The desert is the cradle of love!
The love of God or the love of solitude1, or the love which seeks its soul-mate and finds it, in the immensity of the sands. There is no room for doubt in the minds of those who love and who pass their days together in the desert’s great spaces. If the love is that which endureth, which floods cannot drown nor many waters quench2, which looks ever towards the horizon where the light is born heralding3 the day, then will the desert be as a book filled with much wisdom; a book in which the handwriting is visible only to those who radiate the love which sees the mountain peak above the swirl4 of mist; the truth of the dream in which, blindly, we stumble and fall, until enlightenment comes to us so that we rise once more and reach the end of the road at last.
The desert is a background against which love blazes as a torch or shines with the glimmer5 of the rushlight; a journey into it either fills the mind with the wonder of God or overwhelms the traveller, when the novelty has passed, with a crushing sense of boredom6; the sunset, the sunrise, and the stars are either the thoughts of the Creator, or merely a means by which to mark the passing of the endless hours; whilst the stillness, silence, and far horizon teach life’s wayfarers7 the stupendous lesson of Eternity8 or fill the gregarious9 globe-trotter with a deep longing10 for the noise and bustle11 of great cities.
For the westerner there are no half-way measures in the desert.
[91]
He may have been born in the glamour12 of the East and have lived the best part of his life with the vast stretches of sand around him, and yet have heard no voice calling in the noonday, nor seen the slender hand beckoning13 in the shadows of dawn and dusk. He may come from the counting-house upon holiday bent14, with guide book in hand and passage booked for the return journey to the city, yet see the spirit of the desert, remote, mysterious, beckoning him out of all the merry, personally conducted crowd.
He will either follow the beckoning figure with hungry heart until he falls, to die, clutching at its robes which slip ever from between his fingers, or he will return to the counting-house to pass his life in a great longing which will never be appeased15.
[1] Instances have been known where Europeans have ridden out into the desert upon seeing it for the first time, and have not been seen or heard of since.
Helen Raynor and Ralph Trenchard sat looking out across the Robaa-el-Khali, or Empty Desert, or the Red Desert, as it is called by the Arabs on account of the colour of its sands.
She sat with her hand in his, watching the strange effect the wind from the north has upon this desert, which rolls away to the horizon in great, sandy ridges17, and of which no one has explored the heart. When this wind blows gently, it skims the surface of the great ridges and lifts the topmost layer of the sand, carrying it down into the hollows and up on to the crests18 for mile after mile, until the desert looks like an ocean of great, glittering billows surging towards the distant horizon.
“The sky seems to be covered with a transparent19, diamond-encrusted veil,” whispered Helen, as she lifted her face to the moon, and smiled when the man she loved drew her to him and kissed her.
[92]
“It is the effect of the sand in the air, beloved,” he whispered, “under the moon which shines for all lovers.”
“Look at that wave out there”—she pointed20 to the east as she spoke21—“breaking into spray. How wonderful—how wonderful it all is, Ra!”
“I expect a big rock lies just there, beloved, if we could only see it, so that the sand is blown against it and higher into the air. How I love the name you have given me, dearest; it seems to belong to the country where I found you waiting for me, all those months ago, alone, in the desert, under a moon like this.”
“I really expect it was the same moon, Ra; it is only we who have moved,” laughed Helen softly. “Yes, I think your nickname suits you; it’s strong, with the strength of dead Egypt, like you, with your tremendous will power which can even dominate the camel.”
They laughed as they talked of the long journey with its scenes and contretemps, during which Ralph Trenchard had had to exercise every bit of will power and every scrap22 of patience he possessed23, so as to triumph over the splendid camels which composed the caravan24, and which had aroused admiration25 and no little jealousy26 in the hearts of the inhabitants of the different villages they had passed through, from the Port of Jiddah to Hutah in the Oasis27 of Hareek.
“Do you remember when Mahli ate Grandad’s best tussore coat and pretended to die, and then, suddenly, got to her feet and rushed at you, because you offered Duria a whole lump of dates and took no notice of her in her tantrums?”
