“Can you tell us, uncle, the names of the greatest warriors1 who have ever lived, and of the most famous battles which have ever been fought?”
52“Some of them I can tell you, but my memory must be a great deal better than it is to tell you a twentieth part of either the great warriors of the world, or of the great battles they have fought. Great men and great warriors are sometimes very different things. Were mankind estimated according to the lives they have taken all conquerors4 would be great, but if ranked according to the benefits they have conferred, many of them would be very little. Among the ancients, Alexander the Great stands pre-eminent as conqueror3; while, in more modern times, must be reckoned Frederick the Great of Prussia, Charles XII. of Sweden, Peter the Great of Russia, Buonaparte of France, and the Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Wellington of England.”
“And which are some of the most famous battles?”
“Those that have been most spoken of are, the siege of Troy; the battle fought on the plains of Marathon, and the fight in the defile5 of Thermopyl?; while, in more modern times, may be reckoned the following among a hundred others; the battle of Hastings, wherein King Harold was slain6; Bannockburn, where the Scotch7, under the renowned8 Robert Bruce, beat the English under Edward II.; Cressy, where Edward III. obtained a splendid victory over the French; Poictiers, where the King of France and his son were taken prisoners; Agincourt, wherein Henry V. defeated 53the French. This battle was fought on St. Crispin’s-day, and our great poet, Shakspeare, thus alludes9 to it:—
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT.
‘He that outlives this hour, and comes safe home,
Shall stand on tiptoe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and sees old age,
Will yearly on the Vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, To-morrow is St. Crispin’s-day.’”
“Ay! those lines are in Enfield’s Speaker—almost every boy knows them.”
“The battle of Bosworth Field is much celebrated10. King Richard III. there lost his crown and his life. The battle of Blenheim was fought by the great Marlborough and Prince Eugene, against the French and Bavarians. Twelve thousand of the enemy were slain or drowned in the river.
‘Deep groaned11 the water with the dying sound!
Repeated wounds the redd’ning river dyed,
And the warm purple circled on the tyde.’
“At Culloden in Scotland the Duke of Cumberland gained a complete victory over the Scots. It is said, that the duke’s soldiers practised great cruelty towards the defenceless inhabitants after the battle. If so, it was a disgrace to them. ‘Ready and steady,’ is a good maxim12 for soldiers and sailors, ready for duty and steady in danger, but cold-hearted cruelty is a black blot13 on a soldier’s brow. The evils of war are bad enough in 54themselves. He is no true-hearted soldier who can injure the defenceless, whatever be the nation to which he belongs. Mercy is a Godlike attribute; practice it, boys, whenever it is in your power.”
“Those cruel soldiers were not worthy14 the name of Englishmen.”
“At the battle of Prague the King of Prussia defeated the Austrians, but the brave Marshal Schwerin, a Prussian general, there lost his life. At Minden Prince Ferdinand beat the French, with great slaughter15.”
“Where is Minden?”
“In Germany. At Quebec the celebrated Wolfe was killed, dying in the moment of victory. ‘They run! they run!’ said an officer who supported the dying warrior2. ‘Who run?’ inquired Wolfe eagerly. ‘The French!’ replied the lieutenant16. ‘Then,’ said Wolfe, ‘I die happy!’”
“How sad to die just as he had got the victory!”
“The storming of Seringapatam, and the battle of Marengo, were two famous engagements; and the battles in Spain were very numerous. Among them were those of Corunna, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajos, Salamanca, Vittoria, and St. Sebastian. After all these came the battle of battles, Waterloo, won by the conqueror of conquerors, Wellington.”
“What a number of battles you have mentioned!”
“Remember, boys, I am an old soldier, and am 55therefore at home in speaking of them. From time immemorial there have been battles, and, so long as men are what they are, there will be; but for all that it becomes us to encourage a spirit of peace and good-will to all men. It is only when the oppressed are to be protected, when injuries are to be redressed17 and rights defended, that the sword ought ever to be drawn18 from its scabbard, nor even then if those ends can be obtained by more peaceable means. In an unworthy cause battle becomes murder, and victory a polluted and unholy thing.
“As the battle of Marathon is so often alluded19 to in the pages of history, I will just tell you, in a few words, the particulars of the fight. Marathon was a village of Attica, about ten miles from Athens, in Greece; and Miltiades, an Athenian general, with ten thousand men, though some say twenty-thousand, defeated, in the adjacent plain, the Persian army, under Datis, of one hundred thousand infantry20, and ten thousand horse. By this victory the terror of the Persian power was dispelled21, and the enthusiastic valour of the Greeks called forth22.”
