红字-第21章 新英格兰的节日
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Chapter 21  THE NEW ENGLAND HOLIDAY

BETIMES in the morning of the day on which the new Governor was to receive his office at the hands of the people, Hester Prynne and little Pearl came into the market-place. It was already thronged1 with the craftsmen2 and other plebeian3 inhabitants of the town, in considerable numbers; among whom, likewise, were many rough figures, whose attire4 of deer-skins marked them as belonging to some of the forest settlements, which surrounded the little metropolis5 of the colony.

On this public holiday, as on all other occasions, for seven years past, Hester was clad in a garment of coarse grey cloth. Not more by its hue6 than by some indescribable peculiarity7 in its fashion, it had the effect of making her fade personally out of sight and outline; while, again, the scarlet8 letter brought her back from this twilight9 indistinctness, and revealed her under the moral aspect of its own illumination. Her face, so long familiar to the townspeople, showed the marble quietude which they were accustomed to behold10 there. It was like a mask; or, rather, like the frozen calmness of a dead woman's features; owing this dreary11 resemblance to the fact that Hester was actually dead, in respect to any claim of sympathy, and had departed out of the world with which she still seemed to mingle12.

It might be, on this one day, that there was an expression unseen before, nor, indeed, vivid enough to be detected now; unless some preternaturally gifted observer should have first read the heart, and have afterwards sought a corresponding development in the countenance13 and mien14. Such a spiritual seer might have conceived, that, after sustaining the gaze of the multitude through seven miserable15 years as a necessity, a penance16, and something which it was a stern religion to endure, she now, for one last time more, encountered it freely and voluntarily, in order to convert what had so long been agony into a kind of triumph. "Look your last on the scarlet letter and its wearer!"- the people's victim and life-long bond-slave, as they fancied her, might say to them. "Yet a little while, and she will be beyond your reach! A few hours longer, and the deep, mysterious ocean will quench17 and hide for ever the symbol which ye have caused to burn upon her bosom18!" Nor were it an inconsistency too improbable to be assigned to human nature, should we suppose a feeling of regret in Hester's mind, at the moment when she was about to win her freedom from the pain which had been thus deeply incorporated with her being. Might there not be an irresistible20 desire to quaff21 a last, long, breathless draught22 of the cup of wormwood and aloes, with which nearly all her years of womanhood had been perpetually flavoured? The wine of life, henceforth to be presented to her lips, must be indeed rich, delicious, and exhilarating, in its chased and golden beaker; or else leave an inevitable24 and weary languor25, after the lees of bitterness wherewith she had been drugged, as with a cordial of intensest potency27.

Pearl was decked out with airy gaiety. It would have been impossible to guess that this bright and sunny apparition28 owed its existence to the shape of gloomy grey; or that a fancy, at once so gorgeous and so delicate as must have been requisite29 to contrive30 the child's apparel, was the same that had achieved a task perhaps more difficult, in imparting so distinct a peculiarity to Hester's simple robe. The dress, so proper was it to little Pearl, seemed an effluence, or inevitable development and outward manifestation31 of her character, no more to be separated from her than the many-hued brilliancy from a butterfly's wing, or the painted glory from the leaf of a bright flower. As with these, so with the child; her garb32 was all of one idea with her nature. On this eventful day, moreover, there was a certain singular inquietude and excitement in her mood, resembling nothing so much as the shimmer33 of a diamond, that sparkles and flashes with the varied34 throbbings of the breast on which it is displayed. Children have always a sympathy in the agitations35 of those connected with them; always, especially, a sense of any trouble or impending36 revolution, of whatever kind, in domestic circumstances; and therefore Pearl, who was the gem37 on her mother's unquiet bosom, betrayed, by the very dance of her spirits, the emotions which none could detect in the marble passiveness of Hester's brow.

This effervescence made her flit with a birdlike movement, rather than walk by her mother's side. She broke continually into shouts of a wild, inarticulate, and sometimes piercing music. When they reached the market-place, she became still more restless, on perceiving the stir and bustle38 that enlivened the spot; for it was usually more like the broad and lonesome green before a village meetinghouse, than the centre of a town's business.

"Why, what is this, mother?" cried she. "Wherefore have all the people left their work to-day? Is it a play-day for the whole world? See, there is the blacksmith! He has washed his sooty face, and put on his Sabbath-day clothes, and looks as if he would gladly be merry, if any kind body would only teach him how! And there is Master Brackett, the old jailer, nodding and smiling at me. Why does he do so, mother?"

"He remembers thee a little babe, my child," answered Hester.

"He should not nod and smile at me for all that- the black, grim, ugly-eyed old man!" said Pearl. "He may nod at thee, if he will; for thou art clad in grey, and wearest the scarlet letter. But see, mother, how many faces of strange people, and Indians among them, and sailors! What have they all come to do, here in the market-place?"

"They wait to see the procession pass," said Hester. "For the Governor and the magistrates40 are to go by, and the ministers, and all the great people and good people, with the music and the soldiers marching before them."

"And will the minister be there?" asked Pearl. "And will he hold out both his hands to me, as when thou ledst me to him from the brook41-side?"

"He will be there, child," answered her mother. "But he will not greet thee to-day; nor must thou greet him."

"What a strange, sad man is he!" said the child, as if speaking partly to herself. "In the dark night-time he calls us to him, and holds thy hand and mine, as when we stood with him on the scaffold yonder! And in the deep forest, where only the old trees can hear, and the strip of sky see it, he talks with thee, sitting on a heap of moss42! And he kisses my forehead, too, so that the little brook would hardly wash it off! But here, in the sunny day, and among all the people, he knows us not; nor must we know him! A strange, sad man is he, with his hand always over his heart!"

"Be quiet, Pearl! Thou understandest not these things," said her mother. "Think not now of the minister, but look about thee, and see how cheery is everybody's face to-day. The children have come from their schools, and the grown people from their workshops and their fields, on purpose to be happy. For, to-day, a new man is beginning to rule over them; and so- as has been the custom of mankind ever since a nation was first gathered- they make merry and rejoice; as if a good and golden year were at length to pass over the poor old world!"

It was as Hester said, in regard to the unwonted jollity that brightened the faces of the people. Into this festal season of the year- as it already was, and continued to be during the greater part of two centuries- the Puritans compressed whatever mirth and public joy they deemed allowable to human infirmity; thereby43 so far dispelling44 the customary cloud, that, for the space of a single holiday, they appeared scarcely more grave than most other communities at a period of general affliction.

