I have hinted that our Mother England had equipped Mr. Polly for the management of his internal concerns no whit¹ better than she had for the direction of his external affairs. With a careless generosity² she affords her children a variety of foods unparalleled in the world’s history, and including many condiments³ and preserved preparations novel to the human economy. And Miriam did the cooking. Mr. Polly’s system, like a confused and ill-governed democracy, had been brought to a state of perpetual clamour and disorder⁴, demanding now evil and unsuitable internal satisfactions, such as pickles⁵ and vinegar and the crackling on pork, and now vindictive⁶ external expression, war and bloodshed throughout the world. So that Mr. Polly had been led into hatred⁷ and a series of disagreeable quarrels with his landlord, his wholesalers, and most of his neighbours.

Rumbold, the china dealer⁸ next door, seemed hostile from the first for no apparent reason, and always unpacked⁹ his crates¹¹ with a full back to his new neighbour, and from the first Mr. Polly resented and hated that uncivil breadth of expressionless humanity, wanted to prod¹³ it, kick it, satirise it. But you cannot satirise a hack¹⁴, if you have no friend to nudge while you do it.

At last Mr. Polly could stand it no longer. He approached and

点击收听单词发音  

1 whit
n.一点，丝毫
参考例句：
There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。 He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。

2 generosity
n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为
参考例句：
We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。 We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

3 condiments
n.调味品
参考例句：
Refill and clean all salt and peppers, sugar bowls, and other condiments. 清洁并续满所有的胡椒瓶、盐瓶、糖缸及其他调料。 Go easy on condiments, they tend to be salty. 别放太多调味品，这样往往会太咸。

4 disorder
n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调
参考例句：
When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。 It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 pickles
n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱
参考例句：
Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

6 vindictive
adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的
参考例句：
I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。 The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

7 hatred
n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨
参考例句：
He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。 The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

8 dealer
n.商人，贩子
参考例句：
The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。 The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

9 unpacked
v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）
参考例句：
I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived. 我一到达就打开行李，整理衣物。 Our guide unpacked a picnic of ham sandwiches and offered us tea. 我们的导游打开装着火腿三明治的野餐盒，并给我们倒了些茶水。 来自辞典例句

10 unpack
vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货
参考例句：
I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。 She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

11 crates
n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱
参考例句：
We were using crates as seats. 我们用大木箱作为座位。 Thousands of crates compacted in a warehouse. 数以千计的板条箱堆放在仓库里。

12 crate
vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱
参考例句：
We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。 The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。

13 prod
vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励
参考例句：
The crisis will prod them to act.那个危机将刺激他们行动。 I shall have to prod him to pay me what he owes.我将不得不催促他把欠我的钱还给我。

14 hack
n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳
参考例句：
He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。 Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

15 prodded
v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳
参考例句：
She prodded him in the ribs to wake him up. 她用手指杵他的肋部把他叫醒。 He prodded at the plate of fish with his fork. 他拿叉子戳弄着那盘鱼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 erect
n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的
参考例句：
She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。 Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

17 elevation
n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高
参考例句：
The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。 His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。

18 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。

19 invert
vt.使反转，使颠倒，使转化
参考例句：
She catch the insect by invert her cup over it.她把杯子倒扣在昆虫上，将它逮住了。 Invert the cake onto a cooling rack.把蛋糕倒扣在冷却架上。

20 distressed
痛苦的
参考例句：
He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。 The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

21 apprehended
逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解
参考例句：
She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。 The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

22 unpacking
n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）
参考例句：
Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候，乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 mutual
adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的
参考例句：
We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。 Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

24 inspection
n.检查，审查，检阅
参考例句：
On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。 The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

25 resounding
adj. 响亮的
参考例句：
The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。 He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

26 plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。 She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

27 tune
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。 The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

28 contemplated
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式
参考例句：
The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。 The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

29 receding
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题
参考例句：
Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句 Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

30 decided
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。

31 obliquely
adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大
参考例句：
From the gateway two paths led obliquely across the court. 从门口那儿，有两条小路斜越过院子。 来自辞典例句 He was receding obliquely with a curious hurrying gait. 他歪着身子，古怪而急促地迈着步子，往后退去。 来自辞典例句

32 intercourse
n.性交；交流，交往，交际
参考例句：
The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。 There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。

33 creditors
n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 obtusely
adv.钝地，圆头地
参考例句：
He had so rapaciously desired and so obtusely expected to find her alone. 他强烈渴望并且愚蠢地希望自己能够发现她一人独处的机会。 来自互联网