“How long is it since the battle of Marathon?”
“More than two thousand years. The Grecian orators23, whenever they wanted to excite their countrymen to warlike deeds, always reminded them of what ten thousand Athenians achieved 56on the plains of Marathon. The famous siege of Troy took place almost a thousand years before then.”
“Why, then it is three thousand years since the siege of Troy?”
“It is, boys. You know, I dare say, that Homer composed two poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey24, on the subject; but poets are not often the most correct historians. After a siege of ten years, the Greeks took Troy from the Trojans, it is supposed by stratagem25, and then burnt it to the ground.”
“Ay! Did they not send a wooden horse into the place?”
“So the tale goes. It is said, that the Greeks caused a large wooden horse to be made, and hid in it a number of their bravest warriors. They then pretended to give up the siege. At night, after the wooden horse had been taken into the city, the inclosed warriors rushed out, and opened the gates to their companions.”
“But do you not think the tale is true?”
“Indeed I do not. Now we are speaking of ancient battles, I will mention that of Thermopyl?. Thermopyl? was a narrow defile, leading from Thessaly into some Grecian districts; it was, indeed, looked on as the gate of Greece. Here Leonidas, the Spartan26 general, with a small band of devoted27 warriors, repulsed28 the army of Xerxes, King of Persia, consisting, say some, of three million 57men. Xerxes was amazed and confounded; but, having been informed of another pass over the mountains, he availed himself of it. Leonidas being attacked in the rear by twenty-four thousand men, and in front by the main body of Persians, could no longer resist his overwhelming adversary29, but he and every man with him, scorning to surrender, fought till they died.”
“Battles must be very different now, to what they used to be.”
“They are indeed. Gunpowder30 has altogether changed military tactics. Strength and courage formerly31 obtained victories, but now, a knowledge of tactics will often enable a small body of men to overcome a larger one. A battle should never be fought when it can be avoided. It is said to be the last resource of a good general. If skill and stratagem can attain32 an object, fighting is altogether out of the question. When, however, a battle becomes inevitable33, the first thing is to take advantage of the ground, for oftentimes the possession of a hill, a thicket34, a village, or of a single building, is of great consequence. If you had been at Waterloo, and seen what efforts were made to possess the house called Hougomont, I should have no occasion to say a word on this point.”
“But why is a hill, or a thicket, or a house, of so much consequence?”
“Because these things not only protect troops, but enable them to annoy their enemies by preventing 58them from forming, and picking off their officers. It is a great advantage, also, in a battle, to have the wind and sun in your favour; to meet an enemy with the wind and dust against you, and the sun in your eyes, is very trying. The artillery35 should be distributed with great care, for it forms, in most cases, the principal strength of an army; and the horse and foot should be posted on ground the fittest for their operations.”
“But, how can an army fire cannon36 without killing37 their own soldiers, for they must at times be mingled38 together with the enemy?”
“In such a case the artillery moves its position, and only plays when it can do so on the enemy alone. The battle array generally consists of three lines, the front, the rear, and the reserve. An attacking army is generally divided into three parts, the main body, and the two wings. And the battle array is formed by dividing each of these into three lines, the front, the rear, and the reserve; the artillery is divided along the front of the first line, and the treasure, provision, and baggage, are removed to a safe place before the engagement.”
“Ay! It must be very necessary to take care of them.”
“Prussia has long been a warlike country; for Frederick the Great called forth the military energies of his people. In Prussia, every able-bodied man of the kingdom is required to perform 59a limited service in the army. At twenty, he enters the regular army for three years, unless favoured by some regulation, which limits the term to one year. From twenty-three to twenty-five he belongs to the war reserve, when he enters the first ban of the landwehr, and continues to his thirty-second year, after which he serves another seven years in the second ban of the landwehr. After the fortieth year, he ranks till the fiftieth in the landsturm, or levée en masse of the whole population.”
“If every one in Prussia is compelled to be a soldier, why, then, Old England for ever!”
“Frederick the Great was distinguished39 for great talents as a warrior, a statesman, and a man of science and literature. His enemies were numerous, his exploits brilliant, and his tactics and policy eminently40 successful. Surrounded on all sides by his foes41, he hurried from one part of his dominions42 to another with equal celerity, courage, prudence43, and perseverance44, and though sorely tried, overcame all his difficulties, and gained the name of Frederick the Great.”
“Why, he was another Buonaparte!”
