How Gargantua spent his time in rainy weather.

If it happened that the weather were anything cloudy, foul¹, and rainy, all the forenoon was employed, as before specified², according to custom, with this difference only, that they had a good clear fire lighted to correct the distempers of the air. But after dinner, instead of their wonted exercitations, they did abide³ within, and, by way of apotherapy (that is, a making the body healthful by exercise), did recreate themselves in bottling up of hay, in cleaving⁴ and sawing of wood, and in threshing sheaves of corn at the barn. Then they studied the art of painting or carving⁵; or brought into use the antique play of tables, as Leonicus hath written of it, and as our good friend Lascaris playeth at it. In playing they examined the passages of ancient authors wherein the said play is mentioned or any metaphor⁶ drawn⁷ from it. They went likewise to see the drawing of metals, or the casting of great ordnance⁸; how the lapidaries⁹ did work; as also the goldsmiths and cutters of precious stones. Nor did they omit to visit the alchemists, money-coiners, upholsterers, weavers¹⁰, velvet-workers, watchmakers, looking-glass framers, printers, organists, and other such kind of artificers, and, everywhere giving them somewhat to drink, did learn and consider the industry and invention of the trades. They went also to hear the public lectures, the solemn commencements, the repetitions, the acclamations, the pleadings of the gentle lawyers, and sermons of evangelical preachers. He went through the halls and places appointed for fencing, and there played against the masters themselves at all weapons, and showed them by experience that he knew as much in it as, yea, more than, they. And, instead of herborizing, they visited the shops of druggists, herbalists, and

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1 foul
adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规
参考例句：
Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。 What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

2 specified
adj.特定的
参考例句：
The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。 It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

3 abide
vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受
参考例句：
You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。 If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

4 cleaving
v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The freighter carrying pig iron is cleaving through the water. 装着生铁的货船正在破浪前进。 来自辞典例句 IL-10-cDNA fragment was obtained through cleaving pUC-T-IL-10cDNA by reconstriction enzymes. 结果：pcDNA3.1-IL-10酶切鉴定的电泳结果显示，pcDNA3.1-IL-10质粒有一个560bp左右的插入片断，大小和IL-10cDNA大致符合。 来自互联网

5 carving
n.雕刻品，雕花
参考例句：
All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。 He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。

6 metaphor
n.隐喻，暗喻
参考例句：
Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。 In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

7 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 ordnance
n.大炮，军械
参考例句：
She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。 Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

9 lapidaries
n.宝石匠，玉石雕刻师( lapidary的名词复数 )
参考例句：

10 weavers
织工，编织者( weaver的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The Navajo are noted as stockbreeders and skilled weavers, potters, and silversmiths. 纳瓦霍人以豢养家禽，技术熟练的纺织者，制陶者和银匠而著名。 They made out they were weavers. 他们假装是织布工人。

11 apothecaries
n.药剂师，药店( apothecary的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Some of them crawl through the examination of the Apothecaries Hall. 有些人则勉勉强强通过了药剂师公会的考试。 来自辞典例句 Apothecaries would not sugar their pills unless they were bitter. 好药不苦不会加糖衣。 来自互联网

12 diligently
ad.industriously;carefully
参考例句：
He applied himself diligently to learning French. 他孜孜不倦地学法语。 He had studied diligently at college. 他在大学里勤奋学习。

13 ointments
n.软膏( ointment的名词复数 )；扫兴的人；煞风景的事物；药膏
参考例句：
The firm has been dispensing ointments. 本公司配制药膏。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Antibiotic ointments are useful for concurrent bacterial infections. 抗菌素软膏对伴发的细菌感染是有用的。 来自辞典例句

14 extenuating
adj.使减轻的，情有可原的v.（用偏袒的辩解或借口）减轻( extenuate的现在分词 )；低估，藐视
参考例句：
There were extenuating circumstances and the defendant did not receive a prison sentence. 因有可减轻罪行的情节被告未被判刑。 I do not plead any extenuating act. 我不求宽大，也不要求减刑。 来自演讲部分

15 intemperate
adj.无节制的，放纵的
参考例句：
Many people felt threatened by Arther's forceful,sometimes intemperate style.很多人都觉得阿瑟的强硬的、有时过激的作风咄咄逼人。 The style was hurried,the tone intemperate.匆促的笔调，放纵的语气。

16 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。

17 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

18 vehement
adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的
参考例句：
She made a vehement attack on the government's policies.她强烈谴责政府的政策。 His proposal met with vehement opposition.他的倡导遭到了激烈的反对。

19 quails
鹌鹑( quail的名词复数 )； 鹌鹑肉
参考例句：
Speckled quails rustled in the underbrush. 鹌鹑在矮树丛里沙沙作响。 I went out to pop some quails. 我出去打几只鹌鹑。

20 crabs
n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
As we walked along the seashore we saw lots of tiny crabs. 我们在海岸上散步时看到很多小蟹。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 witty
adj.机智的，风趣的
参考例句：
Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。 He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

22 ivy
n.常青藤，常春藤
参考例句：
Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。 The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

23 funnel
n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集
参考例句：
He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。 I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

24 contrived
adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的
参考例句：
There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。 The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。