WITH A SMILE that never left his lips, Nikolay sat bent¹ a little forward on a low chair, and stooping close over his blonde beauty, he paid her mythological² compliments.

Jauntily³ shifting the posture⁴ of his legs in his tight riding-breeches, diffusing⁵ a scent⁶ of perfume, and admiring his fair companion and himself and the fine lines of his legs in the tight breeches, Nikolay told the blonde lady that he wanted to elope with a lady here, in Voronezh.

“What is she like?”

“Charming, divine. Her eyes” (Nikolay gazed at his companion) “are blue, her lips are coral, her whiteness…” he gazed at her shoulders, “the shape of Diana…”

The husband came up to them and asked his wife gloomily what she was talking of.

“Ah! Nikita Ivanitch,” said Nikolay, rising courteously⁷. And as though anxious for Nikita Ivanitch to take a share in his jests, he began to tell him too of his intention of running away with a blonde lady.

The husband smiled grimly, the wife gaily⁸.

The good-natured governor's wife came up to them with a disapproving⁹ air.

“Anna Ignatyevna wants to see you, Nikolay,” she said, pronouncing the name in such a way that Rostov was at once aware that Anna Ignatyevna was a very great lady. “Come, Nikolay. You let me call you so, don't you?”

“Oh, yes, ma tante. Who is she?”

“Anna Ignatyevna Malvintsev. She has heard about you from her niece, how you rescued her…Do you guess?…”

“Oh, I rescued so many!” cried Nikolay.

“Her niece, Princess Bolkonsky. She is here in Voronezh with her aunt. Oho! how he blushes! Eh?”

“Not a bit of it, nonsense, ma tante.”

点击收听单词发音  

1 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

2 mythological
adj.神话的
参考例句：
He is remembered for his historical and mythological works. 他以其带有历史感和神话色彩的作品而著称。 But even so, the cumulative process had for most Americans a deep, almost mythological significance. 不过即使如此，移民渐增的过程，对于大部分美国人，还是意味深长的，几乎有不可思议的影响。

3 jauntily
adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地
参考例句：
His straw hat stuck jauntily on the side of his head. 他那顶草帽时髦地斜扣在头上。 来自辞典例句 He returned frowning, his face obstinate but whistling jauntily. 他回来时皱眉蹙额，板着脸，嘴上却快活地吹着口哨。 来自辞典例句

4 posture
n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势
参考例句：
The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。 He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

5 diffusing
（使光）模糊，漫射，漫散( diffuse的现在分词 )； （使）扩散； （使）弥漫； （使）传播
参考例句：
Compounding this confusion is a diffusing definition of journalist. 新闻和娱乐的掺和扩散了“记者”定义。 Diffusing phenomena also so, after mix cannot spontaneous separating. 扩散现象也如此，混合之后不能自发的分开。

6 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

7 courteously
adv.有礼貌地，亲切地
参考例句：
He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。 Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

8 gaily
adv.欢乐地，高兴地
参考例句：
The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。 She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

9 disapproving
adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 eyelids
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色
参考例句：
She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。 Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 dignified
a.可敬的，高贵的
参考例句：
Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。 He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

14 upbraiding
adj.& n.谴责（的）v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的现在分词 )
参考例句：
His wife set about upbraiding him for neglecting the children. 他妻子开始指责他不照顾孩子。 来自辞典例句 I eschewed upbraiding, I curtailed remonstrance. 我避免责备，少作规劝。 来自辞典例句

15 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

16 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。

17 simplicity
n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯
参考例句：
She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。 The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

18 irresistible
adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的
参考例句：
The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。 She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

19 inexplicable
adj.无法解释的，难理解的
参考例句：
It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。 There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

20 folly
n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话
参考例句：
Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。 Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

21 insignificant
adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的
参考例句：
In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。 This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

22 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。

23 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。

24 lamely
一瘸一拐地，不完全地
参考例句：
I replied lamely that I hope to justify his confidence. 我漫不经心地回答说，我希望我能不辜负他对我的信任。 The wolf leaped lamely back, losing its footing and falling in its weakness. 那只狼一跛一跛地跳回去，它因为身体虚弱，一失足摔了一跤。

25 crimson
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色
参考例句：
She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。 Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。