THE VICE-GOVERNOR'S "AT-HOME".

The next day Nekhludoff went to see the advocate, and spoke¹ to him about the Menshoffs' case, begging him to undertake their defence. The advocate promised to look into the case, and if it turned out to be as Nekhludoff said he would in all probability undertake the defence free of charge. Then Nekhludoff told him of the 130 men who were kept in prison owing to a mistake. "On whom did it depend? Whose fault was it?"

The advocate was silent for a moment, evidently anxious to give a correct reply.

"Whose fault is it? No one's," he said, decidedly. "Ask the Procureur, he'll say it is the Governor's; ask the Governor, he'll say it is the Procureur's fault. No one is in fault."

"I am just going to see the Vice-Governor. I shall tell him."

"Oh, that's quite useless," said the advocate, with a smile. "He is such a--he is not a relation or friend of yours?--such a blockhead, if I may say so, and yet a crafty² animal at the same time."

Nekhludoff remembered what Maslennikoff had said about the advocate, and did not answer, but took leave and went on to Maslennikoff's. He had to ask Maslennikoff two things: about Maslova's removal to the prison hospital, and about the 130 passportless men innocently imprisoned³. Though it was very hard to petition a man whom he did not respect, and by whose orders men were flogged, yet it was the only means of gaining his end, and he had to go through with it.

As he drove up to Maslennikoff's house Nekhludoff saw a number of different carriages by the front door, and remembered that it was Maslennikoff's wife's "at-home" day, to which he had been invited. At the moment Nekhludoff drove up there was a carriage in front of the door, and a footman in livery, with a cockade in his hat, was helping⁴ a lady down the doorstep. She was holding up her train, and showing her thin ankles, black stockings, and slippered⁵ feet. Among the carriages was a closed landau, which he knew to be the Korchagins'.

The grey-haired, red-checked coachman took off his hat and bowed in a respectful yet friendly manner to Nekhludoff, as to a gentleman he knew well. Nekhludoff had not had time to inquire for Maslennikoff, when the latter appeared on the carpeted stairs, accompanying a very important guest not only to the first landing but to the bottom of the stairs. This very important visitor, a military man, was speaking in French about a

点击收听单词发音  

1 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
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 crafty
adj.狡猾的，诡诈的
参考例句：
He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。 He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

3 imprisoned
下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。 They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

4 helping
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的
参考例句：
The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。 By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 slippered
穿拖鞋的
参考例句：
She slippered across the room from her bed. 她下床穿着拖鞋走过房间 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 She saw pairs of slippered feet -- but no one was moving. 她看见一双双穿着拖鞋的脚--可是谁也没有挪动一步。 来自互联网

6 lottery
n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事
参考例句：
He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。 They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

7 presenter
n.（电视、广播的）主持人，赠与者
参考例句：
Most people think being a television presenter is exciting.很多人认为当电视节目主持人是一件刺激的事情。 The programme dispensed with its most popular presenter.这个节目最受欢迎的主持人被换掉了。

8 heed
v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心
参考例句：
You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。 For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

9 irresistibly
adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地
参考例句：
Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside. 她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He was irresistibly attracted by her charm. 他不能自已地被她的魅力所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 wards
区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态
参考例句：
This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。 It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

11 trot
n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧
参考例句：
They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。 The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

12 bonnets
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 )；（烟囱等的）覆盖物；（苏格兰男子的）无边呢帽；（女子戴的）任何一种帽子
参考例句：
All the best bonnets of the city were there. 城里戴最漂亮的无边女帽的妇女全都到场了。 来自辞典例句 I am tempting you with bonnets and bangles and leading you into a pit. 我是在用帽子和镯子引诱你，引你上钩。 来自飘（部分）

13 civilians
平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓
参考例句：
the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀 At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

14 clatter
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声
参考例句：
The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。 Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

15 intimacy
n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行
参考例句：
His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。 I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

16 tarts
n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 )；轻佻的女人；妓女；小妞
参考例句：
I decided to make some tarts for tea. 我决定做些吃茶点时吃的果馅饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They ate raspberry tarts and ice cream. 大家吃着木莓馅饼和冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

17 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

18 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 bounty
n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与
参考例句：
He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。 We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

20 feigned
a.假装的，不真诚的
参考例句：
He feigned indifference to criticism of his work. 他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。 He accepted the invitation with feigned enthusiasm. 他假装热情地接受了邀请。

21 raptures
极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Her heart melted away in secret raptures. 她暗自高兴得心花怒放。 The mere thought of his bride moves Pinkerton to raptures. 一想起新娘，平克顿不禁心花怒放。

22 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

23 sitting-room
n.（BrE）客厅，起居室
参考例句：
The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。 Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。