It was the first Sunday in March—mild and soft and tinctured with spring. “There's the botanic garden at the University,” I suggested. The[Pg 125] Urchin settled it by rattling8 his spoon on the plate and sliding several inches of potato into his lap. “Go see garden!” he cried. With the generous tastes of twenty-seven months he cares very little where he is taken; he can find fascination9 in anything; but something about the word “garden” seemed to allure10 him. So a little later when he had been duly habited in brown leggings, his minute brown overcoat, and white hat with ribbons behind it, he and his curators set out. The Urchin was in excellent spirits, for he had been promised a ride on a trolley11 car—a glorious adventure. In one pocket he carried his private collection of talismans12, including a horse-chestnut and a picture of a mouse. Also, against emergencies, a miniature handkerchief with a teddy bear embroidered14 in one corner and a safety pin. The expedition may be deemed to have been a success, as none of these properties were called upon or even remembered.
The car we boarded did not take us just where we expected to go, but that made little difference to the Urchin, who gazed steadfastly15 out of the window at a panorama16 of shabby streets, and offered no comment except one of extreme exultation17 when we passed a large poster of a cow. Admirably docile18, he felt confident that the unusual conjunction of both arbiters19 of destiny and an impressive trolley car would in the end produce something extremely worth while. We sped across Gray's Ferry bridge[Pg 126]—it seems strange to think that region was once so quiet, green, and rustic—transferred to another car on Woodland Avenue, past the white medley21 of tombstones in Woodland Cemetery22, and got off at the entrance to the dormitory quadrangles at Thirty-seventh Street. We entered through the archway—the Urchin's first introduction to an academic atmosphere. “This is the University,” I said to him severely23, and he was much impressed. As is his way, he conducted himself with extreme sobriety until he should get the hang of this new experience and see what it was all about. I knew from the serene24 gold sparkle of his brown eyes that there was plenty of larking25 spirit in him, waiting until he knew whether it was safe to give it play. He held my hand punctiliously26 while waiting to see what manner of place this University was.
A college quadrangle on a Sunday afternoon has a feeling all its own. Thin tinklings of mandolins eddy13 from open windows, in which young men may be seen propped27 up against bright-coloured cushions, always smoking, and sometimes reading with an apparent zeal28 which might deceive a few onlookers29. But the slightest sound of footfalls on the pavement outside their rooms causes these heads to turn and scan the passers. There is always a vague hope in these youthful breasts that some damsel of notable fairness may have strayed within the bastions. Groups of ladies of youth and beauty do often walk[Pg 127] demurely30 through the courts, and may be sure of hearing admiring whistles shrilled31 through the sunny air. When a lady walks through a college quadrangle and hears no sibilation, let her know sadly that first youth is past. Even the sedate32 guardianship33 of Scribe and Urchin did not forfeit34 one Lady of Destiny her proper homage35 of tuneful testimonial. So be it ever!
One who inhabited college quadrangles not so immeasurably long ago, and remembers with secret pain how massively old, experienced, and worldly wise he then thought himself, can never resist a throb36 of amazement37 at the entertaining youthfulness of these young monks38. How quaintly39 juvenile41 they are, and how oddly that assumption of grave superiority sits upon their golden brows! With what an inimitable air of wisdom, cynicism, ancientry, learned aloofness42 and desire to be observed do they stroll to and fro across the quads43, so keenly aware in their inmost bosoms44 of the presence of visitors and determined45 to grant an appearance of mingled46 wisdom, great age, and sad doggishness! What a devil-may-care swing to the stride, what a nonchalance47 in the perpetual wreath of cigarette smoke, what a carefully assumed bearing of one carrying great wisdom lightly and easily casting it aside for the moment in the pursuit of some waggish48 trifle. “Here,” those very self-conscious young visages seem to betray, “is one who might tell you[Pg 128] all about the Holy Roman Empire, and yet is, for the moment, diverting himself with a mere49 mandolin.” And yet, as the Lady of Destiny shrewdly observed, it is a pity they should mar6 their beautiful quadrangles with orange peel and scraps50 of paper.
We walked for some time through those stately courts of Tudor brick and then passed down the little inclined path to the botanic garden, where irises51 and fresh green spikes52 are already pushing up through the damp earth. A pale mellow53 sunlight lay upon the gravel54 walks and the Urchin resumed his customary zeal. He ran here and there along the byways, examined the rock borders with an air of scientific questioning, and watched the other children playing by the muddy pond. We found shrubbery swelling55 with buds, also flappers walking hatless and blanched56 with talcum, accompanied by Urchins of a larger growth. Both these phenomena57 we took to be a sign of the coming equinox.
Returning to the dormitory quadrangles, we sat down on a wooden bench to rest, while the Urchin, now convinced that a university is nothing to be awed58 by, scampered59 about on the turf. His eye was a bright jewel of roguishness, for he thought that in trotting60 about the grass he was doing something supremely61 wicked. He has been carefully trained not to err20 on the grass of the city square to which he is best accustomed, so this surprising and unchecked revelry quite went to his head. Across and about[Pg 129] those wide plots of sodden62 turf he trotted63 and chuckled64, a small, quaint40 mortal with his hat ribbons fluttering. Cheering whistles hailed him from open windows above, and he smiled to himself with grave dignity. Apparently65, like a distinguished66 statesman, he regarded these tributes not as meant for himself, but for the great body of childhood he innocently represents, and indeed from which his applauders are not so inextricably severed67. With the placid68 and unconscious happiness of a puppy he careered and meandered69, without motive70 or method. Perhaps his underlying71 thought of a university, if he has any, is that it is a place where no one says “Keep Off the Grass,” and, intellectually speaking, that would not be such a bad motto for an institution of learning.
