The Events related in several Narratives1.
FIRST NARRATIVE2.
Contributed by Miss Clack; niece of the late Sir John Verinder
I am indebted to my dear parents (both now in heaven) for having had habits of order and regularity3 instilled4 into me at a very early age.
In that happy bygone time, I was taught to keep my hair tidy at all hours of the day and night, and to fold up every article of my clothing carefully, in the same order, on the same chair, in the same place at the foot of the bed, before retiring to rest. An entry of the day’s events in my little diary invariably preceded the folding up. The “Evening Hymn5” (repeated in bed) invariably followed the folding up. And the sweet sleep of childhood invariably followed the “Evening Hymn.”
In later life (alas!) the Hymn has been succeeded by sad and bitter meditations6; and the sweet sleep has been but ill exchanged for the broken slumbers7 which haunt the uneasy pillow of care. On the other hand, I have continued to fold my clothes, and to keep my little diary. The former habit links me to my happy childhood—before papa was ruined. The latter habit—hitherto mainly useful in helping8 me to discipline the fallen nature which we all inherit from Adam—has unexpectedly proved important to my humble9 interests in quite another way. It has enabled poor Me to serve the caprice of a wealthy member of the family into which my late uncle married. I am fortunate enough to be useful to Mr. Franklin Blake.
I have been cut off from all news of my relatives by marriage for some time past. When we are isolated10 and poor, we are not infrequently forgotten. I am now living, for economy’s sake, in a little town in Brittany, inhabited by a select circle of serious English friends, and possessed11 of the inestimable advantages of a Protestant clergyman and a cheap market.
In this retirement—a Patmos amid the howling ocean of popery that surrounds us—a letter from England has reached me at last. I find my insignificant12 existence suddenly remembered by Mr. Franklin Blake. My wealthy relative—would that I could add my spiritually-wealthy relative!—writes, without even an attempt at disguising that he wants something of me. The whim13 has seized him to stir up the deplorable scandal of the Moonstone: and I am to help him by writing the account of what I myself witnessed while visiting at Aunt Verinder’s house in London. Pecuniary14 remuneration is offered to me—with the want of feeling peculiar15 to the rich. I am to re-open wounds that Time has barely closed; I am to recall the most intensely painful remembrances—and this done, I am to feel myself compensated16 by a new laceration, in the shape of Mr. Blake’s cheque. My nature is weak. It cost me a hard struggle, before Christian17 humility18 conquered sinful pride, and self-denial accepted the cheque.
Without my diary, I doubt—pray let me express it in the grossest terms!—if I could have honestly earned my money. With my diary, the poor labourer (who forgives Mr. Blake for insulting her) is worthy19 of her hire. Nothing escaped me at the time I was visiting dear Aunt Verinder. Everything was entered (thanks to my early training) day by day as it happened; and everything down to the smallest particular, shall be told here. My sacred regard for truth is (thank God) far above my respect for persons. It will be easy for Mr. Blake to suppress what may not prove to be sufficiently20 flattering in these pages to the person chiefly concerned in them. He has purchased my time, but not even his wealth can purchase my conscience too.*
[*Note. Added by Franklin Blake.—Miss Clack may make her mind quite easy on this point. Nothing will be added, altered or removed, in her manuscript, or in any of the other manuscripts which pass through my hands. Whatever opinions any of the writers may express, whatever peculiarities21 of treatment may mark, and perhaps in a literary sense, disfigure the narratives which I am now collecting, not a line will be tampered22 with anywhere, from first to last. As genuine documents they are sent to me—and as genuine documents I shall preserve them, endorsed23 by the attestations of witnesses who can speak to the facts. It only remains24 to be added that “the person chiefly concerned” in Miss Clack’s narrative, is happy enough at the present moment, not only to brave the smartest exercise of Miss Clack’s pen, but even to recognise its unquestionable value as an instrument for the exhibition of Miss Clack’s character.]
