To Kill a Mockingbird 杀死一只知更鸟 Chapter 11(3)
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When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighborhood,but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting1 Boo Radley becamepasse, the business section of Maycomb drew us frequently up the street past the realproperty of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose. It was impossible to go to town withoutpassing her house unless we wished to walk a mile out of the way. Previous minorencounters with her left me with no desire for more, but Jem said I had to grow up sometime.
 
Mrs. Dubose lived alone except for a Negro girl in constant attendance, two doors upthe street from us in a house with steep front steps and a dog-trot hall. She was veryold; she spent most of each day in bed and the rest of it in a wheelchair. It was rumoredthat she kept a CSA pistol concealed2 among her numerous shawls and wraps.
 
Jem and I hated her. If she was on the porch when we passed, we would be raked byher wrathful gaze, subjected to ruthless interrogation regarding our behavior, and givena melancholy3 prediction on what we would amount to when we grew up, which wasalways nothing. We had long ago given up the idea of walking past her house on theopposite side of the street; that only made her raise her voice and let the wholeneighborhood in on it.
 
We could do nothing to please her. If I said as sunnily as I could, "Hey, Mrs. Dubose,"
 
I would receive for an answer, "Don't you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say goodafternoon, Mrs. Dubose!"
 
She was vicious. Once she heard Jem refer to our father as "Atticus" and her reactionwas apoplectic4. Besides being the sassiest, most disrespectful mutts who ever passedher way, we were told that it was quite a pity our father had not remarried after ourmother's death. A lovelier lady than our mother never lived, she said, and it washeartbreaking the way Atticus Finch5 let her children run wild. I did not remember ourmother, but Jem did -- he would tell me about her sometimes -- and he went livid whenMrs. Dubose shot us this message.
 
Jem, having survived Boo Radley, a mad dog and other terrors, had concluded that itwas cowardly to stop at Miss Rachel's front steps and wait, and had decreed that wemust run as far as the post office corner each evening to meet Atticus coming fromwork. Countless6 evenings Atticus would find Jem furious at something Mrs. Dubose hadsaid when we went by.
 
"Easy does it, son," Atticus would say. "She's an old lady and she's ill. You just holdyour head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it's your job not to lether make you mad." Jem would say she must not be very sick, she hollered so. Whenthe three of us came to her house, Atticus would sweep off his hat, wave gallantly7 to herand say, "Good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening."
 
I never heard Atticus say like a picture of what. He would tell her the courthouse news,and would say he hoped with all his heart she'd have a good day tomorrow. He wouldreturn his hat to his head, swing me to his shoulders in her very presence, and we wouldgo home in the twilight8. It was times like these when I thought my father, who hatedguns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.
 
The day after Jem's twelfth birthday his money was burning up his pockets, so weheaded for town in the early afternoon. Jem thought he had enough to buy a miniaturesteam engine for himself and a twirling baton9 for me.
 
I had long had my eye on that baton: it was at V. J. Elmore's, it was bedecked withsequins and tinsel, it cost seventeen cents. It was then my burning ambition to grow upand twirl with the Maycomb County High School band. Having developed my talent towhere I could throw up a stick and almost catch it coming down, I had caused Calpurniato deny me entrance to the house every time she saw me with a stick in my hand. I feltthat I could overcome this defect with a real baton, and I thought it generous of Jem tobuy one for me.
 
Mrs. Dubose was stationed on her porch when we went by.
 
"Where are you two going at this time of day?" she shouted. "Playing hooky, Isuppose. I'll just call up the principal and tell him!" She put her hands on the wheels ofher chair and executed a perfect right face.
 
"Aw, it's Saturday, Mrs. Dubose," said Jem.
 
"Makes no difference if it's Saturday," she said obscurely. "I wonder if your fatherknows where you are?"
 
"Mrs. Dubose, we've been goin‘ to town by ourselves since we were this high." Jemplaced his hand palm down about two feet above the sidewalk.
 
"Don't you lie to me!" she yelled. "Jeremy Finch, Maudie Atkinson told me you brokedown her scuppernong arbor10 this morning. She's going to tell your father and then you'llwish you never saw the light of day! If you aren't sent to the reform school before nextweek, my name's not Dubose!"#p#分页标题#e#
 
Jem, who hadn't been near Miss Maudie's scuppernong arbor since last summer, andwho knew Miss Maudie wouldn't tell Atticus if he had, issued a general denial.
 
