Cataraqui County extending from the northernmost line of the village known as Three Mile Bay on the south tothe Canadian border, on the north a distance of fifty miles. And from Senaschet and Indian Lakes on the east tothe Rock and Scarf Rivers on the west--a width of thirty miles. Its greater portion covered by uninhabited forestsand lakes, yet dotted here and there with such villages and hamlets as Koontz, Grass Lake, North Wallace,Brown Lake, with Bridgeburg, the county seat, numbering no less than two thousand souls of the fifteenthousand in the entire county. And the central square of the town occupied by the old and yet not ungracefulcounty courthouse, a cupola with a clock and some pigeons surmounting¹ it, the four principal business streets ofthe small town facing it.

　　In the office of the County Coroner in the northeast corner of the building on Friday, July ninth, one Fred Heit,coroner, a large and broad-shouldered individual with a set of gray-brown whiskers such as might have graced aMormon elder. His face was large and his hands and his feet also. And his girth was proportionate.

　　At the time that this presentation begins, about two-thirty in the afternoon, he was lethargically² turning the leavesof a mail-order catalogue for which his wife had asked him to write. And while deciphering from its pages theprice of shoes, jackets, hats, and caps for his five omnivorous³ children, a greatcoat for himself of soothingproportions, high collar, broad belt, large, impressive buttons chancing to take his eye, he had paused to considerregretfully that the family budget of three thousand dollars a year would never permit of so great luxury thiscoming winter, particularly since his wife, Ella, had had her mind upon a fur coat for at least three winters past.

　　However his thoughts might have eventuated on this occasion, they were interrupted by the whirr of a telephonebell.

　　"Yes, this is Mr. Heit speaking--Wallace Upham of Big Bittern. Why, yes, go on, Wallace--young coupledrowned--all right, just wait a minute--"He turned to the politically active youth who drew a salary from the county under the listing of "secretary to thecoroner"--"Get these points, Earl." Then into the telephone: "All right, Wallace, now give me all the facts-everything--yes. The body of the wife found but not that of the husband--yes--a boat upset on the south shore-yes--straw hat without any lining--yes--some marks about her mouth and eye--her coat and hat at the inn--yes--aletter in one of the pockets of the coat--addressed to who?--Mrs. Titus Alden, Biltz, Mimico County--yes--still dragging for the man's body, are they?--yes--no trace of him yet--I see. All right, Wallace--Well--I'll tell you,Wallace, have them leave the coat and hat just where they are. Let me see--it's two-thirty now. I'll be up on thefour o'clock. The bus from the inn there meets that, doesn't it? Well, I'll be over on that, sure--And, Wallace, Iwish you'd write down the names of all present who saw the body brought up. What was that?--eighteen feet ofwater at least?--yes--a veil caught in one of the rowlocks--yes--a brown veil--yes--sure, that's all--Well, thenhave them leave everything just as found, Wallace, and I'll be right up. Yes, Wallace, thank you-- Goodbye."Slowly Mr. Heit restored the receiver to the hook and as slowly arose from the capacious walnut-hued chair inwhich he sat, stroking his heavy whiskers, while he eyed Earl Newcomb, combination typist, record clerk, andwhat not.

点击收听单词发音  

1 surmounting
战胜( surmount的现在分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上
参考例句：
Surmounting the risks and fears of some may be difficult. 解除某些人的疑虑可能是困难的。 There was high French-like land in one corner, and a tumble-down grey lighthouse surmounting it. 一角画着一块像是法国风光的高地，上面有一座破烂的灰色灯塔。

2 lethargically
参考例句：
He hung around the house lethargically. 他昏昏沉沉地在房子四周徘徊。 来自互联网

3 omnivorous
adj.杂食的
参考例句：
Brown bears are omnivorous,eating anything that they can get their paws on.棕熊是杂食性动物，抓到什么吃什么。 Man is an omnivorous animal.人是肉类与蔬菜均食用的动物。

4 subpoenas
n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句 Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

5 taint
n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染
参考例句：
Everything possible should be done to free them from the economic taint.应尽可能把他们从经济的腐蚀中解脱出来。 Moral taint has spread among young people.道德的败坏在年轻人之间蔓延。

6 bland
adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的
参考例句：
He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。 This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

7 democrat
n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员
参考例句：
The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。 About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 lumbered
砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
A rhinoceros lumbered towards them. 一头犀牛笨重地向他们走来。 A heavy truck lumbered by. 一辆重型卡车隆隆驶过。

9 befuddled
adj.迷糊的，糊涂的v.使烂醉( befuddle的过去式和过去分词 )；使迷惑不解
参考例句：
He was befuddled by drink. 他喝得迷迷糊糊的。 John is very amusing when he is completely befuddled. 当约翰喝得完全糊涂了的时候，他非常有趣儿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 stenographer
n.速记员
参考例句：
The police stenographer recorded the man's confession word by word. 警察局速记员逐字记下了那个人的供词。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A qualified stenographer is not necessarily a competent secretary. 一个合格的速记员不一定就是个称职的秘书。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 mercurial
adj.善变的，活泼的
参考例句：
He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable.他是个反复无常的人，因此对他的行为无法预言。 Our desires and aversions are mercurial rulers.我们的欲望与嫌恶是变化无常的统治者。

12 humdrum
adj.单调的，乏味的
参考例句：
Their lives consist of the humdrum activities of everyday existence.他们的生活由日常生存的平凡活动所构成。 The accountant said it was the most humdrum day that she had ever passed.会计师说这是她所度过的最无聊的一天。

13 retail
v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格
参考例句：
In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。 These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。