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Chapter 7
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  At age ten, I began to perform in front of ordinary people. In appreciation1 of the nuns2 who allowed me use of the school piano, I agreed to play as prelude3 to the annual Christmas show. My music would usher4 the parents to their seats while their children shed coats and scarves for their elf and wise-man costumes. My teacher, Mr. Martin, and I put together a program of Bach, Strauss, and Beethoven, ending with part of "Six Little Piano Pieces" in honor of Arnold Schoenberg, who had passed away the year before. We felt this last "modern" piece, while not overly familiar to our audience, displayed my range without being overly ostentatious. The day before the Christmas show, I went through the thirty-minute program for the nuns after school, and the choices brought nothing but frowns and scowls5 from beneath their wimples.
  "That's wonderful, Henry, truly extraordinary," the principal said. She was the Mother Superior of the gang of crows that ran the joint6. "But that last song."
  "Schoenberg's?"
  "Yes, very interesting." She stood up in front of the sisters and paced to and fro, searching the air for tact7. "Do you know anything else?"
  "Else, Mother?"
  "Something more seasonal8 perhaps?"
  "Seasonal, Mother?"
  "Something people might know?"
  "I'm not sure I understand."
  She turned and addressed me directly. "Do you know any Christmas songs? A hymn9? 'Silent Night' perhaps? Or 'Hark! The Herald10 Angels'—I think that's Mendelssohn. If you can play Beethoven, you can play Mendelssohn."
  "You want carols?"
  "Not only hymns11." She walked on, hitching12 down her habit. "You could do 'Jingle13 Bells' or 'White Christmas.' "
  "That's from Holiday Inn," one of the other nuns volunteered. "Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and Marjorie Reynolds. Oh, but you're too young."
  "Did you see Bells of St. Mary's?" the third-grade teacher asked her fellow sisters. "Wasn't he good in that?"
  "I really liked that Boys Town—you know, the one with Mickey Rooney."
  Rattling the beads14 on her rosary, Mother Superior cut them off. "Surely you know a few Christmas songs?"
  Crestfallen, I went home that night and learned the fluff, practicing on a paper-cutout keyboard fashioned by my father. At the show the next evening, I trimmed half my original program and added a few carols at the end. I kept the Schoenberg, which, needless to say, bombed. I played the Christmas stuff brilliantly and to a thunderous ovation15. "Cretins," I said under my breath as I accepted their adulation. During my repeated bows, loathing16 swelled17 over their loud clapping and whistling. But then, looking out at the sea of faces, I began to recognize my parents and neighbors, all happy and cheerful, sending me their sincere appreciation for the holiday warmth generated by the vaguely18 predictable strains of their old favorites. No gift as welcome as the expected gift. And I grew light-headed and dizzy the longer the applause went on. My father rose to his feet, a real smile plastered on his mug. I nearly fainted. I wanted more.
  The glory of the experience rested in the simple fact that my musical talent was a human one. There were no pianos in the woods. And as my magic slowly diminished, my artistry increased. I felt more and more removed from those who had taken me for a hundred years, and my sole hope and prayer was that they would leave me alone. From the night of the first performance, it was as if I were split in two: half of me continuing on with Mr. Martin and his emphasis on the canon of classics, pounding out the old composers until I could hammer like Thor or make the keys whisper under the gentlest pressure. The other half expanded my repertoire19, thinking about what audiences might like to hear, like the ballads20 crooned on the radio adored by my mother. I loved both the fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier and "Heart and Soul," and they flowed seamlessly, but being adept21 at popular song allowed me to accept odd jobs when offered, playing at school dances and birthday parties. Mr. Martin objected at first to the bastardization of my talent, but I gave him a sob22 story about needing money for lessons. He cut his fee by a quarter on the spot. With the money we saved, the cash I earned, and my mother's increasingly lucrative23 egg and chicken business, we were able to buy a used upright piano for the house in time for my twelfth birthday.
  "What's this?" my father asked when he came home the day the piano arrived, its beautiful machinery24 housed in a rosewood case.
  "It's a piano," my mother replied.
  "I can see that. How did it get here?"
  "Piano movers."
  He slid a cigarette from the packet and lit it in one swift move. "Ruthie, I know someone brought it here. How come it is here?"
  "For Henry. So he can practice."
  "We can't afford a piano."
  "We bought it. Me and Henry."
  "With the money from my playing," I added.
  "And the chickens and eggs."
  "You bought it?"
  "On Mr. Martin's advice. For Henry's birthday."
  "Well, then. Happy birthday," he said on his way out of the room.
  I played every chance I could get. Over the next few years, I spent hours each day at the keys, enthralled25 by the mathematics of the notes. The music seized me like a river current pushing my conscious self deeper into my core, as if there were no other sound in the world but one. I grew my legs an inch longer than necessary that first summer in order to better reach the pedals on the upright. Around the house, school, and town, I practiced spreading my fingers as far apart as they would go. The pads of my fingertips became smooth and feather-sensitive. My shoulders bowed down and forward. I dreamt in wave after wave of scales. The more adept my skill and understanding grew, the more I realized the power of musical phrasing in everyday life. The trick involves getting people to listen to the weak beats and seemingly insignificant26 silences between notes, the absence of tones between tones. By phrasing the matter with a ruthlessly precise logic27, one can play—or say—anything. Music taught me great self-control.
