The next day was even drearier¹ and the only thing to be said in its favour was that it had the unreality of a nightmare. Archie London chattered², the rain dribbled³, and in the sacred name of sport they were urged after rabbits over the Penge estate. Sometimes they shot the rabbits, some-times missed them, sometimes they tried ferrets and nets. The rabbits needed keeping down and perhaps that was why the entertainment had been forced on them: there was a prudent⁴ strain in Clive. They returned to lunch, and Maurice had a thrill: his telegram had arrived from Mr Lasker Jones, granting him an appointment for tomorrow. But the thrill soon passed. Archie thought they had better go after the bunnies again, and he was too depressed⁵ to refuse. The rain was now less, on the other hand the mist was thicker, the mud stickier, and towards tea time they lost a ferret. The keeper made out this was their fault, Archie knew better, and explained the matter to Maurice in the smoking-room with the aid of diagrams. Dinner arrived at eight, so did the politicians, and after dinner the drawing-room ceiling dripped into basins and saucers. Then in the Rus-set Room, the same weather, the same despair, and the fact that now Clive sat on his bed talking intimately did not make any difference. The talk might have moved him had it come earlier, but he had been so pained by the inhospitality, he had spent so lonely and so imbecile a day, that he could respond to the past no longer. His thoughts were all with Mr Lasker Jones, and he

wanted to be alone to compose a written statement about his case.

Clive felt the visit had been a failure, but, as he remarked, "Politics can't wait, and you happen to coincide with the rush." He was vexed⁶ too at forgetting that today was Maurice's birth-day—and was urgent that their guest should stop over the match. Maurice said he was frightfully sorry, but now couldn't, as he had this urgent and unexpected engagement in town.

"Can't you come back after keeping it? We're shocking hosts, but it's such a pleasure having you. Do treat the house as an hotel—go your way, and we'll go ours."

点击收听单词发音  

1 drearier
使人闷闷不乐或沮丧的( dreary的比较级 )； 阴沉的； 令人厌烦的； 单调的
参考例句：

2 chattered
（人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤
参考例句：
They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。 We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天，像两个十多岁的孩子。

3 dribbled
v.流口水( dribble的过去式和过去分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球
参考例句：
Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle. 熔化了的蜡一滴滴从蜡烛边上流下。 He dribbled past the fullback and scored a goal. 他越过对方后卫，趁势把球踢入球门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 prudent
adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的
参考例句：
A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。 You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

5 depressed
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

6 vexed
adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。 He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 awfully
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。 I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

8 brutality
n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮
参考例句：
The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。 a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

9 glades
n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Maggie and Philip had been meeting secretly in the glades near the mill. 玛吉和菲利曾经常在磨坊附近的林中空地幽会。 来自辞典例句 Still the outlaw band throve in Sherwood, and hunted the deer in its glades. 当他在沉思中变老了，世界还是照样走它的路，亡命之徒仍然在修武德日渐壮大，在空地里猎鹿。 来自互联网

10 tainted
adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏
参考例句：
The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。 He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 fatuous
adj.愚昧的；昏庸的
参考例句：
He seems to get pride in fatuous remarks.说起这番蠢话来他似乎还挺得意。 After his boring speech for over an hour,fatuous speaker waited for applause from the audience.经过超过一小时的烦闷的演讲，那个愚昧的演讲者还等着观众的掌声。

12 perverse
adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的
参考例句：
It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。 She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态，以使别人难堪来取乐。

13 outgrown
长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过
参考例句：
She's already outgrown her school uniform. 她已经长得连校服都不能穿了。 The boy has outgrown his clothes. 这男孩已长得穿不下他的衣服了。

14 idiocy
n.愚蠢
参考例句：
Stealing a car and then driving it drunk was the ultimate idiocy.偷了车然后醉酒开车真是愚蠢到极点。 In this war there is an idiocy without bounds.这次战争疯癫得没底。

15 intimacy
n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行
参考例句：
His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。 I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

16 blessing
n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿
参考例句：
The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。 A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

17 softened
（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰
参考例句：
His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。 The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

18 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 shuddered
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动
参考例句：
He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 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
参考例句：
Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。 Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。

21 applied
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。 This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

22 starched
adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了，很干净。 来自辞典例句

23 cuff
n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口
参考例句：
She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。 Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

24 insistent
adj.迫切的，坚持的
参考例句：
There was an insistent knock on my door.我听到一阵急促的敲门声。 He is most insistent on this point.他在这点上很坚持。