Prologue（1）

Prologue¹
SUMMER TERM
I
It was the opening day of the summer term at Meadowbank school. The late afternoon sun shonedown on the broad gravel² sweep in front of the house. The front door was flung hospitably³ wide,and just within it, admirably suited to its Georgian proportions, stood Miss Vansittart, every hair inplace, wearing an impeccably cut coat and skirt.
Some parents who knew no better had taken her for the great Miss Bulstrode herself, notknowing that it was Miss Bulstrode’s custom to retire to a kind of holy of holies to which only aselected and privileged few were taken.
To one side of Miss Vansittart, operating on a slightly different plane, was Miss Chadwick,comfortable, knowledgeable⁴, and so much a part of Meadowbank that it would have beenimpossible to imagine Meadowbank without her. It had never been without her. Miss Bulstrodeand Miss Chadwick had started Meadowbank school together. Miss Chadwick wore pince-nez,stooped, was dowdily⁵ dressed, amiably⁶ vague in speech, and happened to be a brilliantmathematician.
Various welcoming words and phrases, uttered graciously by Miss Vansittart, floated throughthe house.
“How do you do, Mrs. Arnold? Well, Lydia, did you enjoy your Hellenic cruise? What awonderful opportunity! Did you get some good photographs?
“Yes, Lady Garnett, Miss Bulstrode had your letter about the Art Classes and everything’s beenarranged.
“How are you, Mrs. Bird? … Well? I don’t think Miss Bulstrode will have time today to discussthe point. Miss Rowan is somewhere about if you’d like to talk to her about it?
“We’ve moved your bedroom, Pamela. You’re in the far wing by the apple tree….
“Yes, indeed, Lady Violet, the weather has been terrible so far this spring. Is this youryoungest? What is your name? Hector? What a nice aeroplane you have, Hector.
“Très heureuse de vous voir, Madame. Ah, je regrette, ce ne serait pas possible, cette après-midi. Mademoiselle Bulstrode est tellement occupée.
“Good afternoon, Professor. Have you been digging up some more interesting things?”

1 prologue   

n.开场白，序言；开端，序幕

参考例句：

• A poor wedding is a prologue to misery.不幸的婚姻是痛苦的开始。
• The prologue to the novel is written in the form of a newspaper account.这本小说的序言是以报纸报道的形式写的。

2 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

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

3 hospitably   

亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地

参考例句：

• At Peking was the Great Khan, and they were hospitably entertained. 忽必烈汗在北京，他们受到了盛情款待。
• She was received hospitably by her new family. 她的新家人热情地接待了她。

4 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

5 dowdily   

adv.懒散地，下流地

参考例句：

6 amiably   

adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地

参考例句：

• She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
• Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》