The second school were I tried to pick up a little learning was an irregular hit or miss affair at San Mateo.  Each class sat in a separate desk, but there were days when we did not sit at all, for the master used to get drunk very often, and then one of the elder boys would thrash him.  To even things up, the master would then thrash the younger lads, so you can think what sort of school it was.  There was no one belonging to me, or associated with me in any way, who had literary tastes or ideas, the nearest I can make to it is that my great-grandfather was a circuit writer, a Welshman, known as “Priest” Jones in the backwoods, where his enthusiasm led him to scatter³ the Gospel.

 

One of my earliest and strongest impressions was of the ignorance of other people.  I had read and absorbed Washington Irving’s “Alhambra” before I was nine, but could never understand how it was that the other ranchers knew nothing about it.  Later I concluded that this ignorance was peculiar⁴ to the country, and felt that those who lived in cities would not be so dense⁵.  One day a man from the city came to the ranch.  He wore shiny shoes and a cloth coat, and I felt that here was a good chance for me to exchange thoughts with an enlightened mind.  From the bricks of an old fallen chimney I had built an Alhambra of my own; towers, terraces, and all were complete, and chalk inscriptions

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1 manly
adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地
参考例句：
The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。 He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

2 ranch
n.大牧场，大农场
参考例句：
He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。 The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

3 scatter
vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散
参考例句：
You pile everything up and scatter things around.你把东西乱堆乱放。 Small villages scatter at the foot of the mountain.村庄零零落落地散布在山脚下。

4 peculiar
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。

5 dense
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

6 inscriptions
（作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记
参考例句：
Centuries of wind and rain had worn away the inscriptions on the gravestones. 几个世纪的风雨已磨损了墓碑上的碑文。 The inscriptions on the stone tablet have become blurred with the passage of time. 年代久了，石碑上的字迹已经模糊了。

7 dime
n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角
参考例句：
A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。 The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

8 virtuous
adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的
参考例句：
She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。 My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

9 devoured
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。 The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

10 nemesis
n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手
参考例句：
Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。 Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

11 swarming
密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
参考例句：
The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

12 devoid
adj.全无的，缺乏的
参考例句：
He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。 The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。

13 disillusions
使不再抱幻想，使理想破灭( disillusion的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
My life is full of disillusions. 我生活中充满了破灭的梦想。

14 oyster
n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人
参考例句：
I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。 I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

15 piracy
n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害
参考例句：
The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。 They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

16 schooner
n.纵帆船
参考例句：
The schooner was driven ashore.那条帆船被冲上了岸。 The current was bearing coracle and schooner southward at an equal rate.急流正以同样的速度将小筏子和帆船一起冲向南方。

17 salmon
n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的
参考例句：
We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。 Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

18 entrusted
v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。 She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 shovel
n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出
参考例句：
He was working with a pick and shovel.他在用镐和铲干活。 He seized a shovel and set to.他拿起一把铲就干上了。

20 shovelling
v.铲子( shovel的现在分词 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份
参考例句：
The workers are shovelling the sand. 工人们正在铲沙子。 来自辞典例句 They were shovelling coal up. 他们在铲煤。 来自辞典例句

21 deferred
adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从
参考例句：
The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。 a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

22 gush
v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发
参考例句：
There was a gush of blood from the wound.血从伤口流出。 There was a gush of blood as the arrow was pulled out from the arm.当从手臂上拔出箭来时，一股鲜血涌了出来。

23 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

24 vagrancy
（说话的，思想的）游移不定； 漂泊； 流浪； 离题
参考例句：
The tramp was arrested for vagrancy. 这个流浪汉因流浪而被捕。 Vagrancy and begging has become commonplace in London. 流浪和乞讨在伦敦已变得很常见。

25 socialist
n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的
参考例句：
China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。 His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

26 previously
adv.以前，先前（地）
参考例句：
The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。 Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

27 formulated
v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示
参考例句：
He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

28 salvation
n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困
参考例句：
Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。 Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

29 joyous
adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的
参考例句：
The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。 They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

30 bourgeois
adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子
参考例句：
He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。 The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。

31 ethics
n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准
参考例句：
The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。 Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

32 bucked
adj.快v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句：
When he tried to ride the horse, it bucked wildly. 当他试图骑上这匹马时，它突然狂暴地跃了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The plane bucked a strong head wind. 飞机顶着强烈的逆风飞行。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

33 shambles
n.混乱之处；废墟
参考例句：
My room is a shambles.我房间里乱七八糟。 The fighting reduced the city to a shambles.这场战斗使这座城市成了一片废墟。

34 recitals
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

35 janitor
n.看门人，管门人
参考例句：
The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。 The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

36 livelihood
n.生计，谋生之道
参考例句：
Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。 My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

37 utterances
n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论
参考例句：
John Maynard Keynes used somewhat gnomic utterances in his General Theory. 约翰·梅纳德·凯恩斯在其《通论》中用了许多精辟言辞。 来自辞典例句 Elsewhere, particularly in his more public utterances, Hawthorne speaks very differently. 在别的地方，特别是在比较公开的谈话里，霍桑讲的话则完全不同。 来自辞典例句

38 cramming
n.塞满，填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课
参考例句：
Being hungry for the whole morning, I couldn't help cramming myself. 我饿了一上午，禁不住狼吞虎咽了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She's cramming for her history exam. 她考历史之前临时抱佛脚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 freshman
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。

40 decided
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。

41 prospect
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。

42 scurvy
adj.下流的，卑鄙的，无礼的；n.坏血病
参考例句：
Vitamin C deficiency can ultimately lead to scurvy.缺乏维生素C最终能道致坏血病。 That was a scurvy trick to play on an old lady.用那样的花招欺负一个老太太可真卑鄙。

43 rejection
n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃
参考例句：
He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。 The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

44 serial
n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的
参考例句：
A new serial is starting on television tonight.今晚电视开播一部新的电视连续剧。 Can you account for the serial failures in our experiment?你能解释我们实验屡屡失败的原因吗？

45 pending
prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的
参考例句：
The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。 He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

46 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

47 regularity
n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐
参考例句：
The idea is to maintain the regularity of the heartbeat.问题就是要维持心跳的规律性。 He exercised with a regularity that amazed us.他锻炼的规律程度令我们非常惊讶。