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There are no more Christmas stories to write. Fiction is exhausted1; and newspaper items, the next best, are manufactured by clever young journalists who have married early and have an engagingly pessimistic view of life. Therefore, for seasonable diversion, we are reduced to very questionable2 sources - facts and philosophy. We will begin with - whichever you choose to call it.
Children are pestilential little animals with which we have to cope under a bewildering variety of conditions. Especially when childish sorrows overwhelm them are we put to our wits' end. We exhaust our paltry3 store of consolation4; and then beat them, sobbing5, to sleep. Then we grovel6 in the dust of a million years, and ask God why. Thus we call out of the rat-trap. As for the children, no one understands them except old maids, hunchbacks, and shepherd dogs.
Now comes the facts in the case of the Rag-Doll, the Tatterdemalion, and the Twenty-fifth of December.
On the tenth of that month the Child of the Millionaire lost her rag-doll. There were many servants in the Millionaire's palace on the Hudson, and these ransacked7 the house and grounds, but without finding the lost treasure. The child was a girl of five, and one of those perverse8 little beasts that often wound the sensibilities of wealthy parents by fixing their affections upon some vulgar, inexpensive toy instead of upon diamond-studded automobiles9 and pony10 phaetons.
The Child grieved sorely and truly, a thing inexplicable
收听单词发音
1
exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
2
questionable
adj.可疑的,有问题的
3
paltry
adj.无价值的,微不足道的
4
consolation
n.安慰,慰问
5
sobbing
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
6
grovel
vi.卑躬屈膝,奴颜婢膝
7
ransacked
v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 );抢劫,掠夺
8
perverse
adj.刚愎的;坚持错误的,行为反常的
9
automobiles
n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )
10
pony
adj.小型的;n.小马
11
inexplicable
adj.无法解释的,难理解的
12
moth
n.蛾,蛀虫
13
den
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室
14
mansion
n.大厦,大楼;宅第
15
tariff
n.关税,税率;(旅馆、饭店等)价目表,收费表
16
chattered
(人)喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 ); 唠叨; (牙齿)打战; (机器)震颤
17
futilely
futile(无用的)的变形; 干
18
sniffed
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
19
wailed
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
20
enjoining
v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 )
21
Christian
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
22
diffusing
(使光)模糊,漫射,漫散( diffuse的现在分词 ); (使)扩散; (使)弥漫; (使)传播
23
holly
n.[植]冬青属灌木
24
disappearance
n.消失,消散,失踪
25
vampire
n.吸血鬼
26
induction
n.感应,感应现象
27
flip
vt.快速翻动;轻抛;轻拍;n.轻抛;adj.轻浮的
28
scotch
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的
29
ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
30
sergeant
n.警官,中士
31
tiresome
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的
32
riotously
adv.骚动地,暴乱地
33
loquaciously
34
ignobly
卑贱地,下流地
35
garnered
v.收集并(通常)贮藏(某物),取得,获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )
36
largesse
n.慷慨援助,施舍
37
protruding
v.(使某物)伸出,(使某物)突出( protrude的现在分词 );凸
38
forth
adv.向前;向外,往外
39
prey
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨
40
rampant
adj.(植物)蔓生的;狂暴的,无约束的
41
Saturn
n.农神,土星
42
seasoning
n.调味;调味料;增添趣味之物
43
endearments
n.表示爱慕的话语,亲热的表示( endearment的名词复数 )
44
farce
n.闹剧,笑剧,滑稽戏;胡闹
45
impudently
46
vaudeville
n.歌舞杂耍表演
47
shoestring
n.小额资本;adj.小本经营的
48
forefinger
n.食指
49
pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
50
ravaged
毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 ); 蹂躏; 劫掠; 抢劫
51
bosom
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的
52
capered
v.跳跃,雀跃( caper的过去式和过去分词 )
53
impromptu
adj.即席的,即兴的;adv.即兴的(地),无准备的(地)
54
touching
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
55
insolent
adj.傲慢的,无理的
56
alcoholic
adj.(含)酒精的,由酒精引起的;n.酗酒者
57
coterie
n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体,小圈子
58
gauged
adj.校准的;标准的;量规的;量计的v.(用仪器)测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 );估计;计量;划分
59
wrest
n.扭,拧,猛夺;v.夺取,猛扭,歪曲
60
wrestler
n.摔角选手,扭
61
itching
adj.贪得的,痒的,渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 )
62
extemporaneous
adj.即席的,一时的
63
unaware
a.不知道的,未意识到的
64
dingy
adj.昏暗的,肮脏的
65
linen
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的
66
countless
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
67
altruism
n.利他主义,不自私
68
kindly
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
69
abashment
n.羞愧,害臊
70
temporized
v.敷衍( temporize的过去式和过去分词 );拖延;顺应时势;暂时同意
71
intoxicated
喝醉的,极其兴奋的
72
attainment
n.达到,到达;[常pl.]成就,造诣
73
mimic
v.模仿,戏弄;n.模仿他人言行的人
74
converse
vi.谈话,谈天,闲聊;adv.相反的,相反
75
scorching
adj. 灼热的
76
temperament
n.气质,性格,性情
77
twilight
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期
78
brink
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿
79
dodged
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避
80
capers
n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 );刺山柑v.跳跃,雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 )
81
pallid
adj.苍白的,呆板的
82
warfare
n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突
83
doomed
命定的
84
deflected
偏离的
85
quenched
解(渴)( quench的过去式和过去分词 ); 终止(某事物); (用水)扑灭(火焰等); 将(热物体)放入水中急速冷却
86
acrimoniously
adv.毒辣地,尖刻地
87
solder
v.焊接,焊在一起;n.焊料,焊锡
88
brass
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
89
zigzagged
adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路,曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 )
90
dangling
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
91
inordinate
adj.无节制的;过度的
92
candor
n.坦白,率真
93
whined
v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 );哀诉,诉怨
94
hatred
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨
95
odious
adj.可憎的,讨厌的
96
wriggled
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等)
97
idiotic
adj.白痴的
98
bawled
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物)
99
poised
a.摆好姿势不动的
100
gliding
v. 滑翔
adj. 滑动的
101
custodian
n.保管人,监护人;公共建筑看守
102
obnoxious
adj.极恼人的,讨人厌的,可憎的
103
waft
v.飘浮,飘荡;n.一股;一阵微风;飘荡
104
etiquette
n.礼仪,礼节;规矩
105
craved
渴望,热望( crave的过去式 ); 恳求,请求
106
enchanted
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的
动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
107
pals
n.朋友( pal的名词复数 );老兄;小子;(对男子的不友好的称呼)家伙
108
casually
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地
109
inevitably
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地
110
scarlet
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
111
harp
n.竖琴;天琴座
112
sinister
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的
113
cordon
n.警戒线,哨兵线
114
flustered
adj.慌张的;激动不安的v.使慌乱,使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)
115
sterling
adj.英币的(纯粹的,货真价实的);n.英国货币(英镑)
116
fumes
n.(强烈而刺激的)气味,气体
117
hoofs
n.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )
118
veranda
n.走廊;阳台
119
condescending
adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的
120
ruffles
褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 )
121
blessings
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
122
blessing
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿
123
hearth
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
124
stammered
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
125
hearty
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
126
enveloped
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )
127
musing
n. 沉思,冥想
adj. 沉思的, 冥想的
动词muse的现在分词形式
128
obsequiously