Pursuing our course down the river, we left Moselkern by a path running through gardens, whose hedgerows are vines trained on a lattice-work. We found the peasants digging up fine potatoes, so congratulated them on their crop, and also on the appearance of the grape bunches; but people are never satisfied, and they said, “Yes, it is very good for the wine, and the corn, and potatoes, but the garden greens are all burnt up with the sun:” we thought of the wretched farmer, whose potatoes were all so large there were no little ones for the pigs.
Bischofstein is finely placed on a spur of the rugged5 mountain; beneath it is a chapel6 and farmhouse7: vines grow in the castle-yard, and wherever a shelf of level ground can be made into soil fit for their cultivation8.
There is a great white stripe round the middle of the tower, which the popular belief attributes to a deluge9 which submerged all the valley, and only stayed its course when half up the tower of this castle; the account given in the following tale is more probable:—
[Contents]
THE BISHOP’S SERMON.
The country round Bischofstein was swarming10 with robber-knights12 and pillagers of every degree, to such an extent, that the Archbishop Johann of Trèves sent [237]out a strong band of knights, who took up their abode13 in the castle of Bischofstein.
The knights stayed the ravages14, and soon the robbers found their occupation gone, and good living on plunder15 a thing of the past; so they took counsel together as to what should be done.
The robbers determined16 that Bischofstein must be taken and the knights in its garrison1 slain17; therefore, with the utmost secrecy18, a plan was concocted19 by which they succeeded in entering the castle by stealth: thus they were able to seize on the knights and their servants, and they slew20 every one.
A poor peasant who was in the fort contrived21 to escape, and he carried the tidings to the Archbishop, who sent out an army, which arrived at the fort and found all the robbers sleeping, quite drunk: these they quickly despatched, and the fort was regarrisoned.
Then the Bishop Johann caused a white line to be made round the wall of the tower, that all rogues22 should see, and by noting the fate of the robbers preserve themselves from the stern hand of justice. “Thus,” said the Bishop, “I preach them a sermon by which evildoers from sin may be saved; if they heed23 not this warning, the sword must preach in its turn.”
Hatzeport, which we pass on the way to the castle of Ehrenburg, is a well-built, well-to-do place, with a fine church. It stands at the entrance of one of the innumerable valleys that break the great ridges24 of mountain that shut in the course of our river. [238]
Crossing from thence to the village of Brodenbach, we enter a gorge25 of the hills which conducts us to the beautiful valley, at the far end of which the castle of Ehrenburg seems hanging in air.
The contrast of the sweet smiling valley, with its brook26 murmuring along, makes the stern fortress27 more gloomy. Leaving the valley, we gradually ascend28 by a footpath29, until at length we reach where the draw-bridge formerly30 stood; now there is but the stone pillar that used to sustain it.
Some rough steps lead up to the gate-tower, and a ring at the bell brought a chubby-faced child, that looked much out of place amid the ruins. We entered, and an old dreamy man took the place of the child; he led us through a ruined garden that surrounded a tower of immense thickness, entering which he slowly led us by a winding31 road, that would admit six men to mount abreast32, up to the summit of the tower.
To our surprise we now were on a piece of level ground; this tower, which was the only entrance, having been built on a lower ledge33 of rock.
The garden we were in was neatly34 kept and full of vegetables; at its extremity35 stood the castle, from the centre of which, and on a still higher piece of rock, the donjon keep, with its twin towers, rose up: these towers are circular, and joined by a double wall.
All round outside the walls was air; the valley seemed far away: for hundreds of feet, a pebble36 that [239]we dropped fell down, striking nothing till it came into the depths of the valley. Much of the ruin still remains37, and the old man showed us how we might ascend to the top of the twin towers.
There we sat wrapped in solitude38, the valleys far beneath us, and the hills spread out like a raised map, with here a tint39 of green where trees should be, and there a grey patch for rock, while over them shone out a bit of molten silver where our river flowed: so was the whole country charted out for us, and here for hours we sat, our senses drinking with delight from the pure well of fresh, sweet pleasure raised by our most novel situation.
The old man sat still beneath us; and the records in our hand told us what the old guide could not, the legends of the place.
The Knights of Ehrenburg were vassals40 of the great Counts of Sponheim, and very powerful in council and war; the last of the race was Count Frederick, who, according to the Chronicle of Limburg, burnt down a great part of Coblence: his reason for so doing appears in the following legend:—
[Contents]
THE LAST KNIGHT11 OF EHRENBURG.
