THE SCISSORS GRINDER
Page 186
187But, though our friend is well known and popular in the district, he is nevertheless unknown. By this paradoxical statement is meant that, although the scissors-grinder is personally a familiar and well-esteemed figure, nothing is known by the vast bulk of his constituents22 and customers of his connections, his history, or his antecedents. This is nothing strange or unusual 188in that section. People are not, as a rule, curious concerning each other on the East Side. The inhabitants are mostly not native to the soil, but are a chance aggregation23 from all the countries of the civilized24 world, driven from their native habitats by the storm and stress of harsh experiences and brought together in the New World by the glittering attractions of the Golden Land. It is not always advisable under such circumstances to be over-inquisitive concerning the past history of one’s neighbors and friends, and therefore the dwellers25 on the East Side are discreetly26 devoid27 of curiosity, and are quite content if the people with whom they associate are, in their present stage of life, decent and well behaved. That is why no one knows (or knew until recently) anything about the scissors-grinder—his history, his family, or even his name. Nevertheless his story came out some time ago, and it proved to be, what no one would have anticipated from the scissors-grinder’s blithe28 and pleasant appearance, a real moral tragedy, a tale of blind, medi?val oppression, of high ambition suddenly blasted, of strange and sublime29 heroism30. It came out through Mendel Greenberger.
Mendel, who keeps a little optician shop in Orchard31 Street near Grand, is considerable of a 189character himself, and, unlike the majority of the denizens32 of the region, is gifted with a lively curiosity concerning the persons with whom he comes in contact. Mendel has travelled pretty much all over the world, and has acquired in the course of his wanderings the knowledge of a dozen or more languages and of at least three trades. But what he most prides himself on is his menschenkenntniss, that is, his ability to recognize at a glance the origin of strangers whom he sees for the first time, and to classify them according to the racial, religious, and social elements or subdivisions thereof to which they belong. This he infers from the appearance, conduct, and speech of the individuals concerned, and, in particularly interesting cases, he manages to have them reveal their names and other personal details of interest, but without asking direct questions, which he thinks impertinent.
When the scissors-grinder began to come into the neighborhood and Mendel began to give him employment in his vocation33, he at once recognized that here was an interesting and extremely puzzling personality. It was a real problem of the kind Mendel Greenberger loved to solve, but it defied his powers of analysis and classification. For the life of him he could not 190make out who or what the handsome, pleasant-spoken young man, with the lowly trade apparently35 so unsuited for him, was. His type was absolutely non-distinctive. As far as appearance went there was no telling whether he was Jew or Gentile, and no reason to assign him to any one European nation rather than another. His conduct and manner were just as little guide, for, though polite and manifestly well-bred, he had no mannerisms of any kind. Baffled by his inability to “locate” his new acquaintance by these usually infallible indications, Mendel resorted to the expedient36 of addressing him in various languages. But here Mendel “tripped up,” so to speak, even more emphatically than before. The scissors-grinder spoke34, with one exception, every European language which Mendel did, but with superior accent and correcter grammar. His English was that of one to the manner born, though devoid of either Cockney accent or Yankee twang; his French would have done credit to any boulevardier; his German was as faultlessly exact in construction and pronunciation as that of any compatriot of Goethe or Schiller; and as for Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, and Hungarian, to say nothing of the minor37 tongues, Bohemian, Roumanian, Servian, Greek, Turkish, he spoke them all with 191perfect ease and fluency38. It mattered not in what tongue the puzzled Mendel addressed him, the scissors-grinder always answered in the same, but without betraying any surprise and as though it were the natural and to-be-expected thing to speak any and every idiom in existence. But, as already stated, there was one exception to the polyglot39 ability of the scissors-grinder. He did not know Yiddish, for when Mendel addressed him in that tongue, he did not understand him well and answered in German, the tongue most nearly related to the dialect of the Jews of the Slavonic lands, and without using any Hebrew words or phrases with which even the German Jews habitually40 interlard their speech. Mendel had to confess to himself that the scissors-grinder was an enigma41, which even he, with his great knowledge of human beings, could not solve. Of two things, however, he felt certain: first, that the scissors-grinder was originally of far higher social station than his humble vocation would suggest, for his manners and bearing, and, above all, his extraordinary linguistic42 attainments43, were only explainable on the ground of refined surroundings and the best of education; secondly44, that he was no Jew, for his ignorance of Yiddish and Hebrew and his manifest unfamiliarity45 with Jewish ideas and 192usages showed conclusively46 that he had had no Jewish bringing up nor had ever associated intimately with Jewish circles.
