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儿童小说:蓝色城堡8
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  • CHAPTER VIII

    Valancy did not sleep that night. She lay awake all through the long dark hours—thinking—thinking. She made a discovery that surprised her: she, who had been afraid of almost everything in life, was not afraid of death. It did not seem in the least terrible to her. And she need not now be afraid of anything else. Why had she been afraid of things? Because of life. Afraid of Uncle Benjamin because of the menace of poverty in old age. But now she would never be old—neglected—tolerated. Afraid of being an old maid all her life. But now she would not be an old maid very long. Afraid of offending her mother and her clan1 because she had to live with and among them and couldn’t live peaceably if she didn’t give in to them. But now she hadn’t. Valancy felt a curious freedom.

    But she was still horribly afraid of one thing—the fuss the whole jamfry of them would make when she told them. Valancy shuddered2 at the thought of it. She couldn’t endure it. Oh, she knew so well how it would be. First there would be indignation—yes, indignation on the part of Uncle James because she had gone to a doctor—any doctor—without consulting HIM. Indignation on the part of her mother for being so sly and deceitful—“to your own mother, Doss.” Indignation on the part of the whole clan because she had not gone to Dr. Marsh3.

    Then would come the solicitude4. She would be taken to Dr. Marsh, and when Dr. Marsh confirmed Dr. Trent’s diagnosis5 she would be taken to specialists in Toronto and Montreal. Uncle Benjamin would foot the bill with a splendid gesture of munificence6 in thus assisting the widow and orphan7, and talk forever after of the shocking fees specialists charged for looking wise and saying they couldn’t do anything. And when the specialists could do nothing for her Uncle James would insist on her taking Purple Pills—“I’ve known them to effect a cure when all the doctors had given up”—and her mother would insist on Redfern’s Blood Bitters, and Cousin Stickles would insist on rubbing her over the heart every night with Redfern’s Liniment on the grounds that it might do good and couldn’t do harm; and everybody else would have some pet dope for her to take. Dr. Stalling would come to her and say solemnly, “You are very ill. Are you prepared for what may be before you?”—almost as if he were going to shake his forefinger8 at her, the forefinger that had not grown any shorter or less knobbly with age. And she would be watched and checked like a baby and never let do anything or go anywhere alone. Perhaps she would not even be allowed to sleep alone lest she die in her sleep. Cousin Stickles or her mother would insist on sharing her room and bed. Yes, undoubtedly9 they would.

    It was this last thought that really decided10 Valancy. She could not put up with it and she wouldn’t. As the clock in the hall below struck twelve Valancy suddenly and definitely made up her mind that she would not tell anybody. She had always been told, ever since she could remember, that she must hide her feelings. “It is not ladylike to have feelings,” Cousin Stickles had once told her disapprovingly11. Well, she would hide them with a vengeance12.

    But though she was not afraid of death she was not indifferent to it. She found that she resented it; it was not fair that she should have to die when she had never lived. Rebellion flamed up in her soul as the dark hours passed by—not because she had no future but because she had no past.

    “I’m poor—I’m ugly—I’m a failure—and I’m near death,” she thought. She could see her own obituary13 notice in the Deerwood Weekly Times, copied into the Port Lawrence Journal. “A deep gloom was cast over Deerwood, etc., etc.”—“leaves a large circle of friends to mourn, etc., etc., etc.”—lies, all lies. Gloom, forsooth! Nobody would miss her. Her death would not matter a straw to anybody. Not even her mother loved her—her mother who had been so disappointed that she was not a boy—or at least, a pretty girl.

    Valancy reviewed her whole life between midnight and the early spring dawn. It was a very drab existence, but here and there an incident loomed14 out with a significance out of all proportion to its real importance. These incidents were all unpleasant in one way or another. Nothing really pleasant had ever happened to Valancy.

    “I’ve never had one wholly happy hour in my life—not one,” she thought. “I’ve just been a colourless nonentity15. I remember reading somewhere once that there is an hour in which a woman might be happy all her life if she could but find it. I’ve never found my hour—never, never. And I never will now. If I could only have had that hour I’d be willing to die.”

    Those significant incidents kept bobbing up in her mind like unbidden ghosts, without any sequence of time or place. For instance, that time when, at sixteen, she had blued a tubful of clothes too deeply. And the time when, at eight, she had “stolen” some raspberry jam from Aunt Wellington’s pantry. Valancy never heard the last of those two misdemeanours. At almost every clan gathering16 they were raked up against her as jokes. Uncle Benjamin hardly ever missed re-telling the raspberry jam incident—he had been the one to catch her, her face all stained and streaked17.

