It is a curious thing, when you stop to think about it, that, though of late the public has been
deluged1 with books on the South Seas, though the shelves of the public libraries
sag2 beneath the volumes
devoted3 to China, Japan, Korea, next to nothing has been written, save by a handful of scientifically-minded explorers, about those far-flung, gorgeous lands, stretching from the southern marches of China to the edges of Polynesia, which the ethnologists call Malaysia. Siam, Cambodia, Annam, Cochin-China, the Malay States, the Straits Settlements, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Celebes, Borneo, Sulu ... their very names are synonymous with romance; the sound of them makes restless the feet of all who love adventure. Sultans and rajahs ... pirates and head-hunters ... sun-bronzed pioneers and white-helmeted legionnaires ... blow-guns with poisoned
darts4 and curly-bladed krises ... elephants with
gilded5 howdahs ... tigers, crocodiles, orang-utans ...
pagodas6 and palaces ... shaven-headed priests in yellow robes ... flaming fire-trees ... the
fragrance7 of frangipani ... green jungle and steaming tropic rivers ... white moonlight on the long white beaches ... the
throb8 of war-drums and the
tinkle9 of wind-blown temple-bells....
But it is not for all of us to go down the strange [viii]trails which lead to these magic places. The world's work must be done. So, for those who are
condemned10 by circumstance to the
prosaic11 existence of the office, the factory, and the home, I have written this book. I would have them feel the hot breath of the South. I would convey to them something of the spell of the tropics, the mystery of the jungle, the
lure12 of the little, palm-fringed islands which rise from peacock-colored seas. I would introduce to them those
picturesque13 and
hardy14 figures planters, constabulary officers,
consuls15,
missionaries16, colonial
administrators17 who are carrying civilization into these dark and distant corners of the earth. I would have them know the
fascination18 of leaning through those "magic
casements19, opening on the
foam20 of
perilous21 seas, in faery lands forlorn."
I had planned, therefore, that this should be a light-hearted, care-free, casual
narrative22. And so, in parts, it is. But more serious things have crept, almost imperceptibly, into its pages. The achievements of the Dutch empire-builders in the Insulinde, the conditions which prevail under the rule of the chartered company in Borneo, the opening-up of Indo-China and the Malay Peninsula, the regeneration of Siam, the
epic23 struggle between civilization and
savagery24 which is in progress in all these lands—these are phases of Malaysian life which, if this book is to have any serious value, I cannot ignore. That is why it is a mélange of the
frivolous25 and the serious, the picturesque and the prosaic, the superficial and the significant. If, [ix]when you lay it down, you have gained a better understanding of the dangers and difficulties which
beset26 the
colonizing27 white man in the lands of the Malay, if you realize that life in the eastern tropics consists of something more than
sapphire28 seas and bamboo huts beneath the
slanting29 palm trees and native
maidens30 with hibiscus blossoms in their dusky hair, if, in short, you have been instructed as well as entertained, then I shall feel that I have been
justified31 in writing this book.
E. ALEXANDER POWELL.
York Harbor, Maine,
October first, 1921.
