Chapter 19 AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR
The Comte de la Roche had just finished déjeuner, consisting of an omelette fines herbes, an entrec?te Bearnaise, and a Savarin au Rhum. Wiping his fine black moustache delicately with his table napkin, the Comte rose from the table. He passed through the
salon1 of the
villa2, noting with
appreciation3 the few objets d'art which were carelessly
scattered4 about. The Louis XV snuff-box, the satin shoe worn by Marie Antoinette, and the other historic trifles were part of the Comte's mise en scene. They were, he would explain to his fair visitors, heirlooms in his family. Passing through on to the terrace, the Comte looked out on the
Mediterranean5 with an unseeing eye. He was in no mood for appreciating the beauties of scenery. A
fully6 matured scheme had been rudely brought to
naught7, and his plans had to be cast afresh. Stretching himself out in a basket chair, a cigarette held between his white fingers, the Comte pondered deeply.
Presently Hippolyte, his manservant, brought out coffee and a choice of liqueurs. The Comte selected some very fine old brandy.
As the man-servant was preparing to depart, the Comte arrested him with a slight gesture. Hippolyte stood respectfully to attention.
His
countenance8 was hardly a prepossessing one, but the correctitude of his demeanour went far to
obliterate9 the fact.
He was now the picture of respectful attention.
"It is possible," said the Comte, "that in the course of the next few days various strangers may come to the house. They will endeavour to scrape acquaintance with you and with Marie. They will probably ask you various questions concerning me."
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收听单词发音
1
salon
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n.[法]沙龙;客厅;营业性的高级服务室 |
参考例句: |
- Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗?
- You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。
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2
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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3
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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4
scattered
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adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 |
参考例句: |
- Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
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5
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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6
fully
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adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 |
参考例句: |
- The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
- They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
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7
naught
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n.无,零 [=nought] |
参考例句: |
- He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
- I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。
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8
countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 |
参考例句: |
- At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
- I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地,仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
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9
obliterate
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v.擦去,涂抹,去掉...痕迹,消失,除去 |
参考例句: |
- Whole villages were obliterated by fire.整座整座的村庄都被大火所吞噬。
- There was time enough to obliterate memories of how things once were for him.时间足以抹去他对过去经历的记忆。
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10
anticipation
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n.预期,预料,期望 |
参考例句: |
- We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着,期待她的到来。
- The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安,像是感到了地震即将发生。
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11
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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12
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 |
参考例句: |
- The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
- Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
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13
discreet
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adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 |
参考例句: |
- He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
- It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。
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14
withdrawn
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vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 |
参考例句: |
- Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
- All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。
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15
sipped
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v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
- I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句
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16
intrigued
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adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧!
- He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。
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17
enchanted
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adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的
动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
- He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
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18
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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19
prudent
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adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 |
参考例句: |
- A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
- You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
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20
amiable
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adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 |
参考例句: |
- She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
- We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。
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21
abode
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n.住处,住所 |
参考例句: |
- It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫,才好不容易打听到他的住处。
- Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍!
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22
mutual
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adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 |
参考例句: |
- We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
- Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
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23
accusations
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n.指责( accusation的名词复数 );指控;控告;(被告发、控告的)罪名 |
参考例句: |
- There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
- He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。
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24
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 |
参考例句: |
- He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
- We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
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25
eloquent
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adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的 |
参考例句: |
- He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩,胜过最好的演说家。
- These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。
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26
shrug
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v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) |
参考例句: |
- With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
- I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
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27
curiously
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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。
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vehemently
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adv. 热烈地 |
参考例句: |
- He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈,以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
- Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
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dishonoured
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a.不光彩的,不名誉的 |
参考例句: |
- You have dishonoured the name of the school. 你败坏了学校的名声。
- We found that the bank had dishonoured some of our cheques. 我们发现银行拒绝兑现我们的部分支票。
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30
rubies
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红宝石( ruby的名词复数 ); 红宝石色,深红色 |
参考例句: |
- a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
- The crown was set with precious jewels—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. 王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝—有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。
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31
misty
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adj.雾蒙蒙的,有雾的 |
参考例句: |
- He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿,看看是不是还有雾霭。
- The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。
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32
accomplished
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adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 |
参考例句: |
- Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
- Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
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33
eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
- His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
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34
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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35
vista
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n.远景,深景,展望,回想 |
参考例句: |
- From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去,远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
- These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路,未来看不到一点儿希望。
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36
veracity
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n.诚实 |
参考例句: |
- I can testify to this man's veracity and good character.我可以作证,此人诚实可靠品德良好。
- There is no reason to doubt the veracity of the evidence.没有理由怀疑证据的真实性。
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37
pigeonholes
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n.鸽舍出入口( pigeonhole的名词复数 );小房间;文件架上的小间隔v.把…搁在分类架上( pigeonhole的第三人称单数 );把…留在记忆中;缓办;把…隔成小格 |
参考例句: |
- The tidy committee men regard them with horror,knowing that no pigeonholes can be found for them. 衣冠楚楚的委员们恐怖地看着他们,因为他们知道找不到一个稳妥的地方来安置他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- All of those who are different those who do not fit the boxes and the pigeonholes? 那些与众不同,不合适常规,不符合传统的人的位置又在哪里? 来自互联网
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38
grimace
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v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 |
参考例句: |
- The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
- Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。
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39
scarlet
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n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 |
参考例句: |
- The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
- The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
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40
steadily
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adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 |
参考例句: |
- The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
- Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
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41
upwards
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adv.向上,在更高处...以上 |
参考例句: |
- The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
- The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
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42
specially
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adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 |
参考例句: |
- They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
- The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。
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43
smothered
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(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制 |
参考例句: |
- He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
- The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。
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marketing
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n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西 |
参考例句: |
- They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
- He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。
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