As the Hawker leveled off, with its nose aimed for England, Langdon carefully lifted the rosewoodbox from his lap, where he had been protecting it during takeoff. Now, as he set the box on thetable, he could sense Sophie and Teabing leaning forward with anticipation¹.

　　Unlatching the lid and opening the box, Langdon turned his attention not to the lettered dials of thecryptex, but rather to the tiny hole on the underside of the box lid. Using the tip of a pen, hecarefully removed the inlaid Rose on top and revealed the text beneath it. Sub Rosa, he mused,hoping a fresh look at the text would bring clarity. Focusing all his energies, Langdon studied thestrange text.

　　strange textAfter several seconds, he began to feel the initial frustration² resurfacing. "Leigh, I just can't seem toplace it."From where Sophie was seated across the table, she could not yet see the text, but Langdon'sinability to immediately identify the language surprised her. My grandfather spoke³ a language soobscure that even a symbologist can't identify it? She quickly realized she should not find thissurprising. This would not be the first secret Jacques Saunière had kept from his granddaughter.

　　Opposite Sophie, Leigh Teabing felt ready to burst. Eager for his chance to see the text, hequivered with excitement, leaning in, trying to see around Langdon, who was still hunched⁴ over thebox.

　　"I don't know," Langdon whispered intently. "My first guess is a Semitic, but now I'm not so sure.

　　Most primary Semitics include nekkudot. This has none.""Probably ancient," Teabing offered.

　　"Nekkudot?" Sophie inquired.

　　Teabing never took his eyes from the box. "Most modern Semitic alphabets have no vowels⁵ anduse nekkudot—tiny dots and dashes written either below or within the consonants—to indicatewhat vowel⁶ sound accompanies them. Historically speaking, nekkudot are a relatively

点击收听单词发音  

1 anticipation
n.预期，预料，期望
参考例句：
We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。 The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

2 frustration
n.挫折，失败，失效，落空
参考例句：
He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。 He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

3 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。

4 hunched
（常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的
参考例句：
He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。 Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。

5 vowels
n.元音，元音字母( vowel的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Note the various sounds of vowels followed by r. 注意r跟随的各种元音的发音。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

6 vowel
n.元音；元音字母
参考例句：
A long vowel is a long sound as in the word"shoe ".长元音即如“shoe” 一词中的长音。 The vowel in words like 'my' and 'thigh' is not very difficult.单词my和thigh中的元音并不难发。

7 relatively
adv.比较...地，相对地
参考例句：
The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。 The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 hovering
鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。 I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

9 fleeting
adj.短暂的，飞逝的
参考例句：
The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。 Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

10 specialized
adj.专门的，专业化的
参考例句：
There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。 These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

11 engraving
n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）
参考例句：
He collected an old engraving of London Bridge. 他收藏了一张古老的伦敦桥版画。 来自辞典例句 Some writing has the precision of a steel engraving. 有的字体严谨如同钢刻。 来自辞典例句

12 slumped
大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]
参考例句：
Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。 The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上，疲惫得睡着了。

13 vexed
adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。 He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 belittling
使显得微小，轻视，贬低( belittle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
We must be realistic in our self-estimation, neither being conceited nor belittling ourselves. 我们对自己的估计应该实事求是， 不要自高自大，也不要妄自菲薄。 I find it belittling to be criticized by someone so much younger than me. 有个比我年轻许多的人批评了我，我觉得是小看了我。

15 unison
n.步调一致，行动一致
参考例句：
The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。 My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。

16 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

18 admonishing
v.劝告( admonish的现在分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责
参考例句：
It is waste of time, admonishing you. 劝告你简直是浪费工夫。 来自辞典例句 To date, the Doctrine of Cheng Fu still exerts its admonishing effect. 时至今日，承负说仍具有警示作用。 来自互联网

19 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

20 auction
n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖
参考例句：
They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。 They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

21 archaeology
n.考古学
参考例句：
She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。 He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

22 unintelligible
adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的
参考例句：
If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。 The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。

23 archaic
adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的
参考例句：
The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧，如记账不使用电脑。 Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一，有悠久的历史。

24 peruse
v.细读，精读
参考例句：
We perused the company's financial statements for the past five years.我们翻阅了公司过去5年来的财务报表。 Please peruse this report at your leisure.请在空暇时细读这篇报道。

25 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。

26 moot
v.提出；adj.未决议的；n.大会；辩论会
参考例句：
The question mooted in the board meeting is still a moot point.那个在董事会上提出讨论的问题仍未决的。 The oil versus nuclear equation is largely moot.石油和核能之间的关系还很有争议。

27 sputtering
n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出
参考例句：
A wick was sputtering feebly in a dish of oil. 瓦油灯上结了一个大灯花，使微弱的灯光变得更加阴暗。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26） Jack ran up to the referee, sputtering protest. 贾克跑到裁判跟前，唾沫飞溅地提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

28 veneer
n.(墙上的)饰面，虚饰
参考例句：
For the first time her veneer of politeness began to crack.她温文尔雅的外表第一次露出破绽。 The panel had a veneer of gold and ivory.这木板上面镶饰了一层金和象牙。

29 flipping
讨厌之极的
参考例句：
I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆！ Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。

30 flipped
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥
参考例句：
The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。 The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

31 sifted
v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审
参考例句：
She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 croaked
v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说
参考例句：
The crow croaked disaster. 乌鸦呱呱叫预报灾难。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 'she has a fine head for it," croaked Jacques Three. “她有一个漂亮的脑袋跟着去呢，”雅克三号低沉地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

33 rumbling
n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词
参考例句：
The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。 The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

34 monk
n.和尚，僧侣，修道士
参考例句：
The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。 Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

35 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。