Sunshine, the old clown, rims¹ the room. Two pink chairs flank the gauze?filled window buttered with light that smears² a writing desk furry³ with envelope?ends. Above the desk is a picture of a lady in pink stepping toward you. A woman's voice is tapping the door. "Mr. Angstrom. Mr. Angstrom."

"Yeah. Hi," he calls, hoarse⁴.

"It's twelve?twenty. Jack⁵ told me to tell you the visiting hours at the hospital are one to three." He recognizes Eccles' wife's crisp little twitty tone, like she was adding, And what the hell are you doing in my house anyway?

"Yeah. O.K. I'll be right out." He puts on the cocoa?colored trousers he wore last night and, displeased⁶ by the sense of these things being dirty, he carries his shoes and socks and shirt into the bathroom with him, postponing⁷ putting them against his skin, giving them another minute to air. Still foggy despite splashing water all around, he carries them out of the bathroom and goes downstairs in bare feet and a T?shirt.

Eccles' little wife is in her big kitchen, wearing khaki shorts this time and sandals and painted toenails. "How did you sleep?" she asks from behind the refrigerator door.

"Like death. Not a dream or anything."

"It's the effect of a clear conscience," she says, and puts a glass of orange juice on the table with a smart click. He imagines that seeing how he's dressed, with just the T?shirt over his chest, makes her look away quickly.

"Hey don't go to any bother. I'll get something in Brewer⁸."

"I won't give you eggs or anything. Do you like Cheerios?"

"Love 'em."

点击收听单词发音  

1 rims
n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈
参考例句：
As she spoke, the rims of her eyes reddened a little. 说时，眼圈微红。 来自汉英文学 - 围城 Her eyes were a little hollow, and reddish about the rims. 她的眼睛微微凹陷，眼眶有些发红。 来自辞典例句

2 smears
污迹( smear的名词复数 )； 污斑； （显微镜的）涂片； 诽谤
参考例句：
His evidence was a blend of smears, half truths and downright lies. 他的证词里掺杂着诽谤、部份的事实和彻头彻尾的谎言。 Anything written with a soft pencil smears easily. 用软铅笔写成的东西容易污成一片。

3 furry
adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的
参考例句：
This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。 Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

4 hoarse
adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的
参考例句：
He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。 He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

5 jack
n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克
参考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 displeased
a.不快的
参考例句：
The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

7 postponing
v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He tried to gain time by postponing his decision. 他想以迟迟不作决定的手段来争取时间。 来自辞典例句 I don't hold with the idea of postponing further discussion of the matter. 我不赞成推迟进一步讨论这件事的想法。 来自辞典例句

8 brewer
n. 啤酒制造者
参考例句：
Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。 I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

9 delinquent
adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者
参考例句：
Most delinquent children have deprived backgrounds.多数少年犯都有未受教育的背景。 He is delinquent in paying his rent.他拖欠房租。

10 alcoholic
adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者
参考例句：
The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。 Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

11 confidingly
adv.信任地
参考例句：
She watched him confidingly and without any fear, faintly wagging her tail. 木木信任地望着自己最新近的主人，不但没有畏惧，还轻轻地摇着尾巴。 来自互联网

12 buck
n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃
参考例句：
The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。 The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

13 stuffy
adj.不透气的，闷热的
参考例句：
It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。 It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

14 pokes
v.伸出( poke的第三人称单数 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交
参考例句：
He pokes his nose into everything. 他这人好管闲事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Only the tip of an iceberg pokes up above water. 只有冰山的尖端突出于水面。 来自辞典例句

15 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

16 constructive
adj.建设的，建设性的
参考例句：
We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。 He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

17 tilts
（意欲赢得某物或战胜某人的）企图，尝试( tilt的名词复数 )
参考例句：
As the kitten touches it, it tilts at the floor. 它随着击碰倾侧，头不动，眼不动，还呆呆地注视着地上。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译 The two writers had a number of tilts in print. 这两位作家写过一些文章互相攻击。

18 freckles
n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》 When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时，脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 proximity
n.接近，邻近
参考例句：
Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。 Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

20 grunts
（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈
参考例句：
With grunts of anguish Ogilvie eased his bulk to a sitting position. 奥格尔维苦恼地哼着，伸个懒腰坐了起来。 Linda fired twice A trio of Grunts assembling one mortar fell. 琳达击发两次。三个正在组装迫击炮的咕噜人倒下了。

21 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。

22 sneaks
abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋（网球鞋）v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状
参考例句：
Typhoid fever sneaks in when sanitation fails. 环境卫生搞不好，伤寒就会乘虚而入。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Honest boys scorn sneaks and liars. 诚实的人看不起狡诈和撒谎的人。 来自辞典例句

23 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

24 protrudes
v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
My part that protrudes from the gum has a'skin" of enamel. 在我突出于齿龈的部分有一层珐琅“皮”。 来自辞典例句 Hyperplasia median lobe of the prostate produces a polypoid mass that protrudes in the bladder lumen. 前列腺中叶异常增生，表现为息肉样肿物，突入膀胱腔内。 来自互联网

25 bosoms
胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形
参考例句：
How beautifully gold brooches glitter on the bosoms of our patriotic women! 金光闪闪的别针佩在我国爱国妇女的胸前，多美呀！ Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. 我们寻个僻静的地方，去痛哭一场吧。

26 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

27 rumpled
v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She rumpled his hair playfully. 她顽皮地弄乱他的头发。 The bed was rumpled and strewn with phonograph records. 那张床上凌乱不堪，散放着一些唱片。 来自辞典例句

28 sarcasm
n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）
参考例句：
His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。 She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。

29 reluctance
n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿
参考例句：
The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。 He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

30 taut
adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的
参考例句：
The bowstring is stretched taut.弓弦绷得很紧。 Scarlett's taut nerves almost cracked as a sudden noise sounded in the underbrush near them. 思嘉紧张的神经几乎一下绷裂了，因为她听见附近灌木丛中突然冒出的一个声音。

31 eyebrows
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。 His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

32 scarlet
n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的
参考例句：
The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。 The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

33 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。

34 winks
v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
I'll feel much better when I've had forty winks. 我打个盹就会感到好得多。 The planes were little silver winks way out to the west. 飞机在西边老远的地方，看上去只是些很小的银色光点。 来自辞典例句

35 murmur
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。 There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。