"You yourself are a monster, for asking the question," said Mohi.
"And so, to the cripples I am; though not, old man, for the reason you mention. But I am, as I am; whether hideous3, or handsome, depends upon who is made judge. There is no supreme4 standard yet revealed, whereby to judge of ourselves; 'Our very instincts are prejudices,' saith Alla Mallolla; 'Our very axioms, and postulates5 are far from infallible.' 'In respect of the universe, mankind is but a sect,' saith Diloro: 'and first principles but dogmas.' What ethics6 prevail in the Pleiades? What things have the synods in Sagittarius decreed?"
"Never mind your old authors," said Media. "Stick to the cripples; enlarge upon them."
"But I have done with them now, my lord; the sermon is not the text. Give ear to old Bardianna. I know him by heart. Thus saith the sage7 in Book X. of the Ponderings, 'Zermalmende,' the title: 'Je pense,' the motto:—'My supremacy8 over creation, boasteth man, is declared in my natural attitude:—I stand erect9! But so do the palm-trees; and the giraffes that graze off their tops. And the fowls10 of the air fly high over our heads; and from the place where we fancy our heaven to be, defile11 the tops of our temples. Belike, the eagles, from their eyries look down upon us Mardians, in our hives, even as upon the beavers12 in their dams, marveling at our incomprehensible ways. And cunning though we be, some things, hidden from us, may not be mysteries to them. Having five keys, hold we all that open to knowledge? Deaf, blind, and deprived of the power of scent13, the bat will steer14 its way unerringly:—could we? Yet man is lord of the bat and the brute15; lord over the crows; with whom, he must needs share the grain he garners16. We sweat for the fowls, as well as ourselves. The curse of labor17 rests only on us. Like slaves, we toil18: at their good leisure they glean19.
"'Mardi is not wholly ours. We are the least populous20 part of creation. To say nothing of other tribes, a census21 of the herring would find us far in the minority. And what life is to us,—sour or sweet,—so is it to them. Like us, they die, fighting death to the last; like us, they spawn22 and depart. We inhabit but a crust, rough surfaces, odds23 and ends of the isles24; the abounding25 lagoon26 being its two-thirds, its grand feature from afar; and forever unfathomable.
"'But even here, above-ground, we grope with the sun at meridian28. Vainly, we seek our Northwest Passages,—old alleys29, and thoroughfares of the whales.
"'Oh men! fellow men! we are only what we are; not what we would be; nor every thing we hope for. We are but a step in a scale, that reaches further above us than below. We breathe but oxygen. Who in Arcturus hath heard of us? They know us not in the Milky30 Way. We prate31 of faculties32 divine: and know not how sprouteth a spear of grass; we go about shrugging our shoulders: when the firmament-arch is over us; we rant33 of etherealities: and long tarry over our banquets; we demand Eternity34 for a lifetime: when our mortal half-hours too often prove tedious. We know not of what we talk. The Bird of Paradise out-flies our flutterings. What it is to be immortal35, has not yet entered into our thoughts. At will, we build our futurities; tier above tier, all galleries full of laureates: resounding36 with everlasting37 oratorios38! Pater-nosters forever, or eternal Misereres! forgetting that in Mardi, our breviaries oft fall from our hands. But divans39 there are, some say, whereon we shall recline, basking40 in effulgent41 suns, knowing neither Orient nor Occident42. Is it so? Fellow men! our mortal lives have an end; but that end is no goal: no place of repose43. Whatever it may be, it will prove but as the beginning of another race. We will hope, joy, weep, as before; though our tears may be such as the spice-trees shed. Supine we can only be, annihilated45.
"'The thick film is breaking; the ages have long been circling. Fellow-men! if we live hereafter, it will not be in lyrics46; nor shall we yawn, and our shadows lengthen47, while the eternal cycles are revolving48. To live at all, is a high vocation49; to live forever, and run parallel with Oro, may truly appall50 us. Toil we not here? and shall we be forever slothful elsewhere? Other worlds differ not much from this, but in degree. Doubtless, a pebble51 is a fair specimen52 of the universe.
