The town itself—almost purposely, as we felt afterward—failed to put itself forward, to arrest us by any of the minor arts which Arras, for instance, had so seductively exerted. It maintained16 an attitude of calm aloofness6, of affected7 ignorance of the traveller’s object in visiting it—suffering its little shuttered non-committal streets to lead us up, tortuously8, to the drowsiest9 little provincial10 place, with the usual lime-arcades, and the usual low houses across the way; where suddenly there soared before us the great mad broken dream of Beauvais choir—the cathedral without a nave11—the Kubla Khan of architecture....
It seems in truth like some climax12 of mystic vision, miraculously13 caught in visible form, and arrested, broken off, by the intrusion of the Person from Porlock—in this case, no doubt, the panic-stricken mason, crying out to the entranced creator: “We simply can’t keep it up!” And because it literally14 couldn’t be kept up—as one or two alarming collapses15 soon attested—it had to check there its great wave of stone, hold itself for ever back from breaking into the long ridge16 of the nave and flying crests18 of buttress19, spire20 and finial. It is easy for the critic to point out its structural21 defects, and to cite them in illustration of the fact that your true artist never seeks to wrest23 from their proper uses the materials in17 which he works—does not, for instance, try to render metaphysical abstractions in stone and glass and lead; yet Beauvais has at least none of the ungainliness of failure: it is like a great hymn24 interrupted, not one in which the voices have flagged; and to the desultory25 mind such attempts seem to deserve a place among the fragmentary glories of great art. It is, at any rate, an example of what the Gothic spirit, pushed to its logical conclusion, strove for: the utterance26 of the unutterable; and he who condemns27 Beauvais has tacitly condemned28 the whole theory of art from which it issued. But shall we not have gained greatly in our enjoyment29 of beauty, as well as in serenity30 of spirit, if, instead of saying “this is good art,” or “this is bad art,” we say “this is classic” and “that is Gothic”—this transcendental, that rational—using neither term as an epithet31 of opprobrium32 or restriction33, but content, when we have performed the act of discrimination, to note what forms of expression each tendency has worked out for itself?
Beyond Beauvais the landscape became more deeply Norman—more thatched and green and orchard-smothered—though, as far as the noting18 of detail went, we did not really get beyond Beauvais at all, but travelled on imprisoned34 in that tremendous memory till abruptly35, from the crest17 of a hill, we looked down a long green valley to Rouen shining on its river—belfries, spires36 and great arched bridges drenched37 with a golden sunset that seemed to shoot skyward from the long illuminated38 reaches of the Seine. I recall only two such magic descents on famous towns: that on Orvieto, from the last hill of the Viterbo road, and the other-pitched in a minor key, but full of a small ancient majesty—the view of Wells in its calm valley, as the Bath road gains the summit of the Mendip hills.
ROUEN: RUE22 DE L’HORLOGE
The poetry of the descent to Rouen is, unhappily, dispelled39 by the long approach through sordid40 interminable outskirts41. Orvieto and Wells, being less prosperous, do not subject the traveller to this descent into prose, which leaves one reflecting mournfully on the incompatibility42, under our present social system, between prosperity and beauty. As for Rouen itself, as one passes down its crowded tram-lined quays43, between the noisy unloading of ships and the clatter44 of innumerable cafés, one feels that the old19 Gothic town one used to know cannot really exist any more, must have been elbowed out of place by these spreading commercial activities; but it turns out to be there, after all, holding almost intact, behind the dull mask of modern streets, the surprise of its rich medi?valism.
Here indeed the traveller finds himself in no mere45 “cathedral town”; with one street leading to Saint Ouen, another to Saint Maclou, a third to the beautiful Palais de Justice, the cathedral itself has put forth46 the appeal of all its accumulated treasures to make one take, first of all, the turn to its doors. There are few completer impressions in Europe than that to be received as one enters the Lady Chapel47 of Rouen, where an almost Italian profusion48 of colour and ornament49 have been suffered to accumulate slowly about its central ornament—the typically northern monument of the two Cardinals51 of Amboise. There could hardly be a better example of the ?sthetic wisdom of “living and letting live” than is manifested by the happy way in which supposedly incompatible52 artistic53 ideals have contrived54 to make bon ménage in this delicious corner. It is a miracle that they have been allowed20 to pursue their happy experiment till now, for there must have been moments when, to the purist of the Renaissance55, the Gothic tomb of the Cardinals seemed unworthy to keep company with the Sénéchal de Brézé’s monument, in which the delicate note of classicalism reveals a France so profoundly modified by Italy; just as, later, the great Berniniesque altar-piece, with its twisted columns and exuberance56 of golden rays, must have narrowly escaped the axe57 of the Gothic reactionary58. But there they all are, blending their supposed discords59 in a more complex harmony, filling the privileged little edifice60 with an overlapping61 richness of hue62 and line through which the eye perpetually passes back to the central splendour of the Cardinals’ tomb.