"Don't you contradict me!" Mrs. Dubose bawled11. "And you -- " she pointed12 an arthriticfinger at me -- "what are you doing in those overalls13? You should be in a dress andcamisole, young lady! You'll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn't change yourways -- a Finch waiting on tables at the O.K. Café -- hah!"
 
I was terrified. The O.K. Café was a dim organization on the north side of the square. Igrabbed Jem's hand but he shook me loose.
 
"Come on, Scout14," he whispered. "Don't pay any attention to her, just hold your headhigh and be a gentleman."
 
But Mrs. Dubose held us: "Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in thecourthouse lawing for niggers!"
 
Jem stiffened15. Mrs. Dubose's shot had gone home and she knew it:
 
"Yes indeed, what has this world come to when a Finch goes against his raising? I'lltell you!" She put her hand to her mouth. When she drew it away, it trailed a long silverthread of saliva16. "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!"
 
Jem was scarlet17. I pulled at his sleeve, and we were followed up the sidewalk by aphilippic on our family's moral degeneration, the major premise18 of which was that halfthe Finches were in the asylum19 anyway, but if our mother were living we would not havecome to such a state.
 
I wasn't sure what Jem resented most, but I took umbrage20 at Mrs. Dubose'sassessment of the family's mental hygiene21. I had become almost accustomed to hearinginsults aimed at Atticus. But this was the first one coming from an adult. Except for herremarks about Atticus, Mrs. Dubose's attack was only routine. There was a hint ofsummer in the air -- in the shadows it was cool, but the sun was warm, which meantgood times coming: no school and Dill.
 
Jem bought his steam engine and we went by Elmore's for my baton. Jem took nopleasure in his acquisition; he jammed it in his pocket and walked silently beside metoward home. On the way home I nearly hit Mr. Link Deas, who said, "Look out now,Scout!" when I missed a toss, and when we approached Mrs. Dubose's house my batonwas grimy from having picked it up out of the dirt so many times.
 
She was not on the porch.
 
In later years, I sometimes wondered exactly what made Jem do it, what made himbreak the bonds of "You just be a gentleman, son," and the phase of self-consciousrectitude he had recently entered. Jem had probably stood as much guff about Atticuslawing for niggers as had I, and I took it for granted that he kept his temper -- he had anaturally tranquil22 disposition23 and a slow fuse. At the time, however, I thought the onlyexplanation for what he did was that for a few minutes he simply went mad.
 
What Jem did was something I'd do as a matter of course had I not been underAtticus's interdict24, which I assumed included not fighting horrible old ladies. We had justcome to her gate when Jem snatched my baton and ran flailing25 wildly up the steps intoMrs. Dubose's front yard, forgetting everything Atticus had said, forgetting that shepacked a pistol under her shawls, forgetting that if Mrs. Dubose missed, her girl Jessieprobably wouldn't.
 
He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs.
 
Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves. He bent26 mybaton against his knee, snapped it in two and threw it down.
 
By that time I was shrieking27. Jem yanked my hair, said he didn't care, he'd do it againif he got a chance, and if I didn't shut up he'd pull every hair out of my head. I didn't shutup and he kicked me. I lost my balance and fell on my face. Jem picked me up roughlybut looked like he was sorry. There was nothing to say.
 
We did not choose to meet Atticus coming home that evening. We skulked28 around thekitchen until Calpurnia threw us out. By some voo-doo system Calpurnia seemed toknow all about it. She was a less than satisfactory source of palliation, but she did giveJem a hot biscuit-and-butter which he tore in half and shared with me. It tasted likecotton.
 
We went to the livingroom. I picked up a football magazine, found a picture of DixieHowell, showed it to Jem and said, "This looks like you." That was the nicest thing Icould think to say to him, but it was no help. He sat by the windows, hunched29 down in arocking chair, scowling30, waiting. Daylight faded.
 #p#分页标题#e#
Two geological ages later, we heard the soles of Atticus's shoes scrape the frontsteps. The screen door slammed, there was a pause -- Atticus was at the hat rack in thehall -- and we heard him call, "Jem!" His voice was like the winter wind.
 
