"What are you doing here, Mr. Wolverton?" repeated Bob, sternly.
"Oh, it's you, Bob, is it?" said Wolverton, with assumed lightness. "Really, you quite startled me, coming upon me so suddenly in the dark."
"I noticed that you were startled," responded Bob, coolly. "But that isn't answering my question."
By this time Wolverton was on his feet, and had recovered his self-possession.
"What right have you to put questions to me, you young whelp?" he demanded, angrily.
"Because I suspect you of designs on my property."
"What do you mean?"
snarled1 Wolverton.[Pg 164]
"I will tell you; I think you meant to cut the rope, and send my boat adrift."
"How dare you insult me by such a charge?" demanded the agent, working himself into a rage.
"I have reason to think that you meant to do what I have said."
"Why should I do it?"
"In order to injure me by the loss of my wheat."
"You are a fool, young man! I am inclined to think, also, that you are out of your head."
"If you had any other purpose, what is it?"
Wolverton bethought himself that in order to
avert2 suspicion, he must assign some reason for his presence. To do this taxed his
ingenuity3 considerably4.
"I thought I saw something in the water," he said. "There it is; a
twig5; I see now."
"And what were you going to do with the razor?"
"None of your business!" said Wolverton, suddenly, finding it impossible, on the spur of the moment, to think of any reason.[Pg 165]
"That is easy to understand," said Bob, significantly. "Now, Mr. Wolverton, I have a warning to give you. If anything befalls my boat, I shall hold you responsible."
点击
收听单词发音
|
1
snarled
|
|
| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 |
参考例句： |
- The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
- As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
|
2
avert
|
|
| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) |
参考例句： |
- He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
- I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。
|
|
3
ingenuity
|
|
| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 |
参考例句： |
- The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
- I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。
|
|
4
considerably
|
|
| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 |
参考例句： |
- The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
- The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
|
|
5
twig
|
|
| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 |
参考例句： |
- He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
- The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。
|
|
6
blustered
|
|
| v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 |
参考例句： |
- He blustered his way through the crowd. 他吆喝着挤出人群。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The wind blustered around the house. 狂风呼啸着吹过房屋周围。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
|
|
7
impudent
|
|
| 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。
|
|
8
sneered
|
|
| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
- It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
|
|
9
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 |
参考例句： |
- I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
- He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
|
|
10
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。
|
|
11
creek
|
|
| n.小溪，小河，小湾 |
参考例句： |
- He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
- People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
|
|
12
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。
|
|
13
hazardous
|
|
| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 |
参考例句： |
- These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
- Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。
|
|
14
inevitably
|
|
| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 |
参考例句： |
- In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
- Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。
|
|
15
retraced
|
|
| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 |
参考例句： |
- We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
|
16
clump
|
|
| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 |
参考例句： |
- A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
- It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。
|
|
17
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 |
参考例句： |
- The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
- She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
|
|
18
corroborated
|
|
| v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的过去式 ) |
参考例句： |
- The evidence was corroborated by two independent witnesses. 此证据由两名独立证人提供。
- Experiments have corroborated her predictions. 实验证实了她的预言。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
|
19
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 |
参考例句： |
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
|
|
20
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 |
参考例句： |
- He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
- The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。
|
|
21
ransom
|
|
| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 |
参考例句： |
- We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
- The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。
|
|
22
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 |
参考例句： |
- I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
- There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
|
|
23
amiable
|
|
| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 |
参考例句： |
- She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
- We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。
|