My diary informs me, that I was accidentally passing Aunt Verinder’s house in Montagu Square, on Monday, 3rd July, 1848.
Seeing the shutters25 opened, and the blinds drawn26 up, I felt that it would be an act of polite attention to knock, and make inquiries27. The person who answered the door, informed me that my aunt and her daughter (I really cannot call her my cousin!) had arrived from the country a week since, and meditated28 making some stay in London. I sent up a message at once, declining to disturb them, and only begging to know whether I could be of any use.
The person who answered the door, took my message in insolent29 silence, and left me standing30 in the hall. She is the daughter of a heathen old man named Betteredge—long, too long, tolerated in my aunt’s family. I sat down in the hall to wait for my answer—and, having always a few tracts31 in my bag, I selected one which proved to be quite providentially applicable to the person who answered the door. The hall was dirty, and the chair was hard; but the blessed consciousness of returning good for evil raised me quite above any trifling33 considerations of that kind. The tract32 was one of a series addressed to young women on the sinfulness of dress. In style it was devoutly35 familiar. Its title was, “A Word With You On Your Cap-Ribbons.”
“My lady is much obliged, and begs you will come and lunch tomorrow at two.”
I passed over the manner in which she gave her message, and the dreadful boldness of her look. I thanked this young castaway; and I said, in a tone of Christian interest, “Will you favour me by accepting a tract?”
She looked at the title. “Is it written by a man or a woman, Miss? If it’s written by a woman, I had rather not read it on that account. If it’s written by a man, I beg to inform him that he knows nothing about it.” She handed me back the tract, and opened the door. We must sow the good seed somehow. I waited till the door was shut on me, and slipped the tract into the letter-box. When I had dropped another tract through the area railings, I felt relieved, in some small degree, of a heavy responsibility towards others.
We had a meeting that evening of the select Committee of the Mothers’-Small-Clothes-Conversion-Society. The object of this excellent Charity is—as all serious people know—to rescue unredeemed fathers’ trousers from the pawnbroker36, and to prevent their resumption, on the part of the irreclaimable parent, by abridging37 them immediately to suit the proportions of the innocent son. I was a member, at that time, of the select committee; and I mention the Society here, because my precious and admirable friend, Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite, was associated with our work of moral and material usefulness. I had expected to see him in the boardroom, on the Monday evening of which I am now writing, and had proposed to tell him, when we met, of dear Aunt Verinder’s arrival in London. To my great disappointment he never appeared. On my expressing a feeling of surprise at his absence, my sisters of the Committee all looked up together from their trousers (we had a great pressure of business that night), and asked in amazement38, if I had not heard the news. I acknowledged my ignorance, and was then told, for the first time, of an event which forms, so to speak, the starting-point of this narrative. On the previous Friday, two gentlemen—occupying widely-different positions in society—had been the victims of an outrage39 which had startled all London. One of the gentlemen was Mr. Septimus Luker, of Lambeth. The other was Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite.
Living in my present isolation40, I have no means of introducing the newspaper-account of the outrage into my narrative. I was also deprived, at the time, of the inestimable advantage of hearing the events related by the fervid41 eloquence42 of Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite. All I can do is to state the facts as they were stated, on that Monday evening, to me; proceeding43 on the plan which I have been taught from infancy44 to adopt in folding up my clothes. Everything shall be put neatly45, and everything shall be put in its place. These lines are written by a poor weak woman. From a poor weak woman who will be cruel enough to expect more?
The date—thanks to my dear parents, no dictionary that ever was written can be more particular than I am about dates—was Friday, June 30th, 1848.
Early on that memorable46 day, our gifted Mr. Godfrey happened to be cashing a cheque at a banking-house in Lombard Street. The name of the firm is accidentally blotted47 in my diary, and my sacred regard for truth forbids me to hazard a guess in a matter of this kind. Fortunately, the name of the firm doesn’t matter. What does matter is a circumstance that occurred when Mr. Godfrey had transacted48 his business. On gaining the door, he encountered a gentleman—a perfect stranger to him—who was accidentally leaving the office exactly at the same time as himself. A momentary49 contest of politeness ensued between them as to who should be the first to pass through the door of the bank. The stranger insisted on making Mr. Godfrey precede him; Mr. Godfrey said a few civil words; they bowed, and parted in the street.