  My father could not stand to hear me practice, perhaps because he realized the mastery I had attained28. He would leave the room, retreat into the farthest corners of the house, or find any excuse to go outside. A few weeks after Mom and I bought the piano, he came home with our first television set, and a week later a man came out and installed an antenna29 on the roof. In the evenings, my father would watch You Bet Your Life or The Jackie Gleason Show, ordering me to keep it down. More and more, however, he simply left altogether.
  "I'm going for a drive." He already had his hat on.
  "You're not going drinking, I hope."
  "I may stop in for one with the boys."
  "Don't be too late."
  Well after midnight, he'd stagger in, singing or muttering to himself, swearing when he stepped on one of the girls' toys or barked his shin on the piano bench as he passed. Weather permitting, he worked outdoors every weekend, replacing shutters30, painting the house, rewiring the chicken coop. He was absent from the hearth31, unwilling32 to listen. With Mary and Elizabeth, he played the doting33 father, still dandling them on his knees, fussing over their curls and dresses, fawning34 at the latest primitive35 drawing or Popsicle-stick hut, sitting down at the table for tea parties and the like. But he regarded me coldly, and while I cannot read minds, I suspect he felt at odds36 with my passion for music. Maybe he felt art corrupted37 me, made me less a boy. When we spoke38, he would chastise39 me for a neglected chore or chide40 me for a less than perfect grade on a test or essay.
  As he drove me home from the trolley41 station one Saturday, he made an effort to engage and understand. On the radio, a football game between the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame42 and Navy unfolded. One of the teams scored a touchdown in a spectacular fashion.
  "How about that? Did you hear that?"
  I looked out the window, tapping out with my right hand a melody on the armrest.
  "Do you even like football?" he asked.
  "I dunno. It's okay."
  "Do you like any sport at all? Baseball? Basketball? Would you like to go hunting someday?"
  I said nothing. The very thought of being alone with Billy Day and a shotgun frightened me. There are devils out in the woods. We let a few silent miles pass beneath us.
  "How's come it's nothing but the piano night and day?"
  "I like music. And I'm good."
  "You are that, but honestly, did you ever stop to think you could try something else for a change? Don't you know there's more to life than music?"
  If he had been my true father, I would have been eternally disappointed in him. The man had no vision, no passion for life, and I was grateful that we were not actually related. The car passed through the shadows of trees, and the glass in the window darkened. I saw in my own reflection the mirrored image of Henry's father, but I only appeared to be his offspring. Once upon a time, I had a real father. I could hear his voice: "Ich erkenne dich! Du willst nur meinen Sohn!" His eyes danced wildly behind his owlish spectacles, and then the phantom43 memory disappeared. I sensed Billy Day was watching me from the corner of his eye, wondering what on earth happened? How did I get this for a son?
  "I'm thinking that I'm starting to like girls," I volunteered. He smiled and tousled my hair. He lit another Camel, a sure sign he was content with my answer. The subject of my masculinity never came up again.
  A basic truth had escaped by accident. Girls hovered44 on the surface of every situation. I noticed them in school, ogled45 them in church, played to them at every concert performance. As if they jumped from the shadows, girls arrived, and nothing was ever the same. I fell in love ten times a day: an older woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties in a gray coat on a gray street corner; the raven-haired librarian who came every Tuesday morning to buy a dozen eggs. Ponytailed girls jumping rope. Girls with charming accents. Girls in bobby socks and poodle skirts. In the sixth grade, Tess Wodehouse trying to hide her braces46 behind her smiles. Blondie in the funny pages; Cyd Charisse; Paulette Goddard; Marilyn Monroe. Anyone curved. Allure47 goes beyond appearances to the way they grace the world. Some women propel themselves by means of an internal gyroscope. Others glide48 through life as if on ice skates. Some women convey their tortured lives through their eyes; others encircle you in the music of their laughter. The way they become their clothes. Redheads, blondes, brunettes. I loved them all. Women who flirt49 with you: where'd you get such long eyelashes? From the milkman. Girls too shy to say a word.
  The best girls, however, were those who liked music. At virtually every performance, I could pick out from the crowd those who were listening, as opposed to the terminally bored or merely disinterested50. The girls who stared back unnerved me, but at least they were listening, as were the ones with their eyes closed, chins cocked, intent on my playing. Others in the audience would be cleaning their teeth with their nails, digging in their ears with their pinkies, cracking their knuckles51, yawning without covering their mouths, checking out the other girls (or boys), or checking their watches. After the performances, many in the audience invariably came up to have a few words, shake my hand, or stand near me. These post-performance encounters were most rewarding and I was delighted to receive compliments and answer questions for as long as I could while unmasking the enthusiasms of the women and girls.
  Unfortunately, the concerts and recitals52 were few and far between, and the public demand for my performances of classical music at parties and shows diminished as I neared puberty. Many aficionados53 had been interested in a ten-year-old prodigy54, but the novelty died when I was all elbows and acne as a teenager. And to be honest, I was sick of the Hanon and Czerny exercises and the same insipid55 Chopin etude that my teacher fussed over year after year. Changing yet again, I found my old powers ebbed56 as my hormones57 raged. As if overnight, I had gone from wanting to be just a boy to wanting to be a grown man. Midway through my freshman58 year in high school, following months of soul-searching and sullen59 fighting with my mother, it hit me that there was a way to combine my passion for music and my interest in girls: I would form my own band.


