"We can't."
Magnan stopped short. "Let's go back."
"All right," Retief said. "Of course there may be an ambush—"
Magnan moved off. "Let's keep going."
The party emerged from the undergrowth at the edge of a great brush-grown mound3. Slun took the lead, rounded the flank of the hillock, halted at a rectangular opening cut into the slope.
"You can find your way easily enough from here," he said. "You'll excuse us, I hope—"
"Nonsense, Slun!" Zubb pushed forward. "I'll escort our guests to Qornt Hall." He twittered briefly4 to his fellow Verpp. Slun twittered back.
"I don't like it, Retief," Magnan whispered. "Those fellows are plotting mischief5."
"Threaten them with violence, Mr Magnan. They're scared of you."
"That's true. And the drubbing they received was well-deserved. I'm a patient man, but there are occasions—"
"Come along, please," Zubb called. "Another ten minutes' walk—"
"See here, we have no interest in investigating this barrow," Magnan announced. "We wish you to take us direct to Tarroon to interview your military leaders regarding the ultimatum6!"
"Yes, yes, of course. Qornt Hall lies here inside the village."
"This is Tarroon?"
"A modest civic7 center, sir, but there are those who love it."
"No wonder we didn't observe their works from the air," Magnan muttered. "Camouflaged8." He moved hesitantly through the opening.
The party moved along a wide, deserted9 tunnel which sloped down steeply, then leveled off and branched. Zubb took the center branch, ducking slightly under the nine-foot ceiling lit at intervals10 with what appeared to be primitive11 incandescent12 panels.
"Few signs of an advanced technology here," Magnan whispered. "These creatures must devote all their talents to warlike enterprise."
Ahead, Zubb slowed. A distant susurration was audible, a sustained high-pitched screeching13. "Softly, now. We approach Qornt Hall. They can be an irascible lot when disturbed at their feasting."
"When will the feast be over?" Magnan called hoarsely14.
"In another few weeks, I should imagine, if, as you say, they've scheduled an invasion for next month."
"Look here, Zubb." Magnan shook a finger at the tall alien. "How is it that these Qornt are allowed to embark15 on piratical ventures of this sort without reference to the wishes of the majority?"
"Oh, the majority of the Qornt favor the move, I imagine."
"These few hotheads are permitted to embroil16 the planet in war?"
"Oh, they don't embroil the planet in war. They merely—"
"Retief, this is fantastic! I've heard of iron-fisted military cliques17 before, but this is madness!"
"Come softly, now." Zubb beckoned18, moving toward a bend in the yellow-lit corridor. Retief and Magnan moved forward.
The corridor debouched through a high double door into a vast oval chamber19, high-domed, gloomy, paneled in dark wood and hung with tattered20 banners, scarred halberds, pikes, rusted21 longswords, crossed spears over patinaed hauberks, pitted radiation armor, corroded22 power rifles, the immense mummified heads of horned and fanged23 animals. Great guttering24 torches in wall brackets and in stands along the length of the long table shed a smoky light that reflected from the mirror polish of the red granite25 floor, gleamed on polished silver bowls and paper-thin glass, shone jewel-red and gold through dark bottles—and cast long flickering26 shadows behind the fifteen trolls at the board.
Lesser27 trolls—beaked, bush-haired, great-eyed—trotted briskly, bird-kneed, bearing steaming platters, stood in groups of three strumming slender bottle-shaped lutes, or pranced29 an intricate-patterned dance, unnoticed in the shrill30 uproar31 as each of the magnificently draped, belted, feathered and jeweled Qornt carried on a shouted conversation with an equally noisy fellow.
"A most interesting display of barbaric splendor," Magnan breathed. "Now we'd better be getting back."
"Ah, a moment," Zubb said. "Observe the Qornt—the tallest of the feasters—he with the head-dress of crimson32, purple, silver and pink."
"Twelve feet if he's an inch," Magnan estimated. "And now we really must hurry along—"
"That one is chief among these rowdies. I'm sure you'll want a word with him. He controls not only the Tarroonian vessels33 but those from the other Centers as well."
"What kind of vessels? Warships34?"
"Certainly. What other kind would the Qornt bother with?"
"I don't suppose," Magnan said casually35, "that you'd know the type, tonnage, armament and manning of these vessels? And how many units comprise the fleet? And where they're based at present?"
"They're fully36 automated37 twenty-thousand-ton all-purpose dreadnaughts. They mount a variety of weapons. The Qornt are fond of that sort of thing. Each of the Qornt has his own, of course. They're virtually identical, except for the personal touches each individual has given his ship."
