who could not fight their own battles got scant⁴² aid or sympathy, and thatwent for girls, too.

The doll's golden hair tumbled down, the pearls flew winking⁴³ into the long grass and disappeared. A dusty bootcame down thoughtlessly on the abandoned dress, smearing⁴⁴ grease from the smithy across its satin. Meggiedropped to her knees, scrabbling frantically⁴⁵ to collect the miniature clothes before more damage was done them,then she began picking among the grass blades where she thought the pearls might have fallen. Her tears wereblinding her, the grief in her heart new, for until now she had never owned anything worth grieving for.

Frank threw the shoe hissing⁴⁷ into cold water and straightened his back; it didn't ache these days, so perhaps hewas used to smithying. Not before time, his father would have said, after six months at it. But Frank knew verywell how long it was since his introduction to the forge and anvil⁴⁹; he had measured the time in hatred⁵⁰ andresentment. Throwing the hammer into its box, he pushed the lank³⁵ black hair off his brow with a trembling handand dragged the old leather apron⁵² from around his neck. His shirt lay on a heap of straw in the corner; he ploddedacross to it and stood for a moment staring at the splintering barn wall as if it did not exist, his black eyes wideand fixed⁵⁴. He was very small, not above five feet three inches, and thin still as striplings are, but the bareshoulders and arms had muscles already knotted from working with the hammer, and the pale, flawless skingleamed with sweat. The darkness of his hair and eyes had a foreign tang, his full-lipped mouth and wide-bridged nose not the usual family shape, but there was Maori blood on his mother's side and in him it showed. Hewas nearly sixteen years old, where Bob was barely eleven, Jack ten, Hughie nine, Stuart five and little Meggiethree. Then he remembered that today Meggie was four; it was December 8th. He put on his shirt and left thebarn.

The house lay on top of a small hill about one hundred feet higher than the barn and stables. Like all NewZealand houses, it was wooden, rambling⁵⁵ over many squares and of one story only, on the theory that if anearthquake struck, some of it might be left standing⁵⁶. Around it gorse grew everywhere, at the moment smotheredin rich yellow flowers; the grass was green and luxuriant, like all New Zealand grass. Not even in the middle ofwinter, when the frost sometimes lay unmelted all day in the shade, did the grass turn brown, and the long, mildsummer only tinted it an even richer green. The rains fell gently without bruising⁵⁷ the tender sweetness of allgrowing things, there was no snow, and the sun had just enough strength to cherish, never enough to sap. NewZealand's scourges⁵⁸ thundered up out of the bowels⁵⁹ of the earth rather than descended⁶⁰ from the skies. There wasalways a suffocated⁶¹ sense of waiting, an intangible shuddering⁶² and thumping⁶⁴ that actually transmitted itselfthrough the feet. For beneath the ground lay awesome⁶⁵ power, power of such magnitude that thirty years before awhole towering mountain had disappeared; steam gushed⁶⁶ howling out of cracks in the sides of innocent hills,volcanoes spurned⁶⁷ smoke into the sky and the alpine⁶⁸ streams ran warm. Huge lakes of mud boiled oilily, the seaslapped uncertainly at cliffs which might not be there to greet the next incoming tide, and in places the earth'scrust was only nine hundred feet thick. Yet it was a gentle, gracious land. Beyond the house stretched anundulating plain as green as the emerald in Fiona Cleary's engagement ring, dotted with thousands of creamybundles close proximity⁷⁰ revealed as sheep. Where the curving hills scalloped the edge of the lightblue sky MountEgmont soared ten thousand feet, sloping into the clouds, its sides still white with snow, its symmetry so perfectthat even those like Frank who saw it every day of their lives never ceased to marvel⁷¹.

It was quite a pull from the barn to the house, but Frank hurried because he knew he ought not to be going; hisfather's orders were explicit⁷². Then as he rounded the corner of the house he saw the little group by the gorsebush.

Frank had driven his mother into Wahine to buy Meggie's doll, and he was still wondering what had promptedher to do it. She wasn't given to impractical⁷³ birthday presents, there wasn't the money for them, and she hadnever given a toy to anyone before. They all got clothes; birthdays and Christmases replenished⁷⁴ sparsewardrobes. But apparently⁷⁵ Meggie had seen the doll on her one and only trip into town, and Fiona had notforgotten. When Frank questioned her, she muttered something about a girl needing a doll, and quickly changedthe subject.

Jack and Hughie had the doll between them on the front path, manipulating its joints⁷⁶ callously⁷⁷. All Frank couldsee of Meggie was her back, as she stood watching her brothers desecrate⁷⁸ Agnes. Her neat white socks hadslipped in crinkled folds around her little black boots, and the pink of her legs was visible for three or four inchesbelow the hem³¹ of her brown velvet⁷⁹ Sunday dress. Down her back cascaded⁸⁰ a mane of carefully curled hair,sparkling in the sun; not red and not gold, but somewhere in between. The white taffeta bow which held the frontcurls back from her face hung draggled and limp; dust smeared⁸¹ her dress. She held the doll's clothes tightly inone hand, the other pushing vainly at Hughie.

"You bloody⁸² little bastards⁸³!"Jack and Hughie scrambled⁸⁴ to their feet and ran, the doll forgotten; when Frank swore it was politic⁸⁵ to run.

"If I catch you flaming little twerps touching⁸⁶ that doll again I'll brand your shitty little arses!" Frank yelled afterthem. He bent⁸⁷ down and took Meggie's shoulders between his hands, shaking her gently.

"Here, here there's no need to cry! Come on now, they've gone and they'll never touch your dolly again, Ipromise. Give me a smile for your birthday, eh?"Her face was swollen⁸⁸, her eyes running; she stared at Frank out of grey eyes so large and full of tragedy that hefelt his throat tighten⁸⁹. Pulling a dirty rag from his breeches pocket, he rubbed it clumsily over her face, thenpinched her nose between its folds.

"Blow!"She did as she was told, hiccuping⁹⁰ noisily as her tears dried. "Oh, Fruh-Fruh-Frank, they too-too-took Agnesaway from me!" She sniffled. "Her huh-huh-hair all failed down and she loh-loh-lost all the pretty widdle puhpuh-pearls in it! They all failed in the gruh-gruhgrass and I can't end them!"The tears welled up again, splashing on Frank's hand; he stared at his wet skin for a moment, then licked thedrops off.

"Well, we'll have to find them, won't we? But you can't find anything while you're crying, you know, and what'sall this baby talk? I haven't heard you say "widdle" instead of "little' for six months! Here, blow your nose againand then pick up poor . . . Agnes? If you don't put her clothes on, she'll get sunburned."He made her sit on the edge of the path and gave her the doll gently, then he crawled about searching the grassuntil he gave a triumphant⁹¹ whoop³⁸ and held up a pearl.

"There! First one! We'll find them all, you wait and see."Meggie watched her oldest brother adoringly while he picked among the grass blades, holding up each pearl ashe found it; then she remembered how delicate Agnes's skin must be, how easily it must Burn, and bent herattention on clothing the doll. There did not seem any real injury. Her hair was tangled⁹² and loose, her arms andlegs dirty where the boys had pushed and pulled at them, but everything still worked. A tortoiseshell combnestled above each of Meggie's ears; she tugged at one until it came free, and began to comb Agnes's hair, whichwas genuine human hair, skillfully knotted onto a base of glue and gauze, and bleached⁹⁴ until it was the color ofgilded straw. She was yanking inexpertly at a large knot when the dreadful thing happened. Off came the hair, allof it, dangling⁹⁵ in a tousled clump⁹⁶ from the teeth of the comb. Above Agnes's smooth broad brow there wasnothing; no head, no bald skull⁹⁷. Just an awful, yawning hole. Shivering in terror, Meggie leaned forward to peerinside the doll's cranium. The inverted⁹⁹ contours of cheeks and chin showed dimly, light glittered between theparted lips with their teeth a black, animal silhouette¹⁰⁰, and above all this were Agnes's eyes, two horrible clickingballs speared by a wire rod that cruelly pierced her head.

Meggie's scream was high and thin, unchildlike; she flung Agnes away and went on screaming, hands coveringher face, shaking and shuddering. Then she felt Frank pull at her fingers and take her into his arms, pushing herface into the side of his neck. Wrapping her arms about him, she took comfort from him until his nearnesscalmed her enough to become aware of how nice he smelled, all horses and sweat and iron.

When she quietened, Frank made her tell him what was the matter; he picked up the doll and stared into itsempty head in wonder, trying to remember if his infant universe had been so beset¹⁰¹ by strange terrors. But hisunpleasant phantoms¹⁰² were of people and whispers and cold glances. Of his mother's face pinched and shrinking,her hand trembling as it held his, the set of her shoulders.

What had Meggie seen, to make her take on so? He fancied she would not have been nearly so upset if poorAgnes had only bled when she lost her hair. Bleeding was a fact; someone in the Cleary family bled copiously¹⁰³ atleast once a week.

"Her eyes, her eyed" Meggie whispered, refusing to look at the doll.

"She's a bloody marvel, Meggie," he murmured, his face nuzzling into her hair. How fine it was, how rich andfull of color! It took him half an hour of cajoling to make her look at Agnes, and half an hour more elapsedbefore he could persuade her to peer into the scalped hole. He showed her how the eyes worked, how verycarefully they had been aligned¹⁰⁴ to fit snugly¹⁰⁵ yet swing easily opened or closed. "Come on now, it's time youwent inside," he told her, swinging her up into his arms and tucking the doll between his chest and hers. "We'llget Mum to fix her up, eh? We'll wash and iron her clothes, and glue on her hair again. I'll make you some properhairpins out of those pearls, too, so they can't fall out and you can do her hair in all sorts of ways."Fiona Cleary was in the kitchen, peeling potatoes. She was a very handsome, very fair woman a little undermedium height, but rather hard-faced and stern; she had an excellent figure with a tiny waist which had notthickened, in spite of the six babies she had carried beneath it. Her dress was grey calico, its skirts brushing thespotless floor, its front protected by an enormous starched¹⁰⁶ white apron that looped around her neck and tied inthe small of her spine with a crisp, perfect bow. From waking to sleeping she lived in the kitchen and backgarden, her stout¹⁰⁷ black boots beating a circular path from stove to laundry to vegetable patch to clotheslines andthence to the stove again.

She put her knife on the table and stared at Frank and Meggie, the corners of her beautiful mouth turning down.

"Meggie, I let you put on your Sunday-best dress this morning on one condition, that you didn't get it dirty. Andlook at you! What a little grub you are!""Mum, it wasn't her fault," Frank protested. "Jack and Hughie took her dollaway to try and find out how the arms and legs worked. I promised we'd fix it up as good as new. We can, can'twe?""Let me see." Fee held out her hand for the doll. She was a silent woman, not given to spontaneousconversation. What she thought, no one ever knew, even her husband; she left the disciplining of the children tohim, and did whatever he commanded without comment or complaint unless the circumstances were mostunusual. Meggie had heard the boys whispering that she stood in as much awe³⁹ of Daddy as they did, but if thatwas true she hid it under a veneer¹⁰⁹ of impenetrable, slightly dour¹⁵ calm. She never laughed, nor did she ever loseher temper. Finished her inspection¹¹⁰, Fee laid Agnes on the dresser near the stove and looked at Meggie.

"I'll wash her clothes tomorrow morning, and do her hair again. Frank can glue the hair on after tea tonight, Isuppose, and give her a bath." The words were matter-of-fact rather than comforting. Meggie nodded, smilinguncertainly; sometimes she wanted so badly to hear her mother laugh, but her mother never did. She sensed thatthey shared a special something not common to Daddy and the boys, but there was no reaching beyond that rigidback, those never still feet. Mum would nod absently and flip¹¹¹ her voluminous skirts expertly from stove to tableas she continued working, working, working.

What none of the children save Frank could realize was that Fee was permanently¹¹², incurably¹¹³ tired. There was somuch to be done, hardly any money to do it with, not enough time, and only one pair of hands. She longed forthe day when Meggie would be old enough to help; already the child did simple tasks, but at barely four years ofage it couldn't possibly lighten the load. Six children, and only one of them, the youngest at that, a girl. All heracquaintances were simultaneously¹¹⁶ sympathetic and envious¹¹⁷, but that didn't get the work done. Her sewingbasket had a mountain of socks in it still undarned, her knitting needles held yet another sock, and there wasHughie growing out of his sweaters and Jack not ready to hand his down.

Padraic Cleary was to home the week of Meggie's birthday, purely¹¹⁸ by chance. It was too early for the shearingseason, and he had work locally, plowing¹²⁰ and planting. By profession he was a sheerer of sheep, a seasonaloccupation which lasted from the middle of summer to the end of winter, after which came lambing. Usually hemanaged to find plenty of work to tide him over spring and the first month of summer; helping¹²¹ with lambing,plowing, or spelling a local dairy farmer from his endless twice-a-day milking. Where there was work he went,leaving his family in the big old house to fend¹²² for themselves; not as harsh an action as it seemed. Unless onewas lucky enough to own land, that was what one had to do.

When he came in a little after sunset the lamps were lit, and shadows played flickering¹²⁴ games around the highceiling. The boys were clustered on the back veranda¹²⁵ playing with a frog, except for Frank; Padraic knew wherehe was, because he could hear the steady clocking of an axe¹²⁶ from the direction of the woodheap. He paused onthe veranda only long enough to plant a kick on Jack's backside and clip Bob's ear.

"Go and help Frank with the wood, you lazy little scamps. And it had better be done before Mum has tea on thetable, or there'll be skin and hair flying."He nodded to Fiona, busy at the stove; he did not kiss or embrace her, for he regarded displays of affectionbetween husband and wife as something suitable only for the bedroom. As he used the jack to haul off his mud-caked boots, Meggie came skipping with his slippers¹²⁷, and he grinned down at the little girl with the curious senseof wonder he always knew at sight of her. She was so pretty, such beautiful hair; he picked up a curl and pulled itout straight, then let it go, just to see it jiggle and bounce as it settled back into place. Picking the child up, hewent to sit in the only comfortable chair the kitchen possessed¹²⁸, a Windsor chair with a cushion tied to its seat,drawn¹²⁹ close to the fire. Sighing softly, he sat down in it and pulled out his pipe, carelessly tapping out the spentdottle of tobacco in its bowl onto the floor. Meggie cuddled down on his lap and wound her arms about his neck,her cool little face turned up to his as she played her nightly game of watching the light filter through his shortstubble of golden beard.

"How are you, Fee?" Padraic Cleary asked his wife. "All right, Paddy. Did you get the lower paddock donetoday?" "Yes, all done. I can start on the upper first thing in the morning. Lord, but I'm tired!""I'll bet. Did MacPherson give you the crotchety old mare¹³⁰ again?" "Too right. You don't think he'd take theanimal himself to let me have the roan, do you? My arms feel as if they've been pulled out of their sockets¹³¹. Iswear that mare has the hardest mouth in En Zed.""Never mind. Old Robertson's horses are all good, and you'll be there soon enough.""Can't be soon enough." He packed his pipe with coarse tobacco and pulled a taper¹³² from the big jar that stoodnear the stove. A quick flick¹²³ inside the firebox door and it caught; he leaned back in his chair and sucked sodeeply the pipe made bubbling noises. "How's it feel to be four, Meggie?" he asked his daughter.

"Pretty good, Daddy.""Did Mum give you your present?""Oh, Daddy, how did you and Mum guess I wanted Agnes?" "Agnes?" He looked swiftly toward Fee, smilingand quizzing her with his eyebrows¹³³. "Is that her name, Agnes?""Yes. She's beautiful, Daddy. I want to look at her all day." "She's lucky to have anything to look at," Fee saidgrimly. "Jack and Hughie got hold of the doll before poor Meggie had a chance to see it properly.""Well, boys will be boys. Is the damage bad?" "Nothing that can't be mended. Frank caught them before it wenttoo far." "Frank? What was he doing down here? He was supposed to be at the forgeall day. Hunter wants his gates.""He was at the forge all day. He just came down for a tool of some sort," Fee answered quickly; Padraic was toohard on Frank. "Oh, Daddy, Frank is the best brother! He saved my Agnes from being killed, and he's going toglue her hair on again for me after tea.""That's good," her father said drowsily¹³⁴, leaning his head back in the chair and closing his eyes.

It was hot in front of the stove, but he didn't seem to notice; beads¹³⁵ of sweat gathered on his forehead, glistening¹³⁶.

He put his arms behind his head and fell into a doze¹³⁸.

It was from Padraic Cleary that his children got their various shades of thick, waving red hair, though none hadinherited quite such an aggressively red head as his. He was a small man, all steel and springs in build, legsbowed from a lifetime among horses, arms elongated¹³⁹ from years shearing¹¹⁹ sheep; his chest and arms werecovered in a matted golden fuzz which would have been ugly had he been dark. His eyes were bright blue,crinkled up into a permanent squint¹⁴⁰ like a sailor's from gazing into the far distance, and his face was a pleasantone, with a whimsical smiling quality about it that made other men like him at a glance. His nose wasmagnificent, a true Roman nose which must have puzzled his Irish confreres, but Ireland has ever been ashipwreck coast. He still spoke¹⁴¹ with the soft quick slur¹⁴² of the Gal-15 way Irish, pronouncing his final t's asthis's, but almost twenty years in the Antipodes had forced a quaint¹¹⁵ overlay upon it, so that his a's came out as i'sand the speed of his speech had run down a little, like an old clock in need of a good winding¹⁴³. A happy man, hehad managed to weather his hard and drudging existence better than most, and though he was a rigiddisciplinarian with a heavy swing to his boot, all but one of his children adored him. If there was not enoughbread to go around, he went without; if it was a choice between new clothes for him or new clothes for one of hisoffspring, he went without. In its way, that was more reliable evidence of love than a million easy kisses. Histemper was very fiery¹⁴⁴, and he had killed a man once. Luck had been with him; the man was english, and therewas a ship in Dun Laoghaire harbor bound for New Zealand on the tide.