“Sheer jealousy and greed, sweetheart. I believe no woman who loved could be as jealous, or as vindictive28, as a female camel in a rage. Look straight ahead, beloved; can you see something moving through the waves?”
Helen sat forward and stared due south.
“Yes, I think—I do. Yes, it looks like mounted men.”[93] She shivered suddenly and turned and caught her lover by the arm. “Ra! I’m frightened.”
“Frightened! Dear heart, what at?”
“I don’t know—I don’t really know. I just felt a tremendous premonition of danger. Ah! look, they’ve gone. I wonder who they were? So near us, yet taking no notice of our big camp with its fires and its white tents.”
“Yes. I wonder!”
If only he had known it, they were the advance guard of a woman who was to show him that there is no jealousy or vindictiveness29 to equal that of a woman whose love is not returned.
They sat silently, looking out across the sandy ocean until they could no longer see the phantom30 figures moving eastwards31 in the far distance; then they talked of the journey behind them and the enterprise ahead.
To gain full control over the staff and, as much as is humanly possible, over the animals, Ralph Trenchard had preceded Sir Richard and his granddaughter, landing in Jiddah a month before them. Death by thirst, exhaustion32 or violence being a recognized risk to be taken by those who travel off the beaten track in Arabia, he had intensely disliked the idea of Helen Raynor accompanying the expedition; had argued the question; pointed out the dangers; emphasized the added responsibility her safekeeping would entail33, insisting upon the intense discomfort34 she would have to endure, only to find himself up against the mule-headed obstinacy35 for which Sir Richard was famous.
He had resigned himself to the inevitable36 at last and had discovered, after one week spent in the company of the camels and their drivers, that for nothing on earth would he undertake the excursion into the unknown, unless she took it with him, riding at his side. He knew that love had come to him that night when he had seen her sitting on a hummock37 of sand, alone in the desert under the moon; he knew that that love had come to possess him[94] utterly38 when he had succumbed39 to the entreaties40 of Sir Richard to join the expedition; but he had not known how much he really loved her, or what she really meant to him, until he had been separated from her for weeks.
He had counted the days, the hours, the minutes, and then, jubilantly, thankfully, had rushed down to meet the boat Sir Richard had chartered, as she docked, and happy beyond telling, had started out on the foolhardy enterprise, with Helen at his side.
There is nothing so calculated to make life-long friends or sworn enemies of two people, as a long journey on camels and surrounded by camels. A trip into the desert on camelback for so much an hour, or day, is vastly romantic, causing you to feel one with Pharaoh or Queen Hatshepu, Abraham or Jezebel, according to your sex. It’s ten to one you write an ode to the Sphinx or the Pyramids or the Voice of the Past as you sit on the sand, smoking your Simon Artz; it’s certain that your camel driver tots up the different items of your toilet in an endeavour to hit upon the right amount of extra baachseesch he may extract from you, whilst wishing to goodness you’d get through with your foolishness and return to your comfortable, or otherwise, hotel; but it’s an altogether different thing when you make part of a caravan composed of the ill-mannered, ill-natured brutes42. No matter how well they are handled, or how far you ride apart from their odorous bodies, you will never be able to count upon a moment’s peace as long as they are likely to panic for nothing, or fight for less, whilst filling the air with sounds that resemble the emptying of gigantic, narrow-necked bottles, nests of angry snakes, battalions43 of spitting cats, moans of incurable44 invalids45 and shrieks46 of insufferable children.
They lie down or get up or refuse to move just as their hateful fancy dictates47; they follow obediently one behind another, if in a string, or peacefully together, if in a herd48, then stop dead and look on indifferently,[95] whilst one, for no apparent reason whatever, reduces the patience of its driver to shreds49 and its pack to bits. Some drivers are cautious and hobble the lot at night, others take the risk and hobble the worst offenders50; ’twere, however, wise to be cautious so as to prevent one, suddenly possessed of the devil, from either clearing for the open with the gifts you intend for your host upon its offensive back, or from lifting the flap of your tent in the still watches of the night and, whilst taking a survey of your heat-disturbed person, banqueting off your boots.