But we perhaps exaggerate the grey or sable45 tinge46, which undoubtedly47 characterised the mood and manners of the age. The persons now in the market-place of Boston had not been born to an inheritance of Puritanic gloom. They were native Englishmen, whose fathers had lived in the sunny richness of the Elizabethan epoch48; a time when the life of England, viewed as one great mass, would appear to have been as stately, magnificent, and joyous49, as the world has ever witnessed. Had they followed their hereditary50 taste, the New England settlers would have illustrated51 all events of public importance by bonfires, banquets, pageantries, and processions. Nor would it have been impracticable, in the observance of majestic52 ceremonies, to combine mirthful recreation with solemnity, and give, as it were, a grotesque53 and brilliant embroidery54 to the great robe of state, which a nation, at such festivals, puts on. There was some shadow of an attempt of this kind in the mode of celebrating the day on which the political year of the colony commenced. The dim reflection of a remembered splendour, a colourless and manifold diluted55 repetition of what they had beheld56 in proud old London- we will not say at a royal coronation, but at a Lord Mayor's show- might be traced in the customs which our forefathers57 instituted, with reference to the annual installation of magistrates. The fathers and founders58 of the commonwealth- the statesman, the priest, and the soldier- deemed it a duty then to assume the outward state and majesty59, which, in accordance with antique style, was looked upon as the proper garb of public or social eminence60. All came forth23 to move in procession before the people's eye, and thus impart a needed dignity to the simple framework of a government so newly constructed.

Then, too, the people were countenanced61, if not encouraged, in relaxing the severe and close application to their various modes of rugged26 industry, which, at all other times, seemed of the same piece and material with their religion. Here, it is true, were none of the appliances which popular merriment would so readily have found in the England of Elizabeth's time, or that of James- no rude shows of a theatrical62 kind; no minstrel, with his harp63 and legendary64 ballad65, nor gleeman, with an ape dancing to his music; no juggler66, with his tricks of mimic67 witchcraft68; no Merry Andrew, to stir up the multitude with jests, perhaps hundreds of years old, but still effective, by their appeals to the very broadest sources of mirthful sympathy. All such professors of the several branches of jocularity would have been sternly repressed, not only by the rigid69 discipline of law, but by the general sentiment which gives law its vitality70. Not the less, however, the great, honest face of the people smiled-grimly, perhaps, but widely too. Nor were sports wanting, such as the colonists71 had witnessed, and shared in, long ago, at the country fairs and on the village-greens of England; and which it was thought well to keep alive on this new soil, for the sake of the courage and manliness72 that were essential in them. Wrestling-matches, in the different fashions of Cornwall and Devonshire, were seen here and there about the market-place; in one corner, there was a friendly bout19 at quarterstaff; and- what attracted most interest of all- on the platform of the pillory73, already so noted74 in our pages, two masters of defence were commencing an exhibition with the buckler and broadsword. But, much to the disappointment of the crowd, this latter business was broken off by the interposition of the town beadle, who had no idea of permitting the majesty of the law to be violated by such an abuse of one of its consecrated75 places.

It may not be too much to affirm, on the whole (the people being then in the first stages of joyless deportment, and the offspring of sires who had known how to be merry, in their day), that they would compare favourably76, in point of holiday keeping, with their descendants, even at so long an interval77 as ourselves. Their immediate78 posterity79, the generation next to the early emigrants80, wore the blackest shade of Puritanism, and so darkened the national visage with it, that all the subsequent years have not sufficed to clear it up. We have yet to learn again the forgotten art of gaiety.

The picture of human life in the market-place, though its general tint81 was the sad grey, brown, or black of the English emigrants, was yet enlivened by some diversity of hue. A party of Indians- in their savage82 finery of curiously83 embroidered84 deer-skin robes, wampum-belts, red and yellow ochre, and feathers, and armed with the bow and arrow and stone-headed spear- stood apart, with countenances85 of inflexible86 gravity, beyond what even the Puritan aspect could attain87. Nor, wild as were these painted barbarians88, were they the wildest feature of the scene. This distinction could more justly be claimed by some mariners-a part of the crew of the vessel90 from the Spanish Main- who had come ashore91 to see the humours of Election Day. They were rough-looking desperadoes, with sun-blackened faces, and an immensity of beard; their wide, short trousers were confined about the waist by belts, often clasped with a rough plate of gold, and sustaining always a long knife, and, in some instances, a sword. From beneath their broad-brimmed hats of palm-leaf, gleamed eyes which, even in good-nature and merriment, had a kind of animal ferocity. They transgressed92, without fear or scruple93, the rules of behaviour that were binding94 on all others; smoking tobacco under the beadle's very nose, although each whiff would have cost a townsman a shilling; and quaffing95, at their pleasure, draughts96 of wine or aqua-vitae from pocket-flasks, which they freely tendered to the gaping97 crowd around them. It remarkably98 characterised the incomplete morality of the age, rigid as we call it, that a license99 was allowed the seafaring class, not merely for their freaks on shore, but for far more desperate deeds on their proper element. The sailor of that day would go near to be arraigned100 as a pirate in our own. There could be little doubt, for instance, that this very ship's crew, though no unfavourable specimens101 of the nautical102 brotherhood103, had been guilty, as we should phrase it, of depredations104 on the Spanish commerce, such as would have perilled106 all their necks in a modern court of justice.

But the sea in those old times, heaved, swelled107, and foamed108, very much at its own will, or subject only to the tempestuous109 wind, with hardly any attempts at regulation by human law. The buccaneer on the wave might relinquish110 his calling, and become at once, if he chose, a man of probity111 and piety112 on land; nor, even in the full career of his reckless life, was he regarded as a personage with whom it was disreputable to traffic, or casually113 associate. Thus, the Puritan elders, in their black cloaks, starched114 bands, and steeple-crowned hats, smiled not unbenignantly at the clamour and rude deportment of these jolly seafaring men; and it excited neither surprise nor anim-adversion, when so reputable a citizen as old Roger Chillingworth, the physician, was seen to enter the market-place, in close and familiar talk with the commander of the questionable115 vessel.

The latter was by far the most showy and gallant116 figure, so far as apparel went, anywhere to be seen among the multitude. He wore a profusion117 of ribbons on his garment, and gold lace on his hat, which was also encircled by a gold chain, and surmounted118 with a feather. There was a sword at his side, and a sword-cut on his forehead, which, by the arrangement of his hair, he seemed anxious rather to display than hide. A landsman could hardly have worn this garb and shown this face, and worn and shown them both with such a galliard air, without undergoing stern question before a magistrate39, and probably incurring119 fine or imprisonment120, or perhaps an exhibition in the stocks. As regarded the shipmaster, however, all was looked upon as pertaining121 to the character, as to a fish his glistening122 scales.