"'We point at random53. Peradventure at this instant, there are beings gazing up to this very world as their future heaven. But the universe is all over a heaven: nothing but stars on stars, throughout infinities54 of expansion. All we see are but a cluster. Could we get to Bootes, we would be no nearer Oro, than now he hath no place; but is here. Already, in its unimaginable roamings, our system may have dragged us through and through the spaces, where we plant cities of beryl and jasper. Even now, we may be inhaling55 the ether, which we fancy seraphic wings are fanning. But look round. There is much to be seen here, and now. Do the archangels survey aught more glorious than the constellations56 we nightly behold57? Continually we slight the wonders, we deem in reserve. We await the present. With marvels58 we are glutted59, till we hold them no marvels at all. But had these eyes first opened upon all the prodigies60 in the Revelation of the Dreamer, long familiarity would have made them appear, even as these things we see. Now, now, the page is out-spread: to the simple, easy as a primer; to the wise, more puzzling than hieroglyphics61. The eternity to come, is but a prolongation of time present: and the beginning may be more wonderful than the end.
"'Then let us be wise. But much of the knowledge we seek, already we have in our cores. Yet so simple it is, we despise it; so bold, we fear it.
"'In solitude62, let us exhume63 our ingots. Let us hear our own thoughts. The soul needs no mentor64, but Oro; and Oro, without proxy65. Wanting Him, it is both the teacher and the taught. Undeniably, reason was the first revelation; and so far as it tests all others, it has precedence over them. It comes direct to us, without suppression or interpolation; and with Oro's indisputable imprimatur. But inspiration though it be, it is not so arrogant66 as some think. Nay67, far too humble68, at times it submits to the grossest indignities69. Though in its best estate, not infallible; so far as it goes, for us, it is reliable. When at fault, it stands still. We speak not of visionaries. But if this our first revelation stops short of the uttermost, so with all others. If, often, it only perplexes: much more the rest. They leave much unexpounded; and disclosing new mysteries, add to the enigma70. Fellow-men; the ocean we would sound is unfathomable; and however much we add to our line, when it is out, we feel not the bottom. Let us be truly lowly, then; not lifted up with a Pharisaic humility71. We crawl not like worms; nor wear we the liveries of angels.
"'The firmament-arch has no key-stone; least of all, is man its prop72. He stands alone. We are every thing to ourselves, but how little to others. What are others to us? Assure life everlasting to this generation, and their immediate73 forefathers—and what tears would flow, were there no resurrection for the countless74 generations from the first man to five cycles since? And soon we ourselves shall have fallen in with the rank and file of our sires. At a blow, annihilate44 some distant tribe, now alive and jocund—and what would we reck? Curiosity apart, do we really care whether the people in Bellatrix are immortal or no?
"'There was a time, when near Cassiopeia, a star of the first magnitude, most lustrous76 in the North, grew lurid77 as a fire, then dim as ashes, and went out. Now, its place is a blank. A vast world, with all its continents, say the astronomers78, blazing over the heads of our fathers; while in Mardi were merry-makings, and maidens79 given in marriage. Who now thinks of that burning sphere? How few are aware that ever it was?
"'These things are so.
"'Fellow-men! we must go, and obtain a glimpse of what we are from the Belts of Jupiter and the Moons of Saturn80, ere we see ourselves aright. The universe can wax old without us; though by Oro's grace we may live to behold a wrinkle in the sky. Eternity is not ours by right; and, alone, unrequited sufferings here, form no title thereto, unless resurrections are reserved for maltreated brutes81. Suffering is suffering; be the sufferer man, brute, or thing.