Fiona went to the back door and shouted, "Tea!" The boys trailed in gradually, Frank bringing up the rear withan armload of wood, which he dumped in the big box beside the stove. Padraic put Meggie down and walked tothe head of the non-company dining table at the far end of the kitchen, while the boys seated themselves aroundits sides and Meggie scrambled up on top of the wooden box her father put on the chair nearest to him.

Fee served the food directly onto dinner plates at her worktable, more quickly and efficiently¹⁴⁵ than a waiter; shecarried them two at a time to her family, Paddy first, then Frank, and so on down to Meggie, with herself last.

"Erckle! Stew¹⁴⁶!" said Stuart, pulling faces as he picked up his knife and fork. "Why did you have to name meafter stew?" "Eat it," his father growled¹⁴⁷.

The plates were big ones, and they were literally¹⁴⁸ heaped with food: boiled potatoes, lamb stew and beans cutthat day from the garden, ladled in huge portions. 16In spite of the muted groans¹⁴⁹ and sounds of disgust, everyone including Stu polished his plate clean with bread,and ate several slices more spread thickly with butter and native gooseberry jam. Fee sat down and bolted hermeal, then got up at once to hurry to her worktable again, where into big soup plates she doled¹⁵¹ out greatquantities of biscuit made with plenty of sugar and laced all through with jam. A river of steaming hot custardsauce was poured over each, and again she plodded⁵³ to the dining table with the plates, two at a time. Finally shesat down with a sigh; this she could eat at her leisure.

"Oh, goodie! Jam roly-poly!" Meggie exclaimed, slopping her spoon up and down in the custard until the jamseeped through to make pink streaks¹⁵² in the yellow.

"Well, Meggie girl, it's your birthday, so Mum made your favorite pudding," her father said, smiling.

There were no complaints this time; no matter what the pudding was, it was consumed with gusto. The Clearysall had a sweet tooth. No one carried a pound of superfluous¹⁵³ flesh, in spite of the vast quantities of starchy food.

They expended¹⁵⁴ every ounce they ate in work or play. Vegetables and fruit were eaten because they were good foryou, but it was the bread, potatoes, meat and hot floury puddings which staved off exhaustion¹⁵⁵.

After Fee had poured everyone a cup of tea from her giant pot, they stayed talking, drinking or reading for anhour or more, Paddy puffing¹⁵⁶ on his pipe with his head in a library book, Fee continuously refilling cups, Bobimmersed in another library book, while the younger children made plans for the morrow. School had dispersedfor the long summer vacation; the boys were on the loose and eager to commence their allotted¹⁵⁷ chores around thehouse and garden. Bob had to touch up the exterior¹⁵⁸ paintwork where it was necessary, Jack and Hughie dealtwith the woodheap, outbuildings and milking, Stuart tended the vegetables; play compared to the horrors ofschool. From time to time Paddy lifted his head from his book to add another job to the list, but Fee said nothing,and Frank sat slumped¹⁵⁹ tiredly, sipping¹⁶⁰ cup after cup of tea.

Finally Fee beckoned¹⁶¹ Meggie to sit on a high stool, and did up her hair in its nightly rags before packing her offto bed with Stu and Hughie; Jack and Bob begged to be excused and went outside to feed the dogs; Frank tookMeggie's doll to the worktable and began to glue its hair on again. Stretching, Padraic closed his book and put hispipe into the huge iridescent¹⁶² paua shell which served him as an ashtray¹⁶³.

"Well, Mother, I'm off to bed.""Good night, Paddy."Fee cleared the dishes off the dining table and got a big galvanized iron tub down from its hook on the wall. Sheput it at the opposite end of the worktable from Frank, and lifting the massive cast-iron kettle off the stove, filledit with hot water. Cold water from an old kerosene¹⁶⁴ tin served to cool the steaming bath; swishing soap confinedin a wire basket through it, she began to wash and rinse¹⁶⁵ the dishes, stacking them against a cup. Frank worked onthe doll without raising his head, but as the pile of plates grew he got up silently to fetch a towel and began to drythem. Moving between the worktable and the dresser, he worked with the ease of long familiarity. It was afurtive, fearful game he and his mother played, for the most stringent¹⁶⁶ rule in Paddy's domain¹⁶⁷ concerned theproper delegation¹⁶⁸ of duties. The house was woman's work, and that was that. No male member of the family wasto put his hand to a female task. But each night after Paddy went to bed Frank helped his mother, Fee aiding andabetting him by delaying her dishwashing until they heard the thump⁶³ of Paddy's slippers hitting the floor. OncePaddy's slippers were off he never came back to the kitchen. Fee looked at Frank gently. "I don't know what I'd18 do without you, Frank. But you shouldn't. You'll be so tired in the morning.""It's all right, Mum. Drying a few dishes won't kill me. Little enough to make life easier for you.""It's my job, Frank. I don't mind.""I just wish we'd get rich one of these days, so you could have a maid." "That is wishful thinking!" She wipedher soapy red hands on the dishcloth and then pressed them into her sides, sighing. Her eyes as they rested on herson were vaguely¹⁶⁹ worried, sensing his bitter discontent, more than the normal railing of a workingman againsthis lot. "Frank, don't get grand ideas. They only lead to trouble. We're working-class people, which means wedon't get rich or have maids. Be content with what you are and what you have. When you say things like thisyou're insulting Daddy, and he doesn't deserve it. You know that. He doesn't drink, he doesn't gamble, and heworks awfully¹⁷⁰ hard for us. Not a penny he earns goes into his own pocket. It all comes to us." The muscularshoulders hunched¹⁷¹ impatiently, the dark face became harsh and grim. "But why should wanting more out of lifethan drudgery¹⁷² be so bad? I don't see what's wrong with wishing you had a maid.""It's wrong because it can't be! You know there's no money to keep you at school, and if you can't stay at schoolhow are you ever going to be anything better than a manual worker? Your accent, your clothes and your handsshow that you labor¹⁷³ for a living. But it's no disgrace to have calluses on your hands. As Daddy says, when aman's hands are callused you know he's honest." Frank shrugged¹⁷⁴ and said no more. The dishes were all put away;Fee got out her sewing basket and sat down in Paddy's chair by the fire, while Frank went back to the doll.

"Poor little Meggie!" he said suddenly.

"Today, when those wretched chaps were pulling her dolly about, she just stood there crying as if her wholeworld had fallen to bits." He looked down at the doll, which was wearing its hair again. "Agnes! Where on earthdid she get a name like that?" "She must have heard me talking about Agnes Fortescue-Smythe, I suppose.""When I gave her the doll back she looked into its head and nearly died of fright. Something scared her about itseyes; I don't know what." "Meggie's always seeing things that aren't there.""It's a pity there isn't enough money to keep the little children at school. They're so clever.""Oh, Frank! If wishes were horses beggars might ride," his mother said wearily. She passed her hand across hereyes, trembling a little, and stuck her darning needle deep into a ball of grey wool. "I can't do any more. I'm tootried to see straight.""Go to bed, Mum. I'll blow out the lamps.""As soon as I've stoked the fire.""I'll do that." He got up from the table and put the dainty china doll carefully down behind a cake tin on thedresser, where it would be out of harm's way. He was not worried that the boys might attempt further rapine;they were more frightened of his vengeance¹⁷⁵ than of their father's, for Frank had a vicious streak²⁴. When he waswith his mother or his sister it never appeared, but the boys had all suffered from it.

Fee watched him, her heart aching; there was something wild and desperate about Frank, an aura of trouble. Ifonly he and Paddy got on better together! But they could never see eye to eye, and argued constantly. Maybe hewas too concerned for her, maybe he was a bit of a mother's boy. Her fault, if it was true. Yet it spoke of hisloving heart, his goodness. He only wanted to make her life a little easier. And again she found herself yearningfor the day when Meggie became old enough to take the burden of it from Frank's shoulders.

She picked up a small lamp from the table, then put it down again and walked across to where Frank wassquatted before the stove, packing wood into the big firebox and fiddling¹⁷⁶ with the damper. His white arm wasroped with prominent veins¹⁷⁷, his finely made hands too stained ever to come clean. Her own hand went outtimidly, and very lightly smoothed the straight black hair out of his eyes; it was as close as she could bringherself to a caress¹⁷⁸. "Good night, Frank, and thank you."The shadows wheeled and darted¹⁷⁹ before the advancing light as Fee moved silently through the door leading intothe front part of the house. Frank and Bob shared the first bedroom; she pushed its door open noiselessly andheld the lamp high, its light flooding the double bed in the corner. Bob was lying on his back with his mouthsagging open, quivering and twitching¹⁸⁰ like a dog; she crossed to the bed and rolled him over onto his right sidebefore he could pass into a full-fledged nightmare, then stayed looking down at him for a moment. How likePaddy he was! Jack and Hughie were almost braided together in the next room. What dreadful scamps they were!

Never out of mischief¹⁸¹, but no malice¹⁸² in them. She tried vainly to separate them and restore some sort of order totheir bedclothes, but the two curly red heads refused to be parted. Softly sighing, she gave up. How theymanaged to be refreshed after the kind of night they passed was beyond her, but they seemed to thrive on it. Theroom where Meggie and Stuart slept was a dingy¹⁸³ and cheerless place for two small children; painted a stuffybrown and floored in brown linoleum¹⁸⁴, no-pictures on the walls. Just like the other bedrooms. Stuart had turnedhimself upside down and was quite invisible except for his little nightshirted bottom sticking out of the coverswhere his head ought to have been; Fee found his head touching his knees, and as usual marveled that he had notsuffocated. She slid her hand gingerly across the sheet and stiffened¹⁸⁵. Wet again! Well, it would have to wait untilthe morning, when no doubt the pillow would be wet, too. He always did that, reversed himself and then wetonce more. Well, one bed-wetter among five boys wasn't bad.

Meggie was curled into a little heap, with her thumb in her mouth and her rag-decorated hair all around her.

The only girl. Fee cast her no more than a passing glance before leaving; there was no mystery to Meggie, shewas female. Fee knew what her lot would be, and did not envy her or pity her. The boys were different; theywere miracles, males alchemized out of her female body. It was hard not having help around the house, but itwas worth it. Among his peers, Paddy's sons were the greatest character reference he possessed. Let a man breedsons and he was a real man. She closed the door to her own bedroom softly, and put the lamp down on a bureau.

Her nimble fingers flew down the dozens of tiny buttons between the high collar and the hips¹⁸⁶ of her dress, thenpeeled it away from her arms. She slipped the camisole off her arms also, and holding it very carefully againsther chest, she wriggled¹⁸⁷ into a long flannel¹⁸⁸ nightgown. Only then, decently covered, did she divest¹⁸⁹ herself ofcamisole, drawers and loosely laced stays. Down came the tightly knotted golden hair, all its pins put into a pauashell on the bureau. But even this, beautiful as it was, thick and shining and very straight, was not permittedfreedom; Fee got her elbows up over her head and her hands behind her neck, and began to braid it swiftly. Sheturned then toward the bed, her breathing unconsciously suspended; but Paddy was asleep, so she heaved a gustysigh of relief. Not that it wasn't nice when Paddy was in the mood, for he was a shy, tender, considerate lover.

But until Meggie was two or three years older it would be very hard to have more babies.

When the Clearys went to church on Sundays, Meggie had to stay home with one of the older boys, longing¹⁹¹ forthe day when she, too, would be old enough to go. Padraic Cleary held that small children had no place in anyhouse save their own, and his rule held even for a house of worship. When Meggie commenced school and couldbe trusted to sit still, she could come to church. Not before. So every Sunday morning she stood by the gorsebush at the front gate, desolate¹⁹², while the family piled into the old shandrydan and the brother delegated to mindher tried to pretend it was a great treat escaping Mass. The only Cleary who relished¹⁹³ separation from the rest wasFrank. Paddy's religion was an intrinsic part of his life. When he had married Fee it had been with grudgingCatholic approval, for Fee was a member of the Church of England; though she abandoned her faith for Paddy,she refused to adopt his in its stead. Difficult to say why, except that the Armstrongs were old pioneering stockof impeccable Church of England extraction, where Paddy was a penniless immigrant from the wrong side of thePale. There had been Armstrongs in New Zealand long before the first "official" settlers arrived, and that was apassport to colonial aristocracy. From the Armstrong point of view, Fee could only be said to have contracted ashocking mesalliance.

Roderick Armstrong had founded the New Zealand clan¹⁹⁵, in a very curious way. It had begun with an eventwhich was to have many unforeseen repercussions¹⁹⁶ on eighteenth-century England: the American War ofIndependence. Until 1776 over a thousand British petty felons¹⁹⁷ were shipped each year to Virginia and theCarolinas, sold into an indentured¹⁹⁸ servitude no better than slavery. British justice of the time was grim andunflinching; murder, arson¹⁹⁹, the mysterious crime of "impersonating Egyptians" and larceny²⁰⁰ to the tune²⁰¹ of morethan a shilling were punished on the gallows²⁰². Petty crime meant transportation to the Americas for the term ofthe felon's natural life. But when in 1776 the Americas were closed, England found herself with a rapidlyincreasing convict population and nowhere to put it. The prisons filled to overflowing²⁰³, and the surplus wasjammed into rotting hulks moored²⁰⁴ in the river estuaries²⁰⁵. Something had to be done, so something was. With agreat deal of reluctance²⁰⁶ because it meant the expenditure²⁰⁷ of a few thousand pounds, Captain Arthur Phillip wasordered to set sail for the Great South Land. The year was 1787. His fleet of eleven ships held over one thousandconvicts, plus sailors, naval²⁰⁸ officers and a contingent²⁰⁹ of marines. No glorious odyssey²¹⁰ in search of freedom, this.

At the end of January 1788, eight months after setting sail from England, the fleet arrived in Botany Bay. HisMad Majesty²¹¹ George the Third had found a new dumping ground for his convicts, the colony of New SouthWales.

In 1801, when he was just twenty years of age, Roderick Armstrong was sentenced to transportation for theterm of his natural life. Later generations of Armstrongs insisted he came of Somerset gentlefolk who had losttheir fortune following the American Revolution, and that his crime was nonexistent, but none of them had evertried very hard to trace their illustrious ancestor's background. They just basked²¹² in his reflected glory andimprovised somewhat.

Whatever his origins and status in English life, the young Roderick Armstrong was a tartar. All through theunspeakable eight months' voyage to New South Wales he proved a stubborn, difficult prisoner, furtherendearing himself to his ship's officers by refusing to die. When he arrived in Sydney in 1803 his behaviorworsened, so he was shipped to Norfolk Island and the prison for intractables. Nothing improved his conduct.

They starved him; they immured²¹³ him in a cell so small he could neither sit, stand nor lie; they flogged him tojellied pulp²¹⁴; they chained him to a rock in the sea and let him half-drown. And he laughed at them, a skinnycollection of bones in filthy²¹⁵ canvas, not a tooth in his mouth or an inch of his skin unscarred, lit from within by afire of bitterness and defiance²¹⁶ nothing seemed to quench²¹⁷. At the beginning of each day he willed himself not todie, and at the end of each day he laughed in triumph to find himself still alive. In 1810 he was sent to VanDiemen's Land, put in a chain gang and set to hew⁴⁸ a road through the ironhard sandstone country behind Hobart.

At first opportunity he had used his pick to hack²¹⁸ a hole in the chest of the trooper commanding the expedition; heand ten other convicts massacred five more troopers by shaving the flesh from their bones an inch at a time untilthey died screaming in agony. For they and their guards were beasts, elemental creatures whose emotions hadatrophied to the subhuman. Roderick Armstrong could no more have gone off into his escape leaving histormentors intact or quickly dead than he could have reconciled himself to being a convict. With the rum andbread and jerky they took from the troopers, the eleven men fought their way through miles of freezing rainforest and came out at the whaling station of Hobart, where they stole a longboat and set off across the TasmanSea without food, water or 25 sails. When the longboat washed ashore²¹⁹ on the wild west coast of New Zealand'sSouth Island, Roderick Armstrong and two other men were still alive. He never spoke of that incredible journey,but it was whispered that the three had survived by killing²²⁰ and eating their weaker companions. That was justnine years after he had been transported from England. He was yet a young man, but he looked sixty. By the timethe first officially sanctioned settlers arrived in New Zealand in 1840, he had hewn lands for himself in the richCanterbury district of the South Island, "married" a Maori woman and sired a brood of thirteen handsome half-Polynesian children. And by 1860 the Armstrongs were colonial aristocrats²²¹, sent their male offspring toexclusive schools back in England, and amply proved by their cunning and acquisitiveness that they were indeedtrue descendants of a remarkable²²², formidable man. Roderick's grandson James had fathered Fiona in 1880, theonly daughter among a total of fifteen children. If Fee missed the more austere²²³ Protestant rites²²⁴ of her childhood,she never said so. She tolerated Paddy's religious convictions and attended Mass with him, saw to it that herchildren worshipped an exclusively Catholic God. But because she had never converted, the little touches weremissing, like grace before meals and prayers before bed, an everyday holiness.

Aside from that one trip into Wahine eighteen months before, Meggie had never been farther from home thanthe barn and smithy in the hollow. On the morning of her first day at school she was so excited she vomited²²⁵ herbreakfast, and had to be bundled back into her bedroom to be washed and changed. Off came the lovely newcostume of navy blue with a big white sailor collar, on went her horrid²²⁶ brown wincey which buttoned higharound her little neck and always felt as if it were choking her.

"And for heaven's sake, Meggie, next time you feel sick, tell me! Don't just sit there until it's too late and I'vegot a mess to clean up as well as everything else! Now you're going to have to hurry, because if you're late forthe bell Sister Agatha is sure to cane²²⁷ you. Behave yourself, and mind your brothers."Bob, Jack, Hughie and Stu were hopping²²⁸ up and down by the front gate when Fee finally pushed Meggie outthe door, her luncheon²²⁹ jam sandwiches in an old satchel²³⁰.

