The Ripton last-wicket man was de Freece, the slow bowler¹. He wasapparently a young gentleman wholly free from the curse ofnervousness. He wore a cheerful smile as he took guard beforereceiving the first ball after lunch, and Wrykyn had plenty ofopportunity of seeing that that was his normal expression when at thewickets. There is often a certain looseness about the attack afterlunch, and the bowler of googlies took advantage of it now. He seemedto be a batsman with only one hit; but he had also a very accurateeye, and his one hit, a semicircular stroke, which suggested the golflinks rather than the cricket field, came off with distressingfrequency. He mowed³ Burgess's first ball to the square-leg boundary,missed his second, and snicked the third for three over long-slip'shead. The other batsman played out the over, and de Freece proceededto treat Ellerby's bowling⁴ with equal familiarity. The scoring-boardshowed an increase of twenty as the result of three overs. Everyrun was invaluable⁶ now, and the Ripton contingent⁷ made the pavilionre-echo as a fluky shot over mid-on's head sent up the hundred andfifty.

　　There are few things more exasperating⁸ to the fielding side than alast-wicket stand. It resembles in its effect the dragging-out of abook or play after the _dénouement_ has been reached. At the fallof the ninth wicket the fieldsmen nearly always look on their outingas finished. Just a ball or two to the last man, and it will be theirturn to bat. If the last man insists on keeping them out in the field,they resent it.

　　What made it especially irritating now was the knowledge that astraight yorker would solve the whole thing. But when Burgess bowled ayorker, it was not straight. And when he bowled a straight ball, itwas not a yorker. A four and a three to de Freece, and a four bye sentup a hundred and sixty.

　　It was beginning to look as if this might go on for ever, whenEllerby, who had been missing the stumps⁹ by fractions of an inch,for the last ten minutes, did what Burgess had failed to do. Hebowled a straight, medium-paced yorker, and de Freece, swiping at itwith a bright smile, found his leg-stump knocked back. He had madetwenty-eight. His record score, he explained to Mike, as they walkedto the pavilion, for this or any ground.

点击收听单词发音  

1 bowler
n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手
参考例句：
The bowler judged it well,timing the ball to perfection.投球手判断准确，对球速的掌握恰到好处。 The captain decided to take Snow off and try a slower bowler.队长决定把斯诺撤下，换一个动作慢一点的投球手试一试。

2 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

3 mowed
v.刈，割( mow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The enemy were mowed down with machine-gun fire. 敌人被机枪的火力扫倒。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Men mowed the wide lawns and seeded them. 人们割了大片草地的草，然后在上面播种。 来自辞典例句

4 bowling
n.保龄球运动
参考例句：
Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。 Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

5 crease
n.折缝，褶痕，皱褶；v.(使)起皱
参考例句：
Does artificial silk crease more easily than natural silk?人造丝比天然丝更易起皱吗？ Please don't crease the blouse when you pack it.包装时请不要将衬衫弄皱了。

6 invaluable
adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的
参考例句：
A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。 This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

7 contingent
adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队
参考例句：
The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。 Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

8 exasperating
adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式
参考例句：
Our team's failure is very exasperating. 我们队失败了，真是气死人。 It is really exasperating that he has not turned up when the train is about to leave. 火车快开了， 他还不来，实在急人。

9 stumps
（被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分
参考例句：
Rocks and stumps supplied the place of chairs at the picnic. 野餐时石头和树桩都充当了椅子。 If you don't stir your stumps, Tom, you'll be late for school again. 汤姆，如果你不快走，上学又要迟到了。

10 animated
adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的
参考例句：
His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。 We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

11 hawk
n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员
参考例句：
The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。 The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

12 ordeal
n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验
参考例句：
She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。 Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

13 marsh
n.沼泽，湿地
参考例句：
There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。 I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。

14 bail
v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人
参考例句：
One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。 She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

15 bails
（法庭命令缴付的）保释金( bail的名词复数 )； 三柱门上的横木
参考例句：
Heavy-duty wire bails offer extra durability for heavy use. 重型丝保释提供额外的耐用性，为大量使用。 To retire (a batsman in cricket) with bowled ball that knocks the bails off the wicket. 使出局，打败：因投球击落柱上横木而迫使（板球以中的击球员）退场。

16 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

17 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。

18 stumped
僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说
参考例句：
Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。 He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。

19 conversational
adj.对话的，会话的
参考例句：
The article is written in a conversational style.该文是以对话的形式写成的。 She values herself on her conversational powers.她常夸耀自己的能言善辩。

20 trickier
adj.狡猾的( tricky的比较级 )；（形势、工作等）复杂的；机警的；微妙的
参考例句：
This is the general rule, but some cases are trickier than others. 以上是一般规则，但某些案例会比别的案例更为棘手。 来自互联网 The lower the numbers go, the trickier the problems get. 武器的数量越低，问题就越复杂。 来自互联网

21 respite
n.休息，中止，暂缓
参考例句：
She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。 Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。

22 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。

23 timing
n.时间安排，时间选择
参考例句：
The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。 The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

24 varied
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。 The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

25 destined
adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句：
It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。 The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

26 uprooted
v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园
参考例句：
Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

28 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。

29 inexplicable
adj.无法解释的，难理解的
参考例句：
It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。 There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

30 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。

31 tricky
adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的
参考例句：
I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？ He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

32 smiting
v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He set to smiting and overthrowing. 他马上就动手殴打和破坏。 来自辞典例句

33 conscientious
adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的
参考例句：
He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。 He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。

34 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。

35 superstitions
迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。 Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。

36 promising
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。 We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

37 pretensions
自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力
参考例句：
The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。 The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

38 bowlers
n.（板球）投球手( bowler的名词复数 )；圆顶高帽
参考例句：
Many London businessmen wear bowlers. 伦敦的许多商人戴常礼帽。 来自辞典例句 In America in the 1800s, bowlers began betting money on games. 19世纪在美国，保龄球员们开始在游戏上赌钱。 来自互联网

39 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。

40 wreck
n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难
参考例句：
Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。 No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

41 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？

42 modesty
n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素
参考例句：
Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。 As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

43 erratic
adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的
参考例句：
The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。 The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

44 sensational
adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的
参考例句：
Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。 Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

45 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。

46 foe
n.敌人，仇敌
参考例句：
He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。 A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。