现在我住在波勒兹别墅，这里找不到一点儿灰尘，也没有一件东西摆得不是地方，除了我们，这里再没有别人，我们死了。

I am living at the Villa¹ Borghese. There is not a crumb² of dirt anywhere, nor a chair misplaced. We are all alone here and we are dead.

   昨晚鲍里斯发现他身上生了虱子，于是我只好剃光他的腋毛，可是他还是浑身发痒，住在这么漂亮的地方居然还会生虱子？不过没关系。我俩，我和鲍里斯也许永远不会彼此这样了解，若不是靠那些虱子。

Last night Boris discovered that he was lousy. I had to shave his armpits and even then the itching³ did not stop. How can one get lousy in a beautiful place like this? But no matter. We might never have known each other so intimately, Boris and I, had it not been for the lice.

　　鲍里斯刚刚总结了他的看法。他是一个天气预报专家。他说，天气会继续坏下去，会有更多的灾难、更多的死人、更多的绝望。无论哪儿都没有一点儿要发生变化的迹象。时光之癌症正在吞噬我们，我们的英雄或者已经自杀，或者正在自杀。如此说来，这个英雄不是时间，却是永恒。我们必须步调一致、前仆后继地朝着死亡的监牢奔去。没法逃脱，天气也不会变。

Boris has just given me a summary of his views. He is a weather prophet. The weather will continue bad, he says. There will be more calamities⁴, more death, more despair. Not the slightest indication of a change anywhere. The cancer of time is eating us away. Our heroes have killed themselves, or are killing⁵ themselves. The hero, then, is not Time, but Timelessness. We must get in step, a lock step, toward the prison of death. There is no escape. The weather will not change.

　　这是我到巴黎后的第二个秋天。我是由于某种自己至今也没能搞清的原因被人送到这儿来的。

It is now the fall of my second year in Paris. I was sent here for a reason I have not yet been able to fathom⁶

点击收听单词发音  

1 villa
n.别墅，城郊小屋
参考例句：
We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。 We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

2 crumb
n.饼屑，面包屑，小量
参考例句：
It was the only crumb of comfort he could salvage from the ordeal.这是他从这场磨难里能找到的唯一的少许安慰。 Ruth nearly choked on the last crumb of her pastry.鲁斯几乎被糕点的最后一块碎屑所噎住。

3 itching
adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The itching was almost more than he could stand. 他痒得几乎忍不住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 My nose is itching. 我的鼻子发痒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 calamities
n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事
参考例句：
They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 killing
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。 Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 fathom
v.领悟，彻底了解
参考例句：
I really couldn't fathom what he was talking about.我真搞不懂他在说些什么。 What these people hoped to achieve is hard to fathom.这些人希望实现些什么目标难以揣测。

7 slander
n./v.诽谤，污蔑
参考例句：
The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。 He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。

8 defamation
n.诽谤；中伤
参考例句：
Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。 The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

9 croak
vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚
参考例句：
Everyone seemed rather out of sorts and inclined to croak.每个人似乎都有点不对劲，想发发牢骚。 Frogs began to croak with the rainfall.蛙随着雨落开始哇哇叫。

10 accordion
n.手风琴；adj.可折叠的
参考例句：
The accordion music in the film isn't very beautiful.这部影片中的手风琴音乐不是很好。 The accordion music reminds me of my boyhood.这手风琴的乐声让我回忆起了我的少年时代。

11 melodiously
参考例句：

12 intervals
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息
参考例句：
The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。 Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

13 descends
v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜
参考例句：
This festival descends from a religious rite. 这个节日起源于宗教仪式。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The path descends steeply to the village. 小路陡直而下直到村子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 withdrawn
vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出
参考例句：
Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。 All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

15 chaos
n.混乱，无秩序
参考例句：
After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。 The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

16 dozing
v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡
参考例句：
The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。 He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。

17 physiology
n.生理学，生理机能
参考例句：
He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。 He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

18 repose
v.(使)休息；n.安息
参考例句：
Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。 Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

19 filthy
adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的
参考例句：
The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。 You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