"Come on, Meggie, we'll be late!" Bob shouted, moving off down the road. Meggie followed the dwindlingforms of her brothers at a run. It was a little after seven o'clock in the morning, and the gentle sun had been upseveral hours; the dew had dried off the grass except where there was deep shade. The Wahine road was a wheel-rutted earthen track, two ribbons of dark red separated by a wide band of bright green grass. White calla liliesand orange nasturtiums flowered profusely²³¹ in the high grass to either side, where the neat wooden fences ofbordering properties warned against trespassing²³².

Bob always walked to school along the top of the right-hand fences, balancing his leather satchel on his headinstead of wearing it haversack style. The lefthand fence belonged to Jack, which permitted the three youngerClearys domain of the road itself. At the top of the long, steep hill they had to climb from the smithy hollow towhere the Robertson road joined the Wahine road, they paused for a moment, panting, the five bright headshaloed against a puffily clouded sky. This was the best part, going down the hill; they linked hands and gallopedon the grassy²³³ verge²³⁴ until it vanished in a tangle⁹³ of flowers, wishing they had the time to sneak²³⁵ under Mr.

Chapman's fence and roll all the way down like boulders²³⁶.

It was five miles from the Cleary house to Wahine, and by the time Meggie saw telegraph poles in thedistance her legs were trembling and her socks were falling down. Ears tuned²³⁷ for the assembly bell, Bob glancedat her impatiently as she toiled²³⁸ along, hitching²³⁹ at her drawers and giving an occasional gasp²⁴⁰ of distress²⁴¹. Her faceunder the mass of hair was pink and yet curiously²⁴² pallid²⁴³. Sighing, Bob passed his satchel to Jack and ran hishands down the sides of his knickers.

"Come on, Meggie, I'll piggyback you the rest of the way," he said gruffly, glaring at his brothers in case theyhad the mistaken idea that he was going soft.

Meggie scrambled onto his back, heaved herself up enough to lock her legs around his waist, and pillowed herhead on his skinny shoulder blissfully. Now she could view Wahine in comfort.

There was not much to see. Little more than a big village, Wahine straggled down each side of a tar-centeredroad. The biggest building was the local hotel, of two stories, with an awning⁹⁸ shading the footpath²⁴⁴ from the sunand posts supporting the awning all along the gutter²⁴⁵. The general store was the next-biggest building, alsoboasting a sheltering awning, and two long wooden benches under its cluttered²⁴⁶ windows for passersby²⁴⁷ to restupon. There was a flagpole in front of the Masonic hall; from its top a tattered union Jack fluttered faded in thestiff breeze. As yet the town possessed no garage, horseless carriages being limited to a very few, but there was ablacksmith's barn near the Masonic hall, with a stable behind it and a gasoline pump standing stiffly next to thehorse trough. The only edifice²⁴⁸ in the entire settlement which really caught the eye was a peculiar²⁴⁹ bright-blueshop, very un-British; every other building was painted a sober brown. The public school and the Church ofEngland stood side by side, just opposite the Sacred Heart Church and parish school.

As the Clearys hurried past the general store the Catholic bell sounded, followed by the heavier tolling²⁵⁰ of thebig bell on a post in front of the public school. Bob 28 broke into a trot²⁵¹, and they entered the gravel²⁵² yard as somefifty children were lining¹⁰⁸ up in front of a diminutive²⁵³ nun⁶⁹ wielding²⁵⁴ a willowy stick taller than she was. Withouthaving to be told, Bob steered²⁵⁶ his kin⁷ to one side away from the lines of children, and stood with his eyes fixedon the cane. The Sacred Heart convent was two-storied, but because it stood well back from the road behind afence, the fact was not easily apparent. The three nuns²⁵⁷ of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy who staffed it livedupstairs with a fourth nun, who acted as housekeeper²⁵⁸ and was never seen; downstairs were the three big rooms inwhich school was taught. A wide, shady veranda ran all the way around the rectangular building, where on rainydays the children were allowed to sit decorously during their play and lunch breaks, and where on sunny days nochild was permitted to set foot. Several large fig⁴¹ trees shaded a part of the spacious²⁵⁹ grounds, and behind theschool the land sloped away a little to a grassy circle euphemistically christened "the cricket pitch," from thechief activity that went on in that area. Ignoring muffled²⁶⁰ sniggers from the lined-up children, Bob and hisbrothers stood perfectly²⁶¹ still while the pupils marched inside to the sound of Sister Catherine plunking "Faith ofOur Fathers" on the tinny school piano. Only when the last child had disappeared did Sister Agatha break herrigid pose; heavy serge skirts swishing the gravel aside imperiously, she strode to where the Clearys waited.

Meggie gaped²⁶² at her, never having seen a nun before. The sight was truly extraordinary; three dabs²⁶³ of person,which were Sister Agatha's face and hands, the rest white starched wimple and bib glaring against layers ofblackest black, with a massive rope of wooden rosary beads dangling from an iron ring that joined the ends of awide leather belt around Sister Agatha's stout middle. Sister Agatha's skin was permanently red, from too muchcleanliness and the pressure of the knifelike edges of the wimple framing the front center of her head intosomething too disembodied to be called a face; little hairs sprouted²⁶⁴ in tufts all over her chin, which the wimpleruthlessly squashed double. Her lips were quite invisible, compressed into a single line of concentration on thehard business of being the Bride of Christ in a colonial backwater with topsy-turvy seasons when she had takenher vows²⁶⁵ in the sweet softness of a Killarney abbey over fifty years before. Two small crimson²⁶⁶ marks wereetched into the sides of her nose from the remorseless grip of her round, steel-framed spectacles, and behindthem her eyes peered out suspiciously, pale blue and bitter. "Well, Robert Cleary, why are you late?" SisterAgatha barked in her dry, once Irish voice.

"I'm sorry, Sister," Bob replied woodenly, his blue green eyes still riveted²⁶⁷ on the tip of the quivering cane as itwaved back and forth¹¹⁴. "Why are you late?" she repeated.

"I'm sorry, Sister.""This is the first morning of the new school year, Robert Cleary, and I would have thought that on this morningif not on others you might have made an effort to be on time."Meggie shivered, but plucked up her courage. "Oh, please, Sister, it was my fault!" she squeaked²⁶⁸.

The pale-blue eyes deviated²⁶⁹ from Bob and seemed to go through and through Meggie's very soul as she stoodthere gazing up in genuine innocence²⁷⁰, not aware she was breaking the first rule of conduct in a deadly duel²⁷¹ whichwent on between teachers and pupils ad infinitum: never volunteer information. Bob kicked her swiftly on theleg and Meggie looked at him sideways, bewildered. "Why was it your fault?" the nun demanded in the coldesttones Meggie had ever heard.

"Well, I was sick all over the table and it went right through to my drawers, so Mum had to wash me andchange my dress, and I made us all late," Meggie explained artlessly.

Sister Agatha's features remained expressionless, but her mouth tightened²⁷² like an overwound spring, and the tipof the cane lowered itself an inch or two. "Who is this?" she snapped to Bob, as if the object of her inquiry²⁷³ werea new and particularly obnoxious²⁷⁴ species of insect. "Please, Sister, she's my sister Meghann.""Then in future you will make her understand that there are certain subjects we do not ever mention, Robert, ifwe are true ladies and gentlemen. On no account do we ever, ever mention by name any item of ourunderclothing, as children from a decent household would automatically know. Hold out your hands, all of you.""But, Sister, it was my fault!" Meggie wailed²⁷⁵ as she extended her hands palms up, for she had seen her brothersdo it in pantomime at home a thousand times.

"Silence!" Sister Agatha hissed²⁷⁶, turning on her. "It is a matter of complete indifference²⁷⁷ to me which one of youwas responsible. You are all late, therefore you must all be punished. Six cuts." She pronounced the sentencewith monotonous²⁷⁸ relish¹⁹⁴.

Terrified, Meggie watched Bob's steady hands, saw the long cane whistle down almost faster than her eyescould follow, and crack sharply against the center of his palms, where the flesh was soft and tender. A purplewelt flared²⁷⁹ up immediately; the next cut came at the junction²⁸⁰ of fingers and palm, more sensitive still, and thefinal one across the tips of the fingers, where the brain has loaded the skin down with more sensation thananywhere else save the lips. Sister Agatha's aim was perfect. Three more cuts followed on Bob's other handbefore she turned her attention to Jack, next in line. Bob's face was pale but he made no outcry or movement, nordid his brothers as their turns came; even quiet and tender Stu.

As they followed the upward rise of the cane above her own hands Meggie's eyes closed involuntarily, so shedid not see the descent. But the pain was like a vast explosion, a scorching²⁸¹, searing invasion of her flesh rightdown to the bone; even as the ache spread tingling²⁸² up her forearm the next cut came, and by the time it hadreached her shoulder the final cut across her fingertips was screaming along the same path, all the way through toher heart. She fastened her teeth in her lower lip and bit down on it, too ashamed and too proud to cry, too angryand indignant at the injustice²⁸³ of it to dare open her eyes and look at Sister Agatha; the lesson was sinking in,even if the crux²⁸⁴ of it was not what Sister Agatha intended to teach. It was lunchtime before the last of the paindied out of her hands. Meggie had passed the morning in a haze²⁸⁵ of fright and bewilderment, not understandinganything that was said or done. Pushed into a double desk in the back row of the youngest children's classroom,she did not even notice who was sharing the desk until after a miserable²⁸⁶ lunch hour spent huddled²⁸⁷ behind Boband Jack in a secluded²⁸⁸ corner of the playground. Only Bob's stern command persuaded her to eat Fee'sgooseberry jam sandwiches. When the bell rang for afternoon classes and Meggie found a place on line, her eyesfinally began to clear enough to take in what was going on around her. The disgrace of the caning²⁸⁹ rankled²⁹⁰ assharply as ever, but she held her head high and affected²⁹¹ not to notice the nudges and whispers of the little girlsnear her.

Sister Agatha was standing in front with her cane; Sister Declan prowled up and down behind the lines: SisterCatherine seated herself at the piano just inside the youngest children's classroom door and began rather' play"Onward, Christian²⁹² Soldiers" with a heavy emphasis on two-four time. It was, properly speaking, a Protestanthymn, but the war had rendered it interdenominational. The dear children marched to it just like wee soldiers,Sister Catherine thought proudly.

Of the three nuns, Sister Declan was a replica²⁹³ of Sister Agatha minus fifteen years of life, where SisterCatherine was still remotely human. She was only in her thirties, Irish of course, and the bloom of her ardor²⁹⁴ hadnot yet entirely²⁹⁵ faded; she still found joy in teaching, still saw Christ's imperishable Image in the little facesturned up to hers so adoringly. But she taught the oldest children, whom Sister Agatha deemed beaten enough tobehave in spite of a young and soft supervisor²⁹⁶. Sister Agatha herself took the youngest children to form mindsand hearts out of infantile clay, leaving those in the middle grades to Sister Declan.

Safely hidden in the last row of desks, Meggie dared to glance sideways at the little girl sitting next to her. Agap-toothed grin met her frightened gaze, huge black eyes staring roundly out of a dark, slightly shiny face. Shefascinated Meggie, used to fairness and freckles²⁹⁷, for even Frank with his dark eyes and hair had a fair white skin;so Meggie ended in thinking her deskmate the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. "What's your name?"the dark beauty muttered out of the side of her mouth, chewing on the end of her pencil and spitting the frayedbits into her empty inkwell hole.

"Meggie Cleary," she whispered back.

"You there!" came a dry, harsh voice from the front of the classroom. Meggie jumped, looking around inbewilderment. There was a hollow clatter²⁹⁸ as twenty children all put their pencils down together, a muted rustlingas precious sheets of paper were shuffled²⁹⁹ to one side so elbows could be surreptitiously placed on desks. With aheart that seemed to crumple³⁰⁰ down toward her boots, Meggie realized everyone was staring at her. Sister Agathawas coming down the aisle³⁰¹ rapidly; Meggie's terror was so acute that had there only been somewhere to flee, she33 would have run for her life. But behind her was the partition shutting off the middle grade's room, on eitherside desks crowded her in, and in front was Sister Agatha. Her eyes nearly filled her pinched little face as shestared up at the nun in suffocated fear, her hands clenching³⁰² and unclenching on the desktop³⁰³.

"You spoke, Meghann Cleary.""Yes, Sister.""And what did you say?""My name, Sister.""Your name!" Sister Agatha sneered³⁰⁵, looking around at the other children as if they, too, surely must share hercontempt. "Well, children, are we not honored? Another Cleary in our school, and she cannot wait to broadcasther name!" She turned back to Meggie. "Stand up when I address you, you ignorant little savage³⁰⁶! And hold outyour hands, please."Meggie scrambled out of her seat, her long curls swinging across her face and bouncing away. Gripping herhands together, she wrung³⁰⁷ them desperately³⁰⁸, but Sister Agatha did not move, only waited, waited, waited . . . .

Then somehow Meggie managed to force her hands out, but as the cane descended she snatched them away,gasping³⁰⁹ in terror. Sister Agatha locked her fingers in the bunched hair on top of Meggie's head and hauled hercloser, bringing her face up to within inches of those dreadful spectacles. "Hold out your hands, MeghannCleary." It was said courteously³¹⁰, coldly, implacably.

Meggie opened her mouth and vomited all over the front of Sister Agatha's habit. There was a horrified³¹¹ intakeof breath from every child in the room asSister Agatha stood with the disgusting sick dripping down her black pleats onto the floor, her face purple withrage and astonishment³¹². Then down came the cane, anywhere it could land on Meggie's body as she flung up herarms to shield her face and cringed, still retching, into the corner. When Sister Agatha's arm was so tired it didnot want to lift the cane, she pointed toward the door.

"Go home, you revolting little Philistine," she said, turned on her heel and went through into Sister Declan'sclassroom. Meggie's frantic⁴⁶ gaze found Stu; he nodded his head as if to tell her she must do as she was told, hissoft blue-green eyes full of pity and understanding. Wiping her mouth with her handkerchief, she stumbledthrough the door and out into the playground. There were still two hours to go before school was dismissed; sheplodded down the street without interest, knowing there was no chance the boys would catch up with her, and toofrightened to find somewhere to wait for them. She had to go home on her own, confess to Mum on her own.

Fee nearly fell over her as she staggered out of the back door with a full basket of wet washing. Meggie wassitting on the top step of the back veranda, her head down, the ends of her bright curls sticky and the front of herdress stained. Putting down the crushing weight of the basket, Fee sighed, pushed a strand³¹³ of wayward hair outof her eyes. "Well, what happened?" she demanded tiredly.

"I was sick all over Sister Agatha.""Oh, Lord!" Fee said, her hands on her hips.

"I got caned³¹⁴, too," Meggie whispered, the tears standing unshed in her eyes.

"A nice kettle of fish, I must say." Fee heaved her basket up, swaying until she got it balanced. "Well, Meggie, Idon't know what to do with you. We'll have to wait and see what Daddy says." And she walked off across thebackyard toward the flapping half-fullclotheslines. Rubbing her hands wearily around her face, Meggie stared after her mother for a moment, then gotup and started down the path to the forge. Frank had just finished shoeing Mr. Robertson's bay mare, and wasbacking it into a stall when Meggie appeared in the doorway³¹⁵. He turned and saw her, and memories of his ownterrible misery³¹⁶ at school came flooding back to him. She was so little, so baby-plump and innocent and sweet,but the light in the eyes had been brutally³¹⁷ quenched³¹⁸ and an expression lurked³¹⁹ there which made him want tomurder Sister Agatha. Murder her, really murder her, take the double chins and squeeze .... Down went his tools,off came his apron; he walked to her quickly.

"What's the matter, dear?" he asked, bending over until her face was level with his own. The smell of vomitrose from her like a miasma³²⁰, but he crushed his impulse to turn away.

"Oh, Fruh-Fruh-Frank!" she wailed, her face twisting up and her tears undammed at last. She threw her armsaround his neck and clung to him passionately³²¹, weeping in the curiously silent, painful way all the Clearychildren did once they were out of infancy³²². It was horrible to watch, and not something soft words or kissescould heal.

When she was calm again he picked her up and carried her to a pile of sweet-smelling hay near Mr. Robertson'smare; they sat there together and let the horse lip at the edges of their straw bed, lost to the world. Meggie's headwas cradled on Frank's smooth bare chest, tendrils of her hair flying around as the horse blew gusty¹⁹⁰ breaths intothe hay, snorting with pleasure. "Why did she cane all of us, Frank?" Meggie asked. "I told her it was my fault."Frank had got used to her smell and didn't mind it any more; he reached out a hand and absently stroked themare's nose, pushing it away when it got too inquisitive³²³.

"We're poor, Meggie, that's the main reason. The nuns always hate poor pupils. After you've been in Sister Ag'smoldy old school a few days you'll see it's not only the Clearys she takes it out on, but the Marshalls and theMacDonalds as well. We're all poor.

Now, if we were rich and rode to school in a big carriage like the O'Briens, they'd be all over us like a rash. Butwe can't donate organs to the church, or gold vestments to the sacristy, or a new horse and buggy to the nuns. Sowe don't matter. They can do what they like to us. "I remember one day Sister Ag was so mad at me that she keptscreaming at me, "Cry, for the love of heaven! Make a noise, Francis Cleary! If you'd give me the satisfaction ofhearing you bellow³²⁴, I wouldn't hit you so hard or so often!""That's another reason why she hates us; it's where we're better than the Marshalls and the MacDonalds. Shecan't make the Clearys cry. We're supposed to lick her boots. Well, I told the boys what I'd do to any Cleary whoeven whimpered when he was caned, and that goes for you, too, Meggie. No matter how hard she beats you, nota whimper. Did you cry today?" "No, Frank," she yawned, her eyelids³²⁵ drooping³²⁶ and her thumb poking³²⁷ blindlyacross her face in search of her mouth. Frank put her down in the hay and went back to his work, humming andsmiling.

Meggie was still asleep when Paddy walked in. His arms were filthy from mucking out Mr. Jarman's dairy, hiswide-brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes. He took in Frank shaping an axle on the anvil, sparks swirling³²⁸ roundhis. head, then his eyes passed to where his daughter was curled up in the hay, with Mr. Robertson's bay marehanging her head down over the sleeping face.

