A few years before, at San Francisco, in California, an island in the Pacific Ocean, Spencer Island, had been sold to the rich W. W. Kolderup, when he outbid J. R. Taskinar, of Stockton.[1] Spencer Island was habitable; it was only a few degrees from the Californian coast; it had forests, watercourses, a fertile soil, and fields and prairies fit for cultivation³; it was not an indefinite region, covered perhaps 28with sea and perpetual ice, which probably no one would ever occupy. For Spencer Island four hundred thousand dollars had been paid; for the polar territories it was not to be expected that anything like that amount would be forthcoming.

 

1. See “Godfrey Morgan,” by the same author.

 

Nevertheless, the strangeness of the affair had brought together a considerable crowd, chiefly of lookers-on, to witness the result. The sale was to take place at noon, and all the morning the traffic in Bolton Street was seriously interfered⁴ with. Long before the hour fixed⁵ for the sale the room was full, with the exception of a few seats railed off and reserved for the delegates; and when Baldenak, Karkof, Jansen, Harald, Donellan, and Todrin had taken these places, they formed a compact group, shoulder to shoulder, and looked as if they were a veritable storming column ready for the assault of the Pole.

 

Close to them was the consignee⁶ of codfish, whose vulgar visage expressed the sublimest⁷ indifference

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1 auction
n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖
参考例句：
They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。 They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 precedent
n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的
参考例句：
Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？ This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

3 cultivation
n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成
参考例句：
The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。 The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

4 interfered
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉
参考例句：
Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

6 consignee
n.受托者，收件人，代销人；承销人；收货人
参考例句：
The consignee is decided according to the order of the shipper or the opening bank. 收货人是由托运人或开证行的指令决定。 来自辞典例句 For Freight Collect shipments, the charge will be billed to the consignee. 若采取收件人付费方式，则费用由收件人支付。 来自互联网

7 sublimest
伟大的( sublime的最高级 )； 令人赞叹的； 极端的； 不顾后果的
参考例句：
Goes out the Chinese nation magnificent sight sublimest square matrix! 走出中华民族最壮观最壮美的方阵！

8 indifference
n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎
参考例句：
I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。 He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

9 cargoes
n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负
参考例句：
This ship embarked cargoes. 这艘船装载货物。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The crew lashed cargoes of timber down. 全体船员将木材绑牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 disinterested
adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的
参考例句：
He is impartial and disinterested.他公正无私。 He's always on the make,I have never known him do a disinterested action.他这个人一贯都是唯利是图，我从来不知道他有什么无私的行动。

12 situated
adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的
参考例句：
The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。 She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

13 latitude
n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区
参考例句：
The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。 The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

14 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

15 decided
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。

16 superfluous
adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的
参考例句：
She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。 That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。

17 impatience
n.不耐烦，急躁
参考例句：
He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。 He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

18 tumult
n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹
参考例句：
The tumult in the streets awakened everyone in the house.街上的喧哗吵醒了屋子里的每一个人。 His voice disappeared under growing tumult.他的声音消失在越来越响的喧哗声中。

19 bidders
n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Bidders should proceed only if they intend on using a PayPal account to complete payment. Bidders的唯一形式，应继续只当他们在使用贝宝帐户，以完成付款打算。 来自互联网 The other bidders for the contract complained that it had not been a fair contest. 其他竞标人抱怨说该合同的竞标不公平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 intervention
n.介入，干涉，干预
参考例句：
The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。 Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

21 geographical
adj.地理的；地区(性)的
参考例句：
The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。 These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

22 modifications
n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变
参考例句：
The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 scrawl
vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写
参考例句：
His signature was an illegible scrawl.他的签名潦草难以辨认。 Your beautiful handwriting puts my untidy scrawl to shame.你漂亮的字体把我的潦草字迹比得见不得人。

24 margin
n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘
参考例句：
We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。 The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

25 icebergs
n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句

26 placidly
adv.平稳地，平静地
参考例句：
Hurstwood stood placidly by, while the car rolled back into the yard. 当车子开回场地时，赫斯渥沉着地站在一边。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 The water chestnut floated placidly there, where it would grow. 那棵菱角就又安安稳稳浮在水面上生长去了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

27 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

28 bleak
adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的
参考例句：
They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。 The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

29 moth
n.蛾，蛀虫
参考例句：
A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。 The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

30 wriggle
v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒
参考例句：
I've got an appointment I can't wriggle out of.我有个推脱不掉的约会。 Children wriggle themselves when they are bored.小孩子感到厌烦时就会扭动他们的身体。

31 jotting
n.简短的笔记，略记v.匆忙记下( jot的现在分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下
参考例句：
All the time I was talking he was jotting down. 每次我在讲话时，他就会记录下来。 来自互联网 The student considers jotting down the number of the businessman's American Express card. 这论理学生打算快迅速地记录下来下这位商贾的美国运通卡的金额。 来自互联网

32 absurdity
n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论
参考例句：
The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。 The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

33 sonorous
adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇
参考例句：
The sonorous voice of the speaker echoed round the room.那位演讲人洪亮的声音在室内回荡。 He has a deep sonorous voice.他的声音深沉而洪亮。

34 subdue
vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制
参考例句：
She tried to subdue her anger.她尽力压制自己的怒火。 He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears.他强迫自己克制并战胜恐惧心理。

35 shudder
v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动
参考例句：
The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。 We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

36 proprietors
n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
These little proprietors of businesses are lords indeed on their own ground. 这些小业主们，在他们自己的行当中，就是真正的至高无上的统治者。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Many proprietors try to furnish their hotels with antiques. 许多经营者都想用古董装饰他们的酒店。 来自辞典例句

37 promising
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。 We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。