Never from eviller hunting came heroes home again!
Secretly there he laid him, before that door to lie,
Unto mass in the grey dawn faring ere rising of the sun;
For thereof the Lady Kriemhild missed full seldom one.
{p. 137}
And she bade bring lights, and the raiment withal that she should wear;
And a chamberlain bringing them stumbled on Siegfried lying there.
But that this was his own lord Siegfried in no wise knew he yet.
So bare he into the chamber the torch in his hand that burned;
And from him the Lady Kriemhild a tale of horror learned.
For, even as she with her maidens would forth to the holy place,
Rang out from the lips of Kriemhild an exceeding bitter cry.
Ere she had looked, ere the fearful truth was certainly known,
Back to that question of Hagen her thought had swiftly flown,
But now with his death all gladness from her life had fled away.
To the floor then sank she swooning; no word her lips could say.
There in the heavy silence the lovely and joyless lay.
Full was her cup of sorrow, sharp was her anguish-pang.
But the blood from her mouth came bursting in her heart’s fierce agony—
Brunhild hath plotted the murder, and Hagen the deed hath done!”
Then forth did her handmaids lead her, where lay the hero dead;
{p. 138}
With her, their belovèd Lady: they mourned all sorrow-bowed
For their noble King and their Master, lost unto them for aye.
Then spake the sorrow-stricken: “Let some one haste away,
Let him tell withal unto Siegmund the tale of my bitter pain.
Then ran a messenger, hasting where lay the warrior-band
That story of sore tribulation46 stripped bare their life of its joys.
They believed not, till came far-ringing that lamentable voice.
Yet not on the eyes of Siegmund had the dews of slumber been shed,
For dimly his heart foreboded the sorrow hard by the door.
“Wake thee, O wake, King Siegmund! Tidings to thee I bring
Thou must bear thy part in the wailing, for to thee doth the sorrow belong.”
Uprose then Siegmund, and questioned: “For what lamenteth she,
My daughter, Kriemhild the lovely, as now thou sayest to me?”
“Sore cause hath she for lamenting,” weeping the messenger said:
“Murdered is Siegfried the valiant, her lord and her love lieth dead!”
Answered and spake King Siegmund: “Jest me no jests! Have done
With a tale of such evil tidings concerning Siegfried my son!
Unto no man say thou hereafter that slain he is!—O nay,
For then could I never with wailing have done to my latest day!”
And the cry of all her maidens for Siegfried in death laid low!”
{p. 139}
He sprang from his bed: gathered round him a hundred men of his band.
Each man had caught up swiftly a sword keen-whetted in hand.
Forth ran they whither the woeful death-keen guided them on,
Was none that bethought him of vesture, till suddenly these drew nigh
Where the long wild wail of the women went shivering up to the sky.
In their anguish had none remembered; they knew not what they did;
All thought was buried with sorrow in the grave of their hearts deep hid.
“Woe for our journey hither to this land accursèd!” he cried.
“Who hath reft from thee thine husband, hath torn this son most dear
From me by the hand of murder, when none but friends were near?”
“Ha, if I knew but the felon,” in fierce grief answered the Queen,
“Never mine heart should forgive him while memory’s edge is keen!
With such vengeance would I requite him, that all his friends and his kin.
Trust me, should weep for my weeping, should find their affliction therein!”
Then in his arms did Siegmund embrace that fallen chief;
That with that wild lamentation did hall and palace ring,
Who then to the wife of Siegfried to speak of comfort dared?
They drew off the blood-stained raiment, and his goodly limbs they bared.
They washed his wounds dark-clotted, they laid him on the bier.
“Ready and eager for vengeance waiteth ever our hand.
Here in this castle he lurketh of whom the deed was done!”
With their shields those chosen heroes full-armed returned again,
Brave knights eleven hundred; they were all of the warrior-train
Now of the old King Siegmund: full fain for the death of his son
Would the father have taken vengeance; yea, honour spurred him on.
{p. 140}
But as yet these wronged ones knew not upon whom should their vengeance light,
Unless peradventure with Gunther and his vassals they closed in fight;
For these on that woeful hunting with Siegfried rode that day.
Then all-armed Kriemhild beheld them, and filled was her soul with dismay.
