New York, January 15th(Continued,Dictated on January 16th)

That incident made a strong impression upon me. I believed I had made a discovery--the discovery already indicated--the discovery of the wide difference in interest between "news" and "history"; that news is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and that history is the pale and tranquil² reflection of it.
This reminds me that in this daily dictation of autobiographical notes I am mixing these two forms together all the time. I am hoping by this method of procedure to secure the values of both. I am sure I have found the right way to spin an autobiography³ at last, after my many experiments. Years ago I used to make skeleton notes to use as texts in writing autobiographical chapters, but really those notes were worth next to nothing. If I expanded them upon the page at once, while their interest was fresh in my mind, they were useful, but if I left them unused for several weeks, or several months, their power to suggest and excite had usually passed away. They were faded flowers, their fragrance⁴ was gone. But I believe in this present plan. When you arrive with your stenographic⁵ plant at eleven, every morning, you find me placid⁶ and comfortable in bed, smoking, untroubled by the fact that I must presently get to work and begin to dictate¹ this history of mine. And if I were depending upon faded notes for inspiration, I should have trouble and my work would soon become distasteful. But by my present system I do not need any notes. The thing uppermost in a person's mind is the thing to talk about or write about. The thing of new and immediate⁷ interest is the pleasantest text he can have--and you can't come here at eleven o'clock, or any other hour, and catch me without a new interest--a perfectly⁸ fresh interest--because I have either been reading the infernal newspapers and got it there, or I have been talking with somebody; and in either case the new interest is present--the interest which I most wish to dictate about. So you see the result is that this

点击收听单词发音  

1 dictate
v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令
参考例句：
It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。 What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

2 tranquil
adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的
参考例句：
The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。 The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

3 autobiography
n.自传
参考例句：
He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。 His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

4 fragrance
n.芬芳，香味，香气
参考例句：
The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。 The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

5 stenographic
adj.速记的，利用速记的
参考例句：

6 placid
adj.安静的，平和的
参考例句：
He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。 You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

7 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

9 narrative
n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的
参考例句：
He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。 Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

10 absurdity
n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论
参考例句：
The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。 The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

11 idiotic
adj.白痴的
参考例句：
It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。 The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

12 asylum
n.避难所，庇护所，避难
参考例句：
The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。 Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

13 lapse
n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效
参考例句：
The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。 I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

14 rev
v.发动机旋转，加快速度
参考例句：
It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。 Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

15 sculptor
n.雕刻家，雕刻家
参考例句：
A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。 The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

16 segregation
n.隔离，种族隔离
参考例句：
Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。 They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

17 unlimited
adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的
参考例句：
They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。 There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

18 calf
n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮
参考例句：
The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。 The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

19 eloquent
adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的
参考例句：
He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。 These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。

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 billiards
n.台球
参考例句：
John used to divert himself with billiards.约翰过去总打台球自娱。 Billiards isn't popular in here.这里不流行台球。

22 lodging
n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍
参考例句：
The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。 Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

23 apprentice
n.学徒，徒弟
参考例句：
My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。 The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

24 troupe
n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团
参考例句：
The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。 The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

25 eminences
卓越( eminence的名词复数 )； 著名； 高地； 山丘
参考例句：
Both are truly grey eminences who have become accustomed to the exercise of influence. 两个人都是真正的幕后操纵者，他们已习惯于用其影响进行幕后操纵。

26 tragic
adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的
参考例句：
The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。 Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

27 celebrity
n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望
参考例句：
Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。 He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

28 serene
adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的
参考例句：
He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。 He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

29 minor
adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修
参考例句：
The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。 I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

30 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

31 jubilation
n.欢庆，喜悦
参考例句：
The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans.主场球迷为进球欢呼。 The whole city was a scene of jubilation.全市一片欢腾。

32 theatrical
adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的
参考例句：
The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。 She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

33 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。

34 meekly
adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地
参考例句：
He stood aside meekly when the new policy was proposed. 当有人提出新政策时，他唯唯诺诺地站 来自《简明英汉词典》 He meekly accepted the rebuke. 他顺从地接受了批评。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

36 daydreaming
v.想入非非，空想( daydream的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Stop daydreaming and be realistic. 别空想了，还是从实际出发吧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Bill was sitting and daydreaming so his mother told him to come down to earth and to do his homework. 比尔坐着空想， 他母亲要他面对现实，去做课外作业。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

37 insignificance
n.不重要；无价值；无意义
参考例句：
Her insignificance in the presence of so much magnificence faintly affected her. "她想象着他所描绘的一切，心里不禁有些刺痛。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 It was above the common mass, above idleness, above want, above insignificance. 这里没有平凡，没有懒散，没有贫困，也没有低微。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

38 tally
n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致
参考例句：
Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。 The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

39 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。

40 serenity
n.宁静，沉着，晴朗
参考例句：
Her face,though sad,still evoked a feeling of serenity.她的脸色虽然悲伤，但仍使人感觉安详。 She escaped to the comparative serenity of the kitchen.她逃到相对安静的厨房里。

41 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。

42 inviting
adj.诱人的，引人注目的
参考例句：
An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。 The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

43 mildewed
adj.发了霉的，陈腐的，长了霉花的v.（使）发霉，（使）长霉( mildew的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Things easily get mildewed in the rainy season. 梅雨季节东西容易发霉。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The colonel was gorgeous, he had a cavernous mouth, cavernous cheeks, cavernous, sad, mildewed eyes. 这位上校样子挺神气，他的嘴巴、双颊和两眼都深深地凹进去，目光黯淡，象发了霉似的。 来自辞典例句

44 swap
n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易
参考例句：
I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。 This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

45 bishop
n.主教，（国际象棋）象
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

46 narratives
记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分
参考例句：
Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。 This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

47 culled
v.挑选，剔除( cull的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The herd must be culled. 必须有选择地杀掉部分牧畜。 来自辞典例句 The facts were culled from various sources. 这些事实是从各方收集到的。 来自辞典例句

48 moldy
adj.发霉的
参考例句：
She chucked the moldy potatoes in the dustbin.她把发霉的土豆扔进垃圾箱。 Oranges can be kept for a long time without going moldy.橙子可以存放很长时间而不腐烂。