小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 英文科幻小说 » 时间机器 The Time Machine » Chapter 5
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
Chapter 5
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。

`As I stood there musing1 over this too perfect triumph of man, the full moon, yellow and gibbous, came up out of an overflow2 of silver light in the north-east. The bright little figures ceased to move about below, a noiseless owl3 flitted by, and I shivered with the chill of the night. I determined4 to descend5 and find where I could sleep.

`I looked for the building I knew. Then my eye travelled along to the figure of the White Sphinx upon the pedestal of bronze, growing distinct as the light of the rising moon grew brighter. I could see the silver birch against it. There was the tangle6 of rhododendron bushes, black in the pale light, and there was the little lawn. I looked at the lawn again. A queer doubt chilled my complacency. "No," said I stoutly7 to myself, "that was not the lawn."

`But it WAS the lawn. For the white leprous face of the sphinx was towards it. Can you imagine what I felt as this conviction came home to me? But you cannot. The Time Machine was gone!

`At once, like a lash8 across the face, came the possibility of losing my own age, of being left helpless in this strange new world. The bare thought of it was an actual physical sensation. I could feel it grip me at the throat and stop my breathing. In another moment I was in a passion of fear and running with great leaping strides down the slope. Once I fell headlong and cut my face; I lost no time in stanching9 the blood, but jumped up and ran on, with a warm trickle10 down my cheek and chin. All the time I ran I was saying to myself: "They have moved it a little, pushed it under the bushes out of the way." Nevertheless, I ran with all my might. All the time, with the certainty that sometimes comes with excessive dread11, I knew that such assurance was folly12, knew instinctively14 that the machine was removed out of my reach. My breath came with pain. I suppose I covered the whole distance from the hill crest15 to the little lawn, two miles perhaps, in ten minutes. And I am not a young man. I cursed aloud, as I ran, at my confident folly in leaving the machine, wasting good breath thereby16. I cried aloud, and none answered. Not a creature seemed to be stirring in that moonlit world.

`When I reached the lawn my worst fears were realized. Not a trace of the thing was to be seen. I felt faint and cold when I faced the empty space among the black tangle of bushes. I ran round it furiously, as if the thing might be hidden in a corner, and then stopped abruptly17, with my hands clutching my hair. Above me towered the sphinx, upon the bronze pedestal, white, shining, leprous, in the light of the rising moon. It seemed to smile in mockery of my dismay.

`I might have consoled myself by imagining the little people had put the mechanism18 in some shelter for me, had I not felt assured of their physical and intellectual inadequacy19. That is what dismayed me: the sense of some hitherto unsuspected power, through whose intervention20 my invention had vanished. Yet, for one thing I felt assured: unless some other age had produced its exact duplicate, the machine could not have moved in time. The attachment21 of the levers--I will show you the method later-- prevented any one from tampering22 with it in that way when they were removed. It had moved, and was hid, only in space. But then, where could it be?

`I think I must have had a kind of frenzy23. I remember running violently in and out among the moonlit bushes all round the sphinx, and startling some white animal that, in the dim light, I took for a small deer. I remember, too, late that night, beating the bushes with my clenched24 fist until my knuckles25 were gashed26 and bleeding from the broken twigs27. Then, sobbing28 and raving29 in my anguish30 of mind, I went down to the great building of stone. The big hall was dark, silent, and deserted31. I slipped on the uneven32 floor, and fell over one of the malachite tables, almost breaking my shin. I lit a match and went on past the dusty curtains, of which I have told you.

`There I found a second great hall covered with cushions, upon which, perhaps, a score or so of the little people were sleeping. I have no doubt they found my second appearance strange enough, coming suddenly out of the quiet darkness with inarticulate noises and the splutter and flare33 of a match. For they had forgotten about matches. "Where is my Time Machine?" I began, bawling34 like an angry child, laying hands upon them and shaking them up together. It must have been very queer to them. Some laughed, most of them looked sorely frightened. When I saw them standing35 round me, it came into my head that I was doing as foolish a thing as it was possible for me to do under the circumstances, in trying to revive the sensation of fear. For, reasoning from their daylight behaviour, I thought that fear must be forgotten.

`Abruptly, I dashed down the match, and, knocking one of the people over in my course, went blundering across the big dining-hall again, out under the moonlight. I heard cries of terror and their little feet running and stumbling this way and that. I do not remember all I did as the moon crept up the sky. I suppose it was the unexpected nature of my loss that maddened me. I felt hopelessly cut off from my own kind--a strange animal in an unknown world. I must have raved36 to and fro, screaming and crying upon God and Fate. I have a memory of horrible fatigue37, as the long night of despair wore away; of looking in this impossible place and that; of groping among moon-lit ruins and touching38 strange creatures in the black shadows; at last, of lying on the ground near the sphinx and weeping with absolute wretchedness. I had nothing left but misery39. Then I slept, and when I woke again it was full day, and a couple of sparrows were hopping40 round me on the turf within reach of my arm.

`I sat up in the freshness of the morning, trying to remember how I had got there, and why I had such a profound sense of desertion and despair. Then things came clear in my mind. With the plain, reasonable daylight, I could look my circumstances fairly in the face. I saw the wild folly of my frenzy overnight, and I could reason with myself. "Suppose the worst?" I said. "Suppose the machine altogether lost--perhaps destroyed? It behooves41 me to be calm and patient, to learn the way of the people, to get a clear idea of the method of my loss, and the means of getting materials and tools; so that in the end, perhaps, I may make another." That would be my only hope, perhaps, but better than despair. And, after all, it was a beautiful and curious world.

`But probably, the machine had only been taken away. Still, I must be calm and patient, find its hiding-place, and recover it by force or cunning. And with that I scrambled42 to my feet and looked about me, wondering where I could bathe. I felt weary, stiff, and travel-soiled. The freshness of the morning made me desire an equal freshness. I had exhausted43 my emotion. Indeed, as I went about my business, I found myself wondering at my intense excitement overnight. I made a careful examination of the ground about the little lawn. I wasted some time in futile44 questionings, conveyed, as well as I was able, to such of the little people as came by. They all failed to understand my gestures; some were simply stolid45, some thought it was a jest and laughed at me. I had the hardest task in the world to keep my hands off their pretty laughing faces. It was a foolish impulse, but the devil begotten46 of fear and blind anger was ill curbed47 and still eager to take advantage of my perplexity. The turf gave better counsel. I found a groove48 ripped in it, about midway between the pedestal of the sphinx and the marks of my feet where, on arrival, I had struggled with the overturned machine. There were other signs of removal about, with queer narrow footprints like those I could imagine made by a sloth49. This directed my closer attention to the pedestal. It was, as I think I have said, of bronze. It was not a mere50 block, but highly decorated with deep framed panels on either side. I went and rapped at these. The pedestal was hollow. Examining the panels with care I found them discontinuous with the frames. There were no handles or keyholes, but possibly the panels, if they were doors, as I supposed, opened from within. One thing was clear enough to my mind. It took no very great mental effort to infer that my Time Machine was inside that pedestal. But how it got there was a different problem.

`I saw the heads of two orange-clad people coming through the bushes and under some blossom-covered apple-trees towards me. I turned smiling to them and beckoned51 them to me. They came, and then, pointing to the bronze pedestal, I tried to intimate my wish to open it. But at my first gesture towards this they behaved very oddly. I don't know how to convey their expression to you. Suppose you were to use a grossly improper52 gesture to a delicate-minded woman--it is how she would look. They went off as if they had received the last possible insult. I tried a sweet-looking little chap in white next, with exactly the same result. Somehow, his manner made me feel ashamed of myself. But, as you know, I wanted the Time Machine, and I tried him once more. As he turned off, like the others, my temper got the better of me. In three strides I was after him, had him by the loose part of his robe round the neck, and began dragging him towards the sphinx. Then I saw the horror and repugnance53 of his face, and all of a sudden I let him go.

`But I was not beaten yet. I banged with my fist at the bronze panels. I thought I heard something stir inside--to be explicit54, I thought I heard a sound like a chuckle--but I must have been mistaken. Then I got a big pebble55 from the river, and came and hammered till I had flattened56 a coil in the decorations, and the verdigris57 came off in powdery flakes58. The delicate little people must have heard me hammering in gusty59 outbreaks a mile away on either hand, but nothing came of it. I saw a crowd of them upon the slopes, looking furtively60 at me. At last, hot and tired, I sat down to watch the place. But I was too restless to watch long; I am too Occidental for a long vigil. I could work at a problem for years, but to wait inactive for twenty-four hours--that is another matter.

`I got up after a time, and began walking aimlessly through the bushes towards the hill again. "Patience," said I to myself. "If you want your machine again you must leave that sphinx alone. If they mean to take your machine away, it's little good your wrecking61 their bronze panels, and if they don't, you will get it back as soon as you can ask for it. To sit among all those unknown things before a puzzle like that is hopeless. That way lies monomania. Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all." Then suddenly the humour of the situation came into my mind: the thought of the years I had spent in study and toil62 to get into the future age, and now my passion of anxiety to get out of it. I had made myself the most complicated and the most hopeless trap that ever a man devised. Although it was at my own expense, I could not help myself. I laughed aloud.

`Going through the big palace, it seemed to me that the little people avoided me. It may have been my fancy, or it may have had something to do with my hammering at the gates of bronze. Yet I felt tolerably sure of the avoidance. I was careful, however, to show no concern and to abstain63 from any pursuit of them, and in the course of a day or two things got back to the old footing. I made what progress I could in the language, and in addition I pushed my explorations here and there. Either I missed some subtle point or their language was excessively simple--almost exclusively composed of concrete substantives64 and verbs. There seemed to be few, if any, abstract terms, or little use of figurative language. Their sentences were usually simple and of two words, and I failed to convey or understand any but the simplest propositions. I determined to put the thought of my Time Machine and the mystery of the bronze doors under the sphinx as much as possible in a corner of memory, until my growing knowledge would lead me back to them in a natural way. Yet a certain feeling, you may understand, tethered me in a circle of a few miles round the point of my arrival.