Thoughtless and superficial people may say, Here is surely a very trumpery50 little incident related in an absurdly circumstantial manner. Oh, my young friends and fellow-sinners! beware of presuming to exercise your poor carnal reason. Oh, be morally tidy. Let your faith be as your stockings, and your stockings as your faith. Both ever spotless, and both ready to put on at a moment’s notice!
I beg a thousand pardons. I have fallen insensibly into my Sunday-school style. Most inappropriate in such a record as this. Let me try to be worldly—let me say that trifles, in this case as in many others, led to terrible results. Merely premising that the polite stranger was Mr. Luker, of Lambeth, we will now follow Mr. Godfrey home to his residence at Kilburn.
He found waiting for him, in the hall, a poorly clad but delicate and interesting-looking little boy. The boy handed him a letter, merely mentioning that he had been entrusted51 with it by an old lady whom he did not know, and who had given him no instructions to wait for an answer. Such incidents as these were not uncommon52 in Mr. Godfrey’s large experience as a promoter of public charities. He let the boy go, and opened the letter.
The handwriting was entirely53 unfamiliar54 to him. It requested his attendance, within an hour’s time, at a house in Northumberland Street, Strand55, which he had never had occasion to enter before. The object sought was to obtain from the worthy manager certain details on the subject of the Mothers’-Small-Clothes-Conversion-Society, and the information was wanted by an elderly lady who proposed adding largely to the resources of the charity, if her questions were met by satisfactory replies. She mentioned her name, and she added that the shortness of her stay in London prevented her from giving any longer notice to the eminent56 philanthropist whom she addressed.
Ordinary people might have hesitated before setting aside their own engagements to suit the convenience of a stranger. The Christian Hero never hesitates where good is to be done. Mr. Godfrey instantly turned back, and proceeded to the house in Northumberland Street. A most respectable though somewhat corpulent man answered the door, and, on hearing Mr. Godfrey’s name, immediately conducted him into an empty apartment at the back, on the drawing-room floor. He noticed two unusual things on entering the room. One of them was a faint odour of musk58 and camphor. The other was an ancient Oriental manuscript, richly illuminated59 with Indian figures and devices, that lay open to inspection60 on a table.
He was looking at the book, the position of which caused him to stand with his back turned towards the closed folding doors communicating with the front room, when, without the slightest previous noise to warn him, he felt himself suddenly seized round the neck from behind. He had just time to notice that the arm round his neck was naked and of a tawny61-brown colour, before his eyes were bandaged, his mouth was gagged, and he was thrown helpless on the floor by (as he judged) two men. A third rifled his pockets, and—if, as a lady, I may venture to use such an expression—searched him, without ceremony, through and through to his skin.
Here I should greatly enjoy saying a few cheering words on the devout34 confidence which could alone have sustained Mr. Godfrey in an emergency so terrible as this. Perhaps, however, the position and appearance of my admirable friend at the culminating period of the outrage (as above described) are hardly within the proper limits of female discussion. Let me pass over the next few moments, and return to Mr. Godfrey at the time when the odious62 search of his person had been completed. The outrage had been perpetrated throughout in dead silence. At the end of it some words were exchanged, among the invisible wretches63, in a language which he did not understand, but in tones which were plainly expressive64 (to his cultivated ear) of disappointment and rage. He was suddenly lifted from the ground, placed in a chair, and bound there hand and foot. The next moment he felt the air flowing in from the open door, listened, and concluded that he was alone again in the room.
