我不在家时窗帘挂上了，它们看起来像在来苏水里浸过的奥地利蒂罗尔州出产的桌布。屋里光芒四射，我迷迷糊糊地坐在床上，想着人类诞生前是什么样子。突然钟声响了，这是一种稀奇古怪、绝非人世的曲调，我仿佛被带到了中亚的大草原上。有些曲子缕缕不绝、余音绕梁，有些则一倾而出，缠绵悱恻。如今一切又都归于寂静，只有最后一个音符仍在飘荡，这只是一只微弱的高音锣，响了一声便像一个人苗一样熄灭了，它几乎无法划破这静谧的夜。

In my absence the window curtains have been hung. They have the appearance of Tyrolean tablecloths¹ dipped in lysol. The room sparkles. I sit on the bed in a daze², thinking about man before his birth. Suddenly bells begin to toll³, a weird⁴, unearthly music, as if I had been translated to the steppes of Central Asia. Some ring out with a long, lingering roll, some erupt drunkenly, maudlinly. And now it is quiet again, except for a last note that barely grazes the silence of the night – just a faint, high gong snuffed out like a flame.

　　我曾跟自己订立了一个无言的契约：写过的东西不再改动一行。我对完善自己的思想或行动并无兴趣，我把陀思妥耶夫斯基的完美与屠格涅夫的完美等量齐观（还有什么比《永久的丈夫》更完美的？）。于是，在同一环境中，我们有了两类完美。然而在凡高的信中还提到一种超出这两类完美的完美，这便是个人战胜了艺术。

I have made a silent compact with myself not to change a line of what I write. I am not interested in perfecting my thoughts, nor my actions. Beside the perfection of Turgenev I put the perfection of Dostoevski. (Is there anything more perfect than The Eternal Husband?) Here, then, in one and the same medium, we have two kinds of perfection. But in Van Gogh's letters there is a perfection beyond either of these. It is the triumph of the individual over art.

　　现在只有一件事使我极感兴趣，这就是记下书中遗漏的一切，就我所知，还没有人利用空气来给我们的生活指示方向，提供动机的各种元素，只有杀人狂似乎在从生活中重新汲取一定量的他们早先投入生活中的东西。这个时代呼唤暴力，可我们只得到了失效的炸药。革命不是尚在萌芽中便被扼杀就是成功得太快。激情很快便丧失殆尽，人们便转而求助于思想，这已是常规。提出来的建议没有一项能维持二十四小时以上。我们要在一代人生活的这段时间里生活一百万次，在对昆虫学、深海生物或细胞活动的研究中，我们学到更多……

点击收听单词发音  

1 tablecloths
n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分） At the moment the cause of her concern was a pile of soiled tablecloths. 此刻她关心的事是一堆弄脏了的台布。 来自辞典例句

2 daze
v.(使)茫然，(使)发昏
参考例句：
The blow on the head dazed him for a moment.他头上受了一击后就昏眩了片刻。 I like dazing to sit in the cafe by myself on Sunday.星期日爱独坐人少的咖啡室发呆。

3 toll
n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)
参考例句：
The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。 The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

5 recording
n.录音，记录
参考例句：
How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？ I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 killers
凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事
参考例句：
He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。 They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

7 abortive
adj.不成功的，发育不全的
参考例句：
We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功，不得不放弃。 Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。

8 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。

9 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

10 cellular
adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的
参考例句：
She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。 Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

11 derive
v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自
参考例句：
We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。 We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

12 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。

13 permanently
adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地
参考例句：
The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。 The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

14 ennui
n.怠倦，无聊
参考例句：
Since losing his job,he has often experienced a profound sense of ennui.他自从失业以来，常觉百无聊赖。 Took up a hobby to relieve the ennui of retirement.养成一种嗜好以消除退休后的无聊。

15 saturated
a.饱和的，充满的
参考例句：
The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。 a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

16 frustration
n.挫折，失败，失效，落空
参考例句：
He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。 He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

17 futility
n.无用
参考例句：
She could see the utter futility of trying to protest. 她明白抗议是完全无用的。 The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

18 depressed
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

19 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》

20 whack
v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份
参考例句：
After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。 He gave me a whack on the back to wake me up.他为把我弄醒，在我背上猛拍一下。

21 flicking
（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）
参考例句：
He helped her up before flicking the reins. 他帮她上马，之后挥动了缰绳。 There's something flicking around my toes. 有什么东西老在叮我的脚指头。

22 crumbs
int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式
参考例句：
She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her sweater. 她站起身掸掉了毛衣上的面包屑。 Oh crumbs! Is that the time? 啊，天哪！都这会儿啦？

23 bastard
n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子
参考例句：
He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。 There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。

24 miser
n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly)
参考例句：
The miser doesn't like to part with his money.守财奴舍不得花他的钱。 The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。

25 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

26 gravy
n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快
参考例句：
You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。 The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。

27 greasy
adj. 多脂的，油脂的
参考例句：
He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。 You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

28 doused
v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火]
参考例句：
The car was doused in petrol and set alight. 这辆汽车被浇上汽油点燃了。 He doused the lamp,and we made our way back to the house. 他把灯熄掉，我们就回到屋子里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 jointed
有接缝的
参考例句：
To embrace her was like embracing a jointed wooden image. 若是拥抱她，那感觉活像拥抱一块木疙瘩。 来自英汉文学 It is possible to devise corresponding systematic procedures for rigid jointed frames. 推导出适合于钢架的类似步骤也是可能的。