`So far as I could see, all the world displayed the same exuberant65 richness as the Thames valley. From every hill I climbed I saw the same abundance of splendid buildings, endlessly varied66 in material and style, the same clustering thickets67 of evergreens68, the same blossom-laden trees and tree-ferns. Here and there water shone like silver, and beyond, the land rose into blue undulating hills, and so faded into the serenity69 of the sky. A peculiar70 feature, which presently attracted my attention, was the presence of certain circular wells, several, as it seemed to me, of a very great depth. One lay by the path up the hill, which I had followed during my first walk. Like the others, it was rimmed71 with bronze, curiously72 wrought73, and protected by a little cupola from the rain. Sitting by the side of these wells, and peering down into the shafted75 darkness, I could see no gleam of water, nor could I start any reflection with a lighted match. But in all of them I heard a certain sound: a thud-thud-thud, like the beating of some big engine; and I discovered, from the flaring76 of my matches, that a steady current of air set down the shafts77. Further, I threw a scrap78 of paper into the throat of one, and, instead of fluttering slowly down, it was at once sucked swiftly out of sight.

`After a time, too, I came to connect these wells with tall towers standing here and there upon the slopes; for above them there was often just such a flicker79 in the air as one sees on a hot day above a sun-scorched beach. Putting things together, I reached a strong suggestion of an extensive system of subterranean80 ventilation, whose true import it was difficult to imagine. I was at first inclined to associate it with the sanitary81 apparatus82 of these people. It was an obvious conclusion, but it was absolutely wrong.

`And here I must admit that I learned very little of drains and bells and modes of conveyance83, and the like conveniences, during my time in this real future. In some of these visions of Utopias and coming times which I have read, there is a vast amount of detail about building, and social arrangements, and so forth84. But while such details are easy enough to obtain when the whole world is contained in one's imagination, they are altogether inaccessible85 to a real traveller amid such realities as I found here. Conceive the tale of London which a negro, fresh from Central Africa, would take back to his tribe! What would he know of railway companies, of social movements, of telephone and telegraph wires, of the Parcels Delivery Company, and postal86 orders and the like? Yet we, at least, should be willing enough to explain these things to him! And even of what he knew, how much could he make his untravelled friend either apprehend87 or believe? Then, think how narrow the gap between a negro and a white man of our own times, and how wide the interval88 between myself and these of the Golden Age! I was sensible of much which was unseen, and which contributed to my comfort; but save for a general impression of automatic organization, I fear I can convey very little of the difference to your mind.

`In the matter of sepulchre, for instance, I could see no signs of crematoria nor anything suggestive of tombs. But it occurred to me that, possibly, there might be cemeteries89 (or crematoria) somewhere beyond the range of my explorings. This, again, was a question I deliberately90 put to myself, and my curiosity was at first entirely91 defeated upon the point. The thing puzzled me, and I was led to make a further remark, which puzzled me still more: that aged92 and infirm among this people there were none.

`I must confess that my satisfaction with my first theories of an automatic civilization and a decadent93 humanity did not long endure. Yet I could think of no other. Let me put my difficulties. The several big palaces I had explored were mere living places, great dining-halls and sleeping apartments. I could find no machinery94, no appliances of any kind. Yet these people were clothed in pleasant fabrics95 that must at times need renewal96, and their sandals, though undecorated, were fairly complex specimens97 of metalwork. Somehow such things must be made. And the little people displayed no vestige98 of a creative tendency. There were no shops, no workshops, no sign of importations among them. They spent all their time in playing gently, in bathing in the river, in making love in a half-playful fashion, in eating fruit and sleeping. I could not see how things were kept going.

`Then, again, about the Time Machine: something, I knew not what, had taken it into the hollow pedestal of the White Sphinx. Why? For the life of me I could not imagine. Those waterless wells, too, those flickering99 pillars. I felt I lacked a clue. I felt--how shall I put it? Suppose you found an inscription100, with sentences here and there in excellent plain English, and interpolated therewith, others made up of words, of letters even, absolutely unknown to you? Well, on the third day of my visit, that was how the world of Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One presented itself to me!

`That day, too, I made a friend--of a sort. It happened that, as I was watching some of the little people bathing in a shallow, one of them was seized with cramp101 and began drifting downstream. The main current ran rather swiftly, but not too strongly for even a moderate swimmer. It will give you an idea, therefore, of the strange deficiency in these creatures, when I tell you that none made the slightest attempt to rescue the weakly crying little thing which was drowning before their eyes. When I realized this, I hurriedly slipped off my clothes, and, wading102 in at a point lower down, I caught the poor mite103 and drew her safe to land. A little rubbing of the limbs soon brought her round, and I had the satisfaction of seeing she was all right before I left her. I had got to such a low estimate of her kind that I did not expect any gratitude104 from her. In that, however, I was wrong.

`This happened in the morning. In the afternoon I met my little woman, as I believe it was, as I was returning towards my centre from an exploration, and she received me with cries of delight and presented me with a big garland of flowers-- evidently made for me and me alone. The thing took my imagination. Very possibly I had been feeling desolate105. At any rate I did my best to display my appreciation106 of the gift. We were soon seated together in a little stone arbour, engaged in conversation, chiefly of smiles. The creature's friendliness107 affected108 me exactly as a child's might have done. We passed each other flowers, and she kissed my hands. I did the same to hers. Then I tried talk, and found that her name was Weena, which, though I don't know what it meant, somehow seemed appropriate enough. That was the beginning of a queer friendship which lasted a week, and ended--as I will tell you!

`She was exactly like a child. She wanted to be with me always. She tried to follow me everywhere, and on my next journey out and about it went to my heart to tire her down, and leave her at last, exhausted and calling after me rather plaintively109. But the problems of the world had to be mastered. I had not, I said to myself, come into the future to carry on a miniature flirtation110. Yet her distress111 when I left her was very great, her expostulations at the parting were sometimes frantic112, and I think, altogether, I had as much trouble as comfort from her devotion. Nevertheless she was, somehow, a very great comfort. I thought it was mere childish affection that made her cling to me. Until it was too late, I did not clearly know what I had inflicted113 upon her when I left her. Nor until it was too late did I clearly understand what she was to me. For, by merely seeming fond of me, and showing in her weak, futile way that she cared for me, the little doll of a creature presently gave my return to the neighbourhood of the White Sphinx almost the feeling of coming home; and I would watch for her tiny figure of white and gold so soon as I came over the hill.

`It was from her, too, that I learned that fear had not yet left the world. She was fearless enough in the daylight, and she had the oddest confidence in me; for once, in a foolish moment, I made threatening grimaces114 at her, and she simply laughed at them. But she dreaded115 the dark, dreaded shadows, dreaded black things. Darkness to her was the one thing dreadful. It was a singularly passionate116 emotion, and it set me thinking and observing. I discovered then, among other things, that these little people gathered into the great houses after dark, and slept in droves. To enter upon them without a light was to put them into a tumult117 of apprehension118. I never found one out of doors, or one sleeping alone within doors, after dark. Yet I was still such a blockhead that I missed the lesson of that fear, and in spite of Weena's distress I insisted upon sleeping away from these slumbering119 multitudes.

`It troubled her greatly, but in the end her odd affection for me triumphed, and for five of the nights of our acquaintance, including the last night of all, she slept with her head pillowed on my arm. But my story slips away from me as I speak of her. It must have been the night before her rescue that I was awakened120 about dawn. I had been restless, dreaming most disagreeably that I was drowned, and that sea anemones121 were feeling over my face with their soft palps. I woke with a start, and with an odd fancy that some greyish animal had just rushed out of the chamber122. I tried to get to sleep again, but I felt restless and uncomfortable. It was that dim grey hour when things are just creeping out of darkness, when everything is colourless and clear cut, and yet unreal. I got up, and went down into the great hall, and so out upon the flagstones in front of the palace. I thought I would make a virtue123 of necessity, and see the sunrise.

`The moon was setting, and the dying moonlight and the first pallor of dawn were mingled124 in a ghastly half-light. The bushes were inky black, the ground a sombre grey, the sky colourless and cheerless. And up the hill I thought I could see ghosts. There several times, as I scanned the slope, I saw white figures. Twice I fancied I saw a solitary125 white, ape-like creature running rather quickly up the hill, and once near the ruins I saw a leash126 of them carrying some dark body. They moved hastily. I did not see what became of them. It seemed that they vanished among the bushes. The dawn was still indistinct, you must understand. I was feeling that chill, uncertain, early-morning feeling you may have known. I doubted my eyes.

`As the eastern sky grew brighter, and the light of the day came on and its vivid colouring returned upon the world once more, I scanned the view keenly. But I saw no vestige of my white figures. They were mere creatures of the half light. "They must have been ghosts," I said; "I wonder whence they dated." For a queer notion of Grant Allen's came into my head, and amused me. If each generation die and leave ghosts, he argued, the world at last will get overcrowded with them. On that theory they would have grown innumerable some Eight Hundred Thousand Years hence, and it was no great wonder to see four at once. But the jest was unsatisfying, and I was thinking of these figures all the morning, until Weena's rescue drove them out of my head. I associated them in some indefinite way with the white animal I had startled in my first passionate search for the Time Machine. But Weena was a pleasant substitute. Yet all the same, they were soon destined127 to take far deadlier possession of my mind.

`I think I have said how much hotter than our own was the weather of this Golden Age. I cannot account for it. It may be that the sun was hotter, or the earth nearer the sun. It is usual to assume that the sun will go on cooling steadily128 in the future. But people, unfamiliar129 with such speculations130 as those of the younger Darwin, forget that the planets must ultimately fall back one by one into the parent body. As these catastrophes131 occur, the sun will blaze with renewed energy; and it may be that some inner planet had suffered this fate. Whatever the reason, the fact remains132 that the sun was very much hotter than we know it.