A magnificent monument it is, opposing to the sober beauty of Germain Pilon’s composition its insolence63 of varied64 detail—the “this, and this, and this” of the loquacious65 medi?val craftsman—all bound together by the pew constructive66 sense which has already learned how to bring the topmost bud of the marble finials into definite relation with the little hooded67 mourners bowed in such diversity of grief in their niches68 below the21 tomb. A magnificent monument—and to my mind the finest thing about it is the Cardinal50 Uncle’s nose. The whole man is fine in his sober dignity, humbly69 conscious of the altar toward which he faces, arrogantly70 aware of the purple on his shoulders; and the nose is the epitome71 of the man. We live in the day of little noses: that once stately feature, intrinsically feudal72 and aristocratic in character—the maschio naso extolled73 of Dante—has shrunk to democratic insignificance74, like many another fine expression of individualism. And so one must look to the old painters and sculptors75 to see what a nose was meant to be—the prow76 of the face; the evidence of its owner’s standing77, of his relation to the world, and his inheritance from the past. Even in the profile of the Cardinal Nephew, kneeling a little way behind his uncle, the gallant78 feature is seen to have suffered a slight diminution79: its spring, still bold, is less commanding; it seems, as it were, to have thrust itself against a less yielding element. And so the deterioration80 has gone on from generation to generation, till the nose has worn itself blunt against the increasing resistances of a democratic atmosphere, and22 stunted81, atrophied82 and amorphous83, serves only, now, to let us know when we have the influenza84.
With the revisiting of the Cardinal’s nose the first object of our visit to Rouen had been accomplished85; the second led us, past objects of far greater importance, to the well-arranged but dull gallery where Gerhard David’s “Virgin86 of the Grapes” is to be seen. Every wanderer through the world has these pious87 pilgrimages to perform, generally to shrines88 of no great note—how often, for instance, is one irresistibly89 drawn90 back to the Transfiguration or to the Venus of Milo?—but to lesser91 works, first seen, perhaps, at a fortunate moment, or having some special quality of suggestion and evocation92 that the perfect equilibrium93 of the masterpieces causes them to lack. So I know of some who go first to “The Death of Procris” in the National Gallery; to the little “Apollo and Marsyas” of the Salon94 Carré; to a fantastic allegorical picture, subject and artist unknown, in an obscure corner of the Uffizi; and who would travel more miles to see again, in the little gallery of Rimini, an Entombment of the school of Mantegna, than to sit beneath the vault95 of the Sistine.
ROUEN: THE FA?ADE OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT-MACLOU
23 All of which may seem to imply an unintentional disparagement96 of Gerhard David’s picture, which is, after all, a masterpiece of its school; but the school is a subordinate one, and, save to the student of Flemish art, his is not a loud-sounding name: one does not say, for instance, with any hope of general recognition—“Ah, yes; that reminds me of such and such a bit in ‘The Virgin of the Grapes.’”
All the more, therefore, may one enjoy his picture, in the empty room of the Rouen gallery, with that gentle sense of superiority and possessorship to which the discerner of obscure merit is surely entitled. How much of its charm this particular painting owes to its not having become the picnic-ground of the art-excursionist, how much to its own intrinsic beauty, its grave serenities of hue and gesture—how much, above all, to the heavenly translucence97 of that bunch of grapes plucked from the vines of Paradise—it is part of its very charm to leave unsettled, to keep among the mysteries whereby it draws one back. Only one trembles lest it should cease to shine in its own twilight98 heaven when it has become a star in Baedeker....
