Early in 1766,— New Style,— reversing the Directions taken the year before, Mason sets off southward "to see the Country," whilst Dixon,— mention'd in the Field-Book only upon Mason's return, as having left Philadelphia, upon the eighteenth of March, to meet with the Commis?sioners at Chester Town,— in fact heads north for the lighted Streets of New-York.
At a Theater with no name, no fix'd address,— this night happ'ning to be upon Broad-Way,— printing no Handbills, known only by word of mouth, Dixon upon the advice of a Ferry-Companion attends a Stage performance of the musical drama The Black Hole of Calcutta, or, The Peevish¹ Wazir. Before a backdrop of Fort William (executed with such an obsessively² fine respect for detail, that during the Work's Longueurs, with the aid of a Glass, one may observe, pictur'd upon the Tableau³, sub-ordinate Dramas as if in progress,— meetings of the Management, hands clutching throats or leveling Pistols, farewells by the landing, the steaming pale forever-unreachable Hooghly and the Ships waiting to go away, leaving behind the Unspeakable), a Corps⁴ of two dozen Ladies appear, strolling about in quasi-Indian Dress and singing, to the (as some would say) inappropriately lively Accompaniment of a small Orchestra,
In the Black Hole of Calcut-ta, One scarcely knows quite what t' Make of Things they groan⁵ and mut-ter, Why, 'tis cheerier in the Gut-ter.—
Being dark and ooh so stuf-fy, Little Su-gar for one's Cof-fee, And the Na-tives, rah-ther huf-fy,— And the Pil-lows far from fluf-fy,—
Ask of an-y, Bengal-i,
How's the Black Hole, to-night,—
Don't expect him, to be jol-ly,
For there's something, not-quite right! as
The Lamps begin to sput-ter, All will not be Scones⁶ and But-ter, When the door's at last been shut to That Black Hole of Cal-cut-ta! La,— la,— la-la, la-la, la-la...
The Story, as near as Dixon can make out, is about a British officer whose Rivalry

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1 peevish
adj.易怒的，坏脾气的
参考例句：
A peevish child is unhappy and makes others unhappy.一个脾气暴躁的孩子自己不高兴也使别人不高兴。 She glared down at me with a peevish expression on her face.她低头瞪着我，一脸怒气。

2 obsessively
ad.着迷般地，过分地
参考例句：
Peter was obsessively jealous and his behaviour was driving his wife away. 彼得过分嫉妒的举止令他的妻子想离他而去。 He's rude to his friends and obsessively jealous. 他对他的朋友很无礼而且嫉妒心重。

3 tableau
n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面）
参考例句：
The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.这部电影的画面生动地描绘了军人的生活。 History is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.历史不过是由罪恶和灾难构成的静止舞台造型罢了。

4 corps
n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组
参考例句：
The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。 When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 groan
vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音
参考例句：
The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。 The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

6 scones
n.烤饼，烤小圆面包( scone的名词复数 )
参考例句：
scones and jam with clotted cream 夹有凝脂奶油和果酱的烤饼 She makes scones and cakes for the delectation of visitors. 她烘制了烤饼和蛋糕供客人享用。 来自辞典例句

7 rivalry
n.竞争，竞赛，对抗
参考例句：
The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。 He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

8 catchy
adj.易记住的，诡诈的，易使人上当的
参考例句：
We need a new slogan.The old one's not catchy enough.我们需要新的口号，旧的不够吸引人。 The chorus is very catchy to say the least.副歌部分很容易上口。

9 tunes
n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调
参考例句：
a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦 When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vacuous
adj.空的，漫散的，无聊的，愚蠢的
参考例句：
Male models are not always so vacuous as they are made out to be.男模特儿并不总像人们说的那样愚蠢。 His eyes looked dull,almost vacuous.他看上去目光呆滞，茫然若失。

11 hued
有某种色调的
参考例句：
Our hands were variedly hued by handling all the chemicals. 因为处理多种化学药剂，我们的手上染上了各种颜色。 In highlights it hued to a dull silver-grey. 在高光部分，它被染成暗淡的银灰色。

12 diaphanous
adj.(布)精致的，半透明的
参考例句：
She was wearing a dress of diaphanous silk.她穿着一件薄如蝉翼的绸服。 We have only a diaphanous hope of success.我们只有隐约的成功希望。

13 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

14 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

15 innocence
n.无罪；天真；无害
参考例句：
There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。 The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

16 scents
n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉
参考例句：
The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。 The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 exertion
n.尽力，努力
参考例句：
We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。 She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

18 clatter
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声
参考例句：
The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。 Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

19 punctuated
v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物
参考例句：
Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。 The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 tavern
n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店
参考例句：
There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。 Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。

21 intrigue
vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋
参考例句：
Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。 The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。

22 crucible
n.坩锅，严酷的考验
参考例句：
The alliance had been forged in the crucible of war.这个联盟经受了战争的严峻考验。 Put the required amount of metal into the crucible.把适量的金属放入坩埚。

23 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

24 ministry
n.(政府的)部；牧师
参考例句：
They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。 We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

25 gatherings
聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集
参考例句：
His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。 During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

26 tar
n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于
参考例句：
The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。 We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

27 recollect
v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得
参考例句：
He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。 She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

28 sweeping
adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的
参考例句：
The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。 Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

29 pint
n.品脱
参考例句：
I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。 In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前，花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。

