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CHAPTER VI
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One day Joan, lunching at the club, met Madge Singleton.
“I’ve had such a funny letter from Flossie,” said Joan, “begging me almost with tears in her ink to come to her on Sunday evening to meet a ‘gentleman friend’ of hers, as she calls him, and give her my opinion of him. What on earth is she up to?”
“It’s all right,” answered Madge. “She doesn’t really want our opinion of him—or rather she doesn’t want our real opinion of him. She only wants us to confirm hers. She’s engaged to him.”
“Flossie engaged!” Joan seemed surprised.
“Yes,” answered Madge. “It used to be a custom. Young men used to ask young women to marry them. And if they consented it was called ‘being engaged.’ Still prevails, so I am told, in certain classes.”
“Thanks,” said Joan. “I have heard of it.”
“I thought perhaps you hadn’t from your tone,” explained Madge.
“But if she’s already engaged to him, why risk criticism of him,” argued Joan, ignoring Madge’s flippancy1. “It’s too late.”
“Oh, she’s going to break it off unless we all assure her that we find him brainy,” Madge explained with a laugh. “It seems her father wasn’t brainy and her mother was. Or else it was the other way about: I’m not quite sure. But whichever it was, it led to ructions. Myself, if he’s at all possible and seems to care for her, I intend to find him brilliant.”
“And suppose she repeats her mother’s experience,” suggested Joan.
“There were the Norton-Browns,” answered Madge. “Impossible to have found a more evenly matched pair. They both write novels—very good novels, too; and got jealous of one another; and threw press-notices at one another’s head all breakfast-time; until they separated. Don’t know of any recipe myself for being happy ever after marriage, except not expecting it.”
“Or keeping out of it altogether,” added Joan.
“Ever spent a day at the Home for Destitute2 Gentlewomen at East Sheen?” demanded Madge.
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收听单词发音

1
flippancy
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n.轻率;浮躁;无礼的行动 | |
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2
destitute
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adj.缺乏的;穷困的 | |
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burlesque
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v.嘲弄,戏仿;n.嘲弄,取笑,滑稽模仿 | |
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4
lodging
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n.寄宿,住所;(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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5
landlady
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n.女房东,女地主 | |
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solicitor
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n.初级律师,事务律师 | |
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awfully
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adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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bustled
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闹哄哄地忙乱,奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 ); 催促 | |
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opposition
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n.反对,敌对 | |
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enacted
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制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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loathe
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v.厌恶,嫌恶 | |
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hovering
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鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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lure
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n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引 | |
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adoption
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n.采用,采纳,通过;收养 | |
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picturesque
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adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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undue
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adj.过分的;不适当的;未到期的 | |
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sane
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adj.心智健全的,神志清醒的,明智的,稳健的 | |
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wavy
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adj.有波浪的,多浪的,波浪状的,波动的,不稳定的 | |
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instinctively
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adv.本能地 | |
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immoral
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adj.不道德的,淫荡的,荒淫的,有伤风化的 | |
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bind
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vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬 | |
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hideous
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adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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fettered
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v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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memorandum
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n.备忘录,便笺 | |
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alteration
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n.变更,改变;蚀变 | |
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muddled
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adj.混乱的;糊涂的;头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱,弄糟( muddle的过去式);使糊涂;对付,混日子 | |
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dictates
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n.命令,规定,要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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artistic
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adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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temperament
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n.气质,性格,性情 | |
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invalid
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n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的 | |
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eminent
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adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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obituary
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n.讣告,死亡公告;adj.死亡的 | |
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regiment
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n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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mischief
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n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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confided
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v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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anecdote
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n.轶事,趣闻,短故事 | |
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tacking
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(帆船)抢风行驶,定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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spoke
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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 | |
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exertion
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n.尽力,努力 | |
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interfere
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v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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momentary
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adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 | |
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spine
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n.脊柱,脊椎;(动植物的)刺;书脊 | |
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velvet
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n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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severely
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adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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wedded
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adj.正式结婚的;渴望…的,执著于…的v.嫁,娶,(与…)结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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judgment
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n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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meekly
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adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地 | |
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vociferously
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adv.喊叫地,吵闹地 | |
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emanated
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v.从…处传出,传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 );产生,表现,显示 | |
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enjoyment
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n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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gilded
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a.镀金的,富有的 | |
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armour
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(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队 | |
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CHAPTER V
下一章:
CHAPTER VII
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