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As I sit down to write here amidst the shadows of vine-leaves under the blue sky of southern Italy, it comes to me with a certain quality of astonishment1 that my participation2 in these amazing adventures of Mr. Cavor was, after all, the outcome of the purest accident. It might have been any one. I fell into these things at a time when I thought myself removed from the slightest possibility of disturbing experiences. I had gone to Lympne because I had imagined it the most uneventful place in the world. "Here, at any rate," said I, "I shall find peace and a chance to work!"
And this book is the sequel. So utterly3 at variance4 is destiny with all the little plans of men. I may perhaps mention here that very recently I had come an ugly cropper in certain business enterprises. Sitting now surrounded by all the circumstances of wealth, there is a luxury in admitting my extremity5. I can admit, even, that to a certain extent my disasters were conceivably of my own making. It may be there are directions in which I have some capacity, but the conduct of business operations is not among these. But in those days I was young, and my youth among other objectionable forms took that of a pride in my capacity for affairs. I am young still in years, but the things that have happened to me have rubbed something of the youth from my mind. Whether they have brought any wisdom to light below it is a more doubtful matter.
It is scarcely necessary to go into the details of the speculations6 that landed me at Lympne, in Kent. Nowadays even about business transactions there is a strong spice of adventure. I took risks. In these things there is invariably a certain amount of give and take, and it fell to me finally to do the giving reluctantly enough. Even when I had got out of everything, one cantankerous7 creditor8
收听单词发音
1
astonishment
n.惊奇,惊异
2
participation
n.参与,参加,分享
3
utterly
adv.完全地,绝对地
4
variance
n.矛盾,不同
5
extremity
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度
6
speculations
n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 );思考;投机活动;推断
7
cantankerous
adj.爱争吵的,脾气不好的
8
creditor
n.债仅人,债主,贷方
9
malignant
adj.恶性的,致命的;恶意的,恶毒的
10
outraged
a.震惊的,义愤填膺的
11
virtue
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力
12
drudge
n.劳碌的人;v.做苦工,操劳
13
luxurious
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的
14
uncommon
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的
15
persuasion
n.劝说;说服;持有某种信仰的宗派
16
legitimate
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法
17
biased
a.有偏见的
18
bungalow
n.平房,周围有阳台的木造小平房
19
apparatus
n.装置,器械;器具,设备
20
simplicity
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯
21
baker
n.面包师
22
solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
23
marsh
n.沼泽,湿地
24
inaccessible
adj.达不到的,难接近的
25
texture
n.(织物)质地;(材料)构造;结构;肌理
26
boulders
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾
27
galleys
n.平底大船,战舰( galley的名词复数 );(船上或航空器上的)厨房
28
swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入
29
tumult
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹
30
rubble
n.(一堆)碎石,瓦砾
31
grassy
adj.盖满草的;长满草的
32
sweeping
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的
33
clumps
n.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的名词复数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声v.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声
34
extinction
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种
35
westward
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西
36
crest
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
37
scenario
n.剧本,脚本;概要
38
tranquillity
n. 平静, 安静
39
concurrence
n.同意;并发
40
footpath
n.小路,人行道
41
manifestation
n.表现形式;表明;现象
42
relatively
adv.比较...地,相对地
43
grotesquely
adv. 奇异地,荒诞地
44
adhesive
n.粘合剂;adj.可粘着的,粘性的
45
sojourn
v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留
46
apparition
n.幽灵,神奇的现象
47
remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
48
marionette
n.木偶
49
heartily
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
50
annoyance
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼
51
amazement
n.惊奇,惊讶
52
chubby
adj.丰满的,圆胖的
53
rubicund
adj.(脸色)红润的
54
decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
55
awakened
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
56
puddle
n.(雨)水坑,泥潭
57
meditated
深思,沉思,冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 ); 内心策划,考虑
58
eloquent
adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的
59
distress
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
60
aggression
n.进攻,侵略,侵犯,侵害
61
justified
a.正当的,有理的
62
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
63
remarkably
ad.不同寻常地,相当地
64
sentimental
adj.多愁善感的,感伤的
65
abruptly
adv.突然地,出其不意地
66
pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
67
demonstrations
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威
68
thoroughly
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
69
monologue
n.长篇大论,(戏剧等中的)独白
70
entirely
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
71
illustrated
adj. 有插图的,列举的
动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
72
computing
n.计算
73
mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
74
suspense
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑
75
mingled
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系]
76
intrigue
vt.激起兴趣,迷住;vi.耍阴谋;n.阴谋,密谋
77
mutual
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
78
lucid
adj.明白易懂的,清晰的,头脑清楚的
79
farce
n.闹剧,笑剧,滑稽戏;胡闹
80
philosophical
adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的
81
vegetarian
n.素食者;adj.素食的
82
boiler
n.锅炉;煮器(壶,锅等)
83
confiding
adj.相信人的,易于相信的v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的现在分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等)
84
zest
n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣
85
seclusion
n.隐遁,隔离
86
overflowing
n. 溢出物,溢流
adj. 充沛的,充满的
动词overflow的现在分词形式
87
recipient
a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器
88
specimens
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人
89
conscientious
adj.审慎正直的,认真的,本着良心的
90
muddled
adj.混乱的;糊涂的;头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱,弄糟( muddle的过去式);使糊涂;对付,混日子
91
muddle
n.困惑,混浊状态;vt.使混乱,使糊涂,使惊呆;vi.胡乱应付,混乱
92
inquiries
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听
93
forth
adv.向前;向外,往外
94
opaque
adj.不透光的;不反光的,不传导的;晦涩的
95
transparent
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的
96
iodine
n.碘,碘酒
97
lodge
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆
98
alloy
n.合金,(金属的)成色
99
gaseous
adj.气体的,气态的
100
haze
n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊
101
abstruse
adj.深奥的,难解的
102
gauge
v.精确计量;估计;n.标准度量;计量器
103
profundity
n.渊博;深奥,深刻
104
fully
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
105
narrative
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的
106
positively
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实
107
consecutive
adj.连续的,联贯的,始终一贯的
108
shipping
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船)
109
locomotion
n.运动,移动
110
epoch
n.(新)时代;历元
111
concessions
n.(尤指由政府或雇主给予的)特许权( concession的名词复数 );承认;减价;(在某地的)特许经营权
112
purely
adv.纯粹地,完全地
113
tout
v.推销,招徕;兜售;吹捧,劝诱
114
posterity
n.后裔,子孙,后代
115
worthy
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
116
gnat
v.对小事斤斤计较,琐事
117
stammered
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
118
indifference
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
119
stammering
v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 )
120
leech
n.水蛭,吸血鬼,榨取他人利益的人;vt.以水蛭吸血;vi.依附于别人
121
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
122
fortress
n.堡垒,防御工事
123
solitary
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士
124
avarice
n.贪婪;贪心
125
absurdity
n.荒谬,愚蠢;谬论
126
hitch
v.免费搭(车旅行);系住;急提;n.故障;急拉