A FEW INTIMATE FRIENDS were, as usual on Sundays, dining with the Rostovs.

Pierre came early, hoping to find them alone.

Pierre had that year grown so stout¹, that he would have been grotesque², had not he been so tall, so broad-shouldered, and so powerfully built that he carried off his bulky proportions with evident ease.

Puffing³, and muttering something to himself, he went up the stairs. His coachman did not even ask whether he should wait. He knew that when the count was at the Rostovs', it was till midnight. The Rostovs' footmen ran with eager welcome to take off his cloak, and take his stick and hat. From the habit of the club, Pierre always left his stick and hat in the vestibule.

The first person he saw at the Rostovs' was Natasha. Before he saw her, while taking off his cloak, he heard her. She was practising her solfa exercises in the hall. He knew she had given up singing since her illness, and so he was surprised and delighted at the sound of her voice. He opened the door softly, and saw Natasha, in the lilac dress she had worn at the service, walking up and down the room singing. She had her back turned to him as he opened the door; but when she turned sharply round and saw his broad, surprised face, she flushed and ran quickly up to him.

“I want to try and sing again,” she said. “It's something to do, any way,” she added as though in excuse.

“Quite right too!”

“How glad I am you have come! I'm so happy to-day,” she said with the old eagerness that Pierre had not seen for so long. “You know, Nikolenka has got the St. George's Cross. I'm so proud of him.”

“Of course, I sent you the announcement. Well, I won't interrupt you,” he added, and would have gone on to the drawing-room.

Natasha stopped him.

“Count, is it wrong of me to sing?” she said, blushing, but still keeping her eyes fixed⁴ inquiringly on Pierre.

“No.… Why should it be? On the contrary.… But why do you ask me?”

“I don't know myself,” Natasha answered quickly; “but I shouldn't like to do anything you wouldn't like. I trust you in everything. You don't know how much you are to me, and what a great deal you have done for me!” …She spoke⁵ quickly, and did not notice how Pierre flushed at these words. “I saw in that announcement, he, Bolkonsky” (she uttered the word in a rapid whisper), “he is in Russia, and in the army again. What do you think,” she said hurriedly, evidently in haste to speak because she was afraid her strength would fail her, “will he ever forgive me? Will he not always have an evil feeling for me? What do you think? What do you think?”

点击收听单词发音  

2 grotesque
adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物）
参考例句：
His face has a grotesque appearance.他的面部表情十分怪。 Her account of the incident was a grotesque distortion of the truth.她对这件事的陈述是荒诞地歪曲了事实。

3 puffing
v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 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。

6 rosy
adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的
参考例句：
She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。 She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

7 heeding
v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 )
参考例句：
This come of heeding people who say one thing and mean another! 有些人嘴里一回事，心里又是一回事，今天这个下场都是听信了这种人的话的结果。 来自辞典例句 Her dwarfish spouse still smoked his cigar and drank his rum without heeding her. 她那矮老公还在吸他的雪茄，喝他的蔗酒，睬也不睬她。 来自辞典例句

8 manifesto
n.宣言，声明
参考例句：
I was involved in the preparation of Labour's manifesto.我参与了工党宣言的起草工作。 His manifesto promised measures to protect them.他在宣言里保证要为他们采取保护措施。

9 chapel
n.小教堂，殡仪馆
参考例句：
The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。 She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

10 levy
n.征收税或其他款项，征收额
参考例句：
They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。 A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

11 softened
（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰
参考例句：
His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。 The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

12 agitated
adj.被鼓动的，不安的
参考例句：
His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。 She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

13 overcast
adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天
参考例句：
The overcast and rainy weather found out his arthritis.阴雨天使他的关节炎发作了。 The sky is overcast with dark clouds.乌云满天。

14 lining
n.衬里，衬料
参考例句：
The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。 Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

15 champagne
n.香槟酒；微黄色
参考例句：
There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。 They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

16 disappearance
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。 Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

17 militia
n.民兵，民兵组织
参考例句：
First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。 There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

18 metropolitan
adj.大城市的，大都会的
参考例句：
Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。 Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

19 conscientiously
adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实
参考例句：
He kept silent,eating just as conscientiously but as though everything tasted alike. 他一声不吭，闷头吃着，仿佛桌上的饭菜都一个味儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She discharged all the responsibilities of a minister conscientiously. 她自觉地履行部长的一切职责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 abrupt
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。 His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

21 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。

22 inquisitively
过分好奇地； 好问地
参考例句：
The Mouse looked at her rather inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes, but It'said nothing. 这老鼠狐疑地看着她，好像还把一只小眼睛向她眨了眨，但没说话。 The mouse looked at her rather inquisitively. 那只耗子用疑问的眼光看看她。

23 disapprovingly
adv.不以为然地，不赞成地，非难地
参考例句：
When I suggested a drink, she coughed disapprovingly. 我提议喝一杯时，她咳了一下表示反对。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He shook his head disapprovingly. 他摇了摇头，表示不赞成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 sarcastic
adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的
参考例句：
I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。 She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

25 pretext
n.借口，托词
参考例句：
He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。 He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

26 levies
（部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队
参考例句：
At that time, taxes and levies were as many as the hairs on an ox. 那时，苛捐杂税多如牛毛。 Variable levies can insulate farmers and consumers from world markets. 差价进口税可以把农民和消费者与世界市场隔离开来。

27 foe
n.敌人，仇敌
参考例句：
He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。 A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

28 recoil
vi.退却，退缩，畏缩
参考例句：
Most people would recoil at the sight of the snake.许多人看见蛇都会向后退缩。 Revenge may recoil upon the person who takes it.报复者常会受到报应。

29 bondage
n.奴役，束缚
参考例句：
Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.奴隶主们有时允许奴隶为自己赎身。 They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。

30 glorify
vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化
参考例句：
Politicians have complained that the media glorify drugs.政治家们抱怨媒体美化毒品。 We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.我们全心全意敬奉上帝，竭尽所能颂扬他的美名。

31 sniff
vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视
参考例句：
The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。 When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

32 grudging
adj.勉强的，吝啬的
参考例句：
He felt a grudging respect for her talents as an organizer.他勉强地对她的组织才能表示尊重。 After a pause he added"sir."in a dilatory,grudging way.停了一会他才慢吞吞地、勉勉强强地加了一声“先生”。

33 patriot
n.爱国者，爱国主义者
参考例句：
He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。 He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

34 patriotism
n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义
参考例句：
His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。 They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

35 nettled
v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
My remarks clearly nettled her. 我的话显然惹恼了她。 He had been growing nettled before, but now he pulled himself together. 他刚才有些来火，但现在又恢复了常态。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

36 abruptly
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。 I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

37 shrillness
尖锐刺耳
参考例句：

38 warrior
n.勇士，武士，斗士
参考例句：
The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。 A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

39 perspiring
v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。 来自《简明英汉词典》 So they "went it lively," panting and perspiring with the work. 于是他们就“痛痛快快地比一比”了，结果比得两个人气喘吁吁、汗流浃背。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

40 stoutly
adv.牢固地，粗壮的
参考例句：
He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。 Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难，但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。

41 hush
int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
参考例句：
A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。 Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

42 crimsoned
变为深红色（crimson的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
His face crimsoned when he saw her. 他一看到她就满脸通红。 Tu Hsueh-shih took this attitude of his nephew as a downright insult and crimsoned violently. 这在杜学诗看来，简直是对于他老叔的侮辱。他满脸通红了！ 来自子夜部分

43 resolutely
adj.坚决地，果断地
参考例句：
He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。 He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。

44 embarrassment
n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫
参考例句：
She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。 Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。