For the major portion of the return trip to Kansas City, there was nothing to mar¹ the very agreeable illusion underwhich Clyde rested. He sat beside Hortense, who leaned her head against his shoulder. And although Sparser²,who had waited for the others to step in before taking the wheel, had squeezed her arm and received ananswering and promising³ look, Clyde had not seen that.

　　But the hour being late and the admonitions of Hegglund, Ratterer and Higby being all for speed, and the moodof Sparser, because of the looks bestowed⁴ upon him by Hortense, being the gayest and most drunken, it was notlong before the outlying lamps of the environs began to show.

　　For the car was rushed along the road at break-neck speed. At one point, however, where one of the eastern trunklines approached the city, there was a long and unexpected and disturbing wait at a grade crossing where twofreight trains met and passed. Farther in, at North Kansas City, it began to snow, great soft slushy flakes,feathering down and coating the road surface with a slippery layer of mud which required more caution than hadbeen thus far displayed. It was then half past five. Ordinarily, an additional eight minutes at high speed wouldhave served to bring the car within a block or two of the hotel. But now, with another delay near Hannibal Bridgeowing to grade crossing, it was twenty minutes to six before the bridge was crossed and Wyandotte Streetreached. And already all four of these youths had lost all sense of the delight of the trip and the pleasure thecompanionship of these girls had given them. For already they were worrying as to the probability of theirreaching the hotel in time. The smug and martinetish figure of Mr. Squires⁶ loomed⁷ before them all.

　　"Gee⁸, if we don't do better than this," observed Ratterer to Higby, who was nervously⁹

点击收听单词发音  

1 mar
vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟
参考例句：
It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。 Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 sparser
adj.稀疏的，稀少的( sparse的比较级 )
参考例句：

3 promising
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。 We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 bestowed
赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。 He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

5 hip
n.臀部，髋；屋脊
参考例句：
The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。 The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

6 squires
n.地主，乡绅( squire的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The family history was typical of the Catholic squires of England. 这个家族的历史，在英格兰信天主教的乡绅中是很典型的。 来自辞典例句 By 1696, with Tory squires and Amsterdam burghers complaining about excessive taxes. 到1696年，托利党的乡绅们和阿姆斯特丹的市民都对苛捐杂税怨声载道。 来自辞典例句

7 loomed
v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近
参考例句：
A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。 The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 gee
n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转
参考例句：
Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。 Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

9 nervously
adv.神情激动地，不安地
参考例句：
He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。 He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

10 fumbling
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理
参考例句：
If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。 If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。

11 flaked
精疲力竭的，失去知觉的，睡去的
参考例句：
They can see how its colours have faded and where paint has flaked. 他们能看到颜色消退的情况以及油漆剥落的地方。 The river from end to end was flaked with coal fleets. 这条河上从头到尾处处都漂着一队一队的煤船。

12 effrontery
n.厚颜无耻
参考例句：
This is a despicable fraud . Just imagine that he has the effrontery to say it.这是一个可耻的骗局. 他竟然有脸说这样的话。 One could only gasp at the sheer effrontery of the man.那人十足的厚颜无耻让人们吃惊得无话可说。

13 plank
n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目
参考例句：
The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。 They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。

14 yarn
n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事
参考例句：
I stopped to have a yarn with him.我停下来跟他聊天。 The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。

15 intersection
n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集
参考例句：
There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。 Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。

16 contemplating
深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想
参考例句：
You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。 She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

17 vent
n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄
参考例句：
He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。 When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

18 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

19 conjured
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现
参考例句：
He conjured them with his dying breath to look after his children. 他临终时恳求他们照顾他的孩子。 His very funny joke soon conjured my anger away. 他讲了个十分有趣的笑话，使得我的怒气顿消。

20 anguished
adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式)
参考例句：
Desmond eyed her anguished face with sympathy. 看着她痛苦的脸，德斯蒙德觉得理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The loss of her husband anguished her deeply. 她丈夫的死亡使她悲痛万分。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 exclamations
n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词
参考例句：
The visitors broke into exclamations of wonder when they saw the magnificent Great Wall. 看到雄伟的长城，游客们惊叹不已。 来自《简明英汉词典》 After the will has been read out, angry exclamations aroused. 遗嘱宣读完之后，激起一片愤怒的喊声。 来自辞典例句