Count Frederick of Ehrenburg was the last of his race, his father had died while he was yet young. Feeling his castle to be lonely without a companion, he looked far and near to find a fair lady whom he might love and bring home to be mistress of Ehrenburg. [240]
Having found a suitable lady, he begged her hand from her father, saying that he would give her his castle, his name, and his sword as a dower; but the grim old warrior42 replied, that though his castle was strong and name great, yet his sword was too bright, too glittering, and new; and added, that his daughter’s husband must be able to show some marks of hard fighting on sword or on person. The old warrior further suggested that the young Count should burn Coblence, as he had a feud43 with that town.
Count Frederick retired44 and collected his friends, with whom he made many inroads on the burghers of Coblence, and at length he succeeded in burning a part of the town.
He immediately repaired to his loved lady’s castle, when, to his great annoyance45, he found the fair one was flown. Having heard of her father’s wicked promise, that he would give her in marriage when Coblence was burnt, she had retired from the world, and in a nunnery was endeavouring to atone46 for the crime of her father.
The young Count raged and swore, and eventually took to his bosom47 a different lady, but no children were granted them, so he was the last of his race.
The records go on to relate how this last Count, having no son of his own, adopted one of the sons of a friend; this boy’s name was Walter, and he met with the adventure described in the tale called— [241]
[Contents]
THE TIMELY WARNING.
It was Carnival48 in Coblence—all the world was there; the streets were thronged49 with masks, shows and processions were in all the public places; music, dancing, and merriment, reigned50 supreme51.
Walter, the adopted son of the Count of Ehrenburg, longed to visit the gay scene, but the Count had never yet permitted him to go so far away; at length, by dint52 of importunity53, he got leave to set out, but was strongly cautioned to meddle54 with no one, and avoid all disputes or quarrels: with two stout55 men-at-arms he went forth56.
When arrived at Coblence, he went first to an hotel by the shore; in the windows of this hotel stood the young Count of Isenburg with a beautiful girl, and many of the Count’s servants were loitering about the doors of the inn.
The Count of Isenburg, on seeing young Walter, commenced forthwith to mock him, and sneered57 at the lad’s scanty58 retinue59. Walter was angry, but, remembering his promise not to quarrel or fight, strode into the house without saying a word.
Walter had nearly forgotten the incident, and was gazing on the gay crowd that moved to and fro over the old Moselle bridge and in the road under his windows, when a soft low knock came to the door. On opening he found the beautiful girl that he had seen by the side of Count Isenburg; she hastily entered, [242]and said, “Noble youth, you must hasten away, for the Count is now gone into the town to excite the townspeople against you, and unless you depart with great speed, the people, who hate your family, will certainly seize you.” She added that, like him she addressed, she did not belong to a noble family, but her father being Count Isenburg’s vassal41, she was forced to dissimulate60 and receive his attentions till she could make her escape.
She had scarcely done speaking when the Count appeared in the doorway61, his naked sword in his hand, and fury flashing out from his eyes. “What dost thou here, venal62 wench!” he cried out; “how darest thou speak to this Bastard63?” Then, running at Walter, he sought to slay64 him while off his guard.
But Walter, hastily drawing his sword, not only parried his thrusts, but wounded him sorely; then, whispering adieu to the girl Wallrade, who had given him so kind and timely a warning, he sought out his servants, and rode forth from the town, not without some sharp exchanges of blows between them and the Coblencers, who were collecting in haste to oppose their outgoing.
The Count of Isenburg and a party of citizens followed soon after, and besieged65 the castle of Ehrenburg; but the garrison mocked them, and when the besiegers retired, they advanced upon Coblence, and burnt down the suburbs.
Walter contrived to rescue from durance the girl Wallrade, who, together with her father, had been [243]thrown into prison; but the chronicle does not relate whether he married his fair preserver or no.
After an afternoon spent at Ehrenburg we returned to the village of Brodenbach, where there are several clean little inns.
The great castle of Thuron well merits its name of “the Throne Castle;” it stands on the heights above Alken, which is a considerable village at a short distance from Brodenbach.
At Alken.
At Alken.
[244]
At Alken, and in the vicinity, many Roman coins, coffins66, and pieces of armour67, have been found; so it is probably a place of considerable antiquity68. It is sheltered by a bold rock that juts69 into the stream, and was connected with the castle of Thuron by a line of towers, which still remain standing70 in the surrounding vineyards.
On the preceding page we have given a sketch71 of one of the little chapels72, with a line of shrines73 on each side of the steps that lead up to it; these shrines and chapels form a leading feature in the Moselle scenery. Nestled under the side of the hill on which the great castle of Thuron stands, this little chapel, with its sharp-pointed spire75, is in fine contrast to the huge cliff and massive walls; but there is a look of age about it and the old houses near which renders the whole scene in perfect keeping.
