We lunched with an excellent appetite. I understood well enough that Poirot did not wish to discuss the tragedy where we could so easily be overheard. But, as is usual when one topic fills the mind to the
exclusion1 of everything else, no other subject of interest seemed to present itself. For a while we ate in silence, and then Poirot observed
maliciously2:
“Eh bien! And your indiscretions! You recount them not?”
I felt myself blushing.
“Oh, you mean this morning?” I endeavoured to adopt a tone of absolute
nonchalance3.
But I was no match for Poirot. In a very few minutes he had extracted the whole story from me, his eyes twinkling as he did so.
“Tiens! A story of the most romantic. What is her name, this charming young lady?”
I had to confess that I did not know.
“Still more romantic! The first rencontre in the train from Paris, the second here. Journeys end in lovers’ meetings, is not that the saying?”
“Don’t be an
ass4, Poirot.”
“Yesterday it was Mademoiselle Daubreuil, today it is Mademoiselle—Cinderella! Decidedly you have the heart of a Turk, Hastings! You should establish a harem!”
“It’s all very well to rag me. Mademoiselle Daubreuil is a very beautiful girl, and I do admire her immensely—I don’t mind admitting it. The other’s nothing—don’t suppose I shall ever see her again. She was quite amusing to talk to just for a railway journey, but she’s not the kind of girl I should ever get keen on.”
“Why?”
“Well—it sounds
snobbish6 perhaps—but she’s not a lady, not in any sense of the word.”
Poirot nodded thoughtfully. There was less raillery in his voice as he asked:
“You believe, then, in birth and breeding?”
点击
收听单词发音
1
exclusion
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n.拒绝,排除,排斥,远足,远途旅行 |
参考例句: |
- Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
- He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球,其他运动一概不参加。
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2
maliciously
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adv.有敌意地 |
参考例句: |
- He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- His enemies maliciously conspired to ruin him. 他的敌人恶毒地密谋搞垮他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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3
nonchalance
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n.冷淡,漠不关心 |
参考例句: |
- She took her situation with much nonchalance.她对这个处境毫不介意。
- He conceals his worries behind a mask of nonchalance.他装作若无其事,借以掩饰内心的不安。
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4
ass
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n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人 |
参考例句: |
- He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
- An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。
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5
decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 |
参考例句: |
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
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6
snobbish
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adj.势利的,谄上欺下的 |
参考例句: |
- She's much too snobbish to stay at that plain hotel.她很势利,不愿住在那个普通旅馆。
- I'd expected her to be snobbish but she was warm and friendly.我原以为她会非常势利,但她却非常热情和友好。
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7
darted
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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》
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8
writ
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n.命令状,书面命令 |
参考例句: |
- This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
- You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。
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9
morbid
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adj.病的;致病的;病态的;可怕的 |
参考例句: |
- Some people have a morbid fascination with crime.一些人对犯罪有一种病态的痴迷。
- 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。
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10
attentively
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adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神 |
参考例句: |
- She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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11
piqued
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v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 );激起(好奇心) |
参考例句: |
- Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起,停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句
- This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句
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12
prospect
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n.前景,前途;景色,视野 |
参考例句: |
- This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
- The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
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13
misgiving
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n.疑虑,担忧,害怕 |
参考例句: |
- She had some misgivings about what she was about to do.她对自己即将要做的事情存有一些顾虑。
- The first words of the text filled us with misgiving.正文开头的文字让我们颇为担心。
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14
reassured
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adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) |
参考例句: |
- The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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15
relish
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n.滋味,享受,爱好,调味品;vt.加调味料,享受,品味;vi.有滋味 |
参考例句: |
- I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
- I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。
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16
inevitable
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adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 |
参考例句: |
- Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
- The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
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17
peremptory
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adj.紧急的,专横的,断然的 |
参考例句: |
- The officer issued peremptory commands.军官发出了不容许辩驳的命令。
- There was a peremptory note in his voice.他说话的声音里有一种不容置辩的口气。
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18
disporting
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v.嬉戏,玩乐,自娱( disport的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The bears were disporting themselves in the water. 那些熊在水中嬉戏。 来自辞典例句
- A crowd of children disporting are running about around grow-ups, which caused grow-ups' scold. 一群嬉戏玩耍的孩子,始终围着大人们追来跑去,短不了惹得人们骂上几句。 来自互联网
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19
villa
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n.别墅,城郊小屋 |
参考例句: |
- We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
- We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。
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20
quarry
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n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找 |
参考例句: |
- Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
- This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。
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21
impatience
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n.不耐烦,急躁 |
参考例句: |
- He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢,他显得不耐烦。
- He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。
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22
concierge
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n.管理员;门房 |
参考例句: |
- This time the concierge was surprised to the point of bewilderment.这时候看门人惊奇到了困惑不解的地步。
- As I went into the dining-room the concierge brought me a police bulletin to fill out.我走进餐厅的时候,看门人拿来一张警察局发的表格要我填。
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23
peculiar
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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。
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24
meddle
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v.干预,干涉,插手 |
参考例句: |
- I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
- Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。
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25
incensed
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盛怒的 |
参考例句: |
- The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
- They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。
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26
meddlesome
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adj.爱管闲事的 |
参考例句: |
- By this means the meddlesome woman cast in a bone between the wife and the husband.这爱管闲事的女人就用这种手段挑起他们夫妻这间的不和。
- Get rid of that meddlesome fool!让那个爱管闲事的家伙走开!
