Dr Thorne, in the few words which he spoke¹ to his niece before he left Boxall Hill, had called himself an old man; but he was as yet on the right side of sixty by five good years, and bore about with him less of the marks of age than most men of fifty-five do bear. One would have said, in looking at him, that there was no reason why he should not marry if he found that such a step seemed good to him; and, looking at the age of the proposed bride, there was nothing unsuitable in that respect. But nevertheless he felt almost ashamed of himself, in that he allowed himself even to think of the proposition which his niece had made. He mounted his horse that day at Boxall Hill — for he made all his journeys about the county on horseback — and rode slowly home to Greshambury, thinking not so much of the suggested marriage as of his own folly² in thinking of it. How could he be such an ass³ at this time of life as to allow the even course of his way to be disturbed by any such ideas? Of course he could not propose to himself such a wife as Miss Dunstable without having some thoughts about her wealth; and it had been the pride of his life so to live that the world might know that he was indifferent about money. His profession was all in all to him; the air which he breathed as well as the bread which he ate; and how could he follow his profession if he made such a marriage as this? She would expect him to go to London with her; and what would he become, dangling⁴ at her heels there, known only to the world as the husband of the richest woman in the town? The kind of life was one which would be unsuitable to him; and yet, as he rode home, he could not resolve to rid himself of the idea. He went on thinking of it, though he still continued to condemn⁵ himself for keeping it in his thoughts. That night at home he would make up his mind, so he declared to himself; and would then write to his niece begging her to drop the subject. Having so far come to a resolution he went on meditating⁶ what course of life it might be well for him to pursue if he and Miss Dunstable should after all become man and wife.

There were two ladies whom it behoved him to see on the day of his arrival — whom, indeed, he generally saw every day except when absent from Greshambury. The first of these — first in the general consideration of the people of the place — was the wife of the

点击收听单词发音  

1 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。

2 folly
n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话
参考例句：
Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。 Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

3 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

4 dangling
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口
参考例句：
The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。 The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。

5 condemn
vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑
参考例句：
Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。 We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

6 meditating
a.沉思的，冥想的
参考例句：
They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。 The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

7 squire
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句：
I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。 The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

8 waylaying
v.拦截，拦路( waylay的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She was forever waylaying him in odd holes and corners of the hotel. 她总是在酒店的犄角旮旯里截住他。 来自柯林斯例句

9 gravel
n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石
参考例句：
We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。 More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

10 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。

11 prospect
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。 The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

12 alleviation
n. 减轻，缓和，解痛物
参考例句：
These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought alleviation to Sir Thomas's pain. 这些情况及其希望逐渐缓解了托马斯爵士的痛苦。 The cost reduction achieved in this way will benefit patients and the society in burden alleviation. 集中招标采购降低的采购成本要让利于患者，减轻社会负担。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

13 tedium
n.单调；烦闷
参考例句：
We played games to relieve the tedium of the journey.我们玩游戏，来解除旅行的沉闷。 In myself I could observe the following sources of tedium. 从我自己身上，我所观察到的烦闷的根源有下列一些。

14 invalid
n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的
参考例句：
He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。 A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

15 thoroughly
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。 The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

16 frets
基质间片； 品丝（吉他等指板上定音的）( fret的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The river frets away the rocks along its banks. 河水侵蚀了两岸的岩石。 She frets at even the slightest delays. 稍有延误她就不满。

17 ailments
疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )
参考例句：
His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。 He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

18 interfere
v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰
参考例句：
If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。 When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

19 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

20 deter
vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住
参考例句：
Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。 Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

21 implicit
a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的
参考例句：
A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。 Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

22 obedience
n.服从，顺从
参考例句：
Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。 Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

23 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。

24 allusion
n.暗示，间接提示
参考例句：
He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。 She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

25 parley
n.谈判
参考例句：
The governor was forced to parley with the rebels.州长被迫与反叛者谈判。 The general held a parley with the enemy about exchanging prisoners.将军与敌人谈判交换战俘事宜。

