The prominent personage among the guests at the dinner party I found to be Mr. Murthwaite.

On his appearance in England, after his wanderings, society had been greatly interested in the traveller, as a man who had passed through many dangerous adventures, and who had escaped to tell the tale. He had now announced his intention of returning to the scene of his exploits, and of penetrating¹ into regions left still unexplored. This magnificent indifference² to placing his safety in peril³ for the second time, revived the flagging interest of the worshippers in the hero. The law of chances was clearly against his escaping on this occasion. It is not every day that we can meet an eminent⁴ person at dinner, and feel that there is a reasonable prospect⁵ of the news of his murder being the news that we hear of him next.

When the gentlemen were left by themselves in the dining-room, I found myself sitting next to Mr. Murthwaite. The guests present being all English, it is needless to say that, as soon as the wholesome⁶ check exercised by the presence of the ladies was removed, the conversation turned on politics as a necessary result.

In respect to this all-absorbing national topic, I happen to be one of the most un-English Englishmen living. As a general rule, political talk appears to me to be of all talk the most dreary⁷ and the most profitless. Glancing at Mr. Murthwaite, when the bottles had made their first round of the table, I found that he was apparently⁸ of my way of thinking. He was doing it very dexterously—with all possible consideration for the feelings of his host—but it is not the less certain that he was composing himself for a nap. It struck me as an experiment worth attempting, to try whether a judicious

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1 penetrating
adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的
参考例句：
He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。 He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

2 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。

3 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

4 eminent
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。 He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

5 prospect
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。 The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 wholesome
adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的
参考例句：
In actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.实际上我喜欢做的事大都是有助于增进身体健康的。 It is not wholesome to eat without washing your hands.不洗手吃饭是不卫生的。

7 dreary
adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的
参考例句：
They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。 She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

8 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 judicious
adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的
参考例句：
We should listen to the judicious opinion of that old man.我们应该听取那位老人明智的意见。 A judicious parent encourages his children to make their own decisions.贤明的父亲鼓励儿女自作抉择。

10 allusion
n.暗示，间接提示
参考例句：
He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。 She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

11 conspiracy
n.阴谋，密谋，共谋
参考例句：
The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。 He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

12 prosaic
adj.单调的，无趣的
参考例句：
The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。 It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

13 inquiry
n.打听，询问，调查，查问
参考例句：
Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。 The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

14 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。

15 vacuity
n.(想象力等)贫乏，无聊，空白
参考例句：
Bertha thought it disconcerted him by rendering evident even to himself the vacuity of his mind. 伯莎认为这对他不利，这种情况甚至清楚地向他自己证明了他心灵的空虚。 Temperature and vacuity rising can enhance osmotic flux visibly. 升高温度和降低膜下游压力可明显提高膜的渗透通量。

16 penetrate
v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解
参考例句：
Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。 The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

17 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。

18 organisation
n.组织，安排，团体，有机休
参考例句：
The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。 His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

19 predecessors
n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身
参考例句：
The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 trumpery
n.无价值的杂物；adj.（物品）中看不中用的
参考例句：
The thing he bought yesterday was trumpery.他昨天买的只是一件没有什么价值的东西。 The trumpery in the house should be weeded out.应该清除房子里里无价值的东西。

21 alluded
提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。 She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

22 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

23 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

24 lodged
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属
参考例句：
The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 interval
n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息
参考例句：
The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。 There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

26 clairvoyance
n.超人的洞察力
参考例句：
Precognition is a form of clairvoyance.预知是超人的洞察力的一种形式。 You did not have to be a clairvoyant to see that the war would go on.就算没有未卜先知的能力也能料到战争会持续下去。

27 refreshment
n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点
参考例句：
He needs to stop fairly often for refreshment.他须时不时地停下来喘口气。 A hot bath is a great refreshment after a day's work.在一天工作之后洗个热水澡真是舒畅。

28 gem
n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel
参考例句：
The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。 The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

29 perilous
adj.危险的，冒险的
参考例句：
The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。 We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

30 marvel
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事
参考例句：
The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。 The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

31 manifestations
n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）
参考例句：
These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》 To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

32 undoubtedly
adv.确实地，无疑地
参考例句：
It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。 He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

33 lurking
潜在
参考例句：
Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？ There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

34 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

35 disappearance
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。 Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

36 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

37 confinement
n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限
参考例句：
He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。 The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

38 rogues
n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽
参考例句：
'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

39 lodging
n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍
参考例句：
The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。 Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

40 variance
n.矛盾，不同
参考例句：
The question of woman suffrage sets them at variance. 妇女参政的问题使他们发生争执。 It is unnatural for brothers to be at variance. 兄弟之间不睦是不近人情的。

41 punctuation
n.标点符号，标点法
参考例句：
My son's punctuation is terrible.我儿子的标点符号很糟糕。 A piece of writing without any punctuation is difficult to understand.一篇没有任何标点符号的文章是很难懂的。

42 antelope
n.羚羊；羚羊皮
参考例句：
Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。 The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

43 specimen
n.样本，标本
参考例句：
You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。 This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

44 mythology
n.神话，神话学，神话集
参考例句：
In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。 He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。

45 deity
n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)
参考例句：
Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。 The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

46 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

47 privately
adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地
参考例句：
Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。 The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

48 magistrate
n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官
参考例句：
The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。 John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

49 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

50 blindfold
vt.蒙住…的眼睛；adj.盲目的；adv.盲目地；n.蒙眼的绷带[布等]； 障眼物，蒙蔽人的事物
参考例句：
They put a blindfold on a horse.他们给马蒙上遮眼布。 I can do it blindfold.我闭着眼睛都能做。

51 windings
（道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手）
参考例句：
The time harmonics can be considered as voltages of higher frequencies applied to the windings. 时间谐波可以看作是施加在绕组上的较高频率的电压。 All the vales in their manifold windings shaded by the most delightful forests. 所有的幽谷，都笼罩在繁茂的垂枝下。

52 labyrinth
n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路
参考例句：
He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。 The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

53 concession
n.让步，妥协；特许(权)
参考例句：
We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。 That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

54 heartily
adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
参考例句：
He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。 The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

55 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。

56 foresight
n.先见之明，深谋远虑
参考例句：
The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。 It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

57 usury
n.高利贷
参考例句：
The interest of usury is unfairly high.高利贷的利息惊人得高。 He used to practise usury frequently.他过去经常放高利贷。

58 conspirators
n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

59 contrived
adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的
参考例句：
There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。 The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

60 dwelling
n.住宅，住所，寓所
参考例句：
Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。 He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

61 penetrated
adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。 They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

62 redeem
v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）
参考例句：
He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。 The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

63 fanatics
狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The heathen temple was torn down by a crowd of religions fanatics. 异教徒的神殿被一群宗教狂热分子拆除了。 Placing nukes in the hands of baby-faced fanatics? 把核弹交给一些宗教狂热者手里？

64 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。

65 narrative
n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的
参考例句：
He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。 Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。