Through the ornate grating of their gallery the [341]gaily-clad women looked down on the rocking figures, while the grace-notes of the cantor on his central da?s, and the harmoniously11 interjected 'poms' of his male ministrants flew up to their ears, as though they were indeed angels on high. Suddenly, over the blended passion of cantor and congregation, an ominous12 sound broke from without—the complex clatter13 of cavalry14, the curt8 ring of military orders. The swaying figures turned suddenly as under another wind, the women's eyes grew astare and ablaze15 with terror. The great doors flew open, and—oh, awful, incredible sight—a squadron of Cossacks rode slowly in, two abreast16, with a heavy thud of hoofs17 on the sacred floor, and a rattle18 of ponderous19 sabres. Their black conical caps and long beards, their great side-buttoned coats, and pockets stuffed with protrusive20 cartridges21, their prancing22 horses, their leaded knouts, struck a blood-curdling discord23 amid the prayerful, white-wrapped figures. The rumble24 of worship ceased, the cantor, suddenly isolated25, was heard soaring ecstatically; then he, too, turned his head uneasily and his roulade died in his throat.
'Halt!' the officer cried. The moving column froze. Its bristling26 length stretched from the central platform, blocking the aisle27, and the courtyard echoed with the clanging hoofs of its rear, which backed into the school and the poor-house. The Shamash (beadle) was seen to front the flamboyant28 invaders29.
'Why does your Excellency intrude30 upon our prayers to God?'
The congregation felt its dignity return. Who would have suspected Red Judah of such courage—such apt speech? Why, the very Rabbi was petrified31; [342]the elders of the Kahal stood dumb. Ben Amram himself, their spokesman to the Government, whose praying-shawl was embroidered32 with a silver band, and whose coat was satin, remained immovable between the pillars of the Ark, staring stonily33 at the brave beadle.
'First of all, for the boy's blood!'
The words rang out with military precision, and the speaker's horse pawed clangorously, as if impatient for the charge. The men grew death-pale, the women wrung35 their hands.
'Ai, vai!' they moaned. 'Woe36! woe!'
'What boy? What blood?' said the Shamash, undaunted.
'Don't palter, you rascal37! You know well that a Christian38 child has disappeared.'
The aged39 Rabbi, stimulated40 by the Shamash, uplifted a quavering voice.
'The child will be found of a surety—if, indeed, it is lost,' he added with bitter sarcasm41. 'And surely your Excellency cannot require the boy's blood at our hands ere your Excellency knows it is indeed spilt.'
'You misunderstand me, old dog—or rather you pretend to, old fox. The boy's blood is here—it is kept in this very synagogue—and I have come for it.'
The Shamash laughed explosively. 'Oh, Excellency!'
The synagogue, hysterically42 tense, caught the contagion43 of glad relief. It rang with strange laughter.
'There is no blood in this synagogue, Excellency,' said the Rabbi, his eyes a-twinkle, 'save what runs in living veins44.'
'We shall see. Produce that bottle beneath the Ark.'
[343]'That!' The Shamash grinned—almost indecorously. 'That is the Consecration45 wine—red as my beard,' quoth he.
'Ha! ha! the red Consecration wine!' repeated the synagogue in a happy buzz, and from the women's gallery came the same glad murmur46 of mutual47 explanation.
'We shall see,' repeated the officer, with iron imperturbability48, and the happy hum died into a cold heart-faintness, fraught49 with an almost incredulous apprehension50 of some devilish treachery, some mock discovery that would give the Ghetto over to the frenzies51 of fanatical creditors52, nay53, to the vengeance54 of the law.
The officer's voice rose again. 'Let no one leave the synagogue—man, woman, or child. Kill anyone who attempts to escape.'
The screams of fainting women answered him from above, but impassively he urged his horse along the aisle that led to the Ark; its noisy hoofs trampled55 over every heart. Springing from his saddle he opened the little cupboard beneath the scrolls, and drew out a bottle, hideously56 red.
