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Thirteen COLIN LAMB’S
NARRATIVE1
I walked up
Charing2 Cross Road and turned into the
maze3 of streets that twist their way betweenNew
Oxford4 Street and Covent Garden. All sorts of unsuspected shops did business there, antiqueshops, a dolls’ hospital, ballet shoes, foreign delicatessen shops.
I resisted the
lure5 of the dolls’ hospital with its various pairs of blue or brown glass eyes, andcame at last to my objective. It was a small
dingy6 bookshop in a side street not far from the BritishMuseum. It had the usual trays of books outside. Ancient novels, old text books,
odds7 and ends ofall kinds, labelled 3d., 6d., 1s., even some
aristocrats8 which had nearly all their pages, andoccasionally even their
binding9 intact.
I sidled through the
doorway10. It was necessary to sidle since
precariously11 arranged booksimpinged more and more every day on the passageway from the street. Inside, it was clear that thebooks owned the shop rather than the other way about. Everywhere they had run wild and takenpossession of their habitat, breeding and multiplying and clearly lacking any strong hand to keepthem down. The distance between bookshelves was so narrow that you could only get along withgreat difficulty. There were piles of books perched on every shelf or table. On a stool in a corner,hemmed in by books, was an old man in a pork-pie hat with a large flat face like a stuffed fish. Hehad the air of one who has given up an unequal struggle. He had attempted to master the books,but the books had obviously succeeded in mastering him. He was a kind of King Canute of thebook world, retreating before the advancing book tide. If he ordered it to retreat it would havebeen with the sure and hopeless certainty that it would not do so. This was Mr. Solomon,proprietor of the shop. He recognized me, his fishlike stare
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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
charing
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n.炭化v.把…烧成炭,把…烧焦( char的现在分词 );烧成炭,烧焦;做杂役女佣 |
参考例句: |
- We married in the chapel of Charing Cross Hospital in London. 我们是在伦敦查令十字医院的小教堂里结的婚。 来自辞典例句
- No additional charge for children under12 charing room with parents. ☆十二岁以下小童与父母同房不另收费。 来自互联网
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3
maze
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n.迷宫,八阵图,混乱,迷惑 |
参考例句: |
- He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
- She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时,她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。
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4
Oxford
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n.牛津(英国城市) |
参考例句: |
- At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
- This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。
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5
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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6
dingy
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adj.昏暗的,肮脏的 |
参考例句: |
- It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。
- The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。
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7
odds
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n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 |
参考例句: |
- The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
- Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗?
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8
aristocrats
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n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution. 许多贵族在法国大革命中被处死。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- To the Guillotine all aristocrats! 把全部贵族都送上断头台! 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
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9
binding
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有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 |
参考例句: |
- The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
- Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。
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10
doorway
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n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 |
参考例句: |
- They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
- Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
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11
precariously
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adv.不安全地;危险地;碰机会地;不稳定地 |
参考例句: |
- The hotel was perched precariously on a steep hillside. 旅馆危险地坐落在陡峭的山坡上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The phone was perched precariously on the window ledge. 电话放在窗台上,摇摇欲坠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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12
softened
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(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰 |
参考例句: |
- His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
- The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
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13
marine
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adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 |
参考例句: |
- Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
- When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
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14
unpack
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vt.打开包裹(或行李),卸货 |
参考例句: |
- I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
- She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。
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15
reposed
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v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Mr. Cruncher reposed under a patchwork counterpane, like a Harlequin at home. 克朗彻先生盖了一床白衲衣图案的花哨被子,像是呆在家里的丑角。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
- An old man reposed on a bench in the park. 一位老人躺在公园的长凳上。 来自辞典例句
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16
steered
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v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导 |
参考例句: |
- He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
- The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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17
gaping
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adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 |
参考例句: |
- Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
- The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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18
highland
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n.(pl.)高地,山地 |
参考例句: |
- The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
- The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林,一直都是黑熊的避难所。
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19
discreetly
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ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地 |
参考例句: |
- He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇,一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
- Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么,有意避开了。
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20
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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21
beheld
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v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 |
参考例句: |
- His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
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22
aged
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adj.年老的,陈年的 |
参考例句: |
- He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
- He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
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23
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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24
hunch
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n.预感,直觉 |
参考例句: |
- I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉,他并不真正想去。
- I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。
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25
contradictory
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adj.反驳的,反对的,抗辩的;n.正反对,矛盾对立 |
参考例句: |
- The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
- What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。
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26
hunches
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预感,直觉( hunch的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle. 一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。
- We often test our hunches on each other. 我们经常互相检验我们的第六感觉。
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27
investigation
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n.调查,调查研究 |
参考例句: |
- In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
- He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
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28
vetted
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v.审查(某人过去的记录、资格等)( vet的过去式和过去分词 );调查;检查;诊疗 |
参考例句: |
- The recruits were thoroughly vetted before they were allowed into the secret service. 情报机关招募的新成员要经过严格的审查。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- All staff are vetted for links with extremist groups before being employed. 所有职员录用前均须审查是否与极端分子团体有关。 来自辞典例句
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29
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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30
hemming
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卷边 |
参考例句: |
- "Now stop hemming and hawing, and tell me about it, Edward. "别再这个那个的啦,跟我说说吧,爱德华。 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
- All ideas of stopping holes and hemming in the German intruders are vicious. 一切想要堵塞缺口和围困德国侵略军的办法都是错误的。
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31
obstreperous
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adj.喧闹的,不守秩序的 |
参考例句: |
- He becomes obstreperous when he's had a few drinks.他喝了些酒就爱撒酒疯。
- You know I have no intention of being awkward and obstreperous.你知道我无意存心作对。
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32
dealing
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n.经商方法,待人态度 |
参考例句: |
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
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33
camouflage
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n./v.掩饰,伪装 |
参考例句: |
- The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
- The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。
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34
retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 |
参考例句: |
- The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
- Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
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35
verge
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n.边,边缘;v.接近,濒临 |
参考例句: |
- The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
- She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。
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36
thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 |
参考例句: |
- The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
- The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
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37
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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38
risky
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adj.有风险的,冒险的 |
参考例句: |
- It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险,但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
- He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
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39
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 |
参考例句: |
- That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
- It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
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40
persistent
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adj.坚持不懈的,执意的;持续的 |
参考例句: |
- Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
- She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤,使她很难为情。
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41
adjourned
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(使)休会, (使)休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
- The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后,审讯就宣告暂停。
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42
chuckle
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vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑 |
参考例句: |
- He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
- I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个,我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。
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43
fishy
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adj. 值得怀疑的 |
参考例句: |
- It all sounds very fishy to me.所有这些在我听起来都很可疑。
- There was definitely something fishy going on.肯定当时有可疑的事情在进行中。
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