Vocation¹

'SENT down for indecent behaviour, eh?' said Paul Pennyfeather's guardian². 'Well, thank God your poor father has been spared this disgrace. That's all I can say.'

There was a hush³ in Onslow Square, unbroken except by Paul's guardian's daughter's gramophone playing Gilbert and Sullivan in her little pink boudoir at the top of the stairs.

'My daughter must know nothing of this,' continued Paul's guardian.

There was another pause.

'Well,' he resumed, 'you know the terms of your father's will. He left the sum of five thousand pounds, the interest of which was to be devoted⁴ to your education and the sum to be absolutely yours on your twenty first birthday. That, if I am right, falls in eleven months' time. In the event of your education being finished before that time, he left me with complete discretion⁵ to withhold⁶ this allowance should I not consider your course of life satisfactory. I do not think that I should be fulfilling the trust which your poor father placed in me if, in the present circumstances, I continued any allowance. Moreover, you will be the first to realize how impossible it would be for me to ask you to share the same home with my daughter.'

'But what is to happen to me?' said Paul.

'I think you ought to find some work,' said his guardian thoughtfully. 'Nothing like it for taking the mind off nasty subjects.'

'But what kind of work?'

'Just work, good healthy toil⁷. You have led too sheltered a life, Paul. Perhaps I am to blame. It will do you the world of good to face facts a bit   look at life in the raw, you know. See things steadily⁸ and see them whole, eh?' And Paul's guardian lit another cigar.

'Have I no legal right to any money at all?' asked Paul.

'None whatever, my dear boy,' said his guardian quite cheerfully....

点击收听单词发音  

1 vocation
n.职业，行业
参考例句：
She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。 She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

2 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。

3 hush
int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
参考例句：
A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。 Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

4 devoted
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。 We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

5 discretion
n.谨慎；随意处理
参考例句：
You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。 Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

6 withhold
v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡
参考例句：
It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。 I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

7 toil
vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事
参考例句：
The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。 Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

8 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

9 glorified
美其名的，变荣耀的
参考例句：
The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast-food cafe. 这地方美其名曰餐馆，其实只不过是个快餐店而已。 The author glorified the life of the peasants. 那个作者赞美了农民的生活。

10 levy
n.征收税或其他款项，征收额
参考例句：
They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。 A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

11 gargoyle
n.笕嘴
参考例句：
His face was the gargoyle of the devil,it was not human,it was not sane.他的脸简直就像魔鬼模样的屋檐滴水嘴。 The little gargoyle is just a stuffed toy,but it looks so strange.小小的滴水嘴兽只是一个填充毛绒玩具，但它看起来这么奇怪的事。

12 scholastic
adj.学校的，学院的，学术上的
参考例句：
There was a careful avoidance of the sensitive topic in the scholastic circles.学术界小心地避开那个敏感的话题。 This would do harm to students' scholastic performance in the long run.这将对学生未来的学习成绩有害。

13 confidential
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。 We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

14 vacancy
n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺
参考例句：
Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。 The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

15 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

16 perfectly
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。

17 eyebrows
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。 His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

18 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。

19 crooked
adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的
参考例句：
He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。 You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

20 forestry
n.森林学；林业
参考例句：
At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。 Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

21 dreading
v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。 This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。

22 conceal
v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽
参考例句：
He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。 He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

23 erratic
adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的
参考例句：
The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。 The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

24 predecessor
n.前辈，前任
参考例句：
It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。 The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

25 thoroughly
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。

26 jaunty
adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意
参考例句：
She cocked her hat at a jaunty angle.她把帽子歪戴成俏皮的样子。 The happy boy walked with jaunty steps.这个快乐的孩子以轻快活泼的步子走着。