'Consecration wine, eh?' he said grimly.
'What else, Excellency?' stoutly57 replied the Shamash, who had followed him.
A savage58 laugh broke from the officer's lips. 'Drink me a mouthful!'
As the Shamash took the bottle, with a fearless shrug59 of the shoulders, every eye strained painfully towards him, save in the women's gallery, where many covered their faces with their hands. Every breath was held.
[344]Keeping the same amused incredulous face, Red Judah gulped60 down a draught61. But as the liquid met his palate a horrible distortion overcame his smile, his hands flew heavenwards. Dropping the bottle, and with a hoarse62 cry, 'Mercy, O God!' he fell before the Ark, foaming63 at the mouth. The red fluid spread in a vivid pool.
'Hear, O Israel!' A raucous64 cry of horror rose from all around, and was echoed more shrilly65 from above. Almighty66 Father! The Jew-haters had worked their fiendish trick. Now the men were become as the women, shrieking68, wringing69 their hands, crying, 'Ai, vai!' 'Gewalt!' The Rabbi shook as with palsy. 'Satan! Satan!' chattered70 through his teeth.
But Ben Amram had moved at last, and was stooping over the scarlet71 stain.
'A soldier should know blood, Excellency!' the physician said quietly.
The officer's face relaxed into a faint smile.
'A soldier knows wine too,' he said, sniffing72. And, indeed, the spicy73 reek74 of the Consecration wine was bewildering the nearer bystanders.
'Your Excellency frightened poor Judah into a fit,' said the physician, raising the beadle's head by its long red beard.
His Excellency shrugged75 his shoulders, sprang to his saddle, and cried a retreat. The Cossacks, unable to turn in the aisle, backed cumbrously with a manifold thudding and rearing and clanking, but ere the congregation had finished rubbing their eyes, the last conical hat and leaded knout had vanished, and only the tarry reek of their boots was left in proof of their actual passage. A deep silence hung for a moment [345]like a heavy cloud, then it broke in a torrent76 of ejaculations.
But Ben Amram's voice rang through the din6. 'Brethren!' He rose from wiping the frothing lips of the stricken creature, and his face had the fiery77 gloom of a seer's, and the din died under his uplifted palm. 'Brethren, the Lord hath saved us!'
'Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever and ever!' The Rabbi began the phrase, and the congregation caught it up in thunder.
'But hearken how. Last night at the Seder, as I opened the door for Elijah, there entered Maimon the Meshummad! 'Twas he quaffed78 Elijah's cup!'
There was a rumble of imprecations.
'A pretty Elijah!' cried the Rabbi.
'Nay, but God sends the Prophet of Redemption in strange guise,' the physician said. 'Listen! Maimon was pursued by a drunken mob, ignorant he was a deserter from our camp. When he found how I had saved him and dressed his bleeding face, when he saw the spread Passover table, his child-soul came back to him, and in a burst of tears he confessed the diabolical79 plot against our community, hatched through his instrumentality by some desperate debtors80; how, having raised the cry of a lost child, they were to have its blood found beneath our Holy Ark as in some mystic atonement. And while you all lolled joyously81 at the Seder table, a bottle of blood lay here instead of the Consecration wine, like a bomb waiting to burst and destroy us all.'
A shudder82 of awe34 traversed the synagogue.
'But the Guardian83 of Israel, who permits us to sleep on Passover night without night-prayer, neither [346]slumbers nor sleeps. Maimon had bribed84 the Shamash to let him enter the synagogue and replace the Consecration wine.'
'Red Judah!' It was like the growl85 of ten thousand tigers. Some even precipitated86 themselves upon the writhing87 wretch88.
'Back! back!' cried Ben Amram. 'The Almighty has smitten89 him.'
'"Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,"' quoted the Rabbi solemnly.
'Hallelujah!' shouted a frenzied90 female voice, and 'Hallelujah!' the men responded in thunder.