     十岁那年,我开始当众表演。为了感谢修女们让我使用学校的钢琴,我答应在每年的圣诞节汇演上弹奏开幕音乐。我的音乐促使父母们就座,孩子们则脱下大衣和围巾,露出里面或淘气或正经的装扮。我的老师马丁先生和我同演一个节目,其中包括巴赫、施特劳斯和贝多芬的曲子,压轴曲是向阿诺德·勋伯格(奥地利作曲家)致敬的《六首钢琴小品》,他去年过世了。我们觉得最后一支“现代”曲虽然对我们的听众而言并不耳熟,但却不怎么卖弄地展示了我的演奏曲目之广。圣诞节汇演的前一天,放学后,我为修女们表演完这三十分钟的节目,但这个曲目只换来她们头巾底下的横眉竖目。

  “很精彩,亨利,真的非常出色,”院长说。她是由一群乱纷纷的乌鸦组成的修道院的院长,“除了最后一首。”

  “勋伯格的? ”

  “是的,很有意思。”她站起来走到姐妹们前面,来回踱步,在空气中寻找措辞,“你会别的什么吗? ”

  “别的,院长? ”

  “一些更加应时的,也许? ”

  “应时,院长? ”

  “一些大家可能知道的? ”

  “我不确定我是否明白您的意思。”

  她转身直接对我说:“你会什么圣诞节歌曲吗? 赞美诗? 《平安夜》或许会吧?或者《听啊,天使唱高声》——我想这是门德尔松的。

  如果你会弹贝多芬,你就会弹门德尔松。”

  “您要圣诞颂歌? ”

  “不止是赞美诗,”她继续迈步,往下拉了拉修道服,“你可以弹《铃儿响叮当》或《白色圣诞节》。”

  “那是《假日酒店》里的曲子,”另一个修女插话说,“宾·克罗斯比,弗雷德·阿斯泰尔,还有马乔里·雷诺兹。哦,但你太小了。”

  “你们有没有看过《圣母玛利亚的钟声》”这位三年级教师问她的姐妹,“他弹那个不是很好吗? ”