An interval65 elapsed, and he heard a sound below like the rustling66 sound of a woman’s dress. It advanced up the stairs, and stopped. A female scream rent the atmosphere of guilt67. A man’s voice below exclaimed “Hullo!” A man’s feet ascended68 the stairs. Mr. Godfrey felt Christian fingers unfastening his bandage, and extracting his gag. He looked in amazement at two respectable strangers, and faintly articulated, “What does it mean?” The two respectable strangers looked back, and said, “Exactly the question we were going to ask you.”
The inevitable70 explanation followed. No! Let me be scrupulously71 particular. Sal volatile72 and water followed, to compose dear Mr. Godfrey’s nerves. The explanation came next.
It appeared from the statement of the landlord and landlady73 of the house (persons of good repute in the neighbourhood), that their first and second floor apartments had been engaged, on the previous day, for a week certain, by a most respectable-looking gentleman—the same who has been already described as answering the door to Mr. Godfrey’s knock. The gentleman had paid the week’s rent and all the week’s extras in advance, stating that the apartments were wanted for three Oriental noblemen, friends of his, who were visiting England for the first time. Early on the morning of the outrage, two of the Oriental strangers, accompanied by their respectable English friend, took possession of the apartments. The third was expected to join them shortly; and the luggage (reported as very bulky) was announced to follow when it had passed through the Custom-house, late in the afternoon. Not more than ten minutes previous to Mr. Godfrey’s visit, the third foreigner had arrived. Nothing out of the common had happened, to the knowledge of the landlord and landlady downstairs, until within the last five minutes—when they had seen the three foreigners, accompanied by their respectable English friend, all leave the house together, walking quietly in the direction of the Strand. Remembering that a visitor had called, and not having seen the visitor also leave the house, the landlady had thought it rather strange that the gentleman should be left by himself upstairs. After a short discussion with her husband, she had considered it advisable to ascertain74 whether anything was wrong. The result had followed, as I have already attempted to describe it; and there the explanation of the landlord and the landlady came to an end.
An investigation75 was next made in the room. Dear Mr. Godfrey’s property was found scattered76 in all directions. When the articles were collected, however, nothing was missing; his watch, chain, purse, keys, pocket-handkerchief, note-book, and all his loose papers had been closely examined, and had then been left unharmed to be resumed by the owner. In the same way, not the smallest morsel77 of property belonging to the proprietors78 of the house had been abstracted. The Oriental noblemen had removed their own illuminated manuscript, and had removed nothing else.
What did it mean? Taking the worldly point of view, it appeared to mean that Mr. Godfrey had been the victim of some incomprehensible error, committed by certain unknown men. A dark conspiracy79 was on foot in the midst of us; and our beloved and innocent friend had been entangled80 in its meshes81. When the Christian hero of a hundred charitable victories plunges82 into a pitfall83 that has been dug for him by mistake, oh, what a warning it is to the rest of us to be unceasingly on our guard! How soon may our own evil passions prove to be Oriental noblemen who pounce84 on us unawares!
I could write pages of affectionate warning on this one theme, but (alas!) I am not permitted to improve—I am condemned85 to narrate86. My wealthy relative’s cheque—henceforth, the incubus87 of my existence—warns me that I have not done with this record of violence yet. We must leave Mr. Godfrey to recover in Northumberland Street, and must follow the proceedings88 of Mr. Luker at a later period of the day.
After leaving the bank, Mr. Luker had visited various parts of London on business errands. Returning to his own residence, he found a letter waiting for him, which was described as having been left a short time previously89 by a boy. In this case, as in Mr. Godfrey’s case, the handwriting was strange; but the name mentioned was the name of one of Mr. Luker’s customers. His correspondent announced (writing in the third person—apparently by the hand of a deputy) that he had been unexpectedly summoned to London. He had just established himself in lodgings90 in Alfred Place, Tottenham Court Road; and he desired to see Mr. Luker immediately, on the subject of a purchase which he contemplated91 making. The gentleman was an enthusiastic collector of Oriental antiquities92, and had been for many years a liberal patron of the establishment in Lambeth. Oh, when shall we wean ourselves from the worship of Mammon! Mr. Luker called a cab, and drove off instantly to his liberal patron.