'Red Judah had no true belief in the God of Israel,' the physician went on.
'May he be an atonement for us all!' interrupted the Cantor.
'Amen!' growled91 the congregation.
'For a hundred roubles and the promise of personal immunity92 Red Judah allowed Maimon the Meshummad to change the bottles while all Israel sat at the Seder. It was because the mob saw the Meshummad stealing out of the synagogue that they fell upon him for a pious93 Jew. Behold94, brethren, how the Almighty weaves His threads together. After the repentant95 sinner had confessed all to me, and explained how the Cossacks were to be sent to catch all the community assembled helpless in synagogue, I deemed it best merely to get the bottles changed back again. The false bottle contained only bullock's blood, but it would have sufficed to madden the multitude. Since it is I who have the blessed privilege of supplying the Consecration wine it was easy enough to give Maimon another bottle, and armed with this he roused the [347]Shamash in the dawn, pretending he had now obtained true human blood. A rouble easily procured96 him the keys again, and when he brought me back the bullock's blood, I awaited the sequel in peace.'
'Praise ye the Lord, for He is good,' sang the Cantor, carried away.
'For His mercy endureth for ever,' replied the congregation instinctively97.
'I did not foresee the Shamash would put himself so brazenly98 forward to hide his guilt99, or that he would be asked to drink. But when the Epikouros (atheist) put the bottle to his lips, expecting to taste blood, and found instead good red wine, doubtless he felt at once that the God of Israel was truly in heaven, that He had wrought100 a miracle and changed the blood back to wine.'
'And such a miracle God wrought verily,' cried the Rabbi, grasping the physician's hand, while the synagogue resounded101 with cries of 'May thy strength increase,' and the gallery heaved frantically102 with blessings103 and congratulations.
'What wonder,' the physician wound up, as he bent104 again over the ghastly head, with its pious ringlets writhing like red snakes, 'that he fell stricken by dread105 of the Almighty's wrath106!'
And while men were bearing the convulsive form without, the Cantor began to recite the Grace after Redemption. And then the happy hymns107 rolled out, and the choristers cried 'Pom!' and a breath of jubilant hope passed through the synagogue. The mighty67 hand and the outstretched arm which had redeemed108 Israel from the Egyptian bondage109 were still hovering110 over them, nor would the Prophet Elijah for ever delay to announce the ultimate Messiah.
点击收听单词发音
1 liturgy | |
n.礼拜仪式 | |
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2 ghetto | |
n.少数民族聚居区,贫民区 | |
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3 turreted | |
a.(像炮塔般)旋转式的 | |
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4 rhythmic | |
adj.有节奏的,有韵律的 | |
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5 supplication | |
n.恳求,祈愿,哀求 | |
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6 din | |
n.喧闹声,嘈杂声 | |
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7 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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8 curt | |
adj.简短的,草率的 | |
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9 shrine | |
n.圣地,神龛,庙;v.将...置于神龛内,把...奉为神圣 | |
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10 scrolls | |
n.(常用于录写正式文件的)纸卷( scroll的名词复数 );卷轴;涡卷形(装饰);卷形花纹v.(电脑屏幕上)从上到下移动(资料等),卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 );(似卷轴般)卷起;(像展开卷轴般地)将文字显示于屏幕 | |
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11 harmoniously | |
和谐地,调和地 | |
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12 ominous | |
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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13 clatter | |
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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14 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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15 ablaze | |
adj.着火的,燃烧的;闪耀的,灯火辉煌的 | |
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16 abreast | |
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地 | |
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17 hoofs | |
n.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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18 rattle | |
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓 | |
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19 ponderous | |
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的 | |
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20 protrusive | |
adj.伸出的,突出的 | |
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21 cartridges | |
子弹( cartridge的名词复数 ); (打印机的)墨盒; 录音带盒; (唱机的)唱头 | |
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22 prancing | |
v.(马)腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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23 discord | |
n.不和,意见不合,争论,(音乐)不和谐 | |
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24 rumble | |
n.隆隆声;吵嚷;v.隆隆响;低沉地说 | |
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25 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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26 bristling | |
a.竖立的 | |
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27 aisle | |
n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道 | |
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28 flamboyant | |
adj.火焰般的,华丽的,炫耀的 | |
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29 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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30 intrude | |
vi.闯入;侵入;打扰,侵扰 | |
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31 petrified | |
adj.惊呆的;目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆,使惊呆;变僵硬;使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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32 embroidered | |
adj.绣花的 | |
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33 stonily | |
石头地,冷酷地 | |
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34 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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35 wrung | |
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水) | |
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36 woe | |
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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37 rascal | |
n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
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38 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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39 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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40 stimulated | |
a.刺激的 | |
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41 sarcasm | |
n.讥讽,讽刺,嘲弄,反话 (adj.sarcastic) | |
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42 hysterically | |
ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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43 contagion | |
n.(通过接触的疾病)传染;蔓延 | |
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44 veins | |
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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45 consecration | |
n.供献,奉献,献祭仪式 | |
