As for Timothy, the splendid twilight6 vision of Sarah in her red array was by no means dimmed by the subsequent appearance of his own fair kinswoman. A first fiery7 love had dawned in him, and the romantic circumstances attending its awakening8 added glamour9 to the charm of mystery. Already he almost granted Gammer Gurney a measure of the powers she pretended to. Aggett’s statement had iced his ardour for a while; but a bitter-sweet yearning10 and unrest grew again after the cowman was gone—grew gigantic to the shutting out of all other things feminine; and Sarah’s grey eyes, not his little cousin’s, were the lamps that lighted Timothy’s midnight pillow.
In the morning he gave himself great store of practical and sensible advice. He told himself that he was too good a sportsman to interfere11 with another’s game and poach on another’s preserve; and he assured himself that he was too excellent a son to fall in love with a blacksmith’s daughter and sadden his mother’s declining days. He laughed at himself, and, when he met John after breakfast, spoke12 no more of the incident. He grew p. 37self-righteous toward noon and was secretly proud of himself for having withstood the fascination13 of Sarah Belworthy’s face and voice with such conspicuous15 ease. He told his conscience that the fancy was already dead; he felt that it would be interesting to meet the girl again; and he assured himself that her image in full, garish16 daylight must doubtless fall far below the perfection that it suggested half veiled under coming darkness. During that afternoon he marvelled17 a little at his own restlessness, then sought occupation and decided18 that it would be well to have his horse’s shoes roughed. He knew under this explicit19 determination lurked20 implicit21 desire to see the father of Sarah Belworthy, but he did not give his mind time to accuse him. He looked to his horse himself; he was very busy and whistled and addressed those he knew about him, as he trotted22 down to the smithy, feebly trying to deceive himself.
A black cavern23 gaped24 out on the grey day, and from within came chime of anvil25 and hoarse26 breath of bellows27. But it was not the spluttering soft red-hot iron that caught Tim’s eye. A lurid28 figure appeared and disappeared like magic as each pulse of the bellows woke a flame that lighted up the forge. This vision now gleamed in the blaze, then faded as the fire faded, and Timothy knew it for his pixie queen of the preceding night. Such an p. 38unexpected incident unnerved him; for a brief moment he thought of riding on; but he had already drawn29 rein30 and now dismounted, his heart throbbing31 like the fire.
Sarah had brought her father some refreshments32 from home, and was amusing herself, as she had often done before, with the great leathern bellows, while a lad worked at the anvil and the smith rested from his labour and ate and drank.
Smith Belworthy gloried more than common in two possessions; his daughter and his bass33 viol. Sometimes he mentioned one first, sometimes the other. To-day, having greeted Tim with great friendship and not forgetting the incident of the previous night, he bid Sarah step forward, much to her mortification34, and drew young Chave’s attention to her as though she had been some item in an exhibition.
“My darter, young sir, Sally by name. Theer’s a bowerly maid for ’e! An’ so gude as she’m purty; an’ so wise as she’m gude most times. Awnly eighteen year auld35, though all woman, I assure ’e. But tokened, maister—tokened to a sandy-headed giant by name of Jan Aggett—her awnly silly deed, I reckon.”
“The best fellow in the world,” said Timothy.
“Maybe, but who be gude enough for the likes o’ she? My li’l rose of Sharon her be; an’ the p. 39husband as I’d have chose should have been somebody, ’stead of nobody. But theer she is, an’ I lay you’ve never seed a purtier piece in all your travels, have ’e now?”
The blacksmith grinned affectionately, held Sarah’s arm in his grimy grip and surveyed his daughter as he had gazed upon some prize beast or a triumph of the anvil.
“Doan’t heed36 un,” burst out Sally, her grey eyes clouded, and her face as red as her gown. “Never did no girl have such a gert