Exactly what had happened to Mr. Godfrey in Northumberland Street now happened to Mr. Luker in Alfred Place. Once more the respectable man answered the door, and showed the visitor upstairs into the back drawing-room. There, again, lay the illuminated manuscript on a table. Mr. Luker’s attention was absorbed, as Mr. Godfrey’s attention had been absorbed, by this beautiful work of Indian art. He too was aroused from his studies by a tawny naked arm round his throat, by a bandage over his eyes, and by a gag in his mouth. He too was thrown prostrate93 and searched to the skin. A longer interval had then elapsed than had passed in the experience of Mr. Godfrey; but it had ended as before, in the persons of the house suspecting something wrong, and going upstairs to see what had happened. Precisely94 the same explanation which the landlord in Northumberland Street had given to Mr. Godfrey, the landlord in Alfred Place now gave to Mr. Luker. Both had been imposed on in the same way by the plausible95 address and well-filled purse of the respectable stranger, who introduced himself as acting69 for his foreign friends. The one point of difference between the two cases occurred when the scattered contents of Mr. Luker’s pockets were being collected from the floor. His watch and purse were safe, but (less fortunate than Mr. Godfrey) one of the loose papers that he carried about him had been taken away. The paper in question acknowledged the receipt of a valuable of great price which Mr. Luker had that day left in the care of his bankers. This document would be useless for purposes of fraud, inasmuch as it provided that the valuable should only be given up on the personal application of the owner. As soon as he recovered himself, Mr. Luker hurried to the bank, on the chance that the thieves who had robbed him might ignorantly present themselves with the receipt. Nothing had been seen of them when he arrived at the establishment, and nothing was seen of them afterwards. Their respectable English friend had (in the opinion of the bankers) looked the receipt over before they attempted to make use of it, and had given them the necessary warning in good time.
Information of both outrages96 was communicated to the police, and the needful investigations97 were pursued, I believe, with great energy. The authorities held that a robbery had been planned, on insufficient98 information received by the thieves. They had been plainly not sure whether Mr. Luker had, or had not, trusted the transmission of his precious gem57 to another person; and poor polite Mr. Godfrey had paid the penalty of having been seen accidentally speaking to him. Add to this, that Mr. Godfrey’s absence from our Monday evening meeting had been occasioned by a consultation99 of the authorities, at which he was requested to assist—and all the explanations required being now given, I may proceed with the simpler story of my own little personal experiences in Montagu Square.
I was punctual to the luncheon100 hour on Tuesday. Reference to my diary shows this to have been a chequered day—much in it to be devoutly regretted, much in it to be devoutly thankful for.
Dear Aunt Verinder received me with her usual grace and kindness. But I noticed, after a little while, that something was wrong. Certain anxious looks escaped my aunt, all of which took the direction of her daughter. I never see Rachel myself without wondering how it can be that so insignificant-looking a person should be the child of such distinguished101 parents as Sir John and Lady Verinder. On this occasion, however, she not only disappointed—she really shocked me. There was an absence of all lady-like restraint in her language and manner most painful to see. She was possessed by some feverish102 excitement which made her distressingly103 loud when she laughed, and sinfully wasteful104 and capricious in what she ate and drank at lunch. I felt deeply for her poor mother, even before the true state of the case had been confidentially105 made known to me.
Luncheon over, my aunt said: “Remember what the doctor told you, Rachel, about quieting yourself with a book after taking your meals.”
“I’ll go into the library, mamma,” she answered. “But if Godfrey calls, mind I am told of it. I am dying for more news of him, after his adventure in Northumberland Street.” She kissed her mother on the forehead, and looked my way. “Good-bye, Clack,” she said, carelessly. Her insolence106 roused no angry feeling in me; I only made a private memorandum107 to pray for her.