  “我真喜欢《孤儿乐园》——你们知道,是米基·鲁尼演的那个。”

  院长捻着念珠,打断了她们,“你当然会几首圣诞歌吧? ”

  那晚我垂头丧气地回家,在父亲发明的纸制键盘上练习这些无足轻重的东西。

  第二天傍晚的表演,我修改了原定节目的一半,在末尾补上了几首颂歌。我保留了勋伯格,不用说,它当然是一败涂地。

  我把圣诞音乐演奏得异常出色,下面掌声雷动。我听着他们的捧场,暗道:

  “白痴。”我一次次地鞠躬,心中的厌恶感在他们响亮的掌声和口哨声中膨胀开来。

  后来我在人海中张望,认出了我的父母和邻居,他们都兴高采烈,向我致以真诚的赞赏之情,因为他们多少预料到会听到喜爱的老歌,节日的暖意油然而生。没有一种礼物能比想要的礼物更受欢迎。掌声持续不断,我开始头晕。我的父亲站起来了,脸上挂着真正的微笑。我快要晕倒了。我想要更多。

  这次的辉煌经历建立在一个简单的事实上:我的音乐天赋是人类的天赋,森林里没有钢琴。随着魔力慢慢减弱,我的艺术才能却在增长。我对那些将我掠走百年的人日渐隔膜,而我惟一的盼望和祈祷是要他们离开我。自从首场演出那晚开始,我好似被一分为二:半个我继续跟马丁先生学艺——他注重古典中的经典,要么狂弹古代作曲家的曲子,直到我能像雷神一样锤打,要么用最轻柔的按触让琴键低吟细语;另半个我扩展了我的保留节目,考虑听众们大概喜欢听什么,比如我母亲就欣赏收录机里的民谣。我喜欢《十二平均律曲集》中的赋格曲和《全心全意》,它们天衣无缝,但我搞起流行音乐后,就开始接到奇怪的活儿,去学校舞会和生日宴会上弹琴。马丁先生起初反对我把天分用在副业上,但我哭着告诉他我要赚钱付学费,他当场就将自己的课酬缩减了四分之一。有了存下来的钱、我赚到的外快、母亲日渐发达的鸡蛋和小鸡生意,在我十二岁生日时,我们终于把一架二手的竖式钢琴买回了家。

  ‘‘这是什么? ”父亲回家后问道,那天钢琴到家了,它漂亮的机械装在一个红木箱里。

  “是钢琴。”母亲回答说。

  “这我知道。它怎么会在这儿? ”

  “搬钢琴的人。”

  他从烟盒里抽出一支香烟,一晃点着,“露丝,我知道有人把它搬来。但它到底是怎么来的? ”

  “为亨利买的。这样他可以练琴。”

  “我们买不起钢琴。”

  “我们买了。我和亨利。”

  “有我弹琴赚来的钱。”我补充说。

  “还有卖鸡和鸡蛋的钱。”

  “你们买的? ”

  “马丁先生的建议。亨利的生日礼物。”

  “好吧,那么,生日快乐。”他边说边走出屋子。

  一有机会我就弹琴。在此后的数年中,我每天都在琴键上花几个小时,被音符俘虏了。音乐将我擒住,犹如滚滚波涛把我的自我意识推向内心深处,仿佛除了这一个,世上再无其他声音。第一个夏天,我让双腿额外多长了一寸,为的是能够踏实地踩在钢琴的踏板上。在家里、学校和镇上,我到处练琴,尽我所能地舒展手指。

  指尖的指肉变得光滑,如羽毛般敏感。我的双肩佝偻着,我的梦中尽是一波又一波的音阶。随着我技术的熟练和理解力的增长,我越加认识到音乐的力量处处显现在日常生活之中。关键是要让人们听到弱拍和音符之间看似无足轻重的休止,还有曲调之间的空白。若用这种一丝不苟的逻辑学来表情达意,人就能弹奏一切,或者诉说一切。音乐教给我很强的自控能力。

  父亲受不了我练琴,也许这正是因为他意识到我已经达到了什么水平。他会离开屋子,退缩到房子里最远的角落,或者随便找个借口出门。在妈妈和我买来钢琴的几周后,他也把我们的第一台电视机带回了家,又过了一周,来了个人在屋顶上装天线。晚上,父亲会看《理所当然》或《杰奎·格里森表演》,命我降低音量。

