It was the eve of the Duke's birthday. A cabinet council had been calledin the morning, and his Highness's ministers had submitted to him therevised draft of the constitution which was to be proclaimed on themorrow.

　　Throughout the conference, which was brief and formal, Odo had beenconscious of a subtle change in the ministerial atmosphere. Instead ofthe current of resistance against which he had grown used to forcing hisway, he became aware of a tacit yielding to his will. Trescorre hadapparently withdrawn¹ his opposition² to the charter, and the otherministers had followed suit. To Odo's overwrought imagination there wassomething ominous³ in the change. He had counted on the goad⁴ ofopposition to fight off the fatal languor⁵ which he had learned to expectat such crises. Now that he found there was to be no struggle heunderstood how largely his zeal⁶ had of late depended on such factitiousincentives. He felt an irrational⁷ longing⁸ to throw himself on the otherside of the conflict, to tear in bits the paper awaiting his signature,and disown the policy which had dictated⁹ it. But the tide ofacquiescence on which he was afloat was no stagnant¹⁰ back-water ofindifference, but the glassy reach just above the fall of a river. Thecurrent was as swift as it was smooth, and he felt himself hurriedforward to an end he could no longer escape. He took the pen whichTrescorre handed him, and signed the constitution.

　　The meeting over, he summoned Gamba. He felt the need of suchencouragement as the hunchback alone could give. Fulvia's enthusiasmswere too unreal, too abstract. She lived in a region of ideals, whenceugly facts were swept out by some process of mental housewifery whichkept her world perpetually smiling and immaculate. Gamba at least fedhis convictions on facts. If his outlook was narrow it was direct: noroseate medium of fancy was interposed between his vision and the truth.

点击收听单词发音  

1 withdrawn
vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出
参考例句：
Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。 All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 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。

3 ominous
adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的
参考例句：
Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。 There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

4 goad
n.刺棒，刺痛物；激励；vt.激励，刺激
参考例句：
The opposition is trying to goad the government into calling an election.在野反对党正努力激起政府提出选举。 The writer said he needed some goad because he was indolent.这个作家说他需要刺激，因为他很懒惰。

5 languor
n.无精力，倦怠
参考例句：
It was hot,yet with a sweet languor about it.天气是炎热的，然而却有一种惬意的懒洋洋的感觉。 She,in her languor,had not troubled to eat much.她懒懒的，没吃多少东西。

6 zeal
n.热心，热情，热忱
参考例句：
Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。 They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

7 irrational
adj.无理性的，失去理性的
参考例句：
After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。 There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

8 longing
n.（for）渴望
参考例句：
Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。 His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

9 dictated
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布
参考例句：
He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。 No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 stagnant
adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的
参考例句：
Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。 Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

11 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

12 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

13 tainted
adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏
参考例句：
The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。 He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 corruption
n.腐败，堕落，贪污
参考例句：
The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。 The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 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。

16 dominion
n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图
参考例句：
Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。 In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

17 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

18 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

19 thwart
v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)
参考例句：
We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。 I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。

20 clergy
n.[总称]牧师，神职人员
参考例句：
I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。 All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

21 expedient
adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计
参考例句：
The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。 Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。

22 gentry
n.绅士阶级，上层阶级
参考例句：
Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。 Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首，不居贵族之末。

23 portents
n.预兆( portent的名词复数 )；征兆；怪事；奇物
参考例句：
But even with this extra support, labour-market portents still look grim. 但是即使采取了额外支持措施，劳动力市场依然阴霾密布。 来自互联网 So the hiccups are worth noting as portents. 因此这些问题作为不好的征兆而值得关注。 来自互联网

24 solidarity
n.团结；休戚相关
参考例句：
They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。 The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

25 idols
偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像
参考例句：
The genii will give evidence against those who have worshipped idols. 魔怪将提供证据来反对那些崇拜偶像的人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史 Teenagers are very sequacious and they often emulate the behavior of their idols. 青少年非常盲从，经常模仿他们的偶像的行为。

26 dread
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。 Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

27 pretext
n.借口，托词
参考例句：
He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。 He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

28 pretexts
n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 )
参考例句：
On various pretexts they all moved off. 他们以各种各样的借口纷纷离开了。 来自辞典例句 Pretexts and appearances no longer deceive us. 那些托辞与假象再也不会欺骗我们了。 来自辞典例句

29 impulsive
adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的
参考例句：
She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。 He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

30 impulsiveness
n.冲动
参考例句：
Advancing years had toned down his rash impulsiveness.上了年纪以后，他那鲁莽、容易冲动的性子好了一些。 There was some emotional lability and impulsiveness during the testing.在测试过程中，患者容易冲动，情绪有时不稳定。