"I thought this is where she'd be," Paddy said, dropping his riding crop and leading his old roan into the stableend of the barn. Frank nodded briefly³²⁹, looking up at his father with that darkling glance of doubt and uncertaintyPaddy always found so irritating, then he returned to the white-hot axle, sweat making his bare sides glisten¹³⁷.

Unsaddling his roan, Paddy turned it into a stall, filled the water compartment³³⁰ and then mixed bran and oats witha little water for its food. The animal rumbled³³¹ affectionately at him when he emptied the fodder³³² into its manger,and its eyes followed him as he walked to the big trough outside the forge, took off his shirt. He washed armsand face and torso, drenching³³³ his riding breeches and his hair. Toweling himself dry on an old sack, he looked athis son quizzically.

"Mum told me Meggie was sent home in disgrace. Do you know what exactly happened?"Frank abandoned his axle as the heat in it died. "The poor little coot was sick all over Sister Agatha."Wiping the grin off his face hastily, Paddy stared at the far wall for a moment to compose himself, then turnedtoward Meggie. "All excited about going to school, eh?""I don't know. She was sick before they left this morning, and it held them up long enough t[*thorn] be late forthe bell. They all got sixers, but Meggie was terribly upset because she thought she ought to have been the onlyone punished. After lunch Sister Ag pounced³³⁴ on her again, and our Meggie spewed bread and jam all over SisterAg's clean black habit.""What happened then?""Sister Ag caned her good and proper, and sent her home in disgrace." "Well, I'd say she's had punishmentenough. I have a lot of respect for the nuns and I" know it isn't our place to question what they do, but I wishthey were a bit less eager with the cane. I know they have to beat the three R's into our thick Irish heads, but afterall, it was wee Meggie's first day at school."Frank was staring at his father, amazed. Not until this moment had Paddy ever communicated man-to man withhis oldest son. Shocked out of perpetual resentment⁵¹, Frank realized that for all his proud boasting,Paddy loved Meggie more than he did his sons. He 38 found himself almost liking³³⁵ his father, so he smiledwithout the mistrust. "She's a bonzer little thing, isn't she?" he asked. Paddy nodded absently, engrossed inwatching her. The horse blew its lips in and out, flapping; Meggie stirred, rolled over and opened her eyes. Whenshe saw her father standing beside Frank she sat bolt upright, fright paling her skin.

"Well, Meggie girl, you've had quite a day, haven't you?" Paddy went over and lifted her out of the hay, gaspingas he caught a whiff of her. Then he shrugged his shoulders and held her against him hard. "I got caned, Daddy,"she confessed.

"Well, knowing Sister Agatha, it won't be the last time," he laughed, perching her on his shoulder. "We'd bettersee if Mum's got any hot water in the copper³³⁷ to give you a bath. You smell worse than Jarman's dairy." Frankwent to the doorway and watched the two fiery heads bobbing up the path, then turned to find the bay mare'sgentle eyes fixed on him. "Come on, you big old bitch. I'll ride you home," he told it, scooping³³⁸ up a halter.

Meggie's vomiting³³⁹ turned out to be a blessing³⁴⁰ is disguise. Sister Agatha still caned her regularly, but alwaysfrom far enough away to escape the consequences, which lessened³⁴¹ the strength of her arm and quite spoiled heraim.

The dark child who sat next to her was the youngest daughter of the Italian man who owned and operatedWahine's bright blue cafe. Her name was Teresa Annunzio, and she was just dull enough to escape SisterAgatha's attention without being so dull that it turned her into Sister Agatha's butt¹⁵⁰. When her teeth grew in shewas quite strikingly beautiful, and Meggie adored her. During lesson breaks in the playground they walked witharms looped around each other's waists, which was the sign that you were "best friends" and not available forcourting by anyone else. And they talked, talked, talked. One lunchtime Teresa took her into the cafe to meet hermother and father and grown-up brothers and sisters. They were as charmed with her golden fire as Meggie waswith their darkness, likening her to an angel when she turned her wide, beautifully flecked grey eyes upon them.

From her mother she had inherited an indefinable air of breeding which everyone felt immediately; so did theAnnunzio family. As eager as Teresa to woo her, they gave her big fat potato chips fried in sizzling cauldrons oflamb dripping, and a piece of boned fish which tasted delicious, dipped as it was in floury batter¹⁰ and fried in thesmoking well of liquid fat along with the chips, only in a separate wire basket. Meggie had never eaten food sodelicious, and wished she could lunch at the cafe more often. But this had been a treat, requiring specialpermission from her mother and the nuns. Her conversation at home was all "Teresa says" and "Do you knowwhat Teresa did?" until Paddy roared that he had heard more than enough about Teresa. "I don't know that it'ssuch a good idea to be too thick with Dagos," he muttered, sharing the British community's instinctive³⁴² mistrust ofany dark orMediterranean people. "Dagos are dirty, Meggie girl, they don't wash too often," he explained lamely³⁴³, wiltingunder the look of hurt reproach Meggie gave him.

Fiercely jealous, Frank agreed with him. So Meggie spoke less often of her friend when she was at home. Buthome disapproval³⁴⁵ couldn't interfere³⁴⁶ with the relationship, confined as it was by distance to school days andhours; Bob and the boys were only too pleased to see her utterly³⁴⁷ engrossed in Teresa. It left them to career madlyaround the playground just as if their sister did not exist.

The unintelligible³⁴⁸ things Sister Agatha was always writing on the blackboard gradually began to make sense,and Meggie learned that a "plus was meant you counted all the numbers up to a total, where a "com" meant youtook the numbers on the bottom away from the numbers on the top and wound up with less than you had in thefirst place. She was a bright child, and would have been an excellent if not brilliant student had she only beenable to overcome her fear of Sister Agatha. But the minute those gimlet eyes turned her way and that dry oldvoice rapped a curt³⁴⁹ question at her, she stammered³⁵⁰ and stuttered and could not think. Arithmetic she found easy,but when called upon to demonstrate toper skill verbally she could not remember how many two and two made.

Reading was the entrance into a world so fascinating she couldn't get enough of it; but when Sister Agatha madeher stand to read a passage out loud, she could hardly pronounce "cat," let alone "miaow." It seemed to her thatshe was forever quivering under Sister Agatha's sarcastic³⁵¹ comments or flushing bright red because the rest of theclass was laughing at her. For it was always her slate³⁵² Sister Agatha held up to sneer³⁰⁴ at, always her laboriouslywritten sheets of paper Sister Agatha used to demonstrate the ugliness of untidy work. Some of the richerchildren were lucky enough to possess erasers, but Meggie's only eraser was the tip of her finger, which shelicked and rubbed over her nervous mistakes until the writing smudged and the paper came away in miniaturesausages. It made holes and was strictly³⁵³ forbidden, but she was desperate enough to do anything to avoid SisterAgatha's strictures.

Until her advent³⁵⁴ Stuart had been the chief target of Sister Agatha's cane and venom³⁵⁵. However, Meggie was amuch better target, for Stuart's wistful tranquility and almost saintlike aloofness³⁵⁶ were hard nuts to crack, even forSister Agatha. On the other hand, Meggie trembled and went as red as a beet³⁵⁷, for all she tried so manfully toadhere to the Cleary line of behavior as defined by Frank. Stuart pitied Meggie deeply and tried to make 41 iteasier for her by deliberately³⁵⁸ sidetracking the nun's anger onto his own head. She saw through his ploysimmediately, angered afresh to see the Cleary clannishness³⁵⁹ as much in evidence with the girl as it had alwaysbeen among the boys. Had anyone questioned her as to exactly why she had such a down on the Clearys, shewould not have been able to answer. But for an old nun as embittered³⁶⁰ by the course her life had taken as SisterAgatha, a proud and touchy³⁶¹ family like the Clearys was not easy to swallow. Meggie's worst sin was being left-handed. When she gingerly picked up her slate pencil to embark³⁶² on her first writing lesson, Sister Agathadescended on her likeCaesar on the Gauls.

"Meghan Cleary, put that pencil down!" she thundered. Thus began a battle royal. Meggie was incurably andhopelessly left-handed. When Sister Agatha forcibly bent the fingers of Meggie's right hand correctly around thepencil and poised³⁶³ it above the slate, Meggie sat there with her head reeling and no idea in the world how to makethe afflicted³⁶⁴ limb do what Sister Agatha insisted it could. She became mentally deaf, dumb and blind; thatuseless appendage³⁶⁵ her right hand was no more linked to her thought processes than her toes. She dribbled³⁶⁶ a lineclean off the edge of the slate because she could not make it bend; she dropped her pencil as if paralyzed;nothing Sister Agatha could do would make Meggie's right hand foam¹⁸ an A. Then surreptitiously Meggie wouldtransfer her pencil to her left hand, and with her arm curled awkwardly around three sides of the slate she wouldmake a row of beautiful copperplate A's.

Sister Agatha won the battle. On morning line-up she tied Meggie's left arm against her body with rope, andwould not undo³⁶⁷ it until the dismissal bell rang at three in the afternoon. Even at lunchtime she had to eat, walkaround and play games with her left side firmly 42 immobilized. It took three months, but eventually she learnedto write correctly according to the tenets of Sister Agatha, though the formation of her letters was never good. Tomake sure she would never revert³⁶⁸ back to using it, her left arm was kept tied to her body for a further twomonths; then Sister Agatha made the whole school assemble to say a rosary of thanks to Almighty³⁶⁹ God for Hiswisdom in making Meggie see the error of her ways. God's children were all right-handed; lefthanded childrenwere the spawn³⁷⁰ of the Devil, especially when redheaded.

In that first year of school Meggie lost her baby plumpness and became very thin, though she grew little inheight. She began to bite her nails down to the quick, and had to endure Sister Agatha's making her walk aroundevery desk in the school holding her hands out so all the children could see how ugly bitten nails were. And thiswhen nearly half the children between five and fifteen bit their nails as badly as Meggie did. Fee got out thebottle of bitter aloes and painted the tips of Meggie's fingers with the horrible stuff. Everyone in the family wasenlisted to make sure she got no opportunity to wash the bitter aloes off, and when the other little girls at schoolnoticed the telltale brown stains she was mortified³⁷². If she put her fingers in her mouth the taste wasindescribable, foul³⁷³ and dark like sheep-dip; in desperation she spat³⁷⁴ on her handkerchief and rubbed herself rawuntil she got rid of the worst of it. Paddy took out his switch, a much gentler instrument than Sister Agatha'scane, and sent her skipping round the kitchen. He did not believe in beating his children on the hands, face orbuttocks, only on the legs. Legs hurt as much as anywhere, he said, and could not be damaged. However, in spiteof bitter aloes, ridicule³⁷⁵, Sister Agatha and Paddy's switch, Meggie went on biting her nails.

Her friendship with Teresa Annunzio was the joy of her life, the only thing that made school endurable. She 43sat through lessons aching for playtime to come so she could sit with her arm around Teresa's waist and Teresa'sarm around hers under the big fig tree, talking, talking. There were tales about Teresa's extraordinary alienfamily, about her numerous dolls, and about her genuine willow²⁵⁵ pattern tea set.

When Meggie saw the tea set, she was overcome. It had 108 pieces, tiny miniature cups and saucers and plates,a teapot and a sugar bowl and a milk jug³⁷⁶ and a cream jug, with wee knives and spoons and forks just the rightsize for dolls to use. Teresa had innumerable toys; besides being much younger than her nearest sister, shebelonged to an Italian family, which meant she was passionately and openly loved, and indulged to the fullextent of her father's monetary³⁷⁷ resources. Each child viewed the other with awe and envy, though Teresa nevercoveted Meggie's Calvinistic, stoic³⁷⁸ upbringing. Instead she pitied her. Not to be allowed to run to her motherwith hugs and kisses? Poor Meggie!

As for Meggie, she was incapable³⁷⁹ of equating³⁸⁰ Teresa's beaming, portly little mother with her own slenderunsmiling mother, so she never thought: I wish Mum hugged and kissed me. What she did think was: I wishTeresa's mum hugged and kissed me. Though images of hugs and kisses were far less in her mind than images ofthe willow pattern tea set. So delicate, so thin and wafery, so beautiful! Oh, if only she had a willow pattern teaset, and could give Agnes afternoon tea out of a deep blue-and-white cup in a deep blue-and-white saucer!

During Friday Benediction³⁸¹ in the old church with its lovely, grotesque³⁸² Maori carvings³⁸³ and Maori paintedceiling, Meggie knelt to pray for a willow pattern tea set of her very own. When Father Hayes held themonstrance aloft, the Host peered dimly through the glass window in the middle of its gem-encrusted rays andblessed the bowed heads of the congregation. All save Meggie, that is, for she didn't "even see the Host; she wastoo busy trying to remember how many plates there were in Teresa's willow pattern tea set. And when the Maorisin the organ gallery broke into glorious song, Meggie's head was spinning in a daze³⁸⁴ of ultramarine blue farremoved from Catholicism or Polynesia.

The school year was drawing to a close, December and her birthday just beginning to threaten full summer,when Meggie learned how dearly one could buy the desire of one's heart. She was sitting on a high stool near thestove while Fee did her hair as usual for school; it was an intricate business. Meggie's hair had a natural tendencyto curl, which her mother considered to be a great piece of good luck. Girls with straight hair had a hard time ofit when they grew up and tried to produce glorious wavy³⁸⁵ masses out of limp, thin strands³⁸⁶. At night Meggie sleptwith her almost kneelength locks twisted painfully around bits of old white sheet torn into long strips, and eachmorning she had to clamber up on the stool while Fee undid³⁸⁷ the rags and brushed her curls in.

Fee used an old Mason Pearson hairbrush, taking one long, scraggly curl in her left hand and expertly brushingthe hair around her index finger until the entire length of it was rolled into a shining thick sausage; then shecarefully withdrew her finger from the center of the roll and shook it out into a long, enviably thick curl. Thismaneuver was repeated some twelve times, the front curls were then drawn together on Meggie's crown with afreshly ironed white taffeta bow, and she was ready for the day. All the other little girls wore braids to school,saving curls for special occasions, but on this one point Fee was adamant³⁸⁸; Meggie should have curls all the time,no matter how hard it was to spare the minutes each morning. Had Fee realized it, her charity was misguided, forher daughter's hair was far and away the most beautiful in the entire school. To rub the fact in with daily curlsearned Meggie much envy and loathing³⁸⁹. The process hurt, but Meggie was too used to it to notice, neverremembering a time when it had not been done. Fee's muscular arm yanked the brush ruthlessly through knotsand tangles³⁹⁰ until Meggie's eyes watered and she had to hang on to the stool with both hands to keep from fallingoff. It was the Monday of the last week at school, and her birthday was only two days away; she clung to thestool and dreamed about the willow pattern tea set, knowing it for a dream. There was one in the Wahine generalstore, and she knew enough of prices to realize that its cost put it far beyond her father's slender means.

Suddenly Fee made a sound, so peculiar it jerked Meggie out of her musing³⁹¹ and made the menfolk still seated atthe breakfast table turn their heads curiously.

"Holy Jesus Christ!" said Fee.

Paddy jumped to his feet, his face stupefied; he had never heard Fee take the name of the Lord in vain before.

She was standing with one of Meggie's curls in her hand, the brush poised, her features twisted into anexpression of horror and revulsion. Paddy and the boys crowded round; Meggie tried to see what was going onand earned a backhanded slap with the bristle³⁹² side of the brush which made her eyes water.

"Look!" Fee whispered, holding the curl in a ray of sunlight so Paddy could see.

The hair was a mass of brilliant, glittering gold in the sun, and Paddy saw nothing at first. Then he becameaware that a creature was marching down the back of Fee's hand. He took a curl for himself, and in among theleaping lights of it he discerned more creatures, going about their business busily. Little white things were stuckin clumps³⁹³ all along the separate strands, and the creatures were energetically producing more clumps of littlewhite things. Meggie's hair was a hive of industry.

"She's got lice!" Paddy said.

Bob, Jack, Hughie and Stu had a look, and like their father removed themselves to a safe distance; only Frankand Fee remained gazing at Meggie's hair, mesmerized³⁹⁴, while Meggie sat miserably³⁹⁵ hunched over, wonderingwhat she had done. Paddy sat down in his Windsor chair heavily, staring into the fire and blinking hard.

"It's that bloody Dago girl!" he said at last, and turned to glare at Fee. "Bloody bastards, filthy lot of flamingpigs!""Paddy!" Fee gasped³⁹⁶, scandalized.

"I'm sorry for swearing, Mum, but when I think of that blasted Dago giving her lice to Meggie, I could go intoWahine this minute and tear the whole filthy greasy³⁹⁷ cafe down!" he exploded, pounding his fist on his kneefiercely.

"Mum, what is it?" Meggie finally managed to say. "Look, you dirty little grub!" her mother answered,thrusting her hand down in front of Meggie's eyes. "You have these things everywhere in your hair, from thatEyetie girl you're so thick with! Now what am I going to do with you?"Meggie gaped at the tiny thing roaming blindly round Fee's bare skin in search of more hirsute³⁹⁸ territory, thenshe began to weep. Without needing to be told, Frank got the copper going while Paddy paced up and down thekitchen roaring, his rage increasing every time he looked at Meggie. Finally he went to the row of hooks on thewall inside the back door, jammed his hat on his head and took the long horsewhip from its nail. "I'm going intoWahine, Fee, and I'm going to tell that blasted Dago what he can do with his slimy fish and chips! Then I'mgoing to see Sister Agatha and tell her what I think of her, allowing lousy children in her school!" "Paddy, becareful!" Fee pleaded. "What if it isn't the Eyetie girl? Even if she has lice, it's possible she might have got themfrom someone else along with Meggie.""Rot!" said Paddy scornfully. He pounded down-the back steps, and a few minutes later they heard his roan'shoofs beating down the road. Fee sighed, looking at Frank hopelessly.