`Well, one very hot morning--my fourth, I think--as I was seeking shelter from the heat and glare in a colossal133 ruin near the great house where I slept and fed, there happened this strange thing: Clambering among these heaps of masonry134, I found a narrow gallery, whose end and side windows were blocked by fallen masses of stone. By contrast with the brilliancy outside, it seemed at first impenetrably dark to me. I entered it groping, for the change from light to blackness made spots of colour swim before me. Suddenly I halted spellbound. A pair of eyes, luminous135 by reflection against the daylight without, was watching me out of the darkness.

`The old instinctive13 dread of wild beasts came upon me. I clenched my hands and steadfastly136 looked into the glaring eyeballs. I was afraid to turn. Then the thought of the absolute security in which humanity appeared to be living came to my mind. And then I remembered that strange terror of the dark. Overcoming my fear to some extent, I advanced a step and spoke137. I will admit that my voice was harsh and ill-controlled. I put out my hand and touched something soft. At once the eyes darted138 sideways, and something white ran past me. I turned with my heart in my mouth, and saw a queer little ape-like figure, its head held down in a peculiar manner, running across the sunlit space behind me. It blundered against a block of granite139, staggered aside, and in a moment was hidden in a black shadow beneath another pile of ruined masonry.

`My impression of it is, of course, imperfect; but I know it was a dull white, and had strange large greyish-red eyes; also that there was flaxen hair on its head and down its back. But, as I say, it went too fast for me to see distinctly. I cannot even say whether it ran on all-fours, or only with its forearms held very low. After an instant's pause I followed it into the second heap of ruins. I could not find it at first; but, after a time in the profound obscurity, I came upon one of those round well-like openings of which I have told you, half closed by a fallen pillar. A sudden thought came to me. Could this Thing have vanished down the shaft74? I lit a match, and, looking down, I saw a small, white, moving creature, with large bright eyes which regarded me steadfastly as it retreated. It made me shudder140. It was so like a human spider! It was clambering down the wall, and now I saw for the first time a number of metal foot and hand rests forming a kind of ladder down the shaft. Then the light burned my fingers and fell out of my hand, going out as it dropped, and when I had lit another the little monster had disappeared.

`I do not know how long I sat peering down that well. It was not for some time that I could succeed in persuading myself that the thing I had seen was human. But, gradually, the truth dawned on me: that Man had not remained one species, but had differentiated141 into two distinct animals: that my graceful142 children of the Upper-world were not the sole descendants of our generation, but that this bleached143, obscene, nocturnal Thing, which had flashed before me, was also heir to all the ages.

`I thought of the flickering pillars and of my theory of an underground ventilation. I began to suspect their true import. And what, I wondered, was this Lemur doing in my scheme of a perfectly144 balanced organization? How was it related to the indolent serenity of the beautiful Upper-worlders? And what was hidden down there, at the foot of that shaft? I sat upon the edge of the well telling myself that, at any rate, there was nothing to fear, and that there I must descend for the solution of my difficulties. And withal I was absolutely afraid to go! As I hesitated, two of the beautiful Upper-world people came running in their amorous145 sport across the daylight in the shadow. The male pursued the female, flinging flowers at her as he ran.

`They seemed distressed146 to find me, my arm against the overturned pillar, peering down the well. Apparently147 it was considered bad form to remark these apertures148; for when I pointed149 to this one, and tried to frame a question about it in their tongue, they were still more visibly distressed and turned away. But they were interested by my matches, and I struck some to amuse them. I tried them again about the well, and again I failed. So presently I left them, meaning to go back to Weena, and see what I could get from her. But my mind was already in revolution; my guesses and impressions were slipping and sliding to a new adjustment. I had now a clue to the import of these wells, to the ventilating towers, to the mystery of the ghosts; to say nothing of a hint at the meaning of the bronze gates and the fate of the Time Machine! And very vaguely150 there came a suggestion towards the solution of the economic problem that had puzzled me.

`Here was the new view. Plainly, this second species of Man was subterranean. There were three circumstances in particular which made me think that its rare emergence151 above ground was the outcome of a long-continued underground habit. In the first place, there was the bleached look common in most animals that live largely in the dark--the white fish of the Kentucky caves, for instance. Then, those large eyes, with that capacity for reflecting light, are common features of nocturnal things-- witness the owl and the cat. And last of all, that evident confusion in the sunshine, that hasty yet fumbling152 awkward flight towards dark shadow, and that peculiar carriage of the head while in the light--all reinforced the theory of an extreme sensitiveness of the retina.

`Beneath my feet, then, the earth must be tunnelled enormously, and these tunnellings were the habitat of the new race. The presence of ventilating shafts and wells along the hill slopes--everywhere, in fact except along the river valley --showed how universal were its ramifications153. What so natural, then, as to assume that it was in this artificial Underworld that such work as was necessary to the comfort of the daylight race was done? The notion was so plausible154 that I at once accepted it, and went on to assume the how of this splitting of the human species. I dare say you will anticipate the shape of my theory; though, for myself, I very soon felt that it fell far short of the truth.

`At first, proceeding155 from the problems of our own age, it seemed clear as daylight to me that the gradual widening of the present merely temporary and social difference between the Capitalist and the Labourer, was the key to the whole position. No doubt it will seem grotesque156 enough to you--and wildly incredible!--and yet even now there are existing circumstances to point that way. There is a tendency to utilize157 underground space for the less ornamental158 purposes of civilization; there is the Metropolitan159 Railway in London, for instance, there are new electric railways, there are subways, there are underground workrooms and restaurants, and they increase and multiply. Evidently, I thought, this tendency had increased till Industry had gradually lost its birthright in the sky. I mean that it had gone deeper and deeper into larger and ever larger underground factories, spending a still-increasing amount of its time therein, till, in the end--! Even now, does not an East-end worker live in such artificial conditions as practically to be cut off from the natural surface of the earth?

`Again, the exclusive tendency of richer people--due, no doubt, to the increasing refinement160 of their education, and the widening gulf161 between them and the rude violence of the poor-- is already leading to the closing, in their interest, of considerable portions of the surface of the land. About London, for instance, perhaps half the prettier country is shut in against intrusion. And this same widening gulf--which is due to the length and expense of the higher educational process and the increased facilities for and temptations towards refined habits on the part of the rich--will make that exchange between class and class, that promotion162 by intermarriage which at present retards163 the splitting of our species along lines of social stratification, less and less frequent. So, in the end, above ground you must have the Haves, pursuing pleasure and comfort and beauty, and below ground the Have-nots, the Workers getting continually adapted to the conditions of their labour. Once they were there, they would no doubt have to pay rent, and not a little of it, for the ventilation of their caverns164; and if they refused, they would starve or be suffocated165 for arrears166. Such of them as were so constituted as to be miserable167 and rebellious168 would die; and, in the end, the balance being permanent, the survivors169 would become as well adapted to the conditions of underground life, and as happy in their way, as the Upper-world people were to theirs. As it seemed to me, the refined beauty and the etiolated pallor followed naturally enough.

`The great triumph of Humanity I had dreamed of took a different shape in my mind. It had been no such triumph of moral education and general co-operation as I had imagined. Instead, I saw a real aristocracy, armed with a perfected science and working to a logical conclusion the industrial system of to-day. Its triumph had not been simply a triumph over Nature, but a triumph over Nature and the fellow-man. This, I must warn you, was my theory at the time. I had no convenient cicerone in the pattern of the Utopian books. My explanation may be absolutely wrong. I still think it is the most plausible one. But even on this supposition the balanced civilization that was at last attained170 must have long since passed its zenith, and was now far fallen into decay. The too-perfect security of the Upper-worlders had led them to a slow movement of degeneration, to a general dwindling171 in size, strength, and intelligence. That I could see clearly enough already. What had happened to the Under-grounders I did not yet suspect; but from what I had seen of the Morlocks--that, by the by, was the name by which these creatures were called--I could imagine that the modification172 of the human type was even far more profound than among the "Eloi," the beautiful race that I already knew.

`Then came troublesome doubts. Why had the Morlocks taken my Time Machine? For I felt sure it was they who had taken it. Why, too, if the Eloi were masters, could they not restore the machine to me? And why were they so terribly afraid of the dark? I proceeded, as I have said, to question Weena about this Under-world, but here again I was disappointed. At first she would not understand my questions, and presently she refused to answer them. She shivered as though the topic was unendurable. And when I pressed her, perhaps a little harshly, she burst into tears. They were the only tears, except my own, I ever saw in that Golden Age. When I saw them I ceased abruptly to trouble about the Morlocks, and was only concerned in banishing173 these signs of the human inheritance from Weena's eyes. And very soon she was smiling and clapping her hands, while I solemnly burned a match.

“我站在那里思索着人类这一过于完美的成功。一轮满月从东北方的银辉中升起,欢快的小人不再在山下面来回走动,一只猫头鹰悄然地飞弛而过。我在夜晚的寒冷中瑟瑟发抖,于是决定下山去找个睡觉的地方。

“我寻找我熟悉的那幢建筑。这时我的视线落到铜座基上的白色斯芬克斯像上。塑像在渐渐明亮的月光下越来越清晰可辨,我可以看清靠着它的那棵纸皮烨。杜鹃花缠绕在一起,在银色的月光下变成黑乎乎的一团,还有那片小草坪。我又瞅了瞅那片草坪,一种难言的疑惑油然而起,我的心都凉了。‘不,’我勇敢地对自己说,‘不是这块草坪。’

“可就是这块草坪,因为斯芬克斯像生麻疯病似的白脸是朝着它的。你们能想象我再次确信草坪没有搞错时的感受吗?你们肯定不能。时间机器不见了!

