Adventures of a Telegraph Boy or 'Number 91'
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER XXXII. FROST MERCER IS CONTRARY.

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 Mrs. Mercer, the housekeeper1, was seriously annoyed by the appearance of Paul upon the scene. For years she and her son had had charge of Mrs. Granville’s affairs, and they had taken care to turn the charge to profitable account. The wages which each received formed only a part of this advantage. They bought everything for the house, and levied2 tribute from every tradesman as a compensation for turning the trade in his direction. The result was that Mrs. Granville, without being aware of it, paid a larger price than any one else for what articles she purchased, the storekeepers and others compensating3 themselves in this way for the percentage they had to pay the housekeeper and her son.
It is for this reason that Mrs. Mercer never cared to have any visitor in the house. She feared her dishonesty might be found out. She was especially afraid of any one sent by Mrs. Holbrook, who during her stay had been bold enough to interfere4 with the housekeeper.
When she had ushered5 Paul into his chamber6, she went out to the barn, where she found her son, not at work, but sitting on an old rocking chair which he had carried out for his convenience, smoking.
“Well, mother, what’s up?” he asked, on Mrs. Mercer’s entrance.
[174]
“We have got a visitor,” answered his mother, abruptly7.
“We?”
“Well, Mrs. Granville.”
“Who is it—the Holbrook woman?” queried8 Frost, taking his pipe from his mouth.
“No, but it’s some one she sent.”
“Man, woman, or child?”
“It’s a boy—about sixteen, he looks.”
“What on earth should she send a boy for?” asked Frost, in surprise.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇，女管家
参考例句：
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。
2 levied 18fd33c3607bddee1446fc49dfab80c6     
征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税
参考例句：
  • Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
  • Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。
3 compensating 281cd98e12675fdbc2f2886a47f37ed0     
补偿，补助，修正
参考例句：
  • I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
  • It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。
4 interfere b5lx0     
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。
5 ushered d337b3442ea0cc4312a5950ae8911282     
v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
  • A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 chamber wnky9     
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。
7 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地，出其不意地
参考例句：
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
8 queried 5c2c5662d89da782d75e74125d6f6932     
v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问
参考例句：
  • She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
9 mischief jDgxH     
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
  • Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
  • He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
10 lighter 5pPzPR     
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
  • The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
  • The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。
11 impudent X4Eyf     
adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的
参考例句：
  • She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
  • The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。
12 meddler f6c9dbbecb54071a3d3fe2f2c9725861     
n.爱管闲事的人，干涉者
参考例句：
  • "I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler." “我知道你，这个恶棍。我以前听过你。你是福尔摩斯，爱管闲事的人。” 来自互联网
13 displeased 1uFz5L     
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。
14 soothingly soothingly     
adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地
参考例句：
  • The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合
参考例句：
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
16 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
17 sarcasm 1CLzI     
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。
18 deign 6mLzp     
v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)
参考例句：
  • He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
  • I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。
19 perfectly 8Mzxb     
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。
20 solicitude mFEza     
n.焦虑
参考例句：
  • Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
  • He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。

分享到：


返回目录

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010