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27
zealous
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adj.狂热的,热心的 |
参考例句: |
- She made zealous efforts to clean up the classroom.她非常热心地努力清扫教室。
- She is a zealous supporter of our cause.她是我们事业的热心支持者。
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28
wrath
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n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 |
参考例句: |
- His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
- The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。
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29
deliberately
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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。
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30
withheld
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withhold过去式及过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后,我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意,学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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31
surmise
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v./n.猜想,推测 |
参考例句: |
- It turned out that my surmise was correct.结果表明我的推测没有错。
- I surmise that he will take the job.我推测他会接受这份工作。
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32
ripen
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vt.使成熟;vi.成熟 |
参考例句: |
- I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
- You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。
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33
precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 |
参考例句: |
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
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34
moodily
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adv.喜怒无常地;情绪多变地;心情不稳地;易生气地 |
参考例句: |
- Pork slipped from the room as she remained staring moodily into the distance. 阿宝从房间里溜了出来,留她独个人站在那里瞪着眼睛忧郁地望着远处。 来自辞典例句
- He climbed moodily into the cab, relieved and distressed. 他忧郁地上了马车,既松了一口气,又忧心忡忡。 来自互联网
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35
jack
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n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 |
参考例句: |
- I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
- He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
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36
eavesdropping
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n. 偷听 |
参考例句: |
- We caught him eavesdropping outside the window. 我们撞见他正在窗外偷听。
- Suddenly the kids,who had been eavesdropping,flew into the room. 突然间,一直在偷听的孩子们飞进屋来。
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37
precipitately
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adv.猛进地 |
参考例句: |
- The number of civil wars continued to rise until about 1990 and then fell precipitately. 而国内战争的数量在1990年以前都有增加,1990年后则锐减。 来自互联网
- His wife and mistress, until an hour ago and inviolate were slipping precipitately from his control. 他的妻子和情妇,直到一小时前还是安安稳稳、不可侵犯的,现在却猛不防正从他的控制下溜走。 来自互联网
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38
enjoining
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v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Then enjoining him to keep It'strictly confidential, he told him the whole story. 叮嘱他严守秘密,然后把这事讲出来。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
- The act or an instance of enjoining; a command, a directive, or an order. 命令的动作或例子;命令,指令或训谕。 来自互联网
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39
butting
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用头撞人(犯规动作) |
参考例句: |
- When they were talking Mary kept butting in. 当他们在谈话时,玛丽老是插嘴。
- A couple of goats are butting each other. 两只山羊在用角互相顶撞。
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40
magistrates
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地方法官,治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
- He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。
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41
tinge
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vt.(较淡)着色于,染色;使带有…气息;n.淡淡色彩,些微的气息 |
参考例句: |
- The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。
- There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.她声音中流露出一丝忧伤。
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42
forth
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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。
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43
fatality
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n.不幸,灾祸,天命 |
参考例句: |
- She struggle against fatality in vain.她徒然奋斗反抗宿命。
- He began to have a growing sense of fatality.他开始有一种越来越强烈的宿命感。
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44
dagger
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n.匕首,短剑,剑号 |
参考例句: |
- The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
- The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。
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