Mr and Mrs Lammle had come to breakfast with Mr and Mrs Boffin. They were not absolutely uninvited, but had pressed themselves with so much urgency on the golden couple, that
evasion1 of the honour and pleasure of their company would have been difficult, if desired. They were in a charming state of mind, were Mr and Mrs Lammle, and almost as fond of Mr and Mrs Boffin as of one another.
‘My dear Mrs Boffin,’ said Mrs Lammle, ‘it imparts new life to me, to see my Alfred in
confidential2 communication with Mr Boffin. The two were formed to become intimate. So much
simplicity3 combined with so much force of character, such natural sagacity united to such
amiability4 and gentleness — these are the distinguishing characteristics of both.’
This being said aloud, gave Mr Lammle an opportunity, as he came with Mr Boffin from the window to the breakfast table, of taking up his dear and honoured wife.
‘My Sophronia,’ said that gentleman, ‘your too partial estimate of your husband’s character —’
‘No! Not too partial, Alfred,’ urged the lady, tenderly moved; ‘never say that.’
‘My child, your
favourable5 opinion, then, of your husband — you don’t object to that phrase, darling?’
‘How can I, Alfred?’
‘Your favourable opinion then, my Precious, does less than justice to Mr Boffin, and more than justice to me.’
‘To the first charge, Alfred, I plead guilty. But to the second, oh no, no!’
‘Less than justice to Mr Boffin, Sophronia,’ said Mr Lammle, soaring into a tone of moral
grandeur6, ‘because it represents Mr Boffin as on my lower level; more than justice to me, Sophronia, because it represents me as on Mr Boffin’s higher level. Mr Boffin bears and forbears far more than I could.’
‘Far more than you could for yourself, Alfred?’
‘My love, that is not the question.’
点击
收听单词发音
1
evasion
|
|
n.逃避,偷漏(税) |
参考例句: |
- The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
- The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。
|
2
confidential
|
|
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的 |
参考例句: |
- He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
- We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
|
3
simplicity
|
|
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 |
参考例句: |
- She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
- The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
|
4
amiability
|
|
n.和蔼可亲的,亲切的,友善的 |
参考例句: |
- His amiability condemns him to being a constant advisor to other people's troubles. 他那和蔼可亲的性格使他成为经常为他人排忧解难的开导者。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness. 我瞧着老师的脸上从和蔼变成严峻。 来自辞典例句
|
5
favourable
|
|
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 |
参考例句: |
- The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。
- We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。
|
6
grandeur
|
|
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华 |
参考例句: |
- The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
- These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
|
7
possessed
|
|
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 |
参考例句: |
- He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
- He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
|
8
clemency
|
|
n.温和,仁慈,宽厚 |
参考例句: |
- The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题,将由国王决定。
- They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。
|
9
combative
|
|
adj.好战的;好斗的 |
参考例句: |
- Mr. Obama has recently adopted a more combative tone.奥巴马总统近来采取了一种更有战斗性的语调。
- She believes that women are at least as combative as are.她相信女性至少和男性一样好斗。
|
10
lures
|
|
吸引力,魅力(lure的复数形式) |
参考例句: |
- He left home because of the lures of life in the city. 他离家是由于都市生活的诱惑。
- Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth. 可能正是寻觅幽静的去处,或者找个猎奇的机会的欲望引诱着人们进入地球的深处。
|
11
discoursing
|
|
演说(discourse的现在分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- He was discoursing to us on Keats. 他正给我们讲济慈。
- He found the time better employed in searching than in discussing, in discovering than in discoursing. 他认为与其把时间花费在你争我辩和高谈阔论上,不如用在研究和发现上。
|
12
pointedly
|
|
adv.尖地,明显地 |
参考例句: |
- She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠,又刻意地看了看手表。
- The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
13
admiration
|
|
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 |
参考例句: |
- He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
- We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
|
14
urn
|
|
n.(有座脚的)瓮;坟墓;骨灰瓮 |
参考例句: |
- The urn was unearthed entire.这只瓮出土完整无缺。
- She put the big hot coffee urn on the table and plugged it in.她将大咖啡壶放在桌子上,接上电源。
|
15
mingle
|
|
vt.使混合,使相混;vi.混合起来;相交往 |
参考例句: |
- If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我们混在人群中,就不会被注意到。
- Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。
|
16
eyebrows
|
|
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
- His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
|
17
demonstration
|
|
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 |
参考例句: |
- His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
- He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。
|
18
adage
|
|
n.格言,古训 |
参考例句: |
- But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是,根据我的经验,人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
- Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老,学到老!