Mendel at first conjectured48 that the scissors-grinder was a nobleman of some European nation, who had been compelled to leave his native land for a political or other reason, and was obliged to support himself by his own labor49 in exile. Noblemen in exile do not, however, usually select a vocation requiring as much skill and industry and withal so low in the social scale as scissors-grinding, so on second thought Mendel abandoned this conjecture47 as untenable, and, not being able to set up any more satisfactory one, found himself, as far as this question was concerned, vis à vis de rien. Not feeling able to remain in this condition, he cast about for other means of solving the problem and gratifying his curiosity. He determined50 to ask the scissors-grinder’s name. Names, it is true, may be assumed, but Mendel thought that even an assumed name would be some sort of clew to its bearer’s identity, for it would, at least, indicate to what nation or class the bearer considered himself and desired to have others consider him as belonging. Accordingly when next the scissors-grinder appeared in the neighborhood of Mendel’s shop and was bringing back finely 193renovated the penknife which Mendel had given him to sharpen, the latter remarked: “Fine weather we are having to-day, Mr. ——!” and paused with expectant air.
“My name,” said the scissors-grinder quietly, “is Eliezer Schwartzfeld.”
Mendel gazed at him in undisguised astonishment51. “That sounds extremely Jewish,” he said. “You are not one of the chosen people, are you?”
“Yes, I am a Jew,” answered the scissors-grinder, with just a suggestion of a smile at Mendel’s evident surprise; “a Russian Jew at that, too.”
Mendel’s astonishment increased to a degree that was absolutely comical. Here was an utterly52 inexplicable53 case. It was not that the scissors-grinder’s physiognomy did not contain a feature that suggested the Semite—that was common enough, especially among Russian Jews; but what might be called the psychology54 of the case was utterly baffling to Mendel. He had often met Jews that were well educated and spoke a number of languages with fluency, but in all his experience he had never come across one who had not at least some, however slight, acquaintance with the Jewish mother tongues, Yiddish or Hebrew. He had frequently come 194in contact with Jews, well and gently reared in their native lands, who had been forced by adverse55 circumstances to earn their bread by humble labor in America; but they had invariably found employment in some one of the so-called “Jewish” branches of industry, tailoring, cloak-making, cigar-packing, or the like, which open at least the door to a future as an independent manufacturer or merchant. But something so plebeian56 and hopeless as scissors-grinding, and embraced, too, by a man of evident refinement—why, that was utterly anomalous57, unheard of! He gazed at the scissors-grinder without uttering a word, but with eyes which told unmistakably their tale of amazement58.