  但是他越来越多的做法是直接离开。

  “我出去开个车。”他已经戴上了帽子。

  “你不是出去喝酒吧,我希望。”

  “我可能会和朋友们去喝一点。”

  “别弄太晚了。”

  半夜过后,他才摇摇晃晃地进来,唱着歌或自言自语,踩到女孩们的玩具或走过钢琴时小腿撞上琴凳,就骂骂咧咧的。只要天气允许,每个周末他都在户外劳作,更换百叶窗、粉刷房子、重修鸡舍。他不待在壁炉边了,因为不想听音乐。对于玛丽和伊丽莎白,他是个尽心的父亲,仍然把她们抱在膝上逗弄,为她们的鬈发和裙子瞎操心,对刚画出来的粗糙作品或用棒棒积木搭起来的小屋大加赞美,还会坐到桌边玩过家家什么的。但他对我很是冷漠,在我没法理解他心思时,我疑心他对我的音乐热情觉得别扭,也许他觉得艺术腐蚀了我,把我弄得不像个男孩。我们谈话的时候,他会因为我忘做家务而责备我,要么就是斥骂我考试和写作的成绩不够优秀。

  某个周六他开车到电车站接我回家,他作了番努力来和我交流、来理解我。收音机中,爱尔兰圣母队和海军队对决的橄榄球赛拉开了序幕,其中一个队非常精彩地触地得分。

  “这个怎么样? 你听到了吗? ”

  我望着窗外,右手在靠手上轻扣着一个曲子。

  “你喜欢橄榄球吗? ”他问。

  “不晓得。它还行吧。”

  “你到底喜欢什么运动? 棒球? 篮球? 哪天想出去打猎吗? ”

  我什么都没说。想到要和比利·戴还有一杆猎枪在一起,我就觉得害怕。森林中有魔鬼出没。车子开了几公里,我们沉默着。

  “你怎么会从早到晚除了弹钢琴别的什么也不干? ”

  “我喜欢音乐。我弹得棒。”

  “这倒没错,但老实说,你有没有停下来想过,你能试点别的什么换换口味?

  你知不知道生活中除了音乐还有很多别的? ”

  假如他是我的亲生父亲,我会对他无比失望。这人没有眼力,没有生活激情,而我庆幸我们实际上并无关系。汽车从树阴下驶过,窗玻璃暗下来,我在自己的影像中看到了亨利父亲映在玻璃上的形象,而我看起来就是他的后代。曾几何时,我有真正的父亲。我能听见他的声音:“lch erkenne dich!Du willst nur meinenSohn! ”(德文:我认得你} 你只能是我的儿子)她的目光在猫头鹰似的眼镜后面狂野地跳动,记忆的幻像随即消失了。我感觉比利·戴用眼角余光打量着我,寻思到底发生了什么? 我怎么会有这样一个儿子? “我正在想,我开始喜欢女孩子了。”

  我主动说。他笑了,抓了抓我的头发,又点了一支骆驼香烟,这是个确定的信号,他对我的回答感到满意。关于我男子气概的话题再也没有提起。

  一个基本事实就这样擦肩而过。到处都有姑娘兜来兜去。我在学校里对她们上心,在教堂里和她们挤眉弄眼,每次音乐表演都给她们弹曲子。姑娘们仿佛从虚空中一跃而出,她们来了,一切都不复从前。我一天十次坠入爱河:一个大约二十五、六的年长女子,穿着灰大衣出现在灰色街角,乌黑头发的图书管理员每周二早晨来买一打鸡蛋,还有扎着马尾辫的跳绳女孩,有嗓音甜美的女孩和穿短袜和喇叭裙的女孩。到了六年级,泰思·伍德郝斯试图用微笑掩藏她的胸罩吊带。趣味书页上的金发姑娘,赛德·查里斯,保利特·戈达德,玛丽莲梦露。每个曲线玲珑的人。诱惑不仅在于外表,她们还让世界熠熠生辉。有些女人用内心的陀螺仪来督促自己,还有些好比穿着冰鞋在生活表面滑过。有些女人透过双眼表达她们的苦难生活,还有些用音乐般的笑声围绕着你。她们着衣的风格。红发,金发,黑肤。我喜欢她们每一个人。女人们和你调情:你从哪里得来这么长的眼睫毛? 从送奶工那里。女孩则脉脉含羞,一个字也不说。