If your temper is not of the sort that can come out unruffled from ever-recurring and heated arguments with your companion and the distracted drivers; if your looks cannot withstand the long moments ’twixt heat of sand and sun and wrath51, as you sit perched above the turmoil52 upon the back of your own thrice-accursed beast, then ’twere wise to give the desert an extremely wide berth53. Lay down the law to your companion and he will learn to loathe54 the very sight of you; upbraid55 the long-suffering driver and he will league himself with the camel to spite you in every way; hit the camel so as to cause it pain, and you will never again feel any security about the welfare of your person. You won’t recognize that camel one or five or ten years hence as you saunter through some Bazaar56, but it will recognize you all right, and will meet its teeth in the tenderest portion of your anatomy57 it can find, or, if it gets the chance, will seize, worry, and throw you and deliver the coup58 de grace of its long-waited-for revenge by rolling upon you until you are an unrecognizable pulp59.
Grin and bear with it all, and your servants and your camels, your companion and your days, will not appear so insufferably obnoxious60 or so outrageously61 long, in the land of the Pharaohs.
The caravan was a big one on account of the multitude of gifts Sir Richard carried, with which to buy[96] peace, if not plenty, as it journeyed from Jiddah, skirting the territory sacred to the Holy City, down through the mountainous, fertile district of Taif and southwards along the Wady Dowasir, with its many villages, up to Hutah in the Oasis of Hareek, where commences the Great Desert.
It is wise not to reckon altogether on gifts and a smattering of the language and courtesy to get you safely to your destination in Arabia, but, as they will take you many miles upon your journey, they should be looked upon as the chief items on your list of necessities—especially the last.
Helen Raynor and the man she had learned to love in the distracting, ridiculous, mirth-provoking and aggravating62 incidents of the journey, laughed, as they looked back to the storms they had weathered safely, through love and a perfect sense of humour and comradeship, unwitting of the news about themselves which had been conveyed, in the mysterious manner of desert places, to Zarah the Cruel who had only waited to attack, with as much patience as she could muster63, until the caravan should leave Hutah far behind and arrive at a certain spot between the Hareek mountains and those of the Jebel Akhaf.
The north wind dropped suddenly whilst they talked in whispers, and with it the veil of sand it had spread across the heavens, leaving the desert desolate64 and formidable under the light of the full moon, save where the camp fires flung red and orange flames and trails of smoke across the silvery sheen.
“‘Even the grains of sand are numbered, neither can a sparrow fall unless He knows it?’” Helen quoted to herself as she stared out across the waste, then turned and put her hand in that of the man beside her who had been watching her and wondering at the anxious look upon her face.
“I feel crushed under a great weight of responsibility,[97] Ra,” she said, speaking in a whisper induced by the fear that had suddenly fallen upon her at the sight of the phantoms65 in the distance. “I do wish I hadn’t suggested this hare-brained expedition to Grandad. I somehow never thought it would mean such a big undertaking66 and perhaps, after all, the water was only seen in a mirage67 by some exhausted68 pilgrims all those centuries ago.”
Fearful for her, Ralph Trenchard fully41 agreed in his heart, but contradicted her in an effort to reassure69 her.
“Oh! I don’t know, dearest. I don’t think you are in the least bit responsible. Your grandfather has been set on discovering this water ever since he read the document all those years ago, and if he hadn’t done it this year he would have done it later, and then I shouldn’t have been here to see you through, should I?”
“No, of course you wouldn’t!” replied the girl, as she looked up into the handsome face. “If we hadn’t pitched our camp just outside Ismailiah, which we shouldn’t have done if we had not been starting on this adventure, you and I would not have met.” She touched the scar on his temple as she spoke, the look of trouble deepening in her eyes. “You laughed at me when I told you about the scene we had with Zarah, the Arabian girl, at school, when she said she saw herself on a mountain peak and me in the dust at her feet and a man with a scar upon his temple, coming towards her. But, you see, she did meet you and recognize you, and she came from somewhere about here, Ra, and I haven’t been able to get her out of my thoughts since we left Hutah. She hated me, Ra, hated me, and, as you know, I believe in the power of thought.”
