The Blue Castle蓝色城堡
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护眼
CHAPTER V

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Of course she must buy the tea in Uncle Benjamin’s grocery-store. To buy it anywhere else was unthinkable. Yet Valancy hated to go to Uncle Benjamin’s store on her twenty-ninth birthday. There was no hope that he would not remember it.
 
“Why,” demanded Uncle Benjamin, leeringly, as he tied up her tea, “are young ladies like bad grammarians?”
 
Valancy, with Uncle Benjamin’s will in the background of her mind, said meekly1, “I don’t know. Why?”
 
“Because,” chuckled2 Uncle Benjamin, “they can’t decline matrimony.”
 
The two clerks, Joe Hammond and Claude Bertram, chuckled also, and Valancy disliked them a little more than ever. On the first day Claude Bertram had seen her in the store she had heard him whisper to Joe, “Who is that?” And Joe had said, “Valancy Stirling—one of the Deerwood old maids.” “Curable or incurable3?” Claude had asked with a snicker, evidently thinking the question very clever. Valancy smarted anew with the sting of that old recollection.
 
“Twenty-nine,” Uncle Benjamin was saying. “Dear me, Doss, you’re dangerously near the second corner and not even thinking of getting married yet. Twenty-nine. It seems impossible.”
 
Then Uncle Benjamin said an original thing. Uncle Benjamin said, “How time does fly!”
 
“I think it crawls,” said Valancy passionately4. Passion was so alien to Uncle Benjamin’s conception of Valancy that he didn’t know what to make of her. To cover his confusion, he asked another conundrum5 as he tied up her beans—Cousin Stickles had remembered at the last moment that they must have beans. Beans were cheap and filling.
 
“What two ages are apt to prove illusory?” asked Uncle Benjamin; and, not waiting for Valancy to “give it up,” he added, “Mir-age and marriage.”
 
“M-i-r-a-g-e is pronounced mirazh,” said Valancy shortly, picking up her tea and her beans. For the moment she did not care whether Uncle Benjamin cut her out of his will or not. She walked out of the store while Uncle Benjamin stared after her with his mouth open. Then he shook his head.

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1 meekly meekly     
adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地
参考例句：
  • He stood aside meekly when the new policy was proposed. 当有人提出新政策时，他唯唯诺诺地站 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He meekly accepted the rebuke. 他顺从地接受了批评。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
3 incurable incurable     
adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人
参考例句：
  • All three babies were born with an incurable heart condition.三个婴儿都有不可治瘉的先天性心脏病。
  • He has an incurable and widespread nepotism.他们有不可救药的，到处蔓延的裙带主义。
4 passionately YmDzQ4     
ad.热烈地，激烈地
参考例句：
  • She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
  • He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。
5 conundrum gpxzZ     
n.谜语；难题
参考例句：
  • Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。
  • Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。
6 perfectly 8Mzxb     
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。
7 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
8 prim SSIz3     
adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地
参考例句：
  • She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板，不喜欢听粗野的笑话！
  • He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨
9 apron Lvzzo     
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。
10 slanted 628a904d3b8214f5fc02822d64c58492     
有偏见的； 倾斜的
参考例句：
  • The sun slanted through the window. 太阳斜照进窗户。
  • She had slanted brown eyes. 她有一双棕色的丹凤眼。
11 defiantly defiantly     
adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地
参考例句：
  • Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 savagely 902f52b3c682f478ddd5202b40afefb9     
adv. 野蛮地，残酷地
参考例句：
  • The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
  • He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。
13 riddles 77f3ceed32609b0d80430e545f553e31     
n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜
参考例句：
  • Few riddles collected from oral tradition, however, have all six parts. 但是据收集的情况看，口头流传的谜语很少具有这完整的六部分。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
  • But first, you'd better see if you can answer riddles. 但是你首先最好想想你会不会猜谜语。 来自辞典例句
14 rev njvzwS     
v.发动机旋转，加快速度
参考例句：
  • It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
  • Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。
15 disapproved 3ee9b7bf3f16130a59cb22aafdea92d0     
v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 thoroughly sgmz0J     
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。
17 choir sX0z5     
n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱
参考例句：
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。
18 beckoned b70f83e57673dfe30be1c577dd8520bc     
v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
  • The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 forefinger pihxt     
n.食指
参考例句：
  • He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
  • He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。
20 aisle qxPz3     
n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道
参考例句：
  • The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
  • The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。
21 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
22 knuckly 9ca0410c0be5d8b32df7da4ac6fd2171     
n.（指人）指关节；（指动物）膝关节，肘；铰结，肘形接；铜指节套vt.用指关节打、压、碰、擦
参考例句：
  • Wainwright rubbed a knuckle along the surface of his chin. 温赖特的一个手指关节在下巴上搓来搓去。 来自辞典例句
  • They refused to knuckle under to any pressure. 他们拒不屈从任何压力。 来自辞典例句
23 automaton CPayw     
n.自动机器，机器人
参考例句：
  • This is a fully functional automaton.这是一个有全自动功能的机器人。
  • I get sick of being thought of as a political automaton.我讨厌被看作政治机器。
24 bemoaned dc24be61c87ad3bad6f9c1fa818f9ce1     
v.为（某人或某事）抱怨( bemoan的过去式和过去分词 )；悲悼；为…恸哭；哀叹
参考例句：
  • The farmer bemoaned his loss. 农夫抱怨他所受到的损失。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He only bemoaned his fate. 他忍受了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
25 decided lvqzZd     
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。
26 entirely 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。
27 clan Dq5zi     
n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派
参考例句：
  • She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
  • The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。
28 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处
参考例句：
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
29 solitary 7FUyx     
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
  • I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
  • The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

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