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Eustacia Is Led on to an Adventure
In the evening of this last day of expectation, which was the twenty-third of December, Eustacia was at home alone. She had passed the recent hour in lamenting2 over a rumour3 newly come to her ears--that Yeobright's visit to his mother was to be of short duration, and would end some time the next week. "Naturally," she said to herself. A man in the full swing of his activities in a gay city could not afford to linger long on Egdon Heath. That she would behold4 face to face the owner of the awakening5 voice within the limits of such a holiday was most unlikely, unless she were to haunt the environs of his mother's house like a robin6, to do which was difficult and unseemly.
The customary expedient7 of provincial8 girls and men in such circumstances is churchgoing. In an ordinary village or country town one can safely calculate that, either on Christmas day or the Sunday contiguous, any native home for the holidays, who has not through age or ennui9 lost the appetite for seeing and being seen, will turn up in some pew or other, shining with hope, self-consciousness, and new clothes. Thus the congregation on Christmas morning is mostly a Tussaud collection of celebrities10 who have been born in the neighbourhood. Hither the mistress, left neglected at home all the year, can steal and observe the development of the returned lover who has forgotten her, and think as she watches him over her prayer book that he may throb11 with a renewed
1
advent
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临
2
lamenting
adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 )
3
rumour
n.谣言,谣传,传闻
4
behold
v.看,注视,看到
5
awakening
n.觉醒,醒悟 adj.觉醒中的;唤醒的
6
robin
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
7
expedient
adj.有用的,有利的;n.紧急的办法,权宜之计
8
provincial
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人
9
ennui
n.怠倦,无聊
10
celebrities
n.(尤指娱乐界的)名人( celebrity的名词复数 );名流;名声;名誉
11
throb
v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动
12
fidelity
n.忠诚,忠实;精确
13
scrutinize
n.详细检查,细读
14
ledge
n.壁架,架状突出物;岩架,岩礁
15
hem
n.贴边,镶边;vt.缝贴边;(in)包围,限制
16
scattered
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
17
isolated
adj.与世隔绝的
18
mead
n.蜂蜜酒
19
trudge
v.步履艰难地走;n.跋涉,费力艰难的步行
20
pony
adj.小型的;n.小马
21
hearth
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
22
urns
n.壶( urn的名词复数 );瓮;缸;骨灰瓮
23
rehearsal
n.排练,排演;练习
24
dictated
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 );口授;支配;摆布
25
dwelling
n.住宅,住所,寓所
26
afflicted
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )
27
distinguished
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的
28
mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
29
revival
n.复兴,复苏,(精力、活力等的)重振
30
stolidity
n.迟钝,感觉麻木
31
unwilling
adj.不情愿的
32
allotted
分配,拨给,摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )
33
armour
(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队
34
velvet
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
35
scraps
油渣
36
Moslem
n.回教徒,穆罕默德信徒;adj.回教徒的,回教的
37
affix
n.附件,附录 vt.附贴,盖(章),签署
38
valiant
adj.勇敢的,英勇的;n.勇士,勇敢的人
39
Christian
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
40
peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
41
peculiarity
n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖
42
knight
n.骑士,武士;爵士
43
leech
n.水蛭,吸血鬼,榨取他人利益的人;vt.以水蛭吸血;vi.依附于别人
44
slung
抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往
45
trifling
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的
46
abiding
adj.永久的,持久的,不变的
47
murkiness
n.阴暗;混浊;可疑;黝暗
48
abutted
v.(与…)邻接( abut的过去式和过去分词 );(与…)毗连;接触;倚靠
49
haranguing
v.高谈阔论( harangue的现在分词 )
50
interspersing
v.散布,散置( intersperse的现在分词 );点缀
51
anecdotes
n.掌故,趣闻,轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )
52
harry
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
53
strut
v.肿胀,鼓起;大摇大摆地走;炫耀;支撑;撑开;n.高视阔步;支柱,撑杆
54
middle-aged
adj.中年的
55
gatherings
聚集( gathering的名词复数 ); 收集; 采集; 搜集
56
penetrating
adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的
57
coveted
adj.令人垂涎的;垂涎的,梦寐以求的v.贪求,觊觎(covet的过去分词);垂涎;贪图
58
regain
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复
59
serenity
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗
60
tantalizing
adj.逗人的;惹弄人的;撩人的;煽情的v.逗弄,引诱,折磨( tantalize的现在分词 )
61
premises
n.建筑物,房屋
62
pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
63
motive
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的
64
discourse
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述
65
catastrophe
n.大灾难,大祸
66
precisely
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
67
ranted
v.夸夸其谈( rant的过去式和过去分词 );大叫大嚷地以…说教;气愤地)大叫大嚷;不停地大声抱怨
68
hitch
v.免费搭(车旅行);系住;急提;n.故障;急拉
69
divergence
n.分歧,岔开
70
entirely
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
71
admiration
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
72
hauteur
n.傲慢
73
recollect
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得
74
steadfastly
adv.踏实地,不变地;岿然;坚定不渝
75
apparently
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
76
pebble
n.卵石,小圆石
77
adventurous
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的
78
slumberous
a.昏昏欲睡的
79
vivacious
adj.活泼的,快活的
80
acting
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
81
ridge
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭
82
devotedly
专心地; 恩爱地; 忠实地; 一心一意地
83
caressing
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的
84
quailed
害怕,发抖,畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 )
85
attire
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装
86
countenance
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
87
overalls
n.(复)工装裤;长罩衣
88
tunic
n.束腰外衣
89
minatory
adj.威胁的;恫吓的
90
strutting
加固,支撑物
91
decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的