Four COLIN LAMB’S
NARRATIVE1
“Where do we go?” I asked Dick Hardcastle.
He
spoke2 to the driver.
“Cavendish Secretarial Bureau. It’s on Palace Street, up towards the Esplanade on the right.”
“Yes, sir.”
The car drew away. There was quite a little crowd by now, staring with fascinated interest. Theorange cat was still sitting on the gatepost of Diana
Lodge3 next door. He was no longer washinghis face but was sitting up very straight,
lashing4 his tail slightly, and gazing over the heads of thecrowd with that complete
disdain5 for the human race that is the special
prerogative6 of cats andcamels.
“The Secretarial Bureau, and then the cleaning woman, in that order,” said Hardcastle, “becausethe time is getting on.” He glanced at his watch. “After four o’clock.” He paused before adding,“Rather an attractive girl?”
“Quite,” I said.
He cast an amused look in my direction.
“But she told a very
remarkable7 story. The sooner it’s checked up on, the better.”
“You don’t think that she—”
He cut me short.
“I’m always interested in people who find bodies.”
“But that girl was half mad with fright! If you had heard the way she was screaming….”
He gave me another of his quizzical looks and repeated that she was a very attractive girl.
“And how did you come to be wandering about in Wilbraham Crescent, Colin? Admiring ourgenteel Victorian architecture? Or had you a purpose?”
“I had a purpose. I was looking for Number 61—and I couldn’t find it. Possibly it doesn’texist?”
“It exists all right. The numbers go up to—88, I think.”
“But look here, Dick, when I came to Number 28, Wilbraham Crescent just petered out.”
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收听单词发音
1
narrative
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n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 |
参考例句: |
- He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
- Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
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2
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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3
lodge
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v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 |
参考例句: |
- Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
- I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
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4
lashing
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n.鞭打;痛斥;大量;许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 |
参考例句: |
- The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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5
disdain
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n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 |
参考例句: |
- Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
- A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。
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6
prerogative
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n.特权 |
参考例句: |
- It is within his prerogative to do so.他是有权这样做的。
- Making such decisions is not the sole prerogative of managers.作这类决定并不是管理者的专有特权。
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7
remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 |
参考例句: |
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
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8
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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9
bland
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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。
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10
tempting
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a.诱人的, 吸引人的 |
参考例句: |
- It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
- It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。
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11
fiddling
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微小的 |
参考例句: |
- He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
- All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦
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12
machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 |
参考例句: |
- Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
- Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
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13
curry
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n.咖哩粉,咖哩饭菜;v.用咖哩粉调味,用马栉梳,制革 |
参考例句: |
- Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
- Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。
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14
situated
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adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 |
参考例句: |
- The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
- She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。
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15
lure
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n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引 |
参考例句: |
- Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
- He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。
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16
fiddled
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v.伪造( fiddle的过去式和过去分词 );篡改;骗取;修理或稍作改动 |
参考例句: |
- He fiddled the company's accounts. 他篡改了公司的账目。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He began with Palestrina, and fiddled all the way through Bartok. 他从帕勒斯春纳的作品一直演奏到巴塔克的作品。 来自辞典例句
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17
brass
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n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 |
参考例句: |
- Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
- Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
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18
flattened
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[医](水)平扁的,弄平的 |
参考例句: |
- She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
- I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。
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19
effaced
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v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 );抹去;超越;使黯然失色 |
参考例句: |
- Someone has effaced part of the address on his letter. 有人把他信上的一部分地址擦掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The name of the ship had been effaced from the menus. 那艘船的名字已经从菜单中删除了。 来自辞典例句
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20
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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21
inspector
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n.检查员,监察员,视察员 |
参考例句: |
- The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
- The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
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22
amenable
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adj.经得起检验的;顺从的;对负有义务的 |
参考例句: |
- His scientific discoveries are amenable to the laws of physics.他在科学上的发现经得起物理定律的检验。
- He is amenable to counsel.他这人听劝。
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23
adorned
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[计]被修饰的 |
参考例句: |
- The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
- And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。
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24
thriller
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n.惊险片,恐怖片 |
参考例句: |
- He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
- I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时,总带一本惊险小说看。
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25
specialized
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adj.专门的,专业化的 |
参考例句: |
- There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
- These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。
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26
trophies
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n.(为竞赛获胜者颁发的)奖品( trophy的名词复数 );奖杯;(尤指狩猎或战争中获得的)纪念品;(用于比赛或赛跑名称)奖 |
参考例句: |
- His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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27
proceeding
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n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 |
参考例句: |
- This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
- The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。
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28
buzzer
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n.蜂鸣器;汽笛 |
参考例句: |
- The buzzer went off at eight o'clock.蜂鸣器在8点钟时响了。
- Press the buzzer when you want to talk.你想讲话的时候就按蜂鸣器。
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29
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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30
offhand
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adj.临时,无准备的;随便,马虎的 |
参考例句: |
- I can't answer your request offhand.我不能随便答复你的要求。
- I wouldn't want to say what I thought about it offhand.我不愿意随便说我关于这事的想法。
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31
lavish
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adj.无节制的;浪费的;vt.慷慨地给予,挥霍 |
参考例句: |
- He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
- The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。
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restive
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adj.不安宁的,不安静的 |
参考例句: |
- The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
- The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。
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33
precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 |
参考例句: |
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
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34
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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35
hoax
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v.欺骗,哄骗,愚弄;n.愚弄人,恶作剧 |
参考例句: |
- They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
- They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。
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36
conclusive
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adj.最后的,结论的;确凿的,消除怀疑的 |
参考例句: |
- They produced some fairly conclusive evidence.他们提供了一些相当确凿的证据。
- Franklin did not believe that the French tests were conclusive.富兰克林不相信这个法国人的实验是结论性的。
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37
metropolis
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n.首府;大城市 |
参考例句: |
- Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
- He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。
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38
provincial
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adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 |
参考例句: |
- City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
- Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。
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39
disapprovingly
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adv.不以为然地,不赞成地,非难地 |
参考例句: |
- When I suggested a drink, she coughed disapprovingly. 我提议喝一杯时,她咳了一下表示反对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He shook his head disapprovingly. 他摇了摇头,表示不赞成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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40
legacy
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n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西 |
参考例句: |
- They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
- He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
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quotations
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n.引用( quotation的名词复数 );[商业]行情(报告);(货物或股票的)市价;时价 |
参考例句: |
- The insurance company requires three quotations for repairs to the car. 保险公司要修理这辆汽车的三家修理厂的报价单。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- These quotations cannot readily be traced to their sources. 这些引语很难查出出自何处。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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42
inquiries
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n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听 |
参考例句: |
- He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释,等候进一步调查。
- I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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43
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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44
wailing
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v.哭叫,哀号( wail的现在分词 );沱 |
参考例句: |
- A police car raced past with its siren wailing. 一辆警车鸣着警报器飞驰而过。
- The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
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45
noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 |
参考例句: |
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
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concealed
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a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 |
参考例句: |
- The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
- I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
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