儒琴英语文学词汇咀嚼《德伯家的苔丝》(Tess of the Durbervilles)一书的用词。 《苔丝》以哈代的威塞克斯为背景，是一部关于虚伪和双重标准的感人小说。托马斯·哈代（Thomas Hardy，1840—1928）, 英国诗人、小说家。他是横跨两个世纪的作家，早期和中期的创作以小说为主，继承和发扬了维多利亚时代的文学传统；晚年以其出色的诗歌开拓了英国20世纪的文学。
英语文学词汇 Literature Terms
beatitude /biˈæt̬.ə.tuːd/
noun: a state of utmost bliss
至上的幸福， 至福，祝福
In a large bedroom upstairs, the window of which was thickly curtained with a great woollen shawl lately discarded by the landlord Mrs Rolliver, were gathered on this evening nearly a dozen persons, all seeking beatitude;
今天晚上，在楼上一间大卧室里聚集了近十来个人，他们都在寻求幸福。卧室的窗户上挂着一条大羊毛披肩，这条披肩是房东罗利弗太太最近丢弃的；（第四章）
gaunt /ɡɑːnt/
adj: excessively thin and angular; barren, desolate
荒凉的；平淡无奇的；难看的; 瘦削的，骨瘦如柴的，憔悴的
A gaunt four-post bedstead which stood in the room afforded sitting-space for several persons gathered round three of its sides; a couple more men had elevated themselves on a chest of drawers;
房间里摆着一张破旧的四柱床，可供几个人围坐在床的三面坐下;又有两个男人高高地坐在五斗橱上; (第四章）
glibly /ˈɡlɪb.li/
adv: showing little forethought or preparation; lacking depth and substance; characterized by fluency of speech or writing that often suggests insincerity, superficiality, or a lack of concern
油腔滑调地；不诚恳地；未经思考地；肤浅地; 信口开河地; 滔滔不绝; 津津乐道地
“ ……, ” the landlord exclaimed at the sound of footsteps, as glibly as a child repeating the catechism, while she peered over the stairs.
“…,” 老板娘从楼梯上望过去，一听到脚步声就声嚷道，就像一个孩子流利地背诵教义问答一样 ; (第四章）
tractable /ˈtræk.tə.bəl/
adj: easily dealt with, controlled, or persuaded
易处理的；易控制的；易劝服的
“Tess is queer.”
“But she is tractable at bottom. Leave her to me.”
Though this conversation had been private, sufficient of its import reached the understandings of those around to suggest to them that the Dyrbeyfields had weightier concerns to talk of now than common folks had, and that Tess, their pretty eldest daughter had fine prospects in store.
“苔丝可是个怪脾气。”
“但她骨子里还是听话的。这件事就交给我来办吧。”
虽然这番谈话是私下里进行的，但它的意义却足以让周围的人明白，德贝菲尔夫妇现在要谈的是比一般人更重要的事情，他们漂亮的大女儿苔丝有很好的前程。 (第四章）
genuflection (genuflexions) /ˌdʒen.jəˈflek.ʃən/
noun: Bending one or both knees as a sign of respect to God, especially when entering or leaving a Catholic church
（尤指进出天主教教堂时）下跪，跪拜
He had, in truth, drunk very little : not a fourth of the quantity which a systematic tippler could carry to church on a Sunday afternoon without a hitch in his eastings or genuflexions: but weakness of Sir John’s constitution made mountains of his petty sins in this kind.
说实在的，他只喝了很少的酒，还不到一个经常喝酒的人酒量的四分之一。人家喝足了酒，在星期天下午去教堂，照样能转身朝东，屈膝下跪，一点都不磕磕绊跄。但是约翰爵士体质的弱点使他这类小罪堆积如山，压得他喘不过气来。(第四章）
nocturnal /nɑːkˈtɝː.nəl/
adj: of, relating to, or occurring in the night
夜间发生的；夜间活动的；夜间的
On reaching the fresh air he was sufficiently unsteady to incline to the row of three at one moment as if they were marching to London, and at another as if they were marching to Bath – which produced a comical effects, frequent enough in families on nocturnal home goings; and, like most comical effects, not quite so comic after all.
他出来一接触到外面的凉风，就东倒西歪，只弄得他们三人一会儿仿佛要往向伦敦去，一会儿又仿佛他们要向巴斯去。这种滑稽的效果在夜间回家的家庭中是很常见的，而且，像大多数滑稽效果一样，实际上也不是那么滑稽。(第四章）
somnolent /ˈsɑːm.nəl.ənt/
adj: of a kind likely to induce sleep
瞌睡的，催眠的，令人昏昏欲睡的
When they has passed the little town of Stourcastle, dumbly somnolent under its thick brown thatch, they reached higher ground.
当他们经过斯图尔堡小镇时，小镇的人在厚厚的棕色茅草屋顶下下默默沉睡着，他们来到了更高的地方。(第四章）
impregnate /ɪmˈpreɡ.neɪt/
verb: to cause to be filled, imbued, permeated, or saturated；to make pregnant
使被充满、灌输、浸透、渗透或饱和；使怀孕; 使妊娠
The renewed subject, which seemed to have impregnated the whole family, filled Tess with impatience.
这个似乎使全家人都心驰神往话题，现在又重新提起，苔丝感到不耐烦了。(第四章）
conterminous /kənˈtɜːmɪnəs/
adj: Having a boundary in common; contiguous; enclosed within one common boundary
相接的；连接的；同一延伸的
The mute procession past her of trees and hedges became attached to fantastic scenes outside reality, and the occasional heave of the wind became the sigh of some immense sad soul, conterminous with the universe in space and with history in time.
从她身边无声地擦身而过的树木和树篱，变成了现实之外的奇异景象，偶尔的风声，变成了一个巨大悲伤灵魂的叹息，这一灵魂在空间上与宇宙相连，在时间上与历史相连。(第四章）
consternation /ˌkɑːn.stɚˈneɪ.ʃən/
noun: A state of great alarm, agitation, or dismay; a feeling of anxiety, dread, or confusion
惊愕；惊恐；惊惶失措
In consternation Tess jumped down, and discovered the dreadful truth. The groan had proceeded from her father’s poor horse Prince.
苔丝惊慌失措地跳了下来，发现了可怕的真相。呻吟声是从她父亲那匹可怜的马“王子”发出来的。(第四章）
iridescence /ˌɪr.əˈdes.əns/
noun: Producing a display of lustrous, rainbowlike colors; a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves
(变化斑斓的）彩虹色
The huge pool of blood in front of her was already assuming the iridescence of coagulation; and the sun rose a hundred prismatic hues were reflected from it.
她面前的一大片血泊已经凝固成彩虹般的颜色; 太阳升起来了，它反射出种棱镜般的色彩。(第四章）
extemporize /ɪkˈstem.pɚ.aɪz/
verb: to do something extemporaneously : improvise; To do or perform (something) without prior preparation or practice
即兴地做某事;未经事先准备就做(某事); 当场做成;即兴表演
When Abraham realized all, the furrows of fifty years were extemporized on his young face.
当亚伯拉罕意识到这一切时，他年轻的脸上突然出现了五十岁的皱纹。(第四章）