After parting from the physician, the commander of the Bristol ship strolled idly through the market-place; until, happening to approach the spot where Hester Prynne was standing123, he appeared to recognise, and did not hesitate to address her. As was usually the case wherever Hester stood, a small vacant area- a sort of magic circle- had formed itself about her, into which, though the people were elbowing one another at a little distance, none ventured, or felt disposed to intrude124. It was a forcible type of the moral solitude125 in which the scarlet letter enveloped126 its fated wearer; partly by her own reserve, and partly by the instinctive127, though no longer so unkindly, withdrawal128 of her fellow-creatures. Now, if never before, it answered a good purpose, by enabling Hester and the seaman129 to speak together without the risk of being overheard; and so changed was Hester Prynne's repute before the public, that the matron in town most eminent130 for rigid morality could not have held such intercourse131 with less result of scandal than herself.

"So, mistress," said the mariner89, "I must bid the steward132 make ready one more berth133 than you bargained for! No fear of scurvy134 or ship-fever, this voyage! What with the ship's surgeon and this other doctor, our only danger will be from drug or pill; more by token, as there is a lot of apothecary's stuff aboard, which I traded for with a Spanish vessel."

"What mean you?" inquired Hester, startled more than she permitted to appear. "Have you another passenger?"

"Why, know you not," cried the shipmaster, "that this physician here- Chillingworth, he calls himself- is minded to try my cabin-fare with you? Ay, ay, you must have known it; for he tells me he is of your party, and a close friend to the gentleman you spoke135 of- he that is in peril105 from these sour old Puritan rulers!"

"They know each other well, indeed," replied Hester, with a mien of calmness, though in the utmost consternation136. "They have long dwelt together."

Nothing further passed between the mariner and Hester Prynne. But, at that instant, she beheld old Roger Chillingworth himself, standing in the remotest corner of the market-place, and smiling on her; a smile which- across the wide and bustling137 square, and through all the talk and laughter, and various thoughts, moods, and interests of the crowd- conveyed secret and fearful meaning.

在新总督从人民手中接受他的职位的那天早晨,海丝特·白兰和小珠儿来到市场。那地方已然挤满了数量可观的工匠和镇上的其他黎民百姓;其中也有许多粗野的身形,他们身上穿的鹿皮衣装,表明他们是这个殖民地小都会周围的林中居民。在这个公共假日里,海丝特和七年来的任何场合一样,仍然穿着她那身灰色粗布作的袍子。这身衣服的颜色,尤其是那说不出来的独特的样式,有一种使她轮廓模糊、不引人注目的效果;然而,那红字又使她从朦胧难辨之中跳出来,以其自身的闪光,把她显示在其精神之下。她那早巳为镇上居民所熟悉的面孔,露出那种常见的大理石般的静穆,伊如一副面具,或者更象一个亡妇脸上的那种僵死的恬静;如此令人沮丧的类比,是因为事实上海丝特无权要求任何同情,犹如实际上死去一般,她虽然看来似混迹于人间,确已经辞世。

这一天,她脸上或许有一种前所未见的表情,不过此时尚未清晰可察;除非有一个具备超自然秉赋的观察者能够首先洞悉她的内心,然后才会在她的表情和举止上找到相应的变化。这样一个能够洞悉内心的观察者或许可以发现,历经七年痛苦岁月,她将众目睽睽的注视作为一种必然、一种惩罚和某种宗教的严峻煎熬忍受着,如今,已是最后一次了,她要自由而自愿地面对人们的注视,以便把长期的苦难一变而为胜利。“再最后看一眼这红字和佩戴红字的人吧!”人们心目中的这个牺牲品和终身奴仆会对他们这样说。“不过再过一段时间,她就会远走高飞了!只消几个小时,那深不可测的大海将把你们在她胸前灼烧的标记永远淹没无存!”假如我们设想,当海丝特此时此刻即将从与她深深相联的痛苦中赢得自由时,心中可能会升起一丝遗憾之感,恐怕也并不有悼于人之本性。既然自从她成为妇人以来的多年中,几乎始终品尝着苦艾和芦荟,难道这时就不会有一种难以逼止的欲望要最后一次屏住气吸上一大杯这种苦剂吗?今后举到她唇边的、盛在雕花的金色大杯中的生活的美酒,肯定是醇厚、馥郁和令人陶醉的;不然的话,在她喝惯了具有强效的兴奋剂式的苦酒渣之后,必然会产生一种厌烦的昏昏然之感。

她把珠儿打扮得花枝招展。人们简直难以猜测,这个如阳光般明媚的精灵竟然来自那灰暗的母体;或者说,人们简直难以想象,设计那孩子服饰所需的华丽与精巧,与赋予海丝特那件简朴长袍以明显特色的——这任务或许更困难,竟然同时出自一人之手。那身衣裙穿在小珠儿身上恰到好处,俨如她个性的一种流露,或是其必然发展和外部表现,就象蝴蝶翅膀上的绚丽多彩或灿烂花朵上的鲜艳光辉一样无法与本体分割开来。衣裙之于孩子,也是同一道理,完全与她的本性浑自天成。更何况,在这事关重大的一天,她情绪上有一种特殊的不安和兴奋,极象佩在胸前的钻石,会随着心口的种种悸动而闪光生辉。孩子们与同他们相关的人们的激动总是息息相通;在家庭环境中出现了什么麻烦或迫在眉睫的变动时,尤其如此;因此,作为悬在母亲不安的心口上的一颗宝石,珠儿以她那跳动的精神,暴露了从海丝特眉间磐石般的平静中谁都发现不了的内心感情。

她兴高采烈得不肯安分地走在她母亲身边,而且象鸟儿一样地蹦跳着。她不停地狂呼乱叫,也不知喊些什么,有时还尖着嗓子高唱。后来,她们来到了市场,看到那里活跃喧闹的气氛,她就益发不得安宁了;因为那地方平时与其说是镇上的商业中心,不如说象是村会所前的宽阔而孤寂的绿草地。

“咦,这是什么啊,妈妈?”她叫道。“大伙儿干嘛今天都不干活儿啦?今天全世界都休息吗?瞧啊,铁匠就在那儿!他洗掉了满脸煤烟,穿上了过星期日的衣服,象是只要有个好心人教教他,就要痛痛快快地玩玩哪!那位老狱吏布莱基特先生,还在那儿朝我点头微笑呢。他干嘛要这样呢,妈妈?”

