To Kill a Mockingbird 杀死一只知更鸟 Chapter 24

Calpurnia wore her stiffest starched ¹ apron ². She carried a tray of charlotte. She backedup to the swinging door and pressed gently. I admired the ease and grace with whichshe handled heavy loads of dainty things. So did Aunt Alexandra, I guess, because shehad let Calpurnia serve today., ,August was on the brink ³ of September. Dill would be leaving for Meridian ⁴ tomorrow;today he was off with Jem at Barker's Eddy ⁵. Jem had discovered with angry amazementthat nobody had ever bothered to teach Dill how to swim, a skill Jem considerednecessary as walking. They had spent two afternoons at the creek ⁶, they said they weregoing in naked and I couldn't come, so I divided the lonely hours between Calpurnia andMiss Maudie., ,Today Aunt Alexandra and her missionary ⁷ circle were fighting the good fight all overthe house. From the kitchen, I heard Mrs. Grace Merriweather giving a report in thelivingroom on the squalid lives of the Mrunas, it sounded like to me. They put the womenout in huts when their time came, whatever that was; they had no sense of family -- Iknew that'd distress ⁸ Aunty -- they subjected children to terrible ordeals ⁹ when they werethirteen; they were crawling with yaws and earworms, they chewed up and spat ¹⁰ out thebark of a tree into a communal ¹¹ pot and then got drunk on it., , ,I didn't know whether to go into the diningroom or stay out. Aunt Alexandra told me tojoin them for refreshments; it was not necessary that I attend the business part of themeeting, she said it'd bore me. I was wearing my pink Sunday dress, shoes, and apetticoat, and reflected that if I spilled anything Calpurnia would have to wash my dressagain for tomorrow. This had been a busy day for her. I decided ¹⁴ to stay out., ,"Can I help you, Cal?" I asked, wishing to be of some service., ,The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了 ，很干净 。 来自辞典例句,We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘
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