The factory that employs us is something very different from the ordinary earthly model. Our business is to finish making little wooden toys — bears, cattle men, and the like — for children. The things are made in the rough by machinery¹, and then finished by hand, because the work of unskilful but interested men — and it really is an extremely amusing employment — is found to give a personality and interest to these objects no machine can ever attain².

We carvers — who are the riffraff of Utopia — work in a long shed together, nominally³ by time; we must keep at the job for the length of the spell, but we are expected to finish a certain number of toys for each spell of work. The rules of the game as between employer and employed in this particular industry hang on the wall behind us; they are drawn⁴ up by a conference of the Common Council of Wages Workers with the employers, a common council which has resulted in Utopia from a synthesis of the old Trades unions, and which has become a constitutional power; but any man who has skill or humour is presently making his own bargain with our employer more or less above that datum⁵ line.

Our employer is a quiet blue-eyed man with a humorous smile. He dresses wholly in an indigo⁶ blue, that later we come to consider a sort of voluntary uniform for Utopian artists. As he walks about the workshop, stopping to laugh at this production or praise that, one is reminded inevitably⁷ of an art school. Every now and then he carves a little himself or makes a sketch⁸ or departs to the machinery to order some change in the rough shapes it is turning out. Our work is by no means confined to animals. After a time I am told to specialise in a comical little Roman-nosed pony

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1 machinery
n.(总称)机械，机器；机构
参考例句：
Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？ Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

2 attain
vt.达到，获得，完成
参考例句：
I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。 His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

3 nominally
在名义上，表面地； 应名儿
参考例句：
Dad, nominally a Methodist, entered Churches only for weddings and funerals. 爸名义上是卫理公会教徒，可只去教堂参加婚礼和葬礼。 The company could not indicate a person even nominally responsible for staff training. 该公司甚至不能指出一个名义上负责职员培训的人。

4 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 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。

5 datum
n.资料；数据；已知数
参考例句：
The author has taught foreigners Chinese manyand gathered rich language and datum.作者长期从事对外汉语教学，积累了丰富的语言资料。 Every theory,datum,or fact is generated by purpose.任何理论，资料、事实都来自于一定的目的。

6 indigo
n.靛青，靛蓝
参考例句：
The sky was indigo blue,and a great many stars were shining.天空一片深蓝，闪烁着点点繁星。 He slipped into an indigo tank.他滑落到蓝靛桶中。

7 inevitably
adv.不可避免地；必然发生地
参考例句：
In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。 Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

8 sketch
n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述
参考例句：
My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。 I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

9 pony
adj.小型的；n.小马
参考例句：
His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。 They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

10 eminent
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。 He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

11 meditate
v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想
参考例句：
It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。 I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

12 darts
n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 chasm
n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突
参考例句：
There's a chasm between rich and poor in that society.那社会中存在着贫富差距。 A huge chasm gaped before them.他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。

14 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

15 groove
n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯
参考例句：
They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。 The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

16 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

17 gust
n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发
参考例句：
A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。 A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。

18 resinous
adj.树脂的，树脂质的，树脂制的
参考例句：
Alcohol is a solvent of resinous substances.酒精是树脂性物质的溶媒。 He observed that the more resinous the wood, the more resistant it was to decay.他观察到木材含树脂越多，其抗腐力越强。

19 resin
n.树脂，松香，树脂制品；vt.涂树脂
参考例句：
This allyl type resin is a highly transparent, colourless material.这种烯丙基型的树脂是一种高度透明的、无色材料。 This is referred to as a thixotropic property of the resin.这种特性叫做树脂的触变性。

20 atmospheric
adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的
参考例句：
Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。 Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

21 sham
n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)
参考例句：
They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。 His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。