It would be useless to explain how in due time the last fifty dollars was in sight. The seven hundred, by his process of handling, had only carried them into June. Before the final hundred mark was reached he began to indicate that a calamity¹ was approaching.
"I don't know," he said one day, taking a trivial expenditure² for meat as a text, "it seems to take an awful lot for us to live."

"It doesn't seem to me," said Carrie, "that we spend very much."

"My money is nearly gone," he said, "and I hardly know where it's gone to."

"All that seven hundred dollars?" asked Carrie.

"All but a hundred."

He looked so disconsolate³ that it scared her. She began to see that she herself had been drifting. She had felt it all the time.

"Well, George," she exclaimed, "why don't you get out and look for something? You could find something."

"I have looked," he said. "You can't make people give you a place."

She gazed weakly at him and said: "Well, what do you think you will do? A hundred dollars won't last long."

"I don't know," he said. "I can't do any more than look."

Carrie became frightened over this announcement. She thought desperately⁴ upon the subject. Frequently she had considered the stage as a door through which she might enter that gilded⁵ state which she had so much craved⁶. Now, as in Chicago, it came as a last resource in distress⁷. Something must be done if he did not get work soon. Perhaps she would have to go out and battle again alone.

She began to wonder how one would go about getting a place. Her experience in Chicago proved that she had not tried the right way. There must be people who would listen to and try you -- men who would give you an opportunity.

They were talking at the breakfast table, a morning or two later, when she brought up the dramatic subject by saying that she saw that Sarah Bernhardt was coming to this country. Hurstwood had seen it, too.

点击收听单词发音  

1 calamity
n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件
参考例句：
Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。 The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

2 expenditure
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗
参考例句：
The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。 The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

3 disconsolate
adj.忧郁的，不快的
参考例句：
He looked so disconsolate that It'scared her.他看上去情绪很坏，吓了她一跳。 At the dress rehearsal she was disconsolate.彩排时她闷闷不乐。

4 desperately
adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地
参考例句：
He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。 He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 gilded
a.镀金的，富有的
参考例句：
The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。 "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

6 craved
渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求
参考例句：
She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。 A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。

7 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

8 sipping
v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。 She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

9 pompous
adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的
参考例句：
He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。 He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

10 aspersion
n.诽谤，中伤
参考例句：
Carrie felt this to contain,in some way,an aspersion upon her ability.嘉莉觉得这话多少含有贬低她的才能的意思。 Should you hear my name blackened and maligned,will you credit the aspersion?要是你听见我的名誉受到诽谤，你会相信那谗言吗？

11 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 forsake
vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃
参考例句：
She pleaded with her husband not to forsake her.她恳求丈夫不要抛弃她。 You must forsake your bad habits.你必须革除你的坏习惯。

13 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

14 dreary
adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的
参考例句：
They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。 She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

15 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

16 sustenance
n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计
参考例句：
We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。 The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

17 pristine
adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的
参考例句：
He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。 He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

18 blandly
adv.温和地，殷勤地
参考例句：
There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. 布里斯托尔有那么一帮人为此恨透了布兰德利。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 \"Maybe you could get something in the stage line?\" he blandly suggested. “也许你能在戏剧这一行里找些事做，\"他和蔼地提议道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

19 neatly
adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
参考例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。 The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

20 conglomeration
n.团块，聚集，混合物
参考例句：
a conglomeration of buildings of different sizes and styles 大小和风格各异的建筑楼群 To her it was a wonderful conglomeration of everything great and mighty. 在她看来，那里奇妙地聚集着所有伟大和非凡的事业。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

21 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

22 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

23 theatrical
adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的
参考例句：
The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。 She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

24 applied
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。 This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

25 marvelling
v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的现在分词 )
参考例句：
\"Yes,'said the clerk, marvelling at such ignorance of a common fact. “是的，\"那人说，很奇怪她竟会不知道这么一件普通的事情。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Chueh-hui watched, marvelling at how easy it was for people to forget. 觉慧默默地旁观着这一切，他也忍不住笑了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

26 indifference
n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎
参考例句：
I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。 He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

27 brewed
调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡）
参考例句：
The beer is brewed in the Czech Republic. 这种啤酒是在捷克共和国酿造的。 The boy brewed a cup of coffee for his mother. 这男孩给他妈妈冲了一杯咖啡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 eyelids
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色
参考例句：
She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。 Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 stultified
v.使成为徒劳，使变得无用( stultify的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Their unhelpfulness has stultified our efforts to improve things. 他们不管事，我们为改进工作的用心也就白费了。 来自辞典例句 He was stultified, shocked, paralyzed. 他当时一听，吓傻了，气坏了，瘫痪了。 来自辞典例句

30 formerly
adv.从前，以前
参考例句：
We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。 This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

31 chamber
n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所
参考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

32 cuffs
n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
a collar and cuffs of white lace 带白色蕾丝花边的衣领和袖口 The cuffs of his shirt were fraying. 他衬衣的袖口磨破了。

33 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

34 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

35 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

36 curtailed
v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。 Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 varied
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。 The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

38 vaudeville
n.歌舞杂耍表演
参考例句：
The standard length of a vaudeville act was 12 minutes.一个杂耍节目的标准长度是12分钟。 The mayor talk like a vaudeville comedian in his public address.在公共演讲中，这位市长讲起话来像个歌舞杂耍演员。

39 inquiry
n.打听，询问，调查，查问
参考例句：
Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。 The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

40 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

41 jewelry
n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝
参考例句：
The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。 Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

42 pawnbroker
n.典当商，当铺老板
参考例句：
He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's.他从当铺赎回手表。 She could get fifty dollars for those if she went to the pawnbroker's.要是她去当铺当了这些东西，她是可以筹出50块钱的。