A discourse¹ between the poet and the player; of no other use in this history but to divert the reader.

Before we proceed any farther in this tragedy we shall leave Mr Joseph and Mr Adams to themselves, and imitate the wise conductors of the stage, who in the midst of a grave action entertain you with some excellent piece of satire² or humour called a dance. Which piece, indeed, is therefore danced, and not spoke³, as it is delivered to the audience by persons whose thinking faculty⁴ is by most people held to lie in their heels; and to whom, as well as heroes, who think with their hands, Nature hath only given heads for the sake of conformity⁵, and as they are of use in dancing, to hang their hats on.

The poet, addressing the player, proceeded thus, “As I was saying” (for they had been at this discourse all the time of the engagement above-stairs), “the reason you have no good new plays is evident; it is from your discouragement of authors. Gentlemen will not write, sir, they will not write, without the expectation of fame or profit, or perhaps both. Plays are like trees, which will not grow without nourishment⁷; but like mushrooms, they shoot up spontaneously, as it were, in a rich soil. The muses⁸, like vines, may be pruned⁹, but not with a hatchet¹⁰. The town, like a peevish¹¹ child, knows not what it desires, and is always best pleased with a rattle¹². A farce-writer hath indeed some chance for success: but they have lost all taste for the

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1 discourse
n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述
参考例句：
We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。 He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

2 satire
n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品
参考例句：
The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。 Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

3 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 faculty
n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员
参考例句：
He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。 He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

5 conformity
n.一致，遵从，顺从
参考例句：
Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法？ The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。

6 writ
n.命令状，书面命令
参考例句：
This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。 You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

7 nourishment
n.食物，营养品；营养情况
参考例句：
Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。 He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

8 muses
v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事）
参考例句：
We have listened too long to the courtly muses of Europe. 欧洲那种御用的诗才，我们已经听够了。 来自辞典例句 Shiki muses that this is, at least, probably the right atmosphere. 志贵觉得这至少是正确的气氛。 来自互联网

9 pruned
v.修剪（树木等）( prune的过去式和过去分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分
参考例句：
Next year's budget will have to be drastically pruned. 下一年度的预算将大幅度削减。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 hatchet
n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀
参考例句：
I shall have to take a hatchet to that stump.我得用一把短柄斧来劈这树桩。 Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet.别用斧头拍打朋友额头上的苍蝇。

11 peevish
adj.易怒的，坏脾气的
参考例句：
A peevish child is unhappy and makes others unhappy.一个脾气暴躁的孩子自己不高兴也使别人不高兴。 She glared down at me with a peevish expression on her face.她低头瞪着我，一脸怒气。

12 rattle
v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓
参考例句：
The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。 She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

13 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。

14 utterance
n.用言语表达，话语，言语
参考例句：
This utterance of his was greeted with bursts of uproarious laughter.他的讲话引起阵阵哄然大笑。 My voice cleaves to my throat,and sob chokes my utterance.我的噪子哽咽，泣不成声。

15 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。

16 predecessors
n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身
参考例句：
The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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。

18 squinted
斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看
参考例句：
Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩，眯起眼睛瞄准。 I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。

19 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。

20 delicacy
n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴
参考例句：
We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。 He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

21 grovelling
adj.卑下的，奴颜婢膝的v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的现在分词 )；趴
参考例句：
Can a policeman possibly enjoy grovelling in the dirty side of human behaivour? 一个警察成天和人类行为的丑恶面打交道，能感到津津有味吗？ 来自互联网

22 saucy
adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的
参考例句：
He was saucy and mischievous when he was working.他工作时总爱调皮捣蛋。 It was saucy of you to contradict your father.你顶撞父亲，真是无礼。

23 harmonious
adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的
参考例句：
Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。 The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

24 disdain
n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑
参考例句：
Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。 A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

25 murmurs
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕
参考例句：
They spoke in low murmurs. 他们低声说着话。 来自辞典例句 They are more superficial, more distinctly heard than murmurs. 它们听起来比心脏杂音更为浅表而清楚。 来自辞典例句

26 sordid
adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的
参考例句：
He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。 They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。

27 hissed
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句：
Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？ The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

28 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。

29 rascals
流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人
参考例句：
"Oh, but I like rascals. "唔，不过我喜欢流氓。 "They're all second-raters, black sheep, rascals. "他们都是二流人物，是流氓，是恶棍。

30 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。

31 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。

32 pelted
（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮
参考例句：
The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。 The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。