THE HUSKS OF RELIGION.

And none of those present, from the inspector¹ down to Maslova, seemed conscious of the fact that this Jesus, whose name the priest repeated such a great number of times, and whom he praised with all these curious expressions, had forbidden the very things that were being done there; that He had prohibited not only this meaningless much-speaking and the blasphemous² incantation over the bread and wine, but had also, in the clearest words, forbidden men to call other men their master, and to pray in temples; and had ordered that every one should pray in solitude³, had forbidden to erect⁴ temples, saying that He had come to destroy them, and that one should worship, not in a temple, but in spirit and in truth; and, above all, that He had forbidden not only to judge, to imprison⁵, to torment⁶, to execute men, as was being done here, but had prohibited any kind of violence, saying that He had come to give freedom to the captives.

No one present seemed conscious that all that was going on here was the greatest blasphemy⁷ and a supreme⁸ mockery of that same Christ in whose name it was being done. No one seemed to realise that the gilt⁹ cross with the enamel¹⁰ medallions at the ends, which the priest held out to the people to be kissed, was nothing but the emblem¹¹ of that gallows

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1 inspector
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。 The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 blasphemous
adj.亵渎神明的，不敬神的
参考例句：
The book was declared blasphemous and all copies ordered to be burnt.这本书被断定为亵渎神明之作，命令全数焚毀。 The people in the room were shocked by his blasphemous language.满屋的人都对他那侮慢的语言感到愤慨。

3 solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句：
People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。 They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

4 erect
n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的
参考例句：
She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。 Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

5 imprison
vt.监禁，关押，限制，束缚
参考例句：
The effect of this one is going to imprison you for life.而这件事的影响力则会让你被终身监禁。 Dutch colonial authorities imprisoned him for his part in the independence movement.荷兰殖民当局因他参加独立运动而把他关押了起来。

6 torment
n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠
参考例句：
He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。 Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

7 blasphemy
n.亵渎，渎神
参考例句：
His writings were branded as obscene and a blasphemy against God.他的著作被定为淫秽作品，是对上帝的亵渎。 You have just heard his blasphemy!你刚刚听到他那番亵渎上帝的话了！

8 supreme
adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的
参考例句：
It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。 He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 gilt
adj.镀金的；n.金边证券
参考例句：
The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。 The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。

10 enamel
n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质
参考例句：
I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。 He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。

11 emblem
n.象征，标志；徽章
参考例句：
Her shirt has the company emblem on it.她的衬衫印有公司的标记。 The eagle was an emblem of strength and courage.鹰是力量和勇气的象征。

12 gallows
n.绞刑架，绞台
参考例句：
The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。 Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。

13 blessings
n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福
参考例句：
Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》 We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 torments
（肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人]
参考例句：
He released me from my torments. 他解除了我的痛苦。 He suffered torments from his aching teeth. 他牙痛得难受。

15 clergy
n.[总称]牧师，神职人员
参考例句：
I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。 All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

16 Christians
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。 His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

17 zealously
adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地
参考例句：
Of course the more unpleasant a duty was, the more zealously Miss Glover performed it. 格洛弗小姐越是对她的职责不满意，她越是去积极执行它。 来自辞典例句 A lawyer should represent a client zealously within the bounds of the law. 律师应在法律范围内热忱为当事人代理。 来自口语例句

18 deception
n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计
参考例句：
He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。 He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。

19 organisation
n.组织，安排，团体，有机休
参考例句：
The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。 His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

20 piety
n.虔诚，虔敬
参考例句：
They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。 Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。

21 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

22 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。