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STEVE'S engagement made a great stir in the family a pleasant one this time, for nobody objected, everything seemed felicitous1, and the course of true love ran very smoothly2 for the young couple, who promised to remove the only obstacle to their union by growing old and wise as soon as possible. If he had not been so genuinely happy, the little lover's airs would have been unbearable3, for he patronized all mankind in general, his brother and elder cousins in particular.
"Now, that is the way to manage matters," he declared, standing4 before the fire in Aunt Clara's billiard room a day or two after the ball, with his hands behind his back,-"No nonsense, no delay, no domestic rows or tragic5 separations. Just choose with taste and judgment6, make yourself agreeable through thick and thin, and when it is perfectly7 evident that the dear creature adores the ground you walk on, say the word like a man, and there you are."
"All very easy to do that with a girl like Kitty, who has no confounded notions to spoil her and trip you up every time you don't exactly toe the mark," muttered Charlie, knocking the balls about as if it were a relief to hit something, for he was in a gloriously bad humor that evening, because time hung heavy on his hands since he had forsworn the company he could not keep without danger to himself.
"You should humor those little notions, for all women have them, and it needs tact9 to steer10 clear of them. Kitty's got dozens, but I treat them with respect, have my own way when I can, give in without growling
1
felicitous
adj.恰当的,巧妙的;n.恰当,贴切
2
smoothly
adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地
3
unbearable
adj.不能容忍的;忍受不住的
4
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
5
tragic
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
6
judgment
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
7
perfectly
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
8
kit
n.用具包,成套工具;随身携带物
9
tact
n.机敏,圆滑,得体
10
steer
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶
11
growling
n.吠声, 咆哮声
v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼
12
steered
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导
13
shipwreck
n.船舶失事,海难
14
levity
n.轻率,轻浮,不稳定,多变
15
begrudge
vt.吝啬,羡慕
16
envious
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的
17
prospects
n.希望,前途(恒为复数)
18
equanimity
n.沉着,镇定
19
forth
adv.向前;向外,往外
20
confides
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的第三人称单数 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等)
21
abject
adj.极可怜的,卑屈的
22
conversational
adj.对话的,会话的
23
divan
n.长沙发;(波斯或其他东方诗人的)诗集
24
reposing
v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的现在分词 )
25
gracefully
ad.大大方方地;优美地
26
brag
v./n.吹牛,自夸;adj.第一流的
27
cynically
adv.爱嘲笑地,冷笑地
28
tassels
n.穗( tassel的名词复数 );流苏状物;(植物的)穗;玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗, (玉米)长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 );使抽穗, (为了使作物茁壮生长)摘去穗状雄花;用流苏装饰
29
hearth
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
30
countenance
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
31
Undid
v. 解开, 复原
32
blues
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
33
discreetly
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地
34
inquisitive
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的
35
magpie
n.喜欢收藏物品的人,喜鹊,饶舌者
36
malice
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋
37
tiff
n.小争吵,生气
38
unreasonable
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的
39
transgressions
n.违反,违法,罪过( transgression的名词复数 )
40
placidly
adv.平稳地,平静地
41
alluded
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )
42
momentary
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的
43
poking
n. 刺,戳,袋
vt. 拨开,刺,戳
vi. 戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢
44
offhand
adj.临时,无准备的;随便,马虎的
45
frankly
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
46
curiously
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
47
heartily
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
48
contentedly
adv.心满意足地
49
beheld
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟
50
aspirations
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 ); 志向; 发送气音; 发 h 音
51
shears
n.大剪刀
52
durable
adj.持久的,耐久的
53
touching
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
54
pious
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的
55
peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
56
industriously
57
tiresome
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的
58
afterward
adv.后来;以后
59
repent
v.悔悟,悔改,忏悔,后悔
60
miserable
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
61
delightful
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
62
frivolous
adj.轻薄的;轻率的
63
liking
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢
64
odds
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别
65
prettily
adv.优美地;可爱地
66
meek
adj.温顺的,逆来顺受的
67
sedate
adj.沉着的,镇静的,安静的
68
nun
n.修女,尼姑
69
bonnet
n.无边女帽;童帽
70
strings
n.弦
71
affected
adj.不自然的,假装的
72
artistic
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
73
sketches
n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概
74
fascination
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋
75
choir
n.唱诗班,唱诗班的席位,合唱团,舞蹈团;v.合唱
76
resolute
adj.坚决的,果敢的