AMSTERDAM I should certainly include among my cities of light and charm, a place to live in. Not that it has, in my judgment¹, any of that capital significance of Paris or Rome or Venice. Though greater by a hundred thousand in population than Frankfort, it has not even the forceful commercial texture² of that place. The spirit of the city seemed so much more unbusinesslike,—so much slower and easier-going. Before I sent forth³ a single letter of introduction I spent an entire day idling about its so often semicircular streets, following the canals which thread their centers like made pools, rejoicing in the cool brick walks which line the sides, looking at the reflection of houses and buildings in the ever-present water.

 

Holland is obviously a land of canals and windmills, but much more than that it is a land of atmosphere. I have often speculated as to just what it is that the sea does to its children that marks them so definitely for its own. And here in Amsterdam the thought came to me again. It is this: Your waterside idler, whether he traverses the wide stretches of the ocean or remains⁴ at home near the sea, has a seeming vacuity⁵ or dreaminess of soul that no rush of ordinary life can disturb. I have noted⁶ it of every port of the sea, that the eager intensity⁷ of men so often melts away at the water’s edge. Boats are not loaded with the hard realism that marks the lading of trains. A sense of the idle-devil-may-care indifference⁸ of water seems to play about the affairs of these people, of those who have to do with them—the495 unhastening indifference of the sea. Perhaps the suggestion of the soundless, timeless, heartless deep that is in every channel, inlet, sluice

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1 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

2 texture
n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理
参考例句：
We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。 Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

3 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 remains
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。 The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 vacuity
n.(想象力等)贫乏，无聊，空白
参考例句：
Bertha thought it disconcerted him by rendering evident even to himself the vacuity of his mind. 伯莎认为这对他不利，这种情况甚至清楚地向他自己证明了他心灵的空虚。 Temperature and vacuity rising can enhance osmotic flux visibly. 升高温度和降低膜下游压力可明显提高膜的渗透通量。

6 noted
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。 Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 intensity
n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度
参考例句：
I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。 The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

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 sluice
n.水闸
参考例句：
We opened the sluice and the water poured in.我们打开闸门，水就涌了进来。 They regulate the flow of water by the sluice gate.他们用水闸门控制水的流量。

10 subtlety
n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别
参考例句：
He has shown enormous strength,great intelligence and great subtlety.他表现出充沛的精力、极大的智慧和高度的灵活性。 The subtlety of his remarks was unnoticed by most of his audience.大多数听众都没有觉察到他讲话的微妙之处。

11 enameled
涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The grey walls were divided into artificial paneling by strips of white-enameled pine. 灰色的墙壁用漆白的松木条隔成镶板的模样。 I want a pair of enameled leather shoes in size 38. 我要一双38号的亮漆皮鞋。

12 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。

13 philosophic
adj.哲学的，贤明的
参考例句：
It was a most philosophic and jesuitical motorman.这是个十分善辩且狡猾的司机。 The Irish are a philosophic as well as a practical race.爱尔兰人是既重实际又善于思想的民族。

14 worthy
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。

15 placid
adj.安静的，平和的
参考例句：
He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。 You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

16 meditative
adj.沉思的，冥想的
参考例句：
A stupid fellow is talkative;a wise man is meditative.蠢人饶舌，智者思虑。 Music can induce a meditative state in the listener.音乐能够引导倾听者沉思。

17 simplicities
n.简单，朴素，率直( simplicity的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Her life always run pretty smoothly through the simplicities of joy and sorrow. 她的生活虽然极其单调，有喜有悲，但还算顺利。 来自互联网

18 realization
n.实现；认识到，深刻了解
参考例句：
We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。 He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

19 meager
adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的
参考例句：
He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。 The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

20 eminence
n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家
参考例句：
He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。 Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。

21 sip
v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量
参考例句：
She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。 Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

22 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

23 fleeting
adj.短暂的，飞逝的
参考例句：
The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。 Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

24 eminent
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。 He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

25 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

26 brass
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。 Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

27 copper
n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的
参考例句：
The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。 Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

28 linguist
n.语言学家；精通数种外国语言者
参考例句：
I used to be a linguist till I become a writer.过去我是个语言学家，后来成了作家。 Professor Cui has a high reputation as a linguist.崔教授作为语言学家名声很高。

29 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。

30 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

31 rumors
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷
参考例句：
Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 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。

33 inspection
n.检查，审查，检阅
参考例句：
On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。 The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

34 alluring
adj.吸引人的，迷人的
参考例句：
The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。 Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。