    “I have really done so few bad things that they have to keep harping18 on the old ones,” thought Valancy. “Why, I’ve never even had a quarrel with any one. I haven’t an enemy. What a spineless thing I must be not to have even one enemy!”

    There was that incident of the dust-pile at school when she was seven. Valancy always recalled it when Dr. Stalling referred to the text, “To him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath.” Other people might puzzle over that text but it never puzzled Valancy. The whole relationship between herself and Olive, dating from the day of the dust-pile, was a commentary on it.

    She had been going to school a year, but Olive, who was a year younger, had just begun and had about her all the glamour19 of “a new girl” and an exceedingly pretty girl at that. It was at recess20 and all the girls, big and little, were out on the road in front of the school making dust-piles. The aim of each girl was to have the biggest pile. Valancy was good at making dust-piles—there was an art in it—and she had secret hopes of leading. But Olive, working off by herself, was suddenly discovered to have a larger dust-pile than anybody. Valancy felt no jealousy21. Her dust-pile was quite big enough to please her. Then one of the older girls had an inspiration.

    “Let’s put all our dust on Olive’s pile and make a tremendous one,” she exclaimed.

    A frenzy22 seemed to seize the girls. They swooped23 down on the dust-piles with pails and shovels24 and in a few seconds Olive’s pile was a veritable pyramid. In vain Valancy, with scrawny, outstretched little arms, tried to protect hers. She was ruthlessly swept aside, her dust-pile scooped25 up and poured on Olive’s. Valancy turned away resolutely26 and began building another dust-pile. Again a bigger girl pounced27 on it. Valancy stood before it, flushed, indignant, arms outspread.

    “Don’t take it,” she pleaded. “Please don’t take it.”

    “But why?” demanded the older girl. “Why won’t you help to build Olive’s bigger?”

    “I want my own little dust-pile,” said Valancy piteously.

    Her plea went unheeded. While she argued with one girl another scraped up her dust-pile. Valancy turned away, her heart swelling28, her eyes full of tears.

    “Jealous—you’re jealous!” said the girls mockingly.

    “You were very selfish,” said her mother coldly, when Valancy told her about it at night. That was the first and last time Valancy had ever taken any of her troubles to her mother.

    Valancy was neither jealous nor selfish. It was only that she wanted a dust-pile of her own—small or big mattered not. A team of horses came down the street—Olive’s dust pile was scattered29 over the roadway—the bell rang—the girls trooped into school and had forgotten the whole affair before they reached their seats. Valancy never forgot it. To this day she resented it in her secret soul. But was it not symbolical30 of her life?

    “I’ve never been able to have my own dust-pile,” thought Valancy.

    The enormous red moon she had seen rising right at the end of the street one autumn evening of her sixth year. She had been sick and cold with the awful, uncanny horror of it. So near to her. So big. She had run in trembling to her mother and her mother had laughed at her. She had gone to bed and hidden her face under the clothes in terror lest she might look at the window and see that horrible moon glaring in at her through it.

    The boy who had tried to kiss her at a party when she was fifteen. She had not let him—she had evaded31 him and run. He was the only boy who had ever tried to kiss her. Now, fourteen years later, Valancy found herself wishing that she had let him.

    The time she had been made to apologise to Olive for something she hadn’t done. Olive had said that Valancy had pushed her into the mud and spoiled her new shoes on purpose. Valancy knew she hadn’t. It had been an accident—and even that wasn’t her fault—but nobody would believe her. She had to apologise—and kiss Olive to “make up.” The injustice32 of it burned in her soul tonight.

    That summer when Olive had the most beautiful hat, trimmed with creamy yellow net, with a wreath of red roses and little ribbon bows under the chin. Valancy had wanted a hat like that more than she had ever wanted anything. She pleaded for one and had been laughed at—all summer she had to wear a horrid33 little brown sailor with elastic34 that cut behind her ears. None of the girls would go around with her because she was so shabby—nobody but Olive. People had thought Olive so sweet and unselfish.

    “I was an excellent foil for her,” thought Valancy. “Even then she knew that.”

    Valancy had tried to win a prize for attendance in Sunday School once. But Olive won it. There were so many Sundays Valancy had to stay home because she had colds. She had once tried to “say a piece” in school one Friday afternoon and had broken down in it. Olive was a good reciter and never got stuck.

