HOWEVER, my attention was suddenly snatched from such matters; our child began to lose ground again, and we had to go to sitting up with her, her case became so serious. We couldn't bear to allow anybody to help in this service, so we two stood watch-and-watch, day in and day out. Ah, Sandy, what a right heart she had, how simple, and genuine, and good she was! She was a flawless wife and mother; and yet I had married her for no other particular reasons, except that by the customs of chivalry¹ she was my property until some knight² should win her from me in the field. She had hunted Britain over for me; had found me at the hanging-bout outside of London, and had straightway resumed her old place at my side in the placidest way and as of right. I was a New Englander, and in my opinion this sort of partnership³ would compromise her, sooner or later. She couldn't see how, but I cut argument short and we had a wedding.

Now I didn't know I was drawing a prize, yet that was what I did draw. Within the twelvemonth I became her worshiper; and ours was the dearest and perfectest comradeship that ever was. People talk about beautiful friendships between two persons of the same sex. What is the best of that sort, as compared with the friendship of man and wife, where the best impulses and highest ideals of both are the same? There is no place for comparison between the two friendships; the one is earthly, the other divine.

In my dreams, along at first, I still wandered thirteen centuries away, and my unsatisfied spirit went calling and harking all up and down the unreplying vacancies⁴ of a vanished world. Many a time Sandy heard that imploring⁵ cry come from my lips in my sleep. With a grand magnanimity she saddled that cry of mine upon our child, conceiving it to be the name of some lost darling of mine. It touched me to tears, and it also nearly knocked me off my feet, too, when she smiled up in my face for an earned reward, and played her quaint⁶ and pretty surprise upon me:

"The name of one who was dear to thee is here preserved, here made holy, and the music of it will

点击收听单词发音  

1 chivalry
n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤
参考例句：
The Middle Ages were also the great age of chivalry.中世纪也是骑士制度盛行的时代。 He looked up at them with great chivalry.他非常有礼貌地抬头瞧她们。

2 knight
n.骑士，武士；爵士
参考例句：
He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。 A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

3 partnership
n.合作关系，伙伴关系
参考例句：
The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。 Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 vacancies
n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺
参考例句：
job vacancies 职位空缺 The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 imploring
恳求的，哀求的
参考例句：
Those calm, strange eyes could see her imploring face. 那平静的，没有表情的眼睛还能看得到她的乞怜求情的面容。 She gave him an imploring look. 她以哀求的眼神看着他。

6 quaint
adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的
参考例句：
There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。 They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

7 abide
vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受
参考例句：
You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。 If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

8 marrow
n.骨髓；精华；活力
参考例句：
It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。 He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

9 ruptured
v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交
参考例句：
They reported that the pipeline had ruptured. 他们报告说管道已经破裂了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The wall through Berlin was finally ruptured, prefiguring the reunification of Germany. 柏林墙终于倒塌了，预示着德国的重新统一。 来自辞典例句

10 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

11 salute
vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮
参考例句：
Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。 The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

12 invoked
v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求
参考例句：
It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。 She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 reverent
adj.恭敬的，虔诚的
参考例句：
He gave reverent attention to the teacher.他恭敬地听老师讲课。 She said the word artist with a gentle,understanding,reverent smile.她说作家一词时面带高雅，理解和虔诚的微笑。

14 solicitude
n.焦虑
参考例句：
Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。 He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。

15 galloped
（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事
参考例句：
Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。 The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。

16 glistening
adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。 Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

17 populous
adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的
参考例句：
London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。 China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

18 verge
n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临
参考例句：
The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。 She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

19 solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句：
People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。 They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

20 pestilence
n.瘟疫
参考例句：
They were crazed by the famine and pestilence of that bitter winter.他们因那年严冬的饥饿与瘟疫而折磨得发狂。 A pestilence was raging in that area. 瘟疫正在那一地区流行。

21 devouring
吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。 He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。

22 jabbered
v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的过去式和过去分词 )；急促兴奋地说话
参考例句：
She jabbered away, trying to distract his attention. 她喋喋不休，想分散他的注意力。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The politician jabbered away about matters of which he has no knowledge. 那个政客不知所云地侈谈自己一无所知的事情。 来自辞典例句

23 bereaved
adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物）
参考例句：
The ceremony was an ordeal for those who had been recently bereaved. 这个仪式对于那些新近丧失亲友的人来说是一种折磨。 an organization offering counselling for the bereaved 为死者亲友提供辅导的组织

24 coffin
n.棺材，灵柩
参考例句：
When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。 The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

25 shrouded
v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密
参考例句：
The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。 The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 calamity
n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件
参考例句：
Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。 The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

27 interdict
v.限制；禁止；n.正式禁止；禁令
参考例句：
Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.可以把军队渡运过来阻截毒品的装运。 Interdict could also be sought for the protection of public interests.禁令也可以用于保护公共利益。

28 warily
adv.留心地
参考例句：
He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。 They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。

29 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。

30 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。

31 desolate
adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂
参考例句：
The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。 We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

32 woe
n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌
参考例句：
Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。 A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

33 cavern
n.洞穴，大山洞
参考例句：
The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。 It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

34 blot
vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍
参考例句：
That new factory is a blot on the landscape.那新建的工厂破坏了此地的景色。 The crime he committed is a blot on his record.他犯的罪是他的履历中的一个污点。

35 symbolical
a.象征性的
参考例句：
The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real. 今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。 The Lord introduces the first symbolical language in Revelation. 主说明了启示录中第一个象徵的语言。

36 somber
adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的
参考例句：
He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。 His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

37 loomed
v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近
参考例句：
A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。 The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

38 sepulchral
adj.坟墓的，阴深的
参考例句：
He made his way along the sepulchral corridors.他沿着阴森森的走廊走着。 There was a rather sepulchral atmosphere in the room.房间里有一种颇为阴沉的气氛。