她已经长到十七岁，还不曾见到一个足以使她动情的可爱青年，也不曾使别人为她倾倒过，除了一些很有限度和瞬息即逝的羡慕之外，还不曾使人对她萌发过任何倾慕之心。这着实奇怪！但是，如果找准了原因．事情再怪也总能说个分明。原来，这附近一带没有一个勋爵，甚至连个准男爵都没有。她们相识的人家中，没有哪一家抚养过一个偶然在家门口拣到的弃婴，也没有一个出身不明的青年。凯瑟琳的父亲没有被保护人，教区里的乡绅又无儿无女。

但是，当一位年轻小姐命中注定要做女主角的时候，即使方圆左近有四十户人家从中作梗，也拦她不住。事情的发展，定会给她送来一位男主角。

莫兰一家住在威尔特郡的富勒顿村，村镇一带的产业大部分归一位艾伦先生所有。艾伦先生听了医生的嘱咐，准备去巴思疗养痛风病。他的太太是个和悦的女人，很喜爱莫兰小姐。她八成知道：如果一位年轻小姐在本村遇不到什么奇缘，那她应该到外地去寻求。于是便约凯瑟琳同去巴思。莫兰夫妇欣然同意，凯瑟琳也满心喜悦。

点击收听单词发音  

1 infancy
n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期
参考例句：
He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。 Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

2 disposition
n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。 He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

3 addicted
adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的
参考例句：
He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。 She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

4 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 ward
n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开
参考例句：
The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。 During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

6 lank
adj.瘦削的；稀疏的
参考例句：
He rose to lank height and grasped Billy McMahan's hand.他瘦削的身躯站了起来，紧紧地握住比利·麦默恩的手。 The old man has lank hair.那位老人头发稀疏

7 heroism
n.大无畏精神，英勇
参考例句：
He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。 Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。

8 enjoyments
愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受
参考例句：
He is fond of worldly enjoyments. 他喜爱世俗的享乐。 The humanities and amenities of life had no attraction for him--its peaceful enjoyments no charm. 对他来说，生活中的人情和乐趣并没有吸引力——生活中的恬静的享受也没有魅力。

9 mischief
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。 He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

10 conjectured
推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The old peasant conjectured that it would be an unusually cold winter. 那老汉推测冬天将会异常地寒冷。 The general conjectured that the enemy only had about five days' supply of food left. 将军推测敌人只剩下五天的粮食给养。

11 propensities
n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 )
参考例句：
This paper regarded AFT as a criterion to estimate slagging propensities. 文中以灰熔点作为判断煤灰结渣倾向的标准。 来自互联网 Our results demonstrate that different types of authoritarian regime face different propensities to develop toward democracy. 本文研究结果显示，不同的威权主义政体所面对的民主发展倾向是不同的。 来自互联网

12 fable
n.寓言；童话；神话
参考例句：
The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。 He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

13 tinkling
n.丁当作响声
参考例句：
I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能听到远处叮当铃响。 To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他说话，犹如听一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬响。 来自英汉文学

14 accomplished
adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的
参考例句：
Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。 Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

15 writ
n.命令状，书面命令
参考例句：
This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。 You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

16 proficiency
n.精通，熟练，精练
参考例句：
He plied his trade and gained proficiency in it.他勤习手艺，技术渐渐达到了十分娴熟的地步。 How do you think of your proficiency in written and spoken English?你认为你的书面英语和口语熟练程度如何？

17 profligacy
n.放荡，不检点，肆意挥霍
参考例句：
Subsequently, this statement was quoted widely in the colony as an evidence of profligacy. 结果这句话成为肆意挥霍的一个例证在那块领地里传开了。 来自辞典例句 Recession, they reason, must be a penance for past profligacy. 经济衰退，他们推断，肯定是对过去大肆挥霍的赎罪。 来自互联网

18 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。

19 complexion
n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格
参考例句：
Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。 Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

20 softened
（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰
参考例句：
His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。 The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

21 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。

22 inclination
n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好
参考例句：
She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。 I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

23 inevitably
adv.不可避免地；必然发生地
参考例句：
In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。 Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

24 quotations
n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价
参考例句：
The insurance company requires three quotations for repairs to the car. 保险公司要修理这辆汽车的三家修理厂的报价单。 来自《简明英汉词典》 These quotations cannot readily be traced to their sources. 这些引语很难查出出自何处。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 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。

26 vicissitudes
n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废
参考例句：
He experienced several great social vicissitudes in his life. 他一生中经历了几次大的社会变迁。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A man used to vicissitudes is not easily dejected. 饱经沧桑，不易沮丧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 censure
v./n.责备；非难；责难
参考例句：
You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。 His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

28 woe
n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌
参考例句：
Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。 A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

29 fragrance
n.芬芳，香味，香气
参考例句：
The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。 The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

30 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

31 confirmation
n.证实，确认，批准
参考例句：
We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。 We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

32 beetle
n.甲虫，近视眼的人
参考例句：
A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。 He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

33 pang
n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷
参考例句：
She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。 She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

34 sonnets
n.十四行诗( sonnet的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Keats' reputation as a great poet rests largely upon the odes and the later sonnets. 作为一个伟大的诗人，济慈的声誉大部分建立在他写的长诗和后期的十四行诗上。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He referred to the manuscript circulation of the sonnets. 他谈到了十四行诗手稿的流行情况。 来自辞典例句

35 raptures
极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Her heart melted away in secret raptures. 她暗自高兴得心花怒放。 The mere thought of his bride moves Pinkerton to raptures. 一想起新娘，平克顿不禁心花怒放。

36 prelude
n.序言，前兆，序曲
参考例句：
The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。 The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

37 fatigue
n.疲劳，劳累
参考例句：
The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。 I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

38 sketch
n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述
参考例句：
My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。 I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

39 miserably
adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地
参考例句：
The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。 It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

40 portray
v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)
参考例句：
It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。 Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

41 amiable
adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的
参考例句：
She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。 We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

42 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

43 admiration
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。 We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

44 squire
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句：
I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。 The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

45 perverseness
n. 乖张, 倔强, 顽固
参考例句：
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness spirit. 温良的舌是生命树，乖谬的嘴使人心碎。 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is spirit. 说安慰话的舌头是生命树；奸恶的舌头使人心碎。

46 compliance
n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从
参考例句：
I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。 She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。