One of the chief features of the life of the nobility and gentry of England, is their annual visit to the metropolis2; and it is one which has a most essential influence upon the general character of rural life itself. The greater part of the families of rank and fortune flock up to town annually3, as punctually as the Jews flocked up to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover; and it may be said for the purpose of worship too, though worship of a different kind—that of fashion. A considerable portion of them being, more or less, connected with one or other House of Parliament, go up at the opening of Parliament, generally in February, and remain there till the adjournment4, often in July; but the true season does not commence till April.
When April verdure springs in Grosvenor Square,
Then the furred beauty comes to winter there.—Rogers.
Much has been said of the evil effect of this aristocratic habit, of spending so much time in the metropolis; of the vast sums there spent in ostentatious rivalry5, in equipage and establishments; in the dissipations of theatres, operas, routes, and gaming-houses; and unquestionably, there is much truth in it. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that this annual assembling together has some advantages. A great degree of knowledge and refinement6 results from it, amid all the attendant folly7 and extravagance. The wealthy are brought into contact with vast numbers of their equals and superiors, and that sullen8 and haughty9 habit of reserve is worn off, which is always contracted by those who live in solitary[19] seclusion10, in the midst of vast estates, with none but tenants11 and dependents around them. They are also brought into contact with men of talent and intelligence. They move amongst books and works of art, and are induced by different motives12 to become patrons and possessors of these things. If they spend large sums in splendid houses and establishments in town, such houses and such establishments become equally necessary to them in the country; and it is by this means that, instead of old and dreary13 castles and chateaux, we have such beautiful mansions14, so filled with rich paintings and elegant furniture, dispersed16 all over England. From these places, as centres existing here and there, similar tastes are spread through the less wealthy classes, and the elegances18 of life flow into the parsonages, cottages, and abodes19 of persons of less income and less intercourse20 with society. In town, undoubtedly21, a vast number of the aristocracy spend their time and money very foolishly; but it is equally true, that many others spend theirs very beneficially to the country. Men of fortune from all quarters of the kingdom there meet, and every thing which regards the improvement of their estates is discussed. They hear of different plans pursued in different parts of the kingdom. They make acquaintances, and these acquaintances lead to visits, in which they observe, and copy all that can add to the embellishment of their abodes, and the value and productiveness of their gardens and estates. If many acquire a relish22 only for Newmarket, and the gaming club, and a strong distaste for the quiet enjoyments23 of the country; many, on the other hand, come down to their estates after a season of hurry and over-excitement, with a fresh feeling for the beauty and repose25 of their country abodes. The possessors of great houses and estates, invite a party to spend the recess26, or especially the shooting season, with them. Thus the world of fashion is broken up and scattered27 from the metropolis into a multitude of lesser28 circles, and into every corner of the empire. I can conceive nothing which bears on its surface the aspect of the perfection of human society, so much as this assembling of a choice party of those who have nothing to do but to enjoy life, in the house of some hospitable29 wealthy man, in some one of the terrestrial paradises of this kingdom,—far off, in some retired30 vale of England, where the country and its manners remain almost as[20] simple and picturesque31 as they did ages ago. In some fine Elizabethan mansion15, some splendid baronial castle, as Warwick, Alnwick, or Raby; or in some rich old abbey; amid woods and parks, or seated on one of our wild coasts; or amid the mountains of Wales or Scotland, with all their beautiful scenery, rocks, hanging cliffs, dashing waterfalls, rapid rivers, and fairy wildernesses32 around them. Here, assembled from the crush and rush of London in its fulness, with new books and new music brought down with them; with plenty of topics suggested by the incidents of the past season in the saloons of the fashionable, and in Parliament; with every luxury before them; with fine shrubberies and parks, and with every vehicle and facility for riding and driving through field or forest, or sailing on river or ocean; if people are not happy in such circumstances, where is the fault?