“像脸上猛挨了一鞭,我可能会就此失去自己的时代,被孤立无援地抛弃在这个陌生的世界里。想到这里,我浑身发抖,感到自己的咽喉给卡住了,透不过气来。我顿时惊慌失措,大步朝山下冲去,下冲时摔了个倒栽葱,把脸都划破了。我顾不上止血包扎,跃起身继续往下跑,热乎乎的鲜血顺着脸颊和下巴朝下流。我~边跑一边对自己说,‘他们只是把时间机器搬动了一下,把它放到路边的灌木丛中去了。’可我的两只脚还是拚命奔跑。极度的恐惧往往使人头脑清醒,一路上我也完全清楚,这样的自我安慰是愚蠢的,我的本能告诉我时间机器已经到了我找不到的地方。我感到呼吸困难,想从山顶跑到这块草坪,2英里的路我大慨只用了10分钟的时间。我已不是年青人,可我一边跑一边还在浪费力气,大声诅咒自己愚蠢,竟信心十足地留下了时间机器。我大声呼喊,可听不到一声回音。月光下的天地里,似乎没有任何生命在活动。

“来到草坪前,我最担心的事情成了现实。时间机器已无影无踪。我面对黑乎乎的灌木丛中的这片空旷地,头晕目眩,浑身冰凉。我绕着草坪死命跑,好像时间机器就藏在哪个角落里,接着又突然停住脚步,两手紧揪头发。铜座基上的斯芬克斯像俯视着我,那张麻疯病似的睑在月色下显得又白又亮,它仿佛在嘲笑我的沮丧。

“如果不是我觉得这些小人缺乏体力和智力的话,我一定会想象他们把我的时间机器放到了有遮挡的地方并以此来安慰自己。可让我沮丧的是,我感到这里有某种未知的力量,我的发明物就是在它的影响下消失的。然而,有一点我是确信无疑的:除非别的某个时代有它的复制品,否则这台时间机器是不会在时间里随便运动的。机器上的杠杆——我以启示范给你们看——可以防止任何人移动机器时在上面做手脚。如果说机器移动了位置并且被藏了起来,那它只会被藏在空间里。可到底会在什么地方的空间里呢?

“我想我当时一定有点发疯了。我记得我绕着斯芬克斯像在月光下的灌木丛里冲进冲出,把一只白色的动物吓了一跳,我在昏暗的月光下以为是一只小鹿。我还记得,那天深夜我用拳头挥打灌木丛,直到我的指关节在断树枝上划得鲜血直流。之后,我痛苦万分,哭着骂着来到那幢巨大的石砌建筑里。大厅里黑幽幽的,无声无息,我在高低不平的地面上一滑,跌倒在一张石桌上,差点把我的小腿摔断。我划亮一根火柴,走过积满灰尘的窗帘,这窗帘我已跟你们讲过。

“走过去时我又发现了一个大厅,里边铺满了垫子,大约有二十几个小人睡在垫子上。我这次是从寂静的黑暗中突然出现的,嘴里叽里咕哈,手中还“啪”地划亮了一根火柴。我肯定他们一定觉得我这第二次出现十分奇怪,因为他们忘记了我有火柴这玩意儿。‘我的时间机器在哪里?’我像个发火的孩子大叫大喊,双手抓住他们把他们全都摇醒了。他们一定觉得我这样做难以理解,其中有的人笑了,大多数人却显得极为恐惧。见他们围到我身旁时,我意识到在这种情况下我这样做简直是愚蠢逐项,只会恢复他们的恐惧感。因为从他们白天的行为分析,我认为他们已不再怕我。

“突然,我向人群外冲去,撞倒了其中的一个,跟踉跄跄地再次穿过大厅,来到月光下。我听见恐慌的叫喊声和他们的小脚跌跌撞撞到处乱跑的声音。月亮爬上了天空,我已记不清我当时的所作所为。我想,这样举止疯狂是因为我出乎意料地丢失了时间机器。我失去了和我同类的联系,成了这个未知世界里的一个怪物,我感到一筹莫展。我肯定是骂前骂后,叫天喊他。我记得我在绝望中度过了漫漫长夜,在不可能找到的地方乱寻一通,在月光下的废墟中摸索,还在黑影里摸到了一些怪物,最后我筋疲力尽,躺倒在斯芬克斯像边的地上,失声痛哭。我除了痛苦已一无所有。后来我睡着了。当我再次醒来时,天已大亮,几只麻雀在我触手可及的草皮上欢蹦乱跳。

“我在早晨的清新空气中坐起身,想弄明白我怎么会在那里的,又怎么会这样深感孤独和绝望的。这时,发生的一切在我的脑子里清晰地浮现出来。在这光天化日之下,我终于能够看清楚我的处境了。我明白昨晚我发疯似的行为是愚蠢的,我又恢复了理智。‘最坏会是怎样呢?’我说,‘假设时间机器根本找不着了,或者已遭毁坏,这就需要我冷静和耐心地去学习这些人的处事方法,弄清我丢失时间机器的前因后果和获取材料与工具的途径,以便我最终再造一台时间机器。’这是我唯一的希望,或许是可怜的希望,但总比绝望强。而且不管怎么说,这是一个美丽和难以理解的世界。

“也许这台机器只是被搬到了别处。可即使这样,我仍然需要冷静和耐心,找到它的藏身之处,或者用武力或者施诡计去把它寻回来。这时,我爬起身朝四周望望,想找个可以洗澡的地方。我感到浑身乏力,四肢僵硬,满身风尘。清醒的早晨使我也渴求清醒的身心。我已耗尽我的感情,真的,我在安排我自己的事情时,发现自己都搞不清楚昨夜的情绪怎么会如此激烈。我仔细搜寻了小草坪的四周,还浪费时间做无用功,向路过的那些小人打听机器的下落。我尽力把我的意思表达清楚,他们却一个也不懂我的手势:有的无动于衷;有的以为这是开玩笑,朝我大笑。我真想朝这些漂亮的笑脸上狠摸过去。这当然是愚蠢的冲动,但恐惧和莫名的怒火实在难以抑制,一有机会就急不可奈地冲上我的心头。眼前的那块草坪倒让我心平气和下来。我发现草坪上有一道凹痕,就在斯芬克斯像的座基和我留下的脚印之间。脚印是我到达时拚命想把时间机器翻过来时留下的,可旁边还有其他的活动痕迹,好像是树獭留下的狭窄脚印。我更加仔细地去注意那个座基,记得我已说过,这是个铜座基,它不是一整块铜构成的,而是两边饰有带框的嵌板。我走过去敲敲嵌板,底座是空心的。经过细心察看,我发现嵌板与框架并不连在一起。嵌板上没有把手也没有钥匙孔,可我想这些嵌板如果是门就一定是从里边开的。有一件事我心里很清楚,我不动脑子都可以推知我的时间机器就在这底座里。可它是如何进去的却是一个难解的迷。

“我看见两个身着桔黄色服装的人穿过灌木丛,在开满鲜花的苹果树下朝我走来。我转身朝他们笑笑,示意他们过来。他们过来后,我指着铜座基,想表明我希望能把它打开。可我刚举起手,他们便做出了非常古怪的举止。我不知道该如何来向你们描述他们脸上的表情,这就像一个思想脆弱的女人在你对她做了个极不正经的手势后露出的表情。这两个人像受到了奇耻大辱似的走开了。我接下来对一个穿着白色服装脸蛋漂亮的小家伙又试了一下,结果完全一样。不知什么道理,他的举动使我感到内疚。可你们知道,我想找回我的时间机器,于是我又对他试了一下。当他和其他两个一样走开时,我的脾气上来了。我冲上几步,追到他身后,一把抓住他宽松的领口,把他拖向斯芬克斯像。这时我看到他脸上露出害怕和反感的表情,我突然间松开了他。

“可我还是不甘心。我用拳头敲击那些银制的嵌板。我想我听到里面有动静——明白地说,我觉得我听到了咯咯的笑声——但我一定是搞错了。接着我从河里捡了一块鹅卵石来敲,最后把装饰花纹敲平了,铜绿一块块往下掉。这些脆弱的小人肯定在我两侧1英里外的地方都听到我一阵阵的敲击声,但没有发生什么意外的事。我看见他们一群人在山坡上偷偷朝我观望。最后我又热又累,只得坐下来看守这个地方。可我这个人坐立不定,是守不了很久的,我的习惯太西化了,无法干长时间的熬夜活。遇上难题我能花几年的功夫去克服它,可消极地守候24小时这是另一回事。

“过了一会儿,我站起身,漫无目的地穿过灌木丛,再次朝小山走去。‘要耐心’我自言自语。‘你如果还想找回你的时间机器,那就不要去动那斯芬克斯像。如果他们真想拿走你的机器,你去砸他们的铜嵌板是无济于事的。如果他们不存心要,你到时就可向他们讨回来。遇到这种棘手的事,你坐到这些你不了解的人中去是毫无帮助的,那只会让你产生偏见。要面对这个世界,去了解它的规律,去观察它,要小心谨慎,不要匆忙下结论,最终你会发现线索的。’这时,我突然想到整个事情的滑稽可笑:想到这几年我埋头书斋,历尽艰辛要进入未来时代,现在又急着想离开这个时代。我为自己设制了一个最复杂最无奈的陷阶。虽然我这是自讨苦吃,可还是情不自禁地做了。想到这里我哈哈大笑起来。

“走过大宫殿时,我好像觉得那些小人在躲避我。这也许是我胡思乱想,也许跟我敲打那些铜门有关。然而,我确实感到他们在躲避我。不过我很谨慎,没有表现出在乎的样子,同时克制自己不去追寻他们。一两天之后,一切又都恢复了正常。我在语言关上取得了我可能取得的进步,另外,我续续到各处探险。要么是我疏漏了细微之处,要么是他们的语言过于简单——几乎只有表示具体意义的名词和动词,反正他们语言中的抽象词寥寥无几,比喻性词汇几乎不用。他们的句子通常很简单,只有两个词,不过我只能表达或理解一些最简单的话。我决定尽量先不去想时间机器和斯芬克斯像下面的铜门之迷,等我有了足够的了解后自然会来重新思考这些问题。然而,有一种感觉,你也许理解,它牵&情我,使我不愿离开我着陆地方圆几英里的范围。