31 tranquillity
n. 平静, 安静
参考例句：
The phenomenon was so striking and disturbing that his philosophical tranquillity vanished. 这个令人惶惑不安的现象，扰乱了他的旷达宁静的心境。 My value for domestic tranquillity should much exceed theirs. 我应该远比他们重视家庭的平静生活。

32 twilight
n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期
参考例句：
Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。 Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

33 rustle
v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声
参考例句：
She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。 He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。

34 glimmer
v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光
参考例句：
I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。 A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

35 emanated
v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示
参考例句：
Do you know where these rumours emanated from? 你知道谣言出自何处吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》 The rumor emanated from Chicago. 谣言来自芝加哥。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

36 fragrance
n.芬芳，香味，香气
参考例句：
The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。 The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

37 phantom
n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的
参考例句：
I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。 He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

38 utterance
n.用言语表达，话语，言语
参考例句：
This utterance of his was greeted with bursts of uproarious laughter.他的讲话引起阵阵哄然大笑。 My voice cleaves to my throat,and sob chokes my utterance.我的噪子哽咽，泣不成声。

39 gaily
adv.欢乐地，高兴地
参考例句：
The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。 She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

40 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

41 bantering
adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄
参考例句：
There was a friendly, bantering tone in his voice. 他的声音里流露着友好诙谐的语调。 The students enjoyed their teacher's bantering them about their mistakes. 同学们对老师用风趣的方式讲解他们的错误很感兴趣。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

42 deserted
adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的
参考例句：
The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。 The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

43 exclamation
n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词
参考例句：
He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。 The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

44 agitation
n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动
参考例句：
Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。 These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

45 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。

46 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

47 guilt
n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责
参考例句：
She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。 Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

48 ails
v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳
参考例句：
He will not concede what anything ails his business. 他不允许任何事情来干扰他的工作。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Measles ails the little girl. 麻疹折磨着这个小女孩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

49 heed
v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心
参考例句：
You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。 For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

50 regaining
复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。 She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

51 instinctive
adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的
参考例句：
He tried to conceal his instinctive revulsion at the idea.他试图饰盖自己对这一想法本能的厌恶。 Animals have an instinctive fear of fire.动物本能地怕火。

52 loyalty
n.忠诚，忠心
参考例句：
She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。 His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

53 disarming
adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒
参考例句：
He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》 We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

54 entreat
v.恳求，恳请
参考例句：
Charles Darnay felt it hopeless entreat him further,and his pride was touched besides.查尔斯-达尔内感到再恳求他已是枉然，自尊心也受到了伤害。 I entreat you to contribute generously to the building fund.我恳求您慷慨捐助建设基金。

55 juncture
n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头
参考例句：
The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。 It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

56 persistency
n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数)
参考例句：
I was nettled by her persistency. 我被她的固执惹恼了。 We should stick to and develop the heritage of persistency. 我们应坚持和发扬坚忍不拔的传统。

57 evasion
n.逃避，偷漏(税)
参考例句：
The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。 The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

58 unwilling
adj.不情愿的
参考例句：
The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。 His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

59 torment
n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠
参考例句：
He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。 Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

60 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。

61 justify
vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护
参考例句：
He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。 Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

62 deluded
v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Don't be deluded into thinking that we are out of danger yet. 不要误以为我们已脱离危险。 She deluded everyone into following her. 她骗得每个人都听信她的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

63 entreatingly
哀求地，乞求地
参考例句：
She spoke rapidly and pleadingly, looked entreatingly into his face. 她辩解似的讲得很快，用恳求的目光看着他的脸。 He lifted his eyes to her entreatingly. 他抬起头用哀求的目光望着她。

64 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。

65 haggling
v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。 Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

66 heeding
v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 )
参考例句：
This come of heeding people who say one thing and mean another! 有些人嘴里一回事，心里又是一回事，今天这个下场都是听信了这种人的话的结果。 来自辞典例句 Her dwarfish spouse still smoked his cigar and drank his rum without heeding her. 她那矮老公还在吸他的雪茄，喝他的蔗酒，睬也不睬她。 来自辞典例句

67 fumes
n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体
参考例句：
The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。 Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

68 subsided
v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上
参考例句：
After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

69 shuddered
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动
参考例句：
He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

70 veins
n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理
参考例句：
The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

71 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

72 martyrs
n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）
参考例句：
the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者 They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

73 hissing
n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式
参考例句：
The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。 His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

74 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。