“You are surprised,” said the latter, “I suppose, because I, though a Jew, do not speak Yiddish, and because I found nothing better to do than to sharpen scissors and knives. Let me tell you my story and you will wonder no longer. I can recollect59 very little of my earliest childhood. My mother must have died, I think, when I was hardly more than an infant, for all I can recollect of her is a picture, very dim and faint, of a sweet, motherly face bending over me and of a tender, loving voice calling me darling and dove. My father, too, must have left this earth when I was only about four or 195five years of age. My memories of him, too, are few and indistinct. I can recall that I was a very small child in charge of an old, cross-tempered woman, a Jewess, I think, who treated me with a strange alternation of cruelty and kindness. My father used to visit me at rare intervals60 in this place, and bring me sweetmeats and little presents, and I can remember that on these occasions he was always dressed in a brilliant uniform, which filled my childish heart with admiration61 and awe62. My most distinct recollection concerning my father is of the circumstances attending his death. He was brought to the house one day with blood-stained bandages around his head and breast and with face ghastly pale. They laid him upon a couch, and for several days physicians came to treat him, and men dressed in even brighter and finer uniforms than his came to visit him, and some of them chucked me under the chin and called me a fine little fellow. Then one day he called me to his bedside and said to me, in such a faint voice that I had to put my ear to his mouth in order to catch his words: ‘Eliezer, my darling boy, I am going to die and must leave you alone in the world. But I have spoken to good people, and they have promised me to care for you and to see 196that you are educated to become what your father was—a soldier—but a higher and nobler one than he could be. Always be good and honorable in all your doings, and above all, my son, never forget, wherever you may be or whatever you may become, that you are a Jew, as your father was, and never permit anything to swerve63 you from your faithfulness to the holy traditions of our religion and people.’ Then he kissed me on my brow, and, child though I was, I knew that something dreadful was going to happen, and burst forth into an agony of bitter weeping that shook my little frame convulsively. That same night he died, and the day after the next he was taken away in the midst of a great concourse of people, among whom were many Jewish men and women whom I knew not, and who wept and cried aloud as they accompanied the funeral procession. There was also a long line of soldiers, who marched with flags draped and guns reversed, and in front of whom went musicians and drummers with crape-covered drums, who played together a sad, funereal64 strain as they marched. I was left behind, gazing out of the window at the funeral procession as long as it was in sight, weeping as though my very heart would break and feeling that I was left all alone now in the world, without 197friend, protector, or well-wisher. But the same afternoon a kindly65 spoken, friendly looking officer, attired66 in a brilliant uniform, came to my lodgings67, told the old woman who had charge of me that he was Col. Ivan Mentchikoff, and that he had been appointed legal guardian68 of Corporal Schwartzfeld’s son and had come to take me away. I noticed that the old woman did not seem satisfied, and grumbled69 something to herself with a discontented air, but she did not audibly object, but took the money which the colonel offered her. She then packed together my little belongings70, carried them down to the carriage which was waiting at the door, and the colonel and I entered and drove off to the railroad station, whence we left for the colonel’s home, which was in the town of Yellisavetgrad, many miles away. I remained with the family of the colonel for eight or nine years. I was treated with the utmost kindness—in fact, in all regards, except one, exactly like the children of the family. Colonel Mentchikoff was very particular in regard to the education of his children. He kept the best of private tutors for all subjects, and was especially insistent71 that they should learn all the chief European languages, a knowledge of which, he declared, was essential 198to a Russian gentleman. I had, of course, the advantage of all this, the same as all the others, and I quickly discovered that I had a special linguistic talent, and, while I easily kept pace with the Mentchikoff boys and girls in all the subjects of instruction generally, as regards the acquisition of languages I was so superior that I could not be compared with them at all. It was no trouble at all to me to acquire a new language; the forms seemed to impress themselves naturally on my mind, and my memory retained with the greatest ease the multitudes of new terms and expressions which each tongue presented.
I WAS LEFT BEHIND, GAZING OUT OF THE WINDOW AT THE FUNERAL PROCESSION.
Page 196
“The point in which my education differed from that of my companions was that of religion. Colonel Mentchikoff was a zealous73 adherent74 of the Greek Church, and insisted that his children should be instructed in its doctrine75, and also that they should attend worship regularly in the beautiful church of the town. I was exempted76 from both these requirements, but, as he did not forbid my attendance at them, I formed the habit of being of my own accord present at the lessons in religion which a certain pope gave them twice weekly, and I was frequently present at service in the church on Sundays and feast days. Hebrew instruction 199I did not receive, and was, to my shame I must confess, utterly ignorant of the teachings of the religion in which I was born and to which my father, on his dying bed, had adjured77 me to be faithful. I did not, however, feel at all attracted to the teachings of Greek Christianity. My attendance at church and lessons was induced solely79 by curiosity, and I often found myself smiling contemptuously at the things my companions were obliged to learn and believe. As I knew and kept nothing of Judaism either, I suppose I must have been classed at that time as a youthful heathen.