“他还记得你是个小小的婴儿的样子呢,我的孩子,”海丝特回答说。

“那个长得又黑又吓人、眼睛很丑的老头儿,才不会因为这个对我点头微笑呢!”珠儿说。“他要是愿意,倒会向你点头的;因为你穿一身灰,还戴着红字。可是瞧啊,妈妈,这儿有多少生人的面孔啊,里边还有印第安人和水手呢!他们都到这市场上来干嘛呢?”

“他们等着看游行队伍经过,”海丝特说。“因为总督和官员们要从这里走过,还有牧师们,以及所有的大人物和好心人,前面要有乐队和士兵开路呢。”

“牧师会在那儿吗?”珠儿问。“他会朝我伸出双手,就象你从小河边领着我去见他的时候那样吗?”

“他会在那儿的,孩子,”她母亲回答。“但是他今天不会招呼你;你也不该招呼他。”

“他是一个多么奇怪、多么伤心的人啊!”孩子说,有点象是自言自语。“在那个黑夜里,他叫咱们到他跟前去,还握住你和我的手,陪他一起站在那边那个刑台上。而在深源的树林里,只有那些老树能够听见、只有那一线青天可以看见的地方,他跟你坐在一堆青苔上谈话!他还亲吻了我的额头,连小河的流水都洗不掉啦!可是在这儿,天上晴晴的,又有这么些人,他却不认识我们;我们也不该认识他!他真是个又奇怪又伤心的人,总是用手捂着心口!”

“别作声,珠儿!你不明白这些事情,”她母亲说。“这会儿别想着牧师,往周围看看吧,看看大伙今天脸上有多高兴,孩子们都从学校出来了,大人也都从店铺和农田里走来了,为的就是高兴一下子。因为,今天要有一个新人来统治他们了;自从人类第一次凑成一个国家就有这种习惯了,所以嘛,他们就病痛快快地来欢庆一番;就象又老又穷的世界终于要过上一个黄金般的好年景了!”

海丝特说得不错,人们的脸上确实闪耀着非同凡响的欢乐。过去已然这样,在随后两个世纪的大部分年月里依然如此,清教徒们把自认为人类的弱点所能容忍的一切欢乐和公共喜庆,全都压缩在一年中的这一节日中;因此,他们总算拨开积年的阴霾,就这独一无二的节日而论,他们的神情才不致比大多数别处的居民倒霉时的面容要严峻些。

不过,我们也许过于夸张了这种灰黑的色调,尽管那确实是当年的心情和举止的特色。此刻在波士顿市场上的人们,并非生来就继承了清教徒的阴郁。他们本来都生在英国,其父辈曾在伊丽莎白时代的明媚和丰饶中生活;当时英国的生活,大体上看,堪称世界上前所未见的庄严、壮丽和欢乐。假若新英格兰的定居者们遵依传统的趣味,他们就会用篝火、宴会、表演和游行来装点一切重大的公共事件。而且,在隆重的典礼仪式中,把欢欣的消遣同庄重结合起来,就象国民在这种节日穿戴的大礼服上饰以光怪陆离的刺绣一样,也就没什么不实际的了。在殖民地开始其政治年度的这一天庆祝活动中,还有这种意图的影子。在我们祖先们所制定的每年一度的执政官就职仪式中,还能窥见他们当年在古老而骄傲的伦敦——我们妨且不谈国王加冕大典,只指市长大人的就职仪式——所看到的痕迹的重现,不过这种反映已经模糊,记忆中的余辉经多次冲淡已然褪色。当年,我们这个合众国的奠基人和先辈们——那些政治家、牧师和军人,将注重外表的庄严和威武视为一种职责,按照古老的风范,那种打扮正是社会贤达和政府委员的恰当装束。他们在人们眼前按部就班地一一定来,以使那刚刚组成的政府的简单机构获得所需的威严。

在这种时刻,人们平日视如宗教教义一般严加施行的种种勤俭生活方式,即使没有受到鼓励吧,总可以获准稍加放松。诚然,这里没有伊丽莎白时代或詹姆斯时代在英国比比皆是的通俗娱乐设施,没有演剧之类的粗俗表演,没有弹着竖琴唱传奇歌谣的游吟诗人,没有奏着音乐耍猴的走江湖的人,没有变戏法的民间艺人,也没有逗得大家哄堂大笑的“快乐的安德鲁”①说那些由于笑料选出、虽已流传上百年、仍让人百听不厌的笑话。从事这种种滑稽职业的艺人们,不仅为严格的法律条文所严厉禁止,也遭到使法律得以生效的人们感情上的厌恶。然而,普通百姓那一本正经和老成持重的面孔上依然微笑着,虽说可能有点不自然,却也很开心。竞技活动也不算缺乏,诸如移民们好久以前在英国农村集市和草地上看到和参加的格斗比赛,由于本质上发扬了英武和阳刚精神,被视为应于这片新大陆上加以保留。在康沃尔和德文郡的种种形式的角力比赛,在这里的市场周围随处可见;在一个角落里,正在进行一场使用铁头木棍作武器的友谊较量;而最吸引大家兴趣的,是在刑台上——这地方在我们书中已经颇为注目了,有两位手执盾牌和宽剑的武士,正在开始一场公开表演。但是,使大家扫兴的是,刑台上的这场表演因遭到镇上差役的干涉而中断,他认为对这祭献之地妄加滥用,是侵犯了法律的尊严,是绝对不能允许的。

当时的居民还是第一代没有欢乐活动的人,而且又是那些活着时深诸如何行乐曲父辈们的直接后裔,就过节这一点而论,比起他们的子孙,乃至相隔甚久的我们这些人,算是懂得快活的了,我们作这种一般性的结论,恐怕并不过分。早期移民的子嗣,也就是他们的下一代后人,受清教主义阴影笼罩最深,从而使国家的形象黯淡无光,以致在随后的多年中都不足以清洗干净。我们只好重新学习这门忘却已久的寻欢作乐曲本领。

