They said of old the Soul had human shape, But smaller, subtler than the fleshly self, So wandered forth¹ for airing when it pleased. And see! beside her cherub-face there floats A pale-lipped form aerial whispering Its promptings in that little shell her ear."

News is often dispersed² as thoughtlessly and effectively as that pollen³ which the bees carry off (having no idea how powdery they are) when they are buzzing in search of their particular nectar. This fine comparison has reference to Fred Vincy, who on that evening at Lowick Parsonage heard a lively discussion among the ladies on the news which their old servant had got from Tantripp concerning Mr. Casaubon's strange mention of Mr. Ladislaw in a codicil⁴ to his will made not long before his death. Miss Winifred was astounded⁵ to find that her brother had known the fact before, and observed that Camden was the most wonderful man for knowing things and not telling them; whereupon Mary Garth said that the codicil had perhaps got mixed up with the habits of spiders, which Miss Winifred never would listen to. Mrs. Farebrother considered that the news had something to do with their having only once seen Mr. Ladislaw at Lowick, and Miss Noble made many small compassionate⁶ mewings.

Fred knew little and cared less about Ladislaw and the Casaubons, and his mind never recurred⁸ to that discussion till one day calling on Rosamond at his mother's request to deliver a message as he passed, he happened to see Ladislaw going away. Fred and Rosamond had little to say to each other now that marriage had removed her from collision with the unpleasantness of brothers, and especially now that he had taken what she held the stupid and even reprehensible⁹ step of giving up the Church to take to such a business as Mr. Garth's. Hence Fred talked by preference of what he considered indifferent news, and "a propos of that young Ladislaw" mentioned what he had heard at Lowick Parsonage.

点击收听单词发音  

1 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 dispersed
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的
参考例句：
The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。 After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

3 pollen
n.[植]花粉
参考例句：
Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。 He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

4 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。

5 astounded
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶
参考例句：
His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。 How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

6 compassionate
adj.有同情心的，表示同情的
参考例句：
She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。 The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

7 passionate
adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的
参考例句：
He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。 He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

8 recurred
再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈
参考例句：
Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。 She always winced when he recurred to the subject of his poems. 每逢他一提到他的诗作的时候，她总是有点畏缩。

9 reprehensible
adj.该受责备的
参考例句：
Lying is not seen as being morally reprehensible in any strong way.人们并不把撒谎当作一件应该大加谴责的事儿。 It was reprehensible of him to be so disloyal.他如此不忠，应受谴责。

10 conjectures
推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 )
参考例句：
That's weighing remote military conjectures against the certain deaths of innocent people. 那不过是牵强附会的军事假设，而现在的事实却是无辜者正在惨遭杀害，这怎能同日而语！ I was right in my conjectures. 我所猜测的都应验了。

11 attachment
n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附
参考例句：
She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。 She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

12 irritability
n.易怒
参考例句：
It was the almost furtive restlessness and irritability that had possessed him. 那是一种一直纠缠着他的隐秘的不安和烦恼。 All organisms have irritability while alive. 所有生物体活着时都有应激性。

13 circumspect
adj.慎重的，谨慎的
参考例句：
She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。 He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。

14 surmises
v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想
参考例句：
The detective is completely correct in his surmises. 这个侦探所推测的完全正确。 来自《简明英汉词典》 As the reader probably surmises, a variety of interest tables exists. 正如读者可能推测的那样，存在着各种各样的利息表。 来自辞典例句

15 friendliness
n.友谊，亲切，亲密
参考例句：
Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。 His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

16 tolerance
n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差
参考例句：
Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。 Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

17 vacillation
n.动摇；忧柔寡断
参考例句：
Vacillation is the cause of his failure.优柔寡断是他失败的原因。 His constant vacillation made him an unfit administrator.他经常优柔寡断，这使他不适合当行政官员。

18 reticence
n.沉默，含蓄
参考例句：
He breaks out of his normal reticence and tells me the whole story.他打破了平时一贯沈默寡言的习惯，把事情原原本本都告诉了我。 He always displays a certain reticence in discussing personal matters.他在谈论个人问题时总显得有些保留。

19 rosy
adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的
参考例句：
She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。 She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

20 placid
adj.安静的，平和的
参考例句：
He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。 You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

21 indifference
n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎
参考例句：
I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。 He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

22 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。

23 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。

24 forfeit
vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物
参考例句：
If you continue to tell lies,you will forfeit the good opinion of everyone.你如果继续撒谎，就会失掉大家对你的好感。 Please pay for the forfeit before you borrow book.在你借书之前请先付清罚款。

25 thoroughly
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。 The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

26 evoke
vt.唤起，引起，使人想起
参考例句：
These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。 Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。

27 hoarse
adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的
参考例句：
He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。 He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

28 foul
adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规
参考例句：
Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。 What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

29 malice
n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋
参考例句：
I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。 There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

30 abruptly
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。 I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

31 ennui
n.怠倦，无聊
参考例句：
Since losing his job,he has often experienced a profound sense of ennui.他自从失业以来，常觉百无聊赖。 Took up a hobby to relieve the ennui of retirement.养成一种嗜好以消除退休后的无聊。

32 jealousy
n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌
参考例句：
Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。 I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

33 exactingness
正确，精确
参考例句：
He pulled himself together and said,"No, we must come to exactness." 他鼓起精神来说：“现在我们必须把事情弄个明白。” This demand for clarity of thought and exactness of definition left his victims confused and reeling. 他这种对思路清晰性和定义严密性的追求使被问者狼狈不堪，头晕目眩。 来自哲学部分

34 impelling
adj.迫使性的，强有力的v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Impelling-binding mechanism is the micro foundation of venture capital operation. 激励约束机制是创业投资运作的微观基础。 来自互联网 Impelling supervision is necessary measure of administrative ethic construction. 强有力的监督是行政伦理建设的重要保证。 来自互联网