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Chapter 9 拒绝贿赂(An Offer Refused)
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Chapter 9 AN OFFER REFUSED
It was rarely that Derek Kettering allowed his temper to get the better of him. An easygoing insouciance1 was his chief
characteristic and it had stood him in good stead in more than one tight corner. Even now, by the time he had left Mirelle's flat, he had cooled down. He had need of coolness. The corner he was in now
was a tighter one than he had ever been in before, and unforeseen factors had arisen with which, for the moment, he did not know how to deal.
He strolled along deep in thought. His brow was furrowed2, and there was none of the easy, jaunty3 manner which sat so well on him. Various possibilities floated trough his mind. It might have been said of Derek Kettering that he was less of a fool than he looked. He saw several roads that he might take - one in particular. If he shrank from it, it was for the moment only.
Desperate ills need desperate remedies. He had gauged4 his father-in-law correctly. A war between Derek Kettering and Rufus Van Aldin could end only one way. Derek damned money and the power of money vehemently5 to himself. He walked up St James's Street, across Piccadilly, and strolled along it in the direction of Piccadilly Circus. As he passed the offices of Messrs. Thomas Cook & Sons his footsteps slackened. He walked on, however, still turning the matter over in his mind. Finally, he gave a brief nod of his head, turned sharply - so sharply as to collide with a couple of pedestrians6 who were following in his footsteps, and went back the way he had come. This time he did not pass Cook's, but went in. The office was comparatively empty, and he got attended to at once.
"I want to go to Nice next week. Will you give me particulars?"
"What date, sir?"
"The 14th. What is the best train?"
"Well, of course, the best train is what they call 'The Blue Train.'
You avoid the tiresome7 Customs business at Calais."
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1 insouciance | |
n.漠不关心 | |
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2 furrowed | |
v.犁田,开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3 jaunty | |
adj.愉快的,满足的;adv.心满意足地,洋洋得意地;n.心满意足;洋洋得意 | |
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4 gauged | |
adj.校准的;标准的;量规的;量计的v.(用仪器)测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 );估计;计量;划分 | |
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5 vehemently | |
adv. 热烈地 | |
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6 pedestrians | |
n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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7 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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8 berth | |
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 | |
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9 berths | |
n.(船、列车等的)卧铺( berth的名词复数 );(船舶的)停泊位或锚位;差事;船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 );占铺位 | |
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10 superstitious | |
adj.迷信的 | |
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11 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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12 fatality | |
n.不幸,灾祸,天命 | |
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13 moodily | |
adv.喜怒无常地;情绪多变地;心情不稳地;易生气地 | |
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14 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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15 discreet | |
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
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16 genial | |
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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17 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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18 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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19 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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20 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 | |
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21 embarrassment | |
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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22 sardonic | |
adj.嘲笑的,冷笑的,讥讽的 | |
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23 stolid | |
adj.无动于衷的,感情麻木的 | |
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24 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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25 curt | |
adj.简短的,草率的 | |
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26 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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27 ironical | |
adj.讽刺的,冷嘲的 | |
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28 unwillingness | |
n. 不愿意,不情愿 | |
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29 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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30 bribe | |
n.贿赂;v.向…行贿,买通 | |
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31 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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32 bribes | |
n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂 | |
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