“Before the battle of Rosbach, which led to the most celebrated of all the King of Prussia’s victories, Frederick addressed his little army, not amounting to more than twenty-five thousand men, in nearly the following words:—‘My brave soldiers, the hour is come in which all that is, and 60all that ought to be dear to us, depends upon the swords that are now drawn for the battle. Time permits me to say but little, nor is there occasion to say much. You know that there is no labour, no hunger, no cold, no watching, no danger, that I have not shared with you hitherto; and you now see me ready to lay down my life with you, and for you. All I ask, is the same pledge of fidelity45 and affection that I give. Acquit46 yourselves like men, and put your confidence in God.’
“The effect of this speech was indescribable. The soldiers answered it by an universal shout, and their looks and demeanour became animated47 to a sort of heroic frenzy48.
“Frederick led on his troops in person, exposed to the hottest of the fire. The enemy, for a few moments, made a gallant49 resistance, but overwhelmed by the headlong intrepidity50 of the Prussians, they, at length, gave way in every part, and fled in the utmost disorder51. Night alone saved from total destruction the scattered52 remains53 of an army which, in the morning, was double the number of the conquerors.”
“A speech from a general to his army seems to do a great deal towards getting a victory.”
“Frederick was an excellent general, and the soul of perseverance. So severe was the duty in some of his regiments54 of cavalry55, that war was said to be a mitigation rather than an addition to their hardships. Frederick had a very skilful56 61general, of the name of De Zeithen, whom he had somewhat neglected in a time of peace. When war broke out, he was anxious to avail himself of his military talents and unequalled courage; but De Zeithen had too keen a remembrance of the past neglect to proffer57 his services. After trying all other methods in vain, to persuade him to his wishes, Frederick at last said, he knew that his old and faithful general, De Zeithen, would never see his King in difficulty, and deny him his assistance. De Zeithen’s proud heart was melted by this appeal of his sovereign, and, falling on his knees, with tears rolling down his cheeks, he devoted his sword while he had life to the service of his King.”
“Old General Zeithen was won over then. Frederick knew the way to the old man’s heart.”
“When Frederick took the field against his enemies, in his last war, he was in his sixty-seventh year. ‘We have all grown old,’ said he to his assembled officers, ‘in the career of arms, and have shared together the glories and the fatigues58 of our former wars. You are, doubtless, as unwilling59 as myself to shed blood, but new dangers, with which the empire and my territories are alike menaced, oblige me to take the most efficacious measures to dissipate the threatening storm. I cannot, therefore, avoid calling you once more to defend your country. It will give me the most lively satisfaction when I shall have to recompense you for your 62fresh services. I shall not appear during the campaign with a luxurious60 camp equipage; you know I have never cared for such a thing; my actual infirmities will, however, prevent my making the campaign as I should have done during the vigour61 of my life. I shall, in marches, make use of a carriage, but on a day of battle you may be sure of seeing me on horseback among you as formerly.’”
“The old King was ready to the last to play the general.”
“Charles XII. of Sweden delighted in war, and never did warrior surpass him in daring; but he was reckless almost to insanity62. At the battle of Narva, with only twenty thousand men, he defeated the Czar, Peter the Great, who had, it is said, one hundred thousand; but at the battle of Pultowa in Russia, Peter the Great overcame him, when he fled for safety to the dominions of the Turk. He died in the trenches63 of Frederickshall in Norway, some say by a cannon shot, but others say by the pistol of one of his own soldiers.
‘His fall was destined64 to a distant strand65,
A petty fortress66, and a dubious67 hand:
He left the name at which the world grew pale
To point a moral, or adorn68 a tale.’”
“Great as Charles thought himself in the field, Peter the Great was too much for him at last.”
“Peter the Great of Russia was a most extraordinary man, and a warrior of no common order. 63He came over to England and worked in the dockyard at Deptford as a shipwright69, to improve himself in the building of ships for his navy; he learned the trade of a smith, and forged a bar of iron at Olaneta in Russia, which weighed a hundred and twenty pounds. What think you, boys, of a mighty70 monarch71 working as a blacksmith, and making his nobles blow the bellows72 for him?”
“There are very few monarchs73 that would do that.”
“Peter the Great won many battles, but the victory of Pultowa over his rival in arms, Charles XII. of Sweden, ruined the latter. Peter died in the fifty-third year of his age, and the great monument at Petersburgh, erected74 to his memory, is a prodigious75 work of art. The pedestal is a single stone of red granite76, weighing more than fourteen hundred tons. Peter is represented on horseback, crowned with laurel, and sitting on a housing of bear-skin. The horse, a fiery77 courser, stands on his hind78 feet, as if resolved to arrive at the pinnacle79 of the rock.”