"'How small;—how nothing, our deserts! Let us stifle82 all vain speculations83; we need not to be told what righteousness is; we were born with the whole Law in our hearts. Let us do: let us act: let us down on our knees. And if, after all, we should be no more forever;— far better to perish meriting immortality84, than to enjoy it unmeritorious. While we fight over creeds85, ten thousand fingers point to where vital good may be done. All round us, Want crawls to her lairs86; and, shivering, dies unrelieved. Here, here, fellow-men, we can better minister as angels, than in heaven, where want and misery87 come not.
"'We Mardians talk as though the future was all in all; but act as though the present was every thing. Yet so far as, in our theories, we dwarf88 our Mardi; we go not beyond an archangel's apprehension89 of it, who takes in all suns and systems at a glance. Like pebbles90, were the isles to sink in space, Sirius, the Dog-star, would still flame in the sky. But as the atom to the animalculae, so Mardi to us. And lived aright, these mortal lives are long; looked into, these souls, fathomless91 as the nethermost92 depths.
"'Fellow-men; we split upon hairs; but stripped, mere93 words and phrases cast aside, the great bulk of us are orthodox. None who think, dissent94 from the grand belief. The first man's thoughts were as ours. The paramount95 revelation prevails with us; and all that clashes therewith, we do not so much believe, as believe that we can not disbelieve. Common sense is a sturdy despot; that, for the most part, has its own way. It inspects and ratifies96 much independent of it. But those who think they do wholly reject it, are but held in a sly sort of bondage97; under a semblance98 of something else, wearing the old yoke99.'"
"Cease, cease, Babbalanja," said Media, "and permit me to insinuate100 a word in your ear. You have long been in the habit, philosopher, of regaling us with chapters from your old Bardianna; and with infinite gusto, you have just recited the longest of all. But I do not observe, oh, Sage! that for all these things, you yourself are practically the better or wiser. You live not up to Bardianna's main thought. Where he stands, he stands immovable; but you are a Dog-vane. How is this?"
"Gogle-goggle, fugle-fi, fugle-fogle-orum!"
"Mad, mad again," cried Yoomy.
点击收听单词发音
1 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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2 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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3 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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4 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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5 postulates | |
v.假定,假设( postulate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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6 ethics | |
n.伦理学;伦理观,道德标准 | |
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7 sage | |
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的 | |
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8 supremacy | |
n.至上;至高权力 | |
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9 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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10 fowls | |
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马 | |
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11 defile | |
v.弄污,弄脏;n.(山间)小道 | |
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12 beavers | |
海狸( beaver的名词复数 ); 海狸皮毛; 棕灰色; 拼命工作的人 | |
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13 scent | |
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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14 steer | |
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
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15 brute | |
n.野兽,兽性 | |
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16 garners | |
v.收集并(通常)贮藏(某物),取得,获得( garner的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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18 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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19 glean | |
v.收集(消息、资料、情报等) | |
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20 populous | |
adj.人口稠密的,人口众多的 | |
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21 census | |
n.(官方的)人口调查,人口普查 | |
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22 spawn | |
n.卵,产物,后代,结果;vt.产卵,种菌丝于,产生,造成;vi.产卵,大量生产 | |
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23 odds | |
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 | |
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24 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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25 abounding | |
adj.丰富的,大量的v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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26 lagoon | |
n.泻湖,咸水湖 | |
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27 shaft | |
n.(工具的)柄,杆状物 | |
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28 meridian | |
adj.子午线的;全盛期的 | |
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29 alleys | |
胡同,小巷( alley的名词复数 ); 小径 | |
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30 milky | |
adj.牛奶的,多奶的;乳白色的 | |
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31 prate | |
v.瞎扯,胡说 | |
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32 faculties | |
n.能力( faculty的名词复数 );全体教职员;技巧;院 | |
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33 rant | |
v.咆哮;怒吼;n.大话;粗野的话 | |
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34 eternity | |
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷 | |
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35 immortal | |
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的 | |
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36 resounding | |
adj. 响亮的 | |
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37 everlasting | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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38 oratorios | |
n.(以宗教为主题的)清唱剧,神剧( oratorio的名词复数 ) | |
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39 divans | |
n.(可作床用的)矮沙发( divan的名词复数 );(波斯或其他东方诗人的)诗集 | |