市场上的这幅人生图画,虽说基调是英国移民的忧伤的灰色、褐色和黑色,也还固间有一些其它色彩而显得活跃。一群印第安人,身穿有着野蛮人华丽的、绣着奇形怪状图案的鹿皮袍,腰束贝壳缀成的带子,头戴由红色和黄色赭石及羽毛做成的饰物,背挎弓箭,手执石尖长矛,站在一旁,他们脸上那种严肃刚毅的神情,比清教徒们还有过之而无不及。但这些周身涂得花花绿绿的野蛮人,还算不上当场最粗野的景象;更能充分表现这一特色的,是一批从那艘来自拉丁美洲北部海域的船上的水手,他们上岸来就是为了观看庆祝选举日的热闹的。他们是一伙外貌粗鲁的亡命之徒,个个面孔晒得黝黑,蓄着大胡子;又肥又短的裤子在腰间束着宽腰带,往往用一片粗金充当扣子,总是插着一柄长刀,偶尔是短剑。宽檐棕榈叶帽子下面闪着的那双眼睛,即使在心情好、兴致高的时候,也露出一股野兽般的凶光。他们肆元忌惮地违犯着约束着众人的行为准则;公然在差役的鼻子底下吸烟,尽管镇上人每这样吸上一日就要被罚一先令;他们还随心所欲地从衣袋里掏出酒瓶,大口喝着葡萄酒或烈性洒,并且随随便便地递给围周那些目蹬口呆的人们。这充分说明了当年道德标准的缺欠,我们虽然认为十分严格,但对那些浪迹海洋的人却网开一面,不仅容忍他们在陆上为所欲为,而且听凭他们在自己的天地里,更加无法无天。当年的那些水手,几乎与如今的海盗无异。就以这艘船上的船员为例吧,他们虽然不是海上生涯中那种声名狼藉的人物,但用我们的话说,肯定犯有劫掠西班牙商船的罪行,在今天的法庭上,都有处以绞刑的危险。

但是那时候的大海,汹涌澎湃、掀浪卷沫,很大程度上是我行我素,或仅仅臣服于狂风暴雨,从来没有道接受人类法律束缚的念头。那些在风口浪尖上谋生的海盗们,只要心甘情愿,可以洗手不干,立刻成为岸上的一名正直诚实的君子;面即使在他们任意胡为的生涯中,人们也并不把他们视为不屑一颐或与之稍打交道就有损自己名声的人。因此,那些穿着黑色礼服、挺着浆过的环状皱领、戴着尖顶高帽的清教徒长者们,对于这帮快活的水手们的大声喧哗和粗野举动,反倒报以不无慈爱的微笑;而当人们看到老罗杰·齐灵渥斯这样一个德高望重的居民和医生走进市场、同那艘形迹可疑的船只曲船长亲密面随便地交谈的时候,既没有引起惊讶之感,也没有议论纷纷。

就那位船长的服饰而论,无论他出现在人群中的什么地方,都是一个最显眼、最英武的人物。他的衣服上佩戴着备色奢华的缎带,帽子上缠着一圈金色丝绦,还缀着一根金链,上面插着一根羽毛。他胁下挎着一柄长剑,额头上留着一块伤疤——从他蓄的发式来看,似乎更急切地要显露出来而不是要加以掩盖。一个陆地上的人,若是周身这股穿戴、露出这副尊容,而且还得意洋洋地招摇过市,恐怕很难不被当宫的召去传讯,甚至会被课以罚金或判处监禁,也许会枷号示众。然而,对于这位船长而言,这一切都和他的身份相依相附,犹如鱼身上长着闪光的鳞片。

准备开往布利斯托尔的那艘船的船长,和医生分手后,就悠闲地踱过市场;后来他刚好走近海丝特·白兰站立的地方,他好象认识她,径直上前去打招呼。和通常一样,凡是海丝特所站之处,周围就会形成一小块空地,似乎有一种魔圈围着,圈外的人尽管在附近摩肩擦背地挤作一团,也没人甘冒风险或乐于闯进那块空地。这正是红字在注定要佩戴它的人四周所形成的一种强制性的精神上的孤立;这固然是由于她自己的回避,但也是由于她的同胞们的本能的退缩,尽管这种退缩早已不那么不友好了。如果说这种隔离圈以前毫无裨益的话,此时倒是大有好处,因为海丝特能够同那位船长交谈而不致冒被人听到的风险j何况海丝特·白兰在众人间的声名已经大有改变,即使是镇上以恪守妇道最为著称的妇人进行这种谈话,都不会比她少受风言风语的指责。

“啊,太太,”船长说,“我得让船员在你要求的席位之外,再多安排一个!那就不必担心路上得坏血症或斑疹伤寒这类疾病了!有了船上的外科医生和另外这位医生,我们唯一的危险就差药剂或药丸了;其实,我船上还有一大批药物,是跟一艘西班牙船换的。”

“你这是什么意思啊?”海丝特问道,脸上禁不佳露出了惊诧神色。“你还有另一位乘客吗?”

“怎么,你还不知道?”船长大声说,”这儿的这位医生——他自称齐灵渥斯——打算同你一道尝尝我那船上饭菜的滋味呢,唉,唉,你准已经知道了;因为他告诉我,他是你们的一伙,还是你提到的那位先生的密友呢——你不是说那位先生正受着这些讨厌的老清教徒统治者的迫害嘛!”

“的确,他们彼此很了解,”海丝特神色平静地回答说,尽管内心十分惊愕。“他们已经在一起往了好久了。”

船长和海丝特·白兰没有再说什么。但就在此时,她注意到老罗杰·齐灵渥斯本人,正站在市场远远的角落里,朝她微笑着,那副笑容越过宽阔熙攘的广场,穿透一切欢声笑语以及人群中的一切念头、情绪和兴趣,传达着诡秘而可怕的含义。①一个小丑、弄臣或江湖医生侍者的形象,据说源出亨利八世的医生安德鲁’博尔德。

 