How wild was her grief soever, how tortured soever her breast,
Yet for the lives of the Niblungs she trembled terror-distressed,
Lest by the men of her brethren they be slain; and she earnestly spake,
And in love she warned them, as ever doth friend for a dear friend’s sake:
And she cried from the depths of her sorrow: “My lord, O Siegmund King,
What would ye essay? Ye know not how all too hard is the thing.
For the valiant men of Gunther be a passing great array:
Ye shall perish all of a surety, if ye fall on so many as they!”
But they clashed their uptossed bucklers, with the battle-lust were they mad.
But the noble Daughter of Princes now pleaded, and now forbade
And it troubled her very sorely that they would not be turned therefrom.
Till there come a convenient season. Fear not, for my murdered lord
Shall drink of my vengeance deeply, when once convicted he stands.
They can set in array full thirty where we can set but one.
Until the day beginneth, O heroes battle-keen:
Answered the thanes: “Dear Lady, as thou wilt, so shall it be.”
How the wail of the knights and the maidens, like the stormy tempest-roar,
{p. 141}
They joined to the guests’ their wailing, they grieved for the glory gone.
Wherein had Siegfried offended, unto no man was it known:
Nay, none could divine cause wherefore the good knight lost his life.
So wept with the Queen’s handmaidens many a burgher’s wife.
Now for the silversmiths sent they, and bade them haste to mould
A great and strong-knit coffin of silver and ruddy gold;
All folk were of sorrowful spirit, and exceeding heavy of heart.
By this was the night passed over: one said, “Lo, day is near.”
And the noble Queen commanded to the minster-door to bear
Her royal dead, her husband for ever well-beloved;
And with her all friends sore weeping in long procession moved.
And thitherward King Gunther and all his liegemen came.
Alas for the heavy affliction that toucheth us no less!
“Wrongly ye do!” cried the Lady from a heart with anguish rent.
Nay, me had ye wholly forgotten, and this full well I know,
Oh would to God in heaven that to me this deed had been done!”
But they held to their lying story. Then did Kriemhild say:
“He that affirmeth him guiltless may prove it now straightway.
Here in the presence of all men let him go and stand by the bier!
Forthright86 before all people shall the very truth appear.”
{p. 142}
A marvel it is past telling, oft have we known it betide:—
The wounds bleed in witness against him: so did it now befall,
For the wound brake forth into bleeding, as freely as at the first.
Now they that before wept sorely into wilder weeping burst.
But answered and spake King Gunther: “Now hearken, the truth is this—
He was set on and slain of robbers: no deed of Hagen it is.”
But Kriemhild replied: “These robbers but all too well I know!
Surged forward the vassals of Siegfried, fierce-eager to fall on.
But Kriemhild spake: “Unto mourning be this hour sacred, I pray!”
Then two beside of her kinsmen drew nigh where the dead man lay,
Even her brethren, Gernot and the stripling Giselher:
And in leal faith these bewailed him with all the true souls there.
Now pealed the holy mass-chant: through the doors of the minster poured
On every hand young children no less than women and men.
Spake Giselher and Gernot: “O sister, receive of us thou
For the death of thy lord consolation91: it is past all healing now.
Thy loss by our love will we make good, so long as we both shall live.”
But no one on earth could console her, of none would she comfort receive.
By this was his coffin fashioned, when the sun in the mid-heaven shone.
But the Queen said: “Nay, I beseech you, lay him not yet in the grave;
Of a surety none that wept not was in all that concourse found.
From her heart poured Uta the noble lamentation and mourning and woe;
Wailing were all her handmaids for the princely head brought low.
{p. 143}
When the folk heard how in the minster they sang the requiem,
Good friends had he without number in the very house of his foes.
Kriemhild the hapless woman to her treasure-keeper spake:
All ye whose hearts have loved him, all ye that be true unto me.
For the rest of the soul of Siegfried gold to the poor give ye.”
There was no child so little, so it had understanding at all,
Yea, full one hundred masses on that one day did they sing.
Ah, there was a mighty concourse of lovers of that dead king!
When ended was all the mass-chant, the vast crowd melted away.
But again to her friends spake Kriemhild: “Leave me not this day
To keep vigil alone o’er the hero, the hope of the world and its pride;
Now all the joy of my life-days is buried by his side.
Three days, three nights unceasing will I keep vigil here
Till my soul is filled with lamenting for him, my lord most dear.
Peradventure His white Death-angel for me too God will send;
So the sorrow of Kriemhild the hapless should find a blessèd end.”
