Chapter 8 LADY TAMPLIN WRITES A LETTER
"Well," said Lady Tamplin, "well."
She laid down the
continental1 Daily Mail and stared out across the blue waters of the
Mediterranean2. A branch of golden mimosa, hanging just above her head, made an effective frame for a very charming picture. A golden-haired, blue-eyed lady in a very becoming negligee. That the golden hair owed something to art, as did the pink-and-white
complexion3, was undeniable, but the blue of the eyes was Nature's gift, and at forty-four Lady Tamplin could still rank as a beauty.
Charming as she looked, Lady Tamplin was, for once, not thinking of herself. That is to say, she was not thinking of her appearance. She was intent on graver matters. Lady Tamplin was a well-known figure on the Riviera, and her parties at the
Villa4 Marguerite were justly
celebrated5. She was a woman of considerable experience, and had had four husbands. The first had been merely an indiscretion, and so was seldom referred to by the lady. He had had the good sense to die with
commendable6 promptitude, and his widow thereupon
espoused7 a rich manufacturer of buttons. He too had departed for another sphere after three years of married life - it was said after a congenial evening with some good companions. After him came Viscount Tamplin, who had placed Rosalie securely on those heights where she wished to tread. She had retained her title when she married for a fourth time. This fourth venture had been undertaken for pure pleasure. Mr Charles Evans, an extremely good-looking young man of twenty-seven, with
delightful8 manners, a keen love of sport, and an
appreciation9 of this world's goods, had no money of his own
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continental
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adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的 |
参考例句: |
- A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
- The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。
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Mediterranean
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adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的 |
参考例句: |
- The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
- Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。
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3
complexion
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n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 |
参考例句: |
- Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
- Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。
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4
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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celebrated
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adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 |
参考例句: |
- He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
- The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。
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6
commendable
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adj.值得称赞的 |
参考例句: |
- The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。
- Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。
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7
espoused
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v.(决定)支持,拥护(目标、主张等)( espouse的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- They espoused the notion of equal opportunity for all in education. 他们赞同在教育方面人人机会均等的观念。
- The ideas she espoused were incomprehensible to me. 她所支持的意见令我难以理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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8
delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 |
参考例句: |
- We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
- Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
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appreciation
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n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 |
参考例句: |
- I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
- I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
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10
whatsoever
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adv.(用于否定句中以加强语气)任何;pron.无论什么 |
参考例句: |
- There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
- All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样,你就怎样对人。
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wont
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adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 |
参考例句: |
- He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
- It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。
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depreciation
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n.价值低落,贬值,蔑视,贬低 |
参考例句: |
- She can't bear the depreciation of the enemy.她受不了敌人的蹂躏。
- They wrote off 500 for depreciation of machinery.他们注销了500镑作为机器折旧费。
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temperament
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n.气质,性格,性情 |
参考例句: |
- The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
- Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。
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tact
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n.机敏,圆滑,得体 |
参考例句: |
- She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
- Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。
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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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sardonic
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adj.嘲笑的,冷笑的,讥讽的 |
参考例句: |
- She gave him a sardonic smile.她朝他讥讽地笑了一笑。
- There was a sardonic expression on her face.她脸上有一种嘲讽的表情。
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agitated
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adj.被鼓动的,不安的 |
参考例句: |
- His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定,回答全乱了。
- She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时,她十分焦虑。
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forefinger
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n.食指 |
参考例句: |
- He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
- He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。
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agitation
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n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 |
参考例句: |
- Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
- These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
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humble
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adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 |
参考例句: |
- In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
- Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
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inaccurate
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adj.错误的,不正确的,不准确的 |
参考例句: |
- The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确,而且夸大其词。
- She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。
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outspokenness
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参考例句: |
- He wondered whether his outspokenness a liability to John. 他怀疑自己那么心直口快,是否为成为约翰的包袱。
- He wondered whether his outspokenness might a. to his friend. 他怀疑自己那么心直口快,会否使他朋友背上思想包袱。
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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 |
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。
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artistically
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adv.艺术性地 |
参考例句: |
- The book is beautifully printed and artistically bound. 这本书印刷精美,装帧高雅。
- The room is artistically decorated. 房间布置得很美观。
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chubby
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adj.丰满的,圆胖的 |
参考例句: |
- He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实,可并不发胖。
- The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。
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kindly
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adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 |
参考例句: |
- Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
- A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
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generosity
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n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 |
参考例句: |
- We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
- We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。
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unwilling
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adj.不情愿的 |
参考例句: |
- The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
- His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
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flamboyant
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adj.火焰般的,华丽的,炫耀的 |
参考例句: |
- His clothes were rather flamboyant for such a serious occasion.他的衣着在这种严肃场合太浮夸了。
- The King's flamboyant lifestyle is well known.国王的奢华生活方式是人尽皆知的。
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scrutinized
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v.仔细检查,详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
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belle
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n.靓女 |
参考例句: |
- She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
- She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。
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wriggling
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v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等);蠕蠕 |
参考例句: |
- The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
- Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句
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exquisite
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adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 |
参考例句: |
- I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
- I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。
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mead
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n.蜂蜜酒 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
- He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。
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contented
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adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 |
参考例句: |
- He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
- The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
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clinch
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v.敲弯,钉牢;确定;扭住对方 [参]clench |
参考例句: |
- Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
- We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元,请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。
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abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 |
参考例句: |
- He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
- I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
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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 |
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。
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doorway
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n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 |
参考例句: |
- They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
- Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
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doom
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n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定 |
参考例句: |
- The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
- The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。
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impending
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a.imminent, about to come or happen |
参考例句: |
- Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时,严重的战乱爆发了。
- The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。
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