20 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

21 invincible
adj.不可征服的，难以制服的
参考例句：
This football team was once reputed to be invincible.这支足球队曾被誉为无敌的劲旅。 The workers are invincible as long as they hold together.只要工人团结一致，他们就是不可战胜的。

22 twilight
n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期
参考例句：
Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。 Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

23 glistening
adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。 Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

24 caterpillar
n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫
参考例句：
A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的。 A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶。

25 crepuscular
adj.晨曦的；黄昏的；昏暗的
参考例句：
Bats are crepuscular creatures.蝙蝠是在黎明或黄昏时分活动的动物。 It has nothing to do with walk,this is called a crepuscular walk.这和散步没有任何关系，这叫黄昏漫步。

26 melange
n.混合物；大杂烩
参考例句：
Usa is a cultural melange.美国是个文化大熔炉。 That aong is a successful melange of music styles,from soul and rhythm and blues to rap.那首歌是从灵乐、节奏布鲁斯到说唱等各种音乐风格的成功组合。

27 fissures
n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 )；裂伤；分歧；分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Rising molten rock flows out on the ocean floor and caps the fissures, trapping the water. 上升熔岩流到海底并堵住了裂隙，结果把海水封在里面。 来自辞典例句 The French have held two colloquia and an international symposium on rock fissures. 法国已经开了两次岩石裂缝方面的报告会和一个国际会议。 来自辞典例句

28 positively
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。 The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

29 appalling
adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的
参考例句：
The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。 Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

30 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

31 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

32 veins
n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理
参考例句：
The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

33 vessels
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人
参考例句：
The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》 All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

34 turquoise
n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的
参考例句：
She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。 The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。

35 corona
n.日冕
参考例句：
The corona gains and loses energy continuously.日冕总是不断地获得能量和损失能量。 The corona is a brilliant,pearly white,filmy light,about as bright as the full moon.光环带是一种灿烂的珠白色朦胧光，几乎像满月一样明亮。

36 verdigris
n.铜锈；铜绿
参考例句：
His pockets are full of red lead and verdigris.他的衣袋里装满铅丹和铜绿。 Verdigris has spread all over that abandoned copper pot.那把已经废弃的铜壶上长满了铜锈。

37 scatters
v.（使）散开， （使）分散，驱散( scatter的第三人称单数 )；撒
参考例句：
He scatters money about as if he were rich. 他四处挥霍，好像很有钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Truth raises against itself the storm that scatters its seeds broadcast. 真理引起了反对它自己的狂风骤雨，那场风雨吹散了真理的广播的种子。 来自辞典例句

38 pollen
n.[植]花粉
参考例句：
Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。 He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

39 fetus
n.胎，胎儿
参考例句：
In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。 No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

40 adagio
adj.缓慢的；n.柔板；慢板；adv.缓慢地
参考例句：
The tempo marking in most cases is andante,adagio,or largo.大多数第一乐章的速度标记是行板、柔板或广板。 Play the adagio since that's the only goddamned thing you know.就弹那首慢板吧，那是你唯一会弹的鬼曲子。

41 sonata
n.奏鸣曲
参考例句：
He played a piano sonata of his own composition.他弹奏了一首自作的钢琴奏鸣曲。 The young boy played the violin sonata masterfully.那个小男孩的小提琴奏鸣曲拉得很熟练。

42 aural
adj.听觉的，听力的
参考例句：
The opera was an aural as well as a visual delight.这部歌剧对于听觉和视觉都是一种享受。 You can use these tapes as aural material.你可以把这些磁带当作听力材料。

43 chestnuts
n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马
参考例句：
A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子，正苦无话可说的年青人，得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

44 delirium
n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋
参考例句：
In her delirium, she had fallen to the floor several times. 她在神志不清的状态下几次摔倒在地上。 For the next nine months, Job was in constant delirium.接下来的九个月，约伯处于持续精神错乱的状态。

45 poker
n.扑克；vt.烙制
参考例句：
He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。 I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

46 thighs
n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿
参考例句：
He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》