Atticus switched on the ceiling light in the livingroom and found us there, frozen still.
 
He carried my baton in one hand; its filthy31 yellow tassel32 trailed on the rug. He held outhis other hand; it contained fat camellia buds.
 
"Jem," he said, "are you responsible for this?"
 
"Yes sir."
 
"Why'd you do it?"
 
Jem said softly, "She said you lawed for niggers and trash."
 
"You did this because she said that?"
 
Jem's lips moved, but his, "Yes sir," was inaudible.
 
"Son, I have no doubt that you've been annoyed by your contemporaries about melawing for niggers, as you say, but to do something like this to a sick old lady isinexcusable. I strongly advise you to go down and have a talk with Mrs. Dubose," saidAtticus. "Come straight home afterward33."
 
Jem did not move.
 
"Go on, I said."
 
I followed Jem out of the livingroom. "Come back here," Atticus said to me. I cameback.
 
Atticus picked up the Mobile Press and sat down in the rocking chair Jem hadvacated. For the life of me, I did not understand how he could sit there in cold blood andread a newspaper when his only son stood an excellent chance of being murdered witha Confederate Army relic34. Of course Jem antagonized me sometimes until I could killhim, but when it came down to it he was all I had. Atticus did not seem to realize this, orif he did he didn't care.
 
I hated him for that, but when you are in trouble you become easily tired: soon I washiding in his lap and his arms were around me.
 
"You're mighty35 big to be rocked," he said.
 
"You don't care what happens to him," I said. "You just send him on to get shot atwhen all he was doin‘ was standin' up for you."
 
Atticus pushed my head under his chin. "It's not time to worry yet," he said. "I neverthought Jem'd be the one to lose his head over this -- thought I'd have more trouble withyou."
 
I said I didn't see why we had to keep our heads anyway, that nobody I knew at schoolhad to keep his head about anything.
 
"Scout," said Atticus, "when summer comes you'll have to keep your head about farworse things… it's not fair for you and Jem, I know that, but sometimes we have tomake the best of things, and the way we conduct ourselves when the chips are down -- well, all I can say is, when you and Jem are grown, maybe you'll look back on this withsome compassion36 and some feeling that I didn't let you down. This case, TomRobinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience -- Scout,I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man."
 
"Atticus, you must be wrong…"
 
"How's that?"
 
"Well, most folks seem to think they're right and you're wrong…"
 
"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for theiropinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.
 
The one thing that doesn't abide37 by majority rule is a person's conscience."
 
When Jem returned, he found me still in Atticus's lap, "Well, son?" said Atticus. He setme on my feet, and I made a secret reconnaissance of Jem. He seemed to be all in onepiece, but he had a queer look on his face. Perhaps she had given him a dose ofcalomel.
 
"I cleaned it up for her and said I was sorry, but I ain't, and that I'd work on ‘em everSaturday and try to make 'em grow back out."
 
"There was no point in saying you were sorry if you aren't," said Atticus. "Jem, she'sold and ill. You can't hold her responsible for what she says and does. Of course, I'drather she'd have said it to me than to either of you, but we can't always have our‘druthers."
 
Jem seemed fascinated by a rose in the carpet. "Atticus," he said, "she wants me toread to her."
 
"Read to her?"#p#分页标题#e#
 
"Yes sir. She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and readto her out loud for two hours. Atticus, do I have to?"
 
"Certainly."
 
"But she wants me to do it for a month."
 
"Then you'll do it for a month."
 
Jem planted his big toe delicately in the center of the rose and pressed it in. Finally hesaid, "Atticus, it's all right on the sidewalk but inside it's -- it's all dark and creepy. There'sshadows and things on the ceiling…"
 
Atticus smiled grimly. "That should appeal to your imagination. Just pretend you'reinside the Radley house."
 
The following Monday afternoon Jem and I climbed the steep front steps to Mrs.
 
Dubose's house and padded down the open hallway. Jem, armed with Ivanhoe and fullof superior knowledge, knocked at the second door on the left.
 
"Mrs. Dubose?" he called.
 
Jessie opened the wood door and unlatched the screen door.
 
"Is that you, Jem Finch?" she said. "You got your sister with you. I don't know -- "
 
"Let ‘em both in, Jessie," said Mrs. Dubose. Jessie admitted us and went off to thekitchen.
 