30 commingling
v.混合，掺和，合并( commingle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Sexual reproduction can bring about genetic commingling. 有性繁殖可取得杂交遗传。 来自辞典例句 How do you prevent commingling of certified with non certified products after harvest? 如何避免收获后认证与非认证产品的混淆？ 来自互联网

31 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。

32 secular
n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的
参考例句：
We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。 Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

33 clearance
n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理
参考例句：
There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。 The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

34 alligators
n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句 In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句

35 belle
n.靓女
参考例句：
She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。 She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

36 vilely
adv.讨厌地，卑劣地
参考例句：

37 chuckling
轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I could hear him chuckling to himself as he read his book. 他看书时，我能听见他的轻声发笑。 He couldn't help chuckling aloud. 他忍不住的笑了出来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

38 nought
n.／adj.无，零
参考例句：
We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。 One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

39 controverts
v.争论，反驳，否定( controvert的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：

40 musket
n.滑膛枪
参考例句：
I hunted with a musket two years ago.两年前我用滑膛枪打猎。 So some seconds passed,till suddenly Joyce whipped up his musket and fired.又过了几秒钟，突然，乔伊斯端起枪来开了火。

41 prudent
adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的
参考例句：
A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。 You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

42 memento
n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西
参考例句：
The photos will be a permanent memento of your wedding.这些照片会成为你婚礼的永久纪念。 My friend gave me his picture as a memento before going away.我的朋友在离别前给我一张照片留作纪念品。

43 awaken
vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起
参考例句：
Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。 Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

44 barge
n.平底载货船，驳船
参考例句：
The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。 Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

45 severely
adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地
参考例句：
He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。 He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

46 offense
n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪
参考例句：
I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。 His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

47 amiably
adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地
参考例句：
She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。 Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

48 rattling
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词
参考例句：
This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。 At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

49 defective
adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的
参考例句：
The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。 If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

50 subdued
adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。 I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

51 wigs
n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They say that wigs will be coming in again this year. 据说今年又要流行戴假发了。 来自辞典例句 Frank, we needed more wigs than we thought, and we have to do some advertising. 弗兰克，因为我们需要更多的假发，而且我们还要做点广告。 来自电影对白

52 mortars
n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵
参考例句：
They could not move their heavy mortars over the swampy ground. 他们无法把重型迫击炮移过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Where the hell are his mortars? 他有迫击炮吗？ 来自教父部分

53 ensemble
n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果
参考例句：
We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。 It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

54 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。

55 merging
合并（分类）
参考例句：
Many companies continued to grow by merging with or buying competing firms. 许多公司通过合并或收买竞争对手的公司而不断扩大。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件 To sequence by repeated splitting and merging. 用反复分开和合并的方法进行的排序。

56 plasma
n.血浆，细胞质，乳清
参考例句：
Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。 The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。

57 bluff
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
参考例句：
His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。 John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

58 coastal
adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的
参考例句：
The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。 This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

59 jerseys
n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The maximum quantity of cotton jerseys this year is about DM25,000. 平方米的羊毛地毯超过了以往的订货。 来自口语例句 The NBA is mulling the prospect of stitching advertising logos onto jerseys. 大意：NBA官方正在酝酿一个大煞风景的计划——把广告标志绣上球服！ 来自互联网

60 creeks
n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪
参考例句：
The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句 There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

61 coves
n.小海湾( cove的名词复数 )；家伙
参考例句：
Grenada's unique layout includes many finger-like coves, making the island a popular destination. 格林纳达独特的地形布局包括许多手指状的洞穴，使得这个岛屿成为一个受人欢迎的航海地。 来自互联网

62 deferring
v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从
参考例句：
Recently, the Supreme Court has focused on an additional reason for deferring to administrative agencies. 最近，最高法院强调了尊重行政机构的另一种理由。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法 Think of it as deferring part of the compiler's job to runtime. 可以认为这是将编译器的部分工作延迟到了运行时。 来自互联网

63 sentimental
adj.多愁善感的，感伤的
参考例句：
She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。 We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

64 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。

65 tribal
adj.部族的，种族的
参考例句：
He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。 The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

66 ledger
n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿
参考例句：
The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。 She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。

67 canny
adj.谨慎的，节俭的
参考例句：
He was far too canny to risk giving himself away.他非常谨慎，不会冒险暴露自己。 But I'm trying to be a little canny about it.但是我想对此谨慎一些。

68 slanderously
造谣中伤地，诽谤地
参考例句：

69 sluggish
adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的
参考例句：
This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。 Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

70 naval
adj.海军的，军舰的，船的
参考例句：
He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。 The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

71 swill
v.冲洗；痛饮；n.泔脚饲料；猪食；（谈话或写作中的）无意义的话
参考例句：
Having finished his coffee,he swilled out the mug and left it on the draining board.喝完咖啡后，他涮了涮杯子然后把它放在滴水板上。 A crowd of men were standing around swilling beer.一群人正站在一起痛饮啤酒。

72 glower
v.怒目而视
参考例句：
He glowered at me but said nothing.他怒视着我，却一言不发。 He glowered and glared,but she steadfastly refused to look his way.他怒目而视，但是她铁了心不肯朝他这边看。

73 loyalty
n.忠诚，忠心
参考例句：
She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。 His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

74 pact
n.合同，条约，公约，协定
参考例句：
The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。 The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

75 inertia
adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝
参考例句：
We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。 Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。

76 brew
v.酿造，调制
参考例句：
Let's brew up some more tea.咱们沏些茶吧。 The policeman dispelled the crowd lest they should brew trouble.警察驱散人群，因恐他们酿祸。