"Great heavens, Retief!" Magnan exclaimed in a whisper. "It sounds as though these brutes38 employ a battle armada as simpler souls might a set of toy sailboats!"
Retief stepped past Magnan and Zubb to study the feasting hall. "I can see that their votes would carry all the necessary weight."
"And now an interview with the Qorn himself," Zubb shrilled39. "If you'll kindly40 step along, gentlemen...."
"That won't be necessary," Magnan said hastily, "I've decided41 to refer the matter to committee."
"After having come so far," Zubb said, "it would be a pity to miss having a cosy42 chat."
There was a pause.
"Ah ... Retief," Magnan said. "Zubb has just presented a most compelling argument...."
Retief turned. Zubb stood gripping an ornately decorated power pistol in one bony hand, a slim needler in the other. Both were pointed43 at Magnan's chest.
"I suspected you had hidden qualities, Zubb," Retief commented.
"See here, Zubb! We're diplomats44!" Magnan started.
"Careful, Mr. Magnan; you may goad46 him to a frenzy47."
"By no means," Zubb whistled. "I much prefer to observe the frenzy of the Qornt when presented with the news that two peaceful Verpp have been assaulted and kidnapped by bullying48 interlopers. If there's anything that annoys the Qornt, it's Qornt-like behavior in others. Now step along, please."
"Rest assured, this will be reported!"
"I doubt it."
"You'll face the wrath49 of Enlightened Galactic Opinion!"
"Oh? How big a navy does Enlightened Galactic Opinion have?"
"Stop scaring him, Mr. Magnan. He may get nervous and shoot." Retief stepped into the banquet hall, headed for the resplendent figure at the head of the table. A trio of flute-players broke off in mid-bleat, staring. An inverted50 pyramid of tumblers blinked as Retief swung past, followed by Magnan and the tall Verpp. The shrill chatter51 at the table faded.
Qorn turned as Retief came up, blinking three-inch eyes. Zubb stepped forward, gibbered, waving his arms excitedly. Qorn pushed back his chair—a low, heavily padded stool—and stared unwinking at Retief, moving his head to bring first one great round eye, then the other, to bear. There were small blue veins52 in the immense fleshy beak28. The bushy hair, springing out in a giant halo around the grayish, porous-skinned face, was wiry, stiff, moss-green, with tufts of chartreuse fuzz surrounding what appeared to be tympanic membranes53. The tall head-dress of scarlet54 silk and purple feathers was slightly askew55, and a loop of pink pearls had slipped down above one eye.
Zubb finished his speech and fell silent, breathing hard.
Qorn looked Retief over in silence, then belched56.
"Not bad," Retief said admiringly. "Maybe we could get up a match between you and Ambassador Sternwheeler. You've got the volume on him, but he's got timbre57."
"So," Qorn hooted58 in a resonant59 tenor60. "You come from Guzzum, eh? Or Smorbrod, as I think you call it. What is it you're after? More time? A compromise? Negotiations61? Peace?" He slammed a bony hand against the table. "The answer is no!"
Zubb twittered. Qorn cocked an eye, motioned to a servant. "Chain that one." He indicated Magnan. His eyes went to Retief. "This one's bigger; you'd best chain him, too."
"Why, your Excellency—" Magnan started, stepping forward.
"Stay back!" Qorn hooted. "Stand over there where I can keep an eye on you."
"Your Excellency, I'm empowered—"
"Not here, you're not!" Qorn trumpeted62. "Want peace, do you? Well, I don't want peace! I've had a surfeit63 of peace these last two centuries! I want action! Loot! Adventure! Glory!" He turned to look down the table. "How about it, fellows? It's war to the knife, eh?"
There was a momentary64 silence from all sides.
"I guess so," grunted65 a giant Qornt in iridescent66 blue with flame-colored plumes67.
Qorn's eyes bulged68. He half rose. "We've been all over this," he bassooned. He clamped bony fingers on the hilt of a light rapier. "I thought I'd made my point!"
"Oh, sure, Qorn."
"You bet."
"I'm convinced."
Qorn rumbled69 and resumed his seat. "All for one and one for all, that's us."
"And you're the one, eh, Qorn?" Retief commented.
Magnan cleared his throat. "I sense that some of you gentlemen are not convinced of the wisdom of this move," he piped, looking along the table at the silks, jewels, beaks70, feather-decked crests71 and staring eyes.
