【生词】
dreadfully：extremely or very much
stiffly：adv. 生硬地；顽固地；呆板地
probe：/prəʊb,prob/ v. [I,T ]to ask questions in order to find things out, especially things that other people do not want you to know 调查；打探，探究
junky: adj. 无价值的；质量低劣的
mayonnaise: ['meənez] n. 蛋黄酱
rigid: ['rɪdʒɪd] adj. 严格的；僵硬的，死板的
hunch: [hʌntʃ] v. to raise your shoulders into a rounded shape because you are cold, anxious etc〔因寒冷、焦虑等〕耸起双肩 hunch your shoulders
vibrate： /vaɪ'breɪt,ˋvaɪbret/ v. [I,T ] if something vibrates, or if you vibrate it, it shakes quickly and continuously with very small movements(使)颤动；(使)震动；(使)振动
rouse： /raʊz,rauz/ v. [T ] formal to wake someone who is sleeping deeply；to make someone start doing something, especially when they have been too tired or unwilling to do it
stagger：[T] to make someone feel very surprised or shocked使〔某人〕惊愕[震惊]
reasoning：n. [U ]a process of thinking carefully about something in order to make a judgment推理，推论
knock out：If something is knocked out by enemy action or bad weather, it is destroyed or stops functioning because of it. knock sth out of sb if a quality if knocked out of someone, they lose that quality because the situation they are in does not allow it to exist.
sip： /sɪp,sɪp/ v. [I,T ]to drink something slowly, taking very small mouthfuls
intently：adv. 专心地；一心一意地；心无旁骛地
be around/put in an appearance：露面
sane：able to think in a normal and reasonable way 心智健全的，神志正常的
shrug：v. 耸肩
demon: ['dimən] n. 恶魔；魔鬼
out of the way: 消亡；死亡;已被处置的，已解决的
a holy terror: informal someone, especially a child, who causes problems for other people捣蛋鬼，顽皮的小孩
retiring: someone who is retiring does not want to be with other people, especially people they do not know
cow: If someone is cowed, they are made afraid, or made to behave in a particular way because they have been frightened or badly treated. 胁迫; 恐吓
turn to jelly: to suddenly feel weak because you are frightened, nervous, or ill
have the guts (to do sth): have courage and determination to do
petrified: extremely frightened, especially so frightened that you cannot move or think. [+ of]
pluck up (the) courage (to do sth): to force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing
steel oneself to do: to prepare yourself to do something that you know will be unpleasant or upsetting 使自己准备应付〔不愉快的事〕
snug: a room, building, or space that is snug is small, warm, and comfortable, and makes you feel protected〔房间、建筑或空间〕小而温暖舒适的，安适的
indefinitely: adv. 不确定地，无限期地
be good off: be rich
be in trust:〔为未成年者代管金钱或财产的〕信托，托管
no prizes for guessing sth: spoken used to say that it is very easy to guess something 某事一猜就知
will: n. 遗嘱
kin: n. [plural 复数] informal your family. next of kin: formal your most closely related family最近的亲属，直系亲属
make a fight : 奋力抗争
【值得学习的表达】
Her shoulders werehunched uphigh and her lips were pressed together tight and she sat there gripping her mug of tea in both hands and staring down into it as though searching for a way to answer these not-quite-so-innocent questions.
She could feel the tension growing and growing in the room.
The voice she was hearing was surely crying out for help.
It's tucked away in the woods behind the hills.
She had all the powers of a parent over me.
One must never think things like that without proof.
cup the mug in her hands =clasp the mug=grip the mug
There was no question of that.
I was by then dominated by my aunt to such an extent that I wouldn't have dared.
All at once Matilda was able to see the whole situation with absolute clarity.
But my aunt produced a piece of paper supposedly written by my father saying that he
leaves the house to his sister-in-law in return for her kindness in looking after me.
Couldn't you hire a good lawyer and make a fight of it.
She has a lot of influence.