"The pies are all very well," he said; "in fact, of course they are capital pies; and now that I see how they are made, and know that there is nothing wrong in them, I, of course, relish20 them more than ever; but one can't always live upon pies; it's quite impossible one can subsist21 upon pies from one end of the year to the other, if they were the finest pies the world ever saw, or ever will see. I don't say anything against the pies—I know they are made of the finest flour, the best possible butter, and that the meat, which comes from God knows where, is the most delicate looking and tender I ever ate in all my life."
He stretched out his hand and broke a small portion of the crust from the pie that was before him, and he tried to eat it. He certainly did succeed; but it was a great effort; and when he had done, he shook his head, saying—
"No, no!—d—n it! I cannot eat it, and that's the fact—one cannot be continually eating pies: it is out of the question, quite out the question; and all I have to remark is—d—n the pies! I really don't think I shall be able to let another one pass my lips."
He rose and paced with rapid strides the place in which he was, and then suddenly he heard a noise; and, looking up, he saw a trap door in the roof open, and a sack of flour begin gradually to come down.
"Hilloa, hilloa!" he cried, "Mrs. Lovett—Mrs. Lovett!"
Down came the flour, and the trap door was closed.
"Oh, I can't stand this sort of thing," he exclaimed; "I cannot be made into a mere22 machine for the manufacture of pies. I cannot and will not endure it—it is past all bearing."
For the first time almost since his incarceration23, for such it really was, he began to think that he would take an accurate survey of the place where this tempting manufacture was carried on. The fact was, his mind had been so intensely occupied during the time he had been there in providing merely for his physical wants, that he had scarcely had time to think or reason upon the probabilities of an uncomfortable termination of his career; but now, when he had really become quite surfeited24 with the pies, and tired of the darkness and gloom of the place, many unknown fears began to creep across him, and he really trembled, as he asked himself what was to be the end of all. It was with such a feeling as this that he now set about a careful and accurate survey of the place; and taking a little lamp in his hand, he resolved upon peering into every corner of it, with a hope that surely he should find some means by which he should effect an escape from what otherwise threatened to be an intolerable imprisonment25. The vault26 in which the ovens were situated27 was the largest; and although a number of smaller ones communicated with it, containing the different mechanical contrivances for pie-making, he could not from any one of them discover an outlet28. But it was to the vault where the meat was deposited upon stone shelves that he paid the greatest share of attention, for to that vault he felt convinced there must be some hidden and secret means of ingress, and therefore of egress29 likewise, or else how came the shelves always so well stocked with meat as they were? This vault was larger than any of the other subsidiary ones, and the roof was very high, and, come into it when he would, it always happened that he found meat enough upon the shelves, cut into large lumps, and sometimes into slices, to make a batch30 of pies with. When it got there, was not so much a mystery to him as how it got there; for, of course, as he must sleep sometimes, he concluded, naturally enough, that it was brought in by some means during the period that he devoted31 to repose32. He stood in the centre of this vault with the lamp in his hand, and he turned slowly round, surveying the walls and the ceilings with the most critical and marked attention, but not the smallest appearance of an outlet was observable. In fact, the walls were so entirely33 filled up with the stone shelves, that there was no space left for a door; and as for the ceiling, it seemed perfectly34 entire. Then the floor was of earth; so that the idea of a trap door opening in it was out of the question, because there was no one on his side of it to place the earth again over it, and give it its compact and usual appearance.
"This is most mysterious," he said; "and if ever I could have been brought to believe that any one had the assistance of the devil himself in conducting human affairs, I should say that by some means Mrs. Lovett had made it worth the while of that elderly individual to assist her; for, unless the meat gets here by some supernatural agency, I really cannot see how it can get here at all. And yet here it is—so fresh, and pure, and white-looking, although I never could tell the pork from the veal myself, for they seemed to me both alike."