And imagine the possessor of a noble estate coming down to receive his friends there. To a high and generous mind there must be something very delightful33 in it. When he enters his own neighbourhood, he enters his own kingdom. The very market-town through which he last passes, is, probably, totally or three-fourths of it his property. If he be a kind and liberal man, the respect which is there testified towards him, has in it the most cordial of flatteries. When he touches his own land, every thing acknowledges his absolute sway. On all sides he sees symptoms of welcome. Wherever he looks, they are the woods, the parks, the fields of his ancestors, and now his own, that meet his eyes. The freshness and greenness of the fields, the sombre grandeur34 of the woods, the peaceful elegance17 of his house, all the odours of flowers breathing through the rooms, and the sight of rich fruits on his walls and in his hothouses; after the heat, dust, crowding, noise, political contention35, and turning night into day, of London, must be peculiarly grateful. Here he is sole lord and master; and from him, he feels, flow the good of his dependent people, and the pleasures of his distinguished36 guests. The same where
Far to the south a mountain vale retires,
Its wizard stream, nor nameless nor unsung;
And through the various year, the various day,
Where scenes of glory burst and melt away.—Rogers.
[21]
The hamlet, which shews its thatched roofs and lowly smoking chimneys near, is all his own; nay40, the rustic41 church is part and parcel of the family estate. It was probably built and endowed by his ancestors. The living is in his gift, and is perhaps enjoyed by a relative, or college chum. The very churchyard, with its simple headstones, and green mounds42, is separated often only by a sunk fence from his grounds. It blends into them, and the old grey tower lifts itself amongst trees which form one majestic43 mass with his own. The sabbath-bell rings, and he enters that old porch with his guests; he sees the banner of some brave ancestor float above his head, and the hatchments and memorial inscriptions44 of others on the walls. What can be more delicately flattering to all the feelings of a human creature; what lot can be more perfect?
The ease and perfect freedom from ceremony in these rural gatherings45 is a feature which has always excited the admiration46 of foreigners. Every guest has his own apartment, where he can retire at pleasure, and after taking his meals in common can spend the day as he chooses. But, as I have before said, we see our own customs and manners better in the descriptions of foreigners, because they are described by them as they are seen, with the freshness of novelty. Prince Pückler Muskau speaks with enthusiasm of the country-houses and park scenery of England. His book, indeed, is full of such pictures of country life and scenery. The beautiful dairies which he sometimes found in noblemen’s parks delighted him extremely. Thus he speaks of the one at Woburn Abbey:—“The dairy is a prominent and beautiful object. It is a sort of Chinese temple, decorated with a profusion47 of white marble, and coloured glasses; in the centre is a fountain, and round the walls hundreds of large dishes and bowls, of Chinese and Japan porcelain48 of every form and colour, filled with new milk and cream. The ‘consoles’ upon which these vessels49 stand, are perfect models for Chinese furniture. The windows are of ground-glass, with Chinese painting, which shews fantastically enough by the dim light.”
But the testimony50 of Mr. Willis as an American, and therefore accustomed to a life and sentiment more allied51 to our own, is still stronger. His account of his visit to Gordon Castle is a perfect example of all such scenes, and is an exact counterpart of the[22] German Prince’s description of the English “vie de chateau,” in his third volume, p. 311.
“The immense iron gate, surmounted52 by the Gordon arms; the handsome and spacious53 stone lodges55 on either side; the canonically56 fat porter, in white stockings and grey livery, lifting his hat as he swung open the massive portal, all bespoke57 the entrance to a noble residence. The road within was edged with velvet58 sward, and rolled to the smoothness of a terrace walk; the winding59 avenue lengthened60 away before with trees of every variety of foliage; light carriages passed me, driven by gentlemen or ladies, bound on their afternoon airing; a groom61 led up and down two beautiful blood-horses, prancing62 along with side-saddles and morocco stirrups; and keepers with hounds and terriers, gentlemen on foot, idling along the walks, and servants in different liveries hurrying to and fro, betokened63 a scene of busy gaiety before me. I had hardly noted64 these various circumstances, before a sudden curve in the road brought the castle into view,—a vast stone pile with castellated wings; and in another moment I was at the door, where a dozen lounging and powdered menials were waiting on a party of ladies and gentlemen to their several carriages. It was the moment for the afternoon drive.