Now homeward the folk of the city were gone to their rest and their sleep:
And his vassals and leal retainers that served that gallant chief—
Ah, weariful nights were appointed to these, and days of grief.
Through the days of their mourning many drank not, nor tasted of bread:
But, for such as could not endure it, to these was it plainly said:
“Eat, drink, for we give to you freely.” King Siegmund cared therefor.
As telleth the olden story, through three days weary-long
{p. 144}
Had any singer of masses. What wealth of offerings
Poured in! Then even the poorest could give like very kings.
So brought they of their abundance—ay, now that he lived no more,
Thousands of marks for his soul’s rest were given from a fathomless104 store.
Lands and their revenues gave she through the whole land everywhere
Silver they gave unstinted, and raiment unto the poor.
So showed she before all people what love to the dead she bore.
When rang the bells unto high-mass on that third morning-tide,
There were seen all round the minster in the churchyard great and wide
Yea, in death did they do him service, as unto a dear-loved friend.
Marks full thirty thousand, yea, more, it well may be,
To the poor were freely given, that all for his soul might pray,
Now that all his life and his beauty as a shadow had passed away.
The service of God was ended, into silence sank the song.
With a storm of weeping shaken was all that mighty throng.
Then out of the dim-lit minster forth to the grave was he borne—
Oh wail of the hungry-hearted, oh voice of them that mourn!
On moved that endless procession with cries of lamenting loud;
No face that was glad, or of woman or man, was in all that crowd.
Ere earth to earth they committed, once more did they pray and sing.
Or ever the true and faithful, the wife, to the grave-side came,
With such fierce throes of anguish shaken was all her frame,
That they needs must with cool spring-water besprinkle her once and again,
So racked was her heart overmeasure with agonies of pain.
Weeping her women upbare her with their hands on the left and the right.
{p. 145}
“O ye true men of Siegfried,” thus did the sad Queen cry,
That once more and for the last time I may look on his lovely face!”
The Queen then thitherward led they, and she bowed her over her dead.
In her white hands she enfolded and lifted his comely head;
And she kissed that faded glory, that noble knight and good.
An exceeding pitiful parting saw all men in that hour.
Then softly thence they bare her in whose limbs was left no power.
Senseless and stirless lay she in their arms, that stricken wife.
It seemed that for very sorrow from her body would fleet her life.
When thus in his grave lay buried that noble and princely thane,
Then bowed in measureless sorrow sat all his warrior-train,
Even all from the land of the Niblungs that led of his banner had come.
Yea, and the old King Siegmund was whelmed in morningless gloom.
There was many a man among them that for three days long made moan,
And the tears of his bitter anguish were his meat and his drink alone,
Till their bodily frames no longer could so endure and live:
So they took up the burden of living, and a little they ceased to grieve.
(C) But lost unto all things Kriemhild in a deathlike swoon still lay
Through the hours of the day and the darkness, even till the second day.
Whatsoe’er in her ears they whispered, she knew not anything:
And no less stricken of sorrow lay grey-haired Siegmund the King.
(C) Scarce to the mind’s re-dawning he slowly won at the last:
From his limbs by reason of anguish all bodily strength had passed.
No marvel that weak was Siegmund! At last drew his liegemen near,
Saying: “Lord, let us fare hence homeward: boots not that we linger here!”
