Chapter Ten
T he offices of Egerton, Forbes & Wilborough were in Bloomsbury, in one of those imposing¹ and dignified² squareswhich have as yet not felt the wind of change. Their brass³ plate was suitably worn down to illegibility⁴. The firm hadbeen going for over a hundred years and a good proportion of the landed gentry⁵ of England were their clients. Therewas no Forbes in the firm anymore and no Wilboroughs. Instead there were Atkinsons, father and son, and a WelshLloyd and a Scottish McAllister. There was, however, still an Egerton, descendant of the original Egerton. Thisparticular Egerton was a man of fifty-two and he was adviser⁷ to several families which had in their day been advisedby his grandfather, his uncle, and his father.
At this moment he was sitting behind a large mahogany desk in his handsome room on the first floor, speakingkindly but firmly to a dejected looking client. Richard Egerton was a handsome man, tall, dark with a touch of grey atthe temples and very shrewd grey eyes. His advice was always good advice, but he seldom minced⁸ his words.
“Quite frankly⁹ you haven’t got a leg to stand upon, Freddie,” he was saying. “Not with those letters you’vewritten.”
“You don’t think—” Freddie murmured dejectedly.
“No, I don’t,” said Egerton. “The only hope is to settle out of court. It might even be held that you’ve renderedyourself liable to criminal prosecution¹¹.”
“Oh, look here, Richard, that’s carrying things a bit far.”
There was a small discreet

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1 imposing
adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的
参考例句：
The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。 He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

2 dignified
a.可敬的，高贵的
参考例句：
Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。 He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

3 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。

4 illegibility
n.不清不楚，不可辨认，模糊
参考例句：
The illegibility mathematics is used for evaluating water quality. 将模糊数学应用于水质评价中。 来自互联网 Foreign students accepted at an American school will receive a document called a Certificate of illegibility(Eligibility). 被美国学校接受的外国留学生将会收到一份被称为资格证书的文件。 来自互联网

5 gentry
n.绅士阶级，上层阶级
参考例句：
Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。 Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首，不居贵族之末。

6 kin
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
参考例句：
He comes of good kin.他出身好。 She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

7 adviser
n.劝告者，顾问
参考例句：
They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。 Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 minced
v.切碎( mince的过去式和过去分词 )；剁碎；绞碎；用绞肉机绞（食物，尤指肉）
参考例句：
He minced over to serve us. 他迈着碎步过来招待我们。 A young fop minced up to George and introduced himself. 一个花花公子扭扭捏捏地走到乔治面前并作了自我介绍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 murmur
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。 There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

11 prosecution
n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营
参考例句：
The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。 He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

12 discreet
adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的
参考例句：
He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。 It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

13 bloody
adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染
参考例句：
He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。 He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

14 honourable
adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的
参考例句：
I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。 I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

15 wards
区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态
参考例句：
This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。 It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

16 ward
n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开
参考例句：
The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。 During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

17 vitality
n.活力，生命力，效力
参考例句：
He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。 He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

18 ruffles
褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
You will need 12 yards of ribbon facing for the ruffles. 你将需要12码丝带为衣服镶边之用。 It is impossible to live without some daily ruffles to our composure. 我们日常的平静生活免不了会遇到一些波折。

19 guardians
监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者
参考例句：
Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。 The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

20 attentively
adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神
参考例句：
She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 considerably
adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上
参考例句：
The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。 The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

22 ironic
adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的
参考例句：
That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。 People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

23 abruptly
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。 I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

24 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

25 buzzer
n.蜂鸣器；汽笛
参考例句：
The buzzer went off at eight o'clock.蜂鸣器在8点钟时响了。 Press the buzzer when you want to talk.你想讲话的时候就按蜂鸣器。

26 secrecy
n.秘密，保密，隐蔽
参考例句：
All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。 Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

27 diagnosis
n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断
参考例句：
His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。 The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

28 undesirable
adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子
参考例句：
They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。 Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

29 bully
n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮
参考例句：
A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。 The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

30 disastrous
adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的
参考例句：
The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。 Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

31 ingenuity
n.别出心裁；善于发明创造
参考例句：
The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。 I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

32 conjecture
n./v.推测，猜测
参考例句：
She felt it no use to conjecture his motives.她觉得猜想他的动机是没有用的。 This conjecture is not supported by any real evidence.这种推测未被任何确切的证据所证实。

33 inquiries
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。 I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

34 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。

35 racing
n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的
参考例句：
I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。 The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

36 rumours
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传
参考例句：
The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。 Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。