Two days afterward¹, Ann Eliza noticed that Evelina, beforethey sat down to supper, pinned a crimson² bow under her collar; andwhen the meal was finished the younger sister, who seldom concernedherself with the clearing of the table, set about with nervoushaste to help Ann Eliza in the removal of the dishes.

　　"I hate to see food mussing about," she grumbled³. "Ain't ithateful having to do everything in one room?""Oh, Evelina, I've always thought we was so comfortable," AnnEliza protested.

　　"Well, so we are, comfortable enough; but I don't supposethere's any harm in my saying I wisht we had a parlour, is there?

　　Anyway, we might manage to buy a screen to hide the bed."Ann Eliza coloured. There was something vaguely⁴ embarrassingin Evelina's suggestion.

　　"I always think if we ask for more what we have may be takenfrom us," she ventured.

　　"Well, whoever took it wouldn't get much," Evelina retortedwith a laugh as she swept up the table-cloth.

　　A few moments later the back room was in its usual flawlessorder and the two sisters had seated themselves near the lamp. AnnEliza had taken up her sewing, and Evelina was preparing to makeartificial flowers. The sisters usually relegated⁵ thismore delicate business to the long leisure of the summer months;but to-night Evelina had brought out the box which lay all winterunder the bed, and spread before her a bright array of muslinpetals, yellow stamens and green corollas, and a tray of littleimplements curiously⁷ suggestive of the dental art. Ann Eliza madeno remark on this unusual proceeding⁸; perhaps she guessed why, forthat evening her sister had chosen a graceful⁹ task.

　　Presently a knock on the outer door made them look up; butEvelina, the first on her feet, said

点击收听单词发音  

1 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

2 crimson
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色
参考例句：
She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。 Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

3 grumbled
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声
参考例句：
He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。 The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

4 vaguely
adv.含糊地，暖昧地
参考例句：
He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。 He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

5 relegated
v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类
参考例句：
She was then relegated to the role of assistant. 随后她被降级做助手了。 I think that should be relegated to the garbage can of history. 我认为应该把它扔进历史的垃圾箱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 petal
n.花瓣
参考例句：
Each white petal had a stripe of red.每一片白色的花瓣上都有一条红色的条纹。 A petal fluttered to the ground.一片花瓣飘落到地上。

7 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。

8 proceeding
n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报
参考例句：
This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。 The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

9 graceful
adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的
参考例句：
His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了! The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

10 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

11 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。

12 consonants
n.辅音，子音( consonant的名词复数 )；辅音字母
参考例句：
Consonants are frequently assimilated to neighboring consonants. 辅音往往被其邻近的辅音同化。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 vernacular
adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名
参考例句：
The house is built in a vernacular style.这房子按当地的风格建筑。 The traditional Chinese vernacular architecture is an epitome of Chinese traditional culture.中国传统民居建筑可谓中国传统文化的缩影。

14 puffed
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

16 pathos
n.哀婉，悲怆
参考例句：
The pathos of the situation brought tears to our eyes.情况令人怜悯，看得我们不禁流泪。 There is abundant pathos in her words.她的话里富有动人哀怜的力量。

17 bulging
膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱
参考例句：
Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。 Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她：“问问是不是重要的事。”

18 knotty
adj.有结的，多节的，多瘤的，棘手的
参考例句：
Under his leadership,many knotty problems were smoothly solved.在他的领导下，许多伤脑筋的问题都迎刃而解。 She met with a lot of knotty problems.她碰上了许多棘手的问题。

19 joints
接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）
参考例句：
Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。 Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

20 rimmed
adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边
参考例句：
Gold rimmed spectacles bit deep into the bridge of his nose. 金边眼镜深深嵌入他的鼻梁。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Trees rimmed the pool. 水池的四周树木环绕。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 engraved
v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）
参考例句：
The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。 It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 intermittently
adv.间歇地；断断续续
参考例句：
Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. 温斯顿只能断断续续地记得为什么这么痛。 来自英汉文学 The resin moves intermittently down and out of the bed. 树脂周期地向下移动和移出床层。 来自辞典例句

23 cosy
adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的
参考例句：
We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。 It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

24 grandeur
n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华
参考例句：
The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。 These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

25 muster
v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册
参考例句：
Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。 I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

26 abrupt
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。 His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

27 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。

28 fluency
n.流畅，雄辩，善辩
参考例句：
More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。 Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。