关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
"Well," said Mary Louise, when Josie had related to her friend the story next morning, "what do you think of Old Swallowtail now?"
"About the same as before. I'm gradually accumulating facts to account for the old man's strange actions, but I'm not ready to submit them for criticism just yet. The plot is still a bit
ragged1 and I want to mend the holes before I spread it out before you."
"Do you think he suspects who you are?"
"No; he thinks I'm a waif from the city with a
penchant2 for burglary. He expects me to rob you, presently, and then run away. I'm so unlikely to cross his path again that he talked with unusual frankness to me—or at me, if you prefer to put it that way. All I gained last night was the knowledge that he's afraid of himself, that his temper cost him a career in the world and obliged him to live in
seclusion3 and that he has a secret which he doesn't intend any red-headed girl to stumble on accidentally."
"And you think he was angry when you accused him of neglecting Ingua?"
"I'm sure he was. It made him more furious than my attempt to saw his padlock. Come, let's run over and see Ingua now. I want to ask how her grandfather treated her this morning."
They walked through the grounds, crossed the river on the stepping-stones and found Ingua just finishing her morning's work. The child greeted them eagerly.
"I'm glad you come," she said, "for I was meanin' to run over to your place pretty soon. What d'ye think hes happened? Las' night, in the middle o' the night—or p'r'aps nearer mornin'—Gran'dad begun to slam things aroun'. The smashin' of tables an' chairs woke me up, but I didn't dare go down to see what was the matter. He tumbled ev'rything 'round in the kitchen an' then went
inter4 his own room an' made the fur fly there. I knew he were in one o' his tantrums an' that he'd be sorry if he broke things, but it wasn't no time to
interfere5. When the rumpus stopped I went to sleep ag'in, but I got up early an' had his breakfas' all ready when he come from his room. I'd picked up all the stuff he'd
点击

收听单词发音
1
ragged
|
|
| adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的 |
参考例句: |
- A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
- Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
|
2
penchant
|
|
| n.爱好,嗜好;(强烈的)倾向 |
参考例句: |
- She has a penchant for Indian food.她爱吃印度食物。
- He had a penchant for playing jokes on people.他喜欢拿人开玩笑。
|
3
seclusion
|
|
| n.隐遁,隔离 |
参考例句: |
- She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
- I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。
|
4
inter
|
|
| v.埋葬 |
参考例句: |
- They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
- The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。
|
5
interfere
|
|
| v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 |
参考例句: |
- If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
- When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
|
6
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 |
参考例句: |
- Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
|
7
backwards
|
|
| adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 |
参考例句: |
- He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
- All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。
|
8
flustered
|
|
| adj.慌张的;激动不安的v.使慌乱,使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) |
参考例句: |
- The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了,都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句
|
9
assailed
|
|
| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 );困扰;质问;毅然应对 |
参考例句: |
- He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。
- He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》
|
10
gal
|
|
| n.姑娘,少女 |
参考例句: |
- We decided to go with the gal from Merrill.我们决定和那个从梅里尔来的女孩合作。
- What's the name of the gal? 这个妞叫什么?
|
11
plumb
|
|
| adv.精确地,完全地;v.了解意义,测水深 |
参考例句: |
- No one could plumb the mystery.没人能看破这秘密。
- It was unprofitable to plumb that sort of thing.这种事弄个水落石出没有什么好处。
|
12
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 |
参考例句: |
- To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
- Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
|
13
deplored
|
|
| v.悲叹,痛惜,强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- They deplored the price of motor car, textiles, wheat, and oil. 他们悲叹汽车、纺织品、小麦和石油的价格。 来自辞典例句
- Hawthorne feels that all excess is to be deplored. 霍桑觉得一切过分的举动都是可悲的。 来自辞典例句
|
14
prosecute
|
|
| vt.告发;进行;vi.告发,起诉,作检察官 |
参考例句: |
- I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
- Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据?
|
15
dreaded
|
|
| adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) |
参考例句: |
- The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
- He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》
|
16
prominence
|
|
| n.突出;显著;杰出;重要 |
参考例句: |
- He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
- This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。
|
©英文小说网 2005-2010