“So do I, beloved,” said Ralph Trenchard, putting his arms round her and holding her very close to his heart. “But no bad thought, no hate, malice70 or revenge can get through real, pure, everlasting71 love. It can rage, and storm, and threaten outside and make a considerable noise and kick up a tremendous amount of dust,[98] but it can’t touch the love inside a great fortress72 of trust.”
He laughed to reassure her as he watched the troubled look in the big, blue eyes which shone like stars. “Not that I don’t also rely upon my good right arm and trusty automatic when wandering in desert places. Besides, you must remember that she was fairly senseless when she dropped into my arms like an over-ripe plum from a tree, also, that the native is as crammed73 full of tricks as a monkey, and that I haven’t set eyes on her since.”
Gently submissive in the smaller events of everyday life, Helen Raynor invariably carried through any project she considered worth while, with a quiet determination which, when opposed, developed into sheer strength of will; also, she had never been known to back out of a task she had been set, however disagreeable.
“I can’t agree with you, Ra. I can’t help connecting her with the mysterious woman the men are continually talking about; the one who suddenly appears at the head of a gang of bandits, raids a caravan, and disappears as suddenly into the unknown. Of course, if I had known about this woman sooner nothing would have induced me to allow Grandad to undertake the trip. I’m not worrying about myself, but I am worrying about the two people I love most on earth, you and him.” She shivered uncontrollably as she looked out at the far horizon. “I hate this place, and if he wasn’t so terribly obstinate75 I’d make him turn back, even now. What is the finding of hidden water in a desert compared with the lives of those I love so much?”
Ralph Trenchard rose and stretched his hands out to her.
“You are tired, darling, you do too much for our comfort, you never seem to rest, and I don’t like you sitting here without a wrap. It’s hot enough, goodness[99] knows, but the wind from the north is not to be trifled with.”
“Yes, I noticed that the men had their mouths covered after sunset. Let’s go and talk to Grandad, the darling is worrying himself to death because we got half a mile off our course to-day.” She looked up at Ralph Trenchard. “How tall you are, how strong you look, Ra, I don’t think any harm can come to me whilst you are near.”
He leaned and took her hands and pulled her up beside him. He stood over six feet; she was well above the medium height, with her head well set upon splendid shoulders. They seemed the embodiment of strength, with their steady eyes, and quiet movements, and soft voices, as they stood hand in hand alone under the great moon, little knowing that they would shortly be called upon to make use of every atom of physical and mental strength they possessed, so as to win through the terrible days ahead.
“I am strong, beloved, and so are you, and together we will overcome every difficulty in our path.”
“Together,” said Helen softly; “yes, together we cannot fail, and even if we were separated for a time we should still be together. Mentally and spiritually we are so one that no one and nothing can ever separate the real us. I—what’s that?”
There had come the sharp report of a rifle from some spot far ahead of them in the desert, followed immediately by the sound of a great disturbance76 in the camp.
“Excellency! hasten thy footsteps,” cried a camel driver who ran to meet them as they hurried towards the camp. “Eblis, the black devil, has possessed the senses of his offspring, the camels. Hobbled, they essay to flee back upon the path by which they have come; fallen, they fight where they lay until the ground is not a fit sight for the eyes of our lady. Hasten, Excellency;[100] our master, full of wrath, calleth his Excellency’s name, with much groaning77 of spirit.”
“My God!” exclaimed Ralph Trenchard a few minutes later as he stood looking at the camels. “How ghastly!”
To rest both man and beast the camp had been pitched for a week near a well sunk many years ago by Arabs, beneath a clump78 of palm trees which, in its isolated79 fertility, they had recognized as the sure sign of water somewhere beneath the surface.
