IXTHE THIRD PLANET OUT from Sol was in its normal condition. It had on it230,000 more human souls today than yesterday, but, among the five billionterrestrials such a minute increase was not noticeable. The Kingdom ofSouth Africa, Federation1 associate member, had again been cited before theHigh Court for persecution2 of its white minority. The lords of women’sfashions, gathered in solemn conclave3 in Rio, had decreed that hem4 lineswould go down and that navels would again be covered. The threeFederation defense5 stations swung silently in the sky, promising6 instant deathto any who disturbed the planet’s peace. Commercial space stations swungnot so silently, disturbing the planet’s peace with endless clamor of thevirtues of endless trademarked trade goods. Half a million more mobilehomes had set down on the shores of Hudson Bay than had migrated by thesame date last year, the Chinese rice belt had been declared an emergencymalnutrition area by the Federation Assembly, and Cynthia Duchess, knownas the Richest Girl in the World, had dismissed and paid off her sixthhusband. All was normal.
The Reverend Doctor Daniel Digby, Supreme7 Bishop8 of the Church of theNew Revelation (Fosterite) had announced that he had nominated the AngelAzreel to guide Federation Senator Thomas Boone and that he expectedHeavenly confirmation9 of his choice some time today; all the news servicescarried the announcement as straight news, the Fosterites having wreckedtoo many newspaper offices in the past. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Campbell VIhad a son and heir by host-mother at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital while thehappy parents were vacationing in Peru. Dr. Horace Quackenbush, Professorof Leisure Arts at Yale Divinity School, issued a stirring call for a return tofaith and a cultivation10 of spiritual values; there was a betting scandalinvolving half the permanent professionals of the West Point football squadand its line coach; three bacterial11 warfare12 chemists were suspended atToronto for presumption13 of emotional instability-all three announced that theywould carry their cases, if necessary, to the Federation High Court. The HighCourt upset a ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in re eligibilityto vote in primaries involving Federation Assemblymen in the case ofReinsberg vs. the State of Missouri.
His Excellency, the Most Honorable Joseph E. Douglas, Secretary General ofthe World Federation of Free States, picked at his breakfast omelet andwondered peevishly14 why a man could not get a decent cup of coffee thesedays. In front of him his morning newspaper, prepared by the night shift of hisinformation staff, moved past his eyes at his optimum reading speed in afeedback executive scanner, custom-built by Sperry. The words would flowon as long as he looked in that direction; if he turned his head, the machinewould note it and stop instantly.
He was looking that way now and the projected print moved along thescreen, but he was not really reading but simply avoiding the eyes of his bossacross the table. Mrs. Douglas did not read newspapers; she had other waysof finding Out what she needed to know.
.Joseph-.
He looked up and the machine stopped. .Yes, my dear?“.You have something on your mind“.Eh? What makes you say that, my dear?“.Joseph, I haven’t watched you and coddled you and darned your socks andkept you Out of trouble for thirty-five years for nothing. I know when there issomething on your mind.“The hell of it is, he admitted to himself, she does know. He looked at her andwondered why he had ever let her bully15 him into no-termination contract.
Originally she had been only his secretary, back in the days (he thought ofthem as .The Good Old Days“) when he had been a state legislator, beatingthe bushes for individual votes. Their first contract had been a simple ninetydaycohabitation agreement, supposedly to economize16 scarce campaignfunds by saving on hotel bills; both of them had agreed that it was merely aconvenience, with .cohabitation“ to be construed17 simply as living under oneroof . . . and she hadn’t darned his socks even then!
He tried to remember how and when the situation had changed. Mrs.
Douglas’s official biography, Shadow of Greatness: One Woman’s Story,stated that he had proposed to her during the counting of ballots18 in his firstelection to office-and that such was his romantic need that nothing would dobut old-fashioned, death-do-us-part marriage.
Well, he didn’t remember it that way-but there was no use arguing withthe official version.
.Joseph! Answer me!“.Eh? Nothing at all, my dear. I spent a restless night.“.I know you did. When they wake you up in the middle of the night, don’t youthink I know it?“He reflected that her suite19 was a good fifty yards across the palace from his.
