MANY years ago there lived an emperor, who cared so enormously for beautiful new clothes that he spent all his money upon them, that he might be very fine. He did not care about his soldiers, nor about the theatre, nor about driving in the park except to show his new clothes.He had a oat for every hour of the day;and just as they say of a king,“He is in council,” one always said of him, “The emperor is in the wardrobe. ”

In the great city in which he lived it was always very merry; every day a number of strangers arrived there. One day two cheats came; they gave themselves out as weavers¹, and declared that they could weave the finest stuff anyone could imagine. Not only were their colours and patterns, they said, uncommonly³ beautiful, but the clothes made of the stuff possessed⁴ the wonderful quality that they became invisible to anyone who was unfit for the office he held, or was incorrigibly⁵ stupid.

“Those would be capital clothes!”thought the emperor . “If I wore those , I should be able to find out what men in my empire are not fit for the places they have; I could distinguish the clever from the stupid . Yes , the stuff must be woven for me directly!”

And he gave the two cheats a great deal of cash in hand, that they might begin their work at once.

As for them, they put up two looms⁶, and pretended to be working; but they had nothing at all on their looms. They at once demanded the finest silk and the costliest⁸ gold; this they put into their own pockets, and worked at the empty looms till late into the night .

“I should like to know how far they have got on with the stuff,” thought the emperor. But he felt quite uncomfortable when he thought that those who were not fit for their offices could not see it . He believed , indeed , that he had nothing to fear for himself, but yet he preferred first to send some one else to see how matters stood . All the people in the whole city knew what peculiar

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1 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。

2 weaver
n.织布工；编织者
参考例句：
She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。 The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

3 uncommonly
adv. 稀罕(极，非常)
参考例句：
an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童 My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。

4 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

5 incorrigibly
adv.无法矫正地；屡教不改地；无可救药地；不能矫正地
参考例句：
He was incorrigibly obstinate, no matter who persuaded him. 不论谁劝他，他都顽固不化。 来自互联网 Medora is incorrigibly romantic. 梅朵拉很富于幻想，这是不可救药的。 来自互联网

6 looms
n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近
参考例句：
All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 loom
n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近
参考例句：
The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。 The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

8 costliest
adj.昂贵的( costly的最高级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的
参考例句：
At 81 billion dollars, Katrina is the costliest natural disaster in American history. “卡特里娜”飓风造成了近810亿美圆的损失，是美国历史上最严重的自然灾难之一。 来自互联网 Senator John Kerry has proposed a tax on the costliest health plans sold by insurance companies. 参议员约翰？克里(JohnKerry)已经提议对保险公司销售的高价值的保险计划征税。 来自互联网

9 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

10 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。

11 enchanting
a.讨人喜欢的
参考例句：
His smile, at once enchanting and melancholy, is just his father's. 他那种既迷人又有些忧郁的微笑，活脱儿象他父亲。 Its interior was an enchanting place that both lured and frightened me. 它的里头是个吸引人的地方，我又向往又害怕。

12 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》

13 majesty
n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权
参考例句：
The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。 Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

14 exalted
adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的
参考例句：
Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。 He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

15 approbation
n.称赞；认可
参考例句：
He tasted the wine of audience approbation.他尝到了像酒般令人陶醉的听众赞许滋味。 The result has not met universal approbation.该结果尚未获得普遍认同。

16 contented
adj.满意的，安心的，知足的
参考例句：
He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。 The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

17 suite
n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员
参考例句：
She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。 That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

18 condescend
v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑
参考例句：
Would you condescend to accompany me?你肯屈尊陪我吗？ He did not condescend to answer.He turned his back on me.他不愿屈尊回答我的问题。他不理睬我。

19 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

20 canopy
n.天篷，遮篷
参考例句：
The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。 They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

21 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。

22 adornment
n.装饰；装饰品
参考例句：
Lucie was busy with the adornment of her room.露西正忙着布置她的房间。 Cosmetics are used for adornment.化妆品是用来打扮的。

23 mantle
n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红
参考例句：
The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。 The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。