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Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously1.
In consideration of the day and hour of my birth, it was declared by the nurse, and by some sage2 women in the neighbourhood who had taken a lively interest in me several months before there was any possibility of our becoming personally acquainted, first, that I was destined3 to be unlucky in life; and secondly4, that I was privileged to see ghosts and spirits; both these gifts inevitably5 attaching, as they believed, to all unlucky infants of either gender6, born towards the small hours on a Friday night.
I need say nothing here, on the first head, because nothing can show better than my history whether that prediction was verified or falsified by the result. On the second branch of the question, I will only remark, that unless I ran through that part of my inheritance while I was still a baby, I have not come into it yet. But I do not at all complain of having been kept out of this property; and if anybody else should be in the present enjoyment7 of it, he is heartily8 welcome to keep it.
I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas. Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time, or were short of faith and preferred cork9 jackets, I don't know; all I know is, that there was but one
1
simultaneously
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地
2
sage
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的
3
destined
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
4
secondly
adv.第二,其次
5
inevitably
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地
6
gender
n.(生理上的)性,(名词、代词等的)性
7
enjoyment
n.乐趣;享有;享用
8
heartily
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
9
cork
n.软木,软木塞
10
solitary
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士
11
withdrawn
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出
12
raffle
n.废物,垃圾,抽奖售卖;v.以抽彩出售
13
recollect
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得
14
stipulated
vt.& vi.规定;约定adj.[法]合同规定的
15
remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
16
triumphantly
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地
17
impiety
n.不敬;不孝
18
mariners
海员,水手(mariner的复数形式)
19
presumption
n.推测,可能性,冒昧,放肆,[法律]推定
20
meandering
蜿蜒的河流,漫步,聊天
21
meander
n.河流的曲折,漫步,迂回旅行;v.缓慢而弯曲地流动,漫谈
22
instinctive
adj.(出于)本能的;直觉的;(出于)天性的
23
posthumous
adj.遗腹的;父亡后出生的;死后的,身后的
24
compassion
n.同情,怜悯
25
sufficiently
adv.足够地,充分地
26
dread
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
27
homely
adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的
28
adage
n.格言,古训
29
determined
adj.坚定的;有决心的
30
incompatibility
n.不兼容
31
mutual
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
32
baboon
n.狒狒
33
affected
adj.不自然的,假装的
34
maiden
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的
35
secluded
adj.与世隔绝的;隐退的;偏僻的v.使隔开,使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)
36
inflexible
adj.不可改变的,不受影响的,不屈服的
37
retirement
n.退休,退职
38
affronted
adj.被侮辱的,被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 );相遇
39
rigidity
adj.钢性,坚硬
40
countenance
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
41
Christian
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
42
perfectly
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
43
agitation
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动
44
bent
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
45
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
46
compliance
n.顺从;服从;附和;屈从
47
disposition
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署
48
sobbing
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
49
disturbance
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调
50
repose
v.(使)休息;n.安息
51
ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
52
wrecks
n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 );(事故中)遭严重毁坏的汽车(或飞机等);(身体或精神上)受到严重损伤的人;状况非常糟糕的车辆(或建筑物等)v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 );使(船舶)失事,使遇难,使下沉
53
deserted
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
54
momentary
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的
55
meekly
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地
56
twilight
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期
57
prospect
n.前景,前途;景色,视野
58
faltered
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃
59
dawdle
vi.浪费时间;闲荡
60
mandate
n.托管地;命令,指示
61
presentiment
n.预感,预觉
62
trifling
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的
63
reposing
v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的现在分词 )
64
twitch
v.急拉,抽动,痉挛,抽搐;n.扯,阵痛,痉挛
65
constraint
n.(on)约束,限制;限制(或约束)性的事物
66
glimmer
v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光
67
subdued
adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的
动词subdue的过去式和过去分词
68
sobbed
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说
69
orphan
n.孤儿;adj.无父母的
70
mused
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
71
parenthesis
n.圆括号,插入语,插曲,间歇,停歇
72
distress
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
73
interval
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
74
annuity
n.年金;养老金
75
secreted
v.(尤指动物或植物器官)分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 );隐匿,隐藏
76
allied
adj.协约国的;同盟国的
77
considerably
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
78
portentous
adj.不祥的,可怕的,装腔作势的
79
bonnet
n.无边女帽;童帽
80
meekest
adj.温顺的,驯服的( meek的最高级 )
81
depreciation
n.价值低落,贬值,蔑视,贬低
82
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
83
allusion
n.暗示,间接提示
84
irritation
n.激怒,恼怒,生气
85
abruptness
n. 突然,唐突
86
corked
adj.带木塞气味的,塞着瓶塞的v.用瓶塞塞住( cork的过去式 )
87
snarl
v.吼叫,怒骂,纠缠,混乱;n.混乱,缠结,咆哮
88
draught
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计
89
credible
adj.可信任的,可靠的
90
descried
adj.被注意到的,被发现的,被看到的
91
pounced
v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 );猛扑;一眼看出;抓住机会(进行抨击)
92
expend
vt.花费,消费,消耗
93
rumpled
v.弄皱,使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )
94
linen
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的
95
malice
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋
96
quail
n.鹌鹑;vi.畏惧,颤抖
97
devoted
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
98
oration
n.演说,致辞,叙述法
99
melancholy
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
100
amiable
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的
101
apprehended
逮捕,拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 ); 理解
102
strings
n.弦
103
sling
vt.扔;悬挂;n.挂带;吊索,吊兜;弹弓
104
mound
n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