An oppressive odor met us when we crossed the threshold, an odor I had met manytimes in rain-rotted gray houses where there are coal-oil lamps, water dippers, andunbleached domestic sheets. It always made me afraid, expectant, watchful38.
 
In the corner of the room was a brass39 bed, and in the bed was Mrs. Dubose. Iwondered if Jem's activities had put her there, and for a moment I felt sorry for her. Shewas lying under a pile of quilts and looked almost friendly.
 
There was a marble-topped washstand by her bed; on it were a glass with a teaspoonin it, a red ear syringe, a box of absorbent cotton, and a steel alarm clock standing40 onthree tiny legs.
 
"So you brought that dirty little sister of yours, did you?" was her greeting.
 
Jem said quietly, "My sister ain't dirty and I ain't scared of you," although I noticed hisknees shaking.
 
I was expecting a tirade41, but all she said was, "You may commence reading, Jeremy."
 
Jem sat down in a cane-bottom chair and opened Ivanhoe. I pulled up another oneand sat beside him.
 
"Come closer," said Mrs. Dubose. "Come to the side of the bed."
 
We moved our chairs forward. This was the nearest I had ever been to her, and thething I wanted most to do was move my chair back again.
 
She was horrible. Her face was the color of a dirty pillowcase, and the corners of hermouth glistened42 with wet, which inched like a glacier43 down the deep grooves44 enclosingher chin. Old-age liver spots dotted her cheeks, and her pale eyes had black pinpointpupils. Her hands were knobby, and the cuticles45 were grown up over her fingernails. Herbottom plate was not in, and her upper lip protruded46; from time to time she would drawher nether47 lip to her upper plate and carry her chin with it. This made the wet movefaster.
 
I didn't look any more than I had to. Jem reopened Ivanhoe and began reading. I triedto keep up with him, but he read too fast. When Jem came to a word he didn't know, heskipped it, but Mrs. Dubose would catch him and make him spell it out. Jem read forperhaps twenty minutes, during which time I looked at the soot-stained mantelpiece, outthe window, anywhere to keep from looking at her. As he read along, I noticed that Mrs.
 
Dubose's corrections grew fewer and farther between, that Jem had even left onesentence dangling48 in mid-air. She was not listening.
 
I looked toward the bed.
 
Something had happened to her. She lay on her back, with the quilts up to her chin.
 
Only her head and shoulders were visible. Her head moved slowly from side to side.
 
From time to time she would open her mouth wide, and I could see her tongue undulatefaintly. Cords of saliva would collect on her lips; she would draw them in, then open hermouth again. Her mouth seemed to have a private existence of its own. It workedseparate and apart from the rest of her, out and in, like a clam49 hole at low tide.
 
Occasionally it would say, "Pt," like some viscous50 substance coming to a boil.
 
I pulled Jem's sleeve.
 
He looked at me, then at the bed. Her head made its regular sweep toward us, andJem said, "Mrs. Dubose, are you all right?" She did not hear him.#p#分页标题#e#
 
The alarm clock went off and scared us stiff. A minute later, nerves still tingling51, Jemand I were on the sidewalk headed for home. We did not run away, Jessie sent us:
 
before the clock wound down she was in the room pushing Jem and me out of it.
 
"Shoo," she said, "you all go home."
 
Jem hesitated at the door.
 
"It's time for her medicine," Jessie said. As the door swung shut behind us I sawJessie walking quickly toward Mrs. Dubose's bed.
 
It was only three forty-five when we got home, so Jem and I drop-kicked in the backyard until it was time to meet Atticus. Atticus had two yellow pencils for me and afootball magazine for Jem, which I suppose was a silent reward for our first day'ssession with Mrs. Dubose. Jem told him what happened.
 
"Did she frighten you?" asked Atticus.
 
"No sir," said Jem, "but she's so nasty. She has fits or somethin‘. She spits a lot."
 
"She can't help that. When people are sick they don't look nice sometimes."
 
"She scared me," I said.
 
Atticus looked at me over his glasses. "You don't have to go with Jem, you know."
 
The next afternoon at Mrs. Dubose's was the same as the first, and so was the next,until gradually a pattern emerged: everything would begin normally -- that is, Mrs.
 