"Well, I suppose we'll be lucky if he doesn't land in jail. Frank, you'd better bring the boys inside. No schooltoday."One by one Fee went through her sons' hair minutely, then checked Frank's head and made him do the same forher. There was no evidence that anyone else had acquired poor Meggie's malady³⁹⁹, but Fee did not intend to takechances. When the water in the huge laundry copper was boiling, Frank got the dish tub down from its hangingand filled it half with hot water and half with cold. Then he went out to the Bleed and fetched in an unopenedfive-gallon can of kerosene, took a bar of lye soap from the laundry and started work on Bob. Each head wasbriefly damped in the tub, several cups of raw kerosene poured over it, and the whole draggled, greasy messlathered with soap. The kerosene and lye burned; the boys howled and rubbed their eyes raw, scratching at theirreddened, tingling scalps and threatening ghastly vengeance on all Dagos.

Fee went to her sewing basket and took out her big shears⁴⁰⁰. She came back to Meggie, who had not dared tomove from the stool though an hour and more had elapsed, and stood with the shears in her hand, staring at thebeautiful fall of hair. Then she began to cut it snip⁴⁰¹! snip!-until all the long curls were huddled in glistening heapson the floor and Meggie's white skin was beginning to show in irregular patches all over her head. Doubt in hereyes, she turned then to Frank.

"Ought I to shave it?" she asked, tight-upped. Frank put out his hand, revolted. "Oh, Mum, no!

Surely not! If she gets a good douse⁴⁰² of kerosene it ought to be enough. Please don't shave it!"So Meggie was marched to the worktable and held over the tub while they poured cup after cup of keroseneover her head and scrubbed the corrosive⁴⁰³ soap through what was left of her hair. When they were finallysatisfied, she was almost blind from screwing up her eyes against the bite of the caustic⁴⁰⁴, and little rows of blistershad risen all over her face and scalp. Frank swept the fallen curls into a sheet of paper and thrust it into thecopper fire, then took the broom and stood it in a panful of kerosene. He and Fee both washed their hair, gaspingas the lye seared their skins, then Frank got out a bucket and scrubbed the kitchen floor with sheep-dip. When thekitchen was as sterile⁴⁰⁵ as a hospital they went through to the bedrooms, stripped every sheet and blanket fromevery bed, and spent the rest of the day boiling, wringing⁴⁰⁶ and pegging⁴⁰⁷ out the family linen⁴⁰⁸. The mattresses⁴⁰⁹ andpillows were draped over the back fence and sprayed with kerosene, the parlor⁴¹⁰ rugs were beaten within an inchof their lives. All the boys were put to helping, only Meggie exempted⁴¹¹ because she was in absolute disgrace. Shecrawled away behind the barn and cried. Her head throbbed⁴¹² with pain from the scrubbing, the burns and theblisters; and she was so bitterly ashamed that she would not even look at Frank when he came to find her, norcould he persuade her to come inside.

In the end he had to drag her into the house by brute⁴¹³ force, kicking and fighting, and she had pushed herself intoa corner when Paddy came back from Wahine in the late afternoon. He took one look at Meggie's shorn head andburst into tears, sitting rocking himself in the Windsor chair with his hands over his face, while the family stoodshuffling their feet and wishing they were anywhere but where they were. Fee made a pot of tea and pouredPaddy a cup as he began to recover. "What happened in Wahine?" she asked. "You were gone an awful longtime." "I took the horsewhip to that blasted Dago and threw him into the horse trough, for one thing. Then Inoticed MacLeod standing outside his shop watching, so I told him what had happened. MacLeod musteredsome of the chaps at the pub and we threw the whole lot of those Dagos into the horse trough, women too, andtipped a few gallons of sheep-dip into it. Then I went down to the school and saw Sister Agatha, and I tell you,she was fit to be tied that she hadn't noticed anything. She hauled the Dago girl out of her desk to look in herhair, and sure enough, lice all over the place. So she sent the girl home and told her not to come back until herhead was clean. I left her and Sister Declan and Sister Catherine looking through every head in the school, andthere turned out to be a lot of lousy ones. Those three nuns were scratching themselves like mad when theythought no one was watching." He grinned at the memory, then he saw Meggie's head again and sobered. Hestared at her grimly. "As for you, young lady, no more Dagos or anyone except your brothers. If they aren't goodenough for you, too bad. Bob, I'm telling you that Meggie's to have nothing to do with anyone except you and theboys while she's at school, do you hear?"Bob nodded. "Yes, Daddy."The next morning Meggie was horrified to discover that she was expected to go to school as usual.

"No, no, I can't go!" she moaned, her hands clutching at her head. "Mum, Mum, I can't go to school like this,not with Sister Agatha!" "Oh, yes, you can," her mother replied, ignoring Frank's imploring⁴¹⁴ looks. "It'll teach youa lesson."So off to school went Meggie, her feet dragging and her head done up in a brown bandanna⁴¹⁵. Sister Agathaignored her entirely, but at playtime the other girls caught her and tore her scarf away to see what she lookedlike. Her face was only mildly disfigured, but her head when uncovered was a horrible sight, oozing⁴¹⁶ and angry.

The moment he saw what was going on Bob came over, and took his sister away into a secluded corner of thecricket pitch. "Don't you take any notice of them, Meggie," he said roughly, tying the scarf around her headawkwardly and patting her stiff shoulders. "Spiteful little cats! I wish I'd thought to catch some of those thingsout of your head; I'm sure they'd keep. The minute everyone forgot, I'd sprinkle a few heads with a new lot."The other Cleary boys gathered around, and they sat guarding Meggie until the bell rang.

Teresa Annunzio came to school briefly at lunchtime, her head shaven. She tried to attack Meggie, but the boysheld her off easily. As she backed away she flung her right arm up in the air, its fist clenched⁴¹⁷, and slapped herleft hand on its biceps in a fascinating, mysterious gesture no one understood, but which the boys avidly⁴¹⁸ filedaway for future use. "I hate you!" Teresa screamed. "Me dad's got to move out of the district because of whatyour dad did to him!" She turned and ran from the playground, howling.

Meggie held her head up and kept her eyes dry. She was learning. It didn't matter what anyone else thought, itdidn't, it didn't! The other girls avoided her, half because they were frightened of Bob and Jack, half because theword had got around their parents and they had been instructed to keep away; being thick with the Clearysusually meant trouble of some kind. So Meggie passed the last few days of school "fin³ Coventry," as they calledit, which meant she was totally ostracized⁴¹⁹. Even Sister Agatha respected the new policy, and took her rages outon Stuart instead. As were all birthdays among the little ones if they 51 fell on a school day, Meggie's birthdaycelebration was delayed until Saturday, when she received the longed for willow pattern tea set. It was arrangedon a beautifully crafted ultramarine table and chairs made in Frank's nonexistent spare time, and Agnes wasseated on one of the two tiny chairs wearing a new blue dress made in Fee's nonexistent spare time. Meggiestared dismally⁴²⁰ at the blue-and-white designs gamboling all around each small piece; at the fantastic trees withtheir funny puffy blossoms, at the ornate little pagoda⁴²¹, at the strangely stilled pair of birds and the minute figureseternally fleeing across the kinky bridge. It had lost every bit of its enchantment⁴²². But dimly she understood whythe family had beggared itself to get her the thing they thought dearest to her heart. So she dutifully made tea forAgnes in the tiny square teapot and went through the ritual as if in ecstasy⁴²³. And she continued doggedly⁴²⁴ to use itfor years, never breaking or so much as chipping a single piece. No one ever dreamed that she loathed⁴²⁵ the willowpattern tea set, the blue table and chairs, and Agnes's blue dress.

Two days before that Christmas of 1917 Paddy brought home his weekly newspaper and a new stack of booksfrom the library. However, the paper for once took precedence over the books. Its editors had conceived a novelidea based on the fancy American magazines which very occasionally found their way to New Zealand; theentire middle section was a feature on the war. There were blurred⁴²⁶ photographs of the Anzacs storming thepitiless cliffs at Gallipoli, long articles extolling⁴²⁷ the bravery of the Antipodean soldier, features on all theAustralian and New Zealand winners of the Victoria Cross since its inception⁴²⁸, and a magnificent full-pageetching of an Australian light horse cavalryman⁴²⁹ mounted on his charger, saber at the ready and long silkyfeathers pluming⁴³⁰ from under the turned-up side of his slouch hat.

At first opportunity Frank seized the paper and read the feature hungrily, drinking in its jingoistic⁴³¹ prose, hiseyes glowing eerily⁴³². "Daddy, I want to go!" he said as he laid the paper down reverently⁴³³ on the table.

Fee's head jerked around as she slopped stew all over the top of the stove, and Paddy stiffened in his Windsorchair, his book forgotten. "You're too young, Frank," he said.

"No, I'm not! I'm seventeen, Daddy, I'm a man! Why should the Huns and Turks slaughter⁴³⁴ our men like pigswhile I'm sitting here safe and sound? It's more than time a Cleary did his bit.""You're under age, Frank, they won't take you.""They wilt³⁴⁴ if you don't object," Frank countered quickly, his dark eyes fixed on Paddy's face.

"But I do object. You're the only one workingat the moment and we need the money you bring in, you know that.""But I'll be paid in the army!"Paddy laughed. "The "soldier's shilling' eh? Being a blacksmith in Wahine pays a lot better than being a soldierin Europe.""But I'll be over there, maybe I'll get the chance to be something better than a blacksmith! It's my only way out,Daddy.""Nonsense! Good God, boy, you don't know what you're saying. War is terrible. I come from a country that'sbeen at war for a thousand years, so I know what I'm saying. Haven't you heard the Boer War chaps talking? Yougo into Wahine often enough, so next time listen. And anyway, it strikes me that the blasted English use Anzacsas fodder for the enemy guns, putting them into places where they don't want to waste their own precious troops.

Look at the way that saber-rattling Churchill sent our men into something as useless as Gallipoli! Ten thousandkilled out of fifty thousand! Twice as bad as decimation.

"Why should you go fighting old Mother England's wars for her? What has she ever done for you, except bleedher colonies white? If you went to England they'd look down their noses at you for being a colonial. En Zed isn'tin any danger, nor is Australia. It might do old Mother England the world of good to be defeated; it's more thantime someone paid her for what she's done to Ireland. I certainly wouldn't weep any tears if the Kaiser ended upmarching down the Strand.""But Daddy, I want to enlist³⁷¹!""You can want all you like, Frank, but you aren't going, so you may as well forget the whole idea. You're notbig enough to be a soldier." Frank's face flushed, his lips came together; his lack of stature⁴³⁵ was a very sore pointwith him. At school he had always been the smallest boy in his class, and fought twice as many battles as anyoneelse because of it. Of late a terrible doubt had begun to invade his being, for at seventeen he was exactly the samefive feet three he had been at fourteen; perhaps he had stopped growing. Only he knew the agonies to which hesubjected his body and his spirit, the stretching, the exercises, the fruitless hoping. Smithying had given him astrength out of all proportion to his height, however; had Paddy consciously chosen a profession for someone ofFrank's temperament⁴³⁶, he could not have chosen better. A small structure of pure power, at seventeen he hadnever been defeated in a fight and was already famous throughout the Taranaki peninsula. All his anger,frustration and inferiority came into a fight with him, and they were more than the biggest, strongest local couldcontend with, allied⁴³⁷ as they were to a body in superb physical condition, an excellent brain, viciousness andindomitable will. The bigger and tougher they were, the more Frank wanted to see them humbled⁴³⁸ in the dust. Hispeers trod a wide detour⁴³⁹ around him, for his aggressiveness was well known. Of late he had branched out of theranks of youths in his search for challenges, and the local men still talked about the day he had beaten JimCollins to a pulp, though Jim Collins was twenty-two years old, stood six feet four in his socks and could lifthorses. With his left arm broken and his ribs⁴⁴⁰ cracked, Frank had fought on until Jim Collins was a slobberingmass of bloodied⁴⁴¹ flesh at his feet, and he had to be forcibly restrained from kicking the senseless face in. As soonas the arm healed and the ribs came out of strapping⁴⁴², Frank went into town and lifted a horse, just to show thatJim wasn't the only one who could, and that it didn't depend on a man's size. As the sire of this phenomenon,Paddy knew Frank's reputation very well and understood Frank's battle to gain respect, though it did not preventhis becoming angry when fighting interfered⁴⁴³ "with the work in the forge. Being a small man himself, Paddy hadhad his share of fights to prove his courage, but in his part of Ireland he was not diminutive and by the time hearrived in New Zealand, where men were taller, he was a man grown. Thus his size was never the obsession⁴⁴⁴ withhim it was with Frank. Now he watched the boy carefully, trying to understand him and failing; this one hadalways been the farthest from his heart, no matter how he struggled against discriminating⁴⁴⁵ among his children.

He knew it grieved Fee, that she worried over the unspoken antagonism⁴⁴⁶ between them, but even his love for Feecould not overcome his exasperation⁴⁴⁷ with Frank. Frank's short, finely made hands were spread-across the openpaper defensively, his eyes riveted on Paddy's face in a curious mixture of pleading and a pride that was too stiff-necked to plead. How alien the face was! No Cleary or Armstrong in it, except perhaps a little look of Fee aroundthe eyes, if Fee's eyes had been dark and could have snapped and flashed the way Frank's did on slightestprovocation. One thing the lad did not lack, and that was courage.

The subject ended abruptly⁴⁴⁸ with Paddy's remark about Frank's size; the family ate stewed⁴⁴⁹ rabbit in unusualsilence, even Hughie and Jack treading carefully through a sticky, self-conscious conversation punctuated⁴⁵⁰ bymuch shrill⁴⁵¹ giggling⁴⁵². Meggie refused to eat, fixing her gaze on Frank as if he were going to disappear from sightany moment. Frank picked at his food for a decent interval⁴⁵³, and as soon as he could excused himself from thetable. A minute later they heard the axe clunking dully from the woodheap; Frank was attacking the hardwoodlogs Paddy had brought home to store for the slow-burning fires of winter.

When everyone thought she was in bed, Meggie squeezed out of her bedroom window and sneaked⁴⁵⁴ down to thewoodheap. It was a tremendously important area in the continuing life of the house; about a thousand square feetof ground padded and deadened by a thick layer of chips and bark, great high stacks of logs on one side waitingto be reduced in size, and on the other side mosaic-like walls of neatly⁴⁵⁵ prepared wood just the right size for thestove firebox. In the middle of the open space three tree stumps⁴⁵⁷ still rooted in the ground were used as blocks tochop different heights of wood. Frank was not on a block; he was working on a massive eucalyptus⁴⁵⁸ log andundercutting it to get it small enough to place on the lowest, widest stump⁴⁵⁶. Its two foot-diameter bulk lay on theearth, each end immobilized by an iron spike⁴⁵⁹, and Frank was standing on top of it, cutting it in two between hisspread feet. The axe was moving so fast it whistled, and the handle made its own separate swishing sound as itslid up and down within his slippery palms. Up it flashed above his head, down it came in a dull silver blur,carving a wedge-shaped chunk⁴⁶⁰ out of the iron-hard wood as easily as if it had been a pine or a deciduous⁴⁶¹ tree.

Sundered⁴⁶² pieces of wood were flying in all directions, the sweat was running in streams down Frank's bare chestand back, and he had wound his handkerchief about his brow to keep the sweat from blinding him. It wasdangerous work, undercutting; one mistimed or badly directed hack, and he would be minus a foot. He had hisleather wristbands on to soak up the sweat from his arms, but the delicate hands were ungloved, gripping the axehandle lightly and with exquisitely directed skill.

Meggie crouched⁴⁶³ down beside his discarded shirt and undervest to watch, awed⁴⁶⁴. Three spare axes were lyingnearby, for eucalyptus wood blunted the sharpest axe in no time at all. She grasped one by its handle and draggedit onto her knees, wishing she could chop wood like Frank. The axe was so heavy she could hardly lift it.

Colonial axes had only one blade, honed to hair-splitting sharpness, for double-bladed axes were too light foreucalyptus. The back of the axe head was an inch thick and weighted, the handle passing through it, firmlyanchored with small bits of extra wood. A loose axe head could come off in midswing, snap through the air ashard and fast as a cannonball and kill someone.

Frank was cutting almost instinctively⁴⁶⁵ in the fast fading light; Meggie dodged⁴⁶⁶ the chips with the ease of longpractice and waited patiently for him to spy her. The log was half severed⁴⁶⁷, and he turned himself the oppositeway, gasping; then he swung the axe up again, and began to cut the second side. It was a deep, narrow gap, toconserve wood and hasten the process; as he worked toward the center of the log the axe head disappearedentirely inside the cut, and the big wedges of wood flew out closer and closer to his body. He ignored them,chopping even faster. The log parted with stunning⁴⁶⁸ suddenness, and at the same moment he leaped lithely⁴⁶⁹ intothe air, sensing that it was going almost before the axe took its last bite. As the wood collapsed⁴⁷⁰ inward, he landedoff to one side, smiling; but it was not a happy smile.

He turned to pick up a new axe and saw his sister sitting patiently in her prim⁴⁷¹ nightgown, all buttoned up andbuttoned down. It was still strange to see her hair clustering in a mass of short ringlets instead of done up in itscustomary rags, but he decided⁴⁷² the boyish style suited her, and wished it could remain so. Coming over to her, hesquatted down with his axe held across his knees.

"How did you get out, you little twerp?""I climbed through the window after Stu was asleep.""If you don't watch out, you'll turn into a tomboy.""I don't mind. Playing with the boys is better than playing all by myself." "I suppose it is." He sat down with hisback against a log and wearily turned his head toward her. "What's the matter, Meggie?" "Frank, you're not reallygoing away, are you?" She put her hands with their mangled⁴⁷³ nails down on his thigh⁴⁷⁴ and stared up at himanxiously, her mouth open because her nose was stuffed full from fighting tears and she couldn't breathe throughit very well.

"I might be, Meggie." He said it gently.

"Oh, Frank, you can't! Mum and I need you! Honestly, I don't know what we'd do without you!"He grinned in spite of his pain, at her unconscious echoing of Fee's way of speaking.