.How do you know it, my dear?“.Hunh? Woman’s intuition, of course. What was the message Bradleybrought you?“.Please, my dear-I’ve got to finish the morning news before the Councilmeeting.“.Joseph Edgerton Douglas, don’t try to evade20 me.“He sighed. .The fact is, we’ve lost sight of that beggar Smith.“.Smith? Do you mean the Man from Mars? What do you mean: .-lost sight of-?’ That’s ridiculous.“.Be that as it may, my dear, he’s gone. He disappeared from his hospitalroom sometime late yesterday.“.Preposterous21! How could he do that?“.Disguised as a nurse, apparently22. We aren’t sure.“.But- Never mind. He’s gone, that’s the main thing. What muddleheadedscheme are you using to get him back?“.Well, we have some of our own people searching for him. Trusted ones, ofcourse. Berquist-.
.Berquist! That garbage head! When you should have every police officerfrom the FDS down to precinct truant23 officers searching for him you sendBerquist!“.But, my dear, you don’t see the situation. We can .t. Officially he isn’t lost atall. You see there’s—well, the other chap. The, uh, .official’ Man from Mars,“.Oh ...“ She drummed the table. .I told you that substitution scheme wouldget us in trouble.“.But, my dear, you suggested it yourself.“.I did not. And don’t contradict me, Mmm ... send for Berquist. I musttalk to him at once.“.Uh, Berquist is out on his trail. He hasn’t reported back yet.“.Uh? Berquist is probably half way to Zanzibar by now. He’s sold us out, Inever did trust that man. I told you when you hired him that-.
.When I hired him?“.Don’t interrupt. -that any man who would take money two ways would take itthree ways just as quickly.“ She frowned. .Joseph, the Eastern Coalition24 Isbehind this. It’s a logical certainty. You can expect a vote-of-confidence movein the Assembly before the day is out.“.Eli? I don’t see why. Nobody knows about it.“.Oh, for Heaven’s sake! Everyone will know about it; the Eastern Coalitionwill see to that. Now keep quiet and let me think.“ Douglas shut up and wentback to his newspaper. He read that the Los Angeles City-County Councilhad voted to petition the Federation for aid in their smog problems on thegrounds the Ministry25 of Health had failed to provide something or other, it didnot matter what_-but a sop26 must be thrown to them as Charlie was going tohave a difficult time being re-elected with the Fosterites running their owncandidate-he needed Charlie. Lunar Enterprises was off two points atclosing, probably, he decided27, because of- .Joseph.“.Yes, my dear?“.Our own .Man from Mars’ is the one and only; the one the Eastern Coalitionwill pop up with is a fake. That is how it must be.“.But, my dear, we can’t make it stick.“.What do you mean, we can’t? We’re stuck with it, so we’ve got to make itstick.“.But we can .t. Scientists would spot the substitution at once. I’ve had thedevil’s own time keeping them away from him this long.“.Scientists!“.But they can, you know.“.I don’t know anything of the sort. Scientists indeed! Half guess work and halfsheet superStit~0fl. They ought to be locked up; they ought to be prohibitedby law. Joseph, I’ve told you repeatedly the only true science is astrology.“.Well, I don’t know, my dear. Mind you, I’m not running down astrology-.
.You’d better not! After all it’s done for you.“.-but I am saying that some of these science professors are pretty sharp.
One of them was telling me the other day that there is a star that weighs sixthousand times as much as lead. Or was it sixty thousand? Let me see-.
.Bosh! How could they possibly know a thing like that? Keep quiet, Joseph,while I finish this. We admit nothing. Their man is a fake. But in the meantimewe make full use of our Special Service squads28 and grab him back, ifpossible~ before the Eastern Coalition makes its disclosure. If it is necessaryto use strong measures and this Smith person gets shot resisting arrest, orsomething like that, well, it’s too bad, but I for one won’t mourn very long.
He’s been a nuisance all along.“.Agnes! Do you know what you are suggesting?“.I’m not suggesting anything. People get hurt every day. This matter must becleared up, Joseph, for everybody. The greatest good of the greatestnumber, as you are so fond of quoting.“.But I don’t want to see the lad hurt.“.Who said anything about hurting him? But you must take firm steps, Joseph;it’s your duty. History will justify29 you. Which is more important? -to keepthings running on an even keel for five billion people, or to go soft andsentimental about one man who isn’t even properly a citizen?“Douglas didn’t answer. Mrs. Douglas stood up. .Well, I can’t waste the rest ofthe morning arguing intangibles with you, Joseph; I’ve got to get hold ofMadame Vesant at once and have a new horoscope cast for this emergency.
