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I cannot feel that I have done my duty as humble1 historian of the March family, without devoting at least one chapter to the two most precious and important members of it. Daisy and Demi had now arrived at years of discretion2, for in this fast age babies of three or four assert their rights, and get them, too, which is more than many of their elders do. If there ever were a pair of twins in danger of being utterly3 spoiled by adoration4, it was these prattling5 Brookes. Of course they were the most remarkable6 children ever born, as will be shown when I mention that they walked at eight months, talked fluently at twelve months, and at two years they took their places at table, and behaved with a propriety7 which charmed all beholders. At three, Daisy demanded a 'needler', and actually made a bag with four stitches in it. She likewise set up housekeeping in the sideboard, and managed a microscopic8 cooking stove with a skill that brought tears of pride to Hannah's eyes, while Demi learned his letters with his grandfather, who invented a new mode of teaching the alphabet by forming letters with his arms and legs, thus uniting gymnastics for head and heels. The boy early developed a mechanical genius which delighted his father and distracted his mother, for he tried to imitate every machine he saw, and kept the nursery in a chaotic9 condition, with his 'sewinsheen', a mysterious structure of string, chairs, clothespins, and spools10, for wheels to go 'wound and wound'. Also a basket hung over the back of a chair, in which he vainly tried to
1
humble
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
2
discretion
n.谨慎;随意处理
3
utterly
adv.完全地,绝对地
4
adoration
n.爱慕,崇拜
5
prattling
v.(小孩般)天真无邪地说话( prattle的现在分词 );发出连续而无意义的声音;闲扯;东拉西扯
6
remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
7
propriety
n.正当行为;正当;适当
8
microscopic
adj.微小的,细微的,极小的,显微的
9
chaotic
adj.混沌的,一片混乱的,一团糟的
10
spools
n.(绕线、铁线、照相软片等的)管( spool的名词复数 );络纱;纺纱机;绕圈轴工人v.把…绕到线轴上(或从线轴上绕下来)( spool的第三人称单数 );假脱机(输出或输入)
11
hoist
n.升高,起重机,推动;v.升起,升高,举起
12
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)
13
remarkably
ad.不同寻常地,相当地
14
gallantly
adv. 漂亮地,勇敢地,献殷勤地
15
galley
n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇;
16
rosy
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的
17
chubby
adj.丰满的,圆胖的
18
adorned
[计]被修饰的
19
festive
adj.欢宴的,节日的
20
virtues
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
21
delightfully
大喜,欣然
22
scrambled
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
23
confidingly
adv.信任地
24
inveterate
adj.积习已深的,根深蒂固的
25
inmate
n.被收容者;(房屋等的)居住人;住院人
26
serene
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的
27
atone
v.赎罪,补偿
28
possessed
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
29
philosophic
adj.哲学的,贤明的
30
bent
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
31
precocious
adj.早熟的;较早显出的
32
meditative
adj.沉思的,冥想的
33
sage
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的
34
attentively
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神
35
helping
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
36
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
37
stork
n.鹳
38
maternal
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的
39
prophesy
v.预言;预示
40
ominous
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的
41
pranks
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )
42
rascals
流氓( rascal的名词复数 ); 无赖; (开玩笑说法)淘气的人(尤指小孩); 恶作剧的人
43
wiles
n.(旨在欺骗或吸引人的)诡计,花招;欺骗,欺诈( wile的名词复数 )
44
evasions
逃避( evasion的名词复数 ); 回避; 遁辞; 借口
45
tranquil
adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的
46
audacity
n.大胆,卤莽,无礼
47
accomplished
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
48
dodgers
n.躲闪者,欺瞒者( dodger的名词复数 )
49
raisins
n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )
50
regularity
n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐
51
redress
n.赔偿,救济,矫正;v.纠正,匡正,革除
52
peddling
忙于琐事的,无关紧要的
53
penetration
n.穿透,穿人,渗透
54
concealed
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
55
anguish
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼
56
ardent
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的
57
bribes
n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂
58
pensive
a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的
59
bestowed
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
60
admiration
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
61
counterfeit
vt.伪造,仿造;adj.伪造的,假冒的
62
manly
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地
63
labored
adj.吃力的,谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转
64
delusion
n.谬见,欺骗,幻觉,迷惑
65
prone
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的
66
sonorous
adj.响亮的,回响的;adv.圆润低沉地;感人地;n.感人,堂皇
67
triumphantly
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地
68
bland
adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的
69
alluded
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )
70
afterward
adv.后来;以后