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大学英语精读第五册 Unit 4

时间:2006-01-24 16:00:00

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(单词翻译)

                 UNIT 4

TEXT

    Romance, betrayal, intrigue1 and tragedy - the making of a fascinating novel - are all there in The Gadfly. Ethel Voynich's first novel, The Gadfly came out in 1897 and became one of the most widely read books of the 20th century.
    We join the story in the closing pages, just after Arthur has been executed. Gemma, reading his last letter from prison, recognizes Arthur as her long-lost lover, only to lose him again -- this time for ever.

                Epilogue
           (From The Gadfly)
                    by Ethel L.Voynich

    The stood still for a little while with the paper in her hand; then sat down by the open window to read. The letter was closely written in pencil, and in some parts hardly legible. But the first two words stood out quite clear upon the page; and they were in English:
    "Dear Jim."
    The writing grew suddenly blurred2 and misty3. And she had lost him again -- had lost him again! At the sight of the familiar childish nickname all the hopelessness of her bereavement4 came over her afresh, and she put out her hands in blind desperation, as though the weight of the earth-clods that lay above him were pressing on her heart.
    Presently she took up the paper again and went on reading:
    "I am to be shot at sunrise to-morrow. So if I am to keep at all my promise to tell you everything, I must keep it now. But, after all, there is not much need of explanations between you and me. We always understood each other without many words, even when we were little thing."
    "And so, you see, my dear, you had no need to break your heart over that old story of the blow. It was a hard hit, of course; but I have had plenty of others as hard, and yet I have managed to get over them, -- even to pay back a few of them, -- and here I am still, like the mackerel in our nursery-book (I forget its name), 'Alive and kicking, oh!" This is my last kick though; and then, to-morrow morning, and -- 'Finita la Commedia!" You and I will translate that: 'The variety show is over'; and will give thanks to the gods that they have had, at least, so much mercy on us. It is not much, but it is something; and for this and all other blessings5 may we be truly thankful!
    "About that same to-morrow morning, I want both you and Martini to understand clearly that I am quite happy and satisfied, and could ask no better thing of Fate. Tell that to Martini as a message from me; he is a good fellow and a good comrade, and he will understand. You see, dear, I know that the stick-in-the-mud people are doing us a good turn and themselves a bad one by going back to secret trials and executions so soon, and I know that if you who are left stand together steadily6 and hit hard, you will see great things. As for me, I shall go out into the courtyard with as light a heart as any child starting home for the holidays. I have done my share of the work, and this death-sentence is the proof that I have done it thoroughly7. They kill me because they are afraid of me; and what more can any man's heart desire?
    "It desires just one thing more, though. A man who is going to die has a right to a personal fancy, and mine is that you should see why I have always been such a sulky brute8 to you, and slow to forget old scores. Of course, though, you understand why, and I tell you only for the pleasure of writing the words. I loved you, Gemma, when you were an ugly little girl in a gingham frock, with your hair in a pig-tail down your back; and I love you still. Do you remember that day when I kissed your hand, and when you so piteously begged me 'never to do that again'? It was a scoundrelly trick to play, I know; but you must forgive that; and now I kiss the paper where I have written your name. So I have hissed9 you twice, and both times without your consent.
    "That is all. Good-bye, my dear."
    There was no signature, but a verse which they had learned together as children was written under the letter:
             "Then am I
            A happy fly,
             If I live
            Or if I die."
    Half an hour later Martini entered the room, and, startled out of the silence of half a life-time, threw down the placard he was carrying and flung his arms about her.
    "Gemma! What is it, for God's sake? Don't sob10 like that -- you that never cry! Gemma! Gemma, my darling!"
    "Nothing, Cesare; I will tell you afterwards -- I -- can't talk about it just now."
    She hurriedly slipped the tear-stained letter into her pocket; and, rising, leaned out of the window to hide her face. Martini held his tongue and bit his moustache. After all these years he had betrayed himself like a schoolboy -- and she had not even noticed it!
    "The Cathedral bell is tolling," she said after a little while, looking round with recovered self-command. "Someone must be dead."
    "That is what I came to show you," Martini answered in his everyday voice. He picked up the placard from the floor and handed it to her. Hastily printed in large type was a black-bordered announcement that: "Out dearly beloved Bishop11, His Eminence12 the Cardinal13, Monsignor Lorenzo Montanelli," had died suddenly at Ravenna, "from the rupture14 of an aneurism of the heart."
    She glanced up quickly from the paper. And Martini answered the unspoken suggestion in her eyes with a shrug15 of his shoulders.
    "What would you have, Madonna? Aneurism is as good a word as any other."
    

NEW WORDS

    epilogue
n.  the last part of a piece of literature 尾声,后记,跋
    gadfly
n.  a fly that bites cattle 牛虻
    legible
a.  (of handwriting or print) that can be reed, esp. easily
    blur
vt. make less clear; dim
    misty
a.  clouded with or as if with mist
    childish
a.  of or typical of a child; immature
    nickname
n.  a name used informally instead or a person's own name or a name connected with one's character or history
    bereavement
n.  loss of relative or friend by death (亲人等的)丧失
    afresh

