The twain cantered along for some time without speech, Tess as she clung to him still panting in her triumph, yet in other respects dubious¹. She had perceived that the horse was not the spirited one he sometimes rode, and felt no alarm on that score, though her seat was precarious² enough despite her tight hold of him. She begged him to slow the animal to a walk, which Alec accordingly did.

`Neatly done, was it not, dear Tess?' he said by and by.

`Yes!' said she. `I am sure I ought to be much obliged to you.'

`And are you?'

She did not reply.

`Tess, why do you always dislike my kissing you?'

`I suppose - because I don't love you.'

`You are quite sure?'

`I am angry with you sometimes!'

`Ah, I half feared as much.' Nevertheless, Alec did not object to that confession<sup>3</sup>. He knew that anything was better than frigidity<sup>4</sup>. `Why haven't you told me when I have made you angry?'

`You know very well why. Because I cannot help myself here.'

`I haven't offended you often by love-making?'

`You have sometimes.'

`How many times?'

`You know as well as I - too many times.'

`Every time I have tried.'

She was silent, and the horse ambled⁵ along for a considerable distance, till a faint luminous⁶ fog, which had hung in the hollows all the evening, became general and enveloped⁷ them. It seemed to hold the moonlight in suspension, rendering⁸ it more pervasive⁹ than in clear air. Whether on this account, or from absentmindedness, or from sleepiness, she did not perceive that they had long ago passed the point at which the lane to Trantridge branched from the highway, and that her conductor had not taken the Trantridge track.

点击收听单词发音  

1 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。

2 precarious
adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的
参考例句：
Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。 He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

3 confession
n.自白，供认，承认
参考例句：
Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。 The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

4 frigidity
n.寒冷；冷淡；索然无味；（尤指妇女的）性感缺失
参考例句：
Doctor Simpson believes that Suzie's frigidity is due to some hang-up about men. 辛普森大夫认为苏西的性冷淡是由于她对男人有着异常的精神反应。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Frigidity and horror have attacked that crying baby ! 那位哭闹的孩子又冷又害怕。 来自辞典例句

5 ambled
v.（马）缓行( amble的过去式和过去分词 )；从容地走，漫步
参考例句：
We ambled down to the beach. 我们漫步向海滩走去。 The old man ambled home through the garden every evening. 那位老人每天晚上经过花园漫步回家。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 luminous
adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的
参考例句：
There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。 Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。

7 enveloped
v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。 Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 rendering
n.表现，描写
参考例句：
She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。 His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。

9 pervasive
adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的
参考例句：
It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。 The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

10 impatience
n.不耐烦，急躁
参考例句：
He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。 He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

11 drowsiness
n.睡意；嗜睡
参考例句：
A feeling of drowsiness crept over him. 一种昏昏欲睡的感觉逐渐袭扰着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This decision reached, he finally felt a placid drowsiness steal over him. 想到这，来了一点平安的睡意。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

12 defensive
adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的
参考例句：
Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。 The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

13 reprisal
n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠
参考例句：
There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。 They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

14 ticklish
adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理
参考例句：
This massage method is not recommended for anyone who is very ticklish.这种按摩法不推荐给怕痒的人使用。 The news is quite ticklish to the ear,这消息听起来使人觉得有些难办。

15 humbly
adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地
参考例句：
We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。 "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

16 repulsed
v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝
参考例句：
I was repulsed by the horrible smell. 这种可怕的气味让我恶心。 At the first brush,the enemy was repulsed. 敌人在第一次交火时就被击退了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 mere
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。

18 eluded
v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到
参考例句：
The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 pettish
adj.易怒的，使性子的
参考例句：
I can't act in pettish to you any further.我再也不能对你撒娇了。 He was getting more and more pettish and hysterical.他变得越来越任性，越来越歇斯底里。

20 writhing
（因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She was writhing around on the floor in agony. 她痛得在地板上直打滚。 He was writhing on the ground in agony. 他痛苦地在地上打滚。

21 onward
adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先
参考例句：
The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。 He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

22 treacherous
adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的
参考例句：
The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。 The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

23 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》

24 ascertain
vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清
参考例句：
It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。 We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

25 cursory
adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的
参考例句：
He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。 The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。

26 hitched
（免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上
参考例句：
They hitched a ride in a truck. 他们搭乘了一辆路过的货车。 We hitched a ride in a truck yesterday. 我们昨天顺便搭乘了一辆卡车。

27 bough
n.大树枝，主枝
参考例句：
I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.我把钓鱼竿靠在一棵松树的大树枝上。 Every bough was swinging in the wind.每条树枝都在风里摇摆。

28 hampers
妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Prejudice sometimes hampers a person from doing the right thing. 有时候，偏见会妨碍人正确行事。 This behavior is the opposite of modeless feedback, and it hampers flow. 这个行为有悖于非模态的反馈，它阻碍了流。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

29 distressed
痛苦的
参考例句：
He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。 The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

30 outright
adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的
参考例句：
If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。 You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

31 chilly
adj.凉快的，寒冷的
参考例句：
I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。 I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

32 plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。 She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

33 rustling
n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的
参考例句：
the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声 the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

34 ascended
v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 hopping
n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式
参考例句：
The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。 I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

36 lessened
减少的，减弱的
参考例句：
Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。 The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。

37 random
adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句：
The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。 On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

38 jaded
adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的
参考例句：
I felt terribly jaded after working all weekend. 整个周末工作之后我感到疲惫不堪。 Here is a dish that will revive jaded palates. 这道菜简直可以恢复迟钝的味觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 landmarks
n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）
参考例句：
The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

40 boughs
大树枝( bough的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。 A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

41 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。

42 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

43 yews
n.紫杉( yew的名词复数 )
参考例句：
We hedged our yard with yews. 我们用紫杉把院子围起。 来自辞典例句 The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。 来自辞典例句

44 poised
a.摆好姿势不动的
参考例句：
The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。 Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

45 guardian
n.监护人；守卫者，保护者
参考例句：
The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。 The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

46 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

47 ironical
adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的
参考例句：
That is a summary and ironical end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。 From his general demeanour I didn't get the impression that he was being ironical.从他整体的行为来看，我不觉得他是在讲反话。

48 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。

49 gossamer
n.薄纱，游丝
参考例句：
The prince helped the princess,who was still in her delightful gossamer gown.王子搀扶着仍穿著那套美丽薄纱晚礼服的公主。 Gossamer is floating in calm air.空中飘浮着游丝。

50 doomed
命定的
参考例句：
The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。 A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

51 analytical
adj.分析的；用分析法的
参考例句：
I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。 As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

52 lurking
潜在
参考例句：
Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？ There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

53 catastrophe
n.大灾难，大祸
参考例句：
I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。 This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

54 fray
v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗
参考例句：
Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？ Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

55 chasm
n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突
参考例句：
There's a chasm between rich and poor in that society.那社会中存在着贫富差距。 A huge chasm gaped before them.他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。