The retort of the furmity-woman before the magistrates¹ had spread; and in four-and-twenty hours there was not a person in Casterbridge who remained unacquainted with the story of Henchard's mad freak at Weydon-Priors Fair, long years before. The amends³ he had made in after life were lost sight of in the dramatic glare of the original act. Had the incident been well known of old and always, it might by this time have grown to be lightly regarded as the rather tall wild oat, but well-nigh the single one, of a young man with whom the steady and mature (if somewhat headstrong) burgher of to-day had scarcely a point in common. But the act having lain as dead and buried ever since, the interspace of years was unperceived; and the black spot of his youth wore the aspect of a recent crime.

Small as the police-court incident had been in itself, it formed the edge or turn in the incline of Henchard's fortunes. On that day--almost at that minute--he passed the ridge² of prosperity and honour, and began to descend⁴ rapidly on the other side. It was strange how soon he sank in esteem⁵. Socially he had received a startling fillip downwards⁶; and, having already lost commercial buoyancy from rash transactions, the velocity⁷ of his descent in both aspects became accelerated every hour.

He now gazed more at the pavements and less at the housefronts when he walked about; more at the feet and leggings of men, and less into the pupils of their eyes with the blazing regard which formerly⁸ had made them blink.

New events combined to undo⁹ him. It had been a bad year for others besides himself, and the heavy failure of a debtor

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1 magistrates
地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )
参考例句：
to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭 He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。

2 ridge
n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭
参考例句：
We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。 The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

3 amends
n. 赔偿
参考例句：
He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花，为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。 This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。

4 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。

5 esteem
n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

6 downwards
adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）
参考例句：
He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。 As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

7 velocity
n.速度，速率
参考例句：
Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。 The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

8 formerly
adv.从前，以前
参考例句：
We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。 This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

9 undo
vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销
参考例句：
His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。 I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

10 debtor
n.借方，债务人
参考例句：
He crowded the debtor for payment.他催逼负债人还债。 The court granted me a lien on my debtor's property.法庭授予我对我债务人财产的留置权。

11 overthrow
v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆
参考例句：
After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。 The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

12 tottering
adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠
参考例句：
the tottering walls of the castle 古城堡摇摇欲坠的墙壁 With power and to spare we must pursue the tottering foe. 宜将剩勇追穷寇。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

14 bustling
adj.喧闹的
参考例句：
The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。 This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

15 commissioners
n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官
参考例句：
The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

16 commissioner
n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员
参考例句：
The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。 He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

17 bankruptcy
n.破产；无偿付能力
参考例句：
You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。 His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

18 intrude
vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰
参考例句：
I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。 I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

19 creditors
n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 creditor
n.债仅人，债主，贷方
参考例句：
The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。 I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。

21 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

22 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。

23 honourable
adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的
参考例句：
I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。 I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

24 murmur
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。 There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

25 evasions
逃避( evasion的名词复数 )； 回避； 遁辞； 借口
参考例句：
A little overwhelmed, I began the generalized evasions which that question deserves. 我有点不知所措，就开始说一些含糊其词的话来搪塞。 His answers to my questions were all evasions. 他对我的问题的回答均为遁词。

26 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

27 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

28 dispersed
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的
参考例句：
The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。 After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

29 auctions
n.拍卖，拍卖方式( auction的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They picked up most of the furniture at auctions in country towns. 他们大部分的家具都是在乡村镇上的拍卖处买的。 来自辞典例句 Our dealers didn't want these cars, so we had to dump them at auctions. 我们的承销商都不要这些车子，因此我们只好贱价拍卖。 来自辞典例句

30 condemn
vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑
参考例句：
Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。 We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

31 affluence
n.充裕，富足
参考例句：
Their affluence is more apparent than real.他们的富有是虚有其表。 There is a lot of affluence in this part of the state because it has many businesses.这个州的这一部分相当富有，因为它有很多商行。

32 thither
adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的
参考例句：
He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。 He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

33 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。

34 cascade
n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下
参考例句：
She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。 Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。

35 dismantled
拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消
参考例句：
The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。 The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

36 scraps
油渣
参考例句：
Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。 A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

37 rubble
n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾
参考例句：
After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。 After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

38 amazement
n.惊奇，惊讶
参考例句：
All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。 He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

39 gateway
n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法
参考例句：
Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。 A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

40 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。

41 obliterate
v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去
参考例句：
Whole villages were obliterated by fire.整座整座的村庄都被大火所吞噬。 There was time enough to obliterate memories of how things once were for him.时间足以抹去他对过去经历的记忆。

42 loomed
v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近
参考例句：
A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。 The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

43 whittle
v.削（木头），削减；n.屠刀
参考例句：
They are trying to whittle down our salaries.他们正着手削减我们的薪水。 He began to whittle away all powers of the government that he did not control.他开始削弱他所未能控制的一切政府权力。

44 busting
打破，打碎( bust的现在分词 )； 突击搜查（或搜捕）； （使）降级，降低军阶
参考例句：
Jim and his wife were busting up again yesterday. 吉姆和他的妻子昨天又吵架了。 He figured she was busting his chops, but it was all true. 他以为她在捉弄他，其实完全是真的。

45 meddling
v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句 They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

46 tenant
n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用
参考例句：
The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。 The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。

47 scurrying
v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 )
参考例句：
We could hear the mice scurrying about in the walls. 我们能听见老鼠在墙里乱跑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 We were scurrying about until the last minute before the party. 聚会开始前我们一直不停地忙忙碌碌。 来自辞典例句