AS IN EVERY REAL FAMILY, there were several quite separate worlds living together in the Bleak¹ Hills house, and while each of these preserved its own individuality, they made concessions² to one another, and mixed into one harmonious³ whole. Every event that occurred in the house was alike important and joyful⁴ or distressing⁵ to all those circles. But each circle had its own private grounds for rejoicing or mourning at every event quite apart from the rest.

So Pierre's arrival was a joyful and important event, reflected as such in all the circles of the household.

The servants, the most infallible judges of their masters, because they judge them, not from their conversation and expression of their feelings, but from their actions and their manner of living, were delighted at Pierre's return, because they knew that when he was there, the count, their master, would not go out every day to superintend the peasants on the estate, and would be in better temper and spirits, and also because they knew there would be valuable presents for all of them for the fête day.

The children and their governesses were delighted at Bezuhov's return, because no one drew them into the general social life of the house as Pierre did. He it was who could play on the clavichord⁶ that écossaise (his one piece), to which, as he said, one could dance all possible dances; and he was quite sure, too, to have brought all of them presents.

Nikolinka Bolkonsky, who was now a thin, delicate, intelligent boy of fifteen, with curly light hair and beautiful eyes, was delighted because Uncle Pierre, as he called him, was the object of his passionate⁷ love and adoration⁸. No one had instilled⁹

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1 bleak
adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的
参考例句：
They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。 The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

2 concessions
n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权
参考例句：
The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。 The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

3 harmonious
adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的
参考例句：
Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。 The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

4 joyful
adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的
参考例句：
She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。 They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

5 distressing
a.使人痛苦的
参考例句：
All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。 It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。

6 clavichord
n.（敲弦）古钢琴
参考例句：
Our clavichord is kept in the living room.我们的击弦古钢琴是放在起居室里的。 The clavichord which my grandfather bought years ago was damaged.我祖父多年前买的古钢琴被损坏了。

7 passionate
adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的
参考例句：
He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。 He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

8 adoration
n.爱慕，崇拜
参考例句：
He gazed at her with pure adoration.他一往情深地注视着她。 The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。

9 instilled
v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Nature has instilled in our minds an insatiable desire to see truth. 自然给我们心灵注入了永无休止的发现真理的欲望。 来自辞典例句 I instilled the need for kindness into my children. 我不断向孩子们灌输仁慈的必要。 来自辞典例句

10 liking
n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢
参考例句：
The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。 I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

11 captivity
n.囚禁；被俘；束缚
参考例句：
A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。 He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

12 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。

13 circumspect
adj.慎重的，谨慎的
参考例句：
She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。 He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。

14 reverent
adj.恭敬的，虔诚的
参考例句：
He gave reverent attention to the teacher.他恭敬地听老师讲课。 She said the word artist with a gentle,understanding,reverent smile.她说作家一词时面带高雅，理解和虔诚的微笑。

15 throbbing
a. 跳动的,悸动的
参考例句：
My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动，身子在不住颤抖。 There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。

16 rapture
n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜
参考例句：
His speech was received with rapture by his supporters.他的演说受到支持者们的热烈欢迎。 In the midst of his rapture,he was interrupted by his father.他正欢天喜地，被他父亲打断了。

17 smoothly
adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地
参考例句：
The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。 Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

18 chagrin
n.懊恼；气愤；委屈
参考例句：
His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。 Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

19 incurred
[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式
参考例句：
She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。 We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

20 censure
v./n.责备；非难；责难
参考例句：
You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。 His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

21 negligence
n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意
参考例句：
They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。 The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

22 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

23 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

24 unpacking
n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）
参考例句：
Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候，乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 eldest
adj.最年长的，最年老的
参考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

26 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

27 propensities
n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 )
参考例句：
This paper regarded AFT as a criterion to estimate slagging propensities. 文中以灰熔点作为判断煤灰结渣倾向的标准。 来自互联网 Our results demonstrate that different types of authoritarian regime face different propensities to develop toward democracy. 本文研究结果显示，不同的威权主义政体所面对的民主发展倾向是不同的。 来自互联网

28 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

29 vigour
（=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力
参考例句：
She is full of vigour and enthusiasm.她有热情，有朝气。 At 40,he was in his prime and full of vigour.他40岁时正年富力强。

30 pretext
n.借口，托词
参考例句：
He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。 He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

31 irritability
n.易怒
参考例句：
It was the almost furtive restlessness and irritability that had possessed him. 那是一种一直纠缠着他的隐秘的不安和烦恼。 All organisms have irritability while alive. 所有生物体活着时都有应激性。

32 bilious
adj.胆汁过多的；易怒的
参考例句：
The quality or condition of being bilious.多脂肪食物使有些人患胆汁病。 He was a bilious old gentleman.他是一位脾气乖戾的老先生。

33 hue
n.色度；色调；样子
参考例句：
The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。 The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

34 faculties
n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院
参考例句：
Although he's ninety, his mental faculties remain unimpaired. 他虽年届九旬，但头脑仍然清晰。 All your faculties have come into play in your work. 在你的工作中，你的全部才能已起到了作用。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 anecdotes
n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )
参考例句：
amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事 He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 memento
n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西
参考例句：
The photos will be a permanent memento of your wedding.这些照片会成为你婚礼的永久纪念。 My friend gave me his picture as a memento before going away.我的朋友在离别前给我一张照片留作纪念品。

37 aloof
adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的
参考例句：
Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。 On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。