“The last phaeton dashed away, and my chaise advanced to the door. A handsome boy, in a kind of page’s dress, immediately came to the window, addressed me by name, and informed me that his Grace was out deer-shooting, but that my room was prepared, and he was ordered to wait on me. I followed him through a hall lined with statues, deers’ horns, and armour65, and was ushered66 into a large chamber67 looking out on a park, extending with its lawns and woods to the edge of the horizon. A more lovely view never feasted human eye.
“‘Who is at the castle?’ I asked, as the boy busied himself in unstrapping my portmanteau. ‘O, a great many, sir’—he stopped in his occupation, and began counting on his fingers a long list of lords and ladies. ‘And how many sit down to dinner?’ ‘Above ninety, sir, besides the Duke and Duchess.’ ‘That will do;’ and off tripped my slender gentleman, with his laced jacket, giving the fire a terrible stir-up in his way out, and turning back to inform me that the dinner hour was seven precisely68.
[23]
“It was a mild, bright afternoon, quite warm for the end of an English September, and with a fire in the room, and a soft sunshine pouring in at the windows, a seat at the open casement69 was far from disagreeable. I passed the time till the sun set, looking out on the park. Hill and valley lay between my eye and the horizon; sheep fed in picturesque flocks; and small fallow-deer grazed near them; the trees were planted, and the distant forest shaped by the hand of taste; and broad and beautiful as was the expanse taken in by the eye, it was evidently one princely possession. A mile from the castle-wall, the shaven sward extended in a carpet of velvet softness, as bright as emerald, studded by clumps70 of shrubbery, like flowers wrought71 elegantly in tapestry72; and across it bounded occasionally a hare, and the pheasants fed undisturbed near the thickets73, or a lady with flowing riding-dress and flaunting74 feather, dashed into sight upon her fleet blood-palfrey, and was lost the next moment in the woods, or a boy put his pony75 to its mettle76 up the ascent77, or a gamekeeper idled into sight with his gun in the hollow of his arm, and his hounds at his heels. And all this little world of enjoyment24 and luxury and beauty lay in the hand of one man, and was created by his wealth in those northern wilds of Scotland, a day’s journey almost from the possession of another human being! I never realized so forcibly the splendid results of wealth and primogeniture.
“The sun set in a blaze of fire among the pointed78 firs crowning the hills; and by the occasional prance79 of a horse’s feet on the gravel80, and the roll of rapid wheels, and now and then a gay laugh and many voices, the different parties were returning to the Castle. Soon after, a loud gong sounded through the galleries, the signal to dress, and I left my musing81 occupation unwillingly82 to make my toilet for an appearance in a formidable circle of titled aristocrats83, not one of whom I had ever seen, the Duke himself a stranger to me, except through the kind letter of invitation lying on the table.
“I was sitting by the fire, imagining forms and faces for the different persons who had been named to me, when there was a knock at the door, and a tall, white-haired gentleman, of noble physiognomy, but singularly cordial address, entered with a broad red ribbon across his breast, and welcomed me most heartily84 to the castle. The gong sounded at the next moment, and in our way down, he named over his other guests, and prepared me, in a[24] measure, for the introductions which followed. The drawing-room was crowded like a soirée. The Duchess, a tall and very handsome woman, with a smile of the most winning sweetness, received me at the door, and I was presented successively to every person present. Dinner was announced immediately, and the difficult question of precedence being sooner settled than I had ever seen it before in so large a party, we passed through files of servants to the dining-room. It was a large and very lofty hall, supported, at the ends, by marble columns, within which was stationed a band of music playing delightfully85. The walls were lined with full-length family pictures, from old knights86 in armour to the modern dukes in kilt of the Gordon plaid; and on the sideboards stood services of gold plate, the most gorgeously massive, and the most beautiful in workmanship I have ever seen. There were, among the vases, several large coursing-cups, won by the Duke’s hounds, of exquisite87 shape and ornament88.
