Connie always had a foreboding of the hopelessness of her affair with Mick, as people called him. Yet other men seemed to mean nothing to her. She was attached to Clifford. He wanted a good deal of her life and she gave it to him. But she wanted a good deal from the life of a man, and this Clifford did not give her; could not. There were occasional spasms¹ of Michaelis. But, as she knew by foreboding, that would come to an end. Mick couldn't keep anything up. It was part of his very being that he must break off any connexion, and be loose, isolated², absolutely lone³ dog again. It was his major necessity, even though he always said: She turned me down!
The world is supposed to be full of possibilities, but they narrow down to pretty few in most personal experience. There's lots of good fish in the sea...maybe...but the vast masses seem to be mackerel or herring, and if you're not mackerel or herring yourself you are likely to find very few good fish in the sea.

Clifford was making strides into fame, and even money. People came to see him. Connie nearly always had somebody at Wragby. But if they weren't mackerel they were herring, with an occasional cat-fish, or conger-eel.

There were a few regular men, constants; men who had been at Cambridge with Clifford. There was Tommy Dukes, who had remained in the army, and was a Brigadier-General. `The army leaves me time to think, and saves me from having to face the battle of life,' he said.

There was Charles May, an Irishman, who wrote scientifically about stars. There was Hammond, another writer. All were about the same age as Clifford; the young intellectuals of the day. They all believed in the life of the mind. What you did apart from that was your private affair, and didn't much matter. No one thinks of inquiring of another person at what hour he retires to the privy⁵. It isn't interesting to anyone but the person concerned.

And so with most of the matters of ordinary life...how you make your money, or whether you love your wife, or if you have `affairs'. All these matters concern only the person concerned, and, like going to the privy, have no interest for anyone else.

`The whole point about the sexual problem,' said Hammond, who was a tall thin fellow with a wife and two children, but much more closely connected with a typewriter, `is that there is no point to it.

点击收听单词发音  

1 spasms
n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作
参考例句：
After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The smile died, squeezed out by spasms of anticipation and anxiety. 一阵阵预测和焦虑把她脸上的微笑挤掉了。 来自辞典例句

2 isolated
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句：
His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。 Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 lone
adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的
参考例句：
A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。 She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

4 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

5 privy
adj.私用的；隐密的
参考例句：
Only three people,including a policeman,will be privy to the facts.只会允许3个人，其中包括一名警察，了解这些内情。 Very few of them were privy to the details of the conspiracy.他们中很少有人知道这一阴谋的详情。

6 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。 The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

7 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

8 discreet
adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的
参考例句：
He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。 It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

9 alcove
n.凹室
参考例句：
The bookcase fits neatly into the alcove.书架正好放得进壁凹。 In the alcoves on either side of the fire were bookshelves.火炉两边的凹室里是书架。

10 flirt
v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者
参考例句：
He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。 He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情，他都要抓狂了。

11 flirted
v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She flirted her fan. 她急速挥动着扇子。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 During his four months in Egypt he flirted with religious emotions. 在埃及逗留的这四个月期间，他又玩弄起宗教情绪来了。 来自辞典例句

12 freckled
adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Her face was freckled all over. 她的脸长满雀斑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Her freckled skin glowed with health again. 她长有雀斑的皮肤又泛出了健康的红光。 来自辞典例句

13 inordinately
adv.无度地，非常地
参考例句：
But if you are determined to accumulate wealth, it isn't inordinately difficult. 不过，如果你下决心要积累财富，事情也不是太难。 来自互联网 She was inordinately smart. 她非常聪明。 来自互联网

14 craving
n.渴望,热望
参考例句：
a craving for chocolate 非常想吃巧克力 She skipped normal meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate and crisps. 她不吃正餐，以便满足自己吃巧克力和炸薯片的渴望。

15 posterity
n.后裔，子孙，后代
参考例句：
Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。 The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

