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“What?” Sophie stared at the girl on the stool opposite her. She looked just like Lettie. She was wearing Lettie’s second-best blue dress, a wonderful blue that suited her perfectly1. She had Lettie’s dark hair and blue eyes.
“I am Martha,” said her sister. “Who did you catch cutting up Lettie’s silk drawers? I never told Lettie that. Did you?”
“No,” said Sophie, quite stunned2. She could see it was Martha now. There was Martha’s tilt3 to Lettie’s head, and Martha’s way of clasping her hands round her knees with her thumbs twiddling. “Why?”
“I’ve been dreading4 you coming to see me,” Martha said, “because I knew I’d have to tell you. It’s a relief now I have. Promise you won’t tell anyone. I know you won’t tell if you promise. You’re so honorable.”
“I promise,” Sophie said. “But why? How?”
“Lettie and I arranged it,” Martha said, twiddling her thumbs, “because Lettie wanted to learn witchcraft5 and I didn’t. Lettie’s got brains, and she wants a future where she can use them-only try telling that to Mother! Mother’s too jealous of Lettie even to admit she has brains!”
Sophie could not believe Fanny was like that, but she let it pass. “But what about you?”
“Eat your cake,” said Martha. “It’s good. Oh, yes, I can be clever too. It only took me two weeks at Mrs. Fairfax’s to find the spell we’re using. I got up at night and read her books secretly, and it was easy really. Then I asked if I could visit my family and Mrs. Fairfax said yes. She’s a dear. She thought I was homesick. So I took the spell and came here, and Lettie went back to Mrs. Fairfax pretending to be me. The difficult part was the first week, when I didn’t know all the things I was supposed to know. It was awful. But I discovered that people like me-they do, you know, if you like them-and then it was all right. And Mrs. Fairfax hasn’t kicked Lettie out, so I suppose she managed too.”
Sophie
收听单词发音
1
perfectly
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
2
stunned
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的
动词stun的过去式和过去分词
3
tilt
v.(使)倾侧;(使)倾斜;n.倾侧;倾斜
4
dreading
v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的现在分词 )
5
witchcraft
n.魔法,巫术
6
chomped
v.切齿,格格地咬牙,咬响牙齿( chomp的过去式和过去分词 )
7
ace
n.A牌;发球得分;佼佼者;adj.杰出的
8
spoke
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
9
fixed
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
10
frightful
adj.可怕的;讨厌的
11
eldest
adj.最年长的,最年老的
12
apprentice
n.学徒,徒弟
13
stunning
adj.极好的;使人晕倒的
14
bonnet
n.无边女帽;童帽
15
outfit
n.(为特殊用途的)全套装备,全套服装
16
gadding
n.叮搔症adj.蔓生的v.闲逛( gad的现在分词 );游荡;找乐子;用铁棒刺
17
earnings
n.工资收人;利润,利益,所得
18
mansions
n.宅第,公馆,大厦( mansion的名词复数 )
19
flirtatious
adj.爱调情的,调情的,卖俏的
20
bustle
v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹
21
invalid
n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的
22
stark
adj.荒凉的;严酷的;完全的;adv.完全地
23
modish
adj.流行的,时髦的
24
scrap
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
25
shrieked
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
26
crammed
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)
27
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 )
28
sable
n.黑貂;adj.黑色的
29
drooping
adj. 下垂的,无力的
动词droop的现在分词
30
winking
n.瞬眼,目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮
31
dense
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
32
ostrich
n.鸵鸟
33
plume
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰
34
blues
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
35
chestnut
n.栗树,栗子
36
beseeching
adj.恳求似的v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的现在分词 )
37
allure
n.诱惑力,魅力;vt.诱惑,引诱,吸引
38
gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
39
astonishment
n.惊奇,惊异
40
meddle
v.干预,干涉,插手
41
croaked
v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 );用粗的声音说
42
humbly
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地
43
tolled
鸣钟(toll的过去式与过去分词形式)
44
veins
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理
45
knuckles
n.(指人)指关节( knuckle的名词复数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝v.(指人)指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝
46
decrepit
adj.衰老的,破旧的
47
withered
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的
动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式
48
wispy
adj.模糊的;纤细的
49
watery
adj.有水的,水汪汪的;湿的,湿润的
50
tragic
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
51
joints
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语)
52
shuffled
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼
53
decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
54
blurred
v.(使)变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 );(使)难以区分;模模糊糊;迷离
55
turnip
n.萝卜,芜菁
56
looming
n.上现蜃景(光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼)v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近
57
tattered
adj.破旧的,衣衫破的
58
doomed
命定的
59
petals
n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 )
61
fangs
n.(尤指狗和狼的)长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 );(蛇的)毒牙;罐座
62
jaws
n.口部;嘴
63
flinched
v.(因危险和痛苦)退缩,畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 )
64
growled
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
65
throttle
n.节流阀,节气阀,喉咙;v.扼喉咙,使窒息,压
66
gratitude
adj.感激,感谢
67
thumped
v.重击, (指心脏)急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )
68
grumbling
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的
69
rumbling
n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声
adj. 隆隆响的
动词rumble的现在分词
70
mumbling
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )
71
heartiness
诚实,热心
72
inquiry
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
73
fussy
adj.为琐事担忧的,过分装饰的,爱挑剔的
74
rattling
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的
adv. 极其, 很, 非常
动词rattle的现在分词
75
mumble
n./v.喃喃而语,咕哝
76
collapsed
adj.倒塌的
77
winding
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
78
clumps
n.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的名词复数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声v.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声
79
labored
adj.吃力的,谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转
80
puffing
v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
81
sinister
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的