The Pride of Eve
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CHAPTER 31 THE BOURGEOIS PLAYS THE GENTLEMAN

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 The Saturday on which John Parfit came to see Eve was one of those premature1 spring days that makes one listen for the singing of birds. The little front garden was full of sunlight, and a few crocuses streaked2 the brown earth under the window. The Bourgeois3 arrived with a great bunch of daffodils, their succulent stems wrapped in blue tissue paper.
 
“Well, how are you now? How are you? Brought you a few flowers!”
 
He was shy with the shyness of a big, good-natured creature who was slow to adapt himself to strange surroundings. A feminine atmosphere had always rendered John Parfit nervous and inarticulate. He could talk like a politician in an office or a railway carriage, but thrust him into a drawing-room with a few women, and he became voiceless and futile4.
 
“Well, how are we?”
 
He put his top-hat on the table, and stood the flowers in it as though it were a vase.
 
“But your poor hat!”
 
“Why, what’s the matter?”
 
“They are such sappy things. I must thank you for all the flowers. They helped me to get well.”
 
He removed the daffodils, and wandered round the room till he found an empty pot that agreed to rid him of them.
 
“Don’t you bother—don’t you get up! I’ll settle them all right.”
 
He came back to the fire, rubbing his hands and smiling. The smile died a sudden death when he dared to take his first good look at Eve, and with it much of his self-consciousness seemed to vanish. He sat down rather abruptly5, staring.
 
“I say, you have had a bad time!”
 
“I’m afraid I have.”
 
She looked thin, and ill, and shadowy, and plain, and her eyes were the eyes of one who was worried. A tremulous something about her mouth, the droop6

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1 premature FPfxV     
adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的
参考例句：
  • It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
  • The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。
2 streaked d67e6c987d5339547c7938f1950b8295     
adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹
参考例句：
  • The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句
3 bourgeois ERoyR     
adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子
参考例句：
  • He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。
  • The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。
4 futile vfTz2     
adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的
参考例句：
  • They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
  • Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。
5 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
6 droop p8Zyd     
v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡
参考例句：
  • The heavy snow made the branches droop.大雪使树枝垂下来。
  • Don't let your spirits droop.不要萎靡不振。
7 compassion 3q2zZ     
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。
8 spoke XryyC     
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。
9 awed a0ab9008d911a954b6ce264ddc63f5c8     
adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声，人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 fixed JsKzzj     
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。
11 clenched clenched     
v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
  • She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 scramble JDwzg     
v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料
参考例句：
  • He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
  • It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。
13 blurt 8tczD     
vt.突然说出，脱口说出
参考例句：
  • If you can blurt out 300 sentences,you can make a living in America.如果你能脱口而出300句英语，你可以在美国工作。
  • I will blurt out one passage every week.我每星期要脱口而出一篇短文！
14 distressed du1z3y     
痛苦的
参考例句：
  • He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
  • The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。
15 humbled 601d364ccd70fb8e885e7d73c3873aca     
adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低
参考例句：
  • The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
  • I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。
16 recede sAKzB     
vi.退(去)，渐渐远去；向后倾斜，缩进
参考例句：
  • The colleges would recede in importance.大学的重要性会降低。
  • He saw that the dirty water had begun to recede.他发现那污浊的水开始往下退了。
17 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
18 sincerity zyZwY     
n.真诚，诚意；真实
参考例句：
  • His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
  • He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。
19 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
20 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
21 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
22 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
23 languor V3wyb     
n.无精力，倦怠
参考例句：
  • It was hot,yet with a sweet languor about it.天气是炎热的，然而却有一种惬意的懒洋洋的感觉。
  • She,in her languor,had not troubled to eat much.她懒懒的，没吃多少东西。
24 paltry 34Cz0     
adj.无价值的，微不足道的
参考例句：
  • The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
  • I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。
25 vein fi9w0     
n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络
参考例句：
  • The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
  • The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。
26 suburban Usywk     
adj.城郊的，在郊区的
参考例句：
  • Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
  • There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。
27 glided dc24e51e27cfc17f7f45752acf858ed1     
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔
参考例句：
  • The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
  • They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 honourable honourable     
adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的
参考例句：
  • I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。
  • I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。
29 smelt tiuzKF     
v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼
参考例句：
  • Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
  • Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法，他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼，而改用焦炭。

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