Some time later that afternoon, Mort donned the extra-large red flannel¹ shirt he used as a jacket in the early fall and took the walk he should have taken earlier. Bump the cat followed him long enough to ascertain² that Mort was serious, then returned to the house.

He walked slowly and deliberately³ through an exquisite⁴ afternoon which seemed to be all blue sky, red leaves, and golden air. He walked with his hands stuffed into his pockets, trying to let the lake's quiet work through his skin and calm him down, as it had always done before - he supposed that was the reason he had come here instead of staying in New York, as Amy had expected him to do, while they trundled steadily⁶ along toward divorce. He had come here because it was a magic place, especially in autumn, and he had felt, when he arrived, that if there was a sad sack anywhere on the planet who needed a little magic, he was that person. And if that old magic failed him now that the writing had turned so sour, he wasn't sure what he would do.

It turned out that he didn't need to worry about it. After awhile the silence and that queer atmosphere of suspension which always seemed to possess Tashmore Lake when fall had finally come and the summer people had finally gone began to work on him, loosening him up like gently kneading hands. But now he had something besides John Shooter to think about; he had Amy to think about as well.

'Of course I'm all right,' he'd said, speaking as carefully as a drunk trying to convince people that he's sober. In truth, he was still so muzzy that he felt a little bit drunk. The shapes of words felt too big in his mouth, like chunks⁷ of soft, friable⁸ rock, and he had proceeded with great care, groping his way through the opening formalities and gambits of telephone conversation as if for the first time. 'How are you?'

'Oh, fine, I'm fine,' she said, and then trilled the quick little laugh which usually meant she was either

点击收听单词发音  

1 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。

2 ascertain
vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清
参考例句：
It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。 We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

3 deliberately
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。 They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

4 exquisite
adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的
参考例句：
I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。 I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

5 ted
vt.翻晒，撒，撒开
参考例句：
The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。 She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

6 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

7 chunks
厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分
参考例句：
a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块 Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

8 friable
adj.易碎的
参考例句：
The friable boxes arrived intact.这些易碎的箱子完整无损地运到了。 The friable china survived the bumpy journey safe and sound.那批易碎的瓷器经过颠簸的旅途仍完好无损。

9 flirting
v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Don't take her too seriously; she's only flirting with you. 别把她太当真，她只不过是在和你调情罢了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 'she's always flirting with that new fellow Tseng!" “她还同新来厂里那个姓曾的吊膀子！ 来自子夜部分

10 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。

11 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。

12 marvelled
v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
I marvelled that he suddenly left college. 我对他突然离开大学感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I marvelled at your boldness. 我对你的大胆感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 rogue
n.流氓；v.游手好闲
参考例句：
The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。 They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

14 cedar
n.雪松，香柏(木)
参考例句：
The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。 She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

15 shingles
n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板
参考例句：
Shingles are often dipped in creosote. 屋顶板常浸涂木焦油。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The roofs had shingles missing. 一些屋顶板不见了。 来自辞典例句

16 detested
v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
They detested each other on sight. 他们互相看着就不顺眼。 The freethinker hated the formalist; the lover of liberty detested the disciplinarian. 自由思想者总是不喜欢拘泥形式者，爱好自由者总是憎恶清规戒律者。 来自辞典例句

17 flustered
adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

18 posturing
做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。 She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

19 defensive
adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的
参考例句：
Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。 The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

20 annoyance
n.恼怒，生气，烦恼
参考例句：
Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？ I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

21 musing
n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式
参考例句：
"At Tellson's banking-house at nine," he said, with a musing face. “九点在台尔森银行大厦见面，”他想道。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记 She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute. 她把那件上衣放到一边，站着沉思了一会儿。

22 hissed
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句：
Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？ The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

23 impervious
adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的
参考例句：
He was completely impervious to criticism.他对批评毫不在乎。 This material is impervious to gases and liquids.气体和液体都透不过这种物质。

24 conceit
n.自负，自高自大
参考例句：
As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。 She seems to be eaten up with her own conceit.她仿佛已经被骄傲冲昏了头脑。

25 defiant
adj.无礼的，挑战的
参考例句：
With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。 He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

26 swap
n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易
参考例句：
I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。 This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

27 accusations
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名
参考例句：
There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。 He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。