|
19
confided
|
|
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) |
参考例句: |
- She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
- He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露,他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
20
gaily
|
|
adv.欢乐地,高兴地 |
参考例句: |
- The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
- She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。
|
21
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 |
参考例句: |
- Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
22
covert
|
|
adj.隐藏的;暗地里的 |
参考例句: |
- We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
- The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。
|
23
secondly
|
|
adv.第二,其次 |
参考例句: |
- Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二,动脑筋提出自己的见解。
- Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次,需要确定所作用的载荷。
|
24
distressed
|
|
痛苦的 |
参考例句: |
- He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑,无法回答他们的问题。
- The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。
|
25
remarkable
|
|
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 |
参考例句: |
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
|
26
propitiatory
|
|
adj.劝解的;抚慰的;谋求好感的;哄人息怒的 |
参考例句: |
- She saw the flowers as a propitiatory offering. 在她看来,送花是主动和解的表示。
- He sent her flowers as a propitiatory gesture. 他将花送给她以求好感。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
|
27
defiant
|
|
adj.无礼的,挑战的 |
参考例句: |
- With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时,仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
- He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。
|
28
soothingly
|
|
adv.抚慰地,安慰地;镇痛地 |
参考例句: |
- The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘,她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
29
teaspoon
|
|
n.茶匙 |
参考例句: |
- Add one teaspoon of sugar.加一小茶匙糖。
- I need a teaspoon to stir my tea.我需要一把茶匙搅一搅茶。
|
30
heartily
|
|
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 |
参考例句: |
- He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
- The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
|
31
haughty
|
|
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
- They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。
|
32
bosom
|
|
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 |
参考例句: |
- She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
- A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
|
33
assented
|
|
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
- "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
|
34
assent
|
|
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 |
参考例句: |
- I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
- The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。
|
35
disdained
|
|
鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 ); 不屑于做,不愿意做 |
参考例句: |
- I disdained to answer his rude remarks. 我不屑回答他的粗话。
- Jackie disdained the servants that her millions could buy. 杰姬鄙视那些她用钱就可以收买的奴仆。
|
36
defiantly
|
|
adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地 |
参考例句: |
- Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
37
bantering
|
|
adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑,说笑,逗乐( banter的现在分词 );(善意地)取笑,逗弄 |
参考例句: |
- There was a friendly, bantering tone in his voice. 他的声音里流露着友好诙谐的语调。
- The students enjoyed their teacher's bantering them about their mistakes. 同学们对老师用风趣的方式讲解他们的错误很感兴趣。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
|
38
positively
|
|
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 |
参考例句: |
- She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
- The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
|
39
exemption
|
|
n.豁免,免税额,免除 |
参考例句: |
- You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
- These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。
|
40
shrugged
|
|
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
- She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
41
rigid
|
|
adj.严格的,死板的;刚硬的,僵硬的 |
参考例句: |
- She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
- The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严,几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。
|
42
expressive
|
|
adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的 |
参考例句: |
- Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
- He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的,富于表情的,生动活泼的脸。
|
43
peroration
|
|
n.(演说等之)结论 |
参考例句: |
- As he worked his way from ethos and logos to the pathos of peroration,he bade us think of the connection between deprivation and belligerence,and to do something about it.当他在演讲中从道义和理念,转到结尾处的感伤时,他请我们考虑贫困与好战的关系,并为此做些什么。
- He summarized his main points in his peroration.他在结束语中总结了他的演讲要点。
|
44
impudent
|
|
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的 |
参考例句: |
- She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
- The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。
