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Aunt Alexandra, in underlining the moral of young Sam Merriweather’s suicide, said it was caused by a morbid streak in the family. Let a sixteen-year-old girl giggle in the choir and Aunty would say, “It just goes to show you, all the Penfield women are flighty.” Everybody in Maycomb, it seemed, had a Streak: a Drinking Streak, a Gambling Streak, a Mean Streak, a Funny Streak.
Once, when Aunty assured us that Miss Stephanie Crawford’s tendency to mind other people’s business was hereditary, Atticus said, “Sister, when you stop to think about it, our generation’s practically the first in the Finch family not to marry its cousins. Would you say the Finches have an Incestuous Streak?”
Aunty said no, that’s where we got our small hands and feet.
streak #
an element of a specified kind in someone’s character （性格的）特征，倾向 there’s a streak of insanity in the family. 这个家族有精神病的倾向。 Lucy had a ruthless streak. 露西生性有点残忍。
hereditary #
[hɪˈrɛdɪt(ə)ri] adjective (of a characteristic or disease) determined by genetic factors and therefore able to be passed on from parents to their offspring or descendants. （性格或疾病）遗传的 of or relating to inheritance. （与）继承（有关）的，（与）遗传（有关）的，（与）世袭（有关）的 the main objection to the hereditary principle is that such peers are not elected. 对世袭政策的主要异议是这样的贵族不是推选出来的。
From #
To Kill a Mocking Bird