ad. once more from the beginning; again
    desperation
n.  the state of being desperate; a hopeless or reckless feeling  拚命;绝望
    clod
n.  a lump or mass, esp. of clay 土块
    earth-clod
n. 
    mackerel
n.  a striped sea fish often used as food 鲭鱼
    variety show
    杂耍
    mercy
n.  kind treatment of a person in one's power 慈悲
    blessing
n.  a gift from God or anything that brings happiness; an act of asking or receiving God's favor (祈神)赐福
    bless
vt. in a sincere, honest or truthful16 manner; in fact or indeed
    thankful
a.  showing or feeling gratitude17; grateful
    comrade
n.  a close companion, esp. a person who shares difficult work or danger 同志
    stick-in-the-mud
a.  extremely conservative or old-fashioned  极端保守的,墨守成规的
    execution
n.  (a case of) lawful18 killing19 as a punishment; performance of an order, plan, or piece of work (处)死刑;执行,实施
    steadily
ad. firmly, unwaveringly 坚定地,不动摇地
    courtard
n.  an open space surrounded by walls or buildings 院子
    sulky
a.  silent because of bad temper or resentment20 愠怒的
    brute
n.  beast; a cruel and harsh person
    score
n.  a wrong or injury to be repaid
    old score
    wrong done in the past 旧仇,宿怨
    gingham
n.  printed cotton or linen21 cloth 花条(格)布
    frock
n.  a woman's or girl's dress
    pigtail
n.  a braid of hair that hangs from the back of the head 辫子
    piteously
ad. in a way that makes people feel pity
    scoundrelly
a.  characteristic of a scoundrel; mean and wicked
    forgive
vt. stop being angry at; pardon 原谅,宽恕
    consent
n.  permission; agreement
    signature
n.  the name of a person as written in his/her own handwriting
    verse
n.  words put together with rhythm or rhyme or both; poetry
    placard
n.  a large notice or advertisement put up or carried in a public place 招贴,布告,标语牌
fling(flung)


vt. throw hard; hurl22
    darling
n.  (used when speaking to someone you love or to a member of your family) 亲爱的
    cathedral
n.  the main church of a district under the control of a bishop  大教堂
    toll
vt. sound slowly and regularly, esp. to show that sb. has died (钟)鸣
    self-command
n.  self-control
    hastily
ad. in a hasty manner; quickly
    hasty
a. 
    border
n.  the line where one thing ends and another begins; a strip along an edge
    black-bordered
a.  with black borders 加黑框的
    beloved
a.  dearly loved
    bishop
n.  a high-ranking priest in charge of all the churches and priests in a large area 主教
    Eminence
n.  (used when speaking to, or about a cardinal) 阁下(天主教中对红衣主教的尊称)
    cardinal
n.  a priest with one of the highest ranks of the Roman Catholic Church红衣主教
    Monsignor
n.  (It.) (used as a title for a priest of high rank in the Roman Catholic Church) (意)阁下(对于主教主教等的尊称)
    rupture
n.  a sudden breaking apart or bursting 破裂
    aneurism
n.  动脉瘤
    Madonna
n.  (It.) Madame (意)夫人

PHEASES & EXPRESSIONS

stand out
    be more noticeable, be clearly seen
come over
    take control of, cause sudden strong feelings in
break sb's / one's heart
    make sb. / one feel very sad
get over
    overcome; recover from
pay back
    give the same treatment as received; take revenge on; return borrowed money
do sb. a good / bad turn
    do sth. that benefits / harms sb.
for God's sake
    (infml.) (used when asking strongly for sth. or as an expression of annoyance) 看在上帝份上;天哪,哎呀
hold one's tongue
    be silent, not talk

PROPER NAMES

    Ethel Lillian Voynich
    埃塞尔.丽莲.伏尼契
    Jim
    吉姆
    Gemma
    琼玛
    Cesare Martini
    切萨雷.玛丁尼
    Lorenzo Montanelli
    罗伦梭.蒙泰尼里
    Ravenna
    拉维纳


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1 intrigue Gaqzy     
vt.激起兴趣,迷住;vi.耍阴谋;n.阴谋,密谋
参考例句:
  • Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。
  • The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。
2 blurred blurred     
v.(使)变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 );(使)难以区分;模模糊糊;迷离
参考例句:
  • She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
  • Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 misty l6mzx     
adj.雾蒙蒙的,有雾的
参考例句:
  • He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿,看看是不是还有雾霭。
  • The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。
4 bereavement BQSyE     
n.亲人丧亡,丧失亲人,丧亲之痛
参考例句:
  • the pain of an emotional crisis such as divorce or bereavement 诸如离婚或痛失亲人等情感危机的痛苦
  • I sympathize with you in your bereavement. 我对你痛失亲人表示同情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 blessings 52a399b218b9208cade790a26255db6b     
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
参考例句:
  • Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马,焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
6 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
7 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
8 brute GSjya     
n.野兽,兽性
参考例句:
  • The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
  • That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲,它咬人。
9 hissed 2299e1729bbc7f56fc2559e409d6e8a7     
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 ); 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句:
  • Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过?
  • The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。
10 sob HwMwx     
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣
参考例句:
  • The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
  • The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答,也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。
11 bishop AtNzd     
n.主教,(国际象棋)象
参考例句:
  • He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
  • Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。
12 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。
13 cardinal Xcgy5     
n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的
参考例句:
  • This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
  • The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火,脸涨得通红。
14 rupture qsyyc     
n.破裂;(关系的)决裂;v.(使)破裂
参考例句:
  • I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。
  • The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。
15 shrug Ry3w5     
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句:
  • With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
  • I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
16 truthful OmpwN     
adj.真实的,说实话的,诚实的
参考例句:
  • You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心,他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
  • I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。
17 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
18 lawful ipKzCt     
adj.法律许可的,守法的,合法的
参考例句:
  • It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
  • We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。
19 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
20 resentment 4sgyv     
n.怨愤,忿恨
参考例句:
  • All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
  • She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。
21 linen W3LyK     
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的
参考例句:
  • The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
  • Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。
22 hurl Yc4zy     
vt.猛投,力掷,声叫骂
参考例句:
  • The best cure for unhappiness is to hurl yourself into your work.医治愁苦的最好办法就是全身心地投入工作。
  • To hurl abuse is no way to fight.谩骂决不是战斗。

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