ON THE MORNING of the 15th, the next day but one, a great number of carriages stood outside the Slobodsky palace.

The great halls were full. In the first were the noblemen in their uniforms; in the second there were merchants with medals and long beards, wearing blue, full-skirted coats. The first room was full of noise and movement. The more important personages were sitting on high-backed chairs at a big table under the Tsar's portrait; but the greater number of the noblemen were walking about the hall.

The noblemen, whom Pierre saw every day either at the club or at their houses, were all in uniforms; some in those of Catherine's court, some in those of the Emperor Pavel, and some in the new uniforms of Alexander's reign¹, others in the common uniforms of the nobility, and the general character of their dress gave a strange and fantastic look to these old and young, most diverse and familiar faces. Particularly striking were the older men, dim-eyed, toothless, bald, and thin, with faces wrinkled or lost in yellow fat. They sat still for the most part and were silent, or if they walked and talked, attached themselves to some one younger. Just like the faces Petya had seen in the crowd, all these faces, in their universal expectation of something solemn, presented a striking contrast with their everyday, yesterday's aspect, when talking over their game of boston, Petrushka the cook, the health of Zinaida Dmitryevna, etc., etc.

Pierre, who had been since early morning in an uncomfortable uniform, that had become too tight for him, was in the room. He was in a state of excitement; this extraordinary assembly, not only of the nobility, but of the merchant class too—the estates, états généraux—called up in him a whole series of ideas of the Contrat Social and the French Revolution, ideas imprinted² deeply on his soul, though they had long been laid aside. The words he had noticed in the manifesto³, that the Tsar was coming to the capital for deliberation with his people, confirmed him in this chain of thought. And supposing that something of importance in that direction was near at hand, that what he had long been looking for was coming, he looked and listened attentively⁴, but he saw nowhere any expression of the ideas that engrossed⁵

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1 reign
n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势
参考例句：
The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。 The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

2 imprinted
v.盖印（imprint的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
The terrible scenes were indelibly imprinted on his mind. 那些恐怖场面深深地铭刻在他的心中。 The scene was imprinted on my mind. 那个场面铭刻在我的心中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 attentively
adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神
参考例句：
She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 engrossed
adj.全神贯注的
参考例句：
The student is engrossed in his book.这名学生正在专心致志地看书。 No one had ever been quite so engrossed in an evening paper.没人会对一份晚报如此全神贯注。

6 evoked
[医]诱发的
参考例句：
The music evoked memories of her youth. 这乐曲勾起了她对青年时代的回忆。 Her face, though sad, still evoked a feeling of serenity. 她的脸色虽然悲伤，但仍使人感觉安详。

7 middle-aged
adj.中年的
参考例句：
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。 The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

8 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 naval
adj.海军的，军舰的，船的
参考例句：
He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。 The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

10 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。

11 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

12 mellow
adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟
参考例句：
These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。 The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

13 consonants
n.辅音，子音( consonant的名词复数 )；辅音字母
参考例句：
Consonants are frequently assimilated to neighboring consonants. 辅音往往被其邻近的辅音同化。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 riotous
adj.骚乱的；狂欢的
参考例句：
Summer is in riotous profusion.盛夏的大地热闹纷繁。 We spent a riotous night at Christmas.我们度过了一个狂欢之夜。

15 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。

16 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。

17 blandly
adv.温和地，殷勤地
参考例句：
There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. 布里斯托尔有那么一帮人为此恨透了布兰德利。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 \"Maybe you could get something in the stage line?\" he blandly suggested. “也许你能在戏剧这一行里找些事做，\"他和蔼地提议道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

18 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。

19 orator
n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家
参考例句：
He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。 The orator gestured vigorously while speaking.这位演讲者讲话时用力地做手势。

20 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

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 mumbling
含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。 He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。

23 deigns
v.屈尊，俯就( deign的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
She scarcely deigns a glance at me. 她简直不屑看我一眼。 来自辞典例句

24 outlet
n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄
参考例句：
The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。 Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

25 exasperated
adj.恼怒的
参考例句：
We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。 Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

26 convoked
v.召集，召开（会议）( convoke的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The mayor convoked a committee to discuss the beautification of the city. 市长召集了一次委员会，讨论城市的美化问题。 来自互联网

27 displeased
a.不快的
参考例句：
The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

28 majesty
n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权
参考例句：
The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。 Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

29 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

30 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。

31 Augmented
adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史 The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

32 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。

33 desecrate
v.供俗用，亵渎，污辱
参考例句：
The enemy desecrate the church by using it as a stable.敌人亵渎这所教堂,把它当做马厩。 It's a crime to desecrate the country's flag.玷污国旗是犯罪。

34 averse
adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的
参考例句：
I don't smoke cigarettes,but I'm not averse to the occasional cigar.我不吸烟，但我不反对偶尔抽一支雪茄。 We are averse to such noisy surroundings.我们不喜欢这么吵闹的环境。

35 hustled
催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
He grabbed her arm and hustled her out of the room. 他抓住她的胳膊把她推出房间。 The secret service agents hustled the speaker out of the amphitheater. 特务机关的代理人把演讲者驱逐出竞技场。

36 tenor
n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意
参考例句：
The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。 The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

37 hatred
n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨
参考例句：
He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。 The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

38 orators
n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The hired orators continued to pour forth their streams of eloquence. 那些雇来的演说家继续滔滔不绝地施展辩才。 来自辞典例句 Their ears are too full of bugles and drums and the fine words from stay-at-home orators. 人们的耳朵被军号声和战声以及呆在这的演说家们的漂亮言辞塞得太满了。 来自飘（部分）

39 eloquently
adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地)
参考例句：
I was toasted by him most eloquently at the dinner. 进餐时他口若悬河地向我祝酒。 The poet eloquently expresses the sense of lost innocence. 诗人动人地表达了失去天真的感觉。

40 buffoons
n.愚蠢的人( buffoon的名词复数 )；傻瓜；逗乐小丑；滑稽的人
参考例句：

41 ransacking
v.彻底搜查( ransack的现在分词 )；抢劫，掠夺
参考例句：
She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. 她正在彻底搜寻各家店铺，为吉姆买礼物。 来自英汉文学 - 欧亨利 Ransacking the drawers of the dresser he came upon a discarded, tiny, ragged handkerchief. 他打开橱柜抽屉搜寻，找到了一块弃置的小旧手帕。 来自辞典例句

42 grandees
n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The highest-ranking members of the Spanish aristocracy are the grandees. 西班牙贵族中爵位最高的成员乃是大公。 来自辞典例句 Several grandees of the town are present at the party. 城里的几位要人出席了晚会。 来自互联网

43 expiation
n.赎罪，补偿
参考例句：
'served him right,'said Drouet afterward, even in view of her keen expiation of her error. “那是他活该，"这一场结束时杜洛埃说，尽管那个妻子已竭力要赎前愆。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Jesus made expiation for our sins on the cross. 耶稣在十字架上为我们赎了罪。 来自互联网