ARRANGEMENTS SETTLED. - HARRIS'S METHOD OF DOING WORK. - HOW THE ELDERLY,FAMILY-MAN PUTS UP A PICTURE. - GEORGE MAKES A SENSIBLE, REMARK. -DELIGHTS OF EARLY MORNING BATHING. - PROVISIONS FOR GETTING UPSET.

　　SO, on the following evening, we again assembled, to discuss and arrangeour plans. Harris said:

　　"Now, the first thing to settle is what to take with us. Now, you get abit of paper and write down, J., and you get the grocery catalogue,George, and somebody give me a bit of pencil, and then I'll make out alist."That's Harris all over - so ready to take the burden of everythinghimself, and put it on the backs of other people.

　　He always reminds me of my poor Uncle Podger. You never saw such acommotion up and down a house, in all your life, as when my Uncle Podgerundertook to do a job. A picture would have come home from the frame-maker's, and be standing¹ in the dining-room, waiting to be put up; andAunt Podger would ask what was to be done with it, and Uncle Podger wouldsay:

　　"Oh, you leave that to ME. Don't you, any of you, worry yourselves aboutthat. I'LL do all that."And then he would take off his coat, and begin. He would send the girlout for sixpen'orth of nails, and then one of the boys after her to tellher what size to get; and, from that, he would gradually work down, andstart the whole house.

　　"Now you go and get me my hammer, Will," he would shout; "and you bringme the rule, Tom; and I shall want the step-ladder, and I had better havea kitchen-chair, too; and, Jim! you run round to Mr. Goggles², and tellhim, `Pa's kind regards, and hopes his leg's better; and will he lend himhis spirit-level?' And don't you go, Maria, because I shall wantsomebody to hold me the light; and when the girl comes back, she must goout again for a bit of picture-cord; and Tom! - where's Tom? - Tom, youcome here; I shall want you to hand me up the picture."And then he would lift up the picture, and drop it, and it would come outof the frame, and he would try to save the glass, and cut himself; andthen he would spring round the room, looking for his handkerchief. Hecould not find his handkerchief, because it was in the pocket of the coathe had taken off, and he did not know where he had put the coat, and allthe house had to leave off looking for his tools, and start looking forhis coat; while he would dance round and hinder them.

　　"Doesn't anybody in the whole house know where my coat is? I never cameacross such a set in all my life - upon my word I didn't. Six of you! -and you can't find a coat that I put down not five minutes ago! Well, ofall the - "Then he'd get up, and find that he had been sitting on it, and would callout:

点击收听单词发音  

1 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。

2 goggles
n.护目镜
参考例句：
Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。 My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

3 hop
n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过
参考例句：
The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。 How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

4 grovel
vi.卑躬屈膝，奴颜婢膝
参考例句：
He said he would never grovel before a conqueror.他说他永远不会在征服者脚下摇尾乞怜。 You will just have to grovel to the bank manager for a loan.你只得低声下气地向银行经理借贷。

5 grunt
v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝
参考例句：
He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。 I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

6 gaping
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
参考例句：
Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。 The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 sneer
v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语
参考例句：
He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。 You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

8 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。

9 precipitated
v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀
参考例句：
His resignation precipitated a leadership crisis. 他的辞职立即引发了领导层的危机。 He lost his footing and was precipitated to the ground. 他失足摔倒在地上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 flatten
v.把．．．弄平，使倒伏；使(漆等)失去光泽
参考例句：
We can flatten out a piece of metal by hammering it.我们可以用锤子把一块金属敲平。 The wrinkled silk will flatten out if you iron it.发皱的丝绸可以用熨斗烫平。

11 crooked
adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的
参考例句：
He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。 You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

12 lumber
n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动
参考例句：
The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。 They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

13 swell
vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强
参考例句：
The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。 His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

14 pretence
n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰
参考例句：
The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。 He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。

15 ostentation
n.夸耀，卖弄
参考例句：
Choose a life of action,not one of ostentation.要选择行动的一生，而不是炫耀的一生。 I don't like the ostentation of their expensive life - style.他们生活奢侈，爱摆阔，我不敢恭维。

16 dread
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。 Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

17 cloy
v.（吃甜食）生腻，吃腻
参考例句：
He is cloyed with pleasure.他玩腻了。 Too much spicy food cloyed his appetite.加太多香料的食物厌腻他的胃口。

18 oars
n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。 The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 ripples
逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。 The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

20 margin
n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘
参考例句：
We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。 The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

21 homely
adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的
参考例句：
We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。 Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？

22 hoops
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓
参考例句：
a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶 Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

23 cosy
adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的
参考例句：
We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。 It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

24 stuffy
adj.不透气的，闷热的
参考例句：
It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。 It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

25 complexion
n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格
参考例句：
Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。 Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

26 dismally
adv.阴暗地，沉闷地
参考例句：
Fei Little Beard assented dismally. 费小胡子哭丧着脸回答。 来自子夜部分 He began to howl dismally. 它就凄凉地吠叫起来。 来自辞典例句

27 specially
adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地
参考例句：
They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

28 huddle
vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人
参考例句：
They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。 The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。

29 posture
n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势
参考例句：
The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。 He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

30 plunge
v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲
参考例句：
Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。 That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

31 limpid
adj.清澈的，透明的
参考例句：
He has a pair of limpid blue eyes.他有一双清澈的蓝眼睛。 The sky was a limpid blue,as if swept clean of everything.碧空如洗。

32 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

33 flannel
n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服
参考例句：
She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。 She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。

34 flannels
法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Erik had been seen in flannels and an imitation Panama hat. 人们看到埃里克身穿法兰绒裤，头戴仿制巴拿马草帽。 He is wearing flannels and a blue jacket. 他穿着一条法兰绒裤子和一件蓝夹克。

35 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。