“I fell into my place between a gentleman and a very beautiful woman, of perhaps, twenty-two, neither of whose names I remembered, though I had but just been introduced. The Duke probably anticipated as much, and as I took my seat, he called out to me, from the top of the table, that I had on my right, Lady ——, ‘the most agreeable woman in Scotland.’ It was unnecessary to say that she was the most lovely.
“I have been struck everywhere in England with the beauty of the higher classes, and as I looked around me upon the aristocratic company at the table, I thought I had never seen ‘Heaven’s image double-stamped as man, and noble,’ so unequivocally clear. * * * The band ceased playing when the ladies left the table; the gentlemen closed up, conversation assumed a merrier cast, coffee and liqueurs were brought in when the wines began to be circulated more slowly, and at eleven there was a general move to the drawing-room. Cards, tea, music, filled up the time till twelve, and then the ladies took their departure, and the gentlemen sat down to supper. I got to bed somewhere about two o’clock; and thus ended an evening, which I had anticipated as stiff and embarrassing, but which is marked in my tablets as one of the most social and kindly89 I have had the good fortune to record on my travels.
“I arose late in the morning, and found the large party[25] already assembled about the breakfast table. I was struck on entering, with the different air of the room. The deep windows opening out upon the park, had the effect of sombre landscapes in oaken frames; the troops of liveried servants, the glitter of plate, the music, that had contributed to the splendour of the scene the night before, were gone. The Duke sat laughing at the head of the table, with a newspaper in his hand, dressed in a coarse shooting-jacket and coloured cravat90; the Duchess was in a plain morning dress and cap of the simplest character; and the high-born women about the table, whom I had left glittering with jewels, and dressed in all the attractions of fashion, appeared in the simplest coiffure and a toilet of studied plainness. The ten or twelve noblemen present were engrossed91 with their letters or newspapers over tea and toast,—and in them, perhaps, the transformation92 was still greater. The soigné man of fashion of the night before, faultless in costume and distinguished in his appearance—in the full force of the term—was enveloped93 now in a coat of fustian94, with a coarse waistcoat of plaid, a gingham cravat, and hob-nailed shoes, for shooting; and in place of the gay hilarity95 of the supper-table, wore a face of calm indifference96, and eat his breakfast, and read the paper in a rarely broken silence. I wondered as I looked about me, what would be the impression of many people in my own country, could they look in upon that plain party, aware that it was composed of the proudest nobility and the highest fashion of England.
“Breakfast in England is a confidential97 and unceremonious hour, and servants are generally dispensed98 with. This is to me, I confess, an advantage it has over every other meal. I detest99 eating with twenty tall fellows standing100 opposite, whose business it is to watch me. The coffee and tea were on the table, with toast, muffins, oat-cakes, marmalade, jellies, fish, and all the paraphernalia101 of a Scotch102 breakfast; and on the sideboard stood cold meats for those who liked them, and they were expected to go to it and help themselves. Nothing could be more easy, unceremonious, and affable, than the whole tone of the meal. One after another rose and fell into groups in the windows, or walked up and down the long room, and, with one or two others, I joined the duke at the head of the table, who gave us some interesting particulars of the salmon-fisheries of the Spey. The privilege of fishing[26] the river within his lands is bought of him at the pretty sum of eight thousand pounds a-year.
