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When Jo came home that spring, she had been struck with the change in Beth. No one spoke1 of it or seemed aware of it, for it had come too gradually to startle those who saw her daily, but to eyes sharpened by absence, it was very plain and a heavy weight fell on Jo's heart as she saw her sister's face. It was no paler and but littler thinner than in the autumn, yet there was a strange, transparent2 look about it, as if the mortal was being slowly refined away, and the immortal3 shining through the frail4 flesh with an indescribably pathetic beauty. Jo saw and felt it, but said nothing at the time, and soon the first impression lost much of its power, for Beth seemed happy, no one appeared to doubt that she was better, and presently in other cares Jo for a time forgot her fear.
But when Laurie was gone, and peace prevailed again, the vague anxiety returned and haunted her. She had confessed her sins and been forgiven, but when she showed her savings5 and proposed a mountain trip, Beth had thanked her heartily6, but begged not to go so far away from home. Another little visit to the seashore would suit her better, and as Grandma could not be prevailed upon to leave the babies, Jo took Beth down to the quiet place, where she could live much in the open air, and let the fresh sea breezes blow a little color into her pale cheeks.
It was not a fashionable place, but even among the pleasant people there, the girls made few friends, preferring to live for one another. Beth was too shy to enjoy society, and Jo too wrapped up in her to care for anyone else. So they were all in all to each other, and came and went, quite unconscious of the interest they exited in those about them, who watched with sympathetic eyes the strong sister and the feeble one, always together, as if they felt instinctively7 that a long separation was not far away.
They did feel it, yet neither spoke of it, for often between ourselves and those nearest and dearest to us there exists a reserve which it is very hard to overcome. Jo felt as if a veil had fallen between her heart and Beth's, but when she put out her hand to lift it up, there seemed something sacred in the silence, and she waited for Beth to speak. She wondered, and was thankful also, that her parents did not seem to see what she saw, and during the quiet weeks when the shadows grew so plain to her, she said nothing of it to those at home, believing that it would tell itself when Beth came back no better. She wondered still more if her sister really guessed the hard truth, and what thoughts were passing through her mind during the long hours when she lay on the warm rocks with her head in Jo's lap, while the winds blew healthfully over her and the sea made music at her feet.
1 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 | |
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2 transparent | |
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的 | |
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3 immortal | |
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的 | |
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4 frail | |
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
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5 savings | |
n.存款,储蓄 | |
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6 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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7 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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8 rosy | |
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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9 tightened | |
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧 | |
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10 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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11 soothing | |
adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 | |
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12 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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13 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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14 rebelliously | |
adv.造反地,难以控制地 | |
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15 piously | |
adv.虔诚地 | |
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16 piety | |
n.虔诚,虔敬 | |
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17 confiding | |
adj.相信人的,易于相信的v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的现在分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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18 rebuke | |
v.指责,非难,斥责 [反]praise | |
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19 passionate | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
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20 sob | |
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣 | |
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21 serenity | |
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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22 trotting | |
小跑,急走( trot的现在分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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23 gull | |
n.鸥;受骗的人;v.欺诈 | |
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24 dressing | |
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料 | |
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25 gulls | |
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
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26 chirping | |
鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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27 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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28 lark | |
n.云雀,百灵鸟;n.嬉戏,玩笑;vi.嬉戏 | |
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29 tranquil | |
adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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30 dedicated | |
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的 | |
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