The old-fashioned inn at Colmar, at which George Voss was acting¹ as assistant and chief manager to his father’s distant cousin, Madame Faragon, was a house very different in all its belongings² from the Lion d’Or at Granpere. It was very much larger, and had much higher pretensions³. It assumed to itself the character of a first-class hotel; and when Colmar was without a railway, and was a great posting-station on the high road from Strasbourg to Lyons, there was some real business at the Hotel de la Poste in that town. At present, though Colmar may probably have been benefited by the railway, the inn has faded, and is in its yellow leaf. Travellers who desire to see the statue which a grateful city has erected⁴ to the memory of its most illustrious citizen, General Rapp, are not sufficient in number to keep a first-class hotel in the glories of fresh paint and smart waiters; and when you have done with General Rapp, there is not much to interest you in Colmar. But there is the hotel; and poor fat, unwieldy Madame Faragon, though she grumbles⁵ much, and declares that there is not a sou to be made, still keeps it up, and bears with as much bravery as she can the buffets⁶ of a world which seems to her to be becoming less prosperous and less comfortable and more exacting⁷ every day. In her younger years, a posting-house in such a town was a posting-house; and when M. Faragon married her, the heiress of the then owner of the business, he was supposed to have done uncommonly⁸ well for himself. Madame Faragon is now a childless widow, and sometimes declares that she will shut the house up and have done with it. Why maintain a business without a profit, simply that there may be an Hotel de la Poste at Colmar? But there are old servants whom she has not the heart to send away; and she has at any rate a roof of her own over her head; and though she herself is unconscious that it is so, she has many ties to the old business; and now, since her young cousin George Voss has been with her, things go a little better. She is not robbed so much, and the people of the town, finding that they can get a fair bottle of wine and a good supper, come to the inn; and at length an omnibus has been established, and there is a little

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1 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 belongings
n.私人物品，私人财物
参考例句：
I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。 Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

3 pretensions
自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力
参考例句：
The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。 The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

4 ERECTED
adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立
参考例句：
A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。 A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

5 grumbles
抱怨( grumble的第三人称单数 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声
参考例句：
He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。 I'm sick of your unending grumbles. 我对你的不断埋怨感到厌烦。

6 buffets
（火车站的）饮食柜台( buffet的名词复数 )； （火车的）餐车； 自助餐
参考例句：
All life's buffets should be met with dignity and good sense. 所有人生之打击都应以尊严和理智对付之。 In addition to buffets, American families enjoy picnics and barbeques. 除自助餐外，美国家庭还喜欢野餐和户外烧烤餐。

7 exacting
adj.苛求的，要求严格的
参考例句：
He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。 The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

8 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。

9 glimmer
v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光
参考例句：
I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。 A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

10 rambling
adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的
参考例句：
We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。 It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。

11 pervades
v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
An unpleasant smell pervades the house. 一种难闻的气味弥漫了全屋。 来自《简明英汉词典》 An atmosphere of pessimism pervades the economy. 悲观的气氛笼罩着整个经济。 来自辞典例句

12 alas
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句：
Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！ Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

13 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。

14 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

15 equanimity
n.沉着，镇定
参考例句：
She went again,and in so doing temporarily recovered her equanimity.她又去看了戏，而且这样一来又暂时恢复了她的平静。 The defeat was taken with equanimity by the leadership.领导层坦然地接受了失败。

16 coxcombry
n.（男子的）虚浮，浮夸，爱打扮
参考例句：

17 wretch
n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人
参考例句：
You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。 The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

18 landlady
n.女房东，女地主
参考例句：
I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。 The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

19 foul
adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规
参考例句：
Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。 What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

20 pervaded
v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
A retrospective influence pervaded the whole performance. 怀旧的影响弥漫了整个演出。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The air is pervaded by a smell [smoking]. 空气中弥散着一种气味[烟味]。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 chamber
n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所
参考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

22 chambers
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅
参考例句：
The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

23 allocated
adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。 More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

24 perseverance
n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠
参考例句：
It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。 Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

25 groans
n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦
参考例句：
There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》 It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 acceded
v.（正式）加入( accede的过去式和过去分词 )；答应；（通过财产的添附而）增加；开始任职
参考例句：
He acceded to demands for his resignation. 他同意要他辞职的要求。 They have acceded to the treaty. 他们已经加入了那个条约。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 expend
vt.花费，消费，消耗
参考例句：
Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。 They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。

28 assent
v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可
参考例句：
I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。 The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

29 vile
adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的
参考例句：
Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？ Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

30 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

31 obnoxious
adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的
参考例句：
These fires produce really obnoxious fumes and smoke.这些火炉冒出来的烟气确实很难闻。 He is the most obnoxious man I know.他是我认识的最可憎的人。

32 begrudge
vt.吝啬，羡慕
参考例句：
I begrudge spending so much money on train fares.我舍不得把这么多钱花在火车票上。 We should not begrudge our neighbour's richness.我们不应该嫉妒邻人的富有。

33 circuitous
adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的
参考例句：
They took a circuitous route to avoid reporters.他们绕道避开了记者。 The explanation was circuitous and puzzling.这个解释很迂曲，让人困惑不解。

34 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

35 rebuke
v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise
参考例句：
He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。 Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

36 allotted
分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。 Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。

38 apertures
n.孔( aperture的名词复数 )；隙缝；（照相机的）光圈；孔径
参考例句：
These apertures restrict the amount of light that can reach the detector. 这些光阑将会限制到达探测器的光线的总量。 来自互联网 The virtual anode formation time and propagation velocity at different pressure with different apertures are investigated. 比较了在不同气压和空心阴极孔径下虚阳极的形成时间和扩展速度。 来自互联网

39 usurped
篡夺，霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权
参考例句：
That magazine usurped copyrighted material. 那杂志盗用了版权为他人所有的素材。 The expression'social engineering'has been usurped by the Utopianist without a shadow of light. “社会工程”这个词已被乌托邦主义者毫无理由地盗用了。

40 sojourn
v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留
参考例句：
It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。 I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。

41 disapproved
v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 rankled
v.（使）痛苦不已，（使）怨恨不已( rankle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Her comments still rankled. 她的评价仍然让人耿耿于怀。 The insult rankled in his mind. 这种侮辱使他心里难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

43 plighted
vt.保证，约定（plight的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
They plighted their troth for the rest of their days. 他们俩盟誓结为终身伴侣。 来自辞典例句 Here and there a raw young lady does think of the friends of her plighted man. 这是阅历不深的的年轻姑娘对她未婚夫的朋友往往会持有的看法。 来自辞典例句

44 persuasion
n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派
参考例句：
He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。 After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。