16 pivot
v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的
参考例句：
She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。 If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

17 piqued
v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心）
参考例句：
Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起，停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句 This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句

18 lascivious
adj.淫荡的，好色的
参考例句：
I was there to protect her from the importunities of lascivious men.我在那里保护她,不受那些好色男子的纠缠不休。 In his old age Cato became lascivious and misconducted himself with a woman slave.到了晚年,卡托沉溺于女色,跟一个女奴私通。

19 promiscuous
adj.杂乱的，随便的
参考例句：
They were taking a promiscuous stroll when it began to rain.他们正在那漫无目的地散步，突然下起雨来。 Alec know that she was promiscuous and superficial.亚历克知道她是乱七八糟和浅薄的。

20 neurotic
adj.神经病的，神经过敏的；n.神经过敏者，神经病患者
参考例句：
Nothing is more distracting than a neurotic boss. 没有什么比神经过敏的老板更恼人的了。 There are also unpleasant brain effects such as anxiety and neurotic behaviour.也会对大脑产生不良影响，如焦虑和神经质的行为。

21 astronomical
adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的
参考例句：
He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。 Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

22 interferes
vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉
参考例句：
The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。 That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

23 interfere
v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰
参考例句：
If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。 When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

24 disastrously
ad.灾难性地
参考例句：
Their profits began to spiral down disastrously. 他们的利润开始螺旋形地急剧下降。 The fit between the country's information needs and its information media has become disastrously disjointed. 全国的信息需求与信息传播媒介之间的配置，出现了严重的不协调。

25 surfeit
v.使饮食过度；n.(食物)过量，过度
参考例句：
The voters are pretty sick of such a surfeit of primary sloganeering.选民们对于初选时没完没了地空喊口号的现象感到发腻了。 A surfeit of food makes one sick.饮食过量使人生病。

26 interfered
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉
参考例句：
Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 stultify
v.愚弄；使呆滞
参考例句：
This attitude stultifies scientific progress.这种态度会扼杀科学的进步。 Only a uniformed guard stultified with boredom might have overheard them.只有一名穿制服的无聊警卫可能偷听到了他们的谈话。

28 pivoted
adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开
参考例句：
His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling. 他一把把地拉着，两条老迈的腿儿和肩膀跟着转动。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海 When air is moving, the metal is pivoted on the hinge. 当空气流动时，金属板在铰链上转动。 来自辞典例句

29 kennel
n.狗舍，狗窝
参考例句：
Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。 Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。

30 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。

31 condemnation
n.谴责; 定罪
参考例句：
There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。 The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

32 prohibition
n.禁止；禁令，禁律
参考例句：
The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。 They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

33 flirtation
n.调情，调戏，挑逗
参考例句：
a brief and unsuccessful flirtation with the property market 对房地产市场一时兴起、并不成功的介入 At recess Tom continued his flirtation with Amy with jubilant self-satisfaction. 课间休息的时候，汤姆继续和艾美逗乐，一副得意洋洋、心满意足的样子。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

34 squander
v.浪费，挥霍
参考例句：
Don't squander your time in reading those dime novels.不要把你的时间浪费在读那些胡编乱造的廉价小说上。 Every chance is precious，so don't squander any chance away!每次机会都很宝贵，所以不要将任何一个白白放走。

35 jot
n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下
参考例句：
I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。 There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。

36 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

37 stammered
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

38 starry
adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的
参考例句：
He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。 I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。

39 immortal
adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的
参考例句：
The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。 The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

40 skulking
v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 )
参考例句：
There was someone skulking behind the bushes. 有人藏在灌木后面。 There were half a dozen foxes skulking in the undergrowth. 在林下灌丛中潜伏着五六只狐狸。 来自辞典例句

41 speculations
n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断
参考例句：
Your speculations were all quite close to the truth. 你的揣测都很接近于事实。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 This possibility gives rise to interesting speculations. 这种可能性引起了有趣的推测。 来自《用法词典》