“After I had been about two years in Colonel Mentchikoff’s house he told me my father’s story and the reason why he, the colonel, was so friendly to me. My father, it seems, had been a soldier in the Russian army most of his life, and had attracted attention because of his gallantry and fidelity81. He had taken part in many battles in the Caucasus and had risen to the rank of corporal, which was as high as an uneducated man and a Jew could aspire82. In a fierce hand-to-hand struggle in one of those battles he had saved the life of Colonel Mentchikoff, who had then, impelled83 by gratitude84, asked him in what way he could recompense him for the great service he had rendered him. 200My father, blessed be his memory, who was as unassuming and modest as he was brave, answered that he desired no recompense for himself, as he had only done his duty in defending his commander, but that he had an only child, a son, whose mother had died while he was yet an infant, and that he, my father, desired, in case he met his death in the war, that the colonel should see that the boy was cared for and properly educated, and if in future years the intolerant laws should be changed and it would be permitted to Jews to become military officers, that he should endeavor to have him admitted to the military academy and prepared for the martial85 career. All this the colonel had willingly promised, and thought it but a slight reward for the saver of his life.
“Shortly after my father received his death wound at the hand of one of the savage87 warriors88 of the Caucasus. He was brought, at his own urgent request, to the house where his little son was living in charge of an old nurse, to pass the few remaining days of his existence; and when he had died he received, in consideration of his exceptional merit, the distinguished89 honor of a great military funeral. The colonel, had then taken formal charge of me, and ever since I had resided in his home. The colonel assured me 201that he loved me dearly, for the sake of my father, whose memory he held sacred, and that he would do all in his power to promote my welfare and to assist me to embrace the military career as my father had desired. He was as good as his word. Until my fourteenth year he cared for me in the most liberal and kind-hearted manner, providing equally well for my physical and intellectual needs, and then, since I had reached the age when youths, intending to take up the military career must begin their studies, he procured90 my admission into the Imperial Military Academy at St. Petersburg. The illiberal91 laws prohibiting the conferring of commissions on Hebrews had not, it is true, been formally abrogated92, but the spirit of tolerance93 was abroad in the land; it was in the days of the good Czar Alexander II., who had in so many ways alleviated94 the lot of all the oppressed peoples of his realm, and so my kind protector and guardian met with no difficulties or discouragements in seeking my admission into the academy. On the contrary, the officials of the institution were exceedingly kind and sympathetic. They received me with open arms as the orphan95 son of the gallant80 Corporal Schwartzfeld, of whose heroic record they were well aware, and as the ward86 of the well-connected 202and influential96 Colonel Mentchikoff. The fact of my being a Hebrew was hardly referred to, or, if any casual mention thereof was made, it was accompanied with the statement that that would undoubtedly97 make no difference in my case, and that, in view of my exceptional recommendations, I need anticipate no difficulty in obtaining a satisfactory appointment when once I had completed my course.
“I took leave of my benefactors98 with tears and embraces—and to this day I cannot think of Colonel Mentchikoff and his good, kind family without being deeply moved, for they were noble, true-hearted people, and very good to me—and took up my studies at the military academy. I will not refer at length to my career at the military academy, for now it makes no difference whether I did well or poorly, and, besides, it were foolish for the poor scissors-grinder to boast of the past glories of his life. Suffice it to say that I more than held my own in every branch of instruction, and made, besides, a specialty99 of three subjects. I devoted100 myself with great zeal72 to the pursuit of military engineering and languages, and also sought to acquire an expert knowledge of the manufacture and preparation of weapons, both of those which cut and those which discharge projectiles101. 203The latter two branches of knowledge I pursued with the idea that they would be particularly useful if ever I became a member of the general staff or obtained some high military political post, when a knowledge of languages, particularly of the Slavonic tongues, and ability to criticise102 the quality of weapons furnished to the army would be invaluable103. I thought of myself as a soldier, and a soldier only. To other matters I hardly devoted a thought, so absorbed was I in my preparations for my prospective104 vocation—least of all to religious loyalty105 or Hebraic traditions. During all the seven years of my attendance at the military academy I never entered a synagogue—in fact, I would not have known what to do had I gone there, for I was utterly ignorant of Hebrew and knew nothing of the mode or manner of worship among the Jews; I never kept a Jewish holiday, never was present at a religious gathering106 of any kind, for I had given up also my former curiosity concerning Christianity; I did not associate with or even know any Hebrew; in short, to all intents and purposes, I forgot that I was a Jew or had any need to consider the question of my relation to my ancestral faith, and my friends and colleagues at the academy, who were all very liberal-minded and tolerant, did not remind 204me of it in any way. Personally I was popular with both teachers and students, and, when the last year of the course began, I received an unofficial intimation from the faculty107 that, on account of my exceptional proficiency108 in technical matters, I would be recommended for appointment after graduation as a captain of engineers.