He now made a still narrower examination of this vault, but he gained nothing by that. He found that the walls at the back of the shelves were composed of flat pieces of stone, which, no doubt, were necessary for the support of the shelves themselves; but beyond that he made no further discovery, and he was about leaving the place, when he fancied he saw some writing on the inner side of the door. A closer inspection35 convinced him that there were a number of lines written with lead pencil, and after some difficulty he decyphered them as follows:—
"Whatever unhappy wretch36 reads these lines may bid adieu to the world and all hope, for he is a doomed38 man! He will never emerge from these vaults39 with life, for there is a secret connected with them so awful and so hideous40, that to write it makes one's blood curdle41, and the flesh to creep upon my bones. That secret is this—and you may be assured, whoever is reading these lines, that I write the truth, and that it is as impossible to make that awful truth worse by any exaggeration, as it would be by a candle at mid-day to attempt to add any new lustre42 to the sunbeams."
Here, most unfortunately, the writing broke off, and our friend, who, up to this point, had perused43 the lines with the most intense interest, felt great bitterness of disappointment, from the fact that enough should have been written to stimulate44 his curiosity to the highest possible point, but not enough to gratify it.
"This is, indeed, most provoking," he exclaimed. "What can this most dreadful secret be, which it is impossible to exaggerate? I cannot, for a moment, divine to what it can allude45."
In vain he searched over the door for some more writing—there was none to be found, and from the long straggling pencil-mark, which followed the last word, it seemed as if he who had been then writing had been interrupted, and possibly met the fate that he had predicted, and was about to explain the reason of.
"This is worse than no information. I had better have remained in ignorance than have received so indistinct a warning; but they shall not find me an easy victim, and, besides, what power on earth can force me to make pies unless I like, I should wish to know?"
As he stepped out of the place in which the meat was kept into the large vault where the ovens were, he trod upon a piece of paper that was lying upon the ground, and which he was quite certain he had not observed before. It was fresh and white, and clean too, so that it could not have been long there, and he picked it up with some curiosity. That curiosity was, however, soon turned to dismay when he saw what was written upon it, which was to the following effect, and well calculated to produce a considerable amount of alarm in the breast of any one situated as he was, so entirely friendless and so entirely hopeless of any extraneous46 aid in those dismal47 vaults, which he began, with a shudder48, to suspect would be his tomb:—
"You are getting dissatisfied, and therefore it becomes necessary to explain to you your real position, which is simply this:—You are a prisoner, and were such from the first moment that you set foot where you now are; and you will find, unless you are resolved upon sacrificing your life, that your best plan will be to quietly give into the circumstances in which you find yourself placed. Without going into any argument or details upon the subject, it is sufficient to inform you that so long as you continue to make the pies, you will be safe; but if you refuse, then the first time you are caught asleep your throat will be cut."
This document was so much to the purpose, and really had so little of verbosity49 about it, that it was extremely difficult to doubt its sincerity50. It dropped from the half-paralysed hands of that man, who, in the depth of his distress51, and urged on by great necessity, had accepted a situation that he would have given worlds to escape from, had he been possessed52 of them.
"Gracious Heaven!" he exclaimed, "and am I then indeed condemned53 to such a slavery? Is it possible, that even in the heart of London, I am a prisoner, and without the means of resisting the most frightful54 threats that are uttered against me? Surely, surely this must be all a dream! It is too terrific to be true!"
He sat down upon that low stool where his predecessor55 had sat before, receiving his death-wound from the assassin who had glided56 in behind him, and dealt him that crashing blow, whose only mercy was that it had at once deprived the victim of existence. He could have wept bitterly, wept as he there sat, for he thought over days long passed away, of opportunities let go by with the heedless laugh of youth; he thought over all the chances and fortunes of his life, and now to find himself the miserable57 inhabitant of a cellar, condemned to a mean and troublesome employment, without even the liberty of leaving that, to starve if he chose, upon pain of death—a frightful death, which had been threatened him, was indeed torment58! No wonder that at times he felt himself unnerved, and that a child might have conquered him, while at other moments such a feeling of despair would come across him, that he called aloud upon his enemies to make their appearance, and give him at least the chance of a struggle for his life.
"If I am to die," he cried, "let me die with some weapon in my hand, as a brave man ought, and I will not complain, for there is little indeed in life now which should induce me to cling to it; but I will not be murdered in the dark."
