It has been decreed in the
privy1 council that my little boy shall have a weekly income of one cent. Every Sunday morning, that sum shall be paid to him, free of income-tax, out of the
treasury2 and he has leave to dispose of it
entirely3 at his own pleasure.
He receives this announcement with composure and sits apart for a while and ponders on it.
"Every Sunday?" he asks.
"Every Sunday."
"All the time till the summer holidays?"
"All the time till the summer holidays."
In the summer holidays, he is to go to the country, to stay with his godmother, in whose house he was pleased to allow himself to be born. The summer holidays are, consequently, the limits of his calculation of time: beyond them lies, for the moment, his Nirvana.
And we employ this restricted horizon of ours to further our true happiness.
That is to say, we calculate, with the aid of the almanac, that, if everything goes as heretofore, there will be fifteen Sundays before the summer holidays. We arrange a drawer with fifteen
compartments5 and in each
compartment4 we put one cent. Thus we know exactly what we have and are able at any time to survey our financial status.
And, when he sees that great lot of cents lying there, my little boy's breast is filled with mad delight. He feels endlessly rich, safe for a long time. The courtyard rings with his
bragging6, with all that he is going to do with his money. His special favourites are invited to come up and view his treasure.
The first Sunday passes in a normal fashion, as was to be expected.
He takes his cent and turns it straightway into a stick of chocolate of the best sort, with almonds on it and sugar, in short, an ideal stick in every way. The whole performance is over in five minutes: by that time, the stick of chocolate is gone, with the sole exception of a remnant in the corners of our mouth, which our ruthless mother wipes away, and a stain on our collar, which annoys us.
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1
privy
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| adj.私用的；隐密的 |
参考例句： |
- Only three people,including a policeman,will be privy to the facts.只会允许3个人，其中包括一名警察，了解这些内情。
- Very few of them were privy to the details of the conspiracy.他们中很少有人知道这一阴谋的详情。
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2
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 |
参考例句： |
- The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
- This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
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3
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 |
参考例句： |
- The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
- His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
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4
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 |
参考例句： |
- We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
- The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
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5
compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 |
参考例句： |
- Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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6
bragging
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话 |
参考例句： |
- He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. 他总是吹嘘自己板球水平高超。 来自辞典例句
- Now you're bragging, darling. You know you don't need to brag. 这就是夸口，亲爱的。你明知道你不必吹。 来自辞典例句
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7
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 |
参考例句： |
- All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
- He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。
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8
pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 |
参考例句： |
- Garton pensively stirred the hotchpotch of his hair. 加顿沉思着搅动自己的乱发。 来自辞典例句
- "Oh, me,'said Carrie, pensively. "I wish I could live in such a place." “唉，真的，"嘉莉幽幽地说，"我真想住在那种房子里。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
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9
despondently
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| adv.沮丧地，意志消沉地 |
参考例句： |
- It had come to that, he reflected despondently. 事情已经到了这个地步了，他沉思着，感到心灰意懒。 来自辞典例句
- He shook his head despondently. 他沮丧地摇摇头。 来自辞典例句
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10
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 |
参考例句： |
- He gathered himself up and sneaked off,crushed and crestfallen.他爬起来，偷偷地溜了，一副垂头丧气、被斗败的样子。
- The youth looked exceedingly crestfallen.那青年看上去垂头丧气极了。
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11
remarkable
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| 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。
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12
derives
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| v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 |
参考例句： |
- English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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13
collapses
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| 折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下 |
参考例句： |
- This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
- Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。
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14
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 |
参考例句： |
- He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
- Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。
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15
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 |
参考例句： |
- She felt sudden pangs of regret. 她突然感到痛悔不已。
- With touching pathos he described the pangs of hunger. 他以极具感伤力的笔触描述了饥饿的痛苦。
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16
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 |
参考例句： |
- He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
- Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
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17
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 |
参考例句： |
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
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18
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
- His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
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19
economist
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| n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人 |
参考例句： |
- He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
- He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。
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20
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 |
参考例句： |
- He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
- They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
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21
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 |
参考例句： |
- It'seemed to her now that she could marry him without the remnant of a scruple.她觉得现在她可以跟他成婚而不需要有任何顾忌。
- He makes no scruple to tell a lie.他说起谎来无所顾忌。
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