“At last the day of days, long looked for—commencement—arrived. I had passed a splendid examination and was designated valedictorian of the class. The great aula or hall of the academy was filled to overflowing109 with a brilliant and distinguished assemblage, among them brave men and fair women, bearers of the proudest and most ancient names in Russia. At the front of the hall facing the stage sat, in two long rows, the graduates, in their natty110 uniforms, among them myself. At the front of the stage, at a table on which were flowers, the graduates’ diplomas, and other papers, sat the venerable General Popoff, president of the academy, and behind him the faculty and a large number of honored visitors. Just before the hour appointed for the beginning of the ceremonies, an orderly entered the hall, strode up to General Popoff, saluted111 in regulation military fashion, handed him a note, saluted again, and retired112. I do not know why it was, but a shiver 205of apprehension113 went through me as I saw this action. I felt instinctively114 that it concerned me and boded115 me no good. The General opened the letter, my eyes mustering116 him painfully the while, and I could see him start as he read its contents. For a moment he sat with his head resting on his hands, evidently plunged117 in deep thought. Then he summoned an attendant and spoke a few words to him. A moment later the attendant stood at my side.
“‘The General desires to speak to you in the room at the side of the stage,’ he said.
“The hot blood surged impetuously to my head and my heart beat violently as I entered the room whither I had been summoned. General Popoff was already in and looked at me pityingly as I entered. ‘At your command, General,’ I said, concealing118 my agitation119 with a mighty120 effort and saluting121 stiffly. The General did not answer, but handed me a paper, evidently the letter which he had just received. It was an official communication, bore the governmental seal, and read as follows:
“‘Ministry of War.
“‘To General Alexei Popoff, President of the Imperial Military Academy.
“‘Sir: The receipt of your report certifying122 to the cadets entitled to graduation and recommending 206the same to various appointments in the army is hereby acknowledged. The same is approved, and you are authorized123 to issue certificates of graduation to all the cadets therein named, with the exception of Cadet Schwartzfeld. In his case there appears to be some doubt whether he has been properly baptized in the Orthodox Church, and you are hereby ordered to withhold124 his certificate until you have convinced yourself that such is the case.
“‘In the name of the Minister,
“‘Krasnewitz, Secretary.’
“I read the note through two or three times. Its contents seemed to burn themselves with letters of fire into my brain. I looked at the General. He did not say anything and appeared deeply agitated125. At last I forced myself to address him, and my voice sounded strangely harsh and metallic126 as I spoke:
“‘What is to be done in this matter, your Excellency?’ I said.
“‘My dear boy,’ said the General, and the true note of sympathy rang in his voice, ‘I sent in my report over a month ago, and, not receiving any answer, I thought everything was well and that I could go ahead. I did not think this would happen. There is only one thing that you can do. You must go and have yourself baptized in the orthodox faith, or else you can 207receive neither your certificate nor your appointment, and your career is at an end.’
“‘But how about this evening’s affair?’ I said, and the whole world seemed reeling about me. ‘Am I not to receive my certificate? Am I not to deliver my valedictory127?’
“‘Strictly speaking, you should not be permitted to do either,’ said the General, and his voice sounded even more sympathetic than before; ‘but I should be sorry to see you suffer public humiliation128. I will tell you what I can do. If you will promise me that to-morrow you will go and be baptized, I will accept your word of honor and you shall receive your certificate and deliver your address. But you must answer me at once,’ and he glanced at his watch, ‘for the hour is growing late and the proceedings129 must soon begin.’
