"It gave her quite a turn," said Mr. Wilcox, when retailing¹ the incident to Dolly at tea-time. "None of you girls have any nerves, really. Of course, a word from me put it all right, but silly old Miss Avery--she frightened you, didn't she, Margaret? There you stood clutching a bunch of weeds. She might have said something, instead of coming down the stairs with that alarming bonnet² on. I passed her as I came in. Enough to make the car shy. I believe Miss Avery goes in for being a character; some old maids do." He lit a cigarette. "It is their last resource. Heaven knows what she was doing in the place; but that's Bryce's business, not mine."

"I wasn't as foolish as you suggest," said Margaret. "She only startled me, for the house had been silent so long."

"Did you take her for a spook?" asked Dolly, for whom "spooks" and "going to church" summarized the unseen.

"Not exactly."

"She really did frighten you," said Henry, who was far from discouraging timidity in females. "Poor Margaret! And very naturally. Uneducated classes are so stupid."

"Is Miss Avery uneducated classes?" Margaret asked, and found herself looking at the decoration scheme of Dolly's drawing-room.

"She's just one of the crew at the farm. People like that always assume things. She assumed you'd know who she was. She left all the Howards End keys in the front lobby, and assumed that you'd seen them as you came in, that you'd lock up the house when you'd done, and would bring them on down to her. And there was her niece hunting for them down at the farm. Lack of education makes people very casual. Hilton was full of women like Miss Avery once."

"I shouldn't have disliked it, perhaps."

"Or Miss Avery giving me a wedding present," said Dolly.

Which was illogical but interesting. Through Dolly, Margaret was destined³ to learn a good deal.

"But Charles said I must try not to mind, because she had known his grandmother."

"As usual, you've got the story wrong, my good Dorothea."

"I mean great-grandmother--the one who left Mrs. Wilcox the house. Weren't both of them and Miss Avery friends when Howards End, too, was a farm?"

Her father-in-law blew out a shaft⁴ of smoke. His attitude to his dead wife was curious. He would

点击收听单词发音  

1 retailing
n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词)
参考例句：
career opportunities in retailing 零售业的职业机会 He is fond of retailing the news. 他喜欢传播消息。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bonnet
n.无边女帽；童帽
参考例句：
The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光，使之不刺眼。 She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽，帽上缀着褪了色的假花。

3 destined
adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句：
It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。 The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

4 shaft
n.(工具的)柄，杆状物
参考例句：
He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。 This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

5 allude
v.提及，暗指
参考例句：
Many passages in Scripture allude to this concept.圣经中有许多经文间接地提到这样的概念。 She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles.她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

6 bucolic
adj.乡村的；牧羊的
参考例句：
It is a bucolic refuge in the midst of a great bustling city.它是处在繁华的大城市之中的世外桃源。 She turns into a sweet country girl surrounded by family,chickens and a bucolic landscape.她变成了被家人、鸡与乡村景象所围绕的甜美乡村姑娘。

7 chaff
v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳
参考例句：
I didn't mind their chaff.我不在乎他们的玩笑。 Old birds are not caught with chaff.谷糠难诱老雀。

8 negligently
参考例句：
Losses caused intentionally or negligently by the lessee shall be borne by the lessee. 如因承租人的故意或过失造成损失的，由承租人负担。 来自经济法规部分 Did the other person act negligently? 他人的行为是否有过失？ 来自口语例句

9 trickling
n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动
参考例句：
Tears were trickling down her cheeks. 眼泪顺着她的面颊流了下来。 The engine was trickling oil. 发动机在滴油。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 penetrated
adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。 They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

11 merged
（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中
参考例句：
Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。 The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

12 flux
n.流动；不断的改变
参考例句：
The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。 In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。

13 veering
n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转
参考例句：
Anyone veering too close to the convoys risks being shot. 任何人改变方向，过于接近车队就有遭枪击的风险。 来自互联网 The little boat kept veering from its course in such a turbulent river. 小船在这湍急的河中总是改变方向。 来自互联网

14 tangible
adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的
参考例句：
The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。 There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

15 allaying
v.减轻，缓和( allay的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Most important, improving the government's reputation means allaying political and human-rights concerns. 最重要的在于提高政府的声誉，这意味着需要缓和政治策略和关注人权间的矛盾。 来自互联网 More reading may be allaying your doubt. 多读书或许可以减少你的疑惑。 来自互联网

16 agitation
n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动
参考例句：
Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。 These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

17 sketched
v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
The historical article sketched the major events of the decade. 这篇有关历史的文章概述了这十年中的重大事件。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He sketched the situation in a few vivid words. 他用几句生动的语言简述了局势。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 monologue
n.长篇大论，（戏剧等中的）独白
参考例句：
The comedian gave a long monologue of jokes.喜剧演员讲了一长段由笑话组成的独白。 He went into a long monologue.他一个人滔滔不绝地讲话。

19 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。

20 cultivation
n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成
参考例句：
The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。 The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

21 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

22 pony
adj.小型的；n.小马
参考例句：
His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。 They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

23 superannuated
adj.老朽的，退休的；v.因落后于时代而废除，勒令退学
参考例句：
Are you still riding that superannuated old bike?你还骑那辆老掉牙的自行车吗？ No one supports these superannuated policies.没人支持这些过时的政策。

24 artistic
adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的
参考例句：
The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。 These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

25 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

26 warrior
n.勇士，武士，斗士
参考例句：
The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。 A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

27 transcended
超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的过去式和过去分词 )； 优于或胜过…
参考例句：
He wanted assurance that he had transcended what was inherently ambiguous. 他要证明，他已经超越了本来就是混淆不清的事情。 It transcended site to speak to universal human concerns. 它超越了场所的局限，表达了人类共同的心声。

28 similes
（使用like或as等词语的）明喻( simile的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Similes usually start with "like" or "as". 明喻通常以like或as开头。 All similes and allegories concerning her began and ended with birds. 要比仿她，要模拟她，总得以鸟类始，还得以鸟类终。

29 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》

30 eternity
n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷
参考例句：
The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。 Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。