YOUNG MATTERLOCK, a counting-house clerk of thirty-two, was charged to deal with this responsibility. A boarding-house which offered opportunities for conversation and companionship seemed to be indicated. He found such establishments rare in Kentish Town. There it was mostly lodging-houses. But when one went south and east, he found boarding-houses in an enormous abundance with the utmost variety of — charges, customs, habits and clients. London was a great centre for students of every sort and colour, and for every sort and colour boarding-houses had adapted themselves. It was a museum of nationalities, a kaleidoscope of broken-off social fragments. The difficulty was to find a boarding-house that was just simply a boarding-house.

It did not occur to young Matterlock as anything extraordinary that in all this vast wilderness¹ of lodgings² and boarding-houses, not one had ever been planned and built as a lodging-house or boarding-house. Every one had been built to accommodate an imaginary and quite impossible family of considerable means and insanitary habits, with cheap abject³ servants packed away in the attics⁴ and basement, a dining-room, a drawing-room, a parlour and the like. The ground landlords, the architects and builders of the period seem to have been incapable⁵ of any other idea. Not ten per cent of these hopeful family residences were ever occupied by that vanishing English family; the rest were sub-divided into “floors” from the first, and nearly all of them, even the family houses, were furnished with faded and misfitting second-hand⁶ furniture. With a plentiful⁷ lack of imagination, nineteenth-century England had shaped its conduct and future to the forms of an obsolete⁸ social dream.

Thackeray has embalmed

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1 wilderness
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠
参考例句：
She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。 Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 lodgings
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍
参考例句：
When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。 I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

3 abject
adj.极可怜的，卑屈的
参考例句：
This policy has turned out to be an abject failure.这一政策最后以惨败而告终。 He had been obliged to offer an abject apology to Mr.Alleyne for his impertinence.他不得不低声下气，为他的无礼举动向艾莱恩先生请罪。

4 attics
n. 阁楼
参考例句：
They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics. 他们把暂时不需要的东西放在抽屉里、壁橱中和搁楼上。 He rummaged busily in the attics of European literature, bringing to light much of interest. 他在欧洲文学的阁楼里忙着翻箱倒笼，找到了不少有趣的东西。

5 incapable
adj.无能力的，不能做某事的
参考例句：
He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。 Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

6 second-hand
adj.用过的，旧的，二手的
参考例句：
I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。 They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

7 plentiful
adj.富裕的，丰富的
参考例句：
Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。 Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

8 obsolete
adj.已废弃的，过时的
参考例句：
These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。 They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

9 embalmed
adj.用防腐药物保存（尸体）的v.保存（尸体）不腐( embalm的过去式和过去分词 )；使不被遗忘；使充满香气
参考例句：
Many fine sentiments are embalmed in poetry. 许多微妙的情感保存于诗歌中。 来自辞典例句 In books, are embalmed the greatest thoughts of all ages. 伟大思想古今有，载入书中成不朽。 来自互联网

10 decadent
adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的
参考例句：
Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.别让颓废的思想侵蚀你们。 This song was once banned, because it was regarded as decadent.这首歌曾经被认定为是靡靡之音而被禁止播放。

11 solely
adv.仅仅，唯一地
参考例句：
Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。 The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

12 lapse
n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效
参考例句：
The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。 I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

13 muddle
n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱
参考例句：
Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。 Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。

14 entrusted
v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。 She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 facade
n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表
参考例句：
The entrance facade consists of a large full height glass door.入口正面有一大型全高度玻璃门。 If you look carefully,you can see through Bob's facade.如果你仔细观察，你就能看穿鲍勃的外表。

16 resolute
adj.坚决的，果敢的
参考例句：
He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。 The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

17 outgrown
长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过
参考例句：
She's already outgrown her school uniform. 她已经长得连校服都不能穿了。 The boy has outgrown his clothes. 这男孩已长得穿不下他的衣服了。

18 homely
adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的
参考例句：
We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。 Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？

19 thoroughly
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。 The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

20 bespoke
adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求
参考例句：
His style of dressing bespoke great self-confidence. 他的衣着风格显得十分自信。 The haberdasher presented a cap, saying,"Here is the cap your worship bespoke." 帽匠拿出一顶帽子来说：“这就是老爷您定做的那顶。” 来自辞典例句

21 hovered
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。 A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。

22 dingy
adj.昏暗的，肮脏的
参考例句：
It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。 The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。

23 nutritious
adj.有营养的，营养价值高的
参考例句：
Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。 Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

24 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。

25 peg
n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定
参考例句：
Hang your overcoat on the peg in the hall.把你的大衣挂在门厅的挂衣钩上。 He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。

26 pegs
n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平
参考例句：
She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句 The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句

27 occluding
adj.[医]牙合的，咬合的v.堵塞( occlude的现在分词 )；阻隔；吸收（气体）
参考例句：
This pulmonary thromboembolism is occluding the main pulmonary artery. 这个肺血栓栓子使肺动脉主干闭塞。 来自互联网 After 3 years follow-up, there was no recidivism and loosening of tooth but normal occluding relation. 随访3年无一例复发，牙齿无松动，咬合关系正常。 来自互联网

28 thump
v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声
参考例句：
The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。 The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。

29 confidentially
ad.秘密地，悄悄地
参考例句：
She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。 Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

30 amiability
n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的
参考例句：
His amiability condemns him to being a constant advisor to other people's troubles. 他那和蔼可亲的性格使他成为经常为他人排忧解难的开导者。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness. 我瞧着老师的脸上从和蔼变成严峻。 来自辞典例句

31 inaccurate
adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的
参考例句：
The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。 She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

32 propitiatory
adj.劝解的；抚慰的；谋求好感的；哄人息怒的
参考例句：
She saw the flowers as a propitiatory offering. 在她看来，送花是主动和解的表示。 He sent her flowers as a propitiatory gesture. 他将花送给她以求好感。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

33 tinged
v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事 white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣

34 proprietorship
n.所有（权）；所有权
参考例句：
A sole proprietorship ends with the incapacity or death of the owner. 当业主无力经营或死亡的时候，这家个体企业也就宣告结束。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件 This company has a proprietorship of the copyright. 这家公司拥有版权所有权。 来自辞典例句

35 informatively
adv.提供信息地
参考例句：

36 discreetly
ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地
参考例句：
He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。 Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。

37 grunted
（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说
参考例句：
She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。 She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

38 slumber
n.睡眠，沉睡状态
参考例句：
All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。 Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

39 rumble
n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说
参考例句：
I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。 We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

40 smack
vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍
参考例句：
She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。 I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

41 sitting-room
n.（BrE）客厅，起居室
参考例句：
The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。 Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

42 diffused
散布的，普及的，扩散的
参考例句：
A drop of milk diffused in the water. 一滴牛奶在水中扩散开来。 Gases and liquids diffused. 气体和液体慢慢混合了。

43 unpack
vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货
参考例句：
I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。 She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

44 meditating
a.沉思的，冥想的
参考例句：
They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。 The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

45 cuffs
n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
a collar and cuffs of white lace 带白色蕾丝花边的衣领和袖口 The cuffs of his shirt were fraying. 他衬衣的袖口磨破了。

46 creased
（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴
参考例句：
You've creased my newspaper. 你把我的报纸弄皱了。 The bullet merely creased his shoulder. 子弹只不过擦破了他肩部的皮肤。

47 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。