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 thronged bf76b78f908dbd232106a640231da5ed     
v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Mourners thronged to the funeral. 吊唁者蜂拥着前来参加葬礼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The department store was thronged with people. 百货商店挤满了人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
2 craftsmen craftsmen     
n. 技工
参考例句:
  • rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
  • The craftsmen have ensured faithful reproduction of the original painting. 工匠保证要复制一幅最接近原作的画。
3 plebeian M2IzE     
adj.粗俗的;平民的;n.平民;庶民
参考例句:
  • He is a philosophy professor with a cockney accent and an alarmingly plebeian manner.他是个有一口伦敦土腔、举止粗俗不堪的哲学教授。
  • He spent all day playing rackets on the beach,a plebeian sport if there ever was one.他一整天都在海滩玩壁球,再没有比这更不入流的运动了。
4 attire AN0zA     
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装
参考例句:
  • He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
  • Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。
5 metropolis BCOxY     
n.首府;大城市
参考例句:
  • Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
  • He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。
6 hue qdszS     
n.色度;色调;样子
参考例句:
  • The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
  • The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
7 peculiarity GiWyp     
n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖
参考例句:
  • Each country has its own peculiarity.每个国家都有自己的独特之处。
  • The peculiarity of this shop is its day and nigth service.这家商店的特点是昼夜服务。
8 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
9 twilight gKizf     
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。
10 behold jQKy9     
v.看,注视,看到
参考例句:
  • The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
  • The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。
11 dreary sk1z6     
adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的
参考例句:
  • They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
  • She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。
12 mingle 3Dvx8     
vt.使混合,使相混;vi.混合起来;相交往
参考例句:
  • If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我们混在人群中,就不会被注意到。
  • Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。
13 countenance iztxc     
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
参考例句:
  • At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
  • I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地,仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
14 mien oDOxl     
n.风采;态度
参考例句:
  • He was a Vietnam veteran with a haunted mien.他是个越战老兵,举止总有些惶然。
  • It was impossible to tell from his mien whether he was offended.从他的神态中难以看出他是否生气了。
15 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
参考例句:
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
16 penance Uulyx     
n.(赎罪的)惩罪
参考例句:
  • They had confessed their sins and done their penance.他们已经告罪并做了补赎。
  • She knelt at her mother's feet in penance.她忏悔地跪在母亲脚下。
17 quench ii3yQ     
vt.熄灭,扑灭;压制
参考例句:
  • The firemen were unable to quench the fire.消防人员无法扑灭这场大火。
  • Having a bottle of soft drink is not enough to quench my thirst.喝一瓶汽水不够解渴。
18 bosom Lt9zW     
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。
19 bout Asbzz     
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛
参考例句:
  • I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
  • That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。
20 irresistible n4CxX     
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
参考例句:
  • The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前,势不可挡。
  • She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。
21 quaff 0CQyk     
v.一饮而尽;痛饮
参考例句:
  • We quaffed wine last night.我们昨晚畅饮了一次酒。
  • He's quaffed many a glass of champagne in his time.他年轻时曾经开怀畅饮过不少香槟美酒。
22 draught 7uyzIH     
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计
参考例句:
  • He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
  • It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗,没有过堂风。
23 forth Hzdz2     
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。
24 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
参考例句:
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
25 languor V3wyb     
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。
26 rugged yXVxX     
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
参考例句:
  • Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
  • The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
27 potency 9Smz8     
n. 效力,潜能
参考例句:
  • Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
  • Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天,就有可能失效。
28 apparition rM3yR     
n.幽灵,神奇的现象
参考例句:
  • He saw the apparition of his dead wife.他看见了他亡妻的幽灵。
  • But the terror of this new apparition brought me to a stand.这新出现的幽灵吓得我站在那里一动也不敢动。
29 requisite 2W0xu     
adj.需要的,必不可少的;n.必需品
参考例句:
  • He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
  • Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。
30 contrive GpqzY     
vt.谋划,策划;设法做到;设计,想出
参考例句:
  • Can you contrive to be here a little earlier?你能不能早一点来?
  • How could you contrive to make such a mess of things?你怎么把事情弄得一团糟呢?
31 manifestation 0RCz6     
n.表现形式;表明;现象
参考例句:
  • Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
  • What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。
32 garb JhYxN     
n.服装,装束
参考例句:
  • He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
  • Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。
33 shimmer 7T8z7     
v./n.发微光,发闪光;微光
参考例句:
  • The room was dark,but there was a shimmer of moonlight at the window.屋子里很黑,但靠近窗户的地方有点微光。
  • Nor is there anything more virginal than the shimmer of young foliage.没有什么比新叶的微光更纯洁无瑕了。
34 varied giIw9     
adj.多样的,多变化的
参考例句:
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
35 agitations f76d9c4af9d9a4693ce5da05d8ec82d5     
(液体等的)摇动( agitation的名词复数 ); 鼓动; 激烈争论; (情绪等的)纷乱
参考例句:
  • It was a system that could not endure, and agitations grew louder. 这个系统已经不能持续下去了,而且噪音越来越大。
36 impending 3qHzdb     
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。
37 gem Ug8xy     
n.宝石,珠宝;受爱戴的人 [同]jewel
参考例句:
  • The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
  • The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。
38 bustle esazC     
v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹
参考例句:
  • The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深,喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
  • There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。
39 magistrate e8vzN     
n.地方行政官,地方法官,治安官
参考例句:
  • The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
  • John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。
40 magistrates bbe4eeb7cda0f8fbf52949bebe84eb3e     
地方法官,治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
  • He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。
41 brook PSIyg     
n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让
参考例句:
  • In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
  • The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。
42 moss X6QzA     
n.苔,藓,地衣
参考例句:
  • Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
  • He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。
43 thereby Sokwv     
adv.因此,从而
参考例句:
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
44 dispelling a117eb70862584fc23e0c906cb25e1a6     
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He succeeded in dispelling our suspicious and won our confidence. 他终于消除了我们的怀疑,得到了我们的信任。 来自辞典例句
  • Truth is a torch, which can pierce the mist without dispelling it. 真理是一个火炬,不用驱散大雾,其火炬即能透过。 来自互联网
45 sable VYRxp     
n.黑貂;adj.黑色的
参考例句:
  • Artists' brushes are sometimes made of sable.画家的画笔有的是用貂毛制的。
  • Down the sable flood they glided.他们在黑黝黝的洪水中随波逐流。
46 tinge 8q9yO     
vt.(较淡)着色于,染色;使带有…气息;n.淡淡色彩,些微的气息
参考例句:
  • The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。
  • There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.她声音中流露出一丝忧伤。
47 undoubtedly Mfjz6l     
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。
48 epoch riTzw     
n.(新)时代;历元
参考例句:
  • 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。