“My brain seemed to become paralyzed and to lose all power of thought as I listened to the General’s words, kindly spoken, but, oh, so bitter to me. My heart struck at my breast as though it would burst its confines. I longed to give the answer the General desired, but the figure of my dying father, lying outstretched upon his couch of suffering, rose suddenly before me; again I saw his pale face and blood-stained bandages, and again I heard his faint voice saying, 208‘Above all, my son, never forget that you are a Jew, and never permit anything to swerve you from your faithfulness to the holy traditions of our religion and people’—and I could not.
“‘I cannot give you that promise now, your Excellency,’ I said, in a broken voice, whose agonized130 groaning131 was perceptible even to me. ‘I must have time to think over the matter.’
“‘In that case,’ said the General, and his voice sounded distinctly harder, ‘I must ask you to leave the hall, where your presence has become improper132; and any time you are ready to take the necessary steps you can notify me, and I will see to it that you receive your certificate and appointment.’
“I saluted and retired. I went to my seat, took my military cap, and, without saying a word to my fellow-students, at once left the hall, though I could not fail to notice the buzz of astonishment from both cadets and audience as I strode through the aisle133 toward the door. That night on my couch I fought a fiercer battle than any in which I could ever have taken part had I been privileged to enter upon my projected career. Two opposing forces were arrayed against each other and contended fiercely—on the one side self-interest and the 209disappointment, naturally intense, at seeing an ardently134 desired career thus cruelly cut off, nipped not even in the bud; on the other side filial devotion and a newly awakened135 sense of racial and religious loyalty. The one said: ‘Why ruin yourself? What does Judaism concern you? You have never observed its precepts136. Let them sprinkle the three drops over you. It is only the ticket of admission to your future. Inwardly you can remain as you are.’ The other said little. It was only the pale face of my dying father and his faint voice speaking: ‘Above all, my son, never forget that you are a Jew, and never permit anything to swerve you from your faithfulness to the holy traditions of our religion and people.’
“All night long the battle raged, while I tossed on my weary couch and never closed an eye; but when the early morning light stole through my lattice, my father had won the victory. I rose, hastily made my toilet, and wrote a letter to the General, informing him that my decision had been made to remain loyal to my faith, even at the cost of my career. On the same day I packed together my belongings and left forever that Russia that had grown hateful to me. I sailed at once for America, the land where men are free and where the State does 210not ask what is a man’s descent or religion before permitting him to consecrate137 his services to it. In New York I found that my talents and knowledge did not avail in securing a position. Every place seemed filled and there was no lack of people of education looking unsuccessfully for work. But, fortunately, I understood the art of sharpening and tempering steel blades, and thus I became a knife-sharpener and scissors-grinder, and manage to support myself. Now you know why I am in New York, a scissors-grinder and a Jew, instead of being in Russia, a captain of engineers and a Christian78. Can I sharpen anything else for you to-day? No, next time; all right, good-bye.”
And the scissors-grinder went forth in search of other customers, merrily whistling the while and leaving Mendel Greenberger behind, plunged in deep reflection.
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1 alleys | |
胡同,小巷( alley的名词复数 ); 小径 | |
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ad.密集地;浓厚地 | |
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3 metropolis | |
n.首府;大城市 | |
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4 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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5 gracefully | |
ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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6 lithe | |
adj.(指人、身体)柔软的,易弯的 | |
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7 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙 | |
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13 forth | |
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18 carving | |
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20 antediluvian | |
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30 heroism | |
n.大无畏精神,英勇 | |
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35 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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36 expedient | |
adj.有用的,有利的;n.紧急的办法,权宜之计 | |
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37 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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38 fluency | |
n.流畅,雄辩,善辩 | |
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39 polyglot | |
adj.通晓数种语言的;n.通晓多种语言的人 | |
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40 habitually | |
ad.习惯地,通常地 | |
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41 enigma | |
n.谜,谜一样的人或事 | |
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42 linguistic | |
adj.语言的,语言学的 | |
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43 attainments | |
成就,造诣; 获得( attainment的名词复数 ); 达到; 造诣; 成就 | |
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44 secondly | |
adv.第二,其次 | |
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45 unfamiliarity | |
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46 conclusively | |
adv.令人信服地,确凿地 | |
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47 conjecture | |
n./v.推测,猜测 | |
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48 conjectured | |
推测,猜测,猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49 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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50 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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51 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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52 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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53 inexplicable | |
adj.无法解释的,难理解的 | |
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54 psychology | |
n.心理,心理学,心理状态 | |
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55 adverse | |
adj.不利的;有害的;敌对的,不友好的 | |
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56 plebeian | |
adj.粗俗的;平民的;n.平民;庶民 | |
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57 anomalous | |
adj.反常的;不规则的 | |
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58 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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59 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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60 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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61 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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62 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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63 swerve | |
v.突然转向,背离;n.转向,弯曲,背离 | |
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64 funereal | |
adj.悲哀的;送葬的 | |
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65 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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66 attired | |
