'You stole my story,' the man on the doorstep said. 'You stole my story and something's got to be done about it. Right is right and fair is fair and something has to be done.'

Morton Rainey, who had just gotten up from a nap and who was still feeling only halfway¹ into the real world, didn't have the slightest idea what to say. This was never the case when he was at work, sick or well, wide awake or half asleep; he was a writer, and hardly ever at a loss when it became necessary to fill a character's mouth with a snappy comeback. Rainey opened his mouth, found no snappy comeback there (not even a limp one, in fact), and so closed it again.

He thought: This man doesn't look exactly real. He looks like a character out of a novel by William Faulkner.

This was of no help in resolving the situation, but it was undeniably true. The man who had rung Rainey's doorbell out here in the western Maine version of nowhere looked about forty-five. He was very thin. His face was calm, almost serene², but carved with deep lines. They moved horizontally across his high brow in regular waves, cut vertically³ downward from the ends of his thin lips to his jawline, and radiated outward in tiny sprays from the corners of his eyes. The eyes were bright, unfaded blue. Rainey couldn't tell what color his hair was; he wore a large black hat with a round crown planted squarely on his head. The underside of the brim touched the tops of his ears. It looked like the sort of hat Quakers wore. He had no sideburns, either, and for all Morton Rainey knew, he might be as bald as Telly Savalas under that round-crowned felt hat.

He was wearing a blue work-shirt. It was buttoned neatly⁴ all the way to the loose, razor-reddened flesh of his neck, although he wore no tie. The bottom of the shirt disappeared into a pair of blue-jeans that looked a little too big for the man who was wearing them. They ended in cuffs⁵ which lay neatly on a pair of faded yellow work-shoes which looked made for walking in a furrow⁶ of played-out earth about three and a half feet behind a mule's

点击收听单词发音  

1 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

2 serene
adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的
参考例句：
He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。 He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

3 vertically
adv.垂直地
参考例句：
Line the pages for the graph both horizontally and vertically.在这几页上同时画上横线和竖线，以便制作图表。 The human brain is divided vertically down the middle into two hemispheres.人脑从中央垂直地分为两半球。

4 neatly
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。 The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

5 cuffs
n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
a collar and cuffs of white lace 带白色蕾丝花边的衣领和袖口 The cuffs of his shirt were fraying. 他衬衣的袖口磨破了。

6 furrow
n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹
参考例句：
The tractor has make deep furrow in the loose sand.拖拉机在松软的沙土上留下了深深的车辙。 Mei did not weep.She only bit her lips,and the furrow in her brow deepened.梅埋下头，她咬了咬嘴唇皮，额上的皱纹显得更深了。

7 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

8 sublimely
高尚地，卓越地
参考例句：
In devotion woman is sublimely superior to man. 怜悯是女子胜过男子的德性之一。 She was sublimely unaware of how foolish she looked. 她根本不知道她的样子多愚蠢。

9 reiterated
反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
"Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

10 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 overdue
adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的
参考例句：
The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。 The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

12 fabled
adj.寓言中的，虚构的
参考例句：
For the first week he never actually saw the fabled Jack. 第一周他实际上从没见到传说中的杰克。 Aphrodite, the Greek goddness of love, is fabled to have been born of the foam of the sea. 希腊爱神阿美罗狄蒂据说是诞生于海浪泡沫之中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 chagrin
n.懊恼；气愤；委屈
参考例句：
His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。 Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

14 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。

15 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。

16 quail
n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖
参考例句：
Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。 Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

17 wagon
n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车
参考例句：
We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。 The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

18 optometrist
n.验光师，配镜师
参考例句：
Where can I find a good optometrist?我在哪里能找一个好的验光师呢？ If you need glasses,you should see an optometrist.若是你要配眼镜，你要找去验光师。

19 culminated
v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战 The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 eerily
adv.引起神秘感或害怕地
参考例句：
It was nearly mid-night and eerily dark all around her. 夜深了，到处是一片黑黝黝的怪影。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译 The vast volcanic slope was eerily reminiscent of a lunar landscape. 开阔的火山坡让人心生怪异地联想起月球的地貌。 来自辞典例句

21 grievance
n.怨愤，气恼，委屈
参考例句：
He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。 He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

22 pompous
adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的
参考例句：
He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。 He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

23 compartment
n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间
参考例句：
We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。 The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。

24 sinuously
弯曲的，蜿蜒的
参考例句：
the sinuous grace of a cat 猫的灵活优美 The river wound its sinuous way across the plain. 这条河蜿蜒曲折地流过平原。

25 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。 The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

26 plagiarism
n.剽窃，抄袭
参考例句：
Teachers in America fight to control cheating and plagiarism.美国老师们努力对付欺骗和剽窃的问题。 Now he's in real trouble.He's accused of plagiarism.现在他是真遇到麻烦了。他被指控剽窃。

27 outweighed
v.在重量上超过( outweigh的过去式和过去分词 )；在重要性或价值方面超过
参考例句：
This boxer outweighed by his opponent 20 pounds. 这个拳击选手体重比他的对手重20磅。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She outweighed me by ten pounds, and sometimes she knocked me down. 她的体重超过我十磅，有时竟把我撞倒。 来自百科语句

28 muster
v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册
参考例句：
Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。 I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

29 liking
n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢
参考例句：
The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。 I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

30 retarded
a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的
参考例句：
The progression of the disease can be retarded by early surgery. 早期手术可以抑制病情的发展。 He was so slow that many thought him mentally retarded. 他迟钝得很，许多人以为他智力低下。

31 fully
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。 They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

32 subpoena
n.（法律）传票；v.传讯
参考例句：
He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。 Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

33 marvelling
v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的现在分词 )
参考例句：
\"Yes,'said the clerk, marvelling at such ignorance of a common fact. “是的，\"那人说，很奇怪她竟会不知道这么一件普通的事情。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Chueh-hui watched, marvelling at how easy it was for people to forget. 觉慧默默地旁观着这一切，他也忍不住笑了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

34 dynamite
n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)
参考例句：
The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。 The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

35 realization
n.实现；认识到，深刻了解
参考例句：
We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。 He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

36 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。

37 thump
v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声
参考例句：
The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。 The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。

38 cuffed
v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She cuffed the boy on the side of the head. 她向这男孩的头上轻轻打了一巴掌。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Mother cuffed the dog when she found it asleep on a chair. 妈妈发现狗睡在椅子上就用手把狗打跑了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

39 license
n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许
参考例句：
The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。 The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。