49 joyous d3sxB     
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的
参考例句:
  • The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
  • They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。
50 hereditary fQJzF     
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的
参考例句:
  • The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。
  • In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。
51 illustrated 2a891807ad5907f0499171bb879a36aa     
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
  • The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。
52 majestic GAZxK     
adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的
参考例句:
  • In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
  • He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。
53 grotesque O6ryZ     
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。
54 embroidery Wjkz7     
n.绣花,刺绣;绣制品
参考例句:
  • This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品,使人惊叹不已。
  • This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。
55 diluted 016e8d268a5a89762de116a404413fef     
无力的,冲淡的
参考例句:
  • The paint can be diluted with water to make a lighter shade. 这颜料可用水稀释以使色度淡一些。
  • This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields. 这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。
56 beheld beheld     
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟
参考例句:
  • His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
57 forefathers EsTzkE     
n.祖先,先人;祖先,祖宗( forefather的名词复数 );列祖列宗;前人
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left. 它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先,大家都气得怒发冲冠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
58 founders 863257b2606659efe292a0bf3114782c     
n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
  • The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句
59 majesty MAExL     
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权
参考例句:
  • The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
  • Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下,您必须赶快做出决定!
60 eminence VpLxo     
n.卓越,显赫;高地,高处;名家
参考例句:
  • He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。
  • Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。
61 countenanced 44f0fe602a9688c358e938f9da83a807     
v.支持,赞同,批准( countenance的过去式 )
参考例句:
62 theatrical pIRzF     
adj.剧场的,演戏的;做戏似的,做作的
参考例句:
  • The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果,叫人失望。
  • She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。
63 harp UlEyQ     
n.竖琴;天琴座
参考例句:
  • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
  • He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。
64 legendary u1Vxg     
adj.传奇(中)的,闻名遐迩的;n.传奇(文学)
参考例句:
  • Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
  • Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。
65 ballad zWozz     
n.歌谣,民谣,流行爱情歌曲
参考例句:
  • This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
  • This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。
66 juggler juggler     
n. 变戏法者, 行骗者
参考例句:
  • Dick was a juggler, who threw mists before your eyes. 迪克是个骗子,他在你面前故弄玄虚。
  • The juggler juggled three bottles. 这个玩杂耍的人可同时抛接3个瓶子。
67 mimic PD2xc     
v.模仿,戏弄;n.模仿他人言行的人
参考例句:
  • A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
  • He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。
68 witchcraft pe7zD7     
n.魔法,巫术
参考例句:
  • The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
  • All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。
69 rigid jDPyf     
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。
70 vitality lhAw8     
n.活力,生命力,效力
参考例句:
  • He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后,身强体壮,充满活力。
  • He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。
71 colonists 4afd0fece453e55f3721623f335e6c6f     
n.殖民地开拓者,移民,殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
72 manliness 8212c0384b8e200519825a99755ad0bc     
刚毅
参考例句:
  • She was really fond of his strength, his wholesome looks, his manliness. 她真喜欢他的坚强,他那健康的容貌,他的男子气概。
  • His confidence, his manliness and bravery, turn his wit into wisdom. 他的自信、男子气概和勇敢将他的风趣变为智慧。
73 pillory J2xze     
n.嘲弄;v.使受公众嘲笑;将…示众
参考例句:
  • A man has been forced to resign as a result of being pilloried by some of the press.一人因为受到一些媒体的抨击已被迫辞职。
  • He was pilloried,but she escaped without blemish.他受到公众的批评,她却名声未损地得以逃脱。
74 noted 5n4zXc     
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。
75 consecrated consecrated     
adj.神圣的,被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣,给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 );奉献
参考例句:
  • The church was consecrated in 1853. 这座教堂于1853年祝圣。
  • They consecrated a temple to their god. 他们把庙奉献给神。 来自《简明英汉词典》
76 favourably 14211723ae4152efc3f4ea3567793030     
adv. 善意地,赞成地 =favorably
参考例句:
  • The play has been favourably commented by the audience. 本剧得到了观众的好评。
  • The open approach contrasts favourably with the exclusivity of some universities. 这种开放式的方法与一些大学的封闭排外形成了有利的对比。
77 interval 85kxY     
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
参考例句:
  • The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
  • There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。
78 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
79 posterity D1Lzn     
n.后裔,子孙,后代
参考例句:
  • Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
  • The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。
80 emigrants 81556c8b392d5ee5732be7064bb9c0be     
n.(从本国移往他国的)移民( emigrant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • At last the emigrants got to their new home. 移民们终于到达了他们的新家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • 'Truly, a decree for selling the property of emigrants.' “有那么回事,是出售外逃人员财产的法令。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
81 tint ZJSzu     
n.淡色,浅色;染发剂;vt.着以淡淡的颜色
参考例句:
  • You can't get up that naturalness and artless rosy tint in after days.你今后不再会有这种自然和朴实无华的红润脸色。
  • She gave me instructions on how to apply the tint.她告诉我如何使用染发剂。
82 savage ECxzR     
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。
83 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
84 embroidered StqztZ     
adj.绣花的
参考例句:
  • She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
  • She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。
85 countenances 4ec84f1d7c5a735fec7fdd356379db0d     
n.面容( countenance的名词复数 );表情;镇静;道义支持
参考例句:
  • 'stood apart, with countenances of inflexible gravity, beyond what even the Puritan aspect could attain." 站在一旁,他们脸上那种严肃刚毅的神情,比清教徒们还有过之而无不及。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • The light of a laugh never came to brighten their sombre and wicked countenances. 欢乐的光芒从来未照亮过他们那阴郁邪恶的面孔。 来自辞典例句
86 inflexible xbZz7     
adj.不可改变的,不受影响的,不屈服的
参考例句:
  • Charles was a man of settled habits and inflexible routine.查尔斯是一个恪守习惯、生活规律不容打乱的人。
  • The new plastic is completely inflexible.这种新塑料是完全不可弯曲的。
87 attain HvYzX     
vt.达到,获得,完成
参考例句:
  • 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。
88 barbarians c52160827c97a5d2143268a1299b1903     
n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 );外国人;粗野的人;无教养的人
参考例句:
  • The ancient city of Rome fell under the iron hooves of the barbarians. 古罗马城在蛮族的铁蹄下沦陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It conquered its conquerors, the barbarians. 它战胜了征服者——蛮族。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
89 mariner 8Boxg     
n.水手号不载人航天探测器,海员,航海者
参考例句:
  • A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。
  • A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星,还要注意暗礁和险滩。
90 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
91 ashore tNQyT     
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸
参考例句:
  • The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前,孩子们就上岸了。
  • He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。
92 transgressed 765a95907766e0c9928b6f0b9eefe4fa     
v.超越( transgress的过去式和过去分词 );越过;违反;违背
参考例句:
  • You transgressed against the law. 你犯法了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • His behavior transgressed the unwritten rules of social conduct. 他的行为违反了不成文的社交规范。 来自辞典例句
