A stone's-cast from the beach there was a fantastic rock, moss-grown and deep in a dell. It was insulated by a shallow brook3, which, dividing its waters, flowed on both sides until united below. Twisting its roots round the rock, a gnarled "Aoa" spread itself overhead in a wilderness4 of foliage5; the elastic6 branch-roots depending from the larger boughs7 insinuating9 themselves into every cleft10, thus forming supports to the parent stem. In some places these pendulous11 branches, half-grown, had not yet reached the rock; swinging their loose fibrous ends in the air like whiplashes.
Varvy's hut, a mere12 coop of bamboos, was perched upon a level part of the rock, the ridge-pole resting at one end in a crotch of the "Aoa," and the other propped13 by a forked bough8 planted in a fissure14.
Notwithstanding our cries as we drew near, the first hint the old hermit received of our approach was the doctor's stepping up and touching15 his shoulder, as he was kneeling over on a stone cleaning fish in the brook. He leaped up, and stared at us. But with a variety of uncouth16 gestures, he soon made us welcome; informing us, by the same means, that he was both deaf and dumb; he then motioned us into his dwelling17.
Going in, we threw ourselves upon an old mat, and peered round. The soiled bamboos and calabashes looked so uninviting that the doctor was for pushing on to Taloo that night, notwithstanding it was near sunset. But at length we concluded to stay where we were.
After a good deal of bustling18 outside under a decrepit19 shed, the old man made his appearance with our supper. In one hand he held a flickering20 taper21, and in the other, a huge, flat calabash, scantily22 filled with viands23. His eyes were dancing in his head, and he looked from the calabash to us, and from us to the calabash, as much as to say, "Ah, my lads, what do ye think of this, eh? Pretty good cheer, eh?" But the fish and Indian turnip24 being none of the best, we made but a sorry meal. While discussing it, the old man tried hard to make himself understood by signs; most of which were so excessively ludicrous that we made no doubt he was perpetrating a series of pantomimic jokes.
The remnants of the feast removed, our host left us for a moment, returning with a calabash of portly dimensions and furnished with a long, hooked neck, the mouth of which was stopped with a wooden plug. It was covered with particles of earth, and looked as if just taken from some place underground.
With sundry25 winks26 and horrible giggles27 peculiar28 to the dumb, the vegetable demijohn was now tapped; the old fellow looking round cautiously, and pointing at it; as much as to intimate that it contained something which was "taboo," or forbidden.
Aware that intoxicating29 liquors were strictly30 prohibited to the natives, we now watched our entertainer with much interest. Charging a cocoa-nut shell, he tossed it off, and then filling up again, presented the goblet31 to me. Disliking the smell, I made faces at it; upon which he became highly excited; so much so that a miracle was wrought32 upon the spot. Snatching the cup from my hands, he shouted out, "Ah, karhowree sabbee lee-lee ena arva tee maitai!" in other words, what a blockhead of a white man! this is the real stuff!
We could not have been more startled had a frog leaped from his mouth. For an instant, he looked confused enough himself; and then placing a finger mysteriously upon his mouth, he contrived33 to make us understand that at times he was subject to a suspension of the powers of speech.
Deeming the phenomenon a remarkable34 one, every way, the doctor desired him to open his mouth so that he might have a look down. But he refused.
This occurrence made us rather suspicious of our host; nor could we afterward35 account for his conduct, except by supposing that his feigning36 dumbness might in some way or other assist him in the nefarious37 pursuits in which it afterwards turned out that he was engaged. This conclusion, however, was not altogether satisfactory.
To oblige him, we at last took a sip38 of his "arva tee," and found it very crude, and strong as Lucifer. Curious to know whence it was obtained, we questioned him; when, lighting39 up with pleasure, he seized the taper, and led us outside the hut, bidding us follow.
After going some distance through the woods, we came to a dismantled40 old shed of boughs, apparently41 abandoned to decay. Underneath42, nothing was to be seen but heaps of decaying leaves and an immense, clumsy jar, wide-mouthed, and by some means, rudely hollowed out from a ponderous43 stone.
Here, for a while, we were left to ourselves; the old man placing the light in the jar, and then disappearing. He returned, carrying a long, large bamboo, and a crotched stick. Throwing these down, he poked44 under a pile of rubbish, and brought out a rough block of wood, pierced through and through with a hole, which was immediately clapped on the top of the jar. Then planting the crotched stick upright about two yards distant, and making it sustain one end of the bamboo, he inserted the other end of the latter into the hole in the block: concluding these arrangements by placing an old calabash under the farther end of the bamboo.
Coming up to us now with a sly, significant look, and pointing admiringly at his apparatus45, he exclaimed, "Ah, karhowree, ena hannahanna arva tee!" as much as to say, "This, you see, is the way it's done."
His contrivance was nothing less than a native still, where he manufactured his island "poteen." The disarray46 in which we found it was probably intentional47, as a security against detection. Before we left the shed, the old fellow toppled the whole concern over, and dragged it away piecemeal48.
His disclosing his secret to us thus was characteristic of the "Tootai Owrees," or contemners of the missionaries49 among the natives; who, presuming that all foreigners are opposed to the ascendancy50 of the missionaries, take pleasure in making them confidants, whenever the enactments51 of their rulers are secretly set at nought52.
The substance from which the liquor is produced is called "Tee," which is a large, fibrous root, something like yam, but smaller. In its green state, it is exceedingly acrid53; but boiled or baked, has the sweetness of the sugar-cane. After being subjected to the fire, macerated and reduced to a certain stage of fermentation, the "Tee" is stirred up with water, and is then ready for distillation54.
On returning to the hut, pipes were introduced; and, after a while, Long Ghost, who, at first, had relished55 the "Arva Tee" as little as myself, to my surprise, began to wax sociable56 over it, with Varvy; and, before long, absolutely got mellow57, the old toper keeping him company.
