“Four weeks, sir.”

“Your sole object in taking passage and coming to this part of the world was to look after the concealed¹ treasure, I take it?”

“Yes, sir. At any rate, but for that I should hardly have come.”

“Of course, you knew that the chances of your ever being able to visit the island were small?”

“Yes, sir; I knew that, but I trusted to luck; and I knew that at any rate I should enjoy the voyage.”

“In what way do you propose to make your living—by a profession, or by a business career?”

“I expect to become a business man.”

“Have you a fair education?”

“Yes, sir; I am prepared to enter Harvard College. I completed my course of preparation last summer.”{47}

“That is well. Now I am going to make you a proposal.”

He paused, and Guy listened eagerly for what was coming.

“It is this,” said the merchant. “I suppose you have nothing to do on the ship.”

“No, sir.”

“I will invite you to work for four weeks in my counting-room. It will be the commencement of your business education. Besides, you will do me a favor, as a young clerk is absent from duty, sick with a fever. What do you say?”

“I will accept gladly, sir.”

“The hours are not wearing. In this warm climate we cannot venture to work as steadily² as in England or America.”

“Will it be necessary for me to board in the city?”

“No; it will be better, on the whole, to sleep aboard the vessel³, as you might contract a fever on shore, not being acclimated⁴.”

“Very well, sir. When do you wish me to begin?”

“To-morrow morning.”

“All right, sir.”

“As to your compensation, I will give you twenty-five dollars per week.”{48}

“But,” said Guy, astonished, “that is a large salary for a novice

首页  上一页 [1] [2]  [3]  下一页  尾页

点击收听单词发音  

1 concealed
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。 I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

2 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

3 vessel
n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管
参考例句：
The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。 You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

4 acclimated
v.使适应新环境，使服水土服水土，适应( acclimate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The rice has been acclimated in this area. 水稻已能适应这一地区的环境。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Have you become acclimated to Taiwan yet? 你已适应台湾的环境了吗？ 来自辞典例句

5 novice
adj.新手的，生手的
参考例句：
As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人，我对此很感兴趣。 She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。

6 oust
vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐
参考例句：
The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。 The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

7 pecuniary
adj.金钱的；金钱上的
参考例句：
She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。 She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。

8 commendable
adj.值得称赞的
参考例句：
The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。 Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。

9 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 entailed
使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需
参考例句：
The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son. 城堡和土地限定由长子继承。 The house and estate are entailed on the eldest daughter. 这所房子和地产限定由长女继承。

11 investigation
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。 He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 predecessor
n.前辈，前任
参考例句：
It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。 The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

13 unemployed
adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的
参考例句：
There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。 The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

14 specially
adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地
参考例句：
They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

15 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。

16 prospect
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。 The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

17 suspense
n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑
参考例句：
The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。 The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

18 concealment
n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒
参考例句：
the concealment of crime 对罪行的隐瞒 Stay in concealment until the danger has passed. 把自己藏起来，待危险过去后再出来。

19 repose
v.(使)休息；n.安息
参考例句：
Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。 Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

20 derive
v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自
参考例句：
We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。 We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

21 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

22 lookout
n.注意，前途，瞭望台
参考例句：
You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。 It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

分享到：