On leaving the river to explore our way up to Thuron, we enter one of those beautiful valleys into which the hills so constantly break; a clear trout-stream runs through it, and the mountains close it in on all sides.
One or two labourers are past, a “good day” exchanged, and then we commence the ascent76, which is long and steep. The path lies through a wood, and not a single person did we meet in our walk, after leaving the valley, until on the top of the hill we found some wood-gatherers. Here the castle with its two towers appeared; it is the most stately ruin we ever saw, very extensive, grandly placed, and so inaccessible77, [245]that when we arrived at the base of its outer wall we could not get in.
Thuron Castle.
Thuron Castle.
At last we managed to scramble78 through a window, and then luxuriated in the great ruin; blocks of stone and bushes usurp79 the ancient place of knights and ladies, and no sound is heard but the song of birds. [246]This castle was built by the Count Palatine Henry, in 1209, after he came back from the Holy Land; he was the delegate of his brother, the Emperor Otho IV., and he exercised a sovereign power over the countries adjoining the Moselle. He often resided in his new castle, and had many feuds80 with the Archbishops of Trèves and Cologne, who enjoyed certain rights of sovereignty in Alken.
These discords81 gave rise to the celebrated82 siege of Thuron. It is celebrated, not so much for the deeds of valour there carried on, as for the extraordinary quantity of wine there drunk,—no less than three thousand cartloads having been consumed by the besiegers alone.
[Contents]
SIEGE OF THURON.
The Knight Zorn commanded for the Count Palatine in his strong castle of Thuron, when the Archbishop of Trèves advanced and laid siege to it. The commander of the castle, who was supported by a brave garrison, amply provisioned, laughed the besiegers to scorn.
Finding they made no progress, the Archbishop’s Commander sent to the Archbishop of Cologne for assistance. This was willingly granted, and the united armies blockaded the castle. Zorn expected daily that they would deliver an assault, but to his surprise, day after day and night after night went by, and no movement took place in the camps of his enemies; eating and drinking seemed their sole occupation.
Every house in the neighbourhood was ransacked83 [247]by the troops of the Church, and every cellar was emptied; carts also arrived in long strings84, bringing great butts85 of wine. Thus they went on drinking and singing, while Zorn from above looked on astonished at these most unusual proceedings86.
Occasionally a herald87 arrived, and summoned Zorn to surrender; but no assault was delivered.
The empty casks of the Church were piled up in heaps, and at the end of two years they formed a mass which looked like a great fortress; and a message was sent to the castle, that if the garrison did not surrender they would continue to drink till the whole country was dry, and the empty casks sufficient to form a fortress larger and stronger than Thuron.
Zorn now agreed to capitulate, and at length it was settled, that he and his garrison should retire unmolested, that the soldiers of Cologne should at once leave the country, and that the castle should be dismantled88.
One unlucky personage appears to have been excluded from this pacific arrangement: this was a village magistrate89, who had acted as spy for the besieged. He was taken by the conquerors90, and a rope having been stretched over the ravine, between the castle and the hill of Bleiden, he was suspended at an immense height from the ground.
Another version of this story makes the magistrate-spy to walk across ropes so stretched over the valley; and it is added, that he accomplished91 the feat74, and in gratitude92 built the chapel which we see (now in ruins) on the hill to the right of the castle. [248]
The views from Thuron are very extensive, a long reach of the river leads the eye back to the villages and cliffs we have past; undisturbed by those infesters of the Rhine, who turn every place of interest on that river into a tea-garden, we can here enjoy our meditations93 without hindrance94, and muse95 our fill.
THE BIRD AND THE RUIN.
I gazed on an ancient keep;
Its hoary96 turrets97 high,
And its gloomy dungeons98 deep,
Its mould’ring cistern99 dry,
All seemed to me to say,
“Behold in our decay
“An emblem100 of mortality!”
Whilst thus I mused101 and gazed,
A little bird upsprang,
To heaven its voice it raised,
And thus it sweetly sang:
“On earth all creatures die,
“But in the holy sky
“Is love and immortality102.”
