选择字号:【大】【中】【小】 | 关灯
护眼
|
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
Some two weeks later, Newland Archer1, sitting in abstracted idleness in his private compartment2 of the office of Letterblair, Lamson and Low, attorneys at law, was summoned by the head of the firm.
Old Mr. Letterblair, the accredited3 legal adviser4 of three generations of New York gentility, throned behind his mahogany desk in evident perplexity. As he stroked his closeclipped white whiskers and ran his hand through the rumpled5 grey locks above his jutting6 brows, his disrespectful junior partner thought how much he looked like the Family Physician annoyed with a patient whose symptoms refuse to be classified.
"My dear sir--" he always addressed Archer as "sir"--"I have sent for you to go into a little matter; a matter which, for the moment, I prefer not to mention either to Mr. Skipworth or Mr. Redwood." The gentlemen he spoke7 of were the other senior partners of the firm; for, as was always the case with legal associations of old standing8 in New York, all the partners named on the office letter-head were long since dead; and Mr. Letterblair, for example, was, professionally speaking, his own grandson.
He leaned back in his chair with a furrowed9 brow. "For family reasons--" he continued.
Archer looked up.
"The Mingott family," said Mr. Letterblair with an explanatory smile and bow. "Mrs. Manson Mingott sent for me yesterday. Her grand-daughter the Countess Olenska wishes to sue her husband for divorce. Certain papers have been placed in my hands." He paused and drummed on his desk. "In view of your prospective
收听单词发音
1
archer
n.射手,弓箭手
2
compartment
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间
3
accredited
adj.可接受的;可信任的;公认的;质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 );委托;委任;把…归结于
4
adviser
n.劝告者,顾问
5
rumpled
v.弄皱,使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )
6
jutting
v.(使)突出( jut的现在分词 );伸出;(从…)突出;高出
7
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
8
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
9
furrowed
v.犁田,开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )
10
prospect
n.前景,前途;景色,视野
11
prospective
adj.预期的,未来的,前瞻性的
12
interval
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
13
importunate
adj.强求的;纠缠不休的
14
receding
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题
15
random
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
16
allusion
n.暗示,间接提示
17
scruple
n./v.顾忌,迟疑
18
delicacy
n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴
19
obliterate
v.擦去,涂抹,去掉...痕迹,消失,除去
20
clan
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派
21
chafed
v.擦热(尤指皮肤)( chafe的过去式 );擦痛;发怒;惹怒
22
afterward
adv.后来;以后
23
collaborated
合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 ); 勾结叛国
24
drawn
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
25
momentary
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的
26
intimacy
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行
27
joyous
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的
28
tartness
n.酸,锋利
29
consolations
n.安慰,慰问( consolation的名词复数 );起安慰作用的人(或事物)
30
virtues
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
31
hawking
利用鹰行猎
32
lavishing
v.过分给予,滥施( lavish的现在分词 )
33
disarming
adj.消除敌意的,使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 );使息怒
34
habitually
ad.习惯地,通常地
35
stifling
a.令人窒息的
36
retired
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
37
plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降
38
solicitors
初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 )
39
applied
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
40
constrained
adj.束缚的,节制的
41
transparent
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的
42
compassion
n.同情,怜悯
43
indifference
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
44
impatience
n.不耐烦,急躁
45
plunges
n.跳进,投入vt.使投入,使插入,使陷入vi.投入,跳进,陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 );暴跌;骤降;突降
46
winced
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
47
instinctive
adj.(出于)本能的;直觉的;(出于)天性的
48
vileness
n.讨厌,卑劣
49
frailty
n.脆弱;意志薄弱
50
clandestine
adj.秘密的,暗中从事的
51
secrecy
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽
52
peril
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物
53
possessed
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
54
redeeming
补偿的,弥补的
55
abysmal
adj.无底的,深不可测的,极深的;糟透的,极坏的;完全的
56
sedulously
ad.孜孜不倦地
57
abetted
v.教唆(犯罪)( abet的过去式和过去分词 );煽动;怂恿;支持
58
undoubtedly
adv.确实地,无疑地
59
mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
60
ornamental
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物
61
aloof
adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的
62
solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
63
averted
防止,避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 ); 转移
64
pretext
n.借口,托词
65
entrusted
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
66
widower
n.鳏夫
67
copiously
adv.丰富地,充裕地
68
fluted
a.有凹槽的
69
wastrel
n.浪费者;废物
70
velvety
adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的
71
oyster
n.牡蛎;沉默寡言的人
72
broiled
a.烤过的
73
deliberately
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地
74
rites
仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 )
75
accomplished
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
76
westward
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西
77
supremely
adv.无上地,崇高地
78
barricading
设路障于,以障碍物阻塞( barricade的现在分词 ); 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守
79
enquiring
a.爱打听的,显得好奇的
80
eyebrows
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
81
fixed
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
82
apprehensive
adj.担心的,恐惧的,善于领会的
83
mandate
n.托管地;命令,指示
84
withdrawn
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出
85
relinquish
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手
86
reassure
v.使放心,使消除疑虑
87
worthy
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的