I don't know whether Doctor Tait McKenzie so intended it, but his appealing and beautiful statue of Young Franklin in front of the University gymnasium is admirably devised for the delight of small Urchins. While their curators take pleasure in the bronze itself, the Urchin may clamber on the different levels of the base, which is nicely adapted for the mountaineering capacity of twenty-seven months. The low brick walls before the gymnasium and the University museum are also just right for an Urchin who has recently learned the fascination of walking on something raised above the ground, provided there is a curator near by to hold his hand.[Pg 130] And then, as one walks away toward the South Street bridge an observant Urchin may spy the delightful72 spectacle of a freight train travelling apparently in midair. Some day, one hopes, all that fine tract73 of open space leading from the museum down to the railroad tracks may perhaps be beautified as a park or an addition to the University's quadrangle system. I don't know who owns it, but its architectural possibilities must surely make the city-planner's mouth water.
By this time the Urchin was beginning to feel a bit weary, and was glad of a lift on a parental74 shoulder. Then a Lombard Street car came along and took us up halfway75 across the bridge. So ended the Urchin's first introduction to a university education.

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1
dedicated
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adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的 | |
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2
urchins
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n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 );淘气鬼;猬;海胆 | |
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3
urchin
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n.顽童;海胆 | |
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4
shovelled
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v.铲子( shovel的过去式和过去分词 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份 | |
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5
remarkably
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ad.不同寻常地,相当地 | |
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mar
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vt.破坏,毁坏,弄糟 | |
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mashed
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a.捣烂的 | |
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8
rattling
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adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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9
fascination
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n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 | |
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10
allure
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n.诱惑力,魅力;vt.诱惑,引诱,吸引 | |
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11
trolley
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n.手推车,台车;无轨电车;有轨电车 | |
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12
talismans
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n.护身符( talisman的名词复数 );驱邪物;有不可思议的力量之物;法宝 | |
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13
eddy
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n.漩涡,涡流 | |
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14
embroidered
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adj.绣花的 | |
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15
steadfastly
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adv.踏实地,不变地;岿然;坚定不渝 | |
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16
panorama
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n.全景,全景画,全景摄影,全景照片[装置] | |
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17
exultation
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n.狂喜,得意 | |
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18
docile
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adj.驯服的,易控制的,容易教的 | |
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19
arbiters
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仲裁人,裁决者( arbiter的名词复数 ) | |
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20
err
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vi.犯错误,出差错 | |
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21
medley
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n.混合 | |
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22
cemetery
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n.坟墓,墓地,坟场 | |
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23
severely
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adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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24
serene
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adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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25
larking
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v.百灵科鸟(尤指云雀)( lark的现在分词 );一大早就起床;鸡鸣即起;(因太费力而不想干时说)算了 | |
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26
punctiliously
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27
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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28
zeal
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n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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29
onlookers
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n.旁观者,观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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30
demurely
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adv.装成端庄地,认真地 | |
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31
shrilled
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(声音)尖锐的,刺耳的,高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
sedate
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adj.沉着的,镇静的,安静的 | |
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33
guardianship
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n. 监护, 保护, 守护 | |
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34
forfeit
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vt.丧失;n.罚金,罚款,没收物 | |
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35
homage
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n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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36
throb
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v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动 | |
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37
amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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38
monks
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n.修道士,僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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39
quaintly
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adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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40
quaint
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adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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41
juvenile
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n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
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42
aloofness
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超然态度 | |
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43
quads
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n.四倍( quad的名词复数 );空铅;(大学的)四周有建筑物围绕的方院;四胞胎之一 | |
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44
bosoms
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胸部( bosom的名词复数 ); 胸怀; 女衣胸部(或胸襟); 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形 | |
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45
determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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46
mingled
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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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47
nonchalance
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n.冷淡,漠不关心 | |
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48
waggish
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adj.诙谐的,滑稽的 | |
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49
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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50
scraps
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油渣 | |
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51
irises
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n.虹( iris的名词复数 );虹膜;虹彩;鸢尾(花) | |
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52
spikes
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n.穗( spike的名词复数 );跑鞋;(防滑)鞋钉;尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 );偷偷地给某人的饮料加入(更多)酒精( 或药物);把尖状物钉入;打乱某人的计划 | |
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53
mellow
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adj.柔和的;熟透的;v.变柔和;(使)成熟 | |
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54
gravel
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n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石 | |
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55
swelling
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n.肿胀 | |
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56
blanched
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v.使变白( blanch的过去式 );使(植物)不见阳光而变白;酸洗(金属)使有光泽;用沸水烫(杏仁等)以便去皮 | |
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57
phenomena
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n.现象 | |
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58
awed
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adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
scampered
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v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑,惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
trotting
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小跑,急走( trot的现在分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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61
supremely
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adv.无上地,崇高地 | |
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62
sodden
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adj.浑身湿透的;v.使浸透;使呆头呆脑 | |
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63
trotted
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小跑,急走( trot的过去分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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64
chuckled
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轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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66
distinguished
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adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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67
severed
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v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂 | |
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68
placid
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adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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69
meandered
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(指溪流、河流等)蜿蜒而流( meander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
motive
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n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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71
underlying
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adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的 | |
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72
delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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73
tract
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n.传单,小册子,大片(土地或森林) | |
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74
parental
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adj.父母的;父的;母的 | |
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75
halfway
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adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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