The joy in Bolsover Terrace was intense when Mrs. Carroll returned home. "We are all to have three hundred and fifty pound fortunes when we get husbands!" said Georgina, anticipating at once the pleasures of matrimony.

"I am to have four hundred and fifty," said Amelia. "I do think he might have made it five hundred pounds. If I had it to give away, I never would show the cloven foot about the last fifty pounds!"

"But he's only to have four hundred pounds," said Sophia. "Your things are to be bought with the other fifty pounds."

"I never can do it for fifty pounds," said Amelia. "I did not expect that I was to find my own trousseau out of my own fortune."

"Girls, how can you be so ungrateful?" said their mother.

"I'm not ungrateful, mamma," said Potsey. "I shall be very much obliged when I get my three hundred and fifty pounds. How long will it be?"

"You've got to find the young man first, Potsey. I don't think you'll ever do that," said Georgina, who was rather proud of her own good looks.

This took place on the evening of the day on which Mrs. Carroll had gone to London, where Mr. Carroll was about attending to some of those duties of conviviality¹ in the performance of which he was so indefatigable². On the following morning at twelve o'clock he was still in bed. It was a well-known fact in the family that on such an occasion he would lie in bed, and that before twelve o'clock he would have managed to extract from his wife's little hoardings at any rate two bottles of soda-water and two glasses of some alcoholic³ mixture which was generally called brandy. "I'll have a gin-and-potash, Sophie," he had said on this occasion, with reference to the second dose, "and do make haste. I wish you'd go yourself, because that girl always drinks some of the sperrits."

"What! go to the gin-shop?"

"It's a most respectable publican's,—just round the corner."

"Indeed, I shall do nothing of the kind. You've no feeling about your daughters at all!" But Sophie went on her errand, and in order to protect her father's small modicum⁴ of "sperrits" she slipped on her cloak and walked out so as to be able to watch the girl. Still, I think that the

点击收听单词发音  

1 conviviality
n.欢宴，高兴，欢乐
参考例句：
Sumptuous food and patriotic music created an atmosphere of elegant conviviality. 佳肴盛馔和爱国乐曲，使气氛十分优雅而欢乐。 来自辞典例句 Synonymous with freshness, hygiene and conviviality, the individual cream portions are also economical and practical. 独立包装奶不仅仅是新鲜、卫生、欢乐的代名词，同时也是非常经济实用的。 来自互联网

2 indefatigable
adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的
参考例句：
His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。 He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时，他是不知疲倦的。

3 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。

4 modicum
n.少量，一小份
参考例句：
If he had a modicum of sense,he wouldn't do such a foolish thing.要是他稍有一点理智，他决不会做出如此愚蠢的事来。 There's not even a modicum of truth in her statement.她说的话没有一点是真的。

5 maiden
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。 The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

6 sip
v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量
参考例句：
She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。 Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

7 ruminating
v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼
参考例句：
He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth. 他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He is ruminating on what had happened the day before. 他在沉思前一天发生的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 verging
接近，逼近（verge的现在分词形式）
参考例句：
He vowed understanding, verging on sympathy, for our approach. 他宣称对我们提出的做法很理解，而且近乎同情。 He's verging on 80 now and needs constant attention. 他已近80岁，需要侍候左右。

9 parlor
n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅
参考例句：
She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。 Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

10 stipulated
vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的
参考例句：
A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。 Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

11 expended
v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽
参考例句：
She expended all her efforts on the care of home and children. 她把所有精力都花在料理家务和照顾孩子上。 The enemy had expended all their ammunition. 敌人已耗尽所有的弹药。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 betrothed
n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She is betrothed to John. 她同约翰订了婚。 His daughter was betrothed to a teacher. 他的女儿同一个教师订了婚。

13 gratuitous
adj.无偿的，免费的；无缘无故的，不必要的
参考例句：
His criticism is quite gratuitous.他的批评完全没有根据。 There's too much crime and gratuitous violence on TV.电视里充斥着犯罪和无端的暴力。

14 marital
adj.婚姻的，夫妻的
参考例句：
Her son had no marital problems.她的儿子没有婚姻问题。 I regret getting involved with my daughter's marital problems;all its done is to bring trouble about my ears.我后悔干涉我女儿的婚姻问题, 现在我所做的一切将给我带来无穷的烦恼。

15 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。

16 uncommonly
adv. 稀罕(极，非常)
参考例句：
an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童 My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。

17 noose
n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑
参考例句：
They tied a noose round her neck.他们在她脖子上系了一个活扣。 A hangman's noose had already been placed around his neck.一个绞刑的绳圈已经套在他的脖子上。

18 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》

19 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

20 embarrassment
n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫
参考例句：
She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。 Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

21 plunder
vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠
参考例句：
The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。 Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

22 undoubtedly
adv.确实地，无疑地
参考例句：
It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。 He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

23 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。

24 testimony
n.证词；见证，证明
参考例句：
The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。 He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

25 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

26 regained
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。 She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

27 generosity
n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为
参考例句：
We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。 We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

28 thumping
adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持
参考例句：
Her heart was thumping with emotion. 她激动得心怦怦直跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He was thumping the keys of the piano. 他用力弹钢琴。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

29 stump
n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走
参考例句：
He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。 He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

30 rhino
n.犀牛，钱, 现金
参考例句：
The rhino charged headlong towards us.犀牛急速地向我们冲来。 They have driven the rhino to the edge of extinction.他们已经令犀牛濒临灭绝。

31 sobbing
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句：
I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。 Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

32 brute
n.野兽，兽性
参考例句：
The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。 That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

33 brutes
兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性
参考例句：
They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。 Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然，他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学

34 seclusion
n.隐遁，隔离
参考例句：
She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。 I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

35 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

36 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。

37 condemnatory
adj. 非难的，处罚的
参考例句：
Public security punishs a law to also have corresponding condemnatory regulation. 治安处罚法也有相应的处罚规定。 Public security management does not have such regulation on condemnatory byelaw, can not detain. 治安治理处罚条例上没有这样的规定，不可以拘留的。

38 withhold
v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡
参考例句：
It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。 I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

39 bounty
n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与
参考例句：
He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。 We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

40 wailing
v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱
参考例句：
A police car raced past with its siren wailing. 一辆警车鸣着警报器飞驰而过。 The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。

41 maudlin
adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的
参考例句：
He always becomes maudlin after he's had a few drinks.他喝了几杯酒后总是变得多愁善感。 She continued in the same rather maudlin tone.她继续用那种颇带几分伤感的语调说话。

42 hideous
adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的
参考例句：
The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。 They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

43 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

44 curmudgeon
n. 脾气暴躁之人，守财奴，吝啬鬼
参考例句：
The old curmudgeon found a new scapegoat and that let me out.那个老守财奴找到一个新的替罪羊，这样我就脱身了。 The old curmudgeon was talking about the smothering effects of parental duty on creative lives.那些坏脾气的老人们喋喋不休于父母生儿育女之责任的妨碍性效应。