    The night she had spent in Port Lawrence with Aunt Isabel when she was ten. Byron Stirling was there; from Montreal, twelve years old, conceited35, clever. At family prayers in the morning Byron had reached across and given Valancy’s thin arm such a savage36 pinch that she screamed out with pain. After prayers were over she was summoned to Aunt Isabel’s bar of judgment37. But when she said Byron had pinched her Byron denied it. He said she cried out because the kitten scratched her. He said she had put the kitten up on her chair and was playing with it when she should have been listening to Uncle David’s prayer. He was believed. In the Stirling clan the boys were always believed before the girls. Valancy was sent home in disgrace because of her exceedingly bad behavior during family prayers and she was not asked to Aunt Isabel’s again for many moons.

    The time Cousin Betty Stirling was married. Somehow Valancy got wind of the fact that Betty was going to ask her to be one of her bridesmaids. Valancy was secretly uplifted. It would be a delightful38 thing to be a bridesmaid. And of course she would have to have a new dress for it—a pretty new dress—a pink dress. Betty wanted her bridesmaids to dress in pink.

    But Betty had never asked her, after all. Valancy couldn’t guess why, but long after her secret tears of disappointment had been dried Olive told her. Betty, after much consultation39 and reflection, had decided that Valancy was too insignificant—she would “spoil the effect.” That was nine years ago. But tonight Valancy caught her breath with the old pain and sting of it.

    That day in her eleventh year when her mother had badgered her into confessing something she had never done. Valancy had denied it for a long time but eventually for peace’ sake she had given in and pleaded guilty. Mrs. Frederick was always making people lie by pushing them into situations where they had to lie. Then her mother had made her kneel down on the parlour floor, between herself and Cousin Stickles, and say, “O God, please forgive me for not speaking the truth.” Valancy had said it, but as she rose from her knees she muttered. “But, O God, you know I did speak the truth.” Valancy had not then heard of Galileo but her fate was similar to his. She was punished just as severely40 as if she hadn’t confessed and prayed.

    The winter she went to dancing-school. Uncle James had decreed she should go and had paid for her lessons. How she had looked forward to it! And how she had hated it! She had never had a voluntary partner. The teacher always had to tell some boy to dance with her, and generally he had been sulky about it. Yet Valancy was a good dancer, as light on her feet as thistledown. Olive, who never lacked eager partners, was heavy.

    The affair of the button-string, when she was ten. All the girls in school had button-strings. Olive had a very long one with a great many beautiful buttons. Valancy had one. Most of the buttons on it were very commonplace, but she had six beauties that had come off Grandmother Stirling’s wedding-gown—sparkling buttons of gold and glass, much more beautiful than any Olive had. Their possession conferred a certain distinction on Valancy. She knew every little girl in school envied her the exclusive possession of those beautiful buttons. When Olive saw them on the button-string she had looked at them narrowly but said nothing—then. The next day Aunt Wellington had come to Elm Street and told Mrs. Frederick that she thought Olive should have some of those buttons—Grandmother Stirling was just as much Wellington’s mother as Frederick’s. Mrs. Frederick had agreed amiably41. She could not afford to fall out with Aunt Wellington. Moreover, the matter was of no importance whatever. Aunt Wellington carried off four of the buttons, generously leaving two for Valancy. Valancy had torn these from her string and flung them on the floor—she had not yet learned that it was unladylike to have feelings—and had been sent supperless to bed for the exhibition.

    The night of Margaret Blunt’s party. She had made such pathetic efforts to be pretty that night. Rob Walker was to be there; and two nights before, on the moonlit verandah of Uncle Herbert’s cottage at Mistawis, Rob had really seemed attracted to her. At Margaret’s party Rob never even asked her to dance—did not notice her at all. She was a wallflower, as usual. That, of course, was years ago. People in Deerwood had long since given up inviting42 Valancy to dances. But to Valancy its humiliation43 and disappointment were of the other day. Her face burned in the darkness as she recalled herself, sitting there with her pitifully crimped, thin hair and the cheeks she had pinched for an hour before coming, in an effort to make them red. All that came of it was a wild story that Valancy Stirling was rouged44 at Margaret Blunt’s party. In those days in Deerwood that was enough to wreck45 your character forever. It did not wreck Valancy’s, or even damage it. People knew she couldn’t be fast if she tried. They only laughed at her.