The camels had been unloaded so that the packs could be more evenly distributed and their backs attended to before starting on the last and most trying lap of the expedition; they had lain contentedly80 sprawling81, or had stood as contentedly ruminating82, as near the brackish83 well as they could get, until fear had swept through the whole herd.
There is no explaining the fear which at any moment, in any place, will suddenly grip this most unimaginative and most stupid of all beasts. In the middle of a crowded thoroughfare, as when alone in the empty desert, it will stop for no reason whatever and begin to shiver, with head outstretched, eyes rolling, and forelegs planted wide as though to resist the onslaught of some unseen enemy.
It is of no avail to kick or beat the terror-stricken creature, and for the following reason it is most unwise to approach too near its formidable mouth. It will stand and shiver until it comes to wellnigh dropping to its knees, and then, with a sudden quick movement of the long neck, will snap at something only visible to its eyes. The fear then passes, and, demoniacal rage filling the vacuum created by the passing of its fear, it will turn and savage84 the nearest object at hand, be it man or fellow-beast or inanimate substance, until, its wrath appeased, it proceeds calmly, indifferently upon its contemptuous way.
“Excellency! Excellency!” wailed85 Abdul, whose garments hung in shreds. “Something which neither I nor[101] my brethren could see walked amongst them an hour ago. They became convulsed with fear of the unknown, Excellency, and shook in their terror, until some fell to the ground, and, being bound, remained there foaming86 at the mouth. Then, at the sound of firing, Eblis the devil entered their black hearts, and they fought, all of them, those that lay upon the ground biting at the dust, those that stood tearing the hair and flesh from each other’s back until the place runs with blood, as your Excellency sees. I have done my best, but neither I nor my brethren will take another step into this desert, which is the abiding87 place of all evil.”
“I don’t blame them,” said Ralph Trenchard to himself, when, having given orders for the tending of the wounded beasts, he went to report the mutiny to Sir Richard.
“They won’t stir another yard, sir! at least, not forward, so we shall have to retrace88 our steps.”
He rejoiced in his heart at the turn things had taken, without reckoning with the old man’s wall-headed obstinacy or the cupidity89 of the native.
“Nonsense!” replied Sir Richard tersely90, as he stalked off towards the mutineers, to return triumphantly91 ten minutes later.
“We start when I said we’d start, my boy, in two days’ time, if the weather clears and the camels are fit,” he said as he entered his tent. “I’ve doubled their pay. Good night.”
“ ... we are poor, very poor, Excellency,” the latter said, concluding his apologia. “We could not withstand the money.”
“Well, I’m sorry you gave in, on account of her Excellency your mistress, but it can’t be helped. Tell me—what did that rifle shot mean?”
[102]
“That was a mistake, Excellency, on the part of those whose eyes watch us from afar.”
“Whose eyes?”
“Perchance those of the woman of mystery, of crime, of death.”
Ralph Trenchard looked over his shoulder towards the tent of the woman he loved, then back at the man.
“Tell the men to have their rifles ready, I am coming to inspect them,” he said abruptly94, then turned away and stood looking out across the desert.