Dubose would hound Jem for a while on her favorite subjects, her camellias and ourfather's nigger-loving propensities52; she would grow increasingly silent, then go awayfrom us. The alarm clock would ring, Jessie would shoo us out, and the rest of the daywas ours.
 
"Atticus," I said one evening, "what exactly is a nigger-lover?"
 
Atticus's face was grave. "Has somebody been calling you that?"
 
"No sir, Mrs. Dubose calls you that. She warms up every afternoon calling you that.
 
Francis called me that last Christmas, that's where I first heard it."
 
"Is that the reason you jumped on him?" asked Atticus.
 
"Yes sir…"
 
"Then why are you asking me what it means?"
 
I tried to explain to Atticus that it wasn't so much what Francis said that had infuriatedme as the way he had said it. "It was like he'd said snot-nose or somethin‘."
 
"Scout," said Atticus, "nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't meananything -- like snot-nose. It's hard to explain -- ignorant, trashy people use it when theythink somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usagewith some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to labelsomebody."
 
"You aren't really a nigger-lover, then, are you?"
 
"I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody… I'm hard put, sometimes -- baby, it'snever an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you howpoor that person is, it doesn't hurt you. So don't let Mrs. Dubose get you down. She hasenough troubles of her own."
 
One afternoon a month later Jem was ploughing his way through Sir Walter Scout, asJem called him, and Mrs. Dubose was correcting him at every turn, when there was aknock on the door. "Come in!" she screamed.
 
Atticus came in. He went to the bed and took Mrs. Dubose's hand. "I was coming fromthe office and didn't see the children," he said. "I thought they might still be here."
 
Mrs. Dubose smiled at him. For the life of me I could not figure out how she couldbring herself to speak to him when she seemed to hate him so. "Do you know what timeit is, Atticus?" she said. "Exactly fourteen minutes past five. The alarm clock's set forfive-thirty. I want you to know that."
 
It suddenly came to me that each day we had been staying a little longer at Mrs.
 
Dubose's, that the alarm clock went off a few minutes later every day, and that she waswell into one of her fits by the time it sounded. Today she had antagonized Jem fornearly two hours with no intention of having a fit, and I felt hopelessly trapped. Thealarm clock was the signal for our release; if one day it did not ring, what would we do?
 
"I have a feeling that Jem's reading days are numbered," said Atticus.#p#分页标题#e#
 
"Only a week longer, I think," she said, "just to make sure…"
 
Jem rose. "But -- "
 
Atticus put out his hand and Jem was silent. On the way home, Jem said he had to doit just for a month and the month was up and it wasn't fair.
 
"Just one more week, son," said Atticus.
 
"No," said Jem. "Yes," said Atticus.
 
The following week found us back at Mrs. Dubose's. The alarm clock had ceasedsounding, but Mrs. Dubose would release us with, "That'll do," so late in the afternoonAtticus would be home reading the paper when we returned. Although her fits hadpassed off, she was in every other way her old self: when Sir Walter Scott becameinvolved in lengthy53 descriptions of moats and castles, Mrs. Dubose would become boredand pick on us:
 
"Jeremy Finch, I told you you'd live to regret tearing up my camellias. You regret itnow, don't you?"
 
Jem would say he certainly did.
 
"Thought you could kill my Snow-on-the-Mountain, did you? Well, Jessie says thetop's growing back out. Next time you'll know how to do it right, won't you? You'll pull itup by the roots, won't you?"
 
Jem would say he certainly would.
 
"Don't you mutter at me, boy! You hold up your head and say yes ma'am. Don't guessyou feel like holding it up, though, with your father what he is."
 
Jem's chin would come up, and he would gaze at Mrs. Dubose with a face devoid54 ofresentment. Through the weeks he had cultivated an expression of polite and detachedinterest, which he would present to her in answer to her most blood-curdling inventions.
 
At last the day came. When Mrs. Dubose said, "That'll do," one afternoon, she added,"And that's all. Good-day to you."
 
It was over. We bounded down the sidewalk on a spree of sheer relief, leaping andhowling.
 
That spring was a good one: the days grew longer and gave us more playing time.
 
Jem's mind was occupied mostly with the vital statistics of every college football playerin the nation. Every night Atticus would read us the sports pages of the newspapers.
 
