Pitcher¹, confidential² clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker³, allowed a look of mild interest and surprise to visit his usually expressionless countenance⁴ when his employer briskly entered at half past nine in company with his young lady stenographer⁵. With a snappy Good-morning, Pitcher, Maxwell dashed at his desk as though he were intending to leap over it, and then plunged⁶ into the great heap of letters and telegrams waiting there for him.

The young lady had been Maxwell's stenographer for a year. She was beautiful in a way that was decidedly unstenographic. She forewent the pomp of the alluring⁷ pompadour. She wore no chains, bracelets⁸ or lockets. She had not the air of being about to accept an invitation to luncheon⁹. Her dress was grey and plain, but it fitted her figure with fidelity¹⁰ and discretion¹¹. In her neat black turban hat was the gold-green wing of a macaw. On this morning she was softly and shyly radiant. Her eyes were dreamily bright, her cheeks genuine peachblow, her expression a happy one, tinged¹² with reminiscence.

Pitcher, still mildly curious, noticed a difference in her ways this morning. Instead of going straight into the adjoining room, where her desk was, she lingered, slightly

点击收听单词发音  

1 pitcher
n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手
参考例句：
He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。 Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

2 confidential
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。 We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

3 broker
n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排
参考例句：
He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。 I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

4 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

5 stenographer
n.速记员
参考例句：
The police stenographer recorded the man's confession word by word. 警察局速记员逐字记下了那个人的供词。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A qualified stenographer is not necessarily a competent secretary. 一个合格的速记员不一定就是个称职的秘书。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。 She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

7 alluring
adj.吸引人的，迷人的
参考例句：
The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。 Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。

8 bracelets
n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》 On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 luncheon
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。

10 fidelity
n.忠诚，忠实；精确
参考例句：
There is nothing like a dog's fidelity.没有什么能比得上狗的忠诚。 His fidelity and industry brought him speedy promotion.他的尽职及勤奋使他很快地得到晋升。

11 discretion
n.谨慎；随意处理
参考例句：
You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。 Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

12 tinged
v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事 white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣

13 irresolute
adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的
参考例句：
Irresolute persons make poor victors.优柔寡断的人不会成为胜利者。 His opponents were too irresolute to call his bluff.他的对手太优柔寡断,不敢接受挑战。

14 impersonal
adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的
参考例句：
Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。 His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。

15 anthropology
n.人类学
参考例句：
I believe he has started reading up anthropology.我相信他已开始深入研究人类学。 Social anthropology is centrally concerned with the diversity of culture.社会人类学主要关于文化多样性。

16 straps
n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带
参考例句：
the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带 The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

17 chronic
adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的
参考例句：
Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。 Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

18 throng
n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集
参考例句：
A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。 The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

19 jovially
adv.愉快地，高兴地
参考例句：
"Hello, Wilson, old man,'said Tom, slapping him jovially on the shoulder. "How's business?" “哈罗，威尔逊，你这家伙，”汤姆说，一面嘻嘻哈哈地拍拍他的肩膀，“生意怎么样？” 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比 Hall greeted him jovially enough, but Gorman and Walson scowled as they grunted curt "Good Mornings." 霍尔兴致十足地向他打招呼，戈曼和沃森却满脸不豫之色，敷衍地咕哝句“早安”。 来自辞典例句

20 animation
n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作
参考例句：
They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。 The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

21 landslides
山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数
参考例句：
Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。 The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

22 glaciers
冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。 It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

23 disturbances
n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍
参考例句：
The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。 Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

24 transacted
v.办理（业务等）( transact的过去式和过去分词 )；交易，谈判
参考例句：
We transacted business with the firm. 我们和这家公司交易。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Major Pendennis transacted his benevolence by deputy and by post. 潘登尼斯少校依靠代理人和邮局，实施着他的仁爱之心。 来自辞典例句

25 agility
n.敏捷，活泼
参考例句：
The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。 His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

26 canopy
n.天篷，遮篷
参考例句：
The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。 They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

27 velvet
n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的
参考例句：
This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。 The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

28 ostrich
n.鸵鸟
参考例句：
Ostrich is the fastest animal on two legs.驼鸟是双腿跑得最快的动物。 The ostrich indeed inhabits continents.鸵鸟确实是生活在大陆上的。

29 beads
n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链
参考例句：
a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链 Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

30 construe
v.翻译，解释
参考例句：
He had tried to construe a passage from Homer.他曾尝试注释荷马著作的一段文字。 You can construe what he said in a number of different ways.他的话可以有好几种解释。

31 countermand
v.撤回(命令)，取消(订货)
参考例句：
I have now to countermand that order,in consequence of the receipting of the letter this morning.由于今日上午才收到来函，现在只好取消那份订单。 The general countermand the orders issued in his absence.将军撤销了他不在时所发布的命令。

32 investors
n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子 a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

33 margins
边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数
参考例句：
They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。 To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

34 lull
v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇
参考例句：
The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。 Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

35 uproar
n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸
参考例句：
She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。 His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

36 memoranda
n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式
参考例句：
There were memoranda, minutes of meetings, officialflies, notes of verbal di scussions. 有备忘录，会议记录，官方档案，口头讨论的手记。 Now it was difficult to get him to address memoranda. 而现在，要他批阅备忘录都很困难。

37 strings
n.弦
参考例句：
He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。 She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

38 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

39 vividly
adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地
参考例句：
The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。 The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。

40 tangibly
adv.可触摸的，可触知地，明白地
参考例句：
Suddenly the problem of future loomed tangibly for me. 突然，前途的问题明确地出现在我眼前。 来自辞典例句 Virtue is tangibly rewarded. 善行得到具体的报答。 来自互联网

41 dwindled
v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。 His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 speck
n.微粒，小污点，小斑点
参考例句：
I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。 The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

43 restively
adv.倔强地，难以驾御地
参考例句：
To stop short and turn restively from side to side;balk. 徘徊不前停止不前且踌躇不前；畏缩不前。 来自互联网 He sat down again, restively. 他又倔强地坐了下来。 来自互联网

44 amazement
n.惊奇，惊讶
参考例句：
All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。 He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。