He was nearly nineteen.

He stood on the platform on Prize Day, reciting a Greek Oration¹ of his own composition. The hall was full of schoolboys and their parents, but Maurice affected² to be ad-dressing the Hague Conference, and to be pointing out to it the folly³ of its ways. "What stupidity is this, O andres Europenaici, to talk of abolishing war? What? Is not Ares the son of Zeus himself? Moreover, war renders you robust⁴ by exercising your limbs, not forsooth like those of my opponent." The Greek was vile⁵: Maurice had got the prize on account of the Thought, and barely thus. The examining master had stretched a point in his favour since he was leaving and a respectable chap, and more-over leaving for Cambridge, where prize books on his shelves would help to advertise the school. So he received Grote'sHis-tory of Greece amid tremendous applause. As he returned to his seat, which was next to his mother, he realized that he had again become popular, and wondered how. The clapping continued —it grew to an ovation⁶; Ada and Kitty were pounding away with scarlet⁷ faces on the further side. Some of his friends, also leaving, cried "speech". This was irregular and quelled⁸ by the authorities, but the Headmaster himself rose and said a few words. Hall was one of them, and they would never cease to feel him so. The words were just. The school clapped not because Maurice was eminent⁹ but because he was average. It could cele-

brate itself in his image. People ran up to him afterwards saying "jolly good, old man", quite sentimentally¹⁰

点击收听单词发音  

1 oration
n.演说，致辞，叙述法
参考例句：
He delivered an oration on the decline of family values.他发表了有关家庭价值观的衰退的演说。 He was asked to deliver an oration at the meeting.他被邀请在会议上发表演说。

2 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 folly
n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话
参考例句：
Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。 Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

4 robust
adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的
参考例句：
She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。 China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

5 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。

6 ovation
n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌
参考例句：
The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。 The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。

7 scarlet
n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的
参考例句：
The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。 The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

8 quelled
v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Thanks to Kao Sung-nien's skill, the turmoil had been quelled. 亏高松年有本领，弹压下去。 来自汉英文学 - 围城 Mr. Atkinson was duly quelled. 阿特金森先生被及时地将了一军。 来自辞典例句

9 eminent
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。 He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

10 sentimentally
adv.富情感地
参考例句：
I miss the good old days, ' she added sentimentally. ‘我怀念过去那些美好的日子，’她动情地补充道。 来自互联网 I have an emotional heart, it is sentimentally attached to you unforgettable. 我心中有一份情感，那是对你刻骨铭心的眷恋。 来自互联网

11 cynical
adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的
参考例句：
The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。 He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

12 killer
n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者
参考例句：
Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。 The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

13 irresistible
adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的
参考例句：
The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。 She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

14 prudish
adj.装淑女样子的，装规矩的，过分规矩的；adv.过分拘谨地
参考例句：
I'm not prudish but I think these photographs are obscene.我并不是假正经的人，但我觉得这些照片非常淫秽。 She was sexually not so much chaste as prudish.她对男女关系与其说是注重贞节，毋宁说是持身谨慎。

15 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。

16 appalling
adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的
参考例句：
The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。 Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。