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1 spacious | |
adj.广阔的,宽敞的 | |
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2 memorable | |
adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的 | |
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3 thrift | |
adj.节约,节俭;n.节俭,节约 | |
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4 orchard | |
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场 | |
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5 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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6 aloofness | |
超然态度 | |
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7 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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8 tortuously | |
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9 drowsiest | |
adj.欲睡的,半睡的,使人昏昏欲睡的( drowsy的最高级 ) | |
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10 provincial | |
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 | |
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11 nave | |
n.教堂的中部;本堂 | |
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12 climax | |
n.顶点;高潮;v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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13 miraculously | |
ad.奇迹般地 | |
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14 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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15 collapses | |
折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 ); 倒塌; 崩溃; (尤指工作劳累后)坐下 | |
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16 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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17 crest | |
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
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18 crests | |
v.到达山顶(或浪峰)( crest的第三人称单数 );到达洪峰,达到顶点 | |
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19 buttress | |
n.支撑物;v.支持 | |
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20 spire | |
n.(教堂)尖顶,尖塔,高点 | |
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21 structural | |
adj.构造的,组织的,建筑(用)的 | |
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22 rue | |
n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 | |
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23 wrest | |
n.扭,拧,猛夺;v.夺取,猛扭,歪曲 | |
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24 hymn | |
n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌 | |
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25 desultory | |
adj.散漫的,无方法的 | |
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26 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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27 condemns | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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28 condemned | |
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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29 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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30 serenity | |
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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31 epithet | |
n.(用于褒贬人物等的)表述形容词,修饰语 | |
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32 opprobrium | |
n.耻辱,责难 | |
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33 restriction | |
n.限制,约束 | |
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34 imprisoned | |
下狱,监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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36 spires | |
n.(教堂的) 塔尖,尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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37 drenched | |
adj.湿透的;充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体) | |
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38 illuminated | |
adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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39 dispelled | |
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40 sordid | |
adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的 | |
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41 outskirts | |
n.郊外,郊区 | |
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42 incompatibility | |
n.不兼容 | |
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43 quays | |
码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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44 clatter | |
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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45 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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46 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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47 chapel | |
n.小教堂,殡仪馆 | |
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48 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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49 ornament | |
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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50 cardinal | |
n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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51 cardinals | |
红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 ); 红衣凤头鸟(见于北美,雄鸟为鲜红色); 基数 | |
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52 incompatible | |
adj.不相容的,不协调的,不相配的 | |
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53 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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54 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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55 renaissance | |
n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴 | |
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56 exuberance | |
n.丰富;繁荣 | |
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57 axe | |
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减 | |
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58 reactionary | |
n.反动者,反动主义者;adj.反动的,反动主义的,反对改革的 | |
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59 discords | |
不和(discord的复数形式) | |
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60 edifice | |
n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿,教室) | |
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61 overlapping | |
adj./n.交迭(的) | |
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62 hue | |
n.色度;色调;样子 | |
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63 insolence | |
n.傲慢;无礼;厚颜;傲慢的态度 | |
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64 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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65 loquacious | |
adj.多嘴的,饶舌的 | |
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66 constructive | |
adj.建设的,建设性的 | |
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67 hooded | |
adj.戴头巾的;有罩盖的;颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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68 niches | |
壁龛( niche的名词复数 ); 合适的位置[工作等]; (产品的)商机; 生态位(一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位) | |
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69 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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70 arrogantly | |
adv.傲慢地 | |
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71 epitome | |
n.典型,梗概 | |
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72 feudal | |
adj.封建的,封地的,领地的 | |
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73 extolled | |
v.赞颂,赞扬,赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 insignificance | |
n.不重要;无价值;无意义 | |
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75 sculptors | |
雕刻家,雕塑家( sculptor的名词复数 ); [天]玉夫座 | |
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76 prow | |
n.(飞机)机头,船头 | |
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77 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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78 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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79 diminution | |
n.减少;变小 | |
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80 deterioration | |
n.退化;恶化;变坏 | |
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81 stunted | |
adj.矮小的;发育迟缓的 | |
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82 atrophied | |
adj.萎缩的,衰退的v.(使)萎缩,(使)虚脱,(使)衰退( atrophy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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83 amorphous | |
adj.无定形的 | |
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84 influenza | |
n.流行性感冒,流感 | |
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85 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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86 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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87 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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88 shrines | |
圣地,圣坛,神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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89 irresistibly | |
adv.无法抵抗地,不能自持地;极为诱惑人地 | |
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90 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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91 lesser | |
adj.次要的,较小的;adv.较小地,较少地 | |
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92 evocation | |
n. 引起,唤起 n. <古> 召唤,招魂 | |
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93 equilibrium | |
n.平衡,均衡,相称,均势,平静 | |
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94 salon | |
n.[法]沙龙;客厅;营业性的高级服务室 | |
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95 vault | |
n.拱形圆顶,地窖,地下室 | |
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96 disparagement | |
n.轻视,轻蔑 | |
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97 translucence | |
n.半透明 | |
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98 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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