Carl eyed the British nobleman with some curiosity. Evidently Lord Bedford was no dude. His suit was of rough cloth and ill-fitting. He was barely five feet six inches in height, with features decidedly plain, but with an absence of pretension² that was creditable to him, considering that he was really what he purported³ to be. Stuyvesant walked by his side, nearly a head taller, and of more distinguished⁴ bearing, though of plebeian⁵ extraction. His manner was exceedingly deferential⁶, and he was praising England and everything English in a fulsome⁷ manner.

“Yes, my lord,” Carl overheard him say, “I have often thought that society in England is far superior to our American society.”

“Thanks, you are very kind,” drawled the nobleman, “but really I find things very decent in America, upon my word. I had been reading Dickens’s ‘Notes’ before I came over and I expected to find you very uncivilized, and—almost aboriginal⁸; but I assure you I have met some very gentlemanly persons in America, some almost up to our English standard.”

“Really, my lord, such a tribute from a man in your position is most gratifying. May I state this on your authority?”

“Yes, I don’t mind, but I would rather not get into the papers, don’t you know. You are not a—reporter, I hope.”

“I hope not,” said Mr. Stuyvesant, in a lofty tone. “I am a scion

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1 piazza
n.广场；走廊
参考例句：
Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。 They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

2 pretension
n.要求；自命，自称；自负
参考例句：
I make no pretension to skill as an artist,but I enjoy painting.我并不自命有画家的技巧，但我喜欢绘画。 His action is a satire on his boastful pretension.他的行动是对他自我卖弄的一个讽刺。

3 purported
adj.传说的，谣传的v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
the scene of the purported crime 传闻中的罪案发生地点 The film purported to represent the lives of ordinary people. 这部影片声称旨在表现普通人的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 distinguished
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。 A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

5 plebeian
adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民
参考例句：
He is a philosophy professor with a cockney accent and an alarmingly plebeian manner.他是个有一口伦敦土腔、举止粗俗不堪的哲学教授。 He spent all day playing rackets on the beach,a plebeian sport if there ever was one.他一整天都在海滩玩壁球，再没有比这更不入流的运动了。

6 deferential
adj. 敬意的，恭敬的
参考例句：
They like five-star hotels and deferential treatment.他们喜欢五星级的宾馆和毕恭毕敬的接待。 I am deferential and respectful in the presence of artists.我一向恭敬、尊重艺术家。

7 fulsome
adj.可恶的，虚伪的，过分恭维的
参考例句：
They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。 Newspapers have been fulsome in their praise of the former president.报纸上对前总统都是些溢美之词。

8 aboriginal
adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的
参考例句：
They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。 The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

9 scion
n.嫩芽，子孙
参考例句：
A place is cut in the root stock to accept the scion.砧木上切开一个小口,来接受接穗。 Nabokov was the scion of an aristocratic family.纳博科夫是一个贵族家庭的阔少。

10 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 inconvenient
adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的
参考例句：
You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。 Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

12 effusively
adv.变溢地，热情洋溢地
参考例句：
We were effusively welcomed by the patron and his wife. 我们受到老板和他妻子的热忱欢迎。 来自辞典例句 The critics praised her effusively. 评论家们热情洋溢地表扬了她。 来自互联网

13 esteem
n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

14 penchant
n.爱好，嗜好；（强烈的）倾向
参考例句：
She has a penchant for Indian food.她爱吃印度食物。 He had a penchant for playing jokes on people.他喜欢拿人开玩笑。

15 abstained
v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）
参考例句：
Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。 They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 mingled
混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]
参考例句：
The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。 The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

17 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。

18 amazement
n.惊奇，惊讶
参考例句：
All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。 He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

19 abruptly
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。

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