Alabama might go to the Rose Bowl again this year, judging from its prospects55, not oneof whose names we could pronounce. Atticus was in the middle of Windy Seaton'scolumn one evening when the telephone rang.
 
He answered it, then went to the hat rack in the hall. "I'm going down to Mrs. Dubose'sfor a while," he said. "I won't be long."
 
But Atticus stayed away until long past my bedtime. When he returned he wascarrying a candy box. Atticus sat down in the livingroom and put the box on the floorbeside his chair.
 
"What'd she want?" asked Jem.
 
We had not seen Mrs. Dubose for over a month. She was never on the porch anymore when we passed.
 
"She's dead, son," said Atticus. "She died a few minutes ago."
 
"Oh," said Jem. "Well."
 
"Well is right," said Atticus. "She's not suffering any more. She was sick for a longtime. Son, didn't you know what her fits were?"
 
Jem shook his head.
 
"Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict," said Atticus. "She took it as a pain-killer foryears. The doctor put her on it. She'd have spent the rest of her life on it and diedwithout so much agony, but she was too contrary -- "
 
"Sir?" said Jem.
 
Atticus said, "Just before your escapade she called me to make her will. Dr. Reynoldstold her she had only a few months left. Her business affairs were in perfect order butshe said, ‘There's still one thing out of order.'"
 
"What was that?" Jem was perplexed56.
 
"She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. Jem,when you're sick as she was, it's all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn'tall right for her. She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that'swhat she did."
 
Jem said, "You mean that's what her fits were?"
 
"Yes, that's what they were. Most of the time you were reading to her I doubt if sheheard a word you said. Her whole mind and body were concentrated on that alarmclock. If you hadn't fallen into her hands, I'd have made you go read to her anyway. Itmay have been some distraction57. There was another reason -- "#p#分页标题#e#
 
"Did she die free?" asked Jem.
 
"As the mountain air," said Atticus. "She was conscious to the last, almost.
 
Conscious," he smiled, "and cantankerous58. She still disapproved59 heartily60 of my doings,and said I'd probably spend the rest of my life bailing61 you out of jail. She had Jessie fixyou this box -- "
 
Atticus reached down and picked up the candy box. He handed it to Jem.
 
Jem opened the box. Inside, surrounded by wads of damp cotton, was a white, waxy,perfect camellia. It was a Snow-on-the-Mountain.
 
Jem's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Old hell-devil, old hell-devil!" he screamed,flinging it down. "Why can't she leave me alone?"
 
In a flash Atticus was up and standing over him. Jem buried his face in Atticus's shirtfront. "Sh-h," he said. "I think that was her way of telling you -- everything's all right now,Jem, everything's all right. You know, she was a great lady."
 
"A lady?" Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. "After all those things she saidabout you, a lady?"
 
"She was. She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe…son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her. Iwanted you to see something about her -- I wanted you to see what real courage is,instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when youknow you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through nomatter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eightpounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. Shewas the bravest person I ever knew."
 