“就我目前所见,整个世界展现出了和泰晤士河谷同样的富饶昌盛。从我爬过的每一座山上,我都看到了同样富丽堂皇的建筑,风格和建筑材料却各不相同,应有尽有,我看到了同样的常青灌木丛,同样鲜花满枝的树和颜类植物,处处水明如镜。再往远处看,大地伸入起伏的青翠山脉,最终消失在宁静的天际。这时,有一特别的景色吸引了我的注意力。我看到了一些圆井,其中有几口似乎很深,有一口就在我第一次上山走的那条路边。像其他的井一样,这口井也围着样子古怪的铜栏杆,上方还盖有一个遮雨的小圆顶。我坐到这些井旁朝黑乎乎的井下张望,没能看到井水的波光,划亮火柴后也不见有什么反光。所有的井里都传出一种声音:砰——砰——砰,像一台大发动机的声响。在火柴光的照耀下,我发现有一股稳定的气流向井下冲,于是我又把一张纸朝井下扔去,纸不是缓缓飘落下去,而是一下子给吸了进去,消失得无影无踪。

“又过了一会儿,我把这些井和山坡上四处耸立着的高塔联系起来,因为高塔的上方常常出现那种在烈日炎炎的海滩上可以看到的闪光。把这些现象凑到一起,我得到了强有力的启示,那就是地下很可能有一个庞大的通风系统,但它的真正意义就难以想象了。我起初总喜欢把这个通风系统和这些人的卫生设施联系在一起。这是个显而易见的结论,可它完全错了。

“我在此必须承认,我在这个真实的未来世界逗留期间,对他们的下水道、铃、运输方式以及诸如此类的便利设施几乎一无所知。在我读过的有关乌托邦和未来时代的一些幻想著作中,有大量的关于建筑和社会设施等的详细描述。其实,当整个世界被容纳在一个人的想象中时,这种细节是很容易获取的。而对于一个发现并置身于这种现实中的真正游客,这种细节根本就无处可觅了。想想伦敦流传的那个故事吧,说是有个黑人刚从中非来,又马上要回他的部落去!他怎么可能了解铁路公司、社会运动、电话线、电报线、包裹投递公司、邮政汇票和诸如此类的东西呢?然而,我们至少是乐意向他解释这些事情的!可即使他知道了这些事情,他又能让他没出过远门的朋友理解或相信多少呢?那么,想想吧,一个黑人和一个白人在我们自己时代里的阻隔是多么小,而我和黄金时代的这些人的时间间隔又是多么大呀!我知道有许多使我感到安慰的东西我还没有看见。可除了对他们的自动化组织有一个笼统的印象外,恐怕我对你们也讲不出多少其中的不同。

“比如丧事吧,我就没有看见有火葬场的迹象,也没有看见任何使人想到是坟墓的东西。但是我想在我没有到过的地方可能会有公墓(或火葬场)。这又是我故意给自己提出的一个问题,可我对这个问题表现出的好奇心一开始就受到了彻底的挫败。整个事情让我感到迷惑不解,这使我需要进一步说明另一件更使我感到困惑的事:这个民族中没有一个年老体弱者。

“我必须承认,我对自己起初提出的自动化文明和退化的人类这一理论感到很满意,但这种满足感没有持续多久,而我又想不出其他的解释。让我来讲讲这其中的困难吧。我到过的那几个大宫殿只是生活区、大餐厅和睡觉的公寓。我没有发现任何机器和装置之类的东西,可这些人身上穿着漂亮的纺织品,这些纺织品肯定是需要不断更新的,他们的凉鞋虽然未经修饰,却是相当复杂的机造产品,反正这些东西一定是机器造出来的。而这些小个子并没能表现出丝毫的创造力,他们没有商店,没有车间,也没有任何进口商品的迹象。他们所有的时间都在斯文地玩耍中度过,在河里沐浴,在半开玩笑地谈情说爱,在吃水果,在睡觉。我真不明白他们的衣食住行又是如何解决的。

“现在我又要谈时间机器了。肯定有什么东西,这东西我说不准,把它弄到斯芬克斯像的空底座里去了。为什么?我实在想象不出来。还有那些枯井,那些闪光的柱子,我也感到莫名其妙。我觉得,怎么说呢?假设你发现一篇碑文,碑上明白易懂的英文句子里被加进了一些你根本不认识的词句甚至字母?没错,在我到达的第三天,802701年的世界就是这样出现在我面前的!

“也是在那一天,我结识了一个可以算作朋友的人。事情经过是这样的,我当时正看着那些小人在浅水里沐浴,其中一个突然抽筋,顺着溪流漂去。水流虽然相当急,但即使水性一般的人也能应付。可那些小人眼睁睁看着这个拚命呼救的弱小者沉下去,全都无动于衷,没有一个想去救她,因此,说到这里,你们都会觉得这些家伙有怪僻的不足之处。我明白过来后,赶紧脱掉衣服,在下游一点的地方膛水过去抓住那小家伙,把她安全地拉上了岸。我在她的四肢上按摩了一会儿,她就苏醒了。我离开时她已平安无事,我也觉得很满足。我对她们这类人的评价很差,所以也就没有指望她的任何答谢。可这下我又错了。

“救人的事发生在早上,下午我遇上了那个女人,我相信不会搞错。当时我正从探险地回自己的大本营,她欢呼着迎上来,给我献上一个大花环——这花环显然是专门为我做的。她使我想入非非,这极有可能是因为我在此之前一直感到孤独凄凉的缘故吧。我尽量摆出欣赏这一礼物的样子。我们很快在一个小石亭里一同坐下来开始了交谈,主要是用微笑交谈。这小女人的友善就像孩子的友善一样打动了我。我们互递鲜花,她吻了我的手,我也吻了她的手。随后我又设法和她交谈,并且得知她的名字叫威娜,不过这名字的含义是什么我不清楚,反正觉得挺合适的。我俩奇特的友谊就这样开始了,这场友谊持续了一个星期便结束了,以后我会给你们讲怎么回事。

“她完全像个孩子,整天想同我呆在一起,我无论去哪里她都想跟着。在后来一次出门选中,我想把她拖垮,使她糟疲力竭,我一走了之,让她在后面呼天抢地喊我,可我于心不忍。但是,世界上的问题总不能就这样任其自然呀。我告诫自己,我到未来世界来可不是来调情的。可在我离开她出门的时候,她悲痛欲绝,分手时她的叮嘱近于疯狂,我想她的一往深情给我带来的麻烦和安慰一样多。然而不管怎样,她是我巨大的安慰。我想是一种孩子般的亲情使得她整天和我依依不舍。待我弄清楚我离开她时究竟给她造成了多大的痛苦,为时已晚,待我明白她对我有多么重要,也为时已晚。因为这个洋娃娃仅仅凭着她喜欢我,以劳而无功的方式关怀我,就会使我走到白色斯芬克斯像附近时心里油然产生一种游子归家的感觉,一翻过那座小山来,就寻找她穿着白黄两色衣服的娇小身影。

“也是从她那里,我才得知恐惧并没有离开这个世界。白天她无所畏惧,对我也无比信任,因为我有一次突发傻劲,朝她做了个伯人的怪脸,她却只是付之一笑。不过她怕黑,怕影子和黑色,黑暗是她唯一感到可怕的东西。这是一种非常强烈的恐惧情绪,它促使我去思索和观察。后来我还发现了另一桩事,这些小人天黑后就聚集到那几座大房子里,成群地挤在一起睡觉。你不点灯走近他们就会引起他们的一阵恐慌。我从未在天黑后发现他们在室外,也没有发现哪个小人单独睡在屋里。然而,我是个脑袋木开窍的人,我没有从他们的恐惧中吸取教训,并且不顾威娜的悲伤,坚持不和这帮嗜睡的家伙睡在一起。

“这使她非常不安,可她对我的奇特的深情战胜了一切。我们认识后有五个晚上,包括最后一晚,她都是枕着我的手臂睡的。不过一说到她我的话题又要岔开了。我在黎明时分醒过来肯定是在她获救前的那天晚上,那一夜我没有睡安稳,乱梦颠倒,梦见自己淹死了,海葵的软须触到我的脸上。我一下子惊醒过来,奇怪地觉得有一只灰色的动物刚刚冲到室外。我试图再次入睡,可我感到不安和难受。这是黎明前的灰暗时刻,是万物爬出黑暗,一切显得无色又轮廓分明的似梦似幻的时刻。我起身走出大厅,来到宫殿前的石板上、我想我干脆就看看日出吧。

“月亮正在下落,逐渐暗淡的月色和黎明的第一道曙光在半明半暗的天色中交织在一起。灌木丛漆黑一团,大地灰暗,天空苍凉无色。我好像看到山上有鬼怪,三次仔细观望山坡时,都看到了白色的身影。我想其中两次我看到一只白色的猿一样的动物快速向山上跑去,另一次我看到破瓦残砾处有几只这样的动物抬着一具黑乎乎的尸体。它们走得很快,我没有看清它们最终去了哪里,好像在灌木丛里消失了。你们一定理解,这时天还没有大亮。我感到了早晨难以捉摸的凉意,你们也许有过这种感受。我怀疑我自己的眼睛了。

“东方的天空越来越亮,太阳升起来了,大地恢复了它原有的斑斓色彩。我睁大眼睛环视四周,但没有发现刚才见到的白色身影。它们只在半明半暗的天色里出现。‘它们一定是鬼,’我说,‘我不知道它们来自哪个年代。’我想起了格兰特·艾伦的一条怪论,感到很好笑。他坚持说,如果每一代人死后都变成鬼,世界到最后一定鬼满为患。照这种理论,到了80万年左右,鬼的数量不就难以计数了。我刚才一眼看到四五个也就不足为奇了。可玩笑毕竟是玩笑,它解决不了问题。我整个早上都在想这些身影,直到救了威娜才把这事忘了。我模模糊糊地把它们和我第一次急不可待地寻找时间机器时惊动的那只白色动物联系了起来,可快乐的威娜使我忘了这事。但即使这样,它们注定很快要回来死死占据我的心灵的。

“我记得我说过,黄金时代的天气要比我们自己的天气热得多。我也说不出其中的原因,也许是太阳越来越热,或者地球越来越靠近太阳的缘故。人们通常认为,太阳的温度在未来会逐步下降。但是不熟悉诸如青年达尔文这类人的思想的人,忘了行星最终将逐个回归母体。当这种灾难发生时,太阳将会用新的能量来燃烧,说不定某个较靠近太阳的行星已经遭此厄运。无论是什么理由,反正太阳要比我们知道的热得多。