42 manifestations
n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）
参考例句：
These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》 To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

43 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。

44 withering
使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的
参考例句：
She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。 The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。

45 overdid
v.做得过分( overdo的过去式 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度
参考例句：
We overdid the meat and it didn't taste good. 我们把肉煮得太久，结果味道不好了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He overdid and became extremely tired. 他用力过猛，感到筋疲力尽。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

46 privately
adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地
参考例句：
Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。 The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

47 infinitely
adv.无限地，无穷地
参考例句：
There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。 The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

48 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

49 binds
v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕
参考例句：
Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

50 friction
n.摩擦，摩擦力
参考例句：
When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。 Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

51 bust
vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部
参考例句：
I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。 She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

52 ineffable
adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的
参考例句：
The beauty of a sunset is ineffable.日落的美是难以形容的。 She sighed a sigh of ineffable satisfaction,as if her cup of happiness were now full.她发出了一声说不出多么满意的叹息，仿佛她的幸福之杯已经斟满了。

53 fathomless
a.深不可测的
参考例句：
"The sand-sea deepens with fathomless ice, And darkness masses its endless clouds;" 瀚海阑干百丈冰，愁云黪淡万里凝。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学 Day are coloured bubbles that float upon the surface of fathomless night. 日是五彩缤纷的气泡，漂浮在无尽的夜的表面。

54 disciple
n.信徒，门徒，追随者
参考例句：
Your disciple failed to welcome you.你的徒弟没能迎接你。 He was an ardent disciple of Gandhi.他是甘地的忠实信徒。

55 fray
v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗
参考例句：
Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？ Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

56 Buddha
n.佛；佛像；佛陀
参考例句：
Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。 He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

57 disciples
n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一
参考例句：
Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》 "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

58 radically
ad.根本地，本质地
参考例句：
I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。 The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。

59 concocted
v.将（尤指通常不相配合的）成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 )；调制；编造；捏造
参考例句：
The soup was concocted from up to a dozen different kinds of fish. 这种汤是用多达十几种不同的鱼熬制而成的。 Between them they concocted a letter. 他们共同策划写了一封信。 来自《简明英汉词典》

60 magisterially
adv.威严地
参考例句：
The old man posed the first question magisterially. 老人威严地提出了第一个问题。 来自互联网

61 pomposity
n.浮华；虚夸；炫耀；自负
参考例句：
He hated pomposity and disliked being called a genius. 他憎恶自负的作派，而且不喜欢被称为天才。 来自辞典例句 Nothing could deflate his ego/pomposity, ie make him less self-assured or pompous. 任何事都不能削弱他的自信心[气焰]。 来自辞典例句

62 modesty
n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素
参考例句：
Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。 As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

63 humble
adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低
参考例句：
In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。 Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

64 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

65 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

66 severed
v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂
参考例句：
The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》 We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

67 petulantly
参考例句：
\"No; nor will she miss now,\" cries The Vengeance, petulantly. “不会的，现在也不会错过，”复仇女神气冲冲地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

68 hatred
n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨
参考例句：
He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。 The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

69 bourgeois
adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子
参考例句：
He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。 The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。

70 capitalism
n.资本主义
参考例句：
The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。 Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

71 Soviet
adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃
参考例句：
Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。 Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

72 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。 The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

73 hypocrisy
n.伪善，虚伪
参考例句：
He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。 He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。

74 disapproving
adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

75 cherub
n.小天使，胖娃娃
参考例句：
It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。 The cherub in the painting is very lovely.这幅画中的小天使非常可爱。

76 numb
adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木
参考例句：
His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。 Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

77 droops
弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的名词复数 )
参考例句：
If your abdomen droops or sticks out, the high BMI is correct. 如果你的腹部下垂或伸出，高BMI是正确的。 Now droops the milk white peacock like a ghost. 乳白色的孔雀幽灵般消沉。

78 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。