If a true picture of our life were to rise before your mental vision, you would, I think,
behold1 a scene like that of a town just taken by storm, where
decency2 and righteousness were no longer regarded, and no advice is heard but that of force, as if universal confusion were the word of command. Neither fire nor sword are spared; crime is unpunished by the laws; even religion, which saves the lives of
suppliants4 in the very midst of armed enemies, does not check those who are rushing to secure
plunder5. Some men rob private houses, some public buildings; all places, sacred or
profane6, are alike stripped; some burst their way in, others climb over; some open a wider path for themselves by
overthrowing7 the walls that keep them out, and make their way to their booty over ruins; some
ravage8 without murdering, others
brandish9 spoils dripping with their owner’s blood; everyone carries off his neighbours’ goods. In this greedy struggle of the human race surely you forget the common lot of all mankind, if you seek among these robbers for one who will return what he has got. If you are indignant at men being ungrateful, you ought also to be indignant at their being
luxurious10,
avaricious11 and
lustful12; you might as well be indignant with sick men for being ugly, or with old men for being pale. It is, indeed, a serious
vice3, it is not to be borne, and sets men at
variance13 with one another;
nay14, it
rends15 and destroys that union by which alone our human weakness can be supported; yet it is so absolutely universal, that even those who complain of it most are not themselves free from it.
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1
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 |
参考例句： |
- The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
- The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。
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2
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 |
参考例句： |
- His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
- Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
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3
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 |
参考例句： |
- He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
- They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
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5
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 |
参考例句： |
- The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
- Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。
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6
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 |
参考例句： |
- He doesn't dare to profane the name of God.他不敢亵渎上帝之名。
- His profane language annoyed us.他亵渎的言语激怒了我们。
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7
overthrowing
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| v.打倒，推翻( overthrow的现在分词 )；使终止 |
参考例句： |
- They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship. 他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I always delight in overthrowing those kinds of schemes. 我一向喜欢戳穿人家的诡计。 来自辞典例句
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8
ravage
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| vt.使...荒废，破坏...；n.破坏，掠夺，荒废 |
参考例句： |
- Just in time to watch a plague ravage his village.恰好目睹了瘟疫毁灭了他的村庄。
- For two decades the country has been ravaged by civil war and foreign intervention.20年来，这个国家一直被内战外侵所蹂躏。
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9
brandish
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| v.挥舞，挥动；n.挥动，挥舞 |
参考例句： |
- She answered with a brandish of her umbrella.她挥动着伞回答。
- Come on together! Brandish the florid youth together!一起舞动绚丽的青春吧！
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10
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 |
参考例句： |
- This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
- The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。
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11
avaricious
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 |
参考例句： |
- I call on your own memory as witness:remember we have avaricious hearts.假使你想要保证和证明，你可以回忆一下我们贪婪的心。
- He is so avaricious that we call him a blood sucker.他如此贪婪，我们都叫他吸血鬼。
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12
lustful
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| a.贪婪的；渴望的 |
参考例句： |
- Adelmo agreed and duly submitted to Berengar's lustful advances. 阿德尔摩同意了并适时地顺从了贝仁格情欲的增长。
- The lustful scenes of the movie were abhorrent to the old lady. 电影里淫荡的画面让这老妇人厌恶。
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13
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 |
参考例句： |
- The question of woman suffrage sets them at variance. 妇女参政的问题使他们发生争执。
- It is unnatural for brothers to be at variance. 兄弟之间不睦是不近人情的。
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14
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 |
参考例句： |
- He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
- Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。
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15
rends
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| v.撕碎( rend的第三人称单数 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 |
参考例句： |
- Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit. 如同这把剑撕开那些肉体一样，它也将撕开使用者的灵魂。 来自互联网
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