If Darrow, on entering the drawing-room before dinner,examined its new occupant with unusual interest, it was moreon Owen Leath's account than his own.

　　Anna's hints had roused his interest in the lad's loveaffair, and he wondered what manner of girl the heroine ofthe coming conflict might be. He had guessed that Owen'srebellion symbolized¹ for his step-mother her own longstruggle against the Leath conventions, and he understoodthat if Anna so passionately² abetted³ him it was partlybecause, as she owned, she wanted his liberation to coincidewith hers.

　　The lady who was to represent, in the impending⁴ struggle,the forces of order and tradition was seated by the firewhen Darrow entered. Among the flowers and old furniture ofthe large pale-panelled room, Madame de Chantelle had theinanimate elegance⁵ of a figure introduced into a "still-life" to give the scale. And this, Darrow reflected, wasexactly what she doubtless regarded as her chief obligation:

　　he was sure she thought a great deal of "measure", andapproved of most things only up to a certain point.

　　She was a woman of sixty, with a figure at once young andold-fashioned. Her fair faded tints⁶, her quaint⁷ corseting,the passementerie on her tight-waisted dress, the velvetband on her tapering⁸ arm, made her resemble a "carte devisite" photograph of the middle sixties. One saw her,younger but no less invincibly⁹ lady-like, leaning on a chairwith a fringed back, a curl in her neck, a locket on hertuckered bosom¹⁰

点击收听单词发音  

1 symbolized
v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
For Tigress, Joy symbolized the best a woman could expect from life. 在她看，小福子就足代表女人所应有的享受。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子 A car symbolized distinction and achievement, and he was proud. 汽车象征着荣誉和成功，所以他很自豪。 来自辞典例句

2 passionately
ad.热烈地，激烈地
参考例句：
She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。 He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

3 abetted
v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持
参考例句：
He was abetted in the deception by his wife. 他行骗是受了妻子的怂恿。 They aided and abetted in getting the police to catch the thief. 他们协助警察抓住了小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 impending
a.imminent, about to come or happen
参考例句：
Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。 The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

5 elegance
n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙
参考例句：
The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。 John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

6 tints
色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹
参考例句：
leaves with red and gold autumn tints 金秋时节略呈红黄色的树叶 The whole countryside glowed with autumn tints. 乡间处处呈现出灿烂的秋色。

7 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。

8 tapering
adj.尖端细的
参考例句：
Interest in the scandal seems to be tapering off. 人们对那件丑闻的兴趣似乎越来越小了。 Nonproductive expenditures keep tapering down. 非生产性开支一直在下降。

9 invincibly
adv.难战胜地，无敌地
参考例句：
Invincibly, the troops moved forward. 这支军队一路前进，所向披靡。 来自互联网

10 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

11 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

12 doggedly
adv.顽强地，固执地
参考例句：
He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。 He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

13 prattle
n.闲谈；v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话；发出连续而无意义的声音
参考例句：
Amy's happy prattle became intolerable.艾美兴高采烈地叽叽喳喳说个不停，汤姆感到无法忍受。 Flowing water and green grass witness your lover's endless prattle.流水缠绕，小草依依，都是你诉不尽的情话。

14 gazetteer
n.地名索引
参考例句：
Any atlas,containing many pages of maps,normally includes an index,called a gazetteer.任何载有多幅地图的地图集，一般都附有一份地名索引。 The entire "Geographia" is the first atlas and gazetteer.全部《地理学》可说是第一本地图集和地名辞典。

15 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。

16 rumour
n.谣言，谣传，传闻
参考例句：
I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。 There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

17 well-being
n.安康，安乐，幸福
参考例句：
He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。 My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

18 lull
v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇
参考例句：
The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。 Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

19 discourse
n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述
参考例句：
We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。 He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

20 suffocating
a.使人窒息的
参考例句：
After a few weeks with her parents, she felt she was suffocating.和父母呆了几个星期后，她感到自己毫无自由。 That's better. I was suffocating in that cell of a room.这样好些了，我刚才在那个小房间里快闷死了。

21 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。

22 justifying
证明…有理( justify的现在分词 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护）
参考例句：
He admitted it without justifying it. 他不加辩解地承认这个想法。 The fellow-travellers'service usually consisted of justifying all the tergiversations of Soviet intenal and foreign policy. 同路人的服务通常包括对苏联国内外政策中一切互相矛盾之处进行辩护。

23 discriminating
a.有辨别能力的
参考例句：
Due caution should be exercised in discriminating between the two. 在区别这两者时应该相当谨慎。 Many businesses are accused of discriminating against women. 许多企业被控有歧视妇女的做法。

24 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。

25 humdrum
adj.单调的，乏味的
参考例句：
Their lives consist of the humdrum activities of everyday existence.他们的生活由日常生存的平凡活动所构成。 The accountant said it was the most humdrum day that she had ever passed.会计师说这是她所度过的最无聊的一天。

26 entree
n.入场权，进入权
参考例句：
She made a graceful entree into the ballroom.她进入舞厅时显示非常优雅。 Her wealth and reputation gave her entree into upper-class circles.她的财富和声望使她得以进入上层社会。

27 prudently
adv. 谨慎地，慎重地
参考例句：
He prudently pursued his plan. 他谨慎地实行他那计划。 They had prudently withdrawn as soon as the van had got fairly under way. 他们在蓬车安全上路后立即谨慎地离去了。

28 awe
n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧
参考例句：
The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。 The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

29 deferred
adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从
参考例句：
The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。 a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

30 plaintively
adv.悲哀地，哀怨地
参考例句：
The last note of the song rang out plaintively. 歌曲最后道出了离别的哀怨。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Birds cry plaintively before they die, men speak kindly in the presence of death. 鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

31 intentionally
ad.故意地，有意地
参考例句：
I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。 The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

32 insistence
n.坚持；强调；坚决主张
参考例句：
They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。 His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

33 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。

34 romp
n.欢闹；v.嬉闹玩笑
参考例句：
The child went for a romp in the forest.那个孩子去森林快活一把。 Dogs and little children romped happily in the garden.狗和小孩子们在花园里嬉戏。

35 emancipation
n.（从束缚、支配下）解放
参考例句：
We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 luncheon
n.午宴，午餐，便宴
参考例句：
We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。 I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

37 exquisite
adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的
参考例句：
I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。 I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

38 acquiescence
n.默许；顺从
参考例句：
The chief inclined his head in sign of acquiescence.首领点点头表示允许。 This is due to his acquiescence.这是因为他的默许。

39 sitting-room
n.（BrE）客厅，起居室
参考例句：
The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。 Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

40 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

41 porcelain
n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的
参考例句：
These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。 The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。

42 scamper
v.奔跑，快跑
参考例句：
She loves to scamper through the woods of the forest.她喜欢在森林里的树林中穿梭嬉戏。 The flash sent the foxes scampering away.闪光惊得狐狸四处逃窜。

43 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

44 impatience
n.不耐烦，急躁
参考例句：
He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。 He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

45 lapse
n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效
参考例句：
The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。 I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

46 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。

47 appropriation
n.拨款，批准支出
参考例句：
Our government made an appropriation for the project.我们的政府为那个工程拨出一笔款项。 The council could note an annual appropriation for this service.议会可以为这项服务表决给他一笔常年经费。