But I can tell you this: I didn’t give the best years of my life putting you whereyou are today just to have you throw it away through lack of backbone30. Wipethe egg off your chin.“ She turned and left.
The chief executive of the planet remained at the table through two morecups of coffee before he felt up to going to the Council Chamber31. Poor oldAgnes! So ambitious. He guessed he had been quite a disappointment to her. . . and no doubt the change of life wasn’t making things any easier for her.
Well, at least she was loyal, right to her toes . . . and we all have our5hortcomingS; she was probably as sick of him as he-no point in that!
He straightened up. One damn sure thing! He wasn’t going to let them herough with that Smith lad. He was a nuisance, granted~ but he was a nice ladand rather appealing in a helpless, half-witted way. Agnes should have seenhow easily he was frightened, then she wouldn’t talk that way. Smith wouldappeal to the maternal32 in her.
But as a matter of strict fact, did Agnes have any .maternal“ in her? Whenshe set her mouth that way, it was hard to see it. Oh shucks, all women hadmaternal instincts; science had proved that. Well, hadn’t they?
Anyhow, damn her guts33, he wasn’t going to let her push him around. Shekept reminding him that she had put him into the top spot, but he knew better,and the responsibility was his and his alone. He got up, squared hisshoulders, pulled in part of his middle, and went to the Council Chamber.
All during the long session he kept expecting someone to drop the othershoe. But no one did and no aide came in with any message for him. He wasforced to conclude that the fact that Smith was missing actually was closeheld in his own personal staff unlikely as that seemed.
The Secretary General wanted very badly to close his eyes and hope that thewhole horrid34 mess would go away, but events would not let him. Nor wouldhis wife let him.
Agnes Douglas’ personal saint, by choice, was Evita Peron, whom shefancied she resembled. Her own persona, the mask that she held out to theworld, was that of helper and satellite to the great man she was privileged tocall husband. She even held this mask up to herself, for she had the RedQueen’s convenient ability to believe anything she wished to believe.
Nevertheless, her own political philosophy could have been stated baldly(which it never was) as a belief that men should rule the world and womenshould rule men.
That all of her beliefs and actions derived35 from a blind anger at a fate thathad made her female never crossed her mind . . . still less could she havebelieved that there was any connection between her behavior and herfather’s wish for a son . . or her own jealousy36 of her mother. Such evilthoughts never entered her head. She loved her parents and had freshflowers put on their graves on all appropriate occasions; she loved herhusband and often said so publicly; she was proud of her womanhood andsaid so publicly almost as often-P—she frequently joined the two assertions.
Agnes Douglas did not wait for her husband to act in the case of the missingMan from Mars. All of her husband’s personal staff took orders as readilyfrom her as from him . . . in some cases, even more readily. She sent for thechief executive assistant for civil information, as Mr. Douglas’s press agentwas called, then turned her attention to the most urgent emergency measure,that of getting a fresh horoscope cast. There was a private, scrambled37 linkfrom her suite in the Palace to Madame Vesant’s studio; the astrologer’splump, bland38 features and shrewd eyes came on the screen almost at once.
.Agnes? What is it, dear? I have a client with me.“.Your circuit is hushed?“.Of course.“.Get rid of the client at once. This is an emergency.“Madame Alexandra Vesant bit her lip, but her expression did not changeotherwise and her voice showed no annoyance39. .Certainly. Just a moment.“Her features, faded out of the screen, were replaced by the .Hold“ signal. Aman entered the room, stood waiting by the side of Mrs. Douglas’ desk; sheturned and saw that it was James Sanforth, the press agent she had sent for.
.Have you heard from Berquist?“ she demanded without preamble40.
