Chapter 3 The Man From The Cleaners
Sir Stafford Nye returned to his flat. A large woman bounced out of thesmall kitchen with welcoming words.
‘See you got back all right, sir. Those nasty planes. You never know, doyou?’
‘Quite true, Mrs Worrit,’ said Sir Stafford Nye. ‘Two hours late, the planewas.’
‘Same as cars, aren’t they,’ said Mrs Worrit. ‘I mean, you never know, doyou, what’s going to go wrong with them. Only it’s more worrying, so tospeak, being up in the air, isn’t it? Can’t just draw up to the kerb, not thesame way, can you? I mean, there you are. I wouldn’t go by one myself,not if it was ever so.’ She went on, ‘I’ve ordered in a few things. I hopethat’s all right. Eggs, butter, coffee, tea–’ She ran off the words with the lo-quacity of a Near Eastern guide showing a Pharaoh’s palace. ‘There,’ saidMrs Worrit, pausing to take breath, ‘I think that’s all as you’re likely towant. I’ve ordered the French mustard.’
‘Not Dijon, is it? They always try and give you Dijon.’
‘I don’t know who he was, but it’s Esther Dragon, the one you like, isn’tit?’
‘Quite right,’ said Sir Stafford, ‘you’re a wonder.’
Mrs Worrit looked pleased. She retired¹ into the kitchen again, as SirStafford Nye put his hand on his bedroom door handle preparatory to go-ing into the bedroom.
‘All right to give your clothes to the gentleman what called for them, Isuppose, sir? You hadn’t said or left word or anything like that.’
‘What clothes?’ said Sir Stafford Nye, pausing.
‘Two suits, it was, the gentleman said as called for them. Twiss andBonywork it was, think that’s the same name as called before. We’d had abit of a dispute with the White Swan laundry if I remember rightly.’
‘Two suits?’ said Sir Stafford Nye. ‘Which suits?’
‘Well, there was the one you travelled home in, sir. I made out thatwould be one of them. I wasn’t quite so sure about the other, but therewas the blue pinstripe that you didn’t leave no orders about when youwent away. It could do with cleaning, and there was a repair wanted do-ing to the right-hand cuff², but I didn’t like to take it on myself while youwere away. I never likes to do that,’ said Mrs Worrit with an air of palp-able virtue

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1 retired
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。

2 cuff
n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口
参考例句：
She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。 Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

3 virtue
n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
参考例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。 You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

4 neatly
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。 The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

5 odds
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？

6 furry
adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的
参考例句：
This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。 Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

7 cholera
n.霍乱
参考例句：
The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。 Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

8 tycoons
大君( tycoon的名词复数 )； 将军； 企业巨头； 大亨
参考例句：
The great tycoons were fierce competitors, single-minded in their pursuit of financial success and power. 企业巨头都是激烈的竞争者，他们一心追求钱财和权势。 Tycoons and their conglomerates are even raising money again on international markets. 企业大亨们以及他们的企业甚至正再次从国际市场上筹集资金。

9 mergers
n.（两个公司的）合并( merger的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种：横向合并，纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句 Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务，在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

10 postal
adj.邮政的，邮局的
参考例句：
A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。 Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

11 abominable
adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的
参考例句：
Their cruel treatment of prisoners was abominable.他们虐待犯人的做法令人厌恶。 The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。

12 catching
adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住
参考例句：
There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。 Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

13 sitting-room
n.（BrE）客厅，起居室
参考例句：
The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。 Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

14 cleft
n.裂缝；adj.裂开的
参考例句：
I hid the message in a cleft in the rock.我把情报藏在石块的裂缝里。 He was cleft from his brother during the war.在战争期间，他与他的哥哥分离。

15 rubicund
adj.(脸色)红润的
参考例句：
She watched the colour drain from Colin's rubicund face.她看见科林原本红润的脸渐渐失去了血色。 His rubicund face expressed consternation and fatigue.他那红通的脸显得又惊惶又疲乏。

16 imperturbability
n.冷静；沉着
参考例句：
The imperturbability of the mountains hung upon him like a suit of armor. 高山的宁静象一套盔甲似的罩在他的身上。 You must want imperturbability more than you want approval, control and security. 你必须想要不受侵扰的安宁大于想要赞同、控制和安全。

17 undue
adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的
参考例句：
Don't treat the matter with undue haste.不要过急地处理此事。 It would be wise not to give undue importance to his criticisms.最好不要过分看重他的批评。

18 entirely
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。

19 disapprovingly
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》

20 pals
n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙
参考例句：
We've been pals for years. 我们是多年的哥们儿了。 CD 8 positive cells remarkably increased in PALS and RP(P CD8+细胞在再生脾PALS和RP内均明显增加(P 来自互联网

21 plaintively
adv.悲哀地，哀怨地
参考例句：
The last note of the song rang out plaintively. 歌曲最后道出了离别的哀怨。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Birds cry plaintively before they die, men speak kindly in the presence of death. 鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 whatsoever
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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