It was on this night, when Time was preparing to shed his skin and come out young and golden and glossy26 as ever — when, in the vast chambers27 of the universe, silent and infallible preparations were making for the wonderful birth of the coming year — when mystic dews were secreted29 for his baptism, and mystic instruments were tuned30 in space to welcome him — it was at this holy and solemn hour that the Wondersmith and his three gypsy companions sat in close conclave31 in the little parlor32 before mentioned.
There was a fire roaring in the grate. On a table, nearly in the centre of the room, stood a huge decanter of Port wine, that glowed in the blaze which lit the chamber28 like a flask33 of crimson fire. On every side, piled in heaps, inanimate, but scowling35 with the same old wondrous36 scowl34, lay myriads of the manikins, all clutching in their wooden hands their tiny weapons. The Wondersmith held in one hand a small silver bowl filled with a green, glutinous37 substance, which he was delicately applying, with the aid of a camel’s-hair brush, to the tips of tiny swords and daggers38. A horrible smile wandered over his sallow face — a smile as unwholesome in appearance as the sickly light that plays above reeking39 graveyards40.
“Let us drink great draughts41, brothers,” he cried, leaving off his strange anointment for a while, to lift a great glass, filled with sparkling liquor, to his lips. “Let us drink to our approaching triumph. Let us drink to the great poison, Macousha. Subtle seed of Death — swift hurricane that sweeps away Life — vast hammer that crushes brain and heart and artery42 with its resistless weight — I drink to it.”
“It is a noble decoction, Duke Balthazar,” said the old fortune-teller and mid-wife, Madame Filomel, nodding in her chair as she swallowed her wine in great gulps43. “Where did you obtain it?”
“It is made,” said the Wondersmith, swallowing another great goblet~full of wine ere he replied, “in the wild woods of Guiana, in silence and in mystery. But one tribe of Indians, the Macoushi Indians, know the secret. It is simmered over fires built of strange woods, and the maker44 of it dies in the making. The place, for a mile around the spot where it is fabricated, is shunned45 as accursed. Devils hover46 over the pot in which it stews47; and the birds of the air, scenting48 the smallest breath of its vapor49 from far away, drop to earth with paralyzed wings, cold and dead.”
“It kills, then, fast?” asked Kerplonne, the artificial eyemaker — his own eyes gleaming, under the influence of the wine, with a sinister50 lustre51, as if they had been fresh from the factory, and were yet untarnished by use.
“Kills?” echoed the Wondersmith, derisively52; “it is swifter than thunderbolts, stronger than lightning. But you shall see it proved before we let forth our army on the city accursed. You shall see a wretch53 die, as if smitten54 by a falling fragment of the sun.”
“What? Do you mean Solon?” asked Oaksmith and the fortune-teller together.
“Ah! you mean the young man who makes the commerce with books?” echoed Kerplonne. “It is well. His agonies will instruct us.”
“Yes! Solon,” answered Hippe, with a savage55 accent. “I hate him, and he shall die this horrid56 death. Ah! how the little fellows will leap upon him, when I bring him in, bound and helpless, and give their beautiful wicked souls to them! How they will pierce him in ten thousand spots with their poisoned weapons, until his skin turns blue and violet and crimson, and his form swells57 with the venom58 — until his hump is lost in shapeless flesh! He hears what I say, every word of it. He is in the closet next door, and is listening. How comfortable he feels! How the sweat of terror rolls on his brow! How he tries to loosen his bonds, and curses all earth and heaven when he finds that he cannot! Ho! ho! Handsome lover of Zonela, will she kiss you when you are livid and swollen59? Brothers, let us drink again — drink always. Here, Oaksmith, take these brushes — and you, Filomel — and finish the anointing of these swords. This wine is grand. This poison is grand. It is fine to have good wine to drink, and good poison to kill with; is it not?” and, with flushed face and rolling eyes, the Wondersmith continued to drink and use his brush alternately.
The others hastened to follow his example. It was a horrible scene: those four wicked faces; those myriads of tiny faces, just as wicked; the certain unearthly air that pervaded60 the apartment; the red, unwholesome glare cast by the fire; the wild and reckless way in which the weird61 company drank the red-illumined wine.
The anointing of the swords went on rapidly, and the wine went as rapidly down the throats of the four poisoners. Their faces grew more and more inflamed62 each instant; their eyes shone like rolling fireballs; their hair was moist and dishevelled. The old fortune~teller rocked to and fro in her chair, like those legless plaster figures that sway upon convex loaded bottoms. All four began to mutter incoherent sentences, and babble63 unintelligible64 wickednesses. Still the anointing of the swords went on.
“I see the faces of millions of young corpses,” babbled65 Herr Hippe, gazing, with swimming eyes, into the silver bowl that contained the Macousha poison — “all young, all Christians66 — and the little fellows dancing, dancing, and stabbing, stabbing. Filomel, Filomel, I say!”
“Well, Grand Duke,” snored the old woman, giving a violent lurch67.
