时间:2018-12-07 作者:英语课 分类:老友记精校版第1季


英语课

After thirty years of married happiness, he could still remind himself that Victoria was endowed with every charm except the thrilling touch of human frailty 1. Though her perfection discouraged pleasures, especially the pleasures of love, he had learned in time to feel the pride of a husband in her natural frigidity 2. For he still clung, amid the decay of moral platitudes 3, to the discredited 4 ideal of chivalry 5. In his youth the world was suffused 6 with the after-glow of the long Victorian age, and a graceful 7 feminine style had softened 8 the manners, if not the natures, of men. At the end of that interesting epoch 9, when womanhood was exalted 10 from a biological factsintosa miraculous 11 power, Virginius Littlepage, the younger son of an old and affluent 12 family, had married Victoria Brooke, the grand-daughter of a tobacco planter, who had made a satisfactory fortune by forsaking 13 his plantation 14 and converting tobaccosintoscigarettes. While Virginius had been trained by stern tradition to respect every woman who had not stooped to folly 15, the virtue 16 peculiar 17 to her sex was among the least of his reasons for admiring Victoria. She was not only modest, which was usual in the nineties, but she was beautiful, which is unusual in any decade.

  In the beginning of their acquaintance he had gone even further and ascribed intellect to her; but a few months of marriage had shown this to be merely one of the many delusions 18 created by perfect features and noble expression. Everything about her had been smooth and definite, even the tones of her voice and the way her light brown hair, which she wore a la Pompadour, was rolled stiffly back from her forehead and coiled in a burnished 19 rope on the top of her head.

A serious young man, ambitious to attain 20 a place in the world more brilliant than the secluded 21 seat of his ancestors, he had been impressed at their first meeting by the compactness and precision of Victoria's orderly mind. For in that earnest period the minds, as well as the emotions, of lovers were orderly. It was an age when eager young men flocked to church on Sunday morning, and eloquent 22 divines discoursed 23 upon the Victorian poets in the middle of the week. He could afford to smile now when he recalled the solemn Browning class in which he had first lost his heart. How passionately 24 he had admired Victoria's virginal features! How fervently 25 he had envied her competent but caressing 26 way with the poet!

  Incredible as it seemed to him now, he had fallen in love with her while she recited from the more ponderous 27 passages in The Ring and the Book. He had fallen in love with her then, though he had never really enjoyed Browning, and it had been a relief to him when the Unseen, in company with its illustrious poet, had at last gone out of fashion. Yet, since he was disposed to admire all the qualities he did not possess, he had never ceased to respect the firmness with which Victoria continued to deal in other forms with the Absolute.

  As the placid 28 years passed, and she came to rely less upon her virginal features, it seemed to him that the ripe opinions of her youth began to shrink and flatten 29 as fruit does that has hung too long on the tree. She had never changed, he realized, since he had first known her; she had become merely riper, softer, and sweeter in nature.

  Her advantage restedswheresadvantage never fails to rest, in moral fervour. To be invariably right was her single wifely failing. For his wife, he sighed, with the vague unrest of a husband whose infidelities are imaginary, was a genuinely good woman. She was as far removed from pretence 30 as she was from the posturing 31 virtues 32 that flourish in the credulous 33 world of the drama. The pity of it was that even the least exacting 34 husband should so often desire something more piquant 35 than goodness.
 