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67 lodgings | |
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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68 guardian | |
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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69 grumbled | |
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声 | |
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70 belongings | |
n.私人物品,私人财物 | |
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71 insistent | |
adj.迫切的,坚持的 | |
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72 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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73 zealous | |
adj.狂热的,热心的 | |
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74 adherent | |
n.信徒,追随者,拥护者 | |
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75 doctrine | |
n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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76 exempted | |
使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77 adjured | |
v.(以起誓或诅咒等形式)命令要求( adjure的过去式和过去分词 );祈求;恳求 | |
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78 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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79 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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80 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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81 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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82 aspire | |
vi.(to,after)渴望,追求,有志于 | |
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83 impelled | |
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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85 martial | |
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的 | |
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86 ward | |
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开 | |
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87 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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88 warriors | |
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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89 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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90 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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91 illiberal | |
adj.气量狭小的,吝啬的 | |
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92 abrogated | |
废除(法律等)( abrogate的过去式和过去分词 ); 取消; 去掉; 抛开 | |
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93 tolerance | |
n.宽容;容忍,忍受;耐药力;公差 | |
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94 alleviated | |
减轻,缓解,缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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95 orphan | |
n.孤儿;adj.无父母的 | |
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96 influential | |
adj.有影响的,有权势的 | |
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97 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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98 benefactors | |
n.捐助者,施主( benefactor的名词复数 );恩人 | |
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99 specialty | |
n.(speciality)特性,特质;专业,专长 | |
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100 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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101 projectiles | |
n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 );(炮弹、子弹等)射弹,(火箭等)自动推进的武器 | |
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102 criticise | |
v.批评,评论;非难 | |
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103 invaluable | |
adj.无价的,非常宝贵的,极为贵重的 | |
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104 prospective | |
adj.预期的,未来的,前瞻性的 | |
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105 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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106 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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107 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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108 proficiency | |
n.精通,熟练,精练 | |
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109 overflowing | |
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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110 natty | |
adj.整洁的,漂亮的 | |
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111 saluted | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
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112 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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113 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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114 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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115 boded | |
v.预示,预告,预言( bode的过去式和过去分词 );等待,停留( bide的过去分词 );居住;(过去式用bided)等待 | |
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116 mustering | |
v.集合,召集,集结(尤指部队)( muster的现在分词 );(自他人处)搜集某事物;聚集;激发 | |
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117 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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118 concealing | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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119 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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120 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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121 saluting | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的现在分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
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122 certifying | |
(尤指书面)证明( certify的现在分词 ); 发证书给…; 证明(某人)患有精神病; 颁发(或授予)专业合格证书 | |
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123 authorized | |
a.委任的,许可的 | |
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124 withhold | |
v.拒绝,不给;使停止,阻挡 | |
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125 agitated | |
adj.被鼓动的,不安的 | |
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126 metallic | |
adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的 | |
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127 valedictory | |
adj.告别的;n.告别演说 | |
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128 humiliation | |
n.羞辱 | |
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129 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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130 agonized | |
v.使(极度)痛苦,折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 );苦斗;苦苦思索;感到极度痛苦 | |
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131 groaning | |
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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132 improper | |
adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的 | |
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133 aisle | |
n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道 | |
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134 ardently | |
adv.热心地,热烈地 | |
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135 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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136 precepts | |
n.规诫,戒律,箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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137 consecrate | |
v.使圣化,奉…为神圣;尊崇;奉献 | |
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