“The ladies went off unaccompanied to their walks in the park and other avocations103; those bound for the covers, joined the gamekeepers, who were waiting with their dogs in the leash104 at the stables; and some paired off to the billiard-room. Still suffering from lameness105, I declined all invitations to the shooting parties, who started across the park, with the dogs leaping about them in a frenzy106 of delight, and accepted the duke’s kind offer of a pony phaeton to drive down to the kennels108. The duke’s breed, both of setters and hounds, is celebrated109 throughout the kingdom. They occupy a spacious building in the centre of a wood, a quadrangle enclosing a court, and large enough for a respectable farm-house. The chief huntsman and his family, and perhaps a gamekeeper or two, lodge54 on the premises110, and the dogs are divided by palings across the court. I was rather startled to be introduced into the same enclosure with a dozen gigantic bloodhounds, as high as my breast, the keeper’s whip in my hand, the only defence. I was not easier for the man’s assertion, that, without it, they would ‘have the life out of me in a crack.’ They came around me very quietly, and one immense fellow, with a chest like a horse, and a head of the finest expression, stood up and laid his paws on my shoulders, with the deliberation of a friend about to favour me with some grave advice. One can scarce believe that these noble creatures have not reason like ourselves. Those slender, thoroughbred heads, large speaking eyes, and beautiful limbs and graceful111 action, should be gifted with more than mere112 animal instinct. The greyhounds were the beauties of the kennel107, however; I never had seen such perfect creatures. The setters were in the next division, and really they were quite lovely. The rare tan and black dog of this race, with his silky floss hair, intelligent muzzle113, good-humoured face, and caressing114 fondness, quite excited my admiration. There were thirty or forty of these, old and young, and a friend of the duke’s would as soon ask him for a church living, as for the present of one of them. The former would be by much the smaller favour. Then there were terriers of four or five breeds; of one family of which, long-haired, long-bodied, short-legged, and perfectly115 white little wretches116, the keeper seemed particularly fond. * * * *
[27]
“The routine of Gordon Castle was what each one chose to make it. Between breakfast and lunch, the ladies were generally invisible, and the gentlemen rode or shot, or played billiards117, or kept in their rooms. At two o’clock, a dish or two of hot game and a profusion of cold meats were set on the small tables in the dining-room, and every body came in for a kind of lounging half-meal, which occupied perhaps an hour. Thence all adjourned118 to the drawing-room, under the windows of which were drawn119 up carriages of all descriptions, with grooms120, outriders, footmen, and saddle-horses for gentlemen and ladies. Parties were then made up for driving or riding, and from a pony-chaise to a phaeton-and-four, there was no class of vehicle which was not at your disposal. In ten minutes the carriages were usually all filled, and away they flew, some to the banks of the Spey, or the sea-side, some to the drives in the park, and with the delightful consciousness, that, speed where you would, the horizon scarce limited the possession of your host, and you were everywhere at home. The ornamental121 gates flying open at your approach, miles distant from the castle; the herds122 of red-deer trooping away from the sound of wheels in the silent park; the stately pheasants feeding tamely in the immense preserves; the hares scarcely troubling themselves to get out of the length of the whip; the stalking gamekeepers lifting their hats in the dark recesses123 of the forest,—there was something in this, perpetually reminding you of privileges; which, as a novelty, was far from disagreeable. I could not at the time bring myself to feel, what perhaps would be more poetical124 and republican, that a ride in the wild and unfenced forest of my own country would have been more to my taste.
