胡敏读故事记单词托福词汇059

Lesson 59 Tom’s Demise¹ 汤姆的死

Words:



deck n. 一副（纸牌）



declaim v. 高谈阔论，慷慨陈词



declaration n. 宣布，宣言



declare vt. 宣布，声明



decline vi./n. 衰退，下降，减退；vt. 婉言谢绝



decompose² v. 分解，（使）腐烂



decomposition³ n. 腐烂，分解



decorate vt. 装饰，装潢，修饰



decoration n. 装饰，装饰品



decorative⁴ adj. 装饰的，可作装饰的



decorous adj. 端庄得体的



decorum n. 正派得体，稳重大方



decoy n. 诱饵，引诱物



decrease v. 减少



decry⁵ v. 非难，谴责



deduce v. 演绎，推断



deface v. 损坏外表



defame v. 诽谤，损坏名誉



defecate vi. 排粪；通大便



defect n. 缺点，瑕疵



defection n. 缺陷；脱党，变节



defective⁶ adj. 有缺陷的



defend vt. 防护；辩护



defense⁷ n. 防卫，防卫物



defensive⁸ adj. 自卫的



By the time the police found Tom in the warehouse⁹, his body was decomposed¹⁰ beyond recognition. His clothing had the decorous appearance of someone who was going to attend a card game. The coroner said he was obviously in the advanced stages of decomposition. The coroner said that Tom defecated in his pants before dying. Tom also had defensive wounds on his hands. His body was covered with a deck of cards. The police deduced that a card game was used as a decoy to lure¹¹ Tom to the warehouse. There, he was assaulted then stabbed to death with a knife.



The decorations at Tom’s funeral were beautiful. His family had decorated the church. A decorative wood podium was placed behind Tom’s coffin¹².



I was hoping that everyone at the funeral would behave with decorum. However, Tom was despised by many of his relatives. Their trust in Tom had declined over the years. His defection from the church also decreased his popularity. Everyone decried¹³ his life of gambling¹⁴. Some declaimed that Tom’s death was, in fact, a relief and a good lesson for everyone. One relative defamed Tom by claiming that he stole money from his own family. Someone even defaced Tom’s headstone. Nobody dared to defend him. I felt compelled to say something in his defense. I nervously¹⁵ inched my way to the podium and began to speak.



“Tom wasn’t perfect,” I said. “He had his share of defects. Nevertheless, a defective soul is the kind of soul who is most in need of our prayers. So let us pray for Tom.”



警方在仓库里发现汤姆时，他的尸体已腐烂得难以辨认了。他的装束端庄得体，像是准备去参加一个纸牌赌博活动。验尸官宣布他在案发现场死亡。这个验尸报告似乎很没说服力，因为很明显他的尸体已经腐烂到了较严重的地步。验尸官宣称汤姆临死前大便失禁在裤子里，而且由于自卫而手部受伤。尸体上盖着一副纸牌。于是，警方推断说有人利用纸牌赌博做诱饵把汤姆引进仓库，然后乘机攻击，用刀刺死了他。



汤姆葬礼上的装饰品很美。他的家人还装饰了教堂。汤姆的棺木后面放着一个装饰性的木质讲台。



我希望所有参加葬礼的人都行为得体。然而，汤姆的许多亲戚都鄙视他。这几年他们对汤姆的信任已经减弱。他脱离教会更使他声誉下降。每个人都谴责他的赌博生涯。一些人在慷慨陈词，称汤姆的死事实上对大家来说是一种解脱和一个很好的教训。一个亲戚诽谤汤姆说他曾偷自家人的钱。甚至有人毁坏了墓碑的外表。但没人站出来为他辩护。我想我不得不说几句作为对他的辩护。于是，我紧张地一步一步地走到讲台旁就开始讲话。



“汤姆并非完人，”我说，“他有他的缺点，可是一个有缺陷的灵魂是最需要我们为之祈祷的。所以让我们为汤姆祈祷吧。”

1 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

2 decompose   

vi.分解；vt.（使）腐败，（使）腐烂

参考例句：

• The eggs began to decompose after a day in the sun.鸡蛋在太阳下放了一天后开始变坏。
• Most animals decompose very quickly after death.大多数动物死后很快腐烂。

3 decomposition   

n. 分解, 腐烂, 崩溃

参考例句：

• It is said that the magnetite was formed by a chemical process called thermal decomposition. 据说这枚陨星是在热分解的化学过程中形成的。
• The dehydration process leads to fairly extensive decomposition of the product. 脱水过程会导致产物相当程度的分解。

4 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

5 decry   

v.危难，谴责

参考例句：

• Some people will decry this,insisting that President Obama should have tried harder to gain bipartisan support.有些人会对此表示谴责，坚持说奥巴马总统原本应该更加努力获得两党的支持。
• Now you decry him as another Hitler because he is a threat to the controlling interest of oil in the middle east.现在你却因为他对中东石油控制权益构成了威胁而谴责他为另一个希特勒。

6 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

9 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

10 decomposed   

已分解的，已腐烂的

参考例句：

• A liquid is decomposed when an electric current passes through it. 当电流通过时，液体就分解。
• Water can be resolved [decomposed] into hydrogen and oxygen. 水可分解为氢和氧。

11 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

12 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

13 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

15 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。