But she doesn't react too strongly; she is more interested these days in her real?estate courses. Janice has completed one pair of ten?week courses and is into another. She has long phone conversations with her classmates about the next quiz or the fascinating personality of their teacher, Mr. Lister with his exciting new beard. "I'm sure Nelson has some plan," she says. "And if he doesn't, we'll all sit down and negotiate one."

"Negotiate! Two hundred thousand disappearing dollars! And you don't have Toyotas to sell any more."

"Were they really so great, Harry¹? Nelson hated them. Why can't we get an American franchise² ? isn't Detroit making a big comeback?"

"Not so big they can afford Nelson Angstrom."

She pretends he's joking, saying, "Aren't you awful?" Then she looks at his face, is startled and saddened by what she sees there, and crosses their kitchen to reach up and touch his face. "Harry," she says. "You are taking it hard. Don't. Daddy used to say, `For every up there's a down, and for every down there's an up.' Nelson will be home in a week and we can't do a thing really until then." Outside the kitchen window screen, where moths⁴ keep bumping, the early?August evening has that blended tint⁵ peculiar⁶ to the season, of light being withdrawn⁷ while summer's warmth remains⁸. As the days grow shorter, a dryness of dead grass and chirring insects has crept in even through this summer of heavy rains, of more thunderstorms and flash floods in Diamond County than Harry can ever remember. Out in their yard, he notices now a few brown leaves shed by the weeping cherry, and the flower stalks of the violet hosta dying back. In his mood of isolation⁹ and lassitude he is drawing closer to the earth, the familiar mother with his

点击收听单词发音  

1 harry
vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼
参考例句：
Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。 Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 franchise
n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权
参考例句：
Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。 The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

3 den
n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室
参考例句：
There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。 The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

4 moths
n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 tint
n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色
参考例句：
You can't get up that naturalness and artless rosy tint in after days.你今后不再会有这种自然和朴实无华的红润脸色。 She gave me instructions on how to apply the tint.她告诉我如何使用染发剂。

6 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。

7 withdrawn
vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出
参考例句：
Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。 All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

8 remains
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。 The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 isolation
n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离
参考例句：
The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。 He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

10 infancy
n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期
参考例句：
He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。 Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

11 addiction
n.上瘾入迷，嗜好
参考例句：
He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。 Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

12 addicts
有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人
参考例句：
a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构 There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

13 ticklish
adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理
参考例句：
This massage method is not recommended for anyone who is very ticklish.这种按摩法不推荐给怕痒的人使用。 The news is quite ticklish to the ear,这消息听起来使人觉得有些难办。

14 license
n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许
参考例句：
The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。 The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

15 stash
v.藏或贮存于一秘密处所；n.隐藏处
参考例句：
Stash away both what you lost and gained,for life continues on.将得失深藏心底吧，为了那未来的生活。 That's supposed to be in our private stash.这是我的私人珍藏。

16 outraged
a.震惊的，义愤填膺的
参考例句：
Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。 He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

17 sitcom
n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧
参考例句：
This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。 I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

18 buddies
n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人
参考例句：
We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句 The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句

19 humbly
adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地
参考例句：
We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。 "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

20 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。

21 varnish
n.清漆；v.上清漆；粉饰
参考例句：
He tried to varnish over the facts,but it was useless.他想粉饰事实，但那是徒劳的。 He applied varnish to the table.他给那张桌子涂上清漆。

22 varnished
浸渍过的，涂漆的
参考例句：
The doors are then stained and varnished. 这些门还要染色涂清漆。 He varnished the wooden table. 他给那张木桌涂了清漆。

23 hems
布的褶边，贴边( hem的名词复数 )； 短促的咳嗽
参考例句：
I took the hems of my dresses up to make them shorter. 我把我的连衣裙都改短了。 Hems must be level unless uneven design feature is requested. 袖口及裤脚卷边位置宽度必须一致（设计有特别要求的除外）。

24 attained
（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）
参考例句：
She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。 Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

25 microscopic
adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的
参考例句：
It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。 A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

26 humiliated
感到羞愧的
参考例句：
Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。 He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

27 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。

28 ribs
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹
参考例句：
He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。 Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

29 somber
adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的
参考例句：
He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。 His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。