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收听单词发音
1
deluged
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v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 );淹没;被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没;穷于应付 |
参考例句: |
- The minister was deluged with questions. 部长穷于应付像洪水般涌来的问题。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They deluged me with questions. 他们向我连珠发问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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2
sag
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v.下垂,下跌,消沉;n.下垂,下跌,凹陷,[航海]随风漂流 |
参考例句: |
- The shelf was beginning to sag beneath the weight of the books upon it.书架在书的重压下渐渐下弯。
- We need to do something about the sag.我们须把下沉的地方修整一下。
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3
devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 |
参考例句: |
- He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
- We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
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4
darts
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n.掷飞镖游戏;飞镖( dart的名词复数 );急驰,飞奔v.投掷,投射( dart的第三人称单数 );向前冲,飞奔 |
参考例句: |
- His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶! 来自《简明英汉词典》
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5
gilded
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a.镀金的,富有的 |
参考例句: |
- The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
- "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们,这只不过是些镀金的铅饼! 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
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6
pagodas
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塔,宝塔( pagoda的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- A dream is more romantic than scarlet pagodas by a silver sea. 梦中的风光比银白海洋旁边绯红的宝塔更加旖旎艳丽。
- Tabinshwehti placed new spires on the chief Mon pagodas. 莽瑞体在孟人的主要佛塔上加建了新的塔顶。
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7
fragrance
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n.芬芳,香味,香气 |
参考例句: |
- The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
- The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。
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8
throb
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v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动 |
参考例句: |
- She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
- The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。
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9
tinkle
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vi.叮当作响;n.叮当声 |
参考例句: |
- The wine glass dropped to the floor with a tinkle.酒杯丁零一声掉在地上。
- Give me a tinkle and let me know what time the show starts.给我打个电话,告诉我演出什么时候开始。
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10
condemned
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adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的
动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
- The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。
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11
prosaic
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adj.单调的,无趣的 |
参考例句: |
- The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。
- It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。
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12
lure
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n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引 |
参考例句: |
- Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
- He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。
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13
picturesque
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adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 |
参考例句: |
- You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
- That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
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14
hardy
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adj.勇敢的,果断的,吃苦的;耐寒的 |
参考例句: |
- The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
- He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。
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15
consuls
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领事( consul的名词复数 ); (古罗马共和国时期)执政官 (古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长,同时共有两位,每年选举一次) |
参考例句: |
- American consuls warned that millions more were preparing to leave war-ravaged districts. 美国驻外领事们预告,还有几百万人正在准备离开战争破坏的地区。
- The legionaries, on their victorious return, refused any longer to obey the consuls. 军团士兵在凯旋归国时,不肯服从执政官的命令。
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16
missionaries
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n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时,从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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17
administrators
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n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 );有管理(或行政)才能的人;(由遗嘱检验法庭指定的)遗产管理人;奉派暂管主教教区的牧师 |
参考例句: |
- He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员,但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
- Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
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18
fascination
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n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 |
参考例句: |
- He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
- His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。
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19
casements
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n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- There are two casements in this room. 这间屋子有两扇窗户。 来自互联网
- The rain pattered against the casements; the bells tolled for church with a melancholy sound. 雨点噼噼啪啪地打在窗子上;教堂里传来沉重的钟声,召唤人们去做礼拜。 来自互联网
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20
foam
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v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 |
参考例句: |
- The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
- The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。
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21
perilous
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adj.危险的,冒险的 |
参考例句: |
- The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
- We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机,我们如今已安然无恙。
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22
narrative
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n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 |
参考例句: |
- He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
- Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
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23
epic
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n.史诗,叙事诗;adj.史诗般的,壮丽的 |
参考例句: |
- I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗,而写了这个小故事。
- They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。
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24
savagery
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n.野性 |
参考例句: |
- The police were shocked by the savagery of the attacks.警察对这些惨无人道的袭击感到震惊。
- They threw away their advantage by their savagery to the black population.他们因为野蛮对待黑人居民而丧失了自己的有利地位。
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25
frivolous
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adj.轻薄的;轻率的 |
参考例句: |
- This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
- He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。
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26
beset
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v.镶嵌;困扰,包围 |
参考例句: |
- She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
- The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。
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27
colonizing
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v.开拓殖民地,移民于殖民地( colonize的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The art of colonizing is no exception to the rule. 殖民的芸术是� 有特例的。 来自互联网
- A Lesson for Other Colonizing Nations. 其它殖民国家学习的教训。 来自互联网
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28
sapphire
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n.青玉,蓝宝石;adj.天蓝色的 |
参考例句: |
- Now let us consider crystals such as diamond or sapphire.现在让我们考虑象钻石和蓝宝石这样的晶体。
- He left a sapphire ring to her.他留给她一枚蓝宝石戒指。
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29
slanting
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倾斜的,歪斜的 |
参考例句: |
- The rain is driving [slanting] in from the south. 南边潲雨。
- The line is slanting to the left. 这根线向左斜了。
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30
maidens
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处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球 |
参考例句: |
- stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
- Transplantation is not always successful in the matter of flowers or maidens. 花儿移栽往往并不成功,少女们换了环境也是如此。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
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31
justified
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a.正当的,有理的 |
参考例句: |
- She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
- The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
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