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Queen of Night
Eustacia Vye was the raw material of a divinity. On Olympus she would have done well with a little preparation. She had the passions and instincts which make a model goddess, that is, those which make not quite a model woman. Had it been possible for the earth and mankind to be entirely1 in her grasp for a while, she had handled the distaff, the spindle, and the shears2 at her own free will, few in the world would have noticed the change of government. There would have been the same inequality of lot, the same heaping up of favours here, of contumely there, the same generosity3 before justice, the same perpetual dilemmas4, the same captious5 alteration6 of caresses7 and blows that we endure now.
She was in person full-limbed and somewhat heavy; without ruddiness, as without pallor; and soft to the touch as a cloud. To see her hair was to fancy that a whole winter did not contain darkness enough to form its shadow--it closed over her forehead like nightfall extinguishing the western glow.
Her nerves extended into those tresses, and her temper could always be softened8 by stroking them down. When her hair was brushed she would instantly sink into stillness and look like the Sphinx. If, in passing under one of the Egdon banks, any of its thick skeins were caught, as they sometimes were, by a prickly tuft of the large Ulex Europoeus--which will act as a sort of hairbrush--she would go back a few steps, and pass against it a second time.
She had pagan eyes, full of nocturnal mysteries, and their light, as it came and went, and came again, was partially9 hampered
1
entirely
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
2
shears
n.大剪刀
3
generosity
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为
4
dilemmas
n.左右为难( dilemma的名词复数 );窘境,困境
5
captious
adj.难讨好的,吹毛求疵的
6
alteration
n.变更,改变;蚀变
7
caresses
爱抚,抚摸( caress的名词复数 )
8
softened
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰
9
partially
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲
10
hampered
妨碍,束缚,限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )
11
lashes
n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 );鞭子;突然猛烈的一击;急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 );煽动;紧系;怒斥
12
apparition
n.幽灵,神奇的现象
13
lurking
潜在
14
rubies
红宝石( ruby的名词复数 ); 红宝石色,深红色
15
ebb
vi.衰退,减退;n.处于低潮,处于衰退状态
16
deities
n.神,女神( deity的名词复数 );神祗;神灵;神明
17
diadem
n.王冠,冕
18
muster
v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册
19
celestial
adj.天体的;天上的
20
wrath
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒
21
biassed
(统计试验中)结果偏倚的,有偏的
22
imbibed
v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 );喝;吸取;吸气
23
rebellious
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的
24
rebelliousness
n. 造反,难以控制
25
stifled
(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵
26
constraint
n.(on)约束,限制;限制(或约束)性的事物
27
velvet
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
28
majesty
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权
29
embellish
v.装饰,布置;给…添加细节,润饰
30
drawn
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
31
metallic
adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的
32
ornaments
n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 );点缀;装饰品;首饰v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )
33
regiment
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制
34
thither
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的
35
permanently
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地
36
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
37
shipwreck
n.船舶失事,海难
38
perch
n.栖木,高位,杆;v.栖息,就位,位于
39
tinge
vt.(较淡)着色于,染色;使带有…气息;n.淡淡色彩,些微的气息
40
banished
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )
41
abide
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受
42
assortment
n.分类,各色俱备之物,聚集
43
gilded
a.镀金的,富有的
44
random
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
45
vein
n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络
46
isle
n.小岛,岛
47
maternal
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的
48
isolation
n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离
49
mansion
n.大厦,大楼;宅第
50
mansions
n.宅第,公馆,大厦( mansion的名词复数 )
51
populous
adj.人口稠密的,人口众多的
52
passionate
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
53
gliding
v. 滑翔
adj. 滑动的
54
simultaneously
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地
55
possessed
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
56
fidelity
n.忠诚,忠实;精确
57
extinction
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种
58
glimmer
v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光
59
brackish
adj.混有盐的;咸的
60
devout
adj.虔诚的,虔敬的,衷心的 (n.devoutness)
61
conqueror
n.征服者,胜利者
62
philistines
n.市侩,庸人( philistine的名词复数 );庸夫俗子
63
leisurely
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的
64
tedium
n.单调;烦闷
65
overhaul
v./n.大修,仔细检查
66
ballads
民歌,民谣,特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 ); 讴
67
psalm
n.赞美诗,圣诗
68
contented
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
69
pious
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的
70
saturnine
adj.忧郁的,沉默寡言的,阴沉的,感染铅毒的
71
vigour
(=vigor)n.智力,体力,精力
72
conceit
n.自负,自高自大
73
homely
adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的
74
zest
n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣
75
grandeur
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
76
commonwealth
n.共和国,联邦,共同体
77
peril
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物
78
advent
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临
79
peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
80
derived
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取
81
glide
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝
82
oracles
神示所( oracle的名词复数 ); 神谕; 圣贤; 哲人
83
ambiguity
n.模棱两可;意义不明确