The state of cataleptic rigour into which this man had fallen, lasted for an unprecedented¹ length of time, and then he passed slowly to the flaccid state, to a lax attitude suggestive of profound repose². Then it was his eyes could be closed.

He was removed from the hotel to the Boscastle surgery, and from the surgery, after some weeks, to London. But he still resisted every attempt at reanimation. After a time, for reasons that will appear later, these attempts were discontinued. For a great space he lay in that strange condition, inert³ and still--neither dead nor living but, as it were, suspended, hanging midway between nothingness and existence. His was a darkness unbroken by a ray of thought or sensation, a dreamless inanition, a vast space of peace. The tumult⁴ of his mind had swelled⁵ and risen to an abrupt⁶ climax⁷ of silence. Where was the man? Where is any man when insensibility takes hold of him?

"It seems only yesterday," said Isbister. "I remember it all as though it happened yesterday--clearer, perhaps, than if it had happened yesterday."

It was the Isbister of the last chapter, but he was no longer a young man. The hair that had been brown and a trifle in excess of the fashionable length, was iron grey and clipped close, and the face that had been pink and white was buff and ruddy. He had a pointed⁸ beard shot with grey. He talked to an elderly man who wore a summer suit of drill (the summer of that year was unusually hot). This was Warming, a London solicitor⁹ and next of kin¹⁰ to Graham, the man who had fallen into the trance. And the two men stood side by side in a room in a house in London regarding his recumbent figure.

点击收听单词发音  

1 unprecedented
adj.无前例的，新奇的
参考例句：
The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。 A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 repose
v.(使)休息；n.安息
参考例句：
Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。 Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

3 inert
adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的
参考例句：
Inert gas studies are providing valuable information about other planets,too.对惰性气体的研究，也提供了有关其它行星的有价值的资料。 Elemental nitrogen is a very unreactive and inert material.元素氮是一个十分不活跃的惰性物质。

4 tumult
n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹
参考例句：
The tumult in the streets awakened everyone in the house.街上的喧哗吵醒了屋子里的每一个人。 His voice disappeared under growing tumult.他的声音消失在越来越响的喧哗声中。

5 swelled
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）
参考例句：
The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。 After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

6 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。

7 climax
n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点
参考例句：
The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。 His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。

8 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。

9 solicitor
n.初级律师，事务律师
参考例句：
The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。 The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

10 kin
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
参考例句：
He comes of good kin.他出身好。 She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

11 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。

12 lank
adj.瘦削的；稀疏的
参考例句：
He rose to lank height and grasped Billy McMahan's hand.他瘦削的身躯站了起来，紧紧地握住比利·麦默恩的手。 The old man has lank hair.那位老人头发稀疏

13 sleeper
n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺
参考例句：
I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。 But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

14 isolated
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句：
His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。 Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

15 pigments
n.（粉状）颜料( pigment的名词复数 )；天然色素
参考例句：
The Romans used natural pigments on their fabrics and walls. 古罗马人在织物和墙壁上使用天然颜料。 来自辞典例句 The original white lead pigments have oxidized and turned black. 最初的白色铅质颜料氧化后变成了黑色。 来自辞典例句

16 glorify
vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化
参考例句：
Politicians have complained that the media glorify drugs.政治家们抱怨媒体美化毒品。 We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.我们全心全意敬奉上帝，竭尽所能颂扬他的美名。

17 lizard
n.蜥蜴，壁虎
参考例句：
A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。 The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。

18 recollect
v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得
参考例句：
He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。 She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

19 jubilee
n.周年纪念；欢乐
参考例句：
They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。 Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

20 landlady
n.女房东，女地主
参考例句：
I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。 The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

21 rigid
adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的
参考例句：
She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。 The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

22 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。

23 prostrate
v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的
参考例句：
She was prostrate on the floor.她俯卧在地板上。 The Yankees had the South prostrate and they intended to keep It'so.北方佬已经使南方屈服了,他们还打算继续下去。

24 pricking
刺，刺痕，刺痛感
参考例句：
She felt a pricking on her scalp. 她感到头皮上被扎了一下。 Intercostal neuralgia causes paroxysmal burning pain or pricking pain. 肋间神经痛呈阵发性的灼痛或刺痛。

25 throb
v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动
参考例句：
She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。 The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。

26 flaring
a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的
参考例句：
A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。 Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

27 unnatural
adj.不自然的；反常的
参考例句：
Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？ She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

28 digestion
n.消化，吸收
参考例句：
This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。 This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

29 noted
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。 Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

30 nourishment
n.食物，营养品；营养情况
参考例句：
Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。 He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

31 postpone
v.延期，推迟
参考例句：
I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。 She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

32 collapse
vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷
参考例句：
The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。 The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

33 zest
n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣
参考例句：
He dived into his new job with great zest.他充满热情地投入了新的工作。 He wrote his novel about his trip to Asia with zest.他兴趣浓厚的写了一本关于他亚洲之行的小说。

34 eldest
adj.最年长的，最年老的
参考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

35 primly
adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地
参考例句：
He didn't reply, but just smiled primly. 他没回答，只是拘谨地笑了笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He wore prim suits with neckties set primly against the collar buttons of his white shirts. 他穿着整洁的外套，领结紧贴着白色衬衫领口的钮扣。 来自互联网

36 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。

37 guardian
n.监护人；守卫者，保护者
参考例句：
The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。 The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

38 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。

39 feigned
a.假装的，不真诚的
参考例句：
He feigned indifference to criticism of his work. 他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。 He accepted the invitation with feigned enthusiasm. 他假装热情地接受了邀请。

40 hesitation
n.犹豫，踌躇
参考例句：
After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。 There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

41 grotesque
adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物）
参考例句：
His face has a grotesque appearance.他的面部表情十分怪。 Her account of the incident was a grotesque distortion of the truth.她对这件事的陈述是荒诞地歪曲了事实。

42 appreciation
n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨
参考例句：
I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。 I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

43 grimace
v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭
参考例句：
The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。 Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。

44 eyelids
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色
参考例句：
She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。 Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

45 controversy
n.争论，辩论，争吵
参考例句：
That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。 We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。