The Thirty-nine Steps
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Chapter IX The Thirty-Nine Steps

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 “Nonsense!” said the official from the Admiralty.
Sir Walter got up and left the room while we looked blankly at the table. He came back in ten minutes with a long face. “I have spoken to Alloa,” he said. “Had him out of bed—very grumpy. He went straight home after Mulross’s dinner.”
“But it’s madness,” broke in General Winstanley. “Do you mean to tell me that that man came here and sat beside me for the best part of half an hour and that I didn’t detect the imposture2? Alloa must be out of his mind.”
“Don’t you see the cleverness of it?” I said. “You were too interested in other things to have any eyes. You took Lord Alloa for granted. If it had been anybody else you might have looked more closely, but it was natural for him to be here, and that put you all to sleep.”
Then the Frenchman spoke1, very slowly and in good English.
“The young man is right. His psychology3 is good. Our enemies have not been foolish!”
He bent4 his wise brows on the assembly.
“I will tell you a tale,” he said. “It happened many years ago in Senegal. I was quartered in a remote station, and to pass the time used to go fishing for big barbel in the river. A little Arab mare5 used to carry my luncheon6 basket—one of the salted dun breed you got at Timbuctoo in the old days. Well, one morning I had good sport, and the mare was unaccountably restless. I could hear her whinnying and squealing7 and stamping her feet, and I kept soothing8 her with my voice while my mind was intent on fish. I could see her all the time, as I thought, out of a corner of my eye, tethered to a tree twenty yards away. After a couple of hours I began to think of food. I collected my fish in a

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1 spoke XryyC     
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。
2 imposture mcZzL     
n.冒名顶替，欺骗
参考例句：
  • Soiled by her imposture she remains silent.她背着冒名顶替者的黑锅却一直沉默。
  • If they knew,they would see through his imposture straight away.要是他们知道，他们会立即识破他的招摇撞骗行为。
3 psychology U0Wze     
n.心理，心理学，心理状态
参考例句：
  • She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
  • He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
4 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
5 mare Y24y3     
n.母马，母驴
参考例句：
  • The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
  • The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。
6 luncheon V8az4     
n.午宴，午餐，便宴
参考例句：
  • We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
  • I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。
7 squealing b55ccc77031ac474fd1639ff54a5ad9e     
v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • Pigs were grunting and squealing in the yard. 猪在院子里哼哼地叫个不停。
  • The pigs were squealing. 猪尖叫着。
8 soothing soothing     
adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的
参考例句：
  • Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
  • His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。
9 tarpaulin nIszk     
n.涂油防水布，防水衣，防水帽
参考例句：
  • The pool furniture was folded,stacked,and covered with a tarpaulin.游泳池的设备都已经折叠起来，堆在那里，还盖上了防水布。
  • The pool furniture was folded,stacked,and covered with a tarpaulin.游泳池的设备都已经折叠起来，堆在那里，还盖上了防水布。
10 err 2izzk     
vi.犯错误，出差错
参考例句：
  • He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
  • The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。
11 yarn LMpzM     
n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事
参考例句：
  • I stopped to have a yarn with him.我停下来跟他聊天。
  • The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
12 jaws cq9zZq     
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
13 brute GSjya     
n.野兽，兽性
参考例句：
  • The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
  • That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。
14 fretting fretting     
n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的
参考例句：
  • Fretting about it won't help. 苦恼于事无补。
  • The old lady is always fretting over something unimportant. 那位老妇人总是为一些小事焦虑不安。
15 tawny tIBzi     
adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色
参考例句：
  • Her black hair springs in fine strands across her tawny,ruddy cheek.她的一头乌发分披在健康红润的脸颊旁。
  • None of them noticed a large,tawny owl flutter past the window.他们谁也没注意到一只大的、褐色的猫头鹰飞过了窗户。
16 preoccupied TPBxZ     
adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)
参考例句：
  • He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
  • The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 gainsay ozAyL     
v.否认，反驳
参考例句：
  • She is a fine woman-that nobody can gainsay.她是个好女人无人能否认。
  • No one will gainsay his integrity.没有人对他的正直有话可讲。
18 dispositions eee819c0d17bf04feb01fd4dcaa8fe35     
安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质
参考例句：
  • We got out some information about the enemy's dispositions from the captured enemy officer. 我们从捕获的敌军官那里问出一些有关敌军部署的情况。
  • Elasticity, solubility, inflammability are paradigm cases of dispositions in natural objects. 伸缩性、可缩性、易燃性是天然物体倾向性的范例。
19 acumen qVgzn     
n.敏锐，聪明
参考例句：
  • She has considerable business acumen.她的经营能力绝非一般。
  • His business acumen has made his very successful.他的商业头脑使他很成功。
20 glum klXyF     
adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的
参考例句：
  • He was a charming mixture of glum and glee.他是一个很有魅力的人，时而忧伤时而欢笑。
  • She laughed at his glum face.她嘲笑他闷闷不乐的脸。
21 rogues dacf8618aed467521e2383308f5bb4d9     
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
22 snug 3TvzG     
adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房
参考例句：
  • He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
  • She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。
23 chambers c053984cd45eab1984d2c4776373c4fe     
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅
参考例句：
  • The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网
24 unearthed e4d49b43cc52eefcadbac6d2e94bb832     
出土的（考古）
参考例句：
  • Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
  • Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。
25 riddle WCfzw     
n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜
参考例句：
  • The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
  • Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。
26 distinguished wu9z3v     
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
  • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
  • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
27 scribble FDxyY     
v.潦草地书写，乱写，滥写；n.潦草的写法，潦草写成的东西，杂文
参考例句：
  • She can't write yet,but she loves to scribble with a pencil.她现在还不会写字，但她喜欢用铅笔乱涂。
  • I can't read this scribble.我看不懂这种潦草的字。
28 inspector q6kxH     
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
  • The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
29 naval h1lyU     
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。
30 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地
参考例句：
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
31 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵
参考例句：
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • 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。
32 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
33 villas 00c79f9e4b7b15e308dee09215cc0427     
别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅
参考例句：
  • Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。
  • Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。
34 scent WThzs     
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
  • The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
  • The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。
35 eminent dpRxn     
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。

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