“The second afternoon of my arrival, I took a seat in the carriage with Lord A., and we followed the duchess, who drove herself in a pony-chaise, to visit a school on the estate. Attached to a small gothic chapel125, a five minutes’ drive from the castle, stood a building in the same style, appropriated to the instruction of the children of the duke’s tenantry. There were a hundred and thirty little creatures, from two years to five or six, and like all infant schools, in these days of improved education, it was an interesting and affecting sight. The last one I had been in, was at Athens, and though I missed here the dark eyes and Grecian[28] faces of the ?gean, I saw health and beauty, of a kind which stirred up more images of home, and promised, perhaps, more for the future. * * * *
“The number at the dinner-table of Gordon Castle was seldom less than thirty; but the company was continually varied126 by departures and arrivals. No sensation was made by either one or the other. A travelling-carriage dashed up to the door, was disburdened of its load, and drove round to the stables, and the question was seldom asked, ‘Who is arrived?’ You are sure to see at dinner—and an addition of half a dozen to the party, made no perceptible difference in any thing. Leave-takings were managed in the same quiet way. Adieus were made to the duke and duchess, and to no one else, except he happened to encounter the parting guest upon the staircase, or were more than a common acquaintance. In short, in every way the gêne of life seemed weeded out, and if unhappiness or ennui127 found its way into the castle, it was introduced in the sufferer’s own bosom128. For me, I gave myself up to enjoyment with an abandon I could not resist. With kindness and courtesy in every look, the luxuries and comforts of a regal establishment at my freest disposal; solitude129 when I pleased, company when I pleased,—the whole visible horizon fenced in for the enjoyment of a household, of which I was a temporary portion, and no enemy except time and the gout, I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of felicity, and had not come by the royal mail-coach at all.”
This is one of the most perfect and graphic130 descriptions of English aristocratical life in the country, which was ever written. It is, indeed, on the highest and broadest scale, and is not to be equalled by every country gentleman; but in kind and in degree, the same character and spirit extend to all such life, and I have therefore taken the liberty of transcribing131 Mr. Willis’s sketch132 as completely as my limits would admit. Nothing, were a volume written on the subject, could bring it more palpably and correctly before the mind of the reader; and I think that if there be a perfection in human life, it is to be found, so far as all the goods of providence133 and the easy elegances of society can make it so, in the rural life of the English nobility and gentry.
[29]
Grouse-shooting in the Highlands
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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adjournment
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| 休会； 延期； 休会期； 休庭期 | |
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rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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elegances
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| n.高雅( elegance的名词复数 )；（举止、服饰、风格等的）优雅；精致物品；（思考等的）简洁 | |
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abodes
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| 住所( abode的名词复数 )； 公寓； （在某地的）暂住； 逗留 | |
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intercourse
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undoubtedly
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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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enjoyments
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| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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enjoyment
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repose
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recess
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scattered
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lesser
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hospitable
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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picturesque
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wildernesses
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| 荒野( wilderness的名词复数 )； 沙漠； （政治家）在野； 不再当政（或掌权） | |
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delightful
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grandeur
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35
contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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36
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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37
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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38
spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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39
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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40
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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41
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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42
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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43
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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44
inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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45
gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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46
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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47
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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48
porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 | |
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49
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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50
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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51
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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52
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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53
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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54
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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55
lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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56
canonically
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| adv.照宗规地，宗规上地 | |
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57
bespoke
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| adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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58
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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59
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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60
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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62
prancing
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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63
betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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65
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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66
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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68
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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69
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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70
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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71
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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72
tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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73
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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74
flaunting
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| adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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75
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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76
mettle
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| n.勇气，精神 | |
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77
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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78
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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79
prance
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| v.（马）腾跃，(人)神气活现地走 | |
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80
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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81
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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82
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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83
aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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84
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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85
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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86
knights
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| 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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87
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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88
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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89
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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90
cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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91
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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92
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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93
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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94
fustian
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| n.浮夸的；厚粗棉布 | |
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95
hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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96
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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97
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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98
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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99
detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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100
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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101
paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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102
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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103
avocations
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| n.业余爱好，嗜好( avocation的名词复数 )；职业 | |
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104
leash
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| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
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105
lameness
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| n. 跛, 瘸, 残废 | |
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106
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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107
kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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108
kennels
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| n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处，养狗场；狗窝( kennel的名词复数 )；养狗场 | |
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109
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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110
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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111
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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112
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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113
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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114
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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115
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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116
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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117
billiards
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| n.台球 | |
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118
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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119
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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120
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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121
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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122
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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123
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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124
poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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125
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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126
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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127
ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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128
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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129
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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130
graphic
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| adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的 | |
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131
transcribing
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| （用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的现在分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音） | |
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132
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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133
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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