There were two or three things that I wanted to know. I do not care about a mystery. So I began to inquire.

It took me two weeks to find out what women carry in dress suit cases. And then I began to ask why a mattress¹ is made in two pieces. This serious query² was at first received with suspicion because it sounded like a conundrum³. I was at last assured that its double form of construction was designed to make lighter⁴ the burden of woman, who makes up beds. I was so foolish as to persist, begging to know why, then, they were not made in two equal pieces; whereupon I was shunned⁵.

The third draught⁶ that I craved⁷ from the fount of knowledge was enlightenment concerning the character known as A Man About Town. He was more vague in my mind than a type should be. We must have a concrete idea of anything, even if it be an imaginary idea, before we can comprehend it. Now, I have a mental picture of John Doe that is as clear as a steel engraving⁸. His eyes are weak blue; he wears a brown vest and a shiny black serge coat.

He stands always in the sunshine chewing something; and he keeps half-shutting his pocket knife and opening it again with his thumb. And, if the Man Higher Up is ever found, take my assurance for it, he will be a large, pale man with blue wristlets showing under his cuffs⁹, and he will be sitting to have his shoes polisbed within sound of a bowling¹⁰ alley¹¹, and there will be somewhere about him

点击收听单词发音  

1 mattress
n.床垫，床褥
参考例句：
The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。 The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

2 query
n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑
参考例句：
I query very much whether it is wise to act so hastily.我真怀疑如此操之过急地行动是否明智。 They raised a query on his sincerity.他们对他是否真诚提出质疑。

3 conundrum
n.谜语；难题
参考例句：
Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。 Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

4 lighter
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。 The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

5 shunned
v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。 He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 draught
n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计
参考例句：
He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。 It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。

7 craved
渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求
参考例句：
She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。 A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。

8 engraving
n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）
参考例句：
He collected an old engraving of London Bridge. 他收藏了一张古老的伦敦桥版画。 来自辞典例句 Some writing has the precision of a steel engraving. 有的字体严谨如同钢刻。 来自辞典例句

9 cuffs
n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
a collar and cuffs of white lace 带白色蕾丝花边的衣领和袖口 The cuffs of his shirt were fraying. 他衬衣的袖口磨破了。

10 bowling
n.保龄球运动
参考例句：
Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。 Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

11 alley
n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路
参考例句：
We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。 The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

12 turquoises
n.绿松石( turquoise的名词复数 )；青绿色
参考例句：

13 limning
v.画( limn的现在分词 )；勾画；描写；描述
参考例句：
Evaluating the system, the traditional method is limning it's five accuracy index. \" 对测量系统的评价，传统的方法只是使用五个精度指标来描述，这不符合国际规范。 来自互联网

14 sneer
v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语
参考例句：
He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。 You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

15 bouts
n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作
参考例句：
For much of his life he suffered from recurrent bouts of depression. 他的大半辈子反复发作抑郁症。 来自《简明英汉词典》 It was one of fistiana's most famous championship bouts. 这是拳击界最有名的冠军赛之一。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 apprentices
学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They were mere apprentices to piracy. 他们干海盗仅仅是嫩角儿。 He has two good apprentices working with him. 他身边有两个好徒弟。

17 derivatives
n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数
参考例句：
Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》 These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

18 sneaked
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状
参考例句：
I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。 She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。

19 scurried
v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She said goodbye and scurried back to work. 她说声再见，然后扭头跑回去干活了。 It began to rain and we scurried for shelter. 下起雨来，我们急忙找地方躲避。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 perusing
v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的现在分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字）
参考例句：
She found the information while she was perusing a copy of Life magazine. 她在读《生活》杂志的时候看到了这个消息。 来自辞典例句 Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句

21 reassuring
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的
参考例句：
He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。 With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

22 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
参考例句：
Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。 Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

23 epithet
n.（用于褒贬人物等的）表述形容词，修饰语
参考例句：
In "Alfred the Great","the Great"is an epithet.“阿尔弗雷德大帝”中的“大帝”是个称号。 It is an epithet that sums up my feelings.这是一个简洁地表达了我思想感情的形容词。

24 appellation
n.名称，称呼
参考例句：
The emperor of Russia Peter I was given the appellation " the Great ".俄皇彼得一世被加上了“大帝”的称号。 Kinsfolk appellation is the kinfolks system reflection in language.亲属称谓是亲属制度在语言中的反应。

25 salvation
n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困
参考例句：
Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。 Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

26 dime
n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角
参考例句：
A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。 The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

27 conscientiously
adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实
参考例句：
He kept silent,eating just as conscientiously but as though everything tasted alike. 他一声不吭，闷头吃着，仿佛桌上的饭菜都一个味儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She discharged all the responsibilities of a minister conscientiously. 她自觉地履行部长的一切职责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 specimen
n.样本，标本
参考例句：
You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。 This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

29 offhand
adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的
参考例句：
I can't answer your request offhand.我不能随便答复你的要求。 I wouldn't want to say what I thought about it offhand.我不愿意随便说我关于这事的想法。

30 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

31 rigidly
adv.刻板地，僵化地
参考例句：
Life today is rigidly compartmentalized into work and leisure. 当今的生活被严格划分为工作和休闲两部分。 The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age. 自儿童时起即已开始有严格的课程设置。

32 poking
n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢
参考例句：
He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。 He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。

33 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

34 impudence
n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼
参考例句：
His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。 What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

35 blight
n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残
参考例句：
The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。 There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

36 winks
v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
I'll feel much better when I've had forty winks. 我打个盹就会感到好得多。 The planes were little silver winks way out to the west. 飞机在西边老远的地方，看上去只是些很小的银色光点。 来自辞典例句

37 sergeant
n.警官，中士
参考例句：
His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。 How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

38 eloquence
n.雄辩；口才，修辞
参考例句：
I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。 The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

39 sublimated
v.（使某物质）升华( sublimate的过去式和过去分词 )；使净化；纯化
参考例句：
Their affection to each other was sublimated into a lasting friendship. 他俩之间的感情被升华成一种永久的友谊。 来自互联网 Finally migrates the utilization, sublimated to the text the understanding. 最后是迁移运用，升华对文本的理解。 来自互联网

40 inquisitiveness
好奇，求知欲
参考例句：
It especially excited their inquisitiveness. 这尤其引起了他们的好奇心。 This attitude combines a lack of class consciousness, a somewhat jaunty optimism and an inquisitiveness. 这种态度包括等级观念不强，得意洋洋的乐观劲儿和刨根问底的好奇心。

41 nostrils
鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。 The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

42 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

43 indefatigability
n.不疲劳，不屈不挠
参考例句：
Fortitude indefatigability perseverance persevere tenacity. 不屈不挠。 来自互联网

44 diversified
adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域
参考例句：
The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲，多种经营，全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

45 leisurely
adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的
参考例句：
We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。 He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。