1 frailty
n.脆弱;意志薄弱
  • Despite increasing physical frailty,he continued to write stories.尽管身体越来越虛弱,他仍然继续写小说。
  • He paused and suddenly all the frailty and fatigue showed.他顿住了,虚弱与疲惫一下子显露出来。
2 frigidity
n.寒冷;冷淡;索然无味;(尤指妇女的)性感缺失
  • Doctor Simpson believes that Suzie's frigidity is due to some hang-up about men. 辛普森大夫认为苏西的性冷淡是由于她对男人有着异常的精神反应。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Frigidity and horror have attacked that crying baby ! 那位哭闹的孩子又冷又害怕。 来自辞典例句
3 platitudes
n.平常的话,老生常谈,陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 );滥套子
  • He was mouthing the usual platitudes about the need for more compassion. 他言不由衷地说了些需要更加同情之类的陈腔滥调。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He delivered a long prose full of platitudes. 他发表了一篇充满陈词滥调的文章。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4 discredited
不足信的,不名誉的
  • The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷,不得人心。
  • Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。
5 chivalry
n.骑士气概,侠义;(男人)对女人彬彬有礼,献殷勤
  • The Middle Ages were also the great age of chivalry.中世纪也是骑士制度盛行的时代。
  • He looked up at them with great chivalry.他非常有礼貌地抬头瞧她们。
6 suffused
v.(指颜色、水气等)弥漫于,布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 )
  • Her face was suffused with colour. 她满脸通红。
  • Her eyes were suffused with warm, excited tears. 她激动地热泪盈眶。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
7 graceful
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
8 softened
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰
  • His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
  • The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。
9 epoch
n.(新)时代;历元
  • The epoch of revolution creates great figures.革命时代造就伟大的人物。
  • We're at the end of the historical epoch,and at the dawn of another.我们正处在一个历史时代的末期,另一个历史时代的开端。
10 exalted
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的
  • Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
  • He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。
11 miraculous
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的
  • The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
  • They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人,赢得了非凡的胜利。
12 affluent
adj.富裕的,富有的,丰富的,富饶的
  • He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
  • His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。
13 forsaking
放弃( forsake的现在分词 ); 弃绝; 抛弃; 摒弃
  • I will not be cowed into forsaking my beliefs. 我不会因为被恐吓而放弃自己的信仰。
  • At fourteen he ran away, forsaking his home and friends. 他十四岁出走,离开了家乡和朋友。
14 plantation
n.种植园,大农场
  • His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
  • The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。
15 folly
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话
  • Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
  • Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。
16 virtue
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力
  • He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
  • You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
17 peculiar
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
  • He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
  • He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
18 delusions
n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 );谬见;错觉;妄想
  • the delusions of the mentally ill 精神病患者的妄想
  • She wants to travel first-class: she must have delusions of grandeur. 她想坐头等舱旅行,她一定自以为很了不起。 来自辞典例句
19 burnished
adj.抛光的,光亮的v.擦亮(金属等),磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 );被擦亮,磨光
  • The floor was spotless; the grate and fire-irons were burnished bright. 地板上没有污迹;炉栅和火炉用具擦得发亮。 来自辞典例句
  • The woods today are burnished bronze. 今天的树林是一片发亮的青铜色。 来自辞典例句
20 attain
vt.达到,获得,完成
  • I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
  • His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。
21 secluded
adj.与世隔绝的;隐退的;偏僻的v.使隔开,使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)
  • Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时,喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑,有茅草房顶和宁静的花园,漂亮极了,简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 eloquent
adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的
  • He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩,胜过最好的演说家。
  • These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。
23 discoursed
演说(discourse的过去式与过去分词形式)
  • He discoursed on an interesting topic. 他就一个有趣的题目发表了演讲。
  • The scholar discoursed at great length on the poetic style of John Keats. 那位学者详细讲述了约翰·济慈的诗歌风格。
24 passionately
ad.热烈地,激烈地
  • 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。
25 fervently
adv.热烈地,热情地,强烈地
  • "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦,我真高兴!”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊,我亲爱的,亲爱的,你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
26 caressing
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的
  • The spring wind is gentle and caressing. 春风和畅。
  • He sat silent still caressing Tartar, who slobbered with exceeding affection. 他不声不响地坐在那里,不断抚摸着鞑靼,它由于获得超常的爱抚而不淌口水。
27 ponderous
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的
  • His steps were heavy and ponderous.他的步伐沉重缓慢。
  • It was easy to underestimate him because of his occasionally ponderous manner.由于他偶尔现出的沉闷的姿态,很容易使人小看了他。
28 placid
adj.安静的,平和的
  • He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
  • You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。
29 flatten
v.把...弄平,使倒伏;使(漆等)失去光泽
  • We can flatten out a piece of metal by hammering it.我们可以用锤子把一块金属敲平。
  • The wrinkled silk will flatten out if you iron it.发皱的丝绸可以用熨斗烫平。
30 pretence
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰
  • The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
  • He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。
31 posturing
做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )
  • She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
  • She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。
32 virtues
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
33 credulous
adj.轻信的,易信的
  • You must be credulous if she fooled you with that story.连她那种话都能把你骗倒,你一定是太容易相信别人了。
  • Credulous attitude will only make you take anything for granted.轻信的态度只会使你想当然。
34 exacting
adj.苛求的,要求严格的
  • He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
  • The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移,公众的要求更趋严格。
35 piquant
adj.辛辣的,开胃的,令人兴奋的
  • Bland vegetables are often served with a piquant sauce.清淡的蔬菜常以辛辣的沙司调味。
  • He heard of a piquant bit of news.他听到了一则令人兴奋的消息。
学英语单词
agaidika
application link
artificial intelligence markup language
at the mouth of
battle disposition
bityite
boat unit
Bramante, Donato d'Agnolo
butazolidine
by fumigation
cafer
cammander
cargo tank cleaning heater
cargo tanker
cavity base
compound IF statement
conkabell
cyrtosis
dearing spool
debug macro
demonstrated reserve
deoxygenations
Department of Textitles
dichlorophenolsulfonphthalein
dietstaining
digital effects
disclaimers
disturbance of apprehension
Dunqulah
endomagmatic hydrothermal differentiation
engineered safeguard system
Erb-Westphal sign
ergot derivative
facies articularis calcanearis media
family Cornaceae
ficara
functional sphincter incoordination
goodge
granulous
heritage industry
hold pride of place
homage and fealty
inertia-mass
internal fluid friction
isoorthicon
knezek
kwifs
laccaic acid d
lad's love
Major-Mitchell
micro-micro farad
mini-trench
motor ambulance
Mycodysentery
naglieri
nephropsid
no man's land
Old Lady of Threadneedle Street
open mould
ophitic
overtreading
periodic requirements
pinkness
place mat
Plata, Rio de la
plate reader
power drag scraper
preheating time
propositionizes
prospecting shaft
recomplicates
rewind fine
rock blast
self-report inventory
semi-evergreen
Shomba
sino-mongolians
snap terminal
sodium methanearsenate
son-in
speckle wood
spur-gear cutter
spurious pattern
submixing
survival bag
syndrome of intermin-gled phlegm and blood stasis
table of contents
take ... out of
taster's choice
tela conjunctiva
terashima
throughflow
tooties
tvrtkoes
undistended
unmanned lunar impact
vertical climatic zone
VORs
wagner test
well-bestrutted
wellaways
wevell