26 joint
adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合
参考例句：
I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。 We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

27 mansion
n.大厦，大楼；宅第
参考例句：
The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。 The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

28 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

29 auspices
n.资助，赞助
参考例句：
The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。 The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

30 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。

31 guise
n.外表，伪装的姿态
参考例句：
They got into the school in the guise of inspectors.他们假装成视察员进了学校。 The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

32 lone
adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的
参考例句：
A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。 She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

33 apron
n.围裙；工作裙
参考例句：
We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。 She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

34 tempted
v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）
参考例句：
I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。 I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

35 unreasonable
adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的
参考例句：
I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。 They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

36 hearty
adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的
参考例句：
After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。 We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

37 manly
adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地
参考例句：
The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。 He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

38 cognate
adj.同类的，同源的，同族的；n.同家族的人，同源词
参考例句：
Mathematics and astronomy are cognate sciences.数学和天文学是互相关联的科学。 English,Dutch and German are cognate languages. 英语、荷兰语、德语是同语族的语言。

39 solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句：
People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。 They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

40 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。

41 resolute
adj.坚决的，果敢的
参考例句：
He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。 The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

42 dawdled
v.混（时间）( dawdle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Billy dawdled behind her all morning. 比利整个上午都跟在她后面闲混。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He dawdled away his time. 他在混日子。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

43 dilatoriness
n.迟缓，拖延
参考例句：

44 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。

45 depot
n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站
参考例句：
The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。 They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

46 wont
adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯
参考例句：
He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。 It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

47 previously
adv.以前，先前（地）
参考例句：
The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。 Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

48 deterred
v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。 Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

49 stilts
n.（支撑建筑物高出地面或水面的）桩子，支柱( stilt的名词复数 )；高跷
参考例句：
a circus performer on stilts 马戏团里踩高跷的演员 The bamboo huts here are all built on stilts. 这里的竹楼都是架空的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

50 pathos
n.哀婉，悲怆
参考例句：
The pathos of the situation brought tears to our eyes.情况令人怜悯，看得我们不禁流泪。 There is abundant pathos in her words.她的话里富有动人哀怜的力量。

51 spasms
n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作
参考例句：
After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The smile died, squeezed out by spasms of anticipation and anxiety. 一阵阵预测和焦虑把她脸上的微笑挤掉了。 来自辞典例句

52 acquit
vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出
参考例句：
That fact decided the judge to acquit him.那个事实使法官判他无罪。 They always acquit themselves of their duty very well.他们总是很好地履行自己的职责。

53 plight
n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定
参考例句：
The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。 She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

54 suspense
n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑
参考例句：
The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。 The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

55 meditated
深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑
参考例句：
He meditated for two days before giving his answer. 他在作出答复之前考虑了两天。 She meditated for 2 days before giving her answer. 她考虑了两天才答复。

56 postscript
n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明
参考例句：
There was the usual romantic postscript at the end of his letter.他的信末又是一贯的浪漫附言。 She mentioned in a postscript to her letter that the parcel had arrived.她在信末附笔中说包裹已寄到。

57 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。

58 omission
n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长
参考例句：
The omission of the girls was unfair.把女孩排除在外是不公平的。 The omission of this chapter from the third edition was a gross oversight.第三版漏印这一章是个大疏忽。

59 dressing
n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料
参考例句：
Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。 The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

60 traitor
n.叛徒，卖国贼
参考例句：
The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。 He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。

61 mischief
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。 He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

62 insinuates
n.暗示( insinuate的名词复数 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入v.暗示( insinuate的第三人称单数 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入
参考例句：
Slang insinuates itself into the language. 俚语慢慢地渗入语言中。 来自辞典例句 But the division of labor slowly insinuates itself into this process of production. 但是，分工慢慢地侵入了这种生产过程。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

63 implicitly
adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地
参考例句：
Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。 I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想，我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧？

64 displeased
a.不快的
参考例句：
The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。