点击收听单词发音
1 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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2 garrisoned | |
卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 ); 派部队驻防 | |
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3 bishop | |
n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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4 adherents | |
n.支持者,拥护者( adherent的名词复数 );党羽;徒子徒孙 | |
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5 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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6 chapel | |
n.小教堂,殡仪馆 | |
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7 farmhouse | |
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房) | |
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8 cultivation | |
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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9 deluge | |
n./vt.洪水,暴雨,使泛滥 | |
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10 swarming | |
密集( swarm的现在分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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11 knight | |
n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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12 knights | |
骑士; (中古时代的)武士( knight的名词复数 ); 骑士; 爵士; (国际象棋中)马 | |
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13 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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14 ravages | |
劫掠后的残迹,破坏的结果,毁坏后的残迹 | |
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15 plunder | |
vt.劫掠财物,掠夺;n.劫掠物,赃物;劫掠 | |
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16 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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17 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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18 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
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19 concocted | |
v.将(尤指通常不相配合的)成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 );调制;编造;捏造 | |
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20 slew | |
v.(使)旋转;n.大量,许多 | |
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21 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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22 rogues | |
n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 );无赖;调皮捣蛋的人;离群的野兽 | |
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23 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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24 ridges | |
n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊 | |
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25 gorge | |
n.咽喉,胃,暴食,山峡;v.塞饱,狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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26 brook | |
n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让 | |
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27 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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28 ascend | |
vi.渐渐上升,升高;vt.攀登,登上 | |
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29 footpath | |
n.小路,人行道 | |
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30 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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31 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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32 abreast | |
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地 | |
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33 ledge | |
n.壁架,架状突出物;岩架,岩礁 | |
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34 neatly | |
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地 | |
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35 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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36 pebble | |
n.卵石,小圆石 | |
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37 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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38 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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39 tint | |
n.淡色,浅色;染发剂;vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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40 vassals | |
n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 );(封建时代)诸侯;从属者;下属 | |
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41 vassal | |
n.附庸的;属下;adj.奴仆的 | |
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42 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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43 feud | |
n.长期不和;世仇;v.长期争斗;世代结仇 | |
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44 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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45 annoyance | |
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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46 atone | |
v.赎罪,补偿 | |
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47 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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48 carnival | |
n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演 | |
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49 thronged | |
v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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51 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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52 dint | |
n.由于,靠;凹坑 | |
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53 importunity | |
n.硬要,强求 | |
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54 meddle | |
v.干预,干涉,插手 | |
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56 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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57 sneered | |
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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59 retinue | |
n.侍从;随员 | |
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60 dissimulate | |
v.掩饰,隐藏 | |
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61 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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62 venal | |
adj.唯利是图的,贪脏枉法的 | |
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63 bastard | |
n.坏蛋,混蛋;私生子 | |
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64 slay | |
v.杀死,宰杀,杀戮 | |
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65 besieged | |
包围,围困,围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66 coffins | |
n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 );使某人早亡[死,完蛋,垮台等]之物 | |
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67 armour | |
(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队 | |
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68 antiquity | |
n.古老;高龄;古物,古迹 | |
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69 juts | |
v.(使)突出( jut的第三人称单数 );伸出;(从…)突出;高出 | |
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70 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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71 sketch | |
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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72 chapels | |
n.小教堂, (医院、监狱等的)附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 );(在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的)礼拜仪式 | |
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73 shrines | |
圣地,圣坛,神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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74 feat | |
n.功绩;武艺,技艺;adj.灵巧的,漂亮的,合适的 | |
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75 spire | |
n.(教堂)尖顶,尖塔,高点 | |
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76 ascent | |
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高 | |
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77 inaccessible | |
adj.达不到的,难接近的 | |
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78 scramble | |
v.爬行,攀爬,杂乱蔓延,碎片,片段,废料 | |
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79 usurp | |
vt.篡夺,霸占;vi.篡位 | |
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80 feuds | |
n.长期不和,世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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81 discords | |
不和(discord的复数形式) | |
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82 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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83 ransacked | |
v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 );抢劫,掠夺 | |
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84 strings | |
n.弦 | |
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85 butts | |
笑柄( butt的名词复数 ); (武器或工具的)粗大的一端; 屁股; 烟蒂 | |
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86 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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87 herald | |
vt.预示...的来临,预告,宣布,欢迎 | |
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88 dismantled | |
拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 ); 拆卸; 废除; 取消 | |
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89 magistrate | |
n.地方行政官,地方法官,治安官 | |
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90 conquerors | |
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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91 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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92 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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93 meditations | |
默想( meditation的名词复数 ); 默念; 沉思; 冥想 | |
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94 hindrance | |
n.妨碍,障碍 | |
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95 muse | |
n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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96 hoary | |
adj.古老的;鬓发斑白的 | |
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97 turrets | |
(六角)转台( turret的名词复数 ); (战舰和坦克等上的)转动炮塔; (摄影机等上的)镜头转台; (旧时攻城用的)塔车 | |
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98 dungeons | |
n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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99 cistern | |
n.贮水池 | |
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100 emblem | |
n.象征,标志;徽章 | |
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101 mused | |
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事) | |
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102 immortality | |
n.不死,不朽 | |
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