“就在一个炎热的早上,是第四天吧,我正在我睡觉吃饭的大房子附近的大片废墟里转游,寻找一个阴凉避暑的地方。这时发生了一件怪事。我在石屋的废墟堆里爬上爬下时,发现了一条狭窄的过道。过道顶头和两侧的窗户被坍下来的石堆堵着,和明亮的外面形成了强烈的反差。刚进来时里面显得很暗。我摸索着走进去,由于从亮处一下子走到暗处,我眼前幻影乱晃。突然,我停住脚步,不知所措。只见两只眼睛在日光的反射下闪闪发光,在黑暗中注视着我。

“我过去对野兽本能的恐惧向我袭来。我捏紧拳头,目不转睛地盯着这两颗发光的眼珠。我很害怕,头也木敢回。这时我想到这里的人好像生活在绝对的安全之中,随后我又想到他们特别害怕黑暗。我尽力克服自己的恐惧。朝前跨出一步先开了口。我承认我的声音很刺耳并且有点失控。我伸出手,摸到了软乎乎的东西。那双眼睛随即靠到边上,接着有一个白色的东西从我身旁跑了过去。我提心吊胆地转过身,看见一只古怪的像猿一样的小动物,样子很特别地耷拉着脑袋,迅速穿过我身后的一片阳光。慌乱中它撞上了一块花岗岩,跌到旁边,转眼间又躲到了另一堆残砾下的黑影里。

“我的印象当然是不全面的。但我知道那是灰色的,长着奇怪的暗红色的大眼睛,我还知道它头上和背上长有浅黄色的毛。不过,我刚才说过,它跑得太快了,我没能看清楚。我甚至说木清它是靠四条腿跑的,还是只用低垂的前肢跑的。我随即跟着它跑进另一堆废墟。开始我找木到它,可过了一会儿,我在瞟脆的天色中来到了一个我对你们讲过的像井一样的圆洞口,洞口被一根倒下的柱子半挡着。我陡然想到,这东西会不会跑到井里去呢?我划亮一根火柴,借着光亮朝下看,只见一只白色的小东西在动,后退时明亮的大眼睛紧紧地盯着我,使我不寒而栗。它简直像个蜘蛛人!它正沿着井壁在往下爬,我这才第一次看到有许多金属脚手架组成了一道下井梯。这时火柴烧到了我的手,从我手上掉下去,火苗没落地就熄灭了。当我点亮第二根火柴时,那小怪兽已不见了。

“我不知道我坐在那里朝井下看了多长时间。好半天我都没法让自己相信我看到的东西是人。但是,我渐渐地明白了事情的真相:人没有停留在一个种类上,而是分裂成了两种不同的动物。地面上的那些温文尔雅的孩子并不是我们这代人的唯一后裔,而这白色的、可憎的、喜欢夜间活动的东西也都是历代传下来的子孙后代。

“我想到了闪烁的柱子和我提出的地下有通风设备的理论。我开始怀疑它们一定有什么真正的含义。我不知道这种像狐猴一样的东西在这个我以为完全平衡的社会组织里干些什么?它和美丽的地上居民表现出的懒惰和安详有何关系?井底下藏着什么?我坐在井口上.告诫自己无论怎样都没有什么可怕的,并且必须下井才能找到疑问的答案。可我又是多么害怕下井啊!正当我犹豫不决时,两个美丽的地面居民调看清穿过阳光跑进了阴影。男的在后面追赶女的,一边追一边把鲜花朝她扔去。

“他们看见我胳臂撑着倒下来的柱子朝井下张望时,好像很痛苦。显然,谈论这些井口被认为是不端的举动,因为当我指着这一井口,想用他们的语言提问时,他们露出了更加痛苦的表情,并且把头都扭了过去。可他们对我的火柴很感兴趣,我划亮了几根去逼他们开心。之后我又向他们问起井口的事,可还是一无所获。于是我立即离开他们,想回到威娜身边去,看看从她那里能打听到什么。不过我的思想已开始大变,我的猜测和看法慢慢地有了新的调整。现在,关于这些并的意义,通风塔和鬼怪之迷,我都找到了线索,更不用说在铜门的含义和时间机器的失落上得到的启示了!连曾经使我困惑的那个经济问题好像也有了模糊的答案。

“下面是我的新观点。显而易见,这第二种人是地下人。有三种特别的情况使我觉得他们很少在地面上出现是因为长期生活在地下已成习惯。首先,他们的脸和大多数主要生活在黑暗中的动物比如肯塔基山洞里的白鱼一样苍白。其次,能够反光的大眼睛是喜欢夜间活动的动物的共同特征,猫头鹰和猫就是这样。最后,他们在阳光下不知所措,手忙脚乱逃向黑暗以及见到光就耷拉下脑袋的怪样子——都进一步证明他们的视网膜极其敏感。

“那么,我的脚底下一定隧道纵横,这些隧道就是这一新种族的栖息地。山坡上的通风塔和井口——其实除了河谷地带到处都是——表明隧道分布极广。这样的话,认为把这些隧道建在人造的地下世界是为了让日光里的种族生活得更舒适也就再自然不过了。这个看法似乎很合理,我也立即接受了,并且进一步设想人类是如何分化出去的。我敢说,你们能预料到我的理论的大体内容,可我自己却很快感到它和真相相去甚远。

“就从我们自己时代里的问题说起吧,我觉得不容置疑的是,资本家和劳动者之间目前尚属暂时的社会差别正在逐步扩大,它是整个事情的关键所在。毫无疑问,你们会觉得这是可笑的——也是难以置信的!然而即使现在都有种种情况可以来证明这个道理。现在有一种趋势,大量利用地下空间来