.Eh? I wasn’t handling that; that’s McCrary’s pidgin.“She brushed the irrelevancy41 aside. .You’ve got to discredit42 him beforehe talks.“.Huh? You think Berquist has sold us out?“.Don’t be naive43. You should have checked with me before you usedhim.“.But I didn’t. It was McCrary’s job.“.You are supposed to know what is going on. I-. Madame Vesant’s facecame back on the screen. .Sit down over there,“ Mrs. Douglas said toSanforth. .Wait.“ She turned back to the screen. .Allie dear, I want freshhoroscopes for Joseph and myself, just as quickly as you possibly can castthem.“.Very well.“ The astrologer hesitated. .I can be of much greater assistance toyou, dear, if you will tell me something of the nature of the emergency.“Mrs. Douglas drummed on the desk. .You don’t actually have to know, doyou?“.Of course not. Anyone possessing the necessary rigorous training,mathematical skill, and knowledge of the stars could calculate a horoscope,knowing nothing more than the exact hour and place of birth of the subject.
You know that, dear. You could learn to do it yourself. . . if you weren’t soterribly busy. But remember: the stars incline but they do not compel. Youenjoy free will. If I am to make the extremely detailed44 and difficult analysisnecessary to advise you in a crisis, I must know in what sector45 to look. Arewe most concerned with the influence of Venus? Or possibly with Mars? Orwill the-.
Mrs. Douglas decided. .With Mars,“ she interrupted. .Allie, I want you to casta third horoscope.“.Very well. Whose?“.Uh ... Allie, can I trust you?“Madame Vesant looked hurt. .Agnes, if you do not trust me, it would be farbetter for you not to consult me. There are others who can give you scientificreadings. I am not the only student of the ancient knowledge. I understandthat Professor von Krausemeyer is well thought of, even though he issometimes inclined to...“ She let her voice trail oft.Please, please! Of course I trust you! I wouldn’t think of letting anyone elseperform a calculation for me. Now listen carefully. No one can hear from yourside?“.Of course not, dear.“.I want you to cast a horoscope for Valentine Michael Smith.“.’Valentine Mich-. The Man from Mars?“.Yes, yes. Allie, he’s been kidnapped. We’ve got to find him.“Some two hours later Madame Alexandra Vesant pushed herself back fromher work table and sighed. She had had her secretary cancel allappointments and she really had tried; several sheets of paper, covered withdiagrams and figures, and a dog-eared nautical46 almanac were in front of herand testified to her efforts. Alexandra Vesant differed from some otherpracticing astrologers in that she really did attempt to calculate the.influences“ of the heavenly bodies, using a paper-backed book titled TheArcane Science of Judicial47 Astrology and Key to Solomon’s Stone which hadbeen given to her by her late husband, Professor Simon Magus, the wellknown mentalist, stage hypnotist and illusionist, and student of the secretarts.
She trusted the book as she had trusted him; there was no one who couldcast a horoscope like Simon, when he was sober-half the time he had noteven needed to refer to the book, he knew it so well. She knew that shewould never have that degree of skill, so she always referred to the almanacand to the manual. Her calculations were sometimes a little fuzzy, for thesame reason that her checkbook sometimes did not balance; Becky Vesey(as she had been known as a child) had never really mastered themultiplication tables and she was inclined to confuse sevens with nines.
Nevertheless her horoscopes were eminently48 satisfactory; Mrs. Douglas wasnot her only distinguished49 client.
But this time she had been a touch panicky when the wife of the SecretaryGeneral demanded that she cast a horoscope for the Man from Mars. Shehad felt the way she used to feel when some officious idiot from the audiencecommittee had insisted on retying her blindfold50 just before the Professor wasto ask her questions. But she had discovered .way back then, as a merechild, that she had natural stage presence and inner talent for the rightanswer; she had suppressed her panic and gone on with the show.
Now she had demanded of Agnes the exact hour, date, and place of birth ofthe Man from Mars, being fairly sure that the data could not be supplied.
But the information had been supplied, and most precisely51, after a shortdelay, from the log of the Envoy52. By then she was no longer panicky, hadsimply accepted the information and promised to call back as soon as thehoroscopes were ready.
But now, after two hours of painful arithmetic, although she had completednew findings for Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, she was no farther ahead with Smiththan when she had started. The trouble was very simple-and insuperable.
Smith had not been born on Earth.
