Little by little Dr. Sloper had retired¹ from his profession; he visited only those patients in whose symptoms he recognised a certain originality².

He went again to Europe, and remained two years; Catherine went with him, and on this occasion Mrs. Penniman was of the party.

Europe apparently³ had few surprises for Mrs. Penniman, who frequently remarked, in the most romantic sites--"You know I am very familiar with all this."

It should be added that such remarks were usually not addressed to her brother, or yet to her niece, but to fellow-tourists who happened to be at hand, or even to the cicerone or the goat-herd in the foreground.

One day, after his return from Europe, the Doctor said something to his daughter that made her start--it seemed to come from so far out of the past.

"I should like you to promise me something before I die."

"Why do you talk about your dying?" she asked.

"Because I am sixty-eight years old."

"I hope you will live a long time," said Catherine.

"I hope I shall!

But some day I shall take a bad cold, and then it will not matter much what any one hopes.

That will be the manner of my exit, and when it takes place, remember I told you so.

Promise me not to marry Morris Townsend after I am gone."

This was what made Catherine start, as I have said; but her start was a silent one, and for some moments she said nothing.

"Why do you speak of him?" she asked at last.

"You challenge everything I say.

I speak of him because he's a topic, like any other.

He's to be seen, like any one else, and he is still looking for a wife--having had one and got rid of her, I don't know by what means.

He has lately been in New York, and at your cousin Marian's house; your Aunt Elizabeth saw him there."

"They neither of them told me," said Catherine.

"That's their merit; it's not yours.

He has grown fat and bald, and he has not made his fortune.

But I can't trust those facts alone to steel your heart against him, and that's why I ask you to promise."

"Fat and bald":

these words presented a strange image to Catherine's mind, out of which the memory of the most beautiful young man in the world had never faded.

"I don't think you understand," she said.

"I very seldom think of Mr. Townsend."

"It will be very easy for you to go on, then.

点击收听单词发音  

1 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 originality
n.创造力，独创性；新颖
参考例句：
The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。 He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

3 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 merged
（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中
参考例句：
Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。 The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

5 tranquillity
n. 平静, 安静
参考例句：
The phenomenon was so striking and disturbing that his philosophical tranquillity vanished. 这个令人惶惑不安的现象，扰乱了他的旷达宁静的心境。 My value for domestic tranquillity should much exceed theirs. 我应该远比他们重视家庭的平静生活。

6 rigidity
adj.钢性，坚硬
参考例句：
The rigidity of the metal caused it to crack.这金属因刚度强而产生裂纹。 He deplored the rigidity of her views.他痛感她的观点僵化。

7 humble
adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低
参考例句：
In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。 Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

8 obstinate
adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的
参考例句：
She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。 The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

9 middle-aged
adj.中年的
参考例句：
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。 The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

10 asylum
n.避难所，庇护所，避难
参考例句：
The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。 Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

11 eminent
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。 He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

12 hood
n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖
参考例句：
She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。 The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

13 ominous
adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的
参考例句：
Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。 There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

14 congestion
n.阻塞，消化不良
参考例句：
The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。 Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

15 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

16 interval
n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息
参考例句：
The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。 There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

17 dispositions
安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质
参考例句：
We got out some information about the enemy's dispositions from the captured enemy officer. 我们从捕获的敌军官那里问出一些有关敌军部署的情况。 Elasticity, solubility, inflammability are paradigm cases of dispositions in natural objects. 伸缩性、可缩性、易燃性是天然物体倾向性的范例。

18 legacies
n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症
参考例句：
Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind. 书是伟大的天才留给人类的精神财富。 来自辞典例句 General legacies are subject to the same principles as demonstrative legacies. 一般的遗赠要与指定数目的遗赠遵循同样的原则。 来自辞典例句

19 codicil
n.遗嘱的附录
参考例句：
She add a codicil to her will just before she die.她临终前在遗嘱上加了附录。 In that codicil he acknowledges me。在那笔附录里，他承认了我。

20 annuities
n.养老金；年金( annuity的名词复数 )；（每年的）养老金；年金保险；年金保险投资
参考例句：
Many companies in this country grant their old employees annuities after they retire. 这个国家的许多公司在老年雇员退休后发给他们养老年金。 来自辞典例句 Can I interest you in one of our Easter Annuities or IRA accounts? 您对我们的复活节年金保险或者个人退休金帐户有兴趣吗？ 来自电影对白

21 monstrous
adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的
参考例句：
The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。 Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

22 fatuously
adv.愚昧地，昏庸地，蠢地
参考例句：
He is not fatuously content with existing conditions. 他不会愚昧地满于现状的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 This time the opportunity presented what he fatuously termed to himself a 'cinch'. 这一次出现的机会极为难得，他满以为十拿九稳哩。 来自英汉文学 - 欧亨利