When Hadji Murad appeared at the prince’s palace next day, the waiting room was already full of people. Yesterday’s general with the bristly mustaches was there in full uniform with all his decorations, having come to take leave. There was the commander of a regiment¹ who was in danger of being court martialled for misappropriating commisarriat money, and there was a rich Armenian (patronized by Doctor Andreevsky) who wanted to obtain from the Government a renewal² of his monopoly for the sale of vodka. There, dressed in black, was the widow of an officer who had been killed in action. She had come to ask for a pension, or for free education for her children. There was a ruined Georgian prince in a magnificent Georgian costume who was trying to obtain for himself some confiscated³ Church property. There was an official with a large roll of paper containing a new plan for subjugating⁴ the Caucasus. There was also a Khan who had come solely⁵ to be able to tell his people at home that he had called on the prince.

They all waited their turn and were one by one shown into the prince’s cabinet and out again by the aide-de-camp, a handsome, fair-haired youth.

When Hadji Murad entered the waiting room with his brisk though limping step all eyes were turned towards him and he heard his name whispered from various parts of the room.

He was dressed in a long white Circassian coat over a brown beshmet trimmed round the collar with fine silver lace. He wore black leggings and soft shoes of the same color which were stretched over his instep as tight as gloves. On his head he wore a high cap draped turban-fashion — that same turban for which, on the denunciation of Akhmet Khan, he had been arrested by General Klugenau and which had been the cause of his going over to Shamil.

He stepped briskly across the parquet⁶ floor of the waiting room, his whole slender figure swaying slightly in consequence of his lameness⁷ in one leg which was shorter than the other. His eyes, set far apart, looked calmly before him and seemed to see no one.

点击收听单词发音  

1 regiment
n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制
参考例句：
As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。 They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

2 renewal
adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来
参考例句：
Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。 Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

3 confiscated
没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。 The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

4 subjugating
v.征服，降伏( subjugate的现在分词 )
参考例句：

5 solely
adv.仅仅，唯一地
参考例句：
Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。 The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

6 parquet
n.镶木地板
参考例句：
The parquet floors shone like mirrors.镶木地板亮得象镜子。 The snail left a trail of slime along the parquet floor.蜗牛在镶木地板上留下一道黏液。

7 lameness
n. 跛, 瘸, 残废
参考例句：
Having been laughed at for his lameness,the boy became shy and inhibited. 那男孩因跛脚被人讥笑，变得羞怯而压抑。 By reason of his lameness the boy could not play games. 这男孩因脚跛不能做游戏。

8 dagger
n.匕首，短剑，剑号
参考例句：
The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。 The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

9 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。

10 abruptly
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。 I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

11 unwillingly
adv.不情愿地
参考例句：
He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。 Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访，他也是很不情愿地接待我。

12 lodge
v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆
参考例句：
Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？ I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

13 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。

14 overlapped
_adj.重叠的v.部分重叠( overlap的过去式和过去分词 )；（物体）部份重叠；交叠；（时间上）部份重叠
参考例句：
His visit and mine overlapped. 他的访问期与我的访问期有几天重叠。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Our visits to the town overlapped. 我们彼此都恰巧到那小城观光。 来自辞典例句

15 fidelity
n.忠诚，忠实；精确
参考例句：
There is nothing like a dog's fidelity.没有什么能比得上狗的忠诚。 His fidelity and industry brought him speedy promotion.他的尽职及勤奋使他很快地得到晋升。

16 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

17 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。

18 animation
n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作
参考例句：
They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。 The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

19 formerly
adv.从前，以前
参考例句：
We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。 This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

20 deserted
adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的
参考例句：
The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。 The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

21 calumniated
v.诽谤，中伤( calumniate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Countless facts have proved that he was not calumniated. 无数事实已证明他并不是被人诽谤。 来自辞典例句 And, consequently, Mark was the best hated and most Calumniated man of his time. 也正因为如此，马克思才在自己所处的时代最遭嫉恨。最受诽谤。 来自互联网

22 divan
n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集
参考例句：
Lord Henry stretched himself out on the divan and laughed.亨利勋爵伸手摊脚地躺在沙发椅上，笑着。 She noticed that Muffat was sitting resignedly on a narrow divan-bed.她看见莫法正垂头丧气地坐在一张不宽的坐床上。

23 vengeance
n.报复，报仇，复仇
参考例句：
He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。 For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

24 indifference
n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎
参考例句：
I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。 He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

25 buffet
n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台
参考例句：
Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？ Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？

26 champagne
n.香槟酒；微黄色
参考例句：
There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。 They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

27 amiable
adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的
参考例句：
She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。 We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。