Chapter 9
Dr Gerard walked into the office of Messrs Castle, the tourist agents, and found Sarah King at the
counter.
She looked up.
‘Oh, good morning. I’m fixing up my tour to Petra. I’ve just heard you are going after all.’
‘Yes, I find I can just manage it.’
‘How nice.’
‘Shall we be a large party, I wonder?’
‘They say just two other women—and you and me. One car load.’
‘That will be delightful,’ said Gerard, with a little bow. Then he, in turn, attended to his
business.
Presently, holding his mail in his hands, he joined Sarah as she stepped out of the office. It was a
crisp, sunny day, with a slight cold tang in the air.
‘What news of our friends, the Boyntons?’ asked Dr Gerard. ‘I have been to Bethlehem and
Nazareth and other places—a tour of three days.’
Slowly and rather
unwillingly1, Sarah
narrated2 her
abortive3 efforts to establish contact.
‘Anyhow, I failed,’ she finished. ‘And they’re leaving today.’
‘Where are they going?’
‘I’ve no idea.’
She went on vexedly: ‘I feel, you know, that I’ve made rather a fool of myself!’
‘In what way?’
‘Interfering in other people’s business.’
Gerard
shrugged4 his shoulders.
‘That is a matter of opinion.’
‘You mean whether one should
interfere5 or not?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you?’
The Frenchman looked amused.
‘You mean, is it my habit to concern myself with other people’s affairs? I will say to you
frankly6: No.’
‘Then you think I’m wrong to have tried
butting7 in?’
‘No, no, you misunderstand me.’ Gerard
点击
收听单词发音
1
unwillingly
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adv.不情愿地 |
参考例句: |
- He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
- Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访,他也是很不情愿地接待我。
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2
narrated
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v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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3
abortive
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adj.不成功的,发育不全的 |
参考例句: |
- We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功,不得不放弃。
- Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。
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4
shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
- She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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5
interfere
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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。
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6
frankly
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adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 |
参考例句: |
- To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
- Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
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7
butting
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用头撞人(犯规动作) |
参考例句: |
- When they were talking Mary kept butting in. 当他们在谈话时,玛丽老是插嘴。
- A couple of goats are butting each other. 两只山羊在用角互相顶撞。
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8
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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9
moot
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v.提出;adj.未决议的;n.大会;辩论会 |
参考例句: |
- The question mooted in the board meeting is still a moot point.那个在董事会上提出讨论的问题仍未决的。
- The oil versus nuclear equation is largely moot.石油和核能之间的关系还很有争议。
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10
middle-aged
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adj.中年的 |
参考例句: |
- I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
- The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
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11
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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12
autocracy
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n.独裁政治,独裁政府 |
参考例句: |
- The revolution caused the overthrow of the autocracy.这场革命导致了独裁政体的结束。
- Many poor countries are abandoning autocracy.很多贫穷国家都在放弃独裁统治。
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eldest
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adj.最年长的,最年老的 |
参考例句: |
- The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
- The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
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14
truant
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n.懒惰鬼,旷课者;adj.偷懒的,旷课的,游荡的;v.偷懒,旷课 |
参考例句: |
- I found the truant throwing stones in the river.我发现那个逃课的学生在往河里扔石子。
- Children who play truant from school are unimaginative.逃学的孩子们都缺乏想像力。
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docile
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adj.驯服的,易控制的,容易教的 |
参考例句: |
- Circus monkeys are trained to be very docile and obedient.马戏团的猴子训练得服服贴贴的。
- He is a docile and well-behaved child.他是个温顺且彬彬有礼的孩子。
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jealousy
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n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 |
参考例句: |
- Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
- I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
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inertia
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adj.惰性,惯性,懒惰,迟钝 |
参考例句: |
- We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。
- Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。
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18
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 |
参考例句: |
- The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
- His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
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tout
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v.推销,招徕;兜售;吹捧,劝诱 |
参考例句: |
- They say it will let them tout progress in the war.他们称这将有助于鼓吹他们在战争中的成果。
- If your case studies just tout results,don't bother requiring registration to view them.如果你的案例研究只是吹捧结果,就别烦扰别人来注册访问了。
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20
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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21
unintelligible
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adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的 |
参考例句: |
- If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据,它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。
- The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。
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22
fluency
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n.流畅,雄辩,善辩 |
参考例句: |
- More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。
- Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。
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23
sinister
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adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 |
参考例句: |
- There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
- Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值,而且包藏祸心。
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24
lust
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n.性(淫)欲;渴(欲)望;vi.对…有强烈的欲望 |
参考例句: |
- He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
- Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念,就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。
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malignant
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adj.恶性的,致命的;恶意的,恶毒的 |
参考例句: |
- Alexander got a malignant slander.亚历山大受到恶意的诽谤。
- He started to his feet with a malignant glance at Winston.他爬了起来,不高兴地看了温斯顿一眼。
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posturing
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做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
- She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。
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outrage
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n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒 |
参考例句: |
- When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
- We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。
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penetrating
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adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的 |
参考例句: |
- He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
- He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。
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venom
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n.毒液,恶毒,痛恨 |
参考例句: |
- The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
- In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上,毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。
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30
penetrated
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adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的
动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 |
参考例句: |
- The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
- They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。
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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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32
beckoned
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v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
- The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 |
参考例句: |
- They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
- I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
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34
imploring
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恳求的,哀求的 |
参考例句: |
- Those calm, strange eyes could see her imploring face. 那平静的,没有表情的眼睛还能看得到她的乞怜求情的面容。
- She gave him an imploring look. 她以哀求的眼神看着他。
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