There was more than one moment during the first fortnight of term whenMike found himself regretting the attitude he had imposed upon himselfwith regard to Sedleighan cricket. He began to realise the eternaltruth of the proverb about half a loaf and no bread. In the firstflush of his resentment¹ against his new surroundings he had refused toplay cricket. And now he positively² ached for a game. Any sort of agame. An innings for a Kindergarten _v._ the Second Eleven of aHome of Rest for Centenarians would have soothed³ him. There weretimes, when the sun shone, and he caught sight of white flannels⁴ on agreen ground, and heard the "plonk" of bat striking ball, when he feltlike rushing to Adair and shouting, "I _will_ be good. I was inthe Wrykyn team three years, and had an average of over fifty the lasttwo seasons. Lead me to the nearest net, and let me feel a bat in myhands again."But every time he shrank from such a climb down. It couldn't be done.

　　What made it worse was that he saw, after watching behind the netsonce or twice, that Sedleigh cricket was not the childish burlesque⁵ ofthe game which he had been rash enough to assume that it must be.

　　Numbers do not make good cricket. They only make the presence of goodcricketers more likely, by the law of averages.

　　Mike soon saw that cricket was by no means an unknown art at Sedleigh.

　　Adair, to begin with, was a very good bowler⁶ indeed. He was not aBurgess, but Burgess was the only Wrykyn bowler whom, in his threeyears' experience of the school, Mike would have placed above him. Hewas a long way better than Neville-Smith, and Wyatt, and Milton, andthe others who had taken wickets for Wrykyn.

　　The batting was not so good, but there were some quite capable men.

　　Barnes, the head of Outwood's, he who preferred not to interfere⁷ withStone and Robinson, was a. mild, rather timid-looking youth--notunlike what Mr. Outwood must have been as a boy--but he knew how tokeep balls out of his wicket. He was a good bat of the old ploddingtype.

点击收听单词发音  

1 resentment
n.怨愤，忿恨
参考例句：
All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。 She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

2 positively
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。 The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

3 soothed
v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦
参考例句：
The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。 The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 flannels
法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Erik had been seen in flannels and an imitation Panama hat. 人们看到埃里克身穿法兰绒裤，头戴仿制巴拿马草帽。 He is wearing flannels and a blue jacket. 他穿着一条法兰绒裤子和一件蓝夹克。

5 burlesque
v.嘲弄，戏仿；n.嘲弄，取笑，滑稽模仿
参考例句：
Our comic play was a burlesque of a Shakespearean tragedy.我们的喜剧是对莎士比亚一出悲剧的讽刺性模仿。 He shouldn't burlesque the elder.他不应模仿那长者。

6 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。

7 interfere
v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰
参考例句：
If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。 When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

8 exponents
n.倡导者( exponent的名词复数 )；说明者；指数；能手
参考例句：
Its tendency to archaic language was tempered by the indolence of its exponents. 它的应用古语的趋势却被用语者的懒散所冲淡。 来自辞典例句 The exponents of this trend are trying to lead us towards capitalism. 这股思潮的代表人物是要把我们引导到资本主义方向上去。 来自互联网

9 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

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 overture
n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉
参考例句：
The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。 His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

12 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

13 abrupt
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。 His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

14 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。

15 frenzied
a.激怒的；疯狂的
参考例句：
Will this push him too far and lead to a frenzied attack? 这会不会逼他太甚，导致他进行疯狂的进攻？ Two teenagers carried out a frenzied attack on a local shopkeeper. 两名十几岁的少年对当地的一个店主进行了疯狂的袭击。

16 novices
n.新手( novice的名词复数 )；初学修士（或修女）；（修会等的）初学生；尚未赢过大赛的赛马
参考例句：
The Russians are such novices in Africa. 在非洲的俄国人简直都是些毫无经验的生手。 来自辞典例句 Where the primary track all novices, screams everywhere, ha ha good terror. 那里的初级道上全是生手，到处都是尖叫声，哈哈好恐怖的。 来自互联网

17 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？

18 boredom
n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊
参考例句：
Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。 A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

19 throng
n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集
参考例句：
A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。 The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

20 docility
n.容易教，易驾驶，驯服
参考例句：
He was trying to plant the seed of revolt, arouse that placid peasant docility. 他想撒下反叛的种子，唤醒这个安分驯良的农民的觉悟。 来自辞典例句 With unusual docility, Nancy stood up and followed him as he left the newsroom. 南希以难得的顺从站起身来，尾随着他离开了新闻编辑室。 来自辞典例句

21 putrid
adj.腐臭的；有毒的；已腐烂的；卑劣的
参考例句：
To eat putrid food is liable to get sick.吃了腐败的食物容易生病。 A putrid smell drove us from the room.一股腐臭的气味迫使我们离开这房间。

22 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

23 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

24 fatiguing
a.使人劳累的
参考例句：
He was fatiguing himself with his writing, no doubt. 想必他是拼命写作，写得精疲力尽了。 Machines are much less fatiguing to your hands, arms, and back. 使用机器时，手、膊和后背不会感到太累。

25 furrowed
v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句 The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句

26 brook
n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让
参考例句：
In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。 The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

27 pebbles
[复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。 Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石，以确保排水良好。

28 hitching
搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上
参考例句：
The farmer yoked the oxen before hitching them to the wagon. 农夫在将牛套上大车之前先给它们套上轭。 I saw an old man hitching along on his stick. 我看见一位老人拄着手杖蹒跚而行。

29 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。

30 toil
vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事
参考例句：
The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。 Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

31 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。

32 archaeology
n.考古学
参考例句：
She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。 He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

33 awakened
v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到
参考例句：
She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。 The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 lugged
vt.用力拖拉（lug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
She lugged the heavy case up the stairs. 她把那只沉甸甸的箱子拖上了楼梯。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They used to yell that at football when you lugged the ball. 踢足球的时候，逢着你抢到球，人们总是对你这样嚷嚷。 来自辞典例句

35 smote
v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 )
参考例句：
Figuratively, he could not kiss the hand that smote him. 打个比方说，他是不能认敌为友。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 \"Whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully.\" 珠儿会毫不留情地将这些\"儿童\"踩倒，再连根拔起。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

36 hip
n.臀部，髋；屋脊
参考例句：
The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。 The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

37 thigh
n.大腿；股骨
参考例句：
He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。 The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。