35 liaisons
n.联络( liaison的名词复数 )；联络人；（尤指一方或双方已婚的）私通；组织单位间的交流与合作
参考例句：
She embarked on a series of sexual liaisons with society figures. 她开始接二连三地与社会名流有染。 来自辞典例句 One of Wentworth's favorite movies is Dangerous Liaisons. went最喜欢的电影之一是《危险关系》。 来自互联网

36 marital
adj.婚姻的，夫妻的
参考例句：
Her son had no marital problems.她的儿子没有婚姻问题。 I regret getting involved with my daughter's marital problems;all its done is to bring trouble about my ears.我后悔干涉我女儿的婚姻问题, 现在我所做的一切将给我带来无穷的烦恼。

37 affinities
n.密切关系( affinity的名词复数 )；亲近；（生性）喜爱；类同
参考例句：
Cubism had affinities with the new European interest in Jazz. 主体派和欧洲新近的爵士音乐热有密切关系。 来自辞典例句 The different isozymes bind calcium ions with different affinities. 不同的同功酶以不同的亲和力与钙离子相结合。 来自辞典例句

38 undo
vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销
参考例句：
His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。 I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

39 formulate
v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述
参考例句：
He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。 I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

40 retarded
a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的
参考例句：
The progression of the disease can be retarded by early surgery. 早期手术可以抑制病情的发展。 He was so slow that many thought him mentally retarded. 他迟钝得很，许多人以为他智力低下。

41 incompatibility
n.不兼容
参考例句：
One cause may be an Rh incompatibility causing kernicterus in the newborn. 一个原因可能是Rh因子不相配引起新生儿的脑核性黄疸。 Sexual incompatibility is wide-spread in the apple. 性的不亲合性在苹果中很普遍。

42 forsake
vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃
参考例句：
She pleaded with her husband not to forsake her.她恳求丈夫不要抛弃她。 You must forsake your bad habits.你必须革除你的坏习惯。

43 cleave
v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋
参考例句：
It examines how the decision to quit gold or to cleave to it affected trade policies.论文分析了放弃或坚持金本位是如何影响贸易政策的。 Those who cleave to the latter view include many conservative American politicians.坚持后一种观点的大多是美国的保守派政客。

44 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

45 modification
n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻
参考例句：
The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。 The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。

46 radical
n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的
参考例句：
The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。 She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

47 entirely
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。

48 dispensed
v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药）
参考例句：
Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

49 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

50 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。

51 dispelled
v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。 The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

53 simplicity
n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯
参考例句：
She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。 The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

54 initiation
n.开始
参考例句：
her initiation into the world of marketing 她的初次涉足营销界 It was my initiation into the world of high fashion. 这是我初次涉足高级时装界。

55 kindliness
n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为
参考例句：
Martha looked up into a strange face and dark eyes alight with kindliness and concern. 马撒慢慢抬起头，映入眼帘的是张陌生的脸，脸上有一双充满慈爱和关注的眼睛。 来自辞典例句 I think the chief thing that struck me about Burton was his kindliness. 我想，我对伯顿印象最深之处主要还是这个人的和善。 来自辞典例句

56 immunities
免除，豁免( immunity的名词复数 )； 免疫力
参考例句：
Supplying nutrients and immunities to my baby? 为我的宝贝提供营养物质和免疫物质？ And these provide immunities against the a host of infections and diseases. 这些物质可提高婴儿的免疫力，使之免受病毒感染和疾病侵袭。

57 waxy
adj.苍白的；光滑的
参考例句：
Choose small waxy potatoes for the salad.选些个头小、表皮光滑的土豆做色拉。 The waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.这些蜡状耳油可以保持耳朵不会太干燥。

58 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。

59 rigid
adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的
参考例句：
She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。 The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

60 pedantic
adj.卖弄学问的；迂腐的
参考例句：
He is learned,but neither stuffy nor pedantic.他很博学，但既不妄自尊大也不卖弄学问。 Reading in a pedantic way may turn you into a bookworm or a bookcase,and has long been opposed.读死书会变成书呆子，甚至于成为书橱，早有人反对过了。

61 speculatively
adv.思考地，思索地；投机地
参考例句：
He looked at her speculatively. 他若有所思的看着她。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She eyed It'speculatively as a cruel smile appeared on her black lips. 她若有所思地审视它，黑色的嘴角浮起一丝残酷的微笑。 来自互联网

62 binding
有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的
参考例句：
The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。 Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

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