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40 basking | |
v.晒太阳,取暖( bask的现在分词 );对…感到乐趣;因他人的功绩而出名;仰仗…的余泽 | |
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41 effulgent | |
adj.光辉的;灿烂的 | |
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42 occident | |
n.西方;欧美 | |
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43 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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44 annihilate | |
v.使无效;毁灭;取消 | |
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45 annihilated | |
v.(彻底)消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 );使无效;废止;彻底击溃 | |
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46 lyrics | |
n.歌词 | |
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47 lengthen | |
vt.使伸长,延长 | |
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48 revolving | |
adj.旋转的,轮转式的;循环的v.(使)旋转( revolve的现在分词 );细想 | |
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49 vocation | |
n.职业,行业 | |
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50 appall | |
vt.使惊骇,使大吃一惊 | |
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51 pebble | |
n.卵石,小圆石 | |
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52 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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53 random | |
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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54 infinities | |
n.无穷大( infinity的名词复数 );无限远的点;无法计算的量;无限大的量 | |
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55 inhaling | |
v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 ) | |
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56 constellations | |
n.星座( constellation的名词复数 );一群杰出人物;一系列(相关的想法、事物);一群(相关的人) | |
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57 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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58 marvels | |
n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 );令人惊奇的事物(或事例);不平凡的成果;成就v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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59 glutted | |
v.吃得过多( glut的过去式和过去分词 );(对胃口、欲望等)纵情满足;使厌腻;塞满 | |
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60 prodigies | |
n.奇才,天才(尤指神童)( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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61 hieroglyphics | |
n.pl.象形文字 | |
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62 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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63 exhume | |
v.掘出,挖掘 | |
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64 mentor | |
n.指导者,良师益友;v.指导 | |
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65 proxy | |
n.代理权,代表权;(对代理人的)委托书;代理人 | |
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66 arrogant | |
adj.傲慢的,自大的 | |
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67 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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68 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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69 indignities | |
n.侮辱,轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 ) | |
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70 enigma | |
n.谜,谜一样的人或事 | |
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71 humility | |
n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
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72 prop | |
vt.支撑;n.支柱,支撑物;支持者,靠山 | |
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73 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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74 countless | |
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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75 smite | |
v.重击;彻底击败;n.打;尝试;一点儿 | |
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76 lustrous | |
adj.有光泽的;光辉的 | |
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77 lurid | |
adj.可怕的;血红的;苍白的 | |
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78 astronomers | |
n.天文学者,天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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79 maidens | |
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球 | |
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80 Saturn | |
n.农神,土星 | |
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81 brutes | |
兽( brute的名词复数 ); 畜生; 残酷无情的人; 兽性 | |
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82 stifle | |
vt.使窒息;闷死;扼杀;抑止,阻止 | |
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83 speculations | |
n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 );思考;投机活动;推断 | |
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84 immortality | |
n.不死,不朽 | |
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85 creeds | |
(尤指宗教)信条,教条( creed的名词复数 ) | |
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86 lairs | |
n.(野兽的)巢穴,窝( lair的名词复数 );(人的)藏身处 | |
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87 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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88 dwarf | |
n.矮子,侏儒,矮小的动植物;vt.使…矮小 | |
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89 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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90 pebbles | |
[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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91 fathomless | |
a.深不可测的 | |
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92 nethermost | |
adj.最下面的 | |
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93 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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94 dissent | |
n./v.不同意,持异议 | |
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95 paramount | |
a.最重要的,最高权力的 | |
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96 ratifies | |
v.批准,签认(合约等)( ratify的第三人称单数 ) | |
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97 bondage | |
n.奴役,束缚 | |
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98 semblance | |
n.外貌,外表 | |
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99 yoke | |
n.轭;支配;v.给...上轭,连接,使成配偶 | |
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100 insinuate | |
vt.含沙射影地说,暗示 | |
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