Her astrological bible did not include the idea of human beings bornanywhere else; its anonymous53 author had lived and died before even the firstrocket to the Moon. She had tried very hard to find a logical way out of thedilemma, on the assumption that all the principles were included in hermanual and that what she must do was to find a way to correct for the lateraldisplacement. But she found herself lost in a mass of unfamiliar54 relationships;when it came right down to it she was not even sure whether or not the signsof the Zodiac were the same when seen from Mars and what could onepossibly do without the signs of the Zodiac?
She could just as easily have tried to extract a cube root, that being thehurdle that had caused her to quit school.
She got out from a bottom desk drawer a tonic55 she kept at hand for suchdifficult occasions. She took one dose quickly, measured out a second, andthought about what Simon would have done. After a while she could hear hiseven, steady tones: .Confidence, kiddo, confidence! Have confidence inyourself and the yokels56 will have confidence in you. You owe it to them.“She felt much better now and started writing out the results of the twohoroscopes for the Douglases. That done, it turned out to be easy to writeone for Smith, and she found, as she always did, that the words on paperproved themselves-they were all so beautifully true! She was just finishing asAgnes Douglas called again. .Allie? Haven’t you finished yet?“.Just completed,“ Madame Vesant answered with brisk self-confidence. .Yourealize, of course, that young Smith’s horoscope presented an unusual andvery difficult problem in the Science. Born, as he was, on another planet,every aspect and attitude had to be recalculated. The influence of the Sun islessened; the influence of Diana is missing almost completely. Jupiter isthrown into a novel, perhaps I should say .unique,’ aspect, as I am sure youwill see. This required computation of-.
.Allie! Never mind that. Do you know the answers?“.Naturally.“.Oh, thank goodness! I thought perhaps you were trying to tell me that it wastoo much for you.“Madame Vesant showed and sincerely felt injured dignity. .My dear, theScience never alters; only the configurations58 alter. The means that predictedthe exact instant and place of the birth of Christ, that told Julius Caesar themoment and method of his death . . . how could it fail now? Truth is Truth,unchanging.“.Yes, of course.“.Are you ready for the readings?“.Let me switch on .recording’-go ahead.“.Very well. Agnes, this is a most critical period in your life; only twice beforehave the heavens gathered in such strong configuration57. Above all, you mustbe calm, not hasty, and think things through. On the whole the portents59 are inyour favor . . . provided you do not fight them and avoid ill-considered action.
Do not let your mind be distressed60 by surface appearances-. She went on atlength, giving good advice. Becky Vesey always gave good advice and shegave it with great conviction because she always believed it. She had learnedfrom Simon that, even when the stars seemed darkest, there was alwayssome way to soften61 the blow, some aspect which the client could use towardgreater happiness . . . if she would only find it and point it Out.
The tense face opposite her in the screen calmed and began noddingagreement as she made her points. .So you see,“ she concluded, .the meretemporary absence of young Smith at this time is not a bad thing, but anecessity, resulting from the joint62 influences of your three horoscopes. Do notworry and do not be afraid; he will be back-or you will hear from him-veryshortly. The important thing is to take no drastic or irrevocable action untilthat time. Be calm.“.Yes, I see that.“.Just one more point. The aspect of Venus is most favorable and potentiallydominant over that of Mars. In this case, Venus symbolizes63 yourself, ofcourse, but Mars is both your husband and young Smith-as a result of theunique circumstance of his birth. This throws a double burden on you andyou must rise to the challenge; you must demonstrate those qualities of calmwisdom and restraint which are peculiarly those of woman. You must sustainyour husband, guide him through this crisis, and soothe64 him. You mustsupply the earth-mother’s calm wells of wisdom. That is your special genius .
. . and now is the time you must use it.“Mrs. Douglas sighed. .Allie, you are simply wonderful! I don’t know how tothank you.“.Don’t thank me. Thank the Ancient Masters whose humble65 student I am.“.I can’t thank them so I’ll thank you. This isn’t covered by your retainer, Allie.
There will be a present.“.Not necessary at all, Agnes. It is my privilege to serve.“.And it is my privilege to appreciate service. No, Allie, not another word!“Madame Vesant let herself be coaxed66, then switched off, feeling warmlycontent from having given a reading that she just knew was right. PoorAgnes! Such a good woman inside . . . and so twisted up with conflictingdesires. It was a privilege to smooth her path a little, make her heavyburdens a little easier to carry. It made her feel good to help Agnes.