93 scruple eDOz7     
n./v.顾忌,迟疑
参考例句:
  • It'seemed to her now that she could marry him without the remnant of a scruple.她觉得现在她可以跟他成婚而不需要有任何顾忌。
  • He makes no scruple to tell a lie.他说起谎来无所顾忌。
94 binding 2yEzWb     
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的
参考例句:
  • The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
  • Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。
95 quaffing 116a60476f1a8594b3c961709d86819f     
v.痛饮( quaff的现在分词 );畅饮;大口大口将…喝干;一饮而尽
参考例句:
  • He is quaffing his beer by the pint. 他论品脱地大喝啤酒。 来自互联网
  • Its easy-quaffing quality makes it an aperitif wine. 此酒极易入口,所以一刻作为开胃酒单独饮用。 来自互联网
96 draughts 154c3dda2291d52a1622995b252b5ac8     
n. <英>国际跳棋
参考例句:
  • Seal (up) the window to prevent draughts. 把窗户封起来以防风。
  • I will play at draughts with him. 我跟他下一盘棋吧!
97 gaping gaping     
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大
参考例句:
  • Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
98 remarkably EkPzTW     
ad.不同寻常地,相当地
参考例句:
  • I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
  • He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。
99 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
100 arraigned ce05f28bfd59de4a074b80d451ad2707     
v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 );控告;传讯;指责
参考例句:
  • He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
  • She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
101 specimens 91fc365099a256001af897127174fcce     
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人
参考例句:
  • Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
  • The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》
102 nautical q5azx     
adj.海上的,航海的,船员的
参考例句:
  • A nautical mile is 1,852 meters.一海里等于1852米。
  • It is 206 nautical miles from our present location.距离我们现在的位置有206海里。
103 brotherhood 1xfz3o     
n.兄弟般的关系,手中情谊
参考例句:
  • They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
  • They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。
104 depredations 4f01882be2e81bff9ad88e891b8e5847     
n.劫掠,毁坏( depredation的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Protect the nation's resources against the depredations of other countries. 保护国家资源,不容他人染指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Hitler's early'successes\" were only the startling depredations of a resolute felon. 希特勒的早期“胜利”,只不过是一个死心塌地的恶棍出人意料地抢掠得手而已。 来自辞典例句
105 peril l3Dz6     
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物
参考例句:
  • The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
  • The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。
106 perilled fdc8eff8b88f2ad3133332a66dd309e7     
置…于危险中(peril的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • For a time the census was perilled by a postal strike. 有一段时间,邮政罢工威胁到了户口普查的进行。
107 swelled bd4016b2ddc016008c1fc5827f252c73     
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。
108 foamed 113c59340f70ad75b2469cbd9b8b5869     
泡沫的
参考例句:
  • The beer foamed up and overflowed the glass. 啤酒冒着泡沫,溢出了玻璃杯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The man foamed and stormed. 那人大发脾气,暴跳如雷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
109 tempestuous rpzwj     
adj.狂暴的
参考例句:
  • She burst into a tempestuous fit of anger.她勃然大怒。
  • Dark and tempestuous was night.夜色深沉,狂风肆虐,暴雨倾盆。
110 relinquish 4Bazt     
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手
参考例句:
  • He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
  • They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。
111 probity xBGyD     
n.刚直;廉洁,正直
参考例句:
  • Probity and purity will command respect everywhere.为人正派到处受人尊敬。
  • Her probity and integrity are beyond question.她的诚实和正直是无可争辩的。
112 piety muuy3     
n.虔诚,虔敬
参考例句:
  • They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。
  • Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。
113 casually UwBzvw     
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地
参考例句:
  • She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
  • I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
114 starched 1adcdf50723145c17c3fb6015bbe818c     
adj.浆硬的,硬挺的,拘泥刻板的v.把(衣服、床单等)浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了,很干净。 来自辞典例句
115 questionable oScxK     
adj.可疑的,有问题的
参考例句:
  • There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
  • Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。
116 gallant 66Myb     
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的
参考例句:
  • Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
  • These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。
117 profusion e1JzW     
n.挥霍;丰富
参考例句:
  • He is liberal to profusion.他挥霍无度。
  • The leaves are falling in profusion.落叶纷纷。
118 surmounted 74f42bdb73dca8afb25058870043665a     
战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 ); 克服(困难); 居于…之上; 在…顶上
参考例句:
  • She was well aware of the difficulties that had to be surmounted. 她很清楚必须克服哪些困难。
  • I think most of these obstacles can be surmounted. 我认为这些障碍大多数都是可以克服的。
119 incurring ccc47e576f1ce5fe49a4f373b49987ba     
遭受,招致,引起( incur的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。
  • He spoke to the Don directly, taking a chance on incurring Michael's ill will. 他直接向老头子谈自己的意见,这显然要冒引起迈克尔反感的风险。 来自教父部分
120 imprisonment I9Uxk     
n.关押,监禁,坐牢
参考例句:
  • His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
  • He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。
121 pertaining d922913cc247e3b4138741a43c1ceeb2     
与…有关系的,附属…的,为…固有的(to)
参考例句:
  • Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
122 glistening glistening     
adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》
123 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
124 intrude Lakzv     
vi.闯入;侵入;打扰,侵扰
参考例句:
  • I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
  • I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。
125 solitude xF9yw     
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句:
  • People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
  • They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。
126 enveloped 8006411f03656275ea778a3c3978ff7a     
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
  • Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》
127 instinctive c6jxT     
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。
128 withdrawal Cfhwq     
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销
参考例句:
  • The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
  • They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。
129 seaman vDGzA     
n.海员,水手,水兵
参考例句:
  • That young man is a experienced seaman.那个年轻人是一个经验丰富的水手。
  • The Greek seaman went to the hospital five times.这位希腊海员到该医院去过五次。
130 eminent dpRxn     
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的
参考例句:
  • We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
  • He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。
131 intercourse NbMzU     
n.性交;交流,交往,交际
参考例句:
  • The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。
  • There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。
132 steward uUtzw     
n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员
参考例句:
  • He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
  • He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员,到过世界各地。
133 berth yt0zq     
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊
参考例句:
  • She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
  • They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。
134 scurvy JZAx1     
adj.下流的,卑鄙的,无礼的;n.坏血病
参考例句:
  • Vitamin C deficiency can ultimately lead to scurvy.缺乏维生素C最终能道致坏血病。
  • That was a scurvy trick to play on an old lady.用那样的花招欺负一个老太太可真卑鄙。
135 spoke XryyC     
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。
136 consternation 8OfzB     
n.大为吃惊,惊骇
参考例句:
  • He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害,感到非常震惊。
  • Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。
137 bustling LxgzEl     
adj.喧闹的
参考例句:
  • The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
  • This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。
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