BEING editors is not the best way to wealth. We all feel this now, and highwaymen are not respected any more like they used to be.

I am sure we had tried our best to restore our fallen fortunes. We felt their fall very much, because we knew the Bastables had been rich once. Dora and Oswald can remember when Father was always bringing nice things home from London, and there used to be turkeys and geese and wine and cigars come by the carrier at Christmas‐time, and boxes of candied fruit and French plums in ornamental¹ boxes with silk and velvet² and gilding³ on them. They were called prunes⁴, but the prunes you buy at the grocers are quite different. But now there is seldom anything nice brought from London, and the turkey page: 134 and the prune⁵ people have forgotten Father’s address.

“How can we restore those beastly fallen fortunes?” said Oswald. “We’ve tried digging and writing and princesses and being editors.”

“And being bandits,” said H.O.

“When did you try that?” asked Dora quickly. “You know I told you it was wrong.”

“It wasn’t wrong the way we did it,” said Alice, quicker still, before Oswald could say, “Who asked you to tell us anything about it?” which would have been rude, and he is glad he didn’t. “We only caught Albert‐next‐door.”

“Oh, Albert‐next‐door!” said Dora contemptuously, and I felt more comfortable; for even after I didn’t say, “Who asked you, and cetera,” I was afraid Dora was going to come the good elder sister over us. She does that a jolly sight too often.

Dicky looked up from the paper he was reading and said, “This sounds likely,” and he read out—

￡100 secures partnership⁶ in lucrative⁷ business for sale of useful patent. ￡10 weekly. No personal attendance necessary. Jobbins, 300, Old Street Road.
page: 135

点击收听单词发音  

1 ornamental
adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物
参考例句：
The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。 The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

2 velvet
n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的
参考例句：
This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。 The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

3 gilding
n.贴金箔，镀金
参考例句：
The dress is perfect. Don't add anything to it at all. It would just be gilding the lily. 这条裙子已经很完美了，别再作任何修饰了，那只会画蛇添足。 The gilding is extremely lavish. 这层镀金极为奢华。

4 prunes
n.西梅脯，西梅干( prune的名词复数 )v.修剪（树木等）( prune的第三人称单数 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分
参考例句：
Dried fruits such as prunes, pears, and peaches, are stewed. 梅干、梨脯、桃脯等干果，都是炖过的。 来自辞典例句 We had stewed prunes for breakfast. 我们早饭吃炖梅干。 来自辞典例句

5 prune
n.酶干；vt.修剪，砍掉，削减；vi.删除
参考例句：
Will you prune away the unnecessary adjectives in the passage?把这段文字中不必要的形容词删去好吗？ It is our job to prune the side branches of these trees.我们的工作就是修剪这些树的侧枝。

6 partnership
n.合作关系，伙伴关系
参考例句：
The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。 Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 lucrative
adj.赚钱的，可获利的
参考例句：
He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。 It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

9 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。

10 inquiries
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。 I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 benefactor
n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人
参考例句：
The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。 The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

12 charing
n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣
参考例句：
We married in the chapel of Charing Cross Hospital in London. 我们是在伦敦查令十字医院的小教堂里结的婚。 来自辞典例句 No additional charge for children under12 charing room with parents. ☆十二岁以下小童与父母同房不另收费。 来自互联网

13 brook
n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让
参考例句：
In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。 The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

14 brass
n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器
参考例句：
Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。 Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

15 bonnets
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 )；（烟囱等的）覆盖物；（苏格兰男子的）无边呢帽；（女子戴的）任何一种帽子
参考例句：
All the best bonnets of the city were there. 城里戴最漂亮的无边女帽的妇女全都到场了。 来自辞典例句 I am tempting you with bonnets and bangles and leading you into a pit. 我是在用帽子和镯子引诱你，引你上钩。 来自飘（部分）

16 underneath
adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

17 jug
n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂
参考例句：
He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐，保持着平衡往前走。 She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。

18 gilt
adj.镀金的；n.金边证券
参考例句：
The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。 The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。

19 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

20 falcon
n.隼，猎鹰
参考例句：
The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。 The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

21 winked
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。 He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 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

23 fully
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。 They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

24 awfully
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。 I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

25 velvety
adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的
参考例句：
a velvety red wine 醇厚的红葡萄酒 Her skin was admired for its velvety softness. 她的皮肤如天鹅绒般柔软，令人赞叹。

26 eldest
adj.最年长的，最年老的
参考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

27 minor
adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修
参考例句：
The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。 I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

28 repudiate
v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行
参考例句：
He will indignantly repudiate the suggestion.他会气愤地拒绝接受这一意见。 He repudiate all debts incurred by his son.他拒绝偿还他儿子的一切债务。

29 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。

30 blessing
n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿
参考例句：
The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。 A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。