点击收听单词发音
1 quarry | |
n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找 | |
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2 lament | |
n.悲叹,悔恨,恸哭;v.哀悼,悔恨,悲叹 | |
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3 lamenting | |
adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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4 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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5 forfeit | |
vt.丧失;n.罚金,罚款,没收物 | |
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6 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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7 arrogant | |
adj.傲慢的,自大的 | |
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8 outrage | |
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒 | |
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9 inhuman | |
adj.残忍的,不人道的,无人性的 | |
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10 kin | |
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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11 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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12 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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13 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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14 peal | |
n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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15 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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16 bower | |
n.凉亭,树荫下凉快之处;闺房;v.荫蔽 | |
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17 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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18 stammered | |
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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20 knight | |
n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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21 anguish | |
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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22 shriek | |
v./n.尖叫,叫喊 | |
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23 faltered | |
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃 | |
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24 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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25 comely | |
adj.漂亮的,合宜的 | |
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26 albeit | |
conj.即使;纵使;虽然 | |
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27 crimsoned | |
变为深红色(crimson的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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28 lamentable | |
adj.令人惋惜的,悔恨的 | |
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29 plight | |
n.困境,境况,誓约,艰难;vt.宣誓,保证,约定 | |
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30 pealed | |
v.(使)(钟等)鸣响,(雷等)发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 woe | |
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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32 smite | |
v.重击;彻底击败;n.打;尝试;一点儿 | |
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33 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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34 requite | |
v.报酬,报答 | |
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35 wail | |
vt./vi.大声哀号,恸哭;呼啸,尖啸 | |
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36 wailing | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的现在分词 );沱 | |
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37 lamentation | |
n.悲叹,哀悼 | |
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38 foully | |
ad.卑鄙地 | |
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39 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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40 avenged | |
v.为…复仇,报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 );为…报复 | |
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41 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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42 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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43 valiant | |
adj.勇敢的,英勇的;n.勇士,勇敢的人 | |
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44 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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45 vassals | |
n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 );(封建时代)诸侯;从属者;下属 | |
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46 tribulation | |
n.苦难,灾难 | |
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47 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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48 doomed | |
命定的 | |
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49 doom | |
n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定 | |
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50 happed | |
v.偶然发生( hap的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51 woes | |
困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉 | |
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52 wilt | |
v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎;(指人)疲倦,衰弱 | |
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53 pangs | |
突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 ); 悲痛 | |
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54 knights | |
骑士; (中古时代的)武士( knight的名词复数 ); 骑士; 爵士; (国际象棋中)马 | |
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55 crouched | |
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56 brace | |
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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57 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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58 wailed | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59 shrieks | |
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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60 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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61 swelled | |
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情) | |
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62 warriors | |
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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63 armour | |
(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队 | |
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64 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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65 sheathed | |
adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的;覆盖的;铠装的;装鞘了的v.将(刀、剑等)插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 );包,覆盖 | |
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66 wreak | |
v.发泄;报复 | |
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67 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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68 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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69 foes | |
敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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70 beseech | |
v.祈求,恳求 | |
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71 traitors | |
卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 ); 叛徒; 背叛者; 背信弃义的人 | |
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72 abide | |
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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73 coffin | |
n.棺材,灵柩 | |
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74 marvel | |
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事 | |
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75 shrieked | |
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76 shuddering | |
v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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77 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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78 burnished | |
adj.抛光的,光亮的v.擦亮(金属等),磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 );被擦亮,磨光 | |
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79 tolled | |
鸣钟(toll的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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80 requiem | |
n.安魂曲,安灵曲 | |
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81 mid | |
adj.中央的,中间的 | |
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82 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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83 afflicted | |
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84 severed | |
v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂 | |
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85 guilt | |
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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86 forthright | |
adj.直率的,直截了当的 [同]frank | |
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87 slayer | |
n. 杀人者,凶手 | |
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88 kinsmen | |
n.家属,亲属( kinsman的名词复数 ) | |
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89 lamented | |
adj.被哀悼的,令人遗憾的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90 smote | |
v.猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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91 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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92 corpse | |
n.尸体,死尸 | |
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93 crave | |
vt.渴望得到,迫切需要,恳求,请求 | |
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94 pall | |
v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕 | |
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95 throngs | |
n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群,挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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96 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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97 dole | |
n.救济,(失业)救济金;vt.(out)发放,发给 | |
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98 stark | |
adj.荒凉的;严酷的;完全的;adv.完全地 | |
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99 monks | |
n.修道士,僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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100 travail | |
n.阵痛;努力 | |
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101 respite | |
n.休息,中止,暂缓 | |
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102 needy | |
adj.贫穷的,贫困的,生活艰苦的 | |
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103 hoard | |
n./v.窖藏,贮存,囤积 | |
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104 fathomless | |
a.深不可测的 | |
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105 cloister | |
n.修道院;v.隐退,使与世隔绝 | |
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106 thronged | |
v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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107 bards | |
n.诗人( bard的名词复数 ) | |
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108 countless | |
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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109 outright | |
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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110 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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111 fealty | |
n.忠贞,忠节 | |
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112 vouchsafe | |
v.惠予,准许 | |
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113 besought | |
v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的过去式和过去分词 );(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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114 wrench | |
v.猛拧;挣脱;使扭伤;n.扳手;痛苦,难受 | |
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115 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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116 starry | |
adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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