    “I’ve had nothing but a second-hand46 existence,” decided Valancy. “All the great emotions of life have passed me by. I’ve never even had a grief. And have I ever really loved anybody? Do I really love Mother? No, I don’t. That’s the truth, whether it is disgraceful or not. I don’t love her—I’ve never loved her. What’s worse, I don’t even like her. So I don’t know anything about any kind of love. My life has been empty—empty. Nothing is worse than emptiness. Nothing!” Valancy ejaculated the last “nothing” aloud passionately47. Then she moaned and stopped thinking about anything for a while. One of her attacks of pain had come on.

    When it was over something had happened to Valancy—perhaps the culmination48 of the process that had been going on in her mind ever since she had read Dr. Trent’s letter. It was three o’clock in the morning—the wisest and most accursed hour of the clock. But sometimes it sets us free.

    “I’ve been trying to please other people all my life and failed,” she said. “After this I shall please myself. I shall never pretend anything again. I’ve breathed an atmosphere of fibs and pretences49 and evasions50 all my life. What a luxury it will be to tell the truth! I may not be able to do much that I want to do but I won’t do another thing that I don’t want to do. Mother can pout51 for weeks—I shan’t worry over it. ‘Despair is a free man—hope is a slave.’”

    Valancy got up and dressed, with a deepening of that curious sense of freedom. When she had finished with her hair she opened the window and hurled52 the jar of potpourri53 over into the next lot. It smashed gloriously against the schoolgirl complexion54 on the old carriage-shop.

    “I’m sick of the fragrance55 of dead things,” said Valancy.



