魔术美文记英语4级词汇 18.The Last Will

Kent was a manger of a cement agency. His establishment nearly had gone bankrupt because one of his inferiors betrayed him. Just now Kent had made a presentation to the board in the chamber¹, conceding the failure of his administration. He had temporarily stopped the provision of cement in all projects.

It was a cold winter midnight. In corridor, the thermometer suspended showed the temperature was minus 9 degrees cetigrade. The tragedy blurred² Kent's mind, so he steered³ to a bar alone. He wanted nothing but to drink liquor tonight.

There were few people in the street. Suddenly, a figure of an old madam exposed within his eyesight. She was standing⁴ sideways nearby a platform, dressed in a plain gown, hauling a ortable suitcase, and holding with a plasic bag in the other hand. The slight old lady was seemingly more than 80. She was trembling in cutting wind with red nose. Now she kept motioning Kent for a ride. Although Kent was somewhat angry about the old madam's disturbing and he wasn't induced at all to inquire any occurrence concerning her, he wouldn't like to leave her in the cold night. He thought that she presumably needed help. So he braked near her.

The madam said, "Would you please take me a ride? I can offer double fare..."

Kent interrupted her, "I will charge you nothing! come on!"

The madam pointed⁵ her luggage (baggage) and said, "Could you put them into the car?"

Kent stooped, heaved and put them in the car.

They proceeded to drive. Kent halted at a petroleum⁶ station where he wanted to purchase gallons of gasoline. During the interval⁷ they waited in a queue, the madam began with her narratives⁸, "could you please send me to the charity house in suburb, I want to give them the luggage. I had been rendered help as refugee there 50 years ago." Kent was confused abut⁹ the identity and behavior of the madam, so he asked, "Why do you do this at midnight?" The madam replied, "I retired¹⁰ on a pension. They prohibit (forbid) me from coming out during the day. In the case are the surplus jackets, jeans and pants of my nephews and nieces."

After 2 hours' bump, Kent went out the entry of the charity house. They continued.

"Please wait a moment, Sir!" the madam said suddenly, fixed¹¹ her eyesight on an old building. "You know the first house in the uppermost floor was the first home my hussband and I leased (rented) where I dialed the up-to-date videophone the first time in my life. The landlord was a good guy." She burst into tears, "Now they've all gone to the heaven." Kent realized the madam was recalling a section (segment) of the good missing days. A penetrating¹² feeling overwhelmed him, and he decided¹³ to cancel his plan and stay with the old madam.

As the old madam dictated¹⁴, they went to a golf playground. The region, she said, was a dairy dozens of years ago. Everyday she went to the farm with sleeve covers, cushion, jar, towel and other auxilliary appliances. Her main work was to squeeze, transport and distribute milk. She also bred the cow sometimes.

Then the old madam instructed, "Please send me to the rest home in the town, sir." Hearing this, Kent pulsed quickly. He knew the rest home was prescribed for the cancer patients who were diagnosed without any remedy."

"I will soon die of liver cancer. I come out to say goodbye to my life. Now I will have no regrets before death. Thanks for your help!" The madam made an explanation with smile, walking into a timber room. Kent was dumb for a while. He was chewing what the madam said, happily thinking of her life without any regrets

1 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 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 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 standing   

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。

5 pointed   

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。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 interval   

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。

8 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

9 abut   

v.接界，毗邻

参考例句：

• The two lots are abut together.那两块地毗连着。
• His lands abut on the motorway.他的土地毗邻高速公路。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

12 penetrating   

adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
• He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

14 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》