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 musing 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。
2 overflow fJOxZ     
v.(使)外溢,(使)溢出;溢出,流出,漫出
参考例句:
  • The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
  • After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后,河水可能溢出岸来。
3 owl 7KFxk     
n.猫头鹰,枭
参考例句:
  • Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
  • I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚,经常半夜后才睡觉。
4 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
5 descend descend     
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降
参考例句:
  • I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
  • We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。
6 tangle yIQzn     
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。
7 stoutly Xhpz3l     
adv.牢固地,粗壮的
参考例句:
  • He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
  • Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难,但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。
8 lash a2oxR     
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛
参考例句:
  • He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
  • With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。
9 stanching 5d51451a3806f77e18850aa36f4896ff     
v.使(伤口)止血( stanch的现在分词 );止(血);使不漏;使不流失
参考例句:
10 trickle zm2w8     
vi.淌,滴,流出,慢慢移动,逐渐消散
参考例句:
  • The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
  • The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。
11 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
参考例句:
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
12 folly QgOzL     
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话
参考例句:
  • Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
  • Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。
13 instinctive c6jxT     
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。
14 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 crest raqyA     
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
参考例句:
  • The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
  • He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。
16 thereby Sokwv     
adv.因此,从而
参考例句:
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
17 abruptly iINyJ     
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。
18 mechanism zCWxr     
n.机械装置;机构,结构
参考例句:
  • The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
  • The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。
19 inadequacy Zkpyl     
n.无法胜任,信心不足
参考例句:
  • the inadequacy of our resources 我们的资源的贫乏
  • The failure is due to the inadequacy of preparations. 这次失败是由于准备不足造成的。
20 intervention e5sxZ     
n.介入,干涉,干预
参考例句:
  • The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
  • Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。
21 attachment POpy1     
n.附属物,附件;依恋;依附
参考例句:
  • She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
  • She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。
22 tampering b4c81c279f149b738b8941a10e40864a     
v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 );篡改;(用不正当手段)影响;瞎摆弄
参考例句:
  • Two policemen were accused of tampering with the evidence. 有两名警察被控篡改证据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • As Harry London had forecast, Brookside's D-day caught many meter-tampering offenders. 正如哈里·伦敦预见到的那样,布鲁克赛德的D日行动抓住了不少非法改装仪表的人。 来自辞典例句
23 frenzy jQbzs     
n.疯狂,狂热,极度的激动
参考例句:
  • He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
  • They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。
24 clenched 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》
25 knuckles c726698620762d88f738be4a294fae79     
n.(指人)指关节( knuckle的名词复数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝v.(指人)指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝
参考例句:
  • He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘,握得指关节都变白了。
  • Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 gashed 6f5bd061edd8e683cfa080a6ce77b514     
v.划伤,割破( gash的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He gashed his hand on a sharp piece of rock. 他的手在一块尖石头上划了一个大口子。
  • He gashed his arm on a piece of broken glass. 他的胳膊被玻璃碎片划了一个大口子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 twigs 17ff1ed5da672aa443a4f6befce8e2cb     
细枝,嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
  • Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
28 sobbing df75b14f92e64fc9e1d7eaf6dcfc083a     
<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。
29 raving c42d0882009d28726dc86bae11d3aaa7     
adj.说胡话的;疯狂的,怒吼的;非常漂亮的;令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话;疯话adv.胡言乱语地;疯狂地
参考例句:
  • The man's a raving lunatic. 那个男子是个语无伦次的疯子。
  • When I told her I'd crashed her car, she went stark raving bonkers. 我告诉她我把她的车撞坏了时,她暴跳如雷。
30 anguish awZz0     
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼
参考例句:
  • She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时,她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
  • The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。
31 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
32 uneven akwwb     
adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的
参考例句:
  • The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
  • The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。
33 flare LgQz9     
v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发
参考例句:
  • The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
  • You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。
34 bawling e2721b3f95f01146f848648232396282     
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的现在分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物)
参考例句:
  • We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade. 我们听到中士用“悦耳”的声音向我们大喊,让我们跟上队伍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • "Why are you bawling at me? “你向我们吼啥子? 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
35 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
36 raved 0cece3dcf1e171c33dc9f8e0bfca3318     
v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 );愤怒地说;咆哮;痴心地说
参考例句:
  • Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
37 fatigue PhVzV     
n.疲劳,劳累
参考例句:
  • The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
  • I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。
38 touching sg6zQ9     
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。
39 misery G10yi     
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。
40 hopping 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。
41 behooves de93a8bcc6cfe5740d29cfa717e42d33     
n.利益,好处( behoof的名词复数 )v.适宜( behoove的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • It behooves us to help the needy. 我们应当帮助贫困者。 来自辞典例句
  • It behooves a child to obey his parents. 子女应当服从父母。 来自辞典例句
42 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
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》
43 exhausted 7taz4r     
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
  • Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
44 futile vfTz2     
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的
参考例句:
  • They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败,他们全部被杀,无一幸免。
  • Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。
45 stolid VGFzC     
adj.无动于衷的,感情麻木的
参考例句:
  • Her face showed nothing but stolid indifference.她的脸上毫无表情,只有麻木的无动于衷。
  • He conceals his feelings behind a rather stolid manner.他装作无动于衷的样子以掩盖自己的感情。
46 begotten 14f350cdadcbfea3cd2672740b09f7f6     
v.为…之生父( beget的过去分词 );产生,引起
参考例句:
  • The fact that he had begotten a child made him vain. 想起自己也生过孩子,他得意了。 来自辞典例句
  • In due course she bore the son begotten on her by Thyestes. 过了一定的时候,她生下了堤厄斯式斯使她怀上的儿子。 来自辞典例句
47 curbed a923d4d9800d8ccbc8b2319f1a1fdc2b     
v.限制,克制,抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Advertising aimed at children should be curbed. 针对儿童的广告应受到限制。 来自辞典例句
  • Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. 俄罗斯需要抑制通货膨胀。 来自辞典例句
48 groove JeqzD     
n.沟,槽;凹线,(刻出的)线条,习惯
参考例句:
  • They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
  • The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。
49 sloth 4ELzP     
n.[动]树懒;懒惰,懒散
参考例句:
  • Absence of competition makes for sloth.没有竞争会导致懒惰。
  • The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down from the branches.大部分时间里树懒都是倒挂在树枝上。
50 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
51 beckoned b70f83e57673dfe30be1c577dd8520bc     
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》
52 improper b9txi     
adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的
参考例句:
  • Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
  • Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。
53 repugnance oBWz5     
n.嫌恶
参考例句:
  • He fought down a feelings of repugnance.他抑制住了厌恶感。
  • She had a repugnance to the person with whom she spoke.她看不惯这个和她谈话的人。
54 explicit IhFzc     
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。
55 pebble c3Rzo     
n.卵石,小圆石
参考例句:
  • The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋,想去孵它。
  • The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
56 flattened 1d5d9fedd9ab44a19d9f30a0b81f79a8     
[医](水)平扁的,弄平的
参考例句:
  • She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
  • I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。
57 verdigris Fi9wN     
n.铜锈;铜绿
参考例句:
  • His pockets are full of red lead and verdigris.他的衣袋里装满铅丹和铜绿。
  • Verdigris has spread all over that abandoned copper pot.那把已经废弃的铜壶上长满了铜锈。
58 flakes d80cf306deb4a89b84c9efdce8809c78     
小薄片( flake的名词复数 ); (尤指)碎片; 雪花; 古怪的人
参考例句:
  • It's snowing in great flakes. 天下着鹅毛大雪。
  • It is snowing in great flakes. 正值大雪纷飞。
59 gusty B5uyu     
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?
60 furtively furtively     
adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地
参考例句:
  • At this some of the others furtively exchanged significant glances. 听他这样说,有几个人心照不宣地彼此对望了一眼。
  • Remembering my presence, he furtively dropped it under his chair. 后来想起我在,他便偷偷地把书丢在椅子下。
61 wrecking 569d12118e0563e68cd62a97c094afbd     
破坏
参考例句:
  • He teed off on his son for wrecking the car. 他严厉训斥他儿子毁坏了汽车。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Instead of wrecking the valley, the waters are put to use making electricity. 现在河水不但不在流域内肆疟,反而被人们用来生产电力。 来自辞典例句
62 toil WJezp     
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事
参考例句:
  • The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
  • Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。
63 abstain SVUzq     
v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免
参考例句:
  • His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
  • Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。
64 substantives 7e3fb7042d60d2583d26206dc0e080ac     
n.作名词用的词或词组(substantive的复数形式)
参考例句:
65 exuberant shkzB     
adj.充满活力的;(植物)繁茂的
参考例句:
  • Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西,不会有强大的生命力。
  • All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。
66 varied giIw9     
adj.多样的,多变化的
参考例句:
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
67 thickets bed30e7ce303e7462a732c3ca71b2a76     
n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 );丛状物
参考例句:
  • Small trees became thinly scattered among less dense thickets. 小树稀稀朗朗地立在树林里。 来自辞典例句
  • The entire surface is covered with dense thickets. 所有的地面盖满了密密层层的灌木丛。 来自辞典例句
68 evergreens 70f63183fe24f27a2e70b25ab8a14ce5     
n.常青树,常绿植物,万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句
69 serenity fEzzz     
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗
参考例句:
  • Her face,though sad,still evoked a feeling of serenity.她的脸色虽然悲伤,但仍使人感觉安详。
  • She escaped to the comparative serenity of the kitchen.她逃到相对安静的厨房里。
70 peculiar cinyo     
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。
71 rimmed 72238a10bc448d8786eaa308bd5cd067     
adj.有边缘的,有框的v.沿…边缘滚动;给…镶边
参考例句:
  • Gold rimmed spectacles bit deep into the bridge of his nose. 金边眼镜深深嵌入他的鼻梁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Trees rimmed the pool. 水池的四周树木环绕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
72 curiously 3v0zIc     
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。
73 wrought EoZyr     
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的
参考例句:
  • Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
  • It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。
74 shaft YEtzp     
n.(工具的)柄,杆状物
参考例句:
  • He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
  • This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。
75 shafted 817e84e8f366ad252de73aaa670e8fb1     
有箭杆的,有柄的,有羽轴的
参考例句:
  • I got shafted in that deal. 我在那次交易中受骗。 来自互联网
  • I was shafted into paying too much. 我被骗得多花了钱。 来自互联网
76 flaring Bswzxn     
a.火焰摇曳的,过份艳丽的
参考例句:
  • A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
  • Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。
77 shafts 8a8cb796b94a20edda1c592a21399c6b     
n.轴( shaft的名词复数 );(箭、高尔夫球棒等的)杆;通风井;一阵(疼痛、害怕等)
参考例句:
  • He deliberately jerked the shafts to rock him a bit. 他故意的上下颠动车把,摇这个老猴子几下。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • Shafts were sunk, with tunnels dug laterally. 竖井已经打下,并且挖有横向矿道。 来自辞典例句
78 scrap JDFzf     
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
参考例句:
  • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
  • Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
79 flicker Gjxxb     
vi./n.闪烁,摇曳,闪现
参考例句:
  • There was a flicker of lights coming from the abandoned house.这所废弃的房屋中有灯光闪烁。
  • At first,the flame may be a small flicker,barely shining.开始时,光辉可能是微弱地忽隐忽现,几乎并不灿烂。
80 subterranean ssWwo     
adj.地下的,地表下的
参考例句:
  • London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
  • We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。
81 sanitary SCXzF     
adj.卫生方面的,卫生的,清洁的,卫生的
参考例句:
  • It's not sanitary to let flies come near food.让苍蝇接近食物是不卫生的。
  • The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。
82 apparatus ivTzx     
n.装置,器械;器具,设备
参考例句:
  • The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
  • They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。
83 conveyance OoDzv     
n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具
参考例句:
  • Bicycles have become the most popular conveyance for Chinese people.自行车已成为中国人最流行的代步工具。
  • Its another,older,usage is a synonym for conveyance.它的另一个更古老的习惯用法是作为财产转让的同义词使用。
84 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
85 inaccessible 49Nx8     
adj.达不到的,难接近的
参考例句:
  • This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
  • The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。
86 postal EP0xt     
adj.邮政的,邮局的
参考例句:
  • A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
  • Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。
87 apprehend zvqzq     
vt.理解,领悟,逮捕,拘捕,忧虑
参考例句:
  • I apprehend no worsening of the situation.我不担心局势会恶化。
  • Police have not apprehended her killer.警察还未抓获谋杀她的凶手。
88 interval 85kxY     