"Meggie, sometimes things just don't happen the way you want them to. You ought to know that. We Clearyshave been taught to work together for the good of all, never to think of ourselves first. But I don't agree with that;I think we ought to be able to think of ourselves first. I want to go away because I'm seventeen and it's time Imade a life for myself. But Daddy says no, I'm needed at home for the good of the family as a whole. Andbecause I'm not twenty-one, I've got to do as Daddy says."Meggie nodded earnestly, trying to untangle the threads of Frank's explanation.

"Well, Meggie, I've thought long and hard about it. I'm going away, and that's that. I know you and Mum willmiss me, but Bob's growing up fast, and Daddy and the boys won't miss me at all. It's only the money I bring ininterests Daddy.""Don't you like us anymore, Frank?"He turned to snatch her into his arms, hugging and caressing⁴⁷⁵ her in tortured pleasure, most of it grief and painand hunger. "Oh, Meggie! I love you and Mum more than all the others put together! God, why weren't youolder, so I could talk to you? Or maybe it's better that you're so little, maybe it's better . . . ."He let her go abruptly, struggling to master himself, rolling his head back and forth against the log, his throatand mouth working. Then he looked at her. "Meggie, when you're older you'll understand better.""Please don't go away, Frank," she repeated.

He laughed, almost a sob³⁶. "Oh, Meggie! Didn't you hear any of it? Well, it doesn't really matter. The mainthing is you're not to tell anyone you saw me tonight, hear? I don't want them thinking you're in on it.""I did hear, Frank, I heard all of it," Meggie said. "I won't say a word to anybody, though, I promise. But oh, Ido wish you didn't have to go away!" She was too young to be able to tell him what was no more than anunreasoning something within her heart; who else was there, if Frank went? He was the only one who gave herovert affection, the only one who held her and hugged her. When she was smaller Daddy used to pick her up alot, but ever since she started at school he had stopped letting her sit on his knee, wouldn't let her throw her armsaround his neck, saying, "You're a big girl now, Meggie." And Mum was always so busy, so tired, so wrapped inthe boys and the house. It was Frank who lay closest to her heart, Frank who loomed⁴⁷⁶ as the star in her limitedheaven. He was the only one who seemed to enjoy sitting talking to her, and he explained things in a way shecould understand.

Ever since the day Agnes had lost her hair there had been Frank, and in spite of her sore troubles nothing sincehad speared her quite to the core. Not canes⁴⁷⁷ or Sister Agatha or lice, because Frank was there to comfort andconsole.

But she got up and managed a smile. "If you have to go, Frank, then it's all right.""Meggie, you ought to be in bed, at least you'd better be back there before Mum checks. Scoot, quickly!"The reminder⁴⁷⁸ drove all else from her head; she thrust her face down and fished for the trailing back of hergown, pulled it through between her legs and held it like a tail in reverse in front of her as she ran, bare feetspurning the splinters and sharp chips.

In the morning Frank was gone. When Fee came to pull Meggie from her bed she was grim and terse³³⁶; Meggiehopped out like a scalded cat and dressed herself without even asking for help with all the little buttons. In thekitchen the boys were sitting glumly⁴⁷⁹ around the table, and Paddy's chair was empty. So was Frank's. Meggie slidinto her place and sat there, teeth chattering⁴⁸⁰ in fear. After breakfast Fee shooed them outside dourly⁴⁸¹, and behindthe barn Bob broke the news to Meggie.

"Frank's run away," he breathed.

"Maybe he's just gone into Wahine," Meggie suggested. "No, silly! He's gone to join the army. Oh, I wish I wasbig enough to go with him! The lucky coot!""Well, I wish he was still at home."Bob shrugged. "You're only a girl, and that's what I'd expect a girl to say."The normally incendiary remark was permitted to pass unchallenged; Meggie took herself inside to her motherto see what she could do. "Where's Daddy?" she asked Fee after her mother had set her to ironing handkerchiefs.

"Gone in to Wahine.""Will he bring Frank back with him?"Fee snorted. "Trying to keep a secret in this family is impossible. No, he won't catch Frank in Wahine, heknows that. He's gone to send a telegram to the police and the army in Wanganui. They'll bring him back.""Oh, Mum, I hope they find him] I don't want Frank to go away!" Fee slapped the contents of the butter churnonto . the table and attacked the watery⁴⁸² yellow mound⁴⁸³ with two wooden pats. "None of us want Frank to goaway. That's why Daddy's going to see he's brought back." Her mouth quivered for a moment; she whacked⁴⁸⁴ thebutter harder. "Poor Frank! Poor, poor Frank!" she sighed, not to Meggie but to herself. "I don't know why thechildren must pay for our sins. My poor Frank, so out of things . . ." Then she noticed that Meggie had stoppedironing, and shut her lips, and said no more. Three days later the police brought Frank back. He had put up aterrific struggle, the Wanganui sergeant⁴⁸⁵ on escort duty told Paddy. "What a fighter you've got! When he saw thearmy lads were a wakeup he was off like a shot, down the steps and into the street with two soldiers after him. Ifhe hadn't had the bad luck to run into a constable⁴⁸⁶ on patrol, I reckon he'd a got away, too. He put up a real wackofight; took five of them to get the manacles on."So saying, he removed Frank's heavy chains and pushed him roughly through the front gate; he stumbledagainst Paddy, and shrank away as if the contact stung.

The children were skulking⁴⁸⁷ by the side of the house twenty feet beyond the adults, watching and waiting. Bob,Jack and Hughie stood stiffly, hoping Frank would put up another fight; Stuart just looked on quietly, from out ofhis peaceful, sympathetic little soul; Meggie held her hands to her cheeks, pushing and kneading at them in anagony of fear that someone meant to hurt Frank.

He turned to look at his mother first, black eyes into grey in a dark and bitter communion which had never beenspoken, nor ever was. Paddy's fierce blue gaze beat him down, contemptuous and scathing⁴⁸⁸, as if this was what hehad expected, and Frank's downcast lids acknowledged his right to be angry. From that day forward Paddy neverspoke to his son beyond common civility. But it was the children Frank found hardest to face, ashamed andembarrassed, the bright bird brought home with the sky unplumbed, wings clipped, song drowned into silence.

Meggie waited until after Fee had done her nightly rounds, then she wriggled through the open window andmade off across the backyard. She knew where Frank would be, up in the hay in the barn, safe from prying⁴⁸⁹ eyesand his father.

"Frank, Frank, where are you?" she said in a stage whisper as she shuffled into the stilly blackness of the barn,her toes exploring the unknown ground in front of her as sensitively as an animal.

"Over here, Meggie," came his tired voice, hardly Frank's voice at all, no life or passion to it.

She followed the sound to where he was stretched out in the hay, and snuggled down beside him with her armsas far around his chest as they would reach. "Oh, Frank, I'm so glad you're back," she said. He groaned⁴⁹⁰, sliddown in the straw until he was lower than she, and put his head on her body. Meggie clutched at his thickstraight hair, crooning. It was too dark to see her, and the invisible substance of her sympathy undid him. Hebegan to weep, knotting his body into slow twisting rails of pain, his tears soaking her nightgown. Meggie didnot weep. Something in her little soul was old enough and woman enough to feel the irresistible⁴⁹¹, stinging joy ofbeing needed; she sat rocking his head back and forth, back and forth, until his grief expended itself inemptiness.

1 squatted   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 tugged   

v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
• A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

4 mistily   

adv.有雾地，朦胧地，不清楚地

参考例句：

• My wife is patting Run'er inside the house, murmuring lullaby mistily. 妻在屋里拍着闰儿，迷迷糊糊地哼着眠歌。 来自互联网
• Bits of tulle and fuzzy yarn hang mistily from the rafters. 房间的椽条上缠着薄纱和毛茸茸的纱线。 来自互联网

5 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

6 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

7 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

8 tattered   

adj.破旧的，衣衫破的

参考例句：

• Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
• Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。

9 yearning   

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。

10 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。

11 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 jointed   

有接缝的

参考例句：

• To embrace her was like embracing a jointed wooden image. 若是拥抱她，那感觉活像拥抱一块木疙瘩。 来自英汉文学
• It is possible to devise corresponding systematic procedures for rigid jointed frames. 推导出适合于钢架的类似步骤也是可能的。

14 exquisitely   

adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地

参考例句：

• He found her exquisitely beautiful. 他觉得她异常美丽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He wore an exquisitely tailored gray silk and accessories to match. 他穿的是做工非常考究的灰色绸缎衣服，还有各种配得很协调的装饰。 来自教父部分

15 dour   

adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈

参考例句：

• They were exposed to dour resistance.他们遭受到顽强的抵抗。
• She always pretends to be dour,in fact,she's not.她总表现的不爱讲话，事实却相反。

16 bosom   

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。

17 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

19 tinted   

adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• a pair of glasses with tinted lenses 一副有色镜片眼镜
• a rose-tinted vision of the world 对世界的理想化看法

20 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

21 lashes   

n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• Mother always lashes out food for the children's party. 孩子们聚会时，母亲总是给他们许多吃的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Never walk behind a horse in case it lashes out. 绝对不要跟在马后面，以防它突然猛踢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 irises   

n.虹( iris的名词复数 )；虹膜；虹彩；鸢尾（花）

参考例句：

• The cottage gardens blaze with irises, lilies and peonies. 村舍花园万紫千红，鸢尾、百合花和牡丹竞相争艳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The irises were of flecked grey. 虹膜呈斑驳的灰色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 streaked   

adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句

24 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

25 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

26 rustling   

n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的

参考例句：

• the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声
• the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

27 scythe   

n. 长柄的大镰刀，战车镰； v. 以大镰刀割

参考例句：

• He's cutting grass with a scythe.他正在用一把大镰刀割草。
• Two men were attempting to scythe the long grass.两个人正试图割掉疯长的草。

28 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

29 thatch   

vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部；n.茅草(屋)

参考例句：

• They lit a torch and set fire to the chapel's thatch.他们点着一支火把，放火烧了小教堂的茅草屋顶。
• They topped off the hut with a straw thatch. 他们给小屋盖上茅草屋顶。

30 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

31 hem   

n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制

参考例句：

• The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
• The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。

32 engrossed   

adj.全神贯注的

参考例句：

• The student is engrossed in his book.这名学生正在专心致志地看书。
• No one had ever been quite so engrossed in an evening paper.没人会对一份晚报如此全神贯注。

33 pouncing   

v.突然袭击( pounce的现在分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击）

参考例句：

• Detective Sun grinned and, pouncing on the gourd, smashed it against the wall. 孙侦探笑了，一把将瓦罐接过来，往墙上一碰。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• We saw the tiger pouncing on the goat. 我们看见老虎向那只山羊扑过去。 来自互联网

34 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 lank   

adj.瘦削的；稀疏的

参考例句：

• He rose to lank height and grasped Billy McMahan's hand.他瘦削的身躯站了起来，紧紧地握住比利·麦默恩的手。
• The old man has lank hair.那位老人头发稀疏

36 sob   

n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣

参考例句：

• The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
• The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。

37 sobbing   

<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的

参考例句：

• I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
• Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

38 whoop   

n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息

参考例句：

• He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时，高兴得叫了起来。
• Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。

39 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

40 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

41 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

42 scant   

adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略

参考例句：

• Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
• Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

43 winking   

n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• Anyone can do it; it's as easy as winking. 这谁都办得到，简直易如反掌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The stars were winking in the clear sky. 星星在明亮的天空中闪烁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

44 smearing   

污点，拖尾效应

参考例句：

• The small boy spoilt the picture by smearing it with ink. 那孩子往画上抹墨水把画给毁了。
• Remove the screen carefully so as to avoid smearing the paste print. 小心的移开丝网，以避免它弄脏膏印。

45 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

46 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

47 hissing   

n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。
• His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

48 hew   

v.砍；伐；削

参考例句：

• Hew a path through the underbrush.在灌木丛中砍出一条小路。
• Plant a sapling as tall as yourself and hew it off when it is two times high of you.种一棵与自己身高一样的树苗，长到比自己高两倍时砍掉它。

49 anvil   

n.铁钻

参考例句：

• The blacksmith shaped a horseshoe on his anvil.铁匠在他的铁砧上打出一个马蹄形。
• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly.订书机上的铁砧安装错位。

50 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

51 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

52 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

53 plodded   

v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作）

参考例句：

• Our horses plodded down the muddy track. 我们的马沿着泥泞小路蹒跚而行。
• He plodded away all night at his project to get it finished. 他通宵埋头苦干以便做完专题研究。 来自《简明英汉词典》

54 fixed   

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。

55 rambling   

adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的

参考例句：

• We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。

56 standing   

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。

57 bruising   

adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式)

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• He slipped and fell, badly bruising an elbow. 他滑倒了，一只胳膊肘严重擦伤。 来自辞典例句

58 scourges   

带来灾难的人或东西，祸害( scourge的名词复数 )； 鞭子

参考例句：

• Textile workers suffer from three scourges -- noise, dust and humidity. 纱厂工人的三大威胁，就是音响、尘埃和湿气。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
• Believe, if Internet remains great scourges, also won't have present dimensions. 相信，如果互联网仍然是洪水猛兽，也不会有现在的规模。

59 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

60 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

61 suffocated   

（使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气

参考例句：

• Many dogs have suffocated in hot cars. 许多狗在热烘烘的汽车里给闷死了。
• I nearly suffocated when the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift. 呼吸器上的管子脱落时，我差点给憋死。

62 shuddering   

v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

63 thump   

v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声

参考例句：

• The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。
• The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。

64 thumping   

adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持

参考例句：

• Her heart was thumping with emotion. 她激动得心怦怦直跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was thumping the keys of the piano. 他用力弹钢琴。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

65 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

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

66 gushed   

v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话

参考例句：

• Oil gushed from the well. 石油从井口喷了出来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Clear water gushed into the irrigational channel. 清澈的水涌进了灌溉渠道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

67 spurned   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。
• With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句

68 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

69 nun   

n.修女，尼姑

参考例句：

• I can't believe that the famous singer has become a nun.我无法相信那个著名的歌星已做了修女。
• She shaved her head and became a nun.她削发为尼。

70 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

71 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

72 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

73 impractical   

adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的

参考例句：

• He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
• An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

74 replenished   

补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满

参考例句：

• She replenished her wardrobe. 她添置了衣服。
• She has replenished a leather [fur] coat recently. 她最近添置了一件皮袄。

75 apparently   

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。

76 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

77 callously   

参考例句：

• Sri Lanka has callously ignored calls for a humanitarian cease-fire. 斯里兰卡无情地忽视人道停火的呼吁。 来自互联网
• The pendulum ticks callously, heartlessly. 这是谁的遗训？ 来自互联网

78 desecrate   

v.供俗用，亵渎，污辱

参考例句：

• The enemy desecrate the church by using it as a stable.敌人亵渎这所教堂,把它当做马厩。
• It's a crime to desecrate the country's flag.玷污国旗是犯罪。

79 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

80 cascaded   

级联的

参考例句：

• His money cascaded away in a couple of years. 他的钱在三两年内便滚滚流失了。
• The water cascaded off the roof in the thunderstorm. 雷雨中水象瀑布一样从屋顶泻下。

81 smeared   

弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上

参考例句：

• The children had smeared mud on the walls. 那几个孩子往墙上抹了泥巴。
• A few words were smeared. 有写字被涂模糊了。

82 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

83 bastards   

私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙

参考例句：

• Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的，不顾大局！ 来自子夜部分
• Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分

84 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

85 politic   

adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政

参考例句：

• He was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage.他很聪明，不会与这么重要的人争吵。
• The politic man tried not to offend people.那个精明的人尽量不得罪人。

86 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

87 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

88 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

89 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

90 hiccuping   

v.嗝( hiccup的现在分词 )；连续地打嗝；暂时性的小问题；短暂的停顿

参考例句：

• She stood on the balcony,inexplicably mimicing him hiccuping,and amicably welcoming him in. 她站在阳台上，莫名其妙地学他打起嗝来并热情地欢迎他进来。 来自互联网

91 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

92 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

93 tangle   

n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱

参考例句：

• I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
• If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你，我就不跟他们争吵。

94 bleached   

漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的

参考例句：

• His hair was bleached by the sun . 他的头发被太阳晒得发白。
• The sun has bleached her yellow skirt. 阳光把她的黄裙子晒得褪色了。

95 dangling   

悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
• The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。

96 clump   

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。

97 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

98 awning   

n.遮阳篷；雨篷

参考例句：

• A large green awning is set over the glass window to shelter against the sun.在玻璃窗上装了个绿色的大遮棚以遮挡阳光。
• Several people herded under an awning to get out the shower.几个人聚集在门栅下避阵雨

99 inverted   

adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Only direct speech should go inside inverted commas. 只有直接引语应放在引号内。
• Inverted flight is an acrobatic manoeuvre of the plane. 倒飞是飞机的一种特技动作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

100 silhouette   

n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓

参考例句：

• I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓。
• I could see the silhouette of the woman in the pickup.我可以见到小卡车的女人黑色半身侧面影。

101 beset   

v.镶嵌；困扰，包围

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。

102 phantoms   

n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They vanished down the stairs like two phantoms. 他们像两个幽灵似的消失在了楼下。 来自辞典例句
• The horrible night that he had passed had left phantoms behind it. 他刚才度过的恐布之夜留下了种种错觉。 来自辞典例句

103 copiously   

adv.丰富地，充裕地

参考例句：

• She leant forward and vomited copiously on the floor. 她向前一俯，哇的一声吐了一地。 来自英汉文学
• This well-organized, unified course copiously illustrated, amply cross-referenced, and fully indexed. 这条组织完善，统一的课程丰富地被说明，丰富地被相互参照和充分地被标注。 来自互联网

104 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

105 snugly   

adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地

参考例句：

• Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

106 starched   

adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了，很干净。 来自辞典例句

108 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

109 veneer   

n.(墙上的)饰面，虚饰

参考例句：

• For the first time her veneer of politeness began to crack.她温文尔雅的外表第一次露出破绽。
• The panel had a veneer of gold and ivory.这木板上面镶饰了一层金和象牙。

