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ON VANITY AND VANITIES
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All is vanity and everybody's vain. Women are terribly vain. So aremen--more so, if possible. So are children, particularly children.
One of them at this very moment is hammering upon my legs. She wantsto know what I think of her new shoes. Candidly1 I don't think much ofthem. They lack symmetry and curve and possess an indescribableappearance of lumpiness (I believe, too, they've put them on the wrongfeet). But I don't say this. It is not criticism, but flattery thatshe wants; and I gush2 over them with what I feel to myself to bedegrading effusiveness3. Nothing else would satisfy thisself-opinionated cherub4. I tried the conscientious-friend dodge5 withher on one occasion, but it was not a success. She had requested myjudgment upon her general conduct and behavior, the exact casesubmitted being, "Wot oo tink of me? Oo peased wi' me?" and I hadthought it a good opportunity to make a few salutary remarks upon herlate moral career, and said: "No, I am not pleased with you." Irecalled to her mind the events of that very morning, and I put it toher how she, as a Christian7 child, could expect a wise and good uncleto be satisfied with the carryings on of an infant who that very dayhad roused the whole house at five AM.; had upset a water-jug andtumbled downstairs after it at seven; had endeavored to put the cat inthe bath at eight; and sat on her own father's hat at ninethirty-five.
What did she do? Was she grateful to me for my plain speaking? Didshe ponder upon my words and determine to profit by them and to leadfrom that hour a better and nobler life?
No! she howled.
That done, she became abusive. She said:
"Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR6."And she did, too.
Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my realsentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unboundedadmiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of theiractual merits. And she nods her head approvingly and
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收听单词发音

1
candidly
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adv.坦率地,直率而诚恳地 | |
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2
gush
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v.喷,涌;滔滔不绝(说话);n.喷,涌流;迸发 | |
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3
effusiveness
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n.吐露,唠叨 | |
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4
cherub
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n.小天使,胖娃娃 | |
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dodge
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v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计 | |
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6
mar
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vt.破坏,毁坏,弄糟 | |
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7
Christian
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adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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kin
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n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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trots
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小跑,急走( trot的名词复数 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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10
murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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11
conceit
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n.自负,自高自大 | |
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12
shrill
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adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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13
festive
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adj.欢宴的,节日的 | |
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anecdote
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n.轶事,趣闻,短故事 | |
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neatly
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adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地 | |
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haughty
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adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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harry
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vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼 | |
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opprobrious
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adj.可耻的,辱骂的 | |
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epithets
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n.(表示性质、特征等的)词语( epithet的名词复数 ) | |
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gaping
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adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
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21
pussy
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n.(儿语)小猫,猫咪 | |
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tickle
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v.搔痒,胳肢;使高兴;发痒;n.搔痒,发痒 | |
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stanza
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n.(诗)节,段 | |
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virtue
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n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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pussies
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n.(粗俚) 女阴( pussy的名词复数 );(总称)(作为性对象的)女人;(主要北美使用,非正式)软弱的;小猫咪 | |
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inborn
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adj.天生的,生来的,先天的 | |
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appendage
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n.附加物 | |
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providence
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n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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flirt
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v.调情,挑逗,调戏;n.调情者,卖俏者 | |
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reverenced
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v.尊敬,崇敬( reverence的过去式和过去分词 );敬礼 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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virtues
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美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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follies
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罪恶,时事讽刺剧; 愚蠢,蠢笨,愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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pious
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adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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truthful
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adj.真实的,说实话的,诚实的 | |
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strutting
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加固,支撑物 | |
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tattered
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adj.破旧的,衣衫破的 | |
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chaff
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v.取笑,嘲笑;n.谷壳 | |
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pals
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n.朋友( pal的名词复数 );老兄;小子;(对男子的不友好的称呼)家伙 | |
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tickled
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(使)发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)愉快,逗乐 | |
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bartering
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v.作物物交换,以货换货( barter的现在分词 ) | |
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beads
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n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链 | |
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maiden
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n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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tack
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n.大头钉;假缝,粗缝 | |
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vice
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n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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vices
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缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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boors
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n.农民( boor的名词复数 );乡下佬;没礼貌的人;粗野的人 | |
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extolled
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v.赞颂,赞扬,赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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braces
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n.吊带,背带;托架( brace的名词复数 );箍子;括弧;(儿童)牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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50
plow
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n.犁,耕地,犁过的地;v.犁,费力地前进[英]plough | |
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51
graceful
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adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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52
enchanting
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a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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53
manly
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adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地 | |
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strictly
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adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
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scrupulously
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adv.一丝不苟地;小心翼翼地,多顾虑地 | |
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imprisoned
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下狱,监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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maxims
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n.格言,座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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58
toil
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vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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loom
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n.织布机,织机;v.隐现,(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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gaudily
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adv.俗丽地 | |
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solely
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adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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snobs
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(谄上傲下的)势利小人( snob的名词复数 ); 自高自大者,自命不凡者 | |
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bucks
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n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 );钱;(英国十九世纪初的)花花公子;(用于某些表达方式)责任v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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knaves
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n.恶棍,无赖( knave的名词复数 );(纸牌中的)杰克 | |
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ON BEING HARD UP
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