Dinner, which came at noon in the Harrington homestead, was a silent meal on the day of the Ladies' Aid meeting. Pollyanna, it is true, tried to talk; but she did not make a success of it, chiefly because four times she was obliged to break off a “glad” in the middle of it, much to her blushing
discomfort1. The fifth time it happened, Miss Polly moved her head wearily.
“There, there, child, say it, if you want to,” she sighed. “I'm sure I'd rather you did than not if it's going to make all this fuss.”
“Oh, thank you. I'm afraid it would be pretty hard—not to say it. You see I've played it so long.”
“You've—what?” demanded Aunt Polly.
“Played it—the game, you know, that father—” Pollyanna stopped with a painful blush at finding herself so soon again on forbidden ground.
Aunt Polly frowned and said nothing. The rest of the meal was a silent one.
Pollyanna was not sorry to hear Aunt Polly tell the minister's wife over the telephone, a little later, that she would not be at the Ladies' Aid meeting that afternoon, owing to a headache. When Aunt Polly went up-stairs to her room and closed the door, Pollyanna tried to be sorry for the headache; but she could not help feeling glad that her aunt was not to be present that afternoon when she laid the case of Jimmy Bean before the Ladies' Aid. She could not forget that Aunt Polly had called Jimmy Bean a little beggar; and she did not want Aunt Polly to call him that—before the Ladies' Aid.
Pollyanna knew that the Ladies' Aid met at two o'clock in the
chapel3 next the church, not quite half a mile from home. She planned her going, therefore, so that she should get there a little before three.
“I want them all to be there,” she said to herself; “else the very one that wasn't there might be the one who would be wanting to give Jimmy Bean a home; and, of course, two o'clock always means three, really—to Ladies' Aiders.”
Quietly, but with confident courage, Pollyanna
ascended4 the chapel steps, pushed open the door and entered the vestibule. A soft babel of feminine
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收听单词发音
1
discomfort
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| n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 |
参考例句: |
- One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
- She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。
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2
puckered
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| v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- His face puckered , and he was ready to cry. 他的脸一皱,像要哭了。
- His face puckered, the tears leapt from his eyes. 他皱着脸,眼泪夺眶而出。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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3
chapel
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| n.小教堂,殡仪馆 |
参考例句: |
- The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
- She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
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4
ascended
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| v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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5
chatter
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| vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战 |
参考例句: |
- Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
- I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
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6
hush
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| int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静 |
参考例句: |
- A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
- Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去!
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7
faltered
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| (嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃 |
参考例句: |
- He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
- "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着:“这孩子脑袋真长。”
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8
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠,结结巴巴地说,“你是什么意思?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
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9
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响;偷盗(牛、马等);n.沙沙声声 |
参考例句: |
- She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。
- He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。
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10
Ford
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| n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 |
参考例句: |
- They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
- If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
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11
hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 |
参考例句: |
- The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。
- She sobbed hysterically, and her thin body was shaken. 她歇斯底里地抽泣着,她瘦弱的身体哭得直颤抖。
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12
orphan
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| n.孤儿;adj.无父母的 |
参考例句: |
- He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大,并且把自己的医术传给了他。
- The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。
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13
animatedly
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| adv.栩栩如生地,活跃地 |
参考例句: |
- Tanya Livingston was talking animatedly with a group of passengers. 坦妮亚·利文斯顿谈笑风生地和一群旅客在一起说着话。 来自辞典例句
- Then, man-hour case became the tool that the political party struggles animatedly. 于是,工时案就活生生地成了政党斗争的工具。 来自互联网
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14
mortification
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| n.耻辱,屈辱 |
参考例句: |
- To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是:我的稿件被退了回来。
- The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。
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15
decided
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| adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 |
参考例句: |
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
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16
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉,吃力地走(trudge的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
- He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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