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Seventeen AFTER DINNER
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Seventeen AFTER DINNER
George was not a believer in modern innovations. The Abbey was inno-cent of anything so up to date as central heating. Consequently, when theladies entered the drawing room after dinner, the temperature of theroom was woefully inadequate1 to the needs of modern evening clothes.
The fire that burnt in the well-furnished steel grate became as a magnet.
The three women huddled2 round it.
“Brrrrrrrrrr!” said the Countess, a fine, exotic foreign sound.
“The days are drawing in,” said Lady Coote, and drew a flowered atro-city of a scarf closer about her ample shoulders.
“Why on earth doesn’t George have the house properly heated?” saidBundle.
“You English, you never heat your houses,” said the Countess.
She took out her long cigarette holder3 and began to smoke.
“That grate is old-fashioned,” said Lady Coote. “The heat goes up thechimney instead of into the room.”
“Oh!” said the Countess.
There was a pause. The Countess was so plainly bored by her companythat conversation became difficult.
“It’s funny,” said Lady Coote, breaking the silence, “that Mrs. Macatta’schildren should have mumps4. At least, I don’t mean exactly funny—”
“What,” said the Countess, “are mumps?”
Bundle and Lady Coote started simultaneously5 to explain. Finally,between them, they managed it.
“I suppose Hungarian children have it?” asked Lady Coote.
“Eh?” said the Countess.
“Hungarian children. They suffer from it?”
“I do not know,” said the Countess. “How should I?”
Lady Coote looked at her in some surprise.
“But I understood that you worked—”
“Oh, that!” The Countess uncrossed her legs, took her cigarette holderfrom her mouth and began to talk rapidly.
“I will tell you some horrors,” she said. “Horrors that I have seen. In-credible! You would not believe!”
And she was as good as her word. She talked fluently and with a graphicpower of description. Incredible scenes of starvation and
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1
inadequate
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adj.(for,to)不充足的,不适当的 | |
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2
huddled
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挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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3
holder
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n.持有者,占有者;(台,架等)支持物 | |
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4
mumps
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n.腮腺炎 | |
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5
simultaneously
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adv.同时发生地,同时进行地 | |
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6
misery
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n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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7
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 | |
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8
vicissitudes
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n.变迁,世事变化;变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 );盛衰兴废 | |
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9
fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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10
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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11
fleeting
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adj.短暂的,飞逝的 | |
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12
enviously
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adv.满怀嫉妒地 | |
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13
bleating
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v.(羊,小牛)叫( bleat的现在分词 );哭诉;发出羊叫似的声音;轻声诉说 | |
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14
frightful
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adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
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15
favourably
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adv. 善意地,赞成地 =favorably | |
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16
brass
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n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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17
tacks
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大头钉( tack的名词复数 ); 平头钉; 航向; 方法 | |
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18
butting
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用头撞人(犯规动作) | |
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19
vice
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n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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20
spun
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v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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21
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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22
kindly
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adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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23
grumbled
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抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声 | |
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24
plumb
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adv.精确地,完全地;v.了解意义,测水深 | |
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25
lethal
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adj.致死的;毁灭性的 | |
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26
stunt
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n.惊人表演,绝技,特技;vt.阻碍...发育,妨碍...生长 | |
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第十六章 双足飞龙教堂的晚会
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第十七章 晚餐之后
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