“It must be a grand monument, but how the Russians could contrive80 to take that big stone to the place where it was to be set up, is a puzzle.”
“The great Duke of Marlborough was a mighty and successful warrior. In his grand battle at Blenheim, on the Danube, besides destroying twelve thousand French and Bavarians he took thirteen thousand prisoners, and Marshall Tallard among 64them. It was for this exploit that Blenheim House, a princely mansion81 near Oxford82, was given to him, and his heirs. Great as the duke was in military fame, he at last became childish, and wept when beaten at chess, saying, ‘Every one can beat me now?’ You see, boys, how little it becomes us to be proud, for he who is great to-day may be little, indeed, to-morrow. While I tell you about soldiers and sailors, and of the reputation that many of them have attained83, remember, that to be a great warrior unennobled by proper motives84, is only to be a great destroyer. Aim at uprightness, usefulness, patriotism85, loyalty86, honour, and humanity, and you will then be true friends to your country.”
点击收听单词发音
1 warriors | |
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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2 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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3 conqueror | |
n.征服者,胜利者 | |
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4 conquerors | |
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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5 defile | |
v.弄污,弄脏;n.(山间)小道 | |
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6 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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7 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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8 renowned | |
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的 | |
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9 alludes | |
提及,暗指( allude的第三人称单数 ) | |
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10 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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11 groaned | |
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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12 maxim | |
n.格言,箴言 | |
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13 blot | |
vt.弄脏(用吸墨纸)吸干;n.污点,污渍 | |
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14 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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15 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
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16 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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17 redressed | |
v.改正( redress的过去式和过去分词 );重加权衡;恢复平衡 | |
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18 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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19 alluded | |
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20 infantry | |
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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21 dispelled | |
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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23 orators | |
n.演说者,演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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24 odyssey | |
n.长途冒险旅行;一连串的冒险 | |
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25 stratagem | |
n.诡计,计谋 | |
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26 spartan | |
adj.简朴的,刻苦的;n.斯巴达;斯巴达式的人 | |
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27 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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28 repulsed | |
v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 );驳斥;拒绝 | |
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29 adversary | |
adj.敌手,对手 | |
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30 gunpowder | |
n.火药 | |
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31 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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32 attain | |
vt.达到,获得,完成 | |
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33 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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34 thicket | |
n.灌木丛,树林 | |
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35 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
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36 cannon | |
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮 | |
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37 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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38 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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39 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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40 eminently | |
adv.突出地;显著地;不寻常地 | |
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41 foes | |
敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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42 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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43 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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44 perseverance | |
n.坚持不懈,不屈不挠 | |
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45 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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46 acquit | |
vt.宣判无罪;(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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47 animated | |
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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48 frenzy | |
n.疯狂,狂热,极度的激动 | |
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49 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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50 intrepidity | |
n.大胆,刚勇;大胆的行为 | |
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51 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
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52 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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53 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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54 regiments | |
(军队的)团( regiment的名词复数 ); 大量的人或物 | |
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55 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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56 skilful | |
(=skillful)adj.灵巧的,熟练的 | |
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57 proffer | |
v.献出,赠送;n.提议,建议 | |
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58 fatigues | |
n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 );杂役;厌倦;(士兵穿的)工作服 | |
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59 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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60 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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61 vigour | |
(=vigor)n.智力,体力,精力 | |
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62 insanity | |
n.疯狂,精神错乱;极端的愚蠢,荒唐 | |
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63 trenches | |
深沟,地沟( trench的名词复数 ); 战壕 | |
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64 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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65 strand | |
vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地) | |
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66 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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67 dubious | |
adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的 | |
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68 adorn | |
vt.使美化,装饰 | |
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69 shipwright | |
n.造船工人 | |
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70 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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71 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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72 bellows | |
n.风箱;发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的名词复数 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫v.发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的第三人称单数 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫 | |
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73 monarchs | |
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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74 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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75 prodigious | |
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的 | |
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76 granite | |
adj.花岗岩,花岗石 | |
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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 hind | |
adj.后面的,后部的 | |
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79 pinnacle | |
n.尖塔,尖顶,山峰;(喻)顶峰 | |
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80 contrive | |
vt.谋划,策划;设法做到;设计,想出 | |
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81 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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82 Oxford | |
n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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83 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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84 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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85 patriotism | |
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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86 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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