He sprang to his feet, and rushing up to the door, which opened from the house into the vaults, he made a violent and desperate effort to shake it. But such a contingency59 as this had surely been looked forward to and provided against, for the door was of amazing strength, and most effectually resisted all his efforts, so that the result of his endeavours was but to exhaust himself, and he staggered back, panting and despairing, to the seat he had so recently left. Then he heard a voice, and upon looking up he saw that the small square opening in the upper part of the door, through which he had been before addressed, was open, and a face there appeared, but it was not the face of Mrs. Lovett. On the contrary, it was a large and hideous male physiognomy, and the voice that came from it was croaking60 and harsh, sounding most unmusically upon the ears of the unfortunate man who was thus made a victim to Mrs. Lovett's pie popularity.
"Continue at your work," said the voice, "or death will be your portion as soon as sleep overcomes you, and you sink exhausted61 to that repose which you will never awaken62 from, except to feel the pangs63 of death, and to be conscious that you are weltering in your blood. Continue at your work, and you will escape all this—neglect it, and your doom37 is sealed."
The Stranger In Mrs. Lovett's Bakehouse.
The Stranger In Mrs. Lovett's Bakehouse.
"What have I done that I should be made such a victim of? Let me go, and I will swear never to divulge64 the fact that I have been in these vaults, so I cannot disclose any of their secrets, even if knew them."
"Make pies," said the voice, "eat them, and be happy. How many a man would envy your position—withdrawn from all the struggles of existence, amply provided with board and lodging65, and engaged in a pleasant and delightful occupation; it is astonishing how you can be dissatisfied!"
Bang! went the little square orifice at the top of the door, and the voice was heard no more. The jeering66 mockery of those tones, however, still lingered upon the ear of the unhappy prisoner, and he clasped his head in his hands with a fearful impression upon his brain that he surely must be going mad.
"He will drive me to insanity," he cried; "already I feel a sort of slumber67 stealing over me for want of exercise, and the confined air of these vaults hinder me from taking regular repose; but now, if I close an eye, I shall expect to find the assassin's knife at my throat."
He sat for some time longer, and not even the dread13 he had of sleep could prevent a drowsiness68 creeping across his faculties69, and this weariness would not be shaken off by any ordinary means, until at length he sprang to his feet, and shaking himself roughly, like one determined70 to be wide awake, he said to himself, mournfully—
"I must do their bidding or die; hope may be a delusion71 here, but I cannot altogether abandon it, and not until its faintest image has departed from my breast can I lie down to sleep and say—Let death come in any shape it may, it is welcome."
With a desperate and despairing energy he set about replenishing the furnaces of the oven, and, when he had got them all in a good state, he commenced manufacturing a batch of one hundred pies, which, when he had finished and placed upon the tray, and set the machine in motion which conducted them up to the shop, he considered to be a sort of price paid for his continued existence, and flinging himself upon the ground, he fell into a deep slumber.
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1
voraciously
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| adv.贪婪地 | |
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2
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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3
banishing
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的现在分词 ) | |
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4
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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5
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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6
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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7
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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8
baton
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| n.乐队用指挥杖 | |
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9
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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10
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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11
tarts
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| n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 )；轻佻的女人；妓女；小妞 | |
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12
crams
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| v.塞入( cram的第三人称单数 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课 | |
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13
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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14
revert
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| v.恢复，复归，回到 | |
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15
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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16
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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17
veal
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| n.小牛肉 | |
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18
seasoning
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| n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物 | |
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19
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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20
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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21
subsist
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| vi.生存，存在，供养 | |
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22
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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23
incarceration
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| n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭 | |
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24
surfeited
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| v.吃得过多( surfeit的过去式和过去分词 )；由于过量而厌腻 | |
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25
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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26
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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27
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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28
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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29
egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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30
batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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31
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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32
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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33
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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34
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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35
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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36
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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37
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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38
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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39
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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40
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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41
curdle
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| v.使凝结，变稠 | |
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42
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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43
perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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44
stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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45
allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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46
extraneous
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| adj.体外的；外来的；外部的 | |
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47
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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48
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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49
verbosity
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| n.冗长，赘言 | |
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50
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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51
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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52
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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53
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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54
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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55
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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56
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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57
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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58
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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59
contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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60
croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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61
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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62
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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63
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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64
divulge
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| v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布 | |
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65
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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66
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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67
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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68
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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69
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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70
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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71
delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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