Jem picked up the candy box and threw it in the fire. He picked up the camellia, andwhen I went off to bed I saw him fingering the wide petals62. Atticus was reading thepaper.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tormenting 6e14ac649577fc286f6d088293b57895     
使痛苦的,使苦恼的
参考例句:
  • He took too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban. 他喜欢一味捉弄一个名叫凯列班的丑妖怪。
  • The children were scolded for tormenting animals. 孩子们因折磨动物而受到责骂。
2 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
参考例句:
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
3 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
4 apoplectic seNya     
adj.中风的;愤怒的;n.中风患者
参考例句:
  • He died from a stroke of apoplexy.他死于中风。
  • My father was apoplectic when he discovered the truth.我父亲在发现真相后勃然大怒。
5 finch TkRxS     
n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀,金丝雀等)
参考例句:
  • This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
  • In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚,它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。
6 countless 7vqz9L     
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
参考例句:
  • In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
  • I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
7 gallantly gallantly     
adv. 漂亮地,勇敢地,献殷勤地
参考例句:
  • He gallantly offered to carry her cases to the car. 他殷勤地要帮她把箱子拎到车子里去。
  • The new fighters behave gallantly under fire. 新战士在炮火下表现得很勇敢。
8 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。
9 baton 5Quyw     
n.乐队用指挥杖
参考例句:
  • With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
  • The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒,乐队开始演奏起来。
10 arbor fyIzz0     
n.凉亭;树木
参考例句:
  • They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里,边喝茶边聊天。
  • You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。
11 bawled 38ced6399af307ad97598acc94294d08     
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物)
参考例句:
  • She bawled at him in front of everyone. 她当着大家的面冲他大喊大叫。
  • My boss bawled me out for being late. 我迟到,给老板训斥了一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
13 overalls 2mCz6w     
n.(复)工装裤;长罩衣
参考例句:
  • He is in overalls today.他今天穿的是工作裤。
  • He changed his overalls for a suit.他脱下工装裤,换上了一套西服。
14 scout oDGzi     
n.童子军,侦察员;v.侦察,搜索
参考例句:
  • He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵,受了重伤。
  • The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。
15 stiffened de9de455736b69d3f33bb134bba74f63     
加强的
参考例句:
  • He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去,这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。
  • She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。
16 saliva 6Cdz0     
n.唾液,口水
参考例句:
  • He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
  • Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。
17 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。
18 premise JtYyy     
n.前提;v.提论,预述
参考例句:
  • Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
  • We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。
19 asylum DobyD     
n.避难所,庇护所,避难
参考例句:
  • The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
  • Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。
20 umbrage rg7yD     
n.不快;树荫
参考例句:
  • Everything gives umbrage to a tyrantny.所有事情都使专制君主生气。
  • She took umbrage at my remarks about her hair.我对她头发的评论使她很不高兴。
21 hygiene Kchzr     
n.健康法,卫生学 (a.hygienic)
参考例句:
  • Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
  • He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。
22 tranquil UJGz0     
adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的
参考例句:
  • The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
  • The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。
23 disposition GljzO     
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署
参考例句:
  • He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
  • He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
24 interdict I58x3     
v.限制;禁止;n.正式禁止;禁令
参考例句:
  • Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.可以把军队渡运过来阻截毒品的装运。
  • Interdict could also be sought for the protection of public interests.禁令也可以用于保护公共利益。
25 flailing flailing     
v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 );用连枷脱粒;(臂或腿)无法控制地乱动;扫雷坦克
参考例句:
  • He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻,为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句
26 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
27 shrieking abc59c5a22d7db02751db32b27b25dbb     
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They were all shrieking with laughter. 他们都发出了尖锐的笑声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 skulked e141a7947687027923a59bfad6fb5a6e     
v.潜伏,偷偷摸摸地走动,鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Sir Francis Clavering made his appearance, and skulked for a while about the magnificent rooms. 弗朗西斯·克拉弗林爵士也出席了,他在那些金碧辉煌的屋子里遛了一会。 来自辞典例句
  • He skulked around outside until the police had gone. 他窥探着四周,直至见到警察走开。 来自互联网
29 hunched 532924f1646c4c5850b7c607069be416     
(常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦)耸肩弓身的,伏首前倾的
参考例句:
  • He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。
  • Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。
30 scowling bbce79e9f38ff2b7862d040d9e2c1dc7     
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里,穿着灰色的衣服,漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
31 filthy ZgOzj     
adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的
参考例句:
  • The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
  • You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发,然后再去买张新的。
32 tassel egKyo     
n.流苏,穗;v.抽穗, (玉米)长穗须
参考例句:
  • The corn has begun to tassel.玉米开始长出穗状雄花。
  • There are blue tassels on my curtains.我的窗帘上有蓝色的流苏。