110 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

111 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

112 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

113 incurably   

ad.治不好地

参考例句：

• But young people are incurably optimistic and women have a special knack of forgetting their troubles. 可是青年人，永远朝着愉快的事情想，女人们尤其容易忘记那些不痛快。
• For herself she wanted nothing. For father and myself she was incurably ambitious. 她为她自己并无所求，可为父亲和我，却有着无法遏制的野心。

114 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

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

115 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

116 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

117 envious   

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。

118 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

119 shearing   

n.剪羊毛，剪取的羊毛v.剪羊毛( shear的现在分词 )；切断；剪切

参考例句：

• The farmer is shearing his sheep. 那农夫正在给他的羊剪毛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The result of this shearing force is to push the endoplasm forward. 这种剪切力作用的结果是推动内质向前。 来自辞典例句

120 plowing   

v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• "There are things more important now than plowing, Sugar. "如今有比耕种更重要的事情要做呀，宝贝儿。 来自飘（部分）
• Since his wife's death, he has been plowing a lonely furrow. 从他妻子死后，他一直过着孤独的生活。 来自辞典例句

121 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

122 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

123 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

124 flickering   

adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的

参考例句：

• The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
• The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。

125 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

126 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

127 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

128 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

129 drawn   

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。

130 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

131 sockets   

n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴

参考例句：

• All new PCs now have USB sockets. 新的个人计算机现在都有通用串行总线插孔。
• Make sure the sockets in your house are fingerproof. 确保你房中的插座是防触电的。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

132 taper   

n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小

参考例句：

• You'd better taper off the amount of time given to rest.你最好逐渐地减少休息时间。
• Pulmonary arteries taper towards periphery.肺动脉向周围逐渐变细。

133 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

134 drowsily   

adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地

参考例句：

• She turned drowsily on her side, a slow creeping blackness enveloping her mind. 她半睡半醒地翻了个身，一片缓缓蠕动的黑暗渐渐将她的心包围起来。 来自飘（部分）
• I felt asleep drowsily before I knew it. 不知过了多久，我曚扙地睡着了。 来自互联网

135 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

136 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

137 glisten   

vi.（光洁或湿润表面等）闪闪发光，闪闪发亮

参考例句：

• Dewdrops glisten in the morning sun.露珠在晨光下闪闪发光。
• His sunken eyes glistened with delight.他凹陷的眼睛闪现出喜悦的光芒。

138 doze   

v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐

参考例句：

• He likes to have a doze after lunch.他喜欢午饭后打个盹。
• While the adults doze,the young play.大人们在打瞌睡，而孩子们在玩耍。

139 elongated   

v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。
• A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》

140 squint   

v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的

参考例句：

• A squint can sometimes be corrected by an eyepatch. 斜视有时候可以通过戴眼罩来纠正。
• The sun was shinning straight in her eyes which made her squint. 太阳直射着她的眼睛,使她眯起了眼睛。

141 spoke   

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。

142 slur   

v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音

参考例句：

• He took the remarks as a slur on his reputation.他把这些话当作是对他的名誉的中伤。
• The drug made her speak with a slur.药物使她口齿不清。

143 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

144 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

145 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

146 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

147 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

148 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

149 groans   

n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

150 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

151 doled   

救济物( dole的过去式和过去分词 )； 失业救济金

参考例句：

• The food was doled out to the poor. 食品分发给了穷人。
• Sisco briskly doled out the United States positions on the key issues. 西斯科轻快地把美国在重大问题上的立场放了出去。

152 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

153 superfluous   

adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的

参考例句：

• She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
• That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。

154 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：

• 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》

155 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

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

156 puffing   

v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

157 allotted   

分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。
• Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。

158 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

159 slumped   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
• The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上，疲惫得睡着了。

160 sipping   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
• She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

161 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

162 iridescent   

adj.彩虹色的，闪色的

参考例句：

• The iridescent bubbles were beautiful.这些闪着彩虹般颜色的大气泡很美。
• Male peacocks display their iridescent feathers for prospective female mates.雄性孔雀为了吸引雌性伴侣而展现了他们彩虹色的羽毛。

163 ashtray   

n.烟灰缸

参考例句：

• He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
• She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。

164 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

165 rinse   

v.用清水漂洗，用清水冲洗

参考例句：

• Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
• Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子，要仔细地洗洗里面。

166 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

167 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

168 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

169 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

170 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

171 hunched   

（常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的

参考例句：

• He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。
• Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。

172 drudgery   

n.苦工，重活，单调乏味的工作

参考例句：

• People want to get away from the drudgery of their everyday lives.人们想摆脱日常生活中单调乏味的工作。
• He spent his life in pointlessly tiresome drudgery.他的一生都在做毫无意义的烦人的苦差事。

173 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

174 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

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

175 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

176 fiddling   

微小的

参考例句：

• He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
• All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

177 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

178 caress   

vt./n.爱抚，抚摸

参考例句：

• She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
• She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。

179 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

180 twitching   

n.颤搐

参考例句：

• The child in a spasm kept twitching his arms and legs. 那个害痉挛的孩子四肢不断地抽搐。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My eyelids keep twitching all the time. 我眼皮老是跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

181 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

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

182 malice   

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。

183 dingy   

adj.昏暗的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。
• The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。

184 linoleum   

n.油布，油毯

参考例句：

• They mislaid the linoleum.他们把油毡放错了地方。
• Who will lay the linoleum?谁将铺设地板油毡？

185 stiffened   

加强的

参考例句：

• He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去，这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。
• She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。

186 hips   

abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的

参考例句：

• She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
• They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

187 wriggled   

v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）

参考例句：

• He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

188 flannel   

n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服

参考例句：

• She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
• She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。

189 divest   

v.脱去，剥除

参考例句：

• I cannot divest myself of the idea.我无法消除那个念头。
• He attempted to divest himself of all responsibilities for the decision.他力图摆脱掉作出该项决定的一切责任。

190 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

191 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

192 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

193 relished   

v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望

参考例句：

• The chaplain relished the privacy and isolation of his verdant surroundings. 牧师十分欣赏他那苍翠的环境所具有的幽雅恬静，与世隔绝的气氛。 来自辞典例句
• Dalleson relished the first portion of the work before him. 达尔生对眼前这工作的前半部分满有兴趣。 来自辞典例句

194 relish   

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。

195 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

196 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

197 felons   

n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎

参考例句：

• Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？ 来自电影对白
• House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。 来自互联网

198 indentured   

v.以契约束缚（学徒）( indenture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The Africans became indentured servants, trading labor for shelter and eventual freedom. 非洲人成为契约上的仆人，以劳力交换庇护及最终的自由。 来自互联网
• They are descendants of indentured importees. 他们是契约外来工的后代。 来自互联网

199 arson   

n.纵火，放火

参考例句：

• He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
• He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。

200 larceny   

n.盗窃（罪）

参考例句：

• The man was put in jail for grand larceny.人因重大盗窃案而被监禁。
• It was an essential of the common law crime of larceny.它是构成普通法中的盗窃罪的必要条件。

201 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

202 gallows   

n.绞刑架，绞台

参考例句：

• The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。
• Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。

203 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

204 moored   

adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
• We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。

205 estuaries   

（江河入海的）河口，河口湾( estuary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We also recognize the diversity and complexity of controlling in fluences in estuaries. 我们也认识到在河湾内控制影响的多样性和复杂性。
• Estuaries also contribute to economy through tourism and fishing. 河口还为人类提供了休闲和教育的场所。

206 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

207 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

208 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

209 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

210 odyssey   

n.长途冒险旅行；一连串的冒险

参考例句：

• The march to Travnik was the final stretch of a 16-hour odyssey.去特拉夫尼克的这段路是长达16小时艰险旅行的最后一程。
• His odyssey of passion, friendship,love,and revenge was now finished.他的热情、友谊、爱情和复仇的漫长历程，到此结束了。

211 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

212 basked   

v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽

参考例句：

• She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她尽情地享受她女儿的成功带给她的荣耀。
• She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她享受着女儿的成功所带给她的荣耀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

213 immured   

v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was like a prisoner so long immured that freedom dazes him. 她象一个长年累月被关闭的囚犯，自由使她迷乱茫然。 来自辞典例句
• He immured himself in a small room to work undisturbed. 他自己关在小屋里埋头工作，以免受到骚扰。 来自辞典例句

214 pulp   

n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆

参考例句：

• The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
• The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。

215 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

216 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

217 quench   

vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制

参考例句：

• The firemen were unable to quench the fire.消防人员无法扑灭这场大火。
• Having a bottle of soft drink is not enough to quench my thirst.喝一瓶汽水不够解渴。

218 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

219 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

220 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

221 aristocrats   

n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution. 许多贵族在法国大革命中被处死。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To the Guillotine all aristocrats! 把全部贵族都送上断头台！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

222 remarkable   

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。

223 austere   

adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的

参考例句：

• His way of life is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
• The room was furnished in austere style.这间屋子的陈设都很简单朴素。

224 rites   

仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to administer the last rites to sb 给某人举行临终圣事
• He is interested in mystic rites and ceremonies. 他对神秘的仪式感兴趣。

225 vomited   

参考例句：

• Corbett leaned against the wall and promptly vomited. 科比特倚在墙边，马上呕吐了起来。
• She leant forward and vomited copiously on the floor. 她向前一俯，哇的一声吐了一地。 来自英汉文学

226 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

227 cane   

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。

228 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

229 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

230 satchel   

n.(皮或帆布的)书包

参考例句：

• The school boy opened the door and flung his satchel in.那个男学生打开门，把他的书包甩了进去。
• She opened her satchel and took out her father's gloves.打开书箱，取出了她父亲的手套来。

231 profusely   

ad.abundantly

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture. 我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。

232 trespassing   

[法]非法入侵

参考例句：

• He told me I was trespassing on private land. 他说我在擅闯私人土地。
• Don't come trespassing on my land again. 别再闯入我的地界了。

233 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

234 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

235 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

236 boulders   

n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾

参考例句：

• Seals basked on boulders in a flat calm. 海面风平浪静，海豹在巨石上晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The river takes a headlong plunge into a maelstrom of rocks and boulders. 河水急流而下，入一个漂砾的漩涡中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

237 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

238 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。

239 hitching   

搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上

参考例句：

• The farmer yoked the oxen before hitching them to the wagon. 农夫在将牛套上大车之前先给它们套上轭。
• I saw an old man hitching along on his stick. 我看见一位老人拄着手杖蹒跚而行。

240 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

241 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

242 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

243 pallid   

adj.苍白的，呆板的

参考例句：

• The moon drifted from behind the clouds and exposed the pallid face.月亮从云朵后面钻出来，照着尸体那张苍白的脸。
• His dry pallid face often looked gaunt.他那张干瘪苍白的脸常常显得憔悴。

244 footpath   

n.小路，人行道

参考例句：

• Owners who allow their dogs to foul the footpath will be fined.主人若放任狗弄脏人行道将受处罚。
• They rambled on the footpath in the woods.他俩漫步在林间蹊径上。

245 gutter   

n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟

参考例句：

• There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
• He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

246 cluttered   

v.杂物，零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的过去式和过去分词 )；乱糟糟地堆满，把…弄得很乱；（以…） 塞满…

参考例句：

• The room is cluttered up with all kinds of things. 零七八碎的东西放满了一屋子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The desk is cluttered with books and papers. 桌上乱糟糟地堆满了书报。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

247 passersby   

n. 过路人(行人,经过者)

参考例句：

• He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛，因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印，看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。

248 edifice   

n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室)

参考例句：

• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。
• There is a huge Victorian edifice in the area.该地区有一幢维多利亚式的庞大建筑物。

249 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

250 tolling   

[财]来料加工

参考例句：

• A remote bell is tolling. 远处的钟声响了。
• Indeed, the bells were tolling, the people were trooping into the handsome church. 真的，钟声响了，人们成群结队走进富丽堂皇的教堂。

251 trot   

n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧

参考例句：

• They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
• The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

252 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

253 diminutive   

adj.小巧可爱的，小的

参考例句：

• Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。
• She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

254 wielding   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The rebels were wielding sticks of dynamite. 叛乱分子舞动着棒状炸药。
• He is wielding a knife. 他在挥舞着一把刀。

255 willow   

n.柳树

参考例句：

• The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。
• The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。

256 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

257 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

258 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

259 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

260 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

261 perfectly   

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。

262 gaped   

v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• A huge chasm gaped before them. 他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The front door was missing. A hole gaped in the roof. 前门不翼而飞，屋顶豁开了一个洞。 来自辞典例句

263 dabs   

少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练

参考例句：

• Each of us had two dabs of butter. 我们每人吃了两小块黄油。
• He made a few dabs at the fence with the paint but didn't really paint it. 他用颜料轻刷栅栏，但一点也没刷上。

264 sprouted   

v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• We can't use these potatoes; they've all sprouted. 这些土豆儿不能吃了，都出芽了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rice seeds have sprouted. 稻种已经出芽了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

265 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

266 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

267 riveted   

铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意

参考例句：

• I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
• My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。

268 squeaked   

v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时，鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句

269 deviated   

v.偏离，越轨( deviate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• On this occasion the plane deviated from its usual flight path. 这一次那架飞机偏离了正常的航线。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His statements sometimes deviated from the truth. 他的陈述有时偏离事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

270 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

271 duel   

n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争

参考例句：

• The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
• Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。

272 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

273 inquiry   

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。

274 obnoxious   

adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的

参考例句：

• These fires produce really obnoxious fumes and smoke.这些火炉冒出来的烟气确实很难闻。
• He is the most obnoxious man I know.他是我认识的最可憎的人。

275 wailed   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句

276 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

277 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

278 monotonous   

adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的

参考例句：

• She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
• His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

279 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

280 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。

281 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

282 tingling   

v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

283 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

284 crux   

adj.十字形；难事，关键，最重要点

参考例句：

• The crux of the matter is how to comprehensively treat this trend.问题的关键是如何全面地看待这种趋势。
• The crux of the matter is that attitudes have changed.问题的要害是人们的态度转变了。

285 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

286 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

287 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

288 secluded   

adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》

289 caning   

n.鞭打

参考例句：

• Whether tried according to the law of the state or the Party discipline, he cannot escape the caning he deserves. 无论是按国法， 还是按党纪，他都逃不了挨板子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His fingers were still stinging from the caning he had had. 他的手指经过鞭打后仍旧感到刺痛。 来自辞典例句

290 rankled   

v.（使）痛苦不已，（使）怨恨不已( rankle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her comments still rankled. 她的评价仍然让人耿耿于怀。
• The insult rankled in his mind. 这种侮辱使他心里难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

291 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

292 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

293 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

294 ardor   

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。

295 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。

296 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

297 freckles   

n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时，脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》

298 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

299 shuffled   

v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼

参考例句：

• He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
• Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

300 crumple   

v.把...弄皱，满是皱痕，压碎，崩溃

参考例句：

• Take care not to crumple your dress by packing it carelessly.当心不要因收放粗心压纵你的衣服。
• The wall was likely to crumple up at any time.墙随时可能坍掉。

301 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

302 clenching   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I'll never get used to them, she thought, clenching her fists. 我永远也看不惯这些家伙，她握紧双拳，心里想。 来自飘（部分）
• Clenching her lips, she nodded. 她紧闭着嘴唇，点点头。 来自辞典例句

303 desktop   

n.桌面管理系统程序；台式

参考例句：

• My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。
• Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

304 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

305 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

306 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

307 wrung   

绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水）

参考例句：

• He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
• He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。

308 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

309 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

310 courteously   

adv.有礼貌地，亲切地

参考例句：

• He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
• Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

311 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

312 astonishment   

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。

313 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

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

314 caned   

vt.用苔杖打（cane的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The gaoler caned the man. 狱卒用藤条鞭打这个人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have caned my son when necessary. 必要时，我就用藤条打儿子一顿。 来自辞典例句

315 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

316 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

317 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

318 quenched   

解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却

参考例句：

• He quenched his thirst with a long drink of cold water. 他喝了好多冷水解渴。
• I quenched my thirst with a glass of cold beer. 我喝了一杯冰啤酒解渴。

319 lurked   

vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The murderers lurked behind the trees. 谋杀者埋伏在树后。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Treachery lurked behind his smooth manners. 他圆滑姿态的后面潜伏着奸计。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

320 miasma   

n.毒气；不良气氛

参考例句：

• A miasma rose from the marsh.沼泽地里冒出了瘴气。
• The novel spun a miasma of death and decay.小说笼罩着死亡和腐朽的气氛。

321 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

322 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

323 inquisitive   

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。

324 bellow   

v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道

参考例句：

• The music is so loud that we have to bellow at each other to be heard.音乐的声音实在太大，我们只有彼此大声喊叫才能把话听清。
• After a while,the bull began to bellow in pain.过了一会儿公牛开始痛苦地吼叫。

325 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

326 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

327 poking   

n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
• He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。

328 swirling   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

329 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

330 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。

331 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：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

332 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

333 drenching   

n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• A black cloudburst was drenching Siena at midday. 中午，一场天昏地暗的暴风雨在锡耶纳上空倒下来。 来自辞典例句
• A drenching rain poured down and the rising hurricane drove it in sheets along the ground. 一阵倾盆大雨泼下来了，越来越大的狂风把它顺着地面刮成了一片一片的雨幕。 来自辞典例句

334 pounced   

v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击）

参考例句：

• As soon as I opened my mouth, the teacher pounced on me. 我一张嘴就被老师抓住呵斥了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police pounced upon the thief. 警察向小偷扑了过去。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

335 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

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

336 terse   

adj.(说话，文笔)精炼的，简明的

参考例句：

• Her reply about the matter was terse.她对此事的答复简明扼要。
• The president issued a terse statement denying the charges.总统发表了一份简短的声明，否认那些指控。

337 copper   

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。

338 scooping   

n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• Heated ice cream scoop is used for scooping really cold ice cream. 加热的冰淇淋勺是用来舀非常凉的冰淇淋的。 来自互联网
• The scoop-up was the key phase during a scooping cycle. 3个区间中，铲取区间是整个作业循环的关键。 来自互联网

339 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

340 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

341 lessened   

减少的，减弱的

参考例句：

• Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。
• The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。

