Tess went down the hill to Trantridge Cross, and inattentively waited to take her seat in the van returning from Chaseborough to Shaston. She did not know what the other occupants said to her as she entered, though she answered them; and when they had started anew she rode along with an inward and not an outward eye.

One among her fellow-travellers addressed her more pointedly¹ than any had spoken before: `Why, you be quite a posy! And such roses in early June!'

Then she became aware of the spectacle she presented to their surprised vision: roses at her breast; roses in her hat; roses and strawberries in her basket to the brim. She blushed, and said confusedly that the flowers had been given to her. When the passengers were not looking she stealthily removed the more prominent blooms from her hat and placed them in the basket, where she covered them with her handkerchief. Then she fell to reflecting again, and in looking downwards⁴ a thorn of the rose remaining in her breast accidentally pricked⁵ her chin. Like all the cottagers in Blackmoor Vale, Tess was steeped in fancies and prefigurative superstitions⁶; she thought this an ill omen⁷ - the first she had noticed that day.

The van travelled only so far as Shaston, and there were several miles of pedestrian descent from that mountain town into the vale to Marlott. Her mother had advised her to stay here for the night, at the house of a cottage woman they knew, If she should feel too tired to come on; and this Tess did, not descending⁸ to her home till the following afternoon.

When she entered the house she perceived in a moment from her mother's triumphant⁹ manner that something had occurred in the interim¹⁰.

`Oh yes; I know all about it! I told 'ee it would be all right, and now 'tis proved!'

`Since I've been away? What has?' said Tess rather wearily.

点击收听单词发音  

1 pointedly
adv.尖地，明显地
参考例句：
She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。 The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 spoke
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。

3 kin
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
参考例句：
He comes of good kin.他出身好。 She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

4 downwards
adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）
参考例句：
He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。 As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

5 pricked
刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛
参考例句：
The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。 He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

6 superstitions
迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。 Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。

7 omen
n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示
参考例句：
The superstitious regard it as a bad omen.迷信的人认为那是一种恶兆。 Could this at last be a good omen for peace?这是否终于可以视作和平的吉兆了？

8 descending
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句：
The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。 The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

9 triumphant
adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的
参考例句：
The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。 There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

10 interim
adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间
参考例句：
The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。 It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 fowl
n.家禽，鸡，禽肉
参考例句：
Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。 Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

12 dubious
adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的
参考例句：
What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。 He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

13 mid
adj.中央的，中间的
参考例句：
Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。 He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

14 briefly
adv.简单地，简短地
参考例句：
I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。 He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

15 poultry
n.家禽，禽肉
参考例句：
There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。 What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

16 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

17 esteem
n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

18 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

19 admiration
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。 We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

20 haggler
n.很会砍价的人
参考例句：

21 coaxed
v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱
参考例句：
She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。 I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 forefathers
n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人
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。 来自《简明英汉词典》 All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 conceit
n.自负，自高自大
参考例句：
As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。 She seems to be eaten up with her own conceit.她仿佛已经被骄傲冲昏了头脑。

24 rogue
n.流氓；v.游手好闲
参考例句：
The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。 They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

25 reluctance
n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿
参考例句：
The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。 He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

26 tune
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。 The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

27 nuptial
adj.婚姻的，婚礼的
参考例句：
Their nuptial day hasn't been determined.他们的结婚日还没有决定。 I went to the room which he had called the nuptial chamber.我走进了他称之为洞房的房间。

28 conjured
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现
参考例句：
He conjured them with his dying breath to look after his children. 他临终时恳求他们照顾他的孩子。 His very funny joke soon conjured my anger away. 他讲了个十分有趣的笑话，使得我的怒气顿消。

29 onerous
adj.繁重的
参考例句：
My household duties were not particularly onerous.我的家务活并不繁重。 This obligation sometimes proves onerous.这一义务有时被证明是艰巨的。