AFTER COMPLINE
In which, almost by chance, William discovers the secret of entering the finis Africae.

Like a pair of assassins, we lurked¹ near the entrance, behind a column, whence we could observe the chapel² with the skulls³.
“Abo has gone to close the Aedificium,” William said. “When he has barred the doors from the inside, he can only come out through the ossarium.”
“And then?”
“And then we will see what he does.”
We did not discover what he did. An hour went by and he still had not reappeared. He’s gone into the finis Africae, I said. Perhaps, William answered. Eager to formulate⁴ more hypotheses, I added: Perhaps he came out again through the refectory and has gone to look for Jorge. And William answered: That is also possible. Perhaps Jorge is already dead, I imagined further. Perhaps he is to the Aedificium and is killing⁵ the abbot. Perhaps they are both in some other place and some other person is lying in wait for them. What did “the Italians” want? And why was Benno so frightened? Was it perhaps only a mask he had assumed, to mislead us? Why had he lingered in the scriptorium during vespers, if he didn’t know how to close the scriptorium or how to get out? Did he want to essay the passages of the labyrinth⁶?
“All is possible,” William said. “But only one thing is happening, or has happened, or is about to happen. And at last divine Providence⁷ is endowing us with a radiant certitude.”
“What is that?” I asked, full of hope.
“That Brother William of Baskerville, who now has the impression of having understood everything, does not know how to enter the finis Africae. To the stables, Adso, to the stables.”
“And what if the abbot finds us?”
“We will pretend to be a pair of ghosts.”
To me this did not seem a practical solution, but I kept silent. William was growing uneasy. We came out of the north door and crossed the

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1 lurked
vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
The murderers lurked behind the trees. 谋杀者埋伏在树后。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Treachery lurked behind his smooth manners. 他圆滑姿态的后面潜伏着奸计。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 chapel
n.小教堂，殡仪馆
参考例句：
The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。 She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

3 skulls
颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜
参考例句：
One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。 We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

4 formulate
v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述
参考例句：
He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。 I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

5 killing
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。 Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 labyrinth
n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路
参考例句：
He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。 The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

7 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

8 cemetery
n.坟墓，墓地，坟场
参考例句：
He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。 His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

9 torment
n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠
参考例句：
He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。 Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

10 prattle
n.闲谈；v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话；发出连续而无意义的声音
参考例句：
Amy's happy prattle became intolerable.艾美兴高采烈地叽叽喳喳说个不停，汤姆感到无法忍受。 Flowing water and green grass witness your lover's endless prattle.流水缠绕，小草依依，都是你诉不尽的情话。

11 discourse
n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述
参考例句：
We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。 He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

12 muffled
adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）
参考例句：
muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音 There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 niche
n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)
参考例句：
Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。 The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

14 niches
壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位）
参考例句：
Some larvae extend the galleries to form niches. 许多幼虫将坑道延伸扩大成壁龛。 In his view differences in adaptation are insufficient to create niches commensurate in number and kind. 按照他的观点，适应的差异不足以在数量上和种类上形成同量的小生境。

15 plaque
n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板
参考例句：
There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。 Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

16 monograms
n.字母组合( monogram的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The box was inlaid with gold monograms. 这箱子镶嵌着金质字母。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Origami-based logos are a good choice for corporate monograms. 折纸形式对于字母组合型的企业标志是一个不错的选择。 来自互联网

17 monks
n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。 He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 concealed
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。 I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

19 mechanism
n.机械装置；机构，结构
参考例句：
The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。 The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

20 curb
n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制
参考例句：
I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。 You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

21 slits
n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子
参考例句：
He appears to have two slits for eyes. 他眯着两眼。 "You go to--Halifax,'she said tensely, her green eyes slits of rage. "你给我滚----滚到远远的地方去！" 她恶狠狠地说，那双绿眼睛冒出了怒火。

22 penetrating
adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的
参考例句：
He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。 He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

23 rustling
n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的
参考例句：
the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声 the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

24 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

25 illuminate
vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释
参考例句：
Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。 They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

26 surmounted
战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上
参考例句：
She was well aware of the difficulties that had to be surmounted. 她很清楚必须克服哪些困难。 I think most of these obstacles can be surmounted. 我认为这些障碍大多数都是可以克服的。

27 nervously
adv.神情激动地，不安地
参考例句：
He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。 He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

28 binding
有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的
参考例句：
The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。 Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

29 puff
n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气
参考例句：
He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。 They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

30 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。

31 apocalyptic
adj.预示灾祸的，启示的
参考例句：
The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。 Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。

32 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

33 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

34 wondrous
adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地
参考例句：
The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。 We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

35 shudder
v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动
参考例句：
The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。 We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

36 scuttled
v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走
参考例句：
She scuttled off when she heard the sound of his voice. 听到他的说话声，她赶紧跑开了。 The thief scuttled off when he saw the policeman. 小偷看见警察来了便急忙跑掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》