THE BIBLICAL TRADITION tells us that the absence of work—idleness—was a condition of the first man's blessedness before the Fall. The love of idleness has remained the same in fallen man; but the curse still lies heavy upon man, and not only because in the sweat of our brow we must eat bread, but because from our moral qualities we are unable to be idle and at peace. A secret voice tells us that we must be to blame for being idle. If a man could find a state in which while being idle he could feel himself to be of use and to be doing his duty, he would have attained¹ to one side of primitive² blessedness. And such a state of obligatory³ and irreproachable⁴ idleness is enjoyed by a whole class—the military class. It is in that obligatory and irreproachable idleness that the chief attraction of military service has always consisted, and will always consist.

Nikolay Rostov was enjoying this blessed privilege to the full, as after the year 1807 he remained in the Pavlograd regiment⁵, in command of the squadron that had been Denisov's.

Rostov had become a bluff⁶, good-natured fellow, who would have been thought rather bad form by his old acquaintances in Moscow, though he was loved and respected by his comrades, his subordinates, and his superior officers, and was well content with his life. Of late—in the year 1809—he had found more and more frequently in letters from home complaints on the part of his mother that their pecuniary⁷ position was going from bad to worse, and that it was high time for him to come home, to gladden and comfort the hearts of his old parents.

As he read those letters, Nikolay felt a pang⁸ of dread⁹ at their wanting to drag him out of the surroundings in which, by fencing himself off from all the

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1 attained
（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）
参考例句：
She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。 Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

2 primitive
adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物
参考例句：
It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。 His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

3 obligatory
adj.强制性的，义务的，必须的
参考例句：
It is obligatory for us to obey the laws.我们必须守法。 It is obligatory on every citizen to safeguard our great motherland.保卫我们伟大的祖国是每一个公民应尽的义务。

4 irreproachable
adj.不可指责的，无过失的
参考例句：
It emerged that his past behavior was far from irreproachable.事实表明，他过去的行为绝非无可非议。 She welcomed her unexpected visitor with irreproachable politeness.她以无可指责的礼仪接待了不速之客。

5 regiment
n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制
参考例句：
As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。 They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

6 bluff
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
参考例句：
His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。 John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

7 pecuniary
adj.金钱的；金钱上的
参考例句：
She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。 She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。

8 pang
n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷
参考例句：
She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。 She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

9 dread
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。 Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

10 complexities
复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物
参考例句：
The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。 The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

11 plunge
v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲
参考例句：
Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。 That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

12 intrigues
n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心
参考例句：
He was made king as a result of various intrigues. 由于搞了各种各样的阴谋，他当上了国王。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Those who go in for intrigues and conspiracy are doomed to failure. 搞阴谋诡计的人注定要失败。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 deferred
adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从
参考例句：
The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。 a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

14 chagrined
adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
I was most chagrined when I heard that he had got the job instead of me. 当我听说是他而不是我得到了那份工作时懊恼极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He was [felt] chagrined at his failure [at losing his pen]. 他为自己的失败 [遗失钢笔] 而感到懊恼。 来自辞典例句

15 mortified
v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）
参考例句：
She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。 The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 secondly
adv.第二，其次
参考例句：
Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。 Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

17 recurred
再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈
参考例句：
Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。 She always winced when he recurred to the subject of his poems. 每逢他一提到他的诗作的时候，她总是有点畏缩。

18 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 auction
n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖
参考例句：
They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。 They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

20 beseech
v.祈求，恳求
参考例句：
I beseech you to do this before it is too late.我恳求你做做这件事吧，趁现在还来得及。 I beseech your favor.我恳求您帮忙。

21 mare
n.母马，母驴
参考例句：
The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。 The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

22 lather
n.(肥皂水的)泡沫，激动
参考例句：
Soap will not lather in sea-water.肥皂在海水里不起泡沫。 He always gets in a lather when he has an argument with his wife.当他与妻子发生争论时他总是很激动。

23 applied
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。 This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

24 haggling
v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。 Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

25 belle
n.靓女
参考例句：
She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。 She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

26 subscription
n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）
参考例句：
We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。 Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。

27 hurrah
int.好哇，万岁，乌拉
参考例句：
We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。 The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。

28 sledge
n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往
参考例句：
The sledge gained momentum as it ran down the hill.雪橇从山上下冲时的动力越来越大。 The sledge slid across the snow as lightly as a boat on the water.雪橇在雪原上轻巧地滑行，就象船在水上行驶一样。

29 jolted
（使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。 She was jolted out of her reverie as the door opened. 门一开就把她从幻想中惊醒。

30 acceleration
n.加速，加速度
参考例句：
All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。 He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

31 inverse
adj.相反的，倒转的，反转的；n.相反之物；v.倒转
参考例句：
Evil is the inverse of good.恶是善的反面。 When the direct approach failed he tried the inverse.当直接方法失败时，他尝试相反的做法。

32 steadfast
adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的
参考例句：
Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。 He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

33 pranks
n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Frank's errancy consisted mostly of pranks. 法兰克错在老喜欢恶作剧。 来自辞典例句 He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句

34 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

35 exasperation
n.愤慨
参考例句：
He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。 She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

36 horrid
adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的
参考例句：
I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。 The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

37 betrothed
n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She is betrothed to John. 她同约翰订了婚。 His daughter was betrothed to a teacher. 他的女儿同一个教师订了婚。

38 serene
adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的
参考例句：
He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。 He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

39 grudge
n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做
参考例句：
I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。 I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。