这是我在那个戏剧家那儿吃的最后一顿饭，他们刚刚租了架新钢琴，一架卧式钢琴。我遇到西尔维斯特，他刚从花店里出来，抱着一株橡皮树。他问我肯不肯替他抱着，因为他还要去买雪茄。我早已一家家吃遍了” 蹭饭”，都是事先精心筹划好的。那些丈夫和妻子们一个个都对我反感起来。抱着橡皮树走着，我想起几个月前的那个晚上，当时我头一回想到了这个主意。

It is my last dinner at the dramatist's home. They have just rented a new piano, a concert grand. I meet Sylvester coming out of the florist's with a rubber plant in his arms. He asks me if I would carry it for him while he goes for the cigars. One by one I've fucked myself out of all these free meals which I had planned so carefully. One by one the husbands turn against me, or the wives. As I walk along with the rubber plant in my arms I think of that night a few months back when the idea first occurred to me.

我坐在法兰西学院附近的一把长椅上，玩弄我的结婚戒指。这只戒指我一度想要当给多姆饭店的一个伙计。他只出六个法郎，对此我很恼火，可还是顾肚子要紧。同莫娜分别以后戒指一直戴在我的小指上，它已完全成为我身体的一部分，我从未想过要把它卖掉。这是一只镶桔花的白金戒指，以前值一个半美元，或许更多。我们一起生活了三年都没有买结婚戒指，后来有一天我去码头上接莫娜，凑巧路过少女巷的一个珠宝店，橱窗里摆满了结婚戒指。我赶到码头上却不见莫娜，等到最后一名乘客从跳板上下来仍没有莫娜。最后我要求看旅客名单，上面没有她的名字。于是我把戒指戴在自己的小指上，一直戴到现在。有一回我把它忘在一家公共浴室里，不过还是找回来了，只是掉了一个桔花瓣。话说回来，我低头坐在长椅上正玩弄戒指，突然有人拍了拍我的背。结果，长话短说，我弄到了一顿饭吃，还有几法郎。这时我心里才豁然一亮—只要一个人有勇气去要，谁也不会拒绝请他吃一顿饭。于是我马上来到一家咖啡馆写了十来封信，”您能否允许我每周陪您共进一次晚餐？请您顺告星期几最合适。”

I was sitting on a bench near the Coupole, fingering the wedding ring which I had tried to pawn¹ off on a gar?on at the D?me. He had offered me six francs for it and I was in a rage about it. But the belly² was getting the upper hand. Ever since I left Mona I had worn the ring on my pinkie. It was so much a part of me that it had never occurred to me to sell it. It was one of those orange-blossom affairs in white gold. Worth a dollar and a half once, maybe more. For three years we went along without a wedding ring and then one day when I was going to the

点击收听单词发音  

1 pawn
n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押
参考例句：
He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。 It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

2 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。

3 pier
n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱
参考例句：
The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。 The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

4 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。

5 jewelry
n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝
参考例句：
The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。 Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

6 maiden
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。 The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

7 descend
vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降
参考例句：
I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。 We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

8 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 champagne
n.香槟酒；微黄色
参考例句：
There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。 They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

10 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

11 joint
adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合
参考例句：
I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。 We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

12 requited
v.报答( requite的过去式和过去分词 )；酬谢；回报；报复
参考例句：
I requited him for his help with a present. 我送他一份礼以答谢他的帮助。 来自辞典例句 His kindness was requited with cold contempt. 他的好意被报以 [遭致] 冷淡的轻蔑。 来自辞典例句

13 intrigued
adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！ He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

14 crestfallen
adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的
参考例句：
He gathered himself up and sneaked off,crushed and crestfallen.他爬起来，偷偷地溜了，一副垂头丧气、被斗败的样子。 The youth looked exceedingly crestfallen.那青年看上去垂头丧气极了。

15 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。

16 idol
n.偶像，红人，宠儿
参考例句：
As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。 Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

17 hearth
n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面
参考例句：
She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。 She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

18 monstrous
adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的
参考例句：
The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。 Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

19 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

20 watery
adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的
参考例句：
In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。 Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

21 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。

22 stiffened
加强的
参考例句：
He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去，这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。 She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。

23 galloped
（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事
参考例句：
Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。 The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。

24 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

25 galloping
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式
参考例句：
The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。 Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

26 shutters
百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门
参考例句：
The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。 The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。

27 rattling
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词
参考例句：
This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。 At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

28 lizards
n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句 Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

29 tints
色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹
参考例句：
leaves with red and gold autumn tints 金秋时节略呈红黄色的树叶 The whole countryside glowed with autumn tints. 乡间处处呈现出灿烂的秋色。

30 charcoal
n.炭，木炭，生物炭
参考例句：
We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。 Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。

31 flicks
（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的第三人称单数 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）
参考例句：
'I shall see it on the flicks, I suppose.' “电影上总归看得见。” 来自英汉文学 Last night to the flicks. 昨晚看了场电影。 来自英汉文学

32 brittle
adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的
参考例句：
The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。 She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

33 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。

34 exasperating
adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式
参考例句：
Our team's failure is very exasperating. 我们队失败了，真是气死人。 It is really exasperating that he has not turned up when the train is about to leave. 火车快开了， 他还不来，实在急人。

35 abortively
adv.落空地；失败地；流产地
参考例句：

36 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

37 lava
n.熔岩，火山岩
参考例句：
The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。 His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

38 supple
adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺
参考例句：
She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。 He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

39 gaudy
adj.华而不实的；俗丽的
参考例句：
She was tricked out in gaudy dress.她穿得华丽而俗气。 The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him.浮华的蝴蝶却相信花是应该向它道谢的。

40 revolving
adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想
参考例句：
The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。 The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

41 calcium
n.钙(化学符号Ca)
参考例句：
We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。 Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。