15 生词
The Aristocrat's Dilemma: A Story of Integrity and Deception
In the heart of a primeval forest, an ancient family estate stood as a symbol of aristocratic power and privilege. The head of the family, Lord Jonathan, was a renowned aristocrat who had ruled his lands with a firm but fair hand. However, the time had come for him to abdicate his position and pass the responsibilities to his heir, a task that weighed heavily on his mind.
His family had long held a hierarchical view of society, believing that power and wealth were to remain within their circle. Yet, Lord Jonathan had grown weary of the rigid structure, feeling it often lacked the necessary integrity. He could no longer ignore the dearth of honesty and transparency that had crept into the management of his estate. The dearth of integrity had begun to degrade not only the family’s reputation but also their relationships with the people who worked the land.
As Lord Jonathan prepared his speech of abdication, he found himself in conflict. He had always been taught to refrain from showing weakness, but something impelled him to speak the truth. "I must be cautious," he thought, "lest my utterance of the truth polarise my family and the people under my rule."
In the days leading up to the announcement, his closest advisors conspired in secret, aiming to manipulate the transition of power for their own benefit. They employed cunning strategies, hoping to place someone in power who would maintain the status quo, ensuring that no significant reforms were made to address the growing corruption.
But Lord Jonathan could discern the foul intentions of his advisors. Years of experience and the ability to see through deception had sharpened his judgment. He knew he needed to act swiftly and with integrity if he were to protect the estate from further decline. He took the time to scrutinise each candidate who might succeed him, relying on the process of peer-review to ensure that the right choice was made.
Lord Jonathan’s eldest son, William, was seen by many as the obvious successor, but he lacked the strength and vision required to transcend the family's troubled past. His overdue growth into a leader was a source of frustration for many. William, though well-meaning, often failed to see the downside of his actions. He was easily manipulated, and his noble birth was his only merit in the eyes of many.
Meanwhile, Jonathan's daughter, Lady Eleanor, was a different force entirely. She had a keen understanding of the estate's challenges and possessed the wisdom to amend the corrupt practices that had plagued their lands. She had spent years studying the region’s primitive forests and virgin forests, seeking to connect the estate's practices with the natural environment. Unlike her brother, she understood that true leadership required a balance between tradition and innovation.
Eleanor’s vision for the future was to transcend the old ways, creating a system that wasn’t solely based on hierarchical dominance but one that valued collaboration and sustainability. Yet, the patriarchal society they lived in often dismissed her ideas. As a woman in an aristocratic family, she had to work twice as hard to gain the respect of her peers.
On the day of the abdication, Lord Jonathan made a decision that would polarise his family but, he hoped, ultimately save it. He announced not William, but Eleanor as his successor. The crowd gasped, and a tense silence fell over the room. Some of the more conservative members of the family were outraged, seeing it as a breach of tradition. But Jonathan remained firm, believing that Eleanor's leadership would usher in a new era of integrity and progress.
As Lord Jonathan left the stage, he could feel the weight of the family’s future lifting from his shoulders. His utterance had changed the course of their legacy, ensuring that they would not be doomed by their past mistakes. He had chosen to ascribe his family’s future to wisdom and integrity, rather than fear and deceit.
单词及其中英文释义
- abdicate (v.) - to renounce one's throne; 退位
- polarise (v.) - to divide into two sharply contrasting groups; 两极分化
- Polaris (n.) - the North Star; 北极星
- transcend (v.) - to go beyond the limits; 超越
- transcendence (n.) - existence beyond the normal or physical level; 超越(的存在)
- downside (n.) - a disadvantage; 负面，消极面
- aristocrat (n.) - a member of the aristocracy; 贵族
- aristocratic (adj.) - belonging to the aristocracy; 贵族的
- granny (n.) - grandmother; 奶奶
- hierarchical (adj.) - arranged in order of rank; 等级制的，体系的
- refrain (v.) - to stop oneself from doing something; 克制，避免
- reck (v.) - to care for something; 顾虑，相干
- amend (v.) - to make changes to a text or law; 修正
- discern (v.) - to perceive or recognize; 识别
- peer-review (n.) - evaluation of scientific, academic, or professional work by others in the same field; 同行评审
- scrutiny (n.) - critical observation or examination; 详细审查
- impel (v.) - to drive someone to do something; 驱使
- overdue (adj.) - not having arrived, happened, or been done by the expected time; 逾期的
- merit (n.) - the quality of being particularly good or worthy; 优点
- integrity (n.) - the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; 诚实正直
- dearth (n.) - a scarcity or lack of something; 缺乏
- dearth of integrity (phr.) - a lack of honesty and strong moral principles; 缺乏诚实
- conspire (v.) - to make secret plans to commit an unlawful or harmful act; 密谋
- degrade (v.) - to treat or regard someone with contempt or disrespect; 降低
- cunning (adj.) - having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit; 狡猾的
- utterance (n.) - a spoken word or statement; 话语
- ascribe (v.) - to attribute something to a cause; 归因于
- virgin forest (n.) - a forest that has never been altered by human activity; 原始森林
- primitive forest (n.) - a forest in its natural state, largely unaffected by human activity; 原始森林
- primeval forest (n.) - ancient, untouched forests; 原始森林