The beginning of a big row, one of those rows which turn a schoolupside down like a volcanic¹ eruption² and provide old boys withsomething to talk about, when they meet, for years, is not unlike thebeginning of a thunderstorm.

　　You are walking along one seemingly fine day, when suddenly there is ahush, and there falls on you from space one big drop. The next momentthe thing has begun, and you are standing³ in a shower-bath. It is justthe same with a row. Some trivial episode occurs, and in an instantthe place is in a ferment⁴. It was so with the great picnic at Wrykyn.

　　The bare outlines of the beginning of this affair are included in aletter which Mike wrote to his father on the Sunday following the OldWrykynian matches.

　　This was the letter:

　　"DEAR FATHER,--Thanks awfully⁵ for your letter. I hope you are quitewell. I have been getting on all right at cricket lately. My scoressince I wrote last have been 0 in a scratch game (the sun got in myeyes just as I played, and I got bowled); 15 for the third against aneleven of masters (without G. B. Jones, the Surrey man, and Spence);28 not out in the Under Sixteen game; and 30 in a form match. Ratherdecent. Yesterday one of the men put down for the second against theO.W.'s second couldn't play because his father was very ill, so Iplayed. Wasn't it luck? It's the first time I've played for thesecond. I didn't do much, because I didn't get an innings. They stopthe cricket on O.W. matches day because they have a lot of rottenGreek plays and things which take up a frightful⁶ time, and half thechaps are acting⁷, so we stop from lunch to four. Rot I call it. So Ididn't go in, because they won the toss and made 215, and by the timewe'd made 140 for 6 it was close of play. They'd stuck me in eighthwicket. Rather rot. Still, I may get another shot. And I made rather adecent catch at mid-on. Low down. I had to dive for it. Bob played forthe first, but didn't do much. He was run out after he'd got ten. Ibelieve he's rather sick about it.

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1 volcanic
adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的
参考例句：
There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。 Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 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。

3 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。

4 ferment
vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱
参考例句：
Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。 The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。

5 awfully
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。 I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

6 frightful
adj.可怕的；讨厌的
参考例句：
How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！ We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

7 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 choir
n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱
参考例句：
The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。 The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

9 lengthened
（时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The afternoon shadows lengthened. 下午影子渐渐变长了。 He wanted to have his coat lengthened a bit. 他要把上衣放长一些。

10 solitary
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。 The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

11 trudge
v.步履艰难地走；n.跋涉，费力艰难的步行
参考例句：
It was a hard trudge up the hill.这趟上山是一次艰难的跋涉。 The trudge through the forest will be tiresome.长途跋涉穿越森林会令人疲惫不堪。

12 antiquity
n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹
参考例句：
The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。 There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

13 interfered
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉
参考例句：
Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 whatsoever
adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么
参考例句：
There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

15 chaff
v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳
参考例句：
I didn't mind their chaff.我不在乎他们的玩笑。 Old birds are not caught with chaff.谷糠难诱老雀。

16 Oxford
n.牛津（英国城市）
参考例句：
At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。 This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

17 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 offenders
n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）
参考例句：
Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。 Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

19 joviality
n.快活
参考例句：
However, there is an air of joviality in the sugar camps. 然而炼糖营房里却充满着热气腾腾的欢乐气氛。 来自辞典例句 Immediately he noticed the joviality of Stane's manner. 他随即注意到史丹兴高采烈的神情。 来自辞典例句

20 dwindle
v.逐渐变小（或减少）
参考例句：
The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。 He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

21 essentially
adv.本质上，实质上，基本上
参考例句：
Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。 She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

22 candid
adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的
参考例句：
I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。 He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

23 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

24 pelted
（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮
参考例句：
The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。 The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

25 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。

26 instructor
n.指导者，教员，教练
参考例句：
The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。 The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

27 antagonist
n.敌人，对抗者，对手
参考例句：
His antagonist in the debate was quicker than he.在辩论中他的对手比他反应快。 The thing is to know the nature of your antagonist.要紧的是要了解你的对手的特性。

28 butts
笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂
参考例句：
The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

29 butt
n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶
参考例句：
The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。 He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

30 vigour
（=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力
参考例句：
She is full of vigour and enthusiasm.她有热情，有朝气。 At 40,he was in his prime and full of vigour.他40岁时正年富力强。

31 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。

32 depressed
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

33 blotted
涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干
参考例句：
She blotted water off the table with a towel. 她用毛巾擦干桌上的水。 The blizzard blotted out the sky and the land. 暴风雪铺天盖地而来。

35 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。

36 lark
n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏
参考例句：
He thinks it cruel to confine a lark in a cage.他认为把云雀关在笼子里太残忍了。 She lived in the village with her grandparents as cheerful as a lark.她同祖父母一起住在乡间非常快活。

37 savage
adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人
参考例句：
The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。 He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

38 impudence
n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼
参考例句：
His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。 What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

39 leeches
n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生
参考例句：
The usurers are leeches;they have drained us dry. 高利贷者是吸血鬼，他们吸干了我们的血汗。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Does it run in the genes to live as leeches? 你们家是不是遗传的，都以欺压别人为生？ 来自电影对白

40 constable
n.(英国)警察，警官
参考例句：
The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。 The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

41 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

42 hurled
v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂
参考例句：
He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。 The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

43 tunic
n.束腰外衣
参考例句：
The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。 Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。

44 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

45 medley
n.混合
参考例句：
Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。 China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

46 hideous
adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的
参考例句：
The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。 They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

47 lashed
adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥
参考例句：
The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。 The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

48 maelstrom
n.大乱动；大漩涡
参考例句：
Inside,she was a maelstrom of churning emotions.她心中的情感似波涛汹涌，起伏不定。 The anxious person has the spirit like a maelstrom.焦虑的人的精神世界就像一个大漩涡。

49 squelched
v.发吧唧声，发扑哧声( squelch的过去式和过去分词 )；制止；压制；遏制
参考例句：
We squelched over the soggy ground. 我们咕唧咕唧地走过泥泞的土地。 The mud squelched as I walked through it. 我扑哧扑哧地穿过泥泞。

50 consternation
n.大为吃惊，惊骇
参考例句：
He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。 Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。