33 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
34 relic 4V2xd     
n.神圣的遗物,遗迹,纪念物
参考例句:
  • This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
  • He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。
35 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
36 compassion 3q2zZ     
n.同情,怜悯
参考例句:
  • He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
  • Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
37 abide UfVyk     
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受
参考例句:
  • You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
  • If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部,你就得遵守它的规章。
38 watchful tH9yX     
adj.注意的,警惕的
参考例句:
  • The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
  • It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。
39 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
参考例句:
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
40 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。
41 tirade TJKzt     
n.冗长的攻击性演说
参考例句:
  • Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
  • He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。
42 glistened 17ff939f38e2a303f5df0353cf21b300     
v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Pearls of dew glistened on the grass. 草地上珠露晶莹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Her eyes glistened with tears. 她的眼里闪着泪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
43 glacier YeQzw     
n.冰川,冰河
参考例句:
  • The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
  • The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。
44 grooves e2ee808c594bc87414652e71d74585a3     
n.沟( groove的名词复数 );槽;老一套;(某种)音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 );槽;老一套;(某种)音乐节奏
参考例句:
  • Wheels leave grooves in a dirt road. 车轮在泥路上留下了凹痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Sliding doors move in grooves. 滑动门在槽沟中移动。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
45 cuticles b1dd7c72df1e4dd9e7ad32eaa9bb7e57     
n.(手指甲或脚趾甲根部的)外皮( cuticle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The cuticles of most vascular plants are covered with a thin layer of largely hydrophobic constituents. 大部分维管囊植物的角质层都被有薄薄一层很疏水的成分。 来自辞典例句
  • And there would have been traces of blood from his cuticles. 而且那会留下他的血迹和表皮痕迹。 来自电影对白
46 protruded ebe69790c4eedce2f4fb12105fc9e9ac     
v.(使某物)伸出,(使某物)突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The child protruded his tongue. 那小孩伸出舌头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The creature's face seemed to be protruded, because of its bent carriage. 那人的脑袋似乎向前突出,那是因为身子佝偻的缘故。 来自英汉文学
47 nether P1pyY     
adj.下部的,下面的;n.阴间;下层社会
参考例句:
  • This terracotta army well represents his ambition yet to be realized in the nether-world.这一批兵马俑很可能代表他死后也要去实现的雄心。
  • He was escorted back to the nether regions of Main Street.他被护送回中央大道南面的地方。
48 dangling 4930128e58930768b1c1c75026ebc649     
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果,那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
  • The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上,摇晃着他们的双腿。
49 clam Fq3zk     
n.蛤,蛤肉
参考例句:
  • Yup!I also like clam soup and sea cucumbers.对呀!我还喜欢蛤仔汤和海参。
  • The barnacle and the clam are two examples of filter feeders.藤壶和蛤类是滤过觅食者的两种例子。
50 viscous KH3yL     
adj.粘滞的,粘性的
参考例句:
  • Gases are much less viscous than liquids.气体的粘滞性大大小于液体。
  • The mud is too viscous.You must have all the agitators run.泥浆太稠,你们得让所有的搅拌机都开着。
51 tingling LgTzGu     
v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
52 propensities db21cf5e8e107956850789513a53d25f     
n.倾向,习性( propensity的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • This paper regarded AFT as a criterion to estimate slagging propensities. 文中以灰熔点作为判断煤灰结渣倾向的标准。 来自互联网
  • Our results demonstrate that different types of authoritarian regime face different propensities to develop toward democracy. 本文研究结果显示,不同的威权主义政体所面对的民主发展倾向是不同的。 来自互联网
53 lengthy f36yA     
adj.漫长的,冗长的
参考例句:
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
  • The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。
54 devoid dZzzx     
adj.全无的,缺乏的
参考例句:
  • He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
  • The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。
55 prospects fkVzpY     
n.希望,前途(恒为复数)
参考例句:
  • There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
  • They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。
56 perplexed A3Rz0     
adj.不知所措的
参考例句:
  • The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛,走了又回来,犹豫不决,总怕上当受骗。
  • The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。
57 distraction muOz3l     
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐
参考例句:
  • Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注,不能有丝毫分神。
  • Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。
58 cantankerous TTuyb     
adj.爱争吵的,脾气不好的
参考例句:
  • He met a crabbed,cantankerous director.他碰上了一位坏脾气、爱争吵的主管。
  • The cantankerous bus driver rouse on the children for singing.那个坏脾气的公共汽车司机因为孩子们唱歌而骂他们。
59 disapproved 3ee9b7bf3f16130a59cb22aafdea92d0     
v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
60 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
参考例句:
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
61 bailing dc539a5b66e96b3b3b529f4e45f0d3cc     
(凿井时用吊桶)排水
参考例句:
  • Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌,两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
  • The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理,提出了现场操作注意事项。
62 petals f346ae24f5b5778ae3e2317a33cd8d9b     
n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
  • The petals of many flowers expand in the sunshine. 许多花瓣在阳光下开放。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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