“Where’s the bottle of souls?”
“In my right-hand pocket, Herr Hippe”; and she felt, so as to assure herself that it was there. She half drew out the black bottle, before described in this narrative68, and let it slide again into her pocket — let it slide again, but it did not completely regain69 its former place. Caught by some accident, it hung half out, swaying over the edge of the pocket, as the fat midwife rolled backwards70 and forwards in her drunken efforts at equilibrium71.
“All right,” said Herr Hippe, “perfectly right! Let’s drink.”
He reached out his hand for his glass, and, with a dull sigh, dropped on the table, in the instantaneous slumber72 of intoxication73. Oaksmith soon fell back in his chair, breathing heavily. Kerplonne followed. And the heavy, stertorous74 breathing of Filomel told that she slumbered75 also; but still her chair retained its rocking motion, and still the bottle of souls balanced itself on the edge of her pocket.

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1
countless
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adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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2
myriads
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n.无数,极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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3
beheld
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v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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4
agile
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adj.敏捷的,灵活的 | |
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5
cylindrical
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adj.圆筒形的 | |
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6
crimson
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n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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7
herds
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兽群( herd的名词复数 ); 牧群; 人群; 群众 | |
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8
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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9
spotted
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adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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10
astounding
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adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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11
regularity
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n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐 | |
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12
locomotion
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n.运动,移动 | |
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13
attired
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adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
tunics
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n.(动植物的)膜皮( tunic的名词复数 );束腰宽松外衣;一套制服的短上衣;(天主教主教等穿的)短祭袍 | |
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15
exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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16
elevation
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n.高度;海拔;高地;上升;提高 | |
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17
ostrich
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n.鸵鸟 | |
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18
atoned
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v.补偿,赎(罪)( atone的过去式和过去分词 );补偿,弥补,赎回 | |
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19
scarlet
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n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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20
providence
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n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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21
applied
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adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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22
forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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23
regiments
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(军队的)团( regiment的名词复数 ); 大量的人或物 | |
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24
illuminated
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adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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25
behold
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v.看,注视,看到 | |
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26
glossy
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adj.平滑的;有光泽的 | |
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27
chambers
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n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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28
chamber
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n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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29
secreted
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v.(尤指动物或植物器官)分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 );隐匿,隐藏 | |
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30
tuned
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adj.调谐的,已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调 | |
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31
conclave
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n.秘密会议,红衣主教团 | |
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32
parlor
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n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅 | |
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33
flask
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n.瓶,火药筒,砂箱 | |
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34
scowl
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vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
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35
scowling
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怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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36
wondrous
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adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地 | |
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37
glutinous
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adj.粘的,胶状的 | |
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38
daggers
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匕首,短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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39
reeking
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v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 );散发臭气;发出难闻的气味 (of sth);明显带有(令人不快或生疑的跡象) | |
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40
graveyards
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墓地( graveyard的名词复数 ); 垃圾场; 废物堆积处; 收容所 | |
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41
draughts
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n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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42
artery
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n.干线,要道;动脉 | |
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43
gulps
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n.一大口(尤指液体)( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 );大口地吸(气);哽住 | |
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44
maker
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n.制造者,制造商 | |
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45
shunned
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v.避开,回避,避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
hover
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vi.翱翔,盘旋;徘徊;彷徨,犹豫 | |
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47
stews
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n.炖煮的菜肴( stew的名词复数 );烦恼,焦虑v.炖( stew的第三人称单数 );煨;思考;担忧 | |
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48
scenting
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vt.闻到(scent的现在分词形式) | |
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49
vapor
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n.蒸汽,雾气 | |
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50
sinister
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adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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51
lustre
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n.光亮,光泽;荣誉 | |
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52
derisively
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adv. 嘲笑地,嘲弄地 | |
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53
wretch
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n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人 | |
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54
smitten
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猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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55
savage
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adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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56
horrid
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adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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57
swells
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增强( swell的第三人称单数 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情) | |
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58
venom
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n.毒液,恶毒,痛恨 | |
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59
swollen
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adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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60
pervaded
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v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
weird
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adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的 | |
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62
inflamed
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adj.发炎的,红肿的v.(使)变红,发怒,过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63
babble
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v.含糊不清地说,胡言乱语地说,儿语 | |
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64
unintelligible
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adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的 | |
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65
babbled
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v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 );作潺潺声(如流水);含糊不清地说话;泄漏秘密 | |
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66
Christians
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n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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67
lurch
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n.突然向前或旁边倒;v.蹒跚而行 | |
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68
narrative
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n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 | |
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69
regain
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vt.重新获得,收复,恢复 | |
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70
backwards
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adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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71
equilibrium
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n.平衡,均衡,相称,均势,平静 | |
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72
slumber
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n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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73
intoxication
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n.wild excitement;drunkenness;poisoning | |
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74
stertorous
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adj.打鼾的 | |
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75
slumbered
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微睡,睡眠(slumber的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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