She took her letters up to her room with her, having persuaded her mother to go to bed directly Mr. Hilbery left them, for so long as she sat in the same room as her mother, Mrs. Hilbery might, at any moment, ask for a sight of the post. A very hasty glance through many sheets had shown Katharine that, by some coincidence, her attention had to be directed to many different anxieties simultaneously¹. In the first place, Rodney had written a very full account of his state of mind, which was illustrated² by a sonnet³, and he demanded a reconsideration of their position, which agitated⁴ Katharine more than she liked. Then there were two letters which had to be laid side by side and compared before she could make out the truth of their story, and even when she knew the facts she could not decide what to make of them; and finally she had to reflect upon a great many pages from a cousin who found himself in financial difficulties, which forced him to the uncongenial occupation of teaching the young ladies of Bungay to play upon the violin.

But the two letters which each told the same story differently were the chief source of her perplexity. She was really rather shocked to find it definitely established that her own second cousin, Cyril Alardyce, had lived for the last four years with a woman who was not his wife, who had borne him two children, and was now about to bear him another. This state of things had been discovered by Mrs. Milvain, her aunt Celia, a zealous⁵ inquirer into such matters, whose letter was also under consideration. Cyril, she said, must be made to marry the woman at once; and Cyril, rightly or wrongly, was indignant with such interference with his affairs, and would not own that he had any cause to be ashamed of himself. Had he any cause to be ashamed of himself, Katharine wondered; and she turned to her aunt again.

"Remember," she wrote, in her profuse⁶, emphatic⁷ statement, "that he bears your grandfather's name, and so will the child that is to be born. The poor boy is not so much to blame as the woman who

点击收听单词发音  

1 simultaneously
adv.同时发生地，同时进行地
参考例句：
The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。 The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

2 illustrated
adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。 The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

3 sonnet
n.十四行诗
参考例句：
The composer set a sonnet to music.作曲家为一首十四行诗谱了曲。 He wrote a sonnet to his beloved.他写了一首十四行诗，献给他心爱的人。

4 agitated
adj.被鼓动的，不安的
参考例句：
His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。 She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

5 zealous
adj.狂热的，热心的
参考例句：
She made zealous efforts to clean up the classroom.她非常热心地努力清扫教室。 She is a zealous supporter of our cause.她是我们事业的热心支持者。

6 profuse
adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的
参考例句：
The hostess is profuse in her hospitality.女主人招待得十分周到。 There was a profuse crop of hair impending over the top of his face.一大绺头发垂在他额头上。

7 emphatic
adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的
参考例句：
Their reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.他们的回答很坚决，不容有任何人怀疑。 He was emphatic about the importance of being punctual.他强调严守时间的重要性。

8 deluded
v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Don't be deluded into thinking that we are out of danger yet. 不要误以为我们已脱离危险。 She deluded everyone into following her. 她骗得每个人都听信她的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 twitched
vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。 The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着，像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 incessant
adj.不停的，连续的
参考例句：
We have had incessant snowfall since yesterday afternoon.从昨天下午开始就持续不断地下雪。 She is tired of his incessant demands for affection.她厌倦了他对感情的不断索取。

11 texture
n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理
参考例句：
We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。 Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

12 hemmed
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围
参考例句：
He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的，就是不说句痛快话。 The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。

13 intercourse
n.性交；交流，交往，交际
参考例句：
The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。 There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。

14 dense
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

15 entanglements
n.瓜葛( entanglement的名词复数 )；牵连；纠缠；缠住
参考例句：
Mr. White threaded his way through the legal entanglements. 怀特先生成功地解决了这些法律纠纷。 来自《简明英汉词典》 At dawn we broke through the barbed wire entanglements under the city wall. 拂晓我们突破了城墙的铁丝网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 speck
n.微粒，小污点，小斑点
参考例句：
I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。 The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

17 accomplishment
n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能
参考例句：
The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。 Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

18 pageant
n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧
参考例句：
Our pageant represented scenes from history.我们的露天历史剧上演一幕幕的历史事件。 The inauguration ceremony of the new President was a splendid pageant.新主席的就职典礼的开始是极其壮观的。

19 dressing
n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料
参考例句：
Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。 The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

20 dwarfed
vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
The old houses were dwarfed by the huge new tower blocks. 这些旧房子在新建的高楼大厦的映衬下显得十分矮小。 The elephant dwarfed the tortoise. 那只乌龟跟那头象相比就显得很小。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 phantom
n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的
参考例句：
I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。 He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

22 resounding
adj. 响亮的
参考例句：
The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。 He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

23 ledges
n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台
参考例句：
seabirds nesting on rocky ledges 海鸟在岩架上筑巢 A rusty ironrod projected mournfully from one of the window ledges. 一个窗架上突出一根生锈的铁棒，真是满目凄凉。 来自辞典例句

24 plunge
v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲
参考例句：
Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。 That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

25 downwards
adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）
参考例句：
He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。 As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

26 asunder
adj.分离的，化为碎片
参考例句：
The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。 Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。

27 catastrophe
n.大灾难，大祸
参考例句：
I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。 This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

28 reclaimed
adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救
参考例句：
Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

29 galloped
（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事
参考例句：
Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。 The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。

30 rim
n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界
参考例句：
The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。 She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

31 contemplate
vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视
参考例句：
The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。 The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

32 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

33 prosaic
adj.单调的，无趣的
参考例句：
The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。 It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

34 fabric
n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织
参考例句：
The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。 I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

35 futility
n.无用
参考例句：
She could see the utter futility of trying to protest. 她明白抗议是完全无用的。 The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

36 reign
n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势
参考例句：
The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。 The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

37 subterranean
adj.地下的，地表下的
参考例句：
London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。 We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

38 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。

39 Christian
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。 His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

40 scrupulously
adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地
参考例句：
She toed scrupulously into the room. 她小心翼翼地踮着脚走进房间。 来自辞典例句 To others he would be scrupulously fair. 对待别人，他力求公正。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

41 punctuation
n.标点符号，标点法
参考例句：
My son's punctuation is terrible.我儿子的标点符号很糟糕。 A piece of writing without any punctuation is difficult to understand.一篇没有任何标点符号的文章是很难懂的。

42 scrupulosity
n.顾虑
参考例句：

43 ruminating
v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼
参考例句：
He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth. 他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He is ruminating on what had happened the day before. 他在沉思前一天发生的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

44 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
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

45 judiciously
adv.明断地，明智而审慎地
参考例句：
Let's use these intelligence tests judiciously. 让我们好好利用这些智力测试题吧。 来自《简明英汉词典》 His ideas were quaint and fantastic. She brought him judiciously to earth. 他的看法荒廖古怪，她颇有见识地劝他面对现实。 来自辞典例句

46 irritation
n.激怒，恼怒，生气
参考例句：
He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。 Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

47 confided
v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）
参考例句：
She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。 He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露，他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

48 semblance
n.外貌，外表
参考例句：
Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。 Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。

49 decency
n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重
参考例句：
His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。 Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

50 tempt
vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣
参考例句：
Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。 The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

51 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。

52 malice
n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋
参考例句：
I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。 There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

53 adroit
adj.熟练的，灵巧的
参考例句：
Jamie was adroit at flattering others.杰米很会拍马屁。 His adroit replies to hecklers won him many followers.他对质问者的机敏应答使他赢得了很多追随者。