22 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

23 ascertain
vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清
参考例句：
It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。 We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

24 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

25 automobile
n.汽车，机动车
参考例句：
He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。 The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

26 pedestrians
n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

27 clenched
v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。 She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 honking
v.（使）发出雁叫似的声音，鸣（喇叭），按（喇叭）( honk的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Flocks of honking geese flew past. 雁群嗷嗷地飞过。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 shrieks
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声 For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来， 报纸上， 广播里， 舞台上， 会场上的声嘶力竭，装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

30 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。

31 evading
逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出
参考例句：
Segmentation of a project is one means of evading NEPA. 把某一工程进行分割，是回避《国家环境政策法》的一种手段。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法 Too many companies, she says, are evading the issue. 她说太多公司都在回避这个问题。

32 conceal
v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽
参考例句：
He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。 He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

33 contractor
n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌
参考例句：
The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。 The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

34 prospective
adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的
参考例句：
The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。 They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

35 lumber
n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动
参考例句：
The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。 They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

36 sufficiently
adv.足够地，充分地
参考例句：
It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。 The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

37 wrenched
v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛
参考例句：
The bag was wrenched from her grasp. 那只包从她紧握的手里被夺了出来。 He wrenched the book from her hands. 他从她的手中把书拧抢了过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

38 pinioned
v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His arms were pinioned to his sides. 他的双臂被绑在身体两侧。 Pinioned by the press of men around them, they were unable to move. 周围的人群挤压着他们，使他们动弹不得。 来自辞典例句

39 steering
n.操舵装置
参考例句：
He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。 Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

40 bruised
[医]青肿的，瘀紫的
参考例句：
his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子 She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

41 plight
n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定
参考例句：
The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。 She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

42 scrambling
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

43 chassis
n.汽车等之底盘；（飞机的）起落架；炮底架
参考例句：
The new parts may include the sheet metal,the transmission,or the chassis.新部件可能包括钢壳，变速器或底盘。 Can chassis and whole-vehicle manufacturers co-exist peacefully?底盘企业和整车企业能相安无事吗？

44 wreck
n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难
参考例句：
Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。 No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

45 wrecked
adj.失事的，遇难的
参考例句：
the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸 the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

46 prone
adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的
参考例句：
Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。 He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

47 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。

48 irritably
ad.易生气地
参考例句：
He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。 On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事，他妻子大声斥责，令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

49 stunned
adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。 The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

50 athletic
adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的
参考例句：
This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。 He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

51 repulsed
v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝
参考例句：
I was repulsed by the horrible smell. 这种可怕的气味让我恶心。 At the first brush,the enemy was repulsed. 敌人在第一次交火时就被击退了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 marred
adj. 被损毁, 污损的
参考例句：
The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。 Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

53 oblivious
adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的
参考例句：
Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后，妈妈变得特别健忘。 He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。

54 misery
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。 He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

55 desperately
adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地
参考例句：
He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。 He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

56 intermittently
adv.间歇地；断断续续
参考例句：
Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. 温斯顿只能断断续续地记得为什么这么痛。 来自英汉文学 The resin moves intermittently down and out of the bed. 树脂周期地向下移动和移出床层。 来自辞典例句

57 lone
adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的
参考例句：
A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。 She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

58 suburbanite
n. 郊区居民
参考例句：
Which ups the odds a mosquito a suburbanite may have recently a bird carrying the virus. 因此一只嗡嗡飞向市郊居民的蚊子，刚刚叮过带有病毒的鸟的可能性就增加了。

59 ambled
v.（马）缓行( amble的过去式和过去分词 )；从容地走，漫步
参考例句：
We ambled down to the beach. 我们漫步向海滩走去。 The old man ambled home through the garden every evening. 那位老人每天晚上经过花园漫步回家。 来自《简明英汉词典》

60 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

61 genially
adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地
参考例句：
The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 "Well, It'seems strange to see you way up here,'said Mr. Kenny genially. “咳，真没想到会在这么远的地方见到你，"肯尼先生亲切地说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

62 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。

63 clump
n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走
参考例句：
A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。 It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

64 astounded
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶
参考例句：
His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。 How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。