30 morbid
adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的
参考例句：
Some people have a morbid fascination with crime.一些人对犯罪有一种病态的痴迷。 It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like.不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。

31 smear
v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑
参考例句：
He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。 There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

32 wren
n.鹪鹩；英国皇家海军女子服务队成员
参考例句：
A wren is a kind of short-winged songbird.鹪鹩是一种短翼的鸣禽。 My bird guide confirmed that a Carolina wren had discovered the thickets near my house.我掌握的鸟类知识使我确信，一只卡罗莱纳州鹪鹩已经发现了我家的这个灌木丛。

33 raucous
adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的
参考例句：
I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。 They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

34 pawnbroker
n.典当商，当铺老板
参考例句：
He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's.他从当铺赎回手表。 She could get fifty dollars for those if she went to the pawnbroker's.要是她去当铺当了这些东西，她是可以筹出50块钱的。

35 remarkably
ad.不同寻常地，相当地
参考例句：
I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。 He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

36 dreary
adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的
参考例句：
They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。 She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

37 unintelligible
adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的
参考例句：
If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。 The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。

38 cogitate
v.慎重思考，思索
参考例句：
I need a few days to cogitate the problem.我需要几天的时间来思考这问题。 He sat silently cogitating.他静静地坐着沉思。

39 intoxicated
喝醉的，极其兴奋的
参考例句：
She was intoxicated with success. 她为成功所陶醉。 They became deeply intoxicated and totally disoriented. 他们酩酊大醉，东南西北全然不辨。

40 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》

41 gush
v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发
参考例句：
There was a gush of blood from the wound.血从伤口流出。 There was a gush of blood as the arrow was pulled out from the arm.当从手臂上拔出箭来时，一股鲜血涌了出来。

42 splendor
n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌
参考例句：
Never in his life had he gazed on such splendor.他生平从没有见过如此辉煌壮丽的场面。 All the splendor in the world is not worth a good friend.人世间所有的荣华富贵不如一个好朋友。

43 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

44 suffocation
n.窒息
参考例句：
The greatest dangers of pyroclastic avalanches are probably heat and suffocation. 火成碎屑崩落的最大危害可能是炽热和窒息作用。 来自辞典例句 The room was hot to suffocation. 房间热得闷人。 来自辞典例句

45 cockroaches
n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )
参考例句：
At night, the cockroaches filled the house with their rustlings. 夜里，屋里尽是蟑螂窸窸瑟瑟的声音。 来自辞典例句 It loves cockroaches, and can keep a house clear of these hated insects. 它们好食蟑螂，可以使住宅免除这些讨厌昆虫的骚扰。 来自百科语句

46 carousing
v.痛饮，闹饮欢宴( carouse的现在分词 )
参考例句：
During the next nine years he alternated between service in several armies and carousing in Paris. 在那以后的九年里，他时而在几个军队中服役，时而在巴黎狂欢作乐。 来自辞典例句 In his youth George W. Bush had a reputation for carousing. 小布什在年轻时有好玩的名声。 来自互联网

47 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

48 apron
n.围裙；工作裙
参考例句：
We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。 She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

49 stew
n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑
参考例句：
The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。 There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

50 doorways
n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The houses belched people; the doorways spewed out children. 从各家茅屋里涌出一堆一堆的人群，从门口蹦出一群一群小孩。 来自辞典例句 He rambled under the walls and doorways. 他就顺着墙根和门楼遛跶。 来自辞典例句

51 gutters
（路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地
参考例句：
Gutters lead the water into the ditch. 排水沟把水排到这条水沟里。 They were born, they grew up in the gutters. 他们生了下来，以后就在街头长大。

52 throng
n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集
参考例句：
A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。 The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

53 bust
vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部
参考例句：
I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。 She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

54 dough
n.生面团；钱，现款
参考例句：
She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。 The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

55 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。 The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

56 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

57 butts
笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂
参考例句：
The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

58 furtively
adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地
参考例句：
At this some of the others furtively exchanged significant glances. 听他这样说，有几个人心照不宣地彼此对望了一眼。 Remembering my presence, he furtively dropped it under his chair. 后来想起我在，他便偷偷地把书丢在椅子下。

59 brazenly
adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地
参考例句：
How dare he distort the facts so brazenly! 他怎么敢如此肆无忌惮地歪曲事实！ 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 "I don't know," he answered, looking her brazenly over. “我也不知道，"他厚颜无耻地打量着她。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

60 guts
v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠
参考例句：
I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。 Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

61 gnawing
a.痛苦的，折磨人的
参考例句：
The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。 These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。

62 bloody
adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染
参考例句：
He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。 He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

63 pushcarts
n.手推车( pushcart的名词复数 )
参考例句：

64 filth
n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥
参考例句：
I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。 The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

65 deserted
adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的
参考例句：
The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。 The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

66 busted
adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！ It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

67 ribs
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹
参考例句：
He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。 Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

68 oozing
v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出
参考例句：
Blood was oozing out of the wound on his leg. 血正从他腿上的伤口渗出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The wound had not healed properly and was oozing pus. 伤口未真正痊瘉，还在流脓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

69 garish
adj.华丽而俗气的，华而不实的
参考例句：
This colour is bright but not garish.这颜色艳而不俗。 They climbed the garish purple-carpeted stairs.他们登上铺着俗艳的紫色地毯的楼梯。

70 rumbling
n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词
参考例句：
The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。 The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。