歇洛克·福尔摩斯先生1.4

I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air–or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances I naturally gravitated to London,that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. There I stayed for some time at a private hotel in the Strand, leading a comfortless, meaningless existence, and spending such money as I had, considerably more freely than I ought. So alarming did the state of my finances become, that I soon realized that I must either leave the metropolis and rusticate somewhere in the country, or that I must make a complete alteration in my style of living. Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel, and take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.

我在英国无亲无友,所以就象空气一样的自由;或者说是象一个每天收入十一先令六便士的人那样逍遥自在。在这种情况下,我很自然地就被吸引进伦敦这个大污水坑里去,大英帝国所有的游民懒汉也都是汇集到这里来的。我在伦敦河滨马路上的一家公寓里住了一些时候,过着既不舒适又非常无聊的生活,钱一到手就花光了,大大地超过了我所能负担的开支,因此我的经济情况变得非常恐慌起来。我不久就看了出来:我必须离开这个大都市移居到乡下去;要不就得彻底改变我的生活方式。我选定了后一个办法,决心离开这家公寓,另找一个不太奢侈而又花费不大的住处。

Your kith are the people you know very well, but who aren't related to you. If you're asking all of your best friends over for dinner, you can say that you're inviting your kith.

It's very rare to see the word kith unless it's accompanied by the word kin, or "relations." The phrase "kith and kin" means "friends and family." If every actor in your local community theater's production of "The Sound of Music" invites his or her kith and kin, the seats will be full on opening night. Kith comes from the Old English cyðð, which means "kinfolk, neighbors," and also "home, knowledge, and acquaintance."

Some say kin, others say "family" or "relatives." Call them what you will, but you’re stuck with those people related to you by blood or marriage.

When someone refers to their kith and kin, she means her friends and family. Both words date back to Old English, with kin reaching back to the 700s. Originally referring to one’s family or race, kin narrowed to refer just to one’s blood relations. Your "next of kin" is your closest family member: spouse, child, parent, or sibling.

rusticate 
If you want to move to the countryside — especially if you desire a simple, unsophisticated life there — you may explain to people that you wish to rusticate your busy life.

The verb rusticate means "to send to the countryside." If you live in the city, you may want to rusticate your kids in the summers so they can experience a different lifestyle. In Britain, another meaning of the verb is to suspend from university, as in to be punished. If you get caught breaking too many rules with your practical jokes, the dean may rusticate you for a term or two.

Use the adjective pretentiousas a way to criticize people who try to act like they are more important or knowledgeable than they really are.

You might not be surprised to learn that pretentious is related to the word pretend, and it is an adjective that fits the bill for describing someone who's only concerned with making an impressive appearance. If you don't want to be accused of being pretentious, just act naturally and don't put on airs!

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