When we were left by ourselves, my aunt told me the whole horrible story of the Indian Diamond, which, I am happy to know, it is not necessary to repeat here. She did not conceal108 from me that she would have preferred keeping silence on the subject. But when her own servants all knew of the loss of the Moonstone, and when some of the circumstances had actually found their way into the newspapers—when strangers were speculating whether there was any connection between what had happened at Lady Verinder’s country house, and what had happened in Northumberland Street and Alfred Place—concealment was not to be thought of; and perfect frankness became a necessity as well as a virtue109.
Some persons, hearing what I now heard, would have been probably overwhelmed with astonishment110. For my own part, knowing Rachel’s spirit to have been essentially111 unregenerate from her childhood upwards112, I was prepared for whatever my aunt could tell me on the subject of her daughter. It might have gone on from bad to worse till it ended in Murder; and I should still have said to myself, The natural result! oh, dear, dear, the natural result! The one thing that did shock me was the course my aunt had taken under the circumstances. Here surely was a case for a clergyman, if ever there was one yet! Lady Verinder had thought it a case for a physician. All my poor aunt’s early life had been passed in her father’s godless household. The natural result again! Oh, dear, dear, the natural result again!
“The doctors recommend plenty of exercise and amusement for Rachel, and strongly urge me to keep her mind as much as possible from dwelling113 on the past,” said Lady Verinder.
“Oh, what heathen advice!” I thought to myself. “In this Christian country, what heathen advice!”
My aunt went on, “I do my best to carry out my instructions. But this strange adventure of Godfrey’s happens at a most unfortunate time. Rachel has been incessantly114 restless and excited since she first heard of it. She left me no peace till I had written and asked my nephew Ablewhite to come here. She even feels an interest in the other person who was roughly used—Mr. Luker, or some such name—though the man is, of course, a total stranger to her.”
“Your knowledge of the world, dear aunt, is superior to mine,” I suggested diffidently. “But there must be a reason surely for this extraordinary conduct on Rachel’s part. She is keeping a sinful secret from you and from everybody. May there not be something in these recent events which threatens her secret with discovery?”
“Discovery?” repeated my aunt. “What can you possibly mean? Discovery through Mr. Luker? Discovery through my nephew?”
As the word passed her lips, a special providence115 occurred. The servant opened the door, and announced Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite.
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narratives
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| 记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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instilled
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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humble
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isolated
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possessed
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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pecuniary
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| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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humility
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worthy
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sufficiently
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peculiarities
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tampered
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| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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endorsed
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| vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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remains
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shutters
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drawn
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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34
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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35
devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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36
pawnbroker
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| n.典当商，当铺老板 | |
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37
abridging
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| 节略( abridge的现在分词 )； 减少； 缩短； 剥夺（某人的）权利（或特权等） | |
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38
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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39
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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40
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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41
fervid
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| adj.热情的；炽热的 | |
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42
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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43
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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44
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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45
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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46
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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47
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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48
transacted
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| v.办理（业务等）( transact的过去式和过去分词 )；交易，谈判 | |
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49
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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50
trumpery
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| n.无价值的杂物；adj.（物品）中看不中用的 | |
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51
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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53
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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54
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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55
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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56
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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57
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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58
musk
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| n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫 | |
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59
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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60
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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61
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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63
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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66
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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67
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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68
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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73
landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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74
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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75
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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76
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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77
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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78
proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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79
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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80
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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plunges
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| n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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83
pitfall
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| n.隐患，易犯的错误；陷阱，圈套 | |
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84
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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85
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 | |
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86
narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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87
incubus
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| n.负担；恶梦 | |
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88
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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89
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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90
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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91
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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92
antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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93
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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94
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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95
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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96
outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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97
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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98
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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99
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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100
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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101
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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102
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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103
distressingly
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| adv. 令人苦恼地；悲惨地 | |
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104
wasteful
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| adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的 | |
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105
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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106
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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107
memorandum
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| n.备忘录，便笺 | |
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108
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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109
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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110
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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111
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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112
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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113
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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114
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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115
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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