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46 murmur | |
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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47 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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48 imperturbability | |
n.冷静;沉着 | |
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49 fraught | |
adj.充满…的,伴有(危险等)的;忧虑的 | |
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50 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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51 frenzies | |
狂乱( frenzy的名词复数 ); 极度的激动 | |
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52 creditors | |
n.债权人,债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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53 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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54 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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55 trampled | |
踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 ); 践踏; 无视; 侵犯 | |
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56 hideously | |
adv.可怕地,非常讨厌地 | |
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57 stoutly | |
adv.牢固地,粗壮的 | |
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58 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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59 shrug | |
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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60 gulped | |
v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 );大口地吸(气);哽住 | |
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61 draught | |
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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62 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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63 foaming | |
adj.布满泡沫的;发泡 | |
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64 raucous | |
adj.(声音)沙哑的,粗糙的 | |
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65 shrilly | |
尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的 | |
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66 almighty | |
adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的 | |
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67 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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68 shrieking | |
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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69 wringing | |
淋湿的,湿透的 | |
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70 chattered | |
(人)喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 ); 唠叨; (牙齿)打战; (机器)震颤 | |
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71 scarlet | |
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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72 sniffing | |
n.探查法v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的现在分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说 | |
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73 spicy | |
adj.加香料的;辛辣的,有风味的 | |
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74 reek | |
v.发出臭气;n.恶臭 | |
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75 shrugged | |
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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76 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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77 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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78 quaffed | |
v.痛饮( quaff的过去式和过去分词 );畅饮;大口大口将…喝干;一饮而尽 | |
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79 diabolical | |
adj.恶魔似的,凶暴的 | |
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80 debtors | |
n.债务人,借方( debtor的名词复数 ) | |
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81 joyously | |
ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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82 shudder | |
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
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83 guardian | |
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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84 bribed | |
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂 | |
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85 growl | |
v.(狗等)嗥叫,(炮等)轰鸣;n.嗥叫,轰鸣 | |
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86 precipitated | |
v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀 | |
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87 writhing | |
(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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88 wretch | |
n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人 | |
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89 smitten | |
猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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90 frenzied | |
a.激怒的;疯狂的 | |
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91 growled | |
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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92 immunity | |
n.优惠;免除;豁免,豁免权 | |
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93 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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94 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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95 repentant | |
adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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96 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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97 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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98 brazenly | |
adv.厚颜无耻地;厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地 | |
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99 guilt | |
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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100 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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101 resounded | |
v.(指声音等)回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 );产生回响;(指某处)回荡着声音 | |
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102 frantically | |
ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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103 blessings | |
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福 | |
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104 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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105 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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106 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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107 hymns | |
n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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108 redeemed | |
adj. 可赎回的,可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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109 bondage | |
n.奴役,束缚 | |
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110 hovering | |
鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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