For a moment the situation paralysed Mike. Then he began to be equalto it. In times of excitement one thinks rapidly and clearly. The mainpoint, the kernel¹ of the whole thing, was that he must get into thegarden somehow, and warn Wyatt. And at the same time, he must keep Mr.

　　Wain from coming to the dormitory. He jumped out of bed, and dasheddown the dark stairs.

　　He had taken care to close the dining-room door after him. It was opennow, and he could hear somebody moving inside the room. Evidently hisretreat had been made just in time.

　　He knocked at the door, and went in.

　　Mr. Wain was standing² at the window, looking out. He spun³ round at theknock, and stared in astonishment⁴ at Mike's pyjama-clad figure. Mike,in spite of his anxiety, could barely check a laugh. Mr. Wain was atall, thin man, with a serious face partially⁵ obscured by a grizzledbeard. He wore spectacles, through which he peered owlishly at Mike.

　　His body was wrapped in a brown dressing-gown. His hair was ruffled⁶.

　　He looked like some weird⁷ bird.

　　"Please, sir, I thought I heard a noise," said Mike.

　　Mr. Wain continued to stare.

　　"What are you doing here?" said he at last.

　　"Thought I heard a noise, please, sir.""A noise?""Please, sir, a row.""You thought you heard----!"The thing seemed to be worrying Mr. Wain.

　　"So I came down, sir," said Mike.

　　The house-master's giant brain still appeared to be somewhat clouded.

　　He looked about him, and, catching⁸ sight of the gramophone, drewinspiration from it.

　　"Did you turn on the gramophone?" he asked.

　　"_Me_, sir!" said Mike, with the air of a

点击收听单词发音  

1 kernel
n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心
参考例句：
The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。 The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

2 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 spun
v.纺，杜撰，急转身
参考例句：
His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。 Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

4 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

5 partially
adv.部分地，从某些方面讲
参考例句：
The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。 The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

6 ruffled
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。 All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。

7 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

8 catching
adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住
参考例句：
There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。 Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

9 bishop
n.主教，（国际象棋）象
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

10 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

11 ruminatively
adv.沉思默想地，反复思考地
参考例句：
He smiles and swirls the ice ruminatively around his almost empty glass. 他微笑着，一边沉思，一边搅动着几乎空了的杯子里的冰块。 来自柯林斯例句

12 faculties
n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院
参考例句：
Although he's ninety, his mental faculties remain unimpaired. 他虽年届九旬，但头脑仍然清晰。 All your faculties have come into play in your work. 在你的工作中，你的全部才能已起到了作用。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 evergreens
n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句

14 eliciting
n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式
参考例句：
He succeeded in eliciting the information he needed from her. 他从她那里问出了他所需要的信息。 A criminal trial isn't a tribunal for eliciting the truth. 刑事审讯并非是一种要探明真相的审判。

15 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。

16 crouching
v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )
参考例句：
a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影 A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

17 quaint
adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的
参考例句：
There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。 They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

18 pyjamas
n.（宽大的）睡衣裤
参考例句：
This pyjamas has many repairs.这件睡衣有许多修补过的地方。 Martin was in his pyjamas.马丁穿着睡衣。

19 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。

20 eruption
n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作
参考例句：
The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。 The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

21 preposterous
adj.荒谬的，可笑的
参考例句：
The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。 It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。

22 inordinately
adv.无度地，非常地
参考例句：
But if you are determined to accumulate wealth, it isn't inordinately difficult. 不过，如果你下决心要积累财富，事情也不是太难。 来自互联网 She was inordinately smart. 她非常聪明。 来自互联网

23 sarcasm
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。

24 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。