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Soon after my return from the West Indies I was enabled to change my district in Ireland for one in England. For some time past my official work had been of a special nature, taking me out of my own district; but through all that, Dublin had been my home, and there my wife and children had lived. I had often sighed to return to England — with a silly longing1. My life in England for twenty-six years from the time of my birth to the day on which I left it, had been wretched. I had been poor, friendless, and joyless. In Ireland it had constantly been happy. I had achieved the respect of all with whom I was concerned, I had made for myself a comfortable home, and I had enjoyed many pleasures. Hunting itself was a great delight to me; and now, as I contemplated2 a move to England, and a house in the neighbourhood of London, I felt that hunting must be abandoned. 5 Nevertheless I thought that a man who could write books ought not to live in Ireland — ought to live within the reach of the publishers, the clubs, and the dinner-parties of the metropolis3. So I made my request at headquarters, and with some little difficulty got myself appointed to the Eastern District of England — which comprised Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and the greater part of Hertfordshire.
5 It was not abandoned till sixteen more years had passed away.
At this time I did not stand very well with the dominant4 interest at the General Post Office. My old friend Colonel Maberly had been, some time since, squeezed into, and his place was filled by Mr. Rowland Hill, the originator of the penny post. With him I never had any sympathy, nor he with me. In figures and facts he was most accurate, but I never came across any one who so little understood the ways of men — unless it was his brother Frederic. To the two brothers the servants of the Post Office — men numerous enough to have formed a large army in old days — were so many machines who could be counted on for their exact work without deviation5, as wheels may be counted on, which are kept going always at the same pace and always by the same power. Rowland Hill was an industrious
收听单词发音
1
longing
n.(for)渴望
2
contemplated
adj. 预期的
动词contemplate的过去分词形式
3
metropolis
n.首府;大城市
4
dominant
adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因
5
deviation
n.背离,偏离;偏差,偏向;离题
6
industrious
adj.勤劳的,刻苦的,奋发的
7
thoroughly
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
8
doctrine
n.教义;主义;学说
9
dealing
n.经商方法,待人态度
10
burlesque
v.嘲弄,戏仿;n.嘲弄,取笑,滑稽模仿
11
pathos
n.哀婉,悲怆
12
stilts
n.(支撑建筑物高出地面或水面的)桩子,支柱( stilt的名词复数 );高跷
13
scrupled
v.感到于心不安,有顾忌( scruple的过去式和过去分词 )
14
fatuity
n.愚蠢,愚昧
15
improper
adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的
16
revelled
v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 );狂欢;着迷;陶醉
17
delightful
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
18
postal
adj.邮政的,邮局的
19
proprietor
n.所有人;业主;经营者
20
proprietors
n.所有人,业主( proprietor的名词复数 )
21
annexed
[法] 附加的,附属的
22
countless
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
23
sketches
n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概
24
portfolio
n.公事包;文件夹;大臣及部长职位
25
disparage
v.贬抑,轻蔑
26
specially
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地
27
wares
n. 货物, 商品
28
tarts
n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 );轻佻的女人;妓女;小妞
29
liking
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢
30
tempted
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词)
31
fiery
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的
32
rustic
adj.乡村的,有乡村特色的;n.乡下人,乡巴佬
33
serial
n.连本影片,连本电视节目;adj.连续的
34
tyrant
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人
35
superseded
[医]被代替的,废弃的
36
abeyance
n.搁置,缓办,中止,产权未定
37
conjure
v.恳求,祈求;变魔术,变戏法
38
initiating
v.开始( initiate的现在分词 );传授;发起;接纳新成员
39
prospect
n.前景,前途;景色,视野
40
fixed
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
41
procrastination
n.拖延,耽搁
42
postponed
vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发)
43
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
44
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
45
haggled
v.讨价还价( haggle的过去式和过去分词 )
46
peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
47
morsel
n.一口,一点点
48
artistic
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
49
Christian
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
50
virtue
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力
51
cant
n.斜穿,黑话,猛扔
52
heroism
n.大无畏精神,英勇
53
pretence
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰
54
inclination
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好
55
embarks
乘船( embark的第三人称单数 ); 装载; 从事
56
precisely
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
57
purport
n.意义,要旨,大要;v.意味著,做为...要旨,要领是...
58
excellence
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德
59
demons
n.恶人( demon的名词复数 );恶魔;精力过人的人;邪念
60
odious
adj.可憎的,讨厌的
61
fervid
adj.热情的;炽热的
62
flora
n.(某一地区的)植物群
63
tellers
n.(银行)出纳员( teller的名词复数 );(投票时的)计票员;讲故事等的人;讲述者
64
pander
v.迎合;n.拉皮条者,勾引者;帮人做坏事的人
65
modesty
n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素
66
manliness
刚毅
67
severed
v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂
68
pall
v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕
69
sumptuous
adj.豪华的,奢侈的,华丽的
70
memorable
adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的
71
illustrate
v.举例说明,阐明;图解,加插图
72
illustrated
adj. 有插图的,列举的
动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
73
conscientious
adj.审慎正直的,认真的,本着良心的
74
illustrating
给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明
75
intimacy
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行
76
alas
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
77
interval
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
78
annotated
v.注解,注释( annotate的过去式和过去分词 )
79
aspired
v.渴望,追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 )
80
justified
a.正当的,有理的
81
ginger
n.姜,精力,淡赤黄色;adj.淡赤黄色的;vt.使活泼,使有生气
82
essentially
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上
83
faculty
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员
84
enjoyment
n.乐趣;享有;享用
85
admiration
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
86
recur
vi.复发,重现,再发生
87
witty
adj.机智的,风趣的
88
astounding
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)
89
eminence
n.卓越,显赫;高地,高处;名家
90
sensational
adj.使人感动的,非常好的,轰动的,耸人听闻的
91
culminate
v.到绝顶,达于极点,达到高潮
92
culminated
v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )
93
squires
n.地主,乡绅( squire的名词复数 )
94
fictitious
adj.虚构的,假设的;空头的