Langdon's eyes had not left the computer screen since the search began.

　　Five minutes. Only two hits. Both irrelevant¹.

　　He was starting to get worried.

　　Pamela Gettum was in the adjoining room, preparing hot drinks. Langdon and Sophie had inquiredunwisely if there might be some coffee brewing² alongside the tea Gettum had offered, and from thesound of the microwave beeps in the next room, Langdon suspected their request was about to berewarded with instant Nescafe.

　　Finally, the computer pinged happily.

　　"Sounds like you got another," Gettum called from the next room. "What's the title?"Langdon eyed the screen.

　　Grail Allegory in Medieval Literature: A Treatise³ on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight⁴.

　　"Allegory of the Green Knight," he called back.

　　"No good," Gettum said. "Not many mythological⁵ green giants buried in London."Langdon and Sophie sat patiently in front of the screen and waited through two more dubiousreturns. When the computer pinged again, though, the offering was unexpected.

　　DIE OPERN VON RICHARD WAGNER"The operas of Wagner?" Sophie asked.

　　Gettum peeked⁶ back in the doorway⁷, holding a packet of instant coffee. "That seems like a strangematch. Was Wagner a knight?""No," Langdon said, feeling a sudden intrigue⁸. "But he was a well-known Freemason." Along withMozart, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Gershwin, Houdini, and Disney. Volumes had been written aboutthe ties between the Masons and the Knights⁹ Templar, the Priory of Sion, and the Holy Grail. "Iwant to look at this one. How do I see the full text?""You don't want the full text," Gettum called. "Click on the hypertext title. The computer willdisplay your keyword hits along with mono prelogs and triple postlogs for context."Langdon had no idea what she had just said, but he clicked anyway.

点击收听单词发音  

1 irrelevant
adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的
参考例句：
That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。 A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

2 brewing
n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式
参考例句：
It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。 She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

3 treatise
n.专著；(专题)论文
参考例句：
The doctor wrote a treatise on alcoholism.那位医生写了一篇关于酗酒问题的论文。 This is not a treatise on statistical theory.这不是一篇有关统计理论的论文。

4 knight
n.骑士，武士；爵士
参考例句：
He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。 A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

5 mythological
adj.神话的
参考例句：
He is remembered for his historical and mythological works. 他以其带有历史感和神话色彩的作品而著称。 But even so, the cumulative process had for most Americans a deep, almost mythological significance. 不过即使如此，移民渐增的过程，对于大部分美国人，还是意味深长的，几乎有不可思议的影响。

6 peeked
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出
参考例句：
She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》 On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句

7 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

8 intrigue
vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋
参考例句：
Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。 The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。

9 knights
骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马
参考例句：
stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事 He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

10 metaphorical
a.隐喻的，比喻的
参考例句：
Here, then, we have a metaphorical substitution on a metonymic axis. 这样，我们在换喻（者翻译为转喻，一种以部分代替整体的修辞方法）上就有了一个隐喻的替代。 So, in a metaphorical sense, entropy is arrow of time. 所以说，我们可以这样作个比喻：熵像是时间之矢。

11 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 etymological
adj.语源的，根据语源学的
参考例句：
The etymological closeness of the Sanskrit and English words is striking. 梵语和英语的词源的连结性是如此地惊人。 来自互联网 But the Chinese have often ignored this etymological hint. 但中国人经常忽略这一词根上隐含的意义。 来自互联网

13 disseminate
v.散布；传播
参考例句：
We should disseminate science and promote the scientific spirit.普及科学知识，弘扬科学精神。 We sincerely welcome all countries to disseminate their languages in China.我们真诚地欢迎世界各国来华推广本国语言。

14 virtues
美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处
参考例句：
Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。 She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

15 knaves
n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克
参考例句：
Give knaves an inch and they will take a yard. 我一日三餐都吃得很丰盛。 来自互联网 Knaves and robbers can obtain only what was before possessed by others. 流氓、窃贼只能攫取原先由别人占有的财富。 来自互联网

16 hyperlink
n.超链接
参考例句：
The database is fully hyperlinked both within the database and to thousands of external links.该数据库在其内部以及和数千个外部链接之间充分实现了超链接。 When you click on a graphic and a video clip plays,you have clicked on a hyperlink.当您按下一个图形和视频剪辑的发挥，你点击了一个超链接。

17 subjugation
n.镇压，平息，征服
参考例句：
The Ultra-Leftist line was a line that would have wrecked a country, ruined the people, and led to the destruction of the Party and national subjugation. 极左路线是一条祸国殃民的路线，亡党亡国的路线。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 This afflicted German intelligence with two fatal flaws: inefficiency, and subjugation to a madman. 这给德国情报工作造成了两个致命的弱点，一个是缺乏效率，另一个是让一个疯子总管情报。 来自辞典例句

18 followers
追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件
参考例句：
the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者 The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

19 watchful
adj.注意的，警惕的
参考例句：
The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。 It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

20 chalice
n.圣餐杯；金杯毒酒
参考例句：
He inherited a poisoned chalice when he took over the job as union leader.他接手工会领导职务，看似风光，实则会给他带来很多麻烦。 She was essentially feminine,in other words,a parasite and a chalice.她在本质上是个女人，换句话说，是一个食客和一只酒杯。

21 qualms
n.不安；内疚
参考例句：
He felt no qualms about borrowing money from friends.他没有对于从朋友那里借钱感到不安。 He has no qualms about lying.他撒谎毫不内疚。

22 labors
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句：
He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句 Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句

23 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。

24 interred
v.埋，葬( inter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Marie Curie's remains were exhumed and interred in the Pantheon. 玛丽·居里的遗体被移出葬在先贤祠中。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The body was interred at the cemetery. 遗体埋葬在公墓里。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 stunned
adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。 The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。