It has been said that George Vavasor had a little establishment at Roebury, down in Oxfordshire, and thither¹ he betook himself about the middle of November. He had been long known in this county, and whether or no men spoke² well of him as a man of business in London, men spoke well of him down there, as one who knew how to ride to hounds. Not that Vavasor was popular among fellow-sportsmen. It was quite otherwise. He was not a man that made himself really popular in any social meetings of men. He did not himself care for the loose little talkings, half flat and half sharp, of men when they meet together in idleness. He was not open enough in his nature for such popularity. Some men were afraid of him, and some suspected him. There were others who made up to him, seeking his intimacy³, but these he usually snubbed, and always kept at a distance. Though he had indulged in all the ordinary pleasures of young men, he had never been a jovial⁴ man. In his conversations with men he always seemed to think that he should use his time towards serving some purpose of business. With women he was quite the reverse. With women he could be happy. With women he could really associate. A woman he could really love — but I doubt whether for all that he could treat a woman well.

But he was known in the Oxfordshire country as a man who knew what he was about, and such men are always welcome. It is the man who does not know how to ride that is made uncomfortable in the hunting field by cold looks or expressed censure⁵. And yet it is very rarely that such men do any real harm. Such a one may now and then get among the hounds or override⁶ the hunt, but it is not often so. Many such complaints are made; but in truth the too forward man, who presses the dogs, is generally one who can ride, but is too eager or too selfish to keep in his proper place. The bad rider, like the bad whist player, pays highly for what he does not enjoy, and should be thanked. But at both games he gets cruelly snubbed. At both games George Vavasor was great and he never got snubbed.

There were men who lived together at Roebury in a kind of club — four or five of them, who came thither from London, running

点击收听单词发音  

1 thither
adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的
参考例句：
He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。 He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

2 spoke
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。

3 intimacy
n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行
参考例句：
His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。 I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

4 jovial
adj.快乐的，好交际的
参考例句：
He seemed jovial,but his eyes avoided ours.他显得很高兴，但他的眼光却避开了我们的眼光。 Grandma was plump and jovial.祖母身材圆胖，整天乐呵呵的。

5 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。

6 override
vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于
参考例句：
The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。 I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

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 brewer
n. 啤酒制造者
参考例句：
Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。 I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

9 bullied
adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
My son is being bullied at school. 我儿子在学校里受欺负。 The boy bullied the small girl into giving him all her money. 那男孩威逼那个小女孩把所有的钱都给他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 alleging
断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )
参考例句：
His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。 This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

11 lodged
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属
参考例句：
The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 dummy
n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头
参考例句：
The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹，只是一个假货。 The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。

13 uncommonly
adv. 稀罕(极，非常)
参考例句：
an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童 My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。

14 alluding
提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He didn't mention your name but I was sure he was alluding to you. 他没提你的名字，但是我确信他是暗指你的。 But in fact I was alluding to my physical deficiencies. 可我实在是为自己的容貌寒心。

15 hack
n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳
参考例句：
He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。 Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

16 hacks
黑客
参考例句：
But there are hacks who take advantage of people like Teddy. 但有些无赖会占类似泰迪的人的便宜。 来自电影对白 I want those two hacks back here, right now. 我要那两个雇工回到这儿，现在就回。 来自互联网

17 groom
vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁
参考例句：
His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。 George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

18 scion
n.嫩芽，子孙
参考例句：
A place is cut in the root stock to accept the scion.砧木上切开一个小口,来接受接穗。 Nabokov was the scion of an aristocratic family.纳博科夫是一个贵族家庭的阔少。

19 mare
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。

20 specially
adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地
参考例句：
They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

21 warranty
n.担保书，证书，保单
参考例句：
This warranty is good for one year after the date of the purchase of the product.本保证书自购置此产品之日起有效期为一年。 As your guarantor,we have signed a warranty to the bank.作为你们的担保人，我们已经向银行开出了担保书。

22 reigned
vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）
参考例句：
Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 pony
adj.小型的；n.小马
参考例句：
His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。 They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

24 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

25 lame
adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
参考例句：
The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。 I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

26 dealer
n.商人，贩子
参考例句：
The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。 The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

27 trotted
小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走
参考例句：
She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。 Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

28 grooms
n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗
参考例句：
Plender end Wilcox became joint grooms of the chambers. 普伦德和威尔科克斯成为共同的贴身侍从。 来自辞典例句 Egypt: Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. 埃及：在埃及，由新郎的家人，而不是新郎本人，向新娘求婚。 来自互联网

29 congregate
v.(使)集合，聚集
参考例句：
Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk.现在他们可以为读者提供一个数字化空间，让读者可以聚集和交谈。 This is a place where swans congregate.这是个天鹅聚集地。

30 chestnut
n.栗树，栗子
参考例句：
We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。 In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

31 snarled
v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说
参考例句：
The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。 As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 prospered
成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。 Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

33 toadied
v.拍马，谄媚( toady的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：

34 insignificant
adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的
参考例句：
In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。 This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

35 dominion
n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图
参考例句：
Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。 In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

36 conspicuous
adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的
参考例句：
It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。 Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

37 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。

38 prone
adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的
参考例句：
Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。 He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

39 misery
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。 He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

40 succumbing
不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的现在分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死
参考例句：
Mrs. Smith washed and ironed clothes for him, succumbing to him. 史密斯太太被他迷住了，愿意为他洗衣烫衣。 They would not in the end abandon their vital interests by succumbing to Soviet blandishment. 他们最终决不会受苏联人的甜言蜜语的诱惑，从而抛弃自己的切身利益。

41 tyrant
n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人
参考例句：
The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。 The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。

42 tyrants
专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物
参考例句：
The country was ruled by a succession of tyrants. 这个国家接连遭受暴君的统治。 The people suffered under foreign tyrants. 人民在异族暴君的统治下受苦受难。

43 ascendancy
n.统治权，支配力量
参考例句：
We have had ascendancy over the enemy in the battle.在战斗中我们已占有优势。 The extremists are gaining ascendancy.极端分子正逐渐占据上风。

44 submission
n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出
参考例句：
The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。 No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。