As it is possible the mere¹ English reader may have a different idea of romance from the author of these little1 volumes, and may consequently expect a kind of entertainment not to be found, nor which was even intended, in the following pages, it may not be improper² to premise³ a few words concerning this kind of writing, which I do not remember to have seen hitherto attempted in our language.

1 Joseph Andrews was originally published in 2 vols. duodecimo.

The EPIC⁴, as well as the DRAMA, is divided into tragedy and comedy. HOMER, who was the father of this species of poetry, gave us a pattern of both these, though that of the latter kind is entirely⁵ lost; which Aristotle tells us, bore the same relation to comedy which his Iliad bears to tragedy. And perhaps, that we have no more instances of it among the writers of antiquity⁶, is owing to the loss of this great pattern, which, had it survived, would have found its imitators equally with the other poems of this great original.

And farther, as this poetry may be tragic⁷ or comic, I will not scruple⁸ to say it may be likewise either in verse or prose: for though it wants one particular, which the critic enumerates⁹ in the constituent¹⁰ parts of an epic poem, namely metre; yet, when any kind of writing contains all its other parts, such as fable¹¹, action, characters, sentiments, and diction, and is

点击收听单词发音  

1 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

2 improper
adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的
参考例句：
Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。 Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

3 premise
n.前提；v.提论，预述
参考例句：
Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。 We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

4 epic
n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的
参考例句：
I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。 They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

5 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。

6 antiquity
n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹
参考例句：
The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。 There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

7 tragic
adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的
参考例句：
The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。 Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

8 scruple
n./v.顾忌，迟疑
参考例句：
It'seemed to her now that she could marry him without the remnant of a scruple.她觉得现在她可以跟他成婚而不需要有任何顾忌。 He makes no scruple to tell a lie.他说起谎来无所顾忌。

9 enumerates
v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Enumerates the transaction options when sending or receiving a message. 发送或接收消息时，枚举事务处理选项。 来自互联网 Ming as Researcher enumerates research projects conducted and those in progress. [潘氏研究]举曾经进行﹐及现在进行的研究计划。 来自互联网

10 constituent
n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的
参考例句：
Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。 Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

11 fable
n.寓言；童话；神话
参考例句：
The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。 He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

12 deficient
adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的
参考例句：
The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。 I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。

13 odyssey
n.长途冒险旅行；一连串的冒险
参考例句：
The march to Travnik was the final stretch of a 16-hour odyssey.去特拉夫尼克的这段路是长达16小时艰险旅行的最后一程。 His odyssey of passion, friendship,love,and revenge was now finished.他的热情、友谊、爱情和复仇的漫长历程，到此结束了。

14 apprehend
vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑
参考例句：
I apprehend no worsening of the situation.我不担心局势会恶化。 Police have not apprehended her killer.警察还未抓获谋杀她的凶手。

15 sublime
adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的
参考例句：
We should take some time to enjoy the sublime beauty of nature.我们应该花些时间去欣赏大自然的壮丽景象。 Olympic games play as an important arena to exhibit the sublime idea.奥运会，就是展示此崇高理念的重要舞台。

16 burlesque
v.嘲弄，戏仿；n.嘲弄，取笑，滑稽模仿
参考例句：
Our comic play was a burlesque of a Shakespearean tragedy.我们的喜剧是对莎士比亚一出悲剧的讽刺性模仿。 He shouldn't burlesque the elder.他不应模仿那长者。

17 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

18 parodies
n.拙劣的模仿( parody的名词复数 )；恶搞；滑稽的模仿诗文；表面上模仿得笨拙但充满了机智用来嘲弄别人作品的作品v.滑稽地模仿，拙劣地模仿( parody的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Later, however, they delight in parodies of nursery rhymes. 可要不了多久，他们便乐于对它进行窜改。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗 Most parodies are little more than literary teases. 大多数讽刺的模仿诗文只能算上是文学上的揶揄。 来自辞典例句

19 monstrous
adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的
参考例句：
The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。 Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

20 unnatural
adj.不自然的；反常的
参考例句：
Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？ She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

21 absurdity
n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论
参考例句：
The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。 The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

22 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。 The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

