He lived formerly¹ in a little house beside the high road outside the village. He had set up in business as a wheelwright, after marrying the daughter of a farmer of the neighborhood, and as they were both industrious², they managed to save up a nice little fortune. But they had no children, and this caused them great sorrow. Finally a son was born, whom they named Jean. They both loved and petted him, enfolding him with their affection, and were unwilling⁴ to let him be out of their sight.

 

When he was five years old some mountebanks passed through the country and set up their tent in the town hall square.

 

Jean, who had seen them pass by, made his escape from the house, and after his father had made a long search for him, he found him among the learned goats and trick dogs, uttering shouts of laughter and sitting on the knees of an old clown.

 

Three days later, just as they were sitting down to dinner, the wheelwright and his wife noticed that their son was not in the house. They looked for him in the garden, and as they did not find him, his father went out into the road and shouted at the top of his voice, “Jean!”

 

Night came on. A brown vapor⁵ arose making distant objects look still farther away and giving them a dismal⁶, weird⁷ appearance. Three tall pines, close at hand, seemed to be weeping. Still there was no reply, but the air appeared to be full of indistinct sighing. The father listened for some time, thinking he heard a sound first in one direction, then in another, and, almost beside himself, he ran, out into the night, calling incessantly⁸ “Jean! Jean!”

 

He ran along thus until daybreak, filling the, darkness with his shouts, terrifying stray animals, torn by a terrible anguish

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1 formerly
adv.从前，以前
参考例句：
We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。 This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

2 industrious
adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的
参考例句：
If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。 She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

3 aged
adj.年老的，陈年的
参考例句：
He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。 He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

4 unwilling
adj.不情愿的
参考例句：
The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。 His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

5 vapor
n.蒸汽，雾气
参考例句：
The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。 This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

6 dismal
adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的
参考例句：
That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。 My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

7 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

8 incessantly
ad.不停地
参考例句：
The machines roar incessantly during the hours of daylight. 机器在白天隆隆地响个不停。 It rained incessantly for the whole two weeks. 雨不间断地下了整整两个星期。

9 anguish
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼
参考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。 The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

10 sobbed
哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说
参考例句：
She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。 She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

11 accosted
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭
参考例句：
She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。 His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 entreating
恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 )
参考例句：
We have not bound your feet with our entreating arms. 我们不曾用恳求的手臂来抱住你的双足。 The evening has come. Weariness clings round me like the arms of entreating love. 夜来到了，困乏像爱的恳求用双臂围抱住我。

13 morsel
n.一口，一点点
参考例句：
He refused to touch a morsel of the food they had brought.他们拿来的东西他一口也不吃。 The patient has not had a morsel of food since the morning.从早上起病人一直没有进食。

14 compassionate
adj.有同情心的，表示同情的
参考例句：
She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。 The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

15 haphazard
adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的
参考例句：
The town grew in a haphazard way.这城镇无计划地随意发展。 He regrerted his haphazard remarks.他悔不该随口说出那些评论话。

16 lodging
n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍
参考例句：
The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。 Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

17 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。

18 outskirts
n.郊外，郊区
参考例句：
Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。 They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

19 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。

20 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。

21 oozed
v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出
参考例句：
Blood oozed out of the wound. 血从伤口慢慢流出来。 Mud oozed from underground. 泥浆从地下冒出来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 impaired
adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 ransack
v.彻底搜索，洗劫
参考例句：
He began to ransack his mother's workbox for a piece of thread.他要找一根线,开始翻腾妈妈的针线盒。 She ransack my apartment for the bankbook.她在我公寓里到处搜索寻找存折。

24 stouter
粗壮的( stout的比较级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的
参考例句：
Freddie was much stouter, more benevolent-looking, cheerful, and far more dandified. 弗烈特显得更魁伟，更善良、更快活，尤其更像花花公子。 来自教父部分 Why hadn't she thought of putting on stouter shoes last night? 她昨天晚上怎么没想起换上一双硬些的鞋呢？

25 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

26 sobbing
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句：
I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。 Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

27 troupe
n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团
参考例句：
The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。 The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

28 chateau
n.城堡，别墅
参考例句：
The house was modelled on a French chateau.这房子是模仿一座法国大别墅建造的。 The chateau was left to itself to flame and burn.那府第便径自腾起大火燃烧下去。

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