A penchant¹ for boasting is not the prerogative² of any time, or race, or individual, but is more or less common to all. So it is not strange that Mpingu, filled with the importance of the secret that he alone shared with his mistress and the household of Maximus Praeclarus, should have occasionally dropped a word here and there that might impress his listeners with his importance.

 

Mpingu meant no harm. He was loyal to the house of Dion Splendidus and he would not willingly have brought harm to his master or his master's friend, but so it is often with people who talk too much, and Mpingu certainly had done that. The result was that upon a certain day, as he was bartering³ in the market-place for provisions for the kitchen of Dion Splendidus, he felt a heavy hand laid upon his shoulder and, turning, he was astonished to find himself looking into the face of a centurion⁴ of the palace guard, behind whom stood a file of legionaries.

 

"You are Mpingu, the slave of Dion Splendidus?" demanded the centurion.

 

"I am," replied the black.

 

"Come with us," commanded the centurion.

 

Mpingu drew back, afraid, as all men feared the soldiers of Caesar. "What do you want of me?" he demanded. "I have done nothing."

 

"Come, barbarian⁵," ordered the soldier. "I was not sent to confer with you, but to get you!" And he jerked Mpingu roughly toward him and pushed him back among the soldiers.

 

A crowd had gathered, as crowds gather always when a man is arrested, but the centurion ignored the crowd as though it did not exist, and the people fell aside as the soldiers marched away with Mpingu. No one questioned or interfered⁶, for who would dare question an officer of Caesar? Who would interfere7

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1 penchant
n.爱好，嗜好；（强烈的）倾向
参考例句：
She has a penchant for Indian food.她爱吃印度食物。 He had a penchant for playing jokes on people.他喜欢拿人开玩笑。

2 prerogative
n.特权
参考例句：
It is within his prerogative to do so.他是有权这样做的。 Making such decisions is not the sole prerogative of managers.作这类决定并不是管理者的专有特权。

3 bartering
v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Parliament would be touchy about bartering British soil for ships. 用英国国土换取舰只，议会感到为难。 来自辞典例句 In former times trade was based on bartering--goods were exchanged for other goods. 以前，贸易是以易货（即货物交换）的方式进行的。 来自辞典例句

4 centurion
n.古罗马的百人队长
参考例句：
When Jesus had entered Capernaum,a centurion came to him,asking for help.耶稣进了迦百农，有一个百夫长前来求助。 A centurion was in charge of 100 soldiers.一个百夫长管理100个士兵。

5 barbarian
n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的
参考例句：
There is a barbarian tribe living in this forest.有一个原始部落居住在这个林区。 The walled city was attacked by barbarian hordes.那座有城墙的城市遭到野蛮部落的袭击。

6 interfered
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉
参考例句：
Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 interfere
v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰
参考例句：
If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。 When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

8 dungeons
n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

9 collapse
vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷
参考例句：
The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。 The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

10 vengeance
n.报复，报仇，复仇
参考例句：
He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。 For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

11 wreaked
诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city. 地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。 They have wreaked dreadful havoc among the wildlife by shooting and trapping. 他们射杀和诱捕野生动物，造成了严重的破坏。

12 chamber
n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所
参考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 incurs
遭受，招致，引起( incur的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
She falls in love and incurs the wrath of her father. 她恋爱了，这引起了父亲的愤怒。 A judge incurs no civil liability for judicial acts, even if guilty of fraud and corruption. 法官不得因其司法行为而承担民事责任，即使犯有诈欺与贪污罪。 来自口语例句

14 jaw
n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训
参考例句：
He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。 A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

15 growled
v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说
参考例句：
\"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》 He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 eternity
n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷
参考例句：
The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。 Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

17 regaining
复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。 She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

18 vocal
adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句：
The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。 Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

19 wailed
v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句

20 tongs
n.钳；夹子
参考例句：
She used tongs to put some more coal on the fire.她用火钳再夹一些煤放进炉子里。 He picked up the hot metal with a pair of tongs.他用一把钳子夹起这块热金属。

21 charcoal
n.炭，木炭，生物炭
参考例句：
We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。 Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。

22 protruded
v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The child protruded his tongue. 那小孩伸出舌头。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The creature's face seemed to be protruded, because of its bent carriage. 那人的脑袋似乎向前突出，那是因为身子佝偻的缘故。 来自英汉文学

23 shrieked
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。 Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

24 spoke
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。

25 helping
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的
参考例句：
The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。 By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

26 interrogated
v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询
参考例句：
He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。 Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 implicated
adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的
参考例句：
These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

28 functionary
n.官员；公职人员
参考例句：
No functionary may support or cover up unfair competition acts.国家官员不得支持、包庇不正当竞争行为。 " Emigrant," said the functionary,"I am going to send you on to Paris,under an escort."“ 外逃分子，”那官员说，“我要把你送到巴黎去，还派人护送。”

29 patrician
adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官
参考例句：
The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。 Its patrician dignity was a picturesque sham.它的贵族的尊严只是一套华丽的伪装。

30 emanated
v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示
参考例句：
Do you know where these rumours emanated from? 你知道谣言出自何处吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》 The rumor emanated from Chicago. 谣言来自芝加哥。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

31 influential
adj.有影响的，有权势的
参考例句：
He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。 He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

32 attentively
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》

33 savage
adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人
参考例句：
The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。 He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

34 civilized
a.有教养的，文雅的
参考例句：
Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。 rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

35 ushered
v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。 A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 faculty
n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员
参考例句：
He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。 He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

37 orientation
n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍
参考例句：
Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。 The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

38 apprehension
n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑
参考例句：
There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。 She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

39 shackles
手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊
参考例句：
a country struggling to free itself from the shackles of colonialism 为摆脱殖民主义的枷锁而斗争的国家 The cars of the train are coupled together by shackles. 火车的车厢是用钩链连接起来的。

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