23 deviating
v.偏离，越轨( deviate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I compromise by using a prepared text and deviating from it whenever I feel the need. 我搞折衷办法，准备一份讲稿，觉得需要的时候就自由发挥。 来自辞典例句 Theories deviating practices are inane, while practices deviating theories are blindfold. 脱离实践的理论是空泛的，脱离理论指导的实践是盲目的。 来自互联网

24 excellences
n.卓越( excellence的名词复数 )；（只用于所修饰的名词后）杰出的；卓越的；出类拔萃的
参考例句：
Excellences do not depend on a single man's pleasure. 某人某物是否优异不取决于一人的好恶。 来自互联网 They do not recognize her many excellences. 他们无视她的各种长处。 来自互联网

25 excellence
n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德
参考例句：
His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。 My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

26 drollery
n.开玩笑，说笑话；滑稽可笑的图画（或故事、小戏等）
参考例句：
We all enjoyed his drollery. 我们都欣赏他的幽默。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 "It is a bit of quiet, unassuming drollery which warms like good wine. "这是一段既不哗众取宠又不矫揉造作的滑稽表演，像美酒一样温馨。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

27 perfectly
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。

28 appellation
n.名称，称呼
参考例句：
The emperor of Russia Peter I was given the appellation " the Great ".俄皇彼得一世被加上了“大帝”的称号。 Kinsfolk appellation is the kinfolks system reflection in language.亲属称谓是亲属制度在语言中的反应。

29 abhorrence
n.憎恶；可憎恶的事
参考例句：
This nation has an abhorrence of terrrorism.这个民族憎恶恐怖主义。 It is an abhorrence to his feeling.这是他深恶痛绝的事。

30 professes
声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉
参考例句：
She still professes her innocence. 她仍然声称自己无辜。 He professes himself to be sad but doesn't look it. 他自称感到悲伤，但外表却看不出来。

31 exquisite
adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的
参考例句：
I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。 I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

32 wholesome
adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的
参考例句：
In actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.实际上我喜欢做的事大都是有助于增进身体健康的。 It is not wholesome to eat without washing your hands.不洗手吃饭是不卫生的。

33 purge
n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁
参考例句：
The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。 The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。

34 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

35 nay
adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者
参考例句：
He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。 Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

36 benevolence
n.慈悲，捐助
参考例句：
We definitely do not apply a policy of benevolence to the reactionaries.我们对反动派决不施仁政。 He did it out of pure benevolence. 他做那件事完全出于善意。

37 illustrate
v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图
参考例句：
The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。 This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

38 judicious
adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的
参考例句：
We should listen to the judicious opinion of that old man.我们应该听取那位老人明智的意见。 A judicious parent encourages his children to make their own decisions.贤明的父亲鼓励儿女自作抉择。

39 infinitely
adv.无限地，无穷地
参考例句：
There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。 The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

40 agitate
vi.(for,against)煽动，鼓动；vt.搅动
参考例句：
They sent agents to agitate the local people.他们派遣情报人员煽动当地的民众。 All you need to do is gently agitate the water with a finger or paintbrush.你只需要用手指或刷子轻轻地搅动水。

41 admiration
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。 We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

42 preposterous
adj.荒谬的，可笑的
参考例句：
The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。 It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。

43 professed
公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的
参考例句：
These, at least, were their professed reasons for pulling out of the deal. 至少这些是他们自称退出这宗交易的理由。 Her manner professed a gaiety that she did not feel. 她的神态显出一种她并未实际感受到的快乐。

44 ridicule
v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄
参考例句：
You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。 Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

45 calamities
n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事
参考例句：
They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

46 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

47 miseries
n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人
参考例句：
They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

48 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

49 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。

50 positively
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。 The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

51 treatise
n.专著；(专题)论文
参考例句：
The doctor wrote a treatise on alcoholism.那位医生写了一篇关于酗酒问题的论文。 This is not a treatise on statistical theory.这不是一篇有关统计理论的论文。

52 copious
adj.丰富的，大量的
参考例句：
She supports her theory with copious evidences.她以大量的例证来充实自己的理论。 Every star is a copious source of neutrinos.每颗恒星都是丰富的中微子源。

53 hypocrisy
n.伪善，虚伪
参考例句：
He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。 He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。