It was a curious sight. Everyone knows that, so long as the occasion lasts, there is no stronger bond of sympathy and good feeling among men than getting tipsy together. And how earnestly, nay58, movingly, a brace59 of worthies60, thus employed, will endeavour to shed light upon, and elucidate61 their mystical ideas!
Fancy Varvy and the doctor, then, lovingly tippling, and brimming over with a desire to become better acquainted; the doctor politely bent62 upon carrying on the conversation in the language of his host, and the old hermit persisting in trying to talk English. The result was that, between the two, they made such a fricassee of vowels63 and consonants64 that it was enough to turn one's brain.
The next morning, on waking, I heard a voice from the tombs. It was the doctor solemnly pronouncing himself a dead man. He was sitting up, with both hands clasped over his forehead, and his pale face a thousand times paler than ever.
"That infernal stuff has murdered me!" he cried. "Heavens! my head's all wheels and springs, like the automaton65 chess-player! What's to be done, Paul? I'm poisoned."
But, after drinking a herbal draught66 concocted67 by our host, and eating a light meal, at noon, he felt much better; so much so that he declared himself ready to continue our journey.
When we came to start, the Yankee's boots were missing; and, after a diligent68 search, were not to be found. Enraged69 beyond measure, their proprietor70 said that Varvy must have stolen them; but, considering his hospitality, I thought this extremely improbable; though to whom else to impute71 the theft I knew not. The doctor maintained, however, that one who was capable of drugging an innocent traveller with "Arva Tee" was capable of anything.
But it was in vain that he stormed, and Varvy and I searched; the boots were gone.
Were it not for this mysterious occurrence, and Varvy's detestable liquors, I would here recommend all travellers going round by the beach to Partoowye to stop at the Rock, and patronize the old gentleman—the more especially as he entertains gratis72.
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1
hegira
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n.逃亡 | |
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2
hermit
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n.隐士,修道者;隐居 | |
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3
brook
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n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让 | |
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4
wilderness
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n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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5
foliage
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n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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6
elastic
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n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的 | |
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7
boughs
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大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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bough
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n.大树枝,主枝 | |
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insinuating
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adj.曲意巴结的,暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 );巧妙或迂回地潜入;(使)缓慢进入;慢慢伸入 | |
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10
cleft
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n.裂缝;adj.裂开的 | |
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11
pendulous
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adj.下垂的;摆动的 | |
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12
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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13
propped
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支撑,支持,维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
fissure
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n.裂缝;裂伤 | |
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15
touching
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adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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16
uncouth
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adj.无教养的,粗鲁的 | |
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17
dwelling
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n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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18
bustling
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adj.喧闹的 | |
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19
decrepit
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adj.衰老的,破旧的 | |
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20
flickering
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adj.闪烁的,摇曳的,一闪一闪的 | |
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21
taper
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n.小蜡烛,尖细,渐弱;adj.尖细的;v.逐渐变小 | |
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22
scantily
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adv.缺乏地;不充足地;吝啬地;狭窄地 | |
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23
viands
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n.食品,食物 | |
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24
turnip
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n.萝卜,芜菁 | |
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25
sundry
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adj.各式各样的,种种的 | |
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26
winks
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v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮 | |
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27
giggles
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n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 );傻笑;玩笑;the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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29
intoxicating
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a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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30
strictly
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adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
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31
goblet
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n.高脚酒杯 | |
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32
wrought
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v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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33
contrived
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adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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34
remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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35
afterward
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adv.后来;以后 | |
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36
feigning
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假装,伪装( feign的现在分词 ); 捏造(借口、理由等) | |
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37
nefarious
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adj.恶毒的,极坏的 | |
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38
sip
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v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量 | |
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39
lighting
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n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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40
dismantled
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拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 ); 拆卸; 废除; 取消 | |
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41
apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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42
underneath
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adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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43
ponderous
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adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的 | |
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44
poked
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v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交 | |
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45
apparatus
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n.装置,器械;器具,设备 | |
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46
disarray
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n.混乱,紊乱,凌乱 | |
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47
intentional
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adj.故意的,有意(识)的 | |
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48
piecemeal
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adj.零碎的;n.片,块;adv.逐渐地;v.弄成碎块 | |
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49
missionaries
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n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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50
ascendancy
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n.统治权,支配力量 | |
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51
enactments
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n.演出( enactment的名词复数 );展现;规定;通过 | |
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52
nought
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n./adj.无,零 | |
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53
acrid
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adj.辛辣的,尖刻的,刻薄的 | |
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54
distillation
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n.蒸馏,蒸馏法 | |
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55
relished
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v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 );从…获得乐趣;渴望 | |
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56
sociable
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adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的 | |
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57
mellow
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adj.柔和的;熟透的;v.变柔和;(使)成熟 | |
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58
nay
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adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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59
brace
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n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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60
worthies
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应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 ); 值得做某事; 可尊敬的; 有(某人或事物)的典型特征 | |
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61
elucidate
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v.阐明,说明 | |
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62
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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63
vowels
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n.元音,元音字母( vowel的名词复数 ) | |
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64
consonants
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n.辅音,子音( consonant的名词复数 );辅音字母 | |
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65
automaton
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n.自动机器,机器人 | |
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66
draught
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n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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67
concocted
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v.将(尤指通常不相配合的)成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 );调制;编造;捏造 | |
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68
diligent
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adj.勤勉的,勤奋的 | |
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69
enraged
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使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 ); 歜; 激愤 | |
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70
proprietor
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n.所有人;业主;经营者 | |
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71
impute
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v.归咎于 | |
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72
gratis
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adj.免费的 | |
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