"Silence!" Qorn hooted. "No use your talking to my loyal lieutenants72 anyway," he added. "They do whatever I convince them they ought to do."
"But I'm sure that on more mature consideration—"
"I can lick any Qornt in the house." Qorn said. "That's why I'm Qorn." He belched again.
A servant came up staggering under a weight of chain, dropped it with a crash at Magnan's feet. Zubb aimed the guns while the servant wrapped three loops around Magnan's wrists, snapped a lock in place.
"You next!" The guns pointed at Retief's chest. He held out his arms. Four loops of silvery-gray chain in half-inch links dropped around them. The servant cinched them up tight, squeezed a lock through the ends and closed it.
"Now," Qorn said, lolling back in his chair, glass in hand. "There's a bit of sport to be had here, lads. What shall we do with them?"
"Let them go," the blue and flame Qornt said glumly73.
"You can do better than that," Qorn hooted. "Now here's a suggestion: we carve them up a little—lop off the external labiae and pinnae, say—and ship them back."
"Good lord! Retief, he's talking about cutting off our ears and sending us home mutilated! What a barbaric proposal!"
"It wouldn't be the first time a Terrestrial diplomat45 got a trimming," Retief commented.
"It should have the effect of stimulating74 the Terries to put up a reasonable scrap," Qorn said judiciously75. "I have a feeling that they're thinking of giving up without a struggle."
"Oh, I doubt that," the blue-and-flame Qornt said. "Why should they?"
Qorn rolled an eye at Retief and another at Magnan. "Take these two," he hooted. "I'll wager76 they came here to negotiate a surrender!"
"Well," Magnan started.
"Hold it, Mr. Magnan," Retief said. "I'll tell him."
"What's your proposal?" Qorn whistled, taking a gulp77 from his goblet78. "A fifty-fifty split? Monetary79 reparations? Alternate territory? I can assure you, it's useless. We Qornt like to fight."
"I'm afraid you've gotten the wrong impression, your Excellency," Retief said blandly80. "We didn't come to negotiate. We came to deliver an Ultimatum."
"What?" Qorn trumpeted. Behind Retief, Magnan spluttered.
"We plan to use this planet for target practice," Retief said. "A new type hell bomb we've worked out. Have all your people off of it in seventy-two hours, or suffer the consequences."
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收听单词发音
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1
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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4
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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ultimatum
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| n.最后通牒 | |
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7
civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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8
camouflaged
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| v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰 | |
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9
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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intervals
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| 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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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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incandescent
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| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
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13
screeching
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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14
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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15
embark
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| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
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embroil
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| vt.拖累；牵连；使复杂 | |
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cliques
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| n.小集团，小圈子，派系( clique的名词复数 ) | |
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18
beckoned
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| 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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19
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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21
rusted
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| v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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corroded
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| 已被腐蚀的 | |
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23
fanged
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| adj.有尖牙的，有牙根的，有毒牙的 | |
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24
guttering
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| n.用于建排水系统的材料；沟状切除术；开沟 | |
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25
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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26
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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27
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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29
pranced
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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31
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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32
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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33
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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34
warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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35
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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36
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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automated
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| a.自动化的 | |
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38
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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39
shrilled
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
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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41
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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42
cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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43
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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44
diplomats
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| n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人 | |
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45
diplomat
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| n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人 | |
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46
goad
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| n.刺棒，刺痛物；激励；vt.激励，刺激 | |
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47
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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48
bullying
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| v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈 | |
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49
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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50
inverted
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| adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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52
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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53
membranes
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| n.（动物或植物体内的）薄膜( membrane的名词复数 )；隔膜；（可起防水、防风等作用的）膜状物 | |
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54
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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55
askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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56
belched
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| v.打嗝( belch的过去式和过去分词 )；喷出，吐出；打（嗝）；嗳（气） | |
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57
timbre
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| n.音色，音质 | |
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58
hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
resonant
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| adj.(声音)洪亮的，共鸣的 | |
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60
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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61
negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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62
trumpeted
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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63
surfeit
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| v.使饮食过度；n.(食物)过量，过度 | |
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64
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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65
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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66
iridescent
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| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
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67
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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68
bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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69
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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70
beaks
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| n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者 | |
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71
crests
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| 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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72
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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73
glumly
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| adv.忧郁地，闷闷不乐地；阴郁地 | |
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74
stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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75
judiciously
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| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
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76
wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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77
gulp
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| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
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78
goblet
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| n.高脚酒杯 | |
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79
monetary
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| adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的 | |
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80
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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