I would not creep along the coast but steer¹ Out in mid-sea, by guidance of the stars.

When Dorothea, walking round the laurel-planted plots of the New Hospital with Lydgate, had learned from him that there were no signs of change in Mr. Casaubon's bodily condition beyond the mental sign of anxiety to know the truth about his illness, she was silent for a few moments, wondering whether she had said or done anything to rouse this new anxiety. Lydgate, not willing to let slip an opportunity of furthering a favorite purpose, ventured to say--

"I don't know whether your or Mr.--Casaubon's attention has been drawn² to the needs of our New Hospital. Circumstances have made it seem rather egotistic in me to urge the subject; but that is not my fault: it is because there is a fight being made against it by the other medical men. I think you are generally interested in such things, for I remember that when I first had the pleasure of seeing you at Tipton Grange before your marriage, you were asking me some questions about the way in which the health of the poor was affected³ by their miserable⁴ housing."

"Yes, indeed," said Dorothea, brightening. "I shall be quite grateful to you if you will tell me how I can help to make things a little better. Everything of that sort has slipped away from me since I have been married. I mean," she said, after a moment's hesitation⁵, "that the people in our village are tolerably comfortable, and my mind has been too much taken up for me to inquire further. But here--in such a place as Middlemarch--there must be a great deal to be done."

"There is everything to be done," said Lydgate, with abrupt⁶ energy. "And this Hospital is a capital piece of work, due entirely⁷ to Mr. Bulstrode's exertions⁸, and in a great degree to his money. But one man can't do everything in a scheme of this sort. Of course he looked forward to help. And now there's a mean, petty

点击收听单词发音  

1 steer
vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶
参考例句：
If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。 It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

2 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 hesitation
n.犹豫，踌躇
参考例句：
After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。 There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

6 abrupt
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。 His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

7 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 exertions
n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使
参考例句：
As long as they lived, exertions would not be necessary to her. 只要他们活着，是不需要她吃苦的。 来自辞典例句 She failed to unlock the safe in spite of all her exertions. 她虽然费尽力气，仍未能将那保险箱的锁打开。 来自辞典例句

9 feud
n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇
参考例句：
How did he start his feud with his neighbor?他是怎样和邻居开始争吵起来的？ The two tribes were long at feud with each other.这两个部族长期不和。

10 naive
adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的
参考例句：
It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。 Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

11 thwarting
阻挠( thwart的现在分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过
参考例句：
The republicans are trying to embarrass the president by thwarting his economic program. 共和党人企图通过阻挠总统的经济计划使其难堪。 There were too many men resisting his authority thwarting him. 下边对他这个长官心怀不服的，故意作对的，可多着哩。

12 impartially
adv.公平地，无私地
参考例句：
Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。 We hope that they're going to administer justice impartially. 我们希望他们能主持正义，不偏不倚。

13 doctrine
n.教义；主义；学说
参考例句：
He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。 The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

14 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》

15 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。

16 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

17 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

18 justify
vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护
参考例句：
He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。 Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

19 subscriptions
n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助
参考例句：
Subscriptions to these magazines can be paid in at the post office. 这些杂志的订阅费可以在邮局缴纳。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Payment of subscriptions should be made to the club secretary. 会费应交给俱乐部秘书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 stifling
a.令人窒息的
参考例句：
The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。 We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

21 inquiries
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。 I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 lasting
adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持
参考例句：
The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。 We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

23 persistence
n.坚持，持续，存留
参考例句：
The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。 He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

24 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

25 cadence
n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫
参考例句：
He delivered his words in slow,measured cadences.他讲话缓慢而抑扬顿挫、把握有度。 He liked the relaxed cadence of his retired life.他喜欢退休生活的悠闲的节奏。

26 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

27 subscribe
vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助
参考例句：
I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。 The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

28 acquiesced
v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Senior government figures must have acquiesced in the cover-up. 政府高级官员必然已经默许掩盖真相。 After a lot of persuasion,he finally acquiesced. 经过多次劝说，他最终默许了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 gist
n.要旨；梗概
参考例句：
Can you give me the gist of this report?你能告诉我这个报告的要点吗？ He is quick in grasping the gist of a book.他敏于了解书的要点。