342 instinctive   

adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的

参考例句：

• He tried to conceal his instinctive revulsion at the idea.他试图饰盖自己对这一想法本能的厌恶。
• Animals have an instinctive fear of fire.动物本能地怕火。

343 lamely   

一瘸一拐地，不完全地

参考例句：

• I replied lamely that I hope to justify his confidence. 我漫不经心地回答说，我希望我能不辜负他对我的信任。
• The wolf leaped lamely back, losing its footing and falling in its weakness. 那只狼一跛一跛地跳回去，它因为身体虚弱，一失足摔了一跤。

344 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

345 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

346 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

347 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

348 unintelligible   

adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的

参考例句：

• If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。
• The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。

349 curt   

adj.简短的，草率的

参考例句：

• He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
• He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。

350 stammered   

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

351 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

352 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

353 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

354 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

355 venom   

n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨

参考例句：

• The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
• In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上，毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。

356 aloofness   

超然态度

参考例句：

• Why should I have treated him with such sharp aloofness? 但我为什么要给人一些严厉，一些端庄呢？ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
• He had an air of haughty aloofness. 他有一种高傲的神情。 来自辞典例句

357 beet   

n.甜菜；甜菜根

参考例句：

• He farmed his pickers to work in the beet fields. 他出租他的摘棉工去甜菜地里干活。
• The sugar beet is an entirely different kind of plant.糖用甜菜是一种完全不同的作物。

358 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

359 clannishness   

参考例句：

• But when there is not a strong hand at the helm, clannishness tends to overcome discipline. 但是如果掌舵的人不强，派系之争就会破坏纪律。 来自辞典例句
• It is thus clear that the residual influences of clannishness must not be underestimated. 可见宗法观念的余毒决不能轻视。 来自互联网

360 embittered   

v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• These injustices embittered her even more. 不公平使她更加受苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The artist was embittered by public neglect. 大众的忽视于那位艺术家更加难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

361 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

362 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

363 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

364 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

365 appendage   

n.附加物

参考例句：

• After their work,the calculus was no longer an appendage and extension of Greek geometry.经过他们的工作，微积分不再是古希腊几何的附庸和延展。
• Macmillan must have loathed being judged as a mere appendage to domestic politics.麦克米伦肯定极不喜欢只被当成国内政治的附属品。

366 dribbled   

v.流口水( dribble的过去式和过去分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球

参考例句：

• Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle. 熔化了的蜡一滴滴从蜡烛边上流下。
• He dribbled past the fullback and scored a goal. 他越过对方后卫，趁势把球踢入球门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

367 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

368 revert   

v.恢复，复归，回到

参考例句：

• Let us revert to the earlier part of the chapter.让我们回到本章的前面部分。
• Shall we revert to the matter we talked about yesterday?我们接着昨天谈过的问题谈，好吗？

369 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

370 spawn   

n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产

参考例句：

• The fish were madly pushing their way upstream to spawn.鱼群为产卵而疯狂地向上游挤进。
• These fish will lay spawn in about one month from now.这些鱼大约一个月内会产卵。

371 enlist   

vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍

参考例句：

• They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。
• The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

372 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

373 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

374 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

375 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

376 jug   

n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂

参考例句：

• He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐，保持着平衡往前走。
• She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。

377 monetary   

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。

378 stoic   

n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者

参考例句：

• A stoic person responds to hardship with imperturbation.坚忍克己之人经受苦难仍能泰然自若。
• On Rajiv's death a stoic journey began for Mrs Gandhi,supported by her husband's friends.拉吉夫死后，索尼亚在丈夫友人的支持下开始了一段坚忍的历程。

379 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

380 equating   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的现在分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• [ Ray ] I definitely started equating crossword puzzles with songwriting. 我已经干脆开始把字谜游戏等同于歌曲写作了。 来自电影对白
• But they have a hard time equating plural marriage with those evils. 但是他们很难把这种多妻婚姻与上面说的那些坏事联系起来。 来自互联网

381 benediction   

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。

382 grotesque   

adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物）

参考例句：

• His face has a grotesque appearance.他的面部表情十分怪。
• Her account of the incident was a grotesque distortion of the truth.她对这件事的陈述是荒诞地歪曲了事实。

383 carvings   

n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物

参考例句：

• The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town. 贝雕是该城的特产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

384 daze   

v.(使)茫然，(使)发昏

参考例句：

• The blow on the head dazed him for a moment.他头上受了一击后就昏眩了片刻。
• I like dazing to sit in the cafe by myself on Sunday.星期日爱独坐人少的咖啡室发呆。

385 wavy   

adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• She drew a wavy line under the word.她在这个词的下面画了一条波纹线。
• His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath his brow.他的波浪式头发太长了，正好垂在他的眉毛下。

386 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》

387 Undid   

v. 解开, 复原

参考例句：

• The officer undid the flap of his holster and drew his gun. 军官打开枪套盖拔出了手枪。
• He did wrong, and in the end his wrongs undid him. 行恶者终以其恶毁其身。

388 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

389 loathing   

n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• She looked at her attacker with fear and loathing . 她盯着襲擊她的歹徒，既害怕又憎恨。
• They looked upon the creature with a loathing undisguised. 他们流露出明显的厌恶看那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

390 tangles   

（使）缠结， （使）乱作一团( tangle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Long hair tangles easily. 长头发容易打结。
• Tangles like this still interrupted their intercourse. 像这类纠缠不清的误会仍然妨碍着他们的交情。

391 musing   

n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• "At Tellson's banking-house at nine," he said, with a musing face. “九点在台尔森银行大厦见面，”他想道。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute. 她把那件上衣放到一边，站着沉思了一会儿。

392 bristle   

v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发

参考例句：

• It has a short stumpy tail covered with bristles.它粗短的尾巴上鬃毛浓密。
• He bristled with indignation at the suggestion that he was racist.有人暗示他是个种族主义者，他对此十分恼火。

393 clumps   

n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• These plants quickly form dense clumps. 这些植物很快形成了浓密的树丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bulbs were over. All that remained of them were clumps of brown leaves. 这些鳞茎死了，剩下的只是一丛丛的黃叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

394 mesmerized   

v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country girl stood by the road, mesmerized at the speed of cars racing past. 村姑站在路旁被疾驶而过的一辆辆车迷住了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My 14-year-old daughter was mesmerized by the movie Titanic. 我14岁的女儿完全被电影《泰坦尼克号》迷住了。 来自互联网

395 miserably   

adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地

参考例句：

• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

396 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

397 greasy   

adj. 多脂的，油脂的

参考例句：

• He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

398 hirsute   

adj.多毛的

参考例句：

• He was wearing shorts which showed his long,muscular,hirsute legs.他穿着短裤，露出自己强壮多毛的长腿。
• You're looking very hirsute,Richard are you growing a beard?理查德，瞧你一脸的胡子--是不是在留胡子了？

399 malady   

n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)

参考例句：

• There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。
• They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

400 shears   

n.大剪刀

参考例句：

• These garden shears are lightweight and easy to use.这些园丁剪刀又轻又好用。
• With a few quick snips of the shears he pruned the bush.他用大剪刀几下子就把灌木给修剪好了。

401 snip   

n.便宜货，廉价货，剪，剪断

参考例句：

• He has now begun to snip away at the piece of paper.现在他已经开始剪这张纸。
• The beautifully made briefcase is a snip at £74.25.这个做工精美的公文包售价才74.25英镑，可谓物美价廉。

402 douse   

v.把…浸入水中，用水泼；n.泼洒

参考例句：

• Men came with buckets of water and began to douse the flames.人们提来一桶桶水灭火。
• He doused the flames with a fire extinguisher.他用灭火器把火焰扑灭。

403 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

404 caustic   

adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的

参考例句：

• He opened his mouth to make a caustic retort.他张嘴开始进行刻薄的反击。
• He enjoys making caustic remarks about other people.他喜欢挖苦别人。

405 sterile   

adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
• The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。

406 wringing   

淋湿的，湿透的

参考例句：

• He was wringing wet after working in the field in the hot sun. 烈日下在田里干活使他汗流满面。
• He is wringing out the water from his swimming trunks. 他正在把游泳裤中的水绞出来。

407 pegging   

n.外汇钉住，固定证券价格v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的现在分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• To write a novel,one must keep pegging away at it consistently. 要写小说，必须不断辛勤劳动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She was pegging the clothes out on the line to dry. 她正在把衣服夹在晒衣绳上晾干。 来自辞典例句

408 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

409 mattresses   

褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
• The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。

410 parlor   

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？

411 exempted   

使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His bad eyesight exempted him from military service. 他因视力不好而免服兵役。
• Her illness exempted her from the examination. 她因病而免试。

412 throbbed   

抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动

参考例句：

• His head throbbed painfully. 他的头一抽一跳地痛。
• The pulse throbbed steadily. 脉搏跳得平稳。

413 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

414 imploring   

恳求的，哀求的

参考例句：

• Those calm, strange eyes could see her imploring face. 那平静的，没有表情的眼睛还能看得到她的乞怜求情的面容。
• She gave him an imploring look. 她以哀求的眼神看着他。

415 bandanna   

n.大手帕

参考例句：

• He knotted the bandanna around his neck.他在脖子上系了一条印花大围巾。
• He wiped his forehead with a blue bandanna and smiled again.他用一条蓝色的大手帕擦擦前额，又笑了笑。

416 oozing   

v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出

参考例句：

• Blood was oozing out of the wound on his leg. 血正从他腿上的伤口渗出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wound had not healed properly and was oozing pus. 伤口未真正痊瘉，还在流脓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

417 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

418 avidly   

adv.渴望地，热心地

参考例句：

• She read avidly from an early age—books, magazines, anything. 她从小就酷爱阅读——书籍、杂志，无不涉猎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her melancholy eyes avidly scanned his smiling face. 她说话时两只忧郁的眼睛呆呆地望着他的带笑的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

419 ostracized   

v.放逐( ostracize的过去式和过去分词 )；流放；摈弃；排斥

参考例句：

• He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. 他因拒绝支持罢工而受到同事的排斥。
• The family were ostracized by the neighborhood. 邻居们都不理睬那一家人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

420 dismally   

adv.阴暗地，沉闷地

参考例句：

• Fei Little Beard assented dismally. 费小胡子哭丧着脸回答。 来自子夜部分
• He began to howl dismally. 它就凄凉地吠叫起来。 来自辞典例句

421 pagoda   

n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇

参考例句：

• The ancient pagoda is undergoing repairs.那座古塔正在修缮中。
• The pagoda is reflected upside down in the water.宝塔影子倒立在水里。

422 enchantment   

n.迷惑，妖术，魅力

参考例句：

• The beauty of the scene filled us with enchantment.风景的秀丽令我们陶醉。
• The countryside lay as under some dread enchantment.乡村好像躺在某种可怖的魔法之下。

423 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

424 doggedly   

adv.顽强地，固执地

参考例句：

• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
• He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

425 loathed   

v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• Baker loathed going to this red-haired young pup for supplies. 面包师傅不喜欢去这个红头发的自负的傻小子那里拿原料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self! 因此，他厌恶不幸的自我尤胜其它！ 来自英汉文学 - 红字

426 blurred   

v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离

参考例句：

• She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
• Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

427 extolling   

v.赞美( extoll的现在分词 )；赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He never stops extolling the virtues of the free market. 他不停地颂扬自由市场的种种好处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They kept extolling my managerial skills. 他们不停地赞美我的管理技能。 来自辞典例句

428 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

429 cavalryman   

骑兵

参考例句：

• He is a cavalryman. 他是一个骑兵。
• A cloud of dust on the horizon announced the arrival of the cavalryman. 天边扬起的尘土说明骑兵来了。

430 pluming   

用羽毛装饰（plume的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The two birds were pluming their wings on the tree. 两只鸟正在树上整理他们的翅膀。
• The chimneys were pluming the sky; The engine was pluming black smoke. 发动机正在喷射一缕缕轻烟。

431 jingoistic   

adj.强硬外交政策的，侵略分子的

参考例句：

• In tackling this issue, both governments must deal with national pride and jingoistic media. 要解决这种事端，两国政府在事端的处理中必须要维护国家荣誉，并采取强硬外交手腕。 来自互联网

432 eerily   

adv.引起神秘感或害怕地

参考例句：

• It was nearly mid-night and eerily dark all around her. 夜深了，到处是一片黑黝黝的怪影。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
• The vast volcanic slope was eerily reminiscent of a lunar landscape. 开阔的火山坡让人心生怪异地联想起月球的地貌。 来自辞典例句

433 reverently   

adv.虔诚地

参考例句：

• He gazed reverently at the handiwork. 他满怀敬意地凝视着这件手工艺品。
• Pork gazed at it reverently and slowly delight spread over his face. 波克怀着愉快的心情看着这只表，脸上慢慢显出十分崇敬的神色。

434 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

435 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

436 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

437 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

438 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

439 detour   

n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道

参考例句：

• We made a detour to avoid the heavy traffic.我们绕道走，避开繁忙的交通。
• He did not take the direct route to his home,but made a detour around the outskirts of the city.他没有直接回家，而是绕到市郊兜了个圈子。

440 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

441 bloodied   

v.血污的( bloody的过去式和过去分词 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• His pants leg was torn and bloodied when he fell. 他跌交时裤腿破了，还染上了血。 来自辞典例句

442 strapping   

adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• He's a strapping lad—already bigger than his father. 他是一个魁梧的小伙子——已经比他父亲高了。
• He was a tall strapping boy. 他是一个高大健壮的小伙子。

443 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

444 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

445 discriminating   

a.有辨别能力的

参考例句：

• Due caution should be exercised in discriminating between the two. 在区别这两者时应该相当谨慎。
• Many businesses are accused of discriminating against women. 许多企业被控有歧视妇女的做法。

446 antagonism   

n.对抗，敌对，对立

参考例句：

• People did not feel a strong antagonism for established policy.人们没有对既定方针产生强烈反应。
• There is still much antagonism between trades unions and the oil companies.工会和石油公司之间仍然存在着相当大的敌意。

447 exasperation   

n.愤慨

参考例句：

• He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
• She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

448 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

449 stewed   

adj.焦虑不安的，烂醉的v.炖( stew的过去式和过去分词 )；煨；思考；担忧

参考例句：

• When all birds are shot, the bow will be set aside;when all hares are killed, the hounds will be stewed and eaten -- kick out sb. after his services are no longer needed. 鸟尽弓藏，兔死狗烹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• \"How can we cook in a pan that's stewed your stinking stockings? “染臭袜子的锅，还能煮鸡子吃！还要它？” 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

450 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

451 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

452 giggling   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑，叫我真受不了，那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

453 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

454 sneaked   

v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状

参考例句：

• I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
• She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。

455 neatly   

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。

456 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

457 stumps   

（被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分

参考例句：

• Rocks and stumps supplied the place of chairs at the picnic. 野餐时石头和树桩都充当了椅子。
• If you don't stir your stumps, Tom, you'll be late for school again. 汤姆，如果你不快走，上学又要迟到了。

458 eucalyptus   

n.桉树，桉属植物

参考例句：

• Eucalyptus oil is good for easing muscular aches and pains.桉树油可以很好地缓解肌肉的疼痛。
• The birds rustled in the eucalyptus trees.鸟在桉树弄出沙沙的响声。

459 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

460 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

461 deciduous   

adj.非永久的；短暂的；脱落的；落叶的

参考例句：

• Overgrown deciduous shrubs can be cut back at this time of year.过于繁茂的落叶灌木可以在每年的这个时候修剪。
• Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn.落叶树木在秋天落叶。

462 sundered   

v.隔开，分开( sunder的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The city is being sundered by racial tension. 该城市因种族关系紧张正在形成分裂。 来自辞典例句
• It is three years since the two brothers sundered. 弟兄俩分开已经三年了。 来自辞典例句

463 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

464 awed   

adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声，人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

465 instinctively   

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》

466 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

467 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

468 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

469 lithely   

adv.柔软地，易变地

参考例句：

470 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

471 prim   

adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地

参考例句：

• She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板，不喜欢听粗野的笑话！
• He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨

472 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

473 mangled   

vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• His hand was mangled in the machine. 他的手卷到机器里轧烂了。
• He was off work because he'd mangled his hand in a machine. 他没上班，因为他的手给机器严重压伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

474 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

475 caressing   

爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的

参考例句：

• The spring wind is gentle and caressing. 春风和畅。
• He sat silent still caressing Tartar, who slobbered with exceeding affection. 他不声不响地坐在那里，不断抚摸着鞑靼，它由于获得超常的爱抚而不淌口水。

476 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

477 canes   

n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖

参考例句：

• Sugar canes eat sweet. 甘蔗吃起来很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I saw several sugar canes, but wild, and for cultivation, imperfect. 我还看到一些甘蔗，因为是野生的，未经人工栽培，所以不太好吃。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

478 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

479 glumly   

adv.忧郁地，闷闷不乐地；阴郁地

参考例句：

• He stared at it glumly, and soon became lost in thought. 他惘然沉入了瞑想。 来自子夜部分
• The President sat glumly rubbing his upper molar, saying nothing. 总统愁眉苦脸地坐在那里，磨着他的上牙，一句话也没有说。 来自辞典例句

480 chattering   

n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
• I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。

481 dourly   

参考例句：

• He sat in his chair dourly. 他闷闷不乐地坐在椅子上。 来自互联网

482 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

483 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

484 whacked   

a.精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• She whacked him with her handbag. 她用手提包狠狠地打他。
• He whacked me on the back and I held both his arms. 他用力拍拍我的背，我抱住他的双臂。

485 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

486 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

487 skulking   

v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There was someone skulking behind the bushes. 有人藏在灌木后面。
• There were half a dozen foxes skulking in the undergrowth. 在林下灌丛中潜伏着五六只狐狸。 来自辞典例句

488 scathing   

adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词)

参考例句：

• a scathing attack on the new management 针对新的管理层的猛烈抨击
• Her speech was a scathing indictment of the government's record on crime. 她的演讲强烈指责了政府在犯罪问题上的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》

489 prying   

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》

490 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

491 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。