54 censure
v./n.责备；非难；责难
参考例句：
You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。 His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

55 concealing
v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》 SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

56 vices
缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳
参考例句：
In spite of his vices, he was loved by all. 尽管他有缺点，还是受到大家的爱戴。 He vituperated from the pulpit the vices of the court. 他在教堂的讲坛上责骂宫廷的罪恶。

57 virtue
n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
参考例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。 You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

58 virtues
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。

59 motives
n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机 His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

60 noted
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。 Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

61 negation
n.否定；否认
参考例句：
No reasonable negation can be offered.没有合理的反对意见可以提出。 The author boxed the compass of negation in his article.该作者在文章中依次探讨了各种反面的意见。

62 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。

63 allied
adj.协约国的；同盟国的
参考例句：
Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。 Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

64 ostentation
n.夸耀，卖弄
参考例句：
Choose a life of action,not one of ostentation.要选择行动的一生，而不是炫耀的一生。 I don't like the ostentation of their expensive life - style.他们生活奢侈，爱摆阔，我不敢恭维。

65 avaricious
adj.贪婪的，贪心的
参考例句：
I call on your own memory as witness:remember we have avaricious hearts.假使你想要保证和证明，你可以回忆一下我们贪婪的心。 He is so avaricious that we call him a blood sucker.他如此贪婪，我们都叫他吸血鬼。

66 descend
vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降
参考例句：
I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。 We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

67 behold
v.看，注视，看到
参考例句：
The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。 The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

68 languishing
a. 衰弱下去的
参考例句：
He is languishing for home. 他苦思家乡。 How long will she go on languishing for her red-haired boy? 为想见到她的红头发的儿子，她还将为此烦恼多久呢？

69 diabolical
adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的
参考例句：
This maneuver of his is a diabolical conspiracy.他这一手是一个居心叵测的大阴谋。 One speaker today called the plan diabolical and sinister.今天一名发言人称该计划阴险恶毒。

70 adorned
[计]被修饰的
参考例句：
The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。 And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

71 ridiculing
v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Proxmire has made himself quite a reputation out of ridiculing government expenditure he disagrees with. 普罗克斯迈尔对于他不同意花的政府开支总要取笑一番，他因此而名声大振。 来自辞典例句 The demonstrators put on skits ridiculing the aggressors. 游行的人上演了活报剧来讽刺侵略者。 来自互联网

72 lameness
n. 跛, 瘸, 残废
参考例句：
Having been laughed at for his lameness,the boy became shy and inhibited. 那男孩因跛脚被人讥笑，变得羞怯而压抑。 By reason of his lameness the boy could not play games. 这男孩因脚跛不能做游戏。

73 agility
n.敏捷，活泼
参考例句：
The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。 His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

74 compassion
n.同情，怜悯
参考例句：
He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。 Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

75 secondly
adv.第二，其次
参考例句：
Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。 Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

76 frailty
n.脆弱；意志薄弱
参考例句：
Despite increasing physical frailty,he continued to write stories.尽管身体越来越虛弱，他仍然继续写小说。 He paused and suddenly all the frailty and fatigue showed.他顿住了，虚弱与疲惫一下子显露出来。

77 habitually
ad.习惯地，通常地
参考例句：
The pain of the disease caused him habitually to furrow his brow. 病痛使他习惯性地紧皱眉头。 Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair. 我已经习惯于服从约翰，我来到他的椅子跟前。

78 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

79 distinguished
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。 A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

80 vilify
v.诽谤，中伤
参考例句：
But I also do not want people to vilify.但希望我也别给人诬蔑。 Two chose not to vilify Skilling,however.然而，也有两个人并不愿诋毁思斯奇林。

81 asperse
v.流言；n.流言
参考例句：
He said law enforcement facts turn the tide upon those who seek to asperse the country's good name.他说执法的事实遏阻了那些想要破坏国家名誉的人。 The difference between libel and asperse is that libel is printed while slander is spoken.诽谤和流言的区别在于前者是书面的，而后者是口头的。

82 simplicity
n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯
参考例句：
She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。 The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

83 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。

84 inclinations
倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡
参考例句：
She has artistic inclinations. 她有艺术爱好。 I've no inclinations towards life as a doctor. 我的志趣不是行医。