It made Madame Vesant feel good to be treated as an almost-equal by thewife of the Secretary General, too, although she did not think of it that way,not being snobbish67 at heart. But young Becky Vesey had been soinsignificant that the precinct committeeman could never remember her nameeven though he noticed her bust68 measurement. Becky Vesey had notresented it; Becky liked people. She liked Agnes Douglas now.
Becky Vesey liked everybody.
She sat a while longer, enjoying the warm glow and the respite69 from pressureand just a nip more of the tonic, while her shrewd and able brain shuffled70 thebits and pieces she had picked up. Presently, without consciously making adecision, she called her stockbroker71 and instructed him to sell LunarEnterprises short.
He snorted. .Allie, you’re crazy. That reducing diet is weakening yourmind.“.You listen to me, Ed. When it is down ten points, cover me, even if it is stillslipping. Wait for it to turn. When it rallies three points, buy into it again . . .
then sell when it gets back to today’s closing.“There was a long silence while he looked at her. .Allie, you knowsomething. Tell Uncle Ed.“.The stars tell me, Ed.“Ed made a suggestion astronomically72 impossible and added, .All right, if youwon’t, you won’t. Mmm . . . I never did have sense enough to stay out of acrooked game, Mind if I ride along with you on it, Allie?“.Not at all, Ed, as long as you don’t go heavy enough to let it show. This is adelicate special situation, with Saturn73 just balanced between Virgo and Leo.“.As you say, Allie.“Mrs. Douglas got busy at once, happy that Allie had confirmed all herjudgments. She gave orders about the campaign to destroy the reputation ofthe missing Berquist, after sending for his dossier and looking it over; shecloseted herself with Commandant Twitchell of the Special Service squadsfor twenty minutes-he left her looking thoughtfully unhappy and immediatelymade life unbearable74 for his executive officer. She instructed Sanforth torelease another of the .Man from Mars“ stereocasts and to include with it arumor .from a source close to the administration“ that Smith was about to betransferred, or possibly had already been transferred, to a sanitarium high inthe Andes, in order to provide him with a climate for convalescence75 as muchlike that of Mars as possible. Then she sat back and thought about how tonail down the Pakistan votes for Joseph.
Presently she got hold of him and urged him to support Pakistan’s claim tothe lion’s share of the Kashmir thorium. Since he had been wanting to do soall along but had not, up to now, convinced her of the necessity, he was nothard to persuade, although a little nettled76 by her assumption that he hadbeen opposing it. With that settled, she left to address the Daughters of theSecond Revolution on Motherhood in the New World.
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federation
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persecution
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conclave
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hem
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defense
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promising
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supreme
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bishop
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confirmation
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cultivation
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bacterial
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warfare
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presumption
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peevishly
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bully
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economize
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construed
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| v.解释（陈述、行为等）( construe的过去式和过去分词 )；翻译，作句法分析 | |
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ballots
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suite
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evade
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preposterous
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apparently
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truant
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coalition
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ministry
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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scrambled
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| 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 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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irrelevancy
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| n.不恰当，离题，不相干的事物 | |
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discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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naive
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| adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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blindfold
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| vt.蒙住…的眼睛；adj.盲目的；adv.盲目地；n.蒙眼的绷带[布等]； 障眼物，蒙蔽人的事物 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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envoy
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| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
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anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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yokels
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| n.乡下佬，土包子( yokel的名词复数 ) | |
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configuration
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| n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置 | |
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configurations
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| n.[化学]结构( configuration的名词复数 )；构造；（计算机的）配置；构形（原子在分子中的相对空间位置） | |
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portents
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| n.预兆( portent的名词复数 )；征兆；怪事；奇物 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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symbolizes
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| v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 ) | |
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soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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snobbish
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| adj.势利的，谄上欺下的 | |
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bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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shuffled
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| 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 | |
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71
stockbroker
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| n.股票（或证券），经纪人（或机构） | |
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astronomically
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| 天文学上 | |
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Saturn
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| n.农神，土星 | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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convalescence
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| n.病后康复期 | |
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76
nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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