  然而最好的姑娘是喜欢音乐的。每次演出,我都能从一群时不时地感到厌倦或压根不感兴趣的听众中寻出听音乐的她们来。这些女孩的回视让我不安,但至少她们在听,还有就是那些闭着双眼、抬着下巴、专注于我演奏的人。其他听众就会用指甲抠牙齿,用小指挖耳朵,指节扳得咯咯响,不掩住嘴就大呼小叫,张望其他女孩( 或男孩) ,或者看他们的表。表演结束后,总有许多听众会上前来说几句话,和我握手,或站在我身边。这种演出后的会面最有价值,我很高兴听到赞誉,回答问题,只要与此同时,我能揭下这些女人和女孩的热情面具。

  不幸的是,这些音乐会和独奏会次数极少,而且间隔很长,当我快进入青春期时,邀请我去聚会和展览上表演古典音乐的人就少了。

  许多追捧者都对一个十龄神童感兴趣,但当我长到十几岁,四肢长大,粉刺点点时,新奇感就丧失了。而且说实话,我厌倦了哈农和车尔尼的练习曲①,还有我老师年复一年小题大做的肖邦练习曲也总是淡而无味。我又在变化了,我发现我古老的力量正随着荷尔蒙的增长而起伏。我本想只当一个男孩,但似乎一夜之间,我变得想长大成人了。在我高中一年级的期中,在经过几个月的寻思和与母亲沉闷的对抗后,我灵机一动,有个办法可以将我对音乐的热情和对女孩的兴趣合而为一:

  我要组建自己的乐队。


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 nuns ce03d5da0bb9bc79f7cd2b229ef14d4a     
n.(通常指基督教的)修女, (佛教的)尼姑( nun的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句
3 prelude 61Fz6     
n.序言,前兆,序曲
参考例句:
  • The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
  • The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。
4 usher sK2zJ     
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员
参考例句:
  • The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
  • They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。
5 scowls 8dc72109c881267b556c7854dd30b77c     
不悦之色,怒容( scowl的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • All my attempts to amuse the children were met with sullen scowls. 我想尽办法哄这些孩子玩儿,但是他们总是满脸不高兴。
  • Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in. 1. 愁眉苦脸只会把人推开,而微笑却把人吸引过来。
6 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
参考例句:
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
7 tact vqgwc     
n.机敏,圆滑,得体
参考例句:
  • She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
  • Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。
8 seasonal LZ1xE     
adj.季节的,季节性的
参考例句:
  • The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
  • The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。
9 hymn m4Wyw     
n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌
参考例句:
  • They sang a hymn of praise to God.他们唱着圣歌,赞美上帝。
  • The choir has sung only two verses of the last hymn.合唱团只唱了最后一首赞美诗的两个段落。
10 herald qdCzd     
vt.预示...的来临,预告,宣布,欢迎
参考例句:
  • In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
  • Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。
11 hymns b7dc017139f285ccbcf6a69b748a6f93     
n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌( hymn的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • At first, they played the hymns and marches familiar to them. 起初他们只吹奏自己熟悉的赞美诗和进行曲。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
  • I like singing hymns. 我喜欢唱圣歌。 来自辞典例句
12 hitching 5bc21594d614739d005fcd1af2f9b984     
搭乘; (免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上
参考例句:
  • The farmer yoked the oxen before hitching them to the wagon. 农夫在将牛套上大车之前先给它们套上轭。
  • I saw an old man hitching along on his stick. 我看见一位老人拄着手杖蹒跚而行。
13 jingle RaizA     
n.叮当声,韵律简单的诗句;v.使叮当作响,叮当响,押韵
参考例句:
  • The key fell on the ground with a jingle.钥匙叮当落地。
  • The knives and forks set up their regular jingle.刀叉发出常有的叮当声。
14 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链
参考例句:
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
15 ovation JJkxP     
n.欢呼,热烈欢迎,热烈鼓掌
参考例句:
  • The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。
  • The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。
16 loathing loathing     
n.厌恶,憎恨v.憎恨,厌恶( loathe的现在分词);极不喜欢
参考例句:
  • She looked at her attacker with fear and loathing . 她盯着襲擊她的歹徒,既害怕又憎恨。
  • They looked upon the creature with a loathing undisguised. 他们流露出明显的厌恶看那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
17 swelled bd4016b2ddc016008c1fc5827f252c73     
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
参考例句:
  • The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染,他的手肿了起来。
  • After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后,河水猛涨。
18 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。
19 repertoire 2BCze     
n.(准备好演出的)节目,保留剧目;(计算机的)指令表,指令系统, <美>(某个人的)全部技能;清单,指令表
参考例句:
  • There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。
  • He has added considerably to his piano repertoire.他的钢琴演奏曲目大大增加了。
20 ballads 95577d817acb2df7c85c48b13aa69676     
民歌,民谣,特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 ); 讴
参考例句:
  • She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after another all evening. 她整晚一个接一个地大唱民谣和乡村小调。
  • She taught him to read and even to sing two or three little ballads,accompanying him on her old piano. 她教他读书,还教他唱两三首民谣,弹着她的旧钢琴为他伴奏。
21 adept EJIyO     
adj.老练的,精通的
参考例句:
  • When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相,我不是内行。
  • He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。
22 sob HwMwx     
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣
参考例句:
  • The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
  • The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答,也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。
23 lucrative dADxp     
adj.赚钱的,可获利的
参考例句:
  • He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
  • It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。
24 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。
25 enthralled 59934577218800a7e5faa20d3f119524     
迷住,吸引住( enthrall的过去式和过去分词 ); 使感到非常愉快
参考例句:
  • The child watched, enthralled by the bright moving images. 这孩子看着那明亮的移动的影像,被迷住了。
  • The children listened enthralled as the storyteller unfolded her tale. 讲故事的人一步步展开故事情节,孩子们都听得入迷了。
26 insignificant k6Mx1     
adj.无关紧要的,可忽略的,无意义的
参考例句:
  • In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季,这种作用是不明显的。
  • This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。
27 logic j0HxI     
n.逻辑(学);逻辑性
参考例句:
  • What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑?
  • I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。
28 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。
29 antenna QwTzN     
n.触角,触须;天线
参考例句:
  • The workman fixed the antenna to the roof of the house.工人把天线固定在房顶上。
  • In our village, there is an antenna on every roof for receiving TV signals.在我们村里,每家房顶上都有天线接收电视信号。
30 shutters 74d48a88b636ca064333022eb3458e1f     
百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 ); (照相机的)快门
参考例句:
  • The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
  • The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。
31 hearth n5by9     
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
参考例句:
  • She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来,在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
  • She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里,打开电灯。
32 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