    点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

    1 clan [klæn] Dq5zi   第8级
    n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派
    参考例句:
    • She ranks as my junior in the clan. 她的辈分比我小。
    • The Chinese Christians, therefore, practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan. 所以,中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。
    2 shuddered [ˈʃʌdəd] 70137c95ff493fbfede89987ee46ab86   第8级
    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》
    3 marsh [mɑ:ʃ] Y7Rzo   第8级
    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。
    4 solicitude [səˈlɪsɪtju:d] mFEza   第12级
    n.焦虑
    参考例句:
    • Your solicitude was a great consolation to me. 你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
    • He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister. 他对我妹妹满心牵挂。
    5 diagnosis [ˌdaɪəgˈnəʊsɪs] GvPxC   第8级
    n.诊断,诊断结果,调查分析,判断
    参考例句:
    • His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis. 他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
    • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse. 工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。
    6 munificence [mju:'nɪfɪsns] munificence   第10级
    n.宽宏大量,慷慨给与
    参考例句:
    • He is kindness and munificence by nature. 他天生既仁慈又宽宏大量。 来自辞典例句
    • He is not only kindness but also munificence. 他天生既仁慈又宽宏大量。 来自互联网
    7 orphan [ˈɔ:fn] QJExg   第7级
    n.孤儿;adj.无父母的
    参考例句:
    • He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine. 他把一个孤儿养大,并且把自己的医术传给了他。
    • The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters. 这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。
    8 forefinger [ˈfɔ:fɪŋgə(r)] pihxt   第8级
    n.食指
    参考例句:
    • He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger. 他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
    • He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger. 他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。
    9 undoubtedly [ʌn'daʊtɪdlɪ] Mfjz6l   第7级
    adv.确实地,无疑地
    参考例句:
    • It is undoubtedly she who has said that. 这话明明是她说的。
    • He is undoubtedly the pride of China. 毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
    10 decided [dɪˈsaɪdɪd] lvqzZd   第7级
    adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
    参考例句:
    • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents. 这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
    • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting. 英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
    11 disapprovingly [ˌdɪsə'pru:vɪŋlɪ] 6500b8d388ebb4d1b87ab0bd19005179   第8级
    adv.不以为然地,不赞成地,非难地
    参考例句:
    • When I suggested a drink, she coughed disapprovingly. 我提议喝一杯时,她咳了一下表示反对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • He shook his head disapprovingly. 他摇了摇头,表示不赞成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    12 vengeance [ˈvendʒəns] wL6zs   第7级
    n.报复,报仇,复仇
    参考例句:
    • He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father. 他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
    • For years he brooded vengeance. 多年来他一直在盘算报仇。
    13 obituary [əˈbɪtʃuəri] mvvy9   第10级
    n.讣告,死亡公告;adj.死亡的
    参考例句:
    • The obituary records the whole life of the deceased. 讣文记述了这位死者的生平。
    • Five days after the letter came, he found Andersen's obituary in the morning paper. 收到那封信五天后,他在早报上发现了安德森的讣告。
    14 loomed [lu:md] 9423e616fe6b658c9a341ebc71833279   第7级
    v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近
    参考例句:
    • A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
    • The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    15 nonentity [nɒˈnentəti] 2HZxr   第11级
    n.无足轻重的人
    参考例句:
    • She was written off then as a political nonentity. 她当时被认定是成不了气候的政坛小人物。
    • How could such a nonentity become chairman of the company? 这样的庸才怎么能当公司的董事长?
    16 gathering [ˈgæðərɪŋ] ChmxZ   第8级
    n.集会,聚会,聚集
    参考例句:
    • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering. 他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
    • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels. 他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
    17 streaked [stri:kt] d67e6c987d5339547c7938f1950b8295   第7级
    adj.有条斑纹的,不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 );使布满条纹
    参考例句:
    • The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
    • His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白,脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句
    18 harping [hɑ:pɪŋ] Jrxz6p   第9级
    n.反复述说
    参考例句:
    • Don't keep harping on like that. 别那样唠叨个没完。
    • You're always harping on the samestring. 你总是老调重弹。
    19 glamour [ˈglæmə(r)] Keizv   第7级
    n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住
    参考例句:
    • Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her. 到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
    • The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene. 月光给景色增添了魅力。
    20 recess [rɪˈses] pAxzC   第8级
    n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处)
    参考例句:
    • The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess. 会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
    • Parliament was hastily recalled from recess. 休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。
    21 jealousy [ˈdʒeləsi] WaRz6   第7级
    n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌
    参考例句:
    • Some women have a disposition to jealousy. 有些女人生性爱妒忌。
    • I can't support your jealousy any longer. 我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
    22 frenzy [ˈfrenzi] jQbzs   第9级
    n.疯狂,狂热,极度的激动
    参考例句:
    • He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy. 他能激起青年学生的狂热。
    • They were singing in a frenzy of joy. 他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。
    23 swooped [swu:pt] 33b84cab2ba3813062b6e35dccf6ee5b   第11级
    俯冲,猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • The aircraft swooped down over the buildings. 飞机俯冲到那些建筑物上方。
    • The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it. 鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
    24 shovels [ˈʃʌvlz] ff43a4c7395f1d0c2d5931bbb7a97da6   第8级
    n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份
    参考例句:
    • workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
    • In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天,我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句
    25 scooped [sku:pt] a4cb36a9a46ab2830b09e95772d85c96   第7级
    v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等)
    参考例句:
    • They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块,在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    26 resolutely ['rezəlju:tli] WW2xh   第7级
    adj.坚决地,果断地
    参考例句:
    • He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
    • He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难,而是抱怨自己运气不佳。
    27 pounced [paʊnst] 431de836b7c19167052c79f53bdf3b61   第10级
    v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 );猛扑;一眼看出;抓住机会(进行抨击)
    参考例句:
    • As soon as I opened my mouth, the teacher pounced on me. 我一张嘴就被老师抓住呵斥了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • The police pounced upon the thief. 警察向小偷扑了过去。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    28 swelling ['sweliŋ] OUzzd   第7级
    n.肿胀
    参考例句:
    • Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
    • There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。
    29 scattered ['skætəd] 7jgzKF   第7级
    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。
    30 symbolical [sim'bɔlik] nrqwT   第8级
    a.象征性的
    参考例句:
    • The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real. 今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的,无甚实际意义。
    • The Lord introduces the first symbolical language in Revelation. 主说明了启示录中第一个象徵的语言。
    31 evaded [iˈveidid] 4b636015da21a66943b43217559e0131   第7级
    逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 ); 避开; 回避; 想不出
    参考例句:
    • For two weeks they evaded the press. 他们有两周一直避而不见记者。
    • The lion evaded the hunter. 那狮子躲开了猎人。
    32 injustice [ɪnˈdʒʌstɪs] O45yL   第8级
    n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利
    参考例句:
    • They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated. 他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
    • All his life he has been struggling against injustice. 他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。
    33 horrid [ˈhɒrɪd] arozZj   第10级
    adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的
    参考例句:
    • I'm not going to the horrid dinner party. 我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
    • The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down. 这种药很难吃,她咽不下去。
    34 elastic [ɪˈlæstɪk] Tjbzq   第7级
    n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的
    参考例句:
    • Rubber is an elastic material. 橡胶是一种弹性材料。
    • These regulations are elastic. 这些规定是有弹性的。
    35 conceited [kənˈsi:tɪd] Cv0zxi   第8级
    adj.自负的,骄傲自满的
    参考例句:
    • He could not bear that they should be so conceited. 他们这样自高自大他受不了。
    • I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think. 我不像很多人认为的那么自负。
    36 savage [ˈsævɪdʒ] ECxzR   第7级
    adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人
    参考例句:
    • The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs. 那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
    • He has a savage temper. 他脾气粗暴。
    37 judgment ['dʒʌdʒmənt] e3xxC   第7级
    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。
    38 delightful [dɪˈlaɪtfl] 6xzxT   第8级
    adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
    参考例句:
    • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday. 上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
    • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute. 彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
    39 consultation [ˌkɒnslˈteɪʃn] VZAyq   第9级
    n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
    参考例句:
    • The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans. 该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
    • The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community. 该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
    40 severely [sə'vɪrlɪ] SiCzmk   第7级
    adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
    参考例句:
    • He was severely criticized and removed from his post. 他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
    • He is severely put down for his careless work. 他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
    41 amiably ['eɪmɪəblɪ] amiably   第7级
    adv.和蔼可亲地,亲切地
    参考例句:
    • She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
    • Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    42 inviting [ɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ] CqIzNp   第8级
    adj.诱人的,引人注目的
    参考例句:
    • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room. 一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
    • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar. 这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
    43 humiliation [hju:ˌmɪlɪ'eɪʃn] Jd3zW   第7级
    n.羞辱
    参考例句:
    • He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
    • He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。
    44 rouged [ru:ʒd] e3892a26d70e43f60e06e1087eef5433   第10级
    胭脂,口红( rouge的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • Tigress in a red jacket, her face powdered and rouged, followed him with her eyes. 虎妞穿着红袄,脸上抹着白粉与胭脂,眼睛溜着他。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
    • She worked carefully on her penciled her eyebrows and rouged her lips. 她仔细地梳理着头发,描眉,涂口红。
    45 wreck [rek] QMjzE   第7级
    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。
    46 second-hand [ˈsekəndˈhænd] second-hand   第8级
    adj.用过的,旧的,二手的
    参考例句:
    • I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop. 我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
    • They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale. 他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。
    47 passionately ['pæʃənitli] YmDzQ4   第8级
    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。
    48 culmination [ˌkʌlmɪˈneɪʃn] 9ycxq   第10级
    n.顶点;最高潮
    参考例句:
    • The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk. 太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
    • It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry. 这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。
    49 pretences [ˈpri:ˌtensiz] 0d462176df057e8e8154cd909f8d95a6   第12级
    n.假装( pretence的名词复数 );作假;自命;自称
    参考例句:
    • You've brought your old friends out here under false pretences. 你用虚假的名义把你的那些狐朋狗党带到这里来。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
    • There are no pretences about him. 他一点不虚伪。 来自辞典例句
    50 evasions [ɪˈveɪʒənz] 12dca57d919978b4dcae557be5e6384e   第9级
    逃避( evasion的名词复数 ); 回避; 遁辞; 借口
    参考例句:
    • A little overwhelmed, I began the generalized evasions which that question deserves. 我有点不知所措,就开始说一些含糊其词的话来搪塞。
    • His answers to my questions were all evasions. 他对我的问题的回答均为遁词。
    51 pout [paʊt] YP8xg   第12级
    n. 撅嘴;生气 vt. 撅嘴 vi. 撅嘴
    参考例句:
    • She looked at her lover with a pretentious pout. 她看着恋人,故作不悦地撅着嘴。
    • He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。
    52 hurled [hə:ld] 16e3a6ba35b6465e1376a4335ae25cd2   第8级
    v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂
    参考例句:
    • He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
    • The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    53 potpourri [ˌpəʊpʊˈri:] PPKxj   第12级
    n.混合之事物;百花香
    参考例句:
    • As tobacco cigarette burns, a potpourri of 4000 chemicals is released, including carbon monoxide and hydrocyanic acid. 当烟被点燃时,融合了四千种化学品的气体被释放出来,其中包括一氧化碳和氢氰酸。
    • Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此,也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。
    54 complexion [kəmˈplekʃn] IOsz4   第8级
    n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格
    参考例句:
    • Red does not suit with her complexion. 红色与她的肤色不协调。
    • Her resignation puts a different complexion on things. 她一辞职局面就全变了。
    55 fragrance [ˈfreɪgrəns] 66ryn   第8级
    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。

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