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。
89 cemeteries 4418ae69fd74a98b3e6957ca2df1f686     
n.(非教堂的)墓地,公墓( cemetery的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like. 不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • In other districts the proximity of cemeteries seemed to aggravate the disease. 在其它地区里,邻近墓地的地方,时疫大概都要严重些。 来自辞典例句
90 deliberately Gulzvq     
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。
91 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
92 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
93 decadent HaYyZ     
adj.颓废的,衰落的,堕落的
参考例句:
  • Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.别让颓废的思想侵蚀你们。
  • This song was once banned, because it was regarded as decadent.这首歌曾经被认定为是靡靡之音而被禁止播放。
94 machinery CAdxb     
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
参考例句:
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
95 fabrics 678996eb9c1fa810d3b0cecef6c792b4     
织物( fabric的名词复数 ); 布; 构造; (建筑物的)结构(如墙、地面、屋顶):质地
参考例句:
  • cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
  • The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。
96 renewal UtZyW     
adj.(契约)延期,续订,更新,复活,重来
参考例句:
  • Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
  • Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
97 specimens 91fc365099a256001af897127174fcce     
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人
参考例句:
  • Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
  • The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》
98 vestige 3LNzg     
n.痕迹,遗迹,残余
参考例句:
  • Some upright stones in wild places are the vestige of ancient religions.荒原上一些直立的石块是古老宗教的遗迹。
  • Every vestige has been swept away.一切痕迹都被一扫而光。
99 flickering wjLxa     
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。
100 inscription l4ZyO     
n.(尤指石块上的)刻印文字,铭文,碑文
参考例句:
  • The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损,无法辨认了。
  • He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。
101 cramp UoczE     
n.痉挛;[pl.](腹)绞痛;vt.限制,束缚
参考例句:
  • Winston stopped writing,partly because he was suffering from cramp.温斯顿驻了笔,手指也写麻了。
  • The swimmer was seized with a cramp and had to be helped out of the water.那个在游泳的人突然抽起筋来,让别人帮着上了岸。
102 wading 0fd83283f7380e84316a66c449c69658     
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子,准备涉水。
  • The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。
103 mite 4Epxw     
n.极小的东西;小铜币
参考例句:
  • The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。
  • He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。
104 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
105 desolate vmizO     
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。
106 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
参考例句:
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
107 friendliness nsHz8c     
n.友谊,亲切,亲密
参考例句:
  • Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面,我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
  • His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。
108 affected TzUzg0     
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。
109 plaintively 46a8d419c0b5a38a2bee07501e57df53     
adv.悲哀地,哀怨地
参考例句:
  • The last note of the song rang out plaintively. 歌曲最后道出了离别的哀怨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Birds cry plaintively before they die, men speak kindly in the presence of death. 鸟之将死,其鸣也哀;人之将死,其言也善。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
110 flirtation 2164535d978e5272e6ed1b033acfb7d9     
n.调情,调戏,挑逗
参考例句:
  • a brief and unsuccessful flirtation with the property market 对房地产市场一时兴起、并不成功的介入
  • At recess Tom continued his flirtation with Amy with jubilant self-satisfaction. 课间休息的时候,汤姆继续和艾美逗乐,一副得意洋洋、心满意足的样子。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
111 distress 3llzX     
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。
112 frantic Jfyzr     
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。
113 inflicted cd6137b3bb7ad543500a72a112c6680f     
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
  • Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。
114 grimaces 40efde7bdc7747d57d6bf2f938e10b72     
n.(表蔑视、厌恶等)面部扭曲,鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相,做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Mr. Clark winked at the rude child making grimaces. 克拉克先生假装没有看见那个野孩子做鬼脸。 来自辞典例句
  • The most ridiculous grimaces were purposely or unconsciously indulged in. 故意或者无心地扮出最滑稽可笑的鬼脸。 来自辞典例句
115 dreaded XuNzI3     
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
  • He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》
116 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
117 tumult LKrzm     
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹
参考例句:
  • The tumult in the streets awakened everyone in the house.街上的喧哗吵醒了屋子里的每一个人。
  • His voice disappeared under growing tumult.他的声音消失在越来越响的喧哗声中。
118 apprehension bNayw     
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑
参考例句:
  • There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑,于是她越来越担心。
  • She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。
119 slumbering 26398db8eca7bdd3e6b23ff7480b634e     
微睡,睡眠(slumber的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
  • Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着,空中响起了柔和的乐声,抚慰着安睡的英雄。
120 awakened de71059d0b3cd8a1de21151c9166f9f0     
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
参考例句:
  • She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
  • The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》
121 anemones 5370d49d360c476ee5fcc43fea3fa7ac     
n.银莲花( anemone的名词复数 );海葵
参考例句:
  • With its powerful tentacles, it tries to prise the anemones off. 它想用强壮的触角截获海葵。 来自互联网
  • Density, scale, thickness are still influencing the anemones shape. 密度、大小、厚度是受最原始的那股海葵的影响。 来自互联网
122 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
123 virtue BpqyH     
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力
参考例句:
  • He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
  • You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
124 mingled fdf34efd22095ed7e00f43ccc823abdf     
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系]
参考例句:
  • The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
  • The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候,这一男一女就开始交往了。
125 solitary 7FUyx     
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士
参考例句:
  • I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
  • The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际,显得十分壮美。
126 leash M9rz1     
n.牵狗的皮带,束缚;v.用皮带系住
参考例句:
  • I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳,但被狗挡住了路。
  • The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带,想挣脱开去。
127 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
128 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
129 unfamiliar uk6w4     
adj.陌生的,不熟悉的
参考例句:
  • I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
  • The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。
130 speculations da17a00acfa088f5ac0adab7a30990eb     
n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 );思考;投机活动;推断
参考例句:
  • Your speculations were all quite close to the truth. 你的揣测都很接近于事实。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • This possibility gives rise to interesting speculations. 这种可能性引起了有趣的推测。 来自《用法词典》
131 catastrophes 9d10f3014dc151d21be6612c0d467fd0     
n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 );灾难;不幸事件;困难
参考例句:
  • Two of history's worst natural catastrophes occurred in 1970. 1970年发生了历史上最严重两次自然灾害。 来自辞典例句
  • The Swiss deposits contain evidence of such catastrophes. 瑞士的遗址里还有这种灾难的证据。 来自辞典例句
132 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
133 colossal sbwyJ     
adj.异常的,庞大的
参考例句:
  • There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
  • Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。
134 masonry y21yI     
n.砖土建筑;砖石
参考例句:
  • Masonry is a careful skill.砖石工艺是一种精心的技艺。
  • The masonry of the old building began to crumble.旧楼房的砖石结构开始崩落。
135 luminous 98ez5     
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的
参考例句:
  • There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
  • Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。
136 steadfastly xhKzcv     
adv.踏实地,不变地;岿然;坚定不渝
参考例句:
  • So he sat, with a steadfastly vacant gaze, pausing in his work. 他就像这样坐着,停止了工作,直勾勾地瞪着眼。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
  • Defarge and his wife looked steadfastly at one another. 德伐日和他的妻子彼此凝视了一会儿。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
137 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
138 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
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》
139 granite Kyqyu     
adj.花岗岩,花岗石
参考例句:
  • They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
  • The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。
140 shudder JEqy8     
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动
参考例句:
  • The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材,他浑身一阵战栗。
  • We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。
141 differentiated 83b7560ad714d20d3b302f7ddc7af15a     
区分,区别,辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 ); 区别对待; 表明…间的差别,构成…间差别的特征
参考例句:
  • The development of mouse kidney tubules requires two kinds of differentiated cells. 小鼠肾小管的发育需要有两种分化的细胞。
  • In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上,大麦,苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。
142 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
143 bleached b1595af54bdf754969c26ad4e6cec237     
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。
144 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
145 amorous Menys     
adj.多情的;有关爱情的
参考例句:
  • They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去,以目传情。
  • She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。
146 distressed du1z3y     
痛苦的
参考例句:
  • He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑,无法回答他们的问题。
  • The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。
147 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
148 apertures a53910b852b03c52d9f7712620c25058     
n.孔( aperture的名词复数 );隙缝;(照相机的)光圈;孔径
参考例句:
  • These apertures restrict the amount of light that can reach the detector. 这些光阑将会限制到达探测器的光线的总量。 来自互联网
  • The virtual anode formation time and propagation velocity at different pressure with different apertures are investigated. 比较了在不同气压和空心阴极孔径下虚阳极的形成时间和扩展速度。 来自互联网
149 pointed Il8zB4     
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。
150 vaguely BfuzOy     
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。
151 emergence 5p3xr     
n.浮现,显现,出现,(植物)突出体
参考例句:
  • The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
  • Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生,随着社会的发展而发展的。
152 fumbling fumbling     
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理
参考例句:
  • If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
  • If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
153 ramifications 45f4d7d5a0d59c5d453474d22bf296ae     
n.结果,后果( ramification的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
  • What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢? 来自《简明英汉词典》
154 plausible hBCyy     
adj.似真实的,似乎有理的,似乎可信的
参考例句:
  • His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
  • Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。
155 proceeding Vktzvu     
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报
参考例句:
  • This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
  • The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。
156 grotesque O6ryZ     
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。
157 utilize OiPwz     
vt.使用,利用
参考例句:
  • The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
  • You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。
158 ornamental B43zn     
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物
参考例句:
  • The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
  • The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。
159 metropolitan mCyxZ     
adj.大城市的,大都会的
参考例句:
  • Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
  • Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。
160 refinement kinyX     
n.文雅;高尚;精美;精制;精炼
参考例句:
  • Sally is a woman of great refinement and beauty. 莎莉是个温文尔雅又很漂亮的女士。
  • Good manners and correct speech are marks of refinement.彬彬有礼和谈吐得体是文雅的标志。
161 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
参考例句:
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
162 promotion eRLxn     
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传
参考例句:
  • The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
  • The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级,加了薪。
163 retards cfc4489a4710429a702dd8feef158ecc     
使减速( retard的第三人称单数 ); 妨碍; 阻止; 推迟
参考例句:
  • Cold weather retards the growth of the crops. 寒冷的天气妨碍作物的生长。
  • Lack of science and education retards social progress. 缺乏科学和教育会妨碍社会进步。
164 caverns bb7d69794ba96943881f7baad3003450     
大山洞,大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Within were dark caverns; what was inside them, no one could see. 里面是一个黑洞,这里面有什么东西,谁也望不见。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
  • UNDERGROUND Under water grottos, caverns Filled with apes That eat figs. 在水帘洞里,挤满了猿争吃无花果。
165 suffocated 864b9e5da183fff7aea4cfeaf29d3a2e     
(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。
166 arrears IVYzQ     
n.到期未付之债,拖欠的款项;待做的工作
参考例句:
  • The payments on that car loan are in arrears by three months.购车贷款的偿付被拖欠了三个月。
  • They are urgent for payment of arrears of wages.他们催讨拖欠的工钱。
167 miserable g18yk     
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。
168 rebellious CtbyI     
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的
参考例句:
  • They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反,他们就要发生危险。
  • Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和,但她的心里十分反感。
169 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
170 attained 1f2c1bee274e81555decf78fe9b16b2f     
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况)
参考例句:
  • She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
  • Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。
171 dwindling f139f57690cdca2d2214f172b39dc0b9     
adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句
172 modification tEZxm     
n.修改,改进,缓和,减轻
参考例句:
  • The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的,它需要修改。
  • The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。
173 banishing 359bf2285192b48a299687d5082c4aed     
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • And he breathes out fast, like a king banishing a servant. 他呼气则非常迅速,像一个国王驱逐自己的奴仆。 来自互联网
  • Banishing genetic disability must therefore be our primary concern. 消除基因缺陷是我们的首要之急。 来自互联网


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533