33 doting xuczEv     
adj.溺爱的,宠爱的
参考例句:
  • His doting parents bought him his first racing bike at 13.宠爱他的父母在他13岁时就给他买了第一辆竞速自行车。
  • The doting husband catered to his wife's every wish.这位宠爱妻子的丈夫总是高度满足太太的各项要求。
34 fawning qt7zLh     
adj.乞怜的,奉承的v.(尤指狗等)跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 );巴结;讨好
参考例句:
  • The servant worn a fawning smile. 仆人的脸上露出一种谄笑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Then, what submission, what cringing and fawning, what servility, what abject humiliation! 好一个低眉垂首、阿谀逢迎、胁肩谄笑、卑躬屈膝的场面! 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
35 primitive vSwz0     
adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物
参考例句:
  • It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
  • His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。
36 odds n5czT     
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别
参考例句:
  • The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
  • Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗?
37 corrupted 88ed91fad91b8b69b62ce17ae542ff45     
(使)败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)腐化; 引起(计算机文件等的)错误; 破坏
参考例句:
  • The body corrupted quite quickly. 尸体很快腐烂了。
  • The text was corrupted by careless copyists. 原文因抄写员粗心而有讹误。
38 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。
39 chastise XbCyt     
vt.责骂,严惩
参考例句:
  • My father used to chastise my brothers with whips.父亲过去常以鞭打惩罚我的兄弟。
  • Should I applaud my husband or chastise him?我是该称赞还是责罚我的丈夫呢?
40 chide urVzQ     
v.叱责;谴责
参考例句:
  • However,they will chide you if you try to speak French.然而,如果你试图讲法语,就会遭到他们的责骂。
  • He thereupon privately chide his wife for her forwardness in the matter.于是他私下责备他的妻子,因为她对这种事热心。
41 trolley YUjzG     
n.手推车,台车;无轨电车;有轨电车
参考例句:
  • The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
  • In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆,书籍是放在台车上搬动的。
42 dame dvGzR0     
n.女士
参考例句:
  • The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
  • If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会,你就要跟那个夫人结婚。
43 phantom T36zQ     
n.幻影,虚位,幽灵;adj.错觉的,幻影的,幽灵的
参考例句:
  • I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她,好像她是一个幽灵。
  • He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。
44 hovered d194b7e43467f867f4b4380809ba6b19     
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
参考例句:
  • A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
  • A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。
45 ogled 4caba7933f40c65bbd9340883470b64a     
v.(向…)抛媚眼,送秋波( ogle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He ogled at all the attractive girls in the office. 他向办公室里所有有魅力的女孩暗送秋波。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Carrie found herself stared at and ogled. 嘉莉发现也有人在盯着她看,向她送秋波。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
46 braces ca4b7fc327bd02465aeaf6e4ce63bfcd     
n.吊带,背带;托架( brace的名词复数 );箍子;括弧;(儿童)牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来
参考例句:
  • The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃,因为支架全松了。
  • You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带,就用不着吊带了。
47 allure 4Vqz9     
n.诱惑力,魅力;vt.诱惑,引诱,吸引
参考例句:
  • The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
  • The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。
48 glide 2gExT     
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝
参考例句:
  • We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着,眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
  • So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞,宛如滑翔。
49 flirt zgwzA     
v.调情,挑逗,调戏;n.调情者,卖俏者
参考例句:
  • He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。
  • He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情,他都要抓狂了。
50 disinterested vu4z6s     
adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的
参考例句:
  • He is impartial and disinterested.他公正无私。
  • He's always on the make,I have never known him do a disinterested action.他这个人一贯都是唯利是图,我从来不知道他有什么无私的行动。
51 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》
52 recitals 751371ca96789c59fbc162a556dd350a     
n.独唱会( recital的名词复数 );独奏会;小型音乐会、舞蹈表演会等;一系列事件等的详述
参考例句:
  • His recitals have earned him recognition as a talented performer. 他的演奏会使他赢得了天才演奏家的赞誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her teachers love her playing, and encourage her to recitals. 她的老师欣赏她的演奏,并鼓励她举办独奏会。 来自互联网
53 aficionados 54e9eaccecb5f096c86d6db20d07e644     
n.酷爱…者,…迷( aficionado的名词复数 ); 爱看斗牛的人
参考例句:
  • West Coast aficionados of postwar coffee-shop architecture(Karal Ann Marling) 西海岸战后咖啡店式建筑的狂热追随者(卡拉尔安马林) 来自互联网
  • Clay developed a radical style which appalled boxing aficionados. 克莱发展出一种震惊拳击迷的全新风格。 来自互联网
54 prodigy n14zP     
n.惊人的事物,奇迹,神童,天才,预兆
参考例句:
  • She was a child prodigy on the violin.她是神童小提琴手。
  • He was always a Negro prodigy who played barbarously and wonderfully.他始终是一个黑人的奇才,这种奇才弹奏起来粗野而惊人。
55 insipid TxZyh     
adj.无味的,枯燥乏味的,单调的
参考例句:
  • The food was rather insipid and needed gingering up.这食物缺少味道,需要加点作料。
  • She said she was a good cook,but the food she cooked is insipid.她说她是个好厨师,但她做的食物却是无味道的。
56 ebbed d477fde4638480e786d6ea4ac2341679     
(指潮水)退( ebb的过去式和过去分词 ); 落; 减少; 衰落
参考例句:
  • But the pain had ebbed away and the trembling had stopped. 不过这次痛已减退,寒战也停止了。
  • But gradually his interest in good causes ebbed away. 不过后来他对这类事业兴趣也逐渐淡薄了。
57 hormones hormones     
n. 荷尔蒙,激素 名词hormone的复数形式
参考例句:
  • This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
  • The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。
58 freshman 1siz9r     
n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)
参考例句:
  • Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
  • He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。
59 sullen kHGzl     
adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的
参考例句:
  • He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
  • Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐,因为昨晚没睡好。


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