|
45
wringing
|
|
淋湿的,湿透的 |
参考例句: |
- He was wringing wet after working in the field in the hot sun. 烈日下在田里干活使他汗流满面。
- He is wringing out the water from his swimming trunks. 他正在把游泳裤中的水绞出来。
|
46
subtlety
|
|
n.微妙,敏锐,精巧;微妙之处,细微的区别 |
参考例句: |
- He has shown enormous strength,great intelligence and great subtlety.他表现出充沛的精力、极大的智慧和高度的灵活性。
- The subtlety of his remarks was unnoticed by most of his audience.大多数听众都没有觉察到他讲话的微妙之处。
|
47
stony
|
|
adj.石头的,多石头的,冷酷的,无情的 |
参考例句: |
- The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干,而且布满了石头。
- He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。
|
48
sobbing
|
|
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 |
参考例句: |
- I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
- Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。
|
49
despatch
|
|
n./v.(dispatch)派遣;发送;n.急件;新闻报道 |
参考例句: |
- The despatch of the task force is purely a contingency measure.派出特遣部队纯粹是应急之举。
- He rushed the despatch through to headquarters.他把急件赶送到总部。
|
50
credulous
|
|
adj.轻信的,易信的 |
参考例句: |
- You must be credulous if she fooled you with that story.连她那种话都能把你骗倒,你一定是太容易相信别人了。
- Credulous attitude will only make you take anything for granted.轻信的态度只会使你想当然。
|
51
deserted
|
|
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 |
参考例句: |
- The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
- The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
|
52
apron
|
|
n.围裙;工作裙 |
参考例句: |
- We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
- She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。
|
53
expiate
|
|
v.抵补,赎罪 |
参考例句: |
- He tried to expiate his crimes by giving money to the church.他以捐款给教会来赎罪。
- It seemed that Alice was expiating her father's sins with her charity work.似乎艾丽斯正在通过自己的慈善工作来弥补父亲的罪过。
|
54
miserable
|
|
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 |
参考例句: |
- It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
- Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
|
55
repentance
|
|
n.懊悔 |
参考例句: |
- He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。
- Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。
|
56
standing
|
|
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 |
参考例句: |
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
|
57
sketching
|
|
n.草图 |
参考例句: |
- They are sketching out proposals for a new road. 他们正在草拟修建新路的计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- "Imagination is busy sketching rose-tinted pictures of joy. “飞舞驰骋的想象描绘出一幅幅玫瑰色欢乐的场景。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
|
58
sketched
|
|
v.草拟(sketch的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- The historical article sketched the major events of the decade. 这篇有关历史的文章概述了这十年中的重大事件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He sketched the situation in a few vivid words. 他用几句生动的语言简述了局势。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
|
59
bestow
|
|
v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 |
参考例句: |
- He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。
- What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我?
|
60
sentimental
|
|
adj.多愁善感的,感伤的 |
参考例句: |
- She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人,她相信姻缘命中注定。
- We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。
|
61
appropriation
|
|
n.拨款,批准支出 |
参考例句: |
- Our government made an appropriation for the project.我们的政府为那个工程拨出一笔款项。
- The council could note an annual appropriation for this service.议会可以为这项服务表决给他一笔常年经费。
|
62
exasperated
|
|
adj.恼怒的 |
参考例句: |
- We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
- Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。
|
63
jeering
|
|
adj.嘲弄的,揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Hecklers interrupted her speech with jeering. 捣乱分子以嘲笑打断了她的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He interrupted my speech with jeering. 他以嘲笑打断了我的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
64
indented
|
|
adj.锯齿状的,高低不平的;缩进排版 |
参考例句: |
- His voyage was down Chile's indented coastline.他的航行沿智利参差曲折的海岸线行进。
- Each paragraph of the body is usually indented five blocks.正文每段开始,一般缩进五个英文字母。
|
65
flinching
|
|
v.(因危险和痛苦)退缩,畏惧( flinch的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He listened to the jeers of the crowd without flinching. 他毫不畏惧地听着群众的嘲笑。 来自辞典例句
- Without flinching he dashed into the burning house to save the children. 他毫不畏缩地冲进在燃烧的房屋中去救小孩。 来自辞典例句
|
66
dignified
|
|
a.可敬的,高贵的 |
参考例句: |
- Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中,他始终沉默以保持尊严。
- He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
|
67
syllable
|
|
n.音节;vt.分音节 |
参考例句: |
- You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
- The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。
|
68
concealed
|
|
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 |
参考例句: |
- The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
- I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
|