Winding2 our way among jungles, we came to a deep hollow, planted with one gigantic palm-shaft, belted round by saplings, springing from its roots. But, Laocoon-like, sire and sons stood locked in the serpent folds of gnarled, distorted banians; and the banian-bark, eating into their vital wood, corrupted3 their veins4 of sap, till all those palm- nuts were poisoned chalices5.
Near by stood clean-limbed, comely6 manchineels, with lustrous7 leaves and golden fruit. You would have deemed them Trees of Life; but underneath8 their branches grew no blade of grass, no herb, nor moss9; the bare earth was scorched10 by heaven's own dews, filtrated through that fatal foliage11.
Farther on, there frowned a grove of blended banian boughs12, thick- ranked manchineels, and many a upas; their summits gilded13 by the sun; but below, deep shadows, darkening night-shade ferns, and mandrakes. Buried in their midst, and dimly seen among large leaves, all halberd- shaped, were piles of stone, supporting falling temples of bamboo. Thereon frogs leaped in dampness, trailing round their slime. Thick hung the rafters with lines of pendant sloths14; the upas trees dropped darkness round; so dense15 the shade, nocturnal birds found there perpetual night; and, throve on poisoned air. Owls16 hooted17 from dead boughs; or, one by one, sailed by on silent pinions18; cranes stalked abroad, or brooded, in the marshes19; adders20 hissed21; bats smote22 the darkness; ravens23 croaked24; and vampires25, fixed26 on slumbering27 lizards28, fanned the sultry air.

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1
grove
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n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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2
winding
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n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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3
corrupted
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(使)败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)腐化; 引起(计算机文件等的)错误; 破坏 | |
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4
veins
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n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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5
chalices
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n.高脚酒杯( chalice的名词复数 );圣餐杯;金杯毒酒;看似诱人实则令人讨厌的事物 | |
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6
comely
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adj.漂亮的,合宜的 | |
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7
lustrous
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adj.有光泽的;光辉的 | |
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8
underneath
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adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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9
moss
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n.苔,藓,地衣 | |
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10
scorched
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烧焦,烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(植物)枯萎,把…晒枯; 高速行驶; 枯焦 | |
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11
foliage
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n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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12
boughs
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大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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13
gilded
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a.镀金的,富有的 | |
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14
sloths
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懒散( sloth的名词复数 ); 懒惰; 树獭; (经济)停滞。 | |
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15
dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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16
owls
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n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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17
hooted
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(使)作汽笛声响,作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
pinions
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v.抓住[捆住](双臂)( pinion的第三人称单数 ) | |
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19
marshes
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n.沼泽,湿地( marsh的名词复数 ) | |
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20
adders
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n.加法器,(欧洲产)蝰蛇(小毒蛇),(北美产无毒的)猪鼻蛇( adder的名词复数 ) | |
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21
hissed
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发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 ); 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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22
smote
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v.猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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23
ravens
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n.低质煤;渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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24
croaked
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v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 );用粗的声音说 | |
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25
vampires
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n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 );吸血蝠;高利贷者;(舞台上的)活板门 | |
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26
fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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27
slumbering
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微睡,睡眠(slumber的现在分词形式) | |
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28
lizards
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n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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