点击收听单词发音
1 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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2 quench | |
vt.熄灭,扑灭;压制 | |
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3 heralding | |
v.预示( herald的现在分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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4 swirl | |
v.(使)打漩,(使)涡卷;n.漩涡,螺旋形 | |
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5 glimmer | |
v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光 | |
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6 boredom | |
n.厌烦,厌倦,乏味,无聊 | |
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7 wayfarers | |
n.旅人,(尤指)徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 ) | |
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8 eternity | |
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷 | |
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9 gregarious | |
adj.群居的,喜好群居的 | |
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10 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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11 bustle | |
v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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12 glamour | |
n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住 | |
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13 beckoning | |
adj.引诱人的,令人心动的v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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14 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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15 appeased | |
安抚,抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 ); 绥靖(满足另一国的要求以避免战争) | |
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16 undoing | |
n.毁灭的原因,祸根;破坏,毁灭 | |
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17 ridges | |
n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊 | |
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18 crests | |
v.到达山顶(或浪峰)( crest的第三人称单数 );到达洪峰,达到顶点 | |
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19 transparent | |
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的 | |
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20 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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21 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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22 scrap | |
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废 | |
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23 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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24 caravan | |
n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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25 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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26 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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27 oasis | |
n.(沙漠中的)绿洲,宜人的地方 | |
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28 vindictive | |
adj.有报仇心的,怀恨的,惩罚的 | |
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29 vindictiveness | |
恶毒;怀恨在心 | |
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30 phantom | |
n.幻影,虚位,幽灵;adj.错觉的,幻影的,幽灵的 | |
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31 eastwards | |
adj.向东方(的),朝东(的);n.向东的方向 | |
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32 exhaustion | |
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述 | |
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33 entail | |
vt.使承担,使成为必要,需要 | |
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34 discomfort | |
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 | |
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35 obstinacy | |
n.顽固;(病痛等)难治 | |
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36 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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37 hummock | |
n.小丘 | |
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38 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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39 succumbed | |
不再抵抗(诱惑、疾病、攻击等)( succumb的过去式和过去分词 ); 屈从; 被压垮; 死 | |
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40 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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41 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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42 brutes | |
兽( brute的名词复数 ); 畜生; 残酷无情的人; 兽性 | |
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43 battalions | |
n.(陆军的)一营(大约有一千兵士)( battalion的名词复数 );协同作战的部队;军队;(组织在一起工作的)队伍 | |
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44 incurable | |
adj.不能医治的,不能矫正的,无救的;n.不治的病人,无救的人 | |
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45 invalids | |
病人,残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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46 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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47 dictates | |
n.命令,规定,要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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48 herd | |
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起 | |
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49 shreds | |
v.撕碎,切碎( shred的第三人称单数 );用撕毁机撕毁(文件) | |
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50 offenders | |
n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 );犯规者;罪犯;妨害…的人(或事物) | |
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51 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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52 turmoil | |
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱 | |
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53 berth | |
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 | |
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54 loathe | |
v.厌恶,嫌恶 | |
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55 upbraid | |
v.斥责,责骂,责备 | |
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56 bazaar | |
n.集市,商店集中区 | |
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57 anatomy | |
n.解剖学,解剖;功能,结构,组织 | |
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58 coup | |
n.政变;突然而成功的行动 | |
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59 pulp | |
n.果肉,纸浆;v.化成纸浆,除去...果肉,制成纸浆 | |
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60 obnoxious | |
adj.极恼人的,讨人厌的,可憎的 | |
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61 outrageously | |
凶残地; 肆无忌惮地; 令人不能容忍地; 不寻常地 | |
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62 aggravating | |
adj.恼人的,讨厌的 | |
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63 muster | |
v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册 | |
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64 desolate | |
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 | |
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65 phantoms | |
n.鬼怪,幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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66 undertaking | |
n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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67 mirage | |
n.海市蜃楼,幻景 | |
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68 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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69 reassure | |
v.使放心,使消除疑虑 | |
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70 malice | |
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋 | |
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71 everlasting | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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72 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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73 crammed | |
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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74 pacified | |
使(某人)安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 ); 息怒; 抚慰; 在(有战争的地区、国家等)实现和平 | |
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75 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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76 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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77 groaning | |
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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78 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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79 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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80 contentedly | |
adv.心满意足地 | |
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81 sprawling | |
adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着) | |
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82 ruminating | |
v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 );反复考虑;反刍;倒嚼 | |
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83 brackish | |
adj.混有盐的;咸的 | |
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84 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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85 wailed | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86 foaming | |
adj.布满泡沫的;发泡 | |
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87 abiding | |
adj.永久的,持久的,不变的 | |
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88 retrace | |
v.折回;追溯,探源 | |
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89 cupidity | |
n.贪心,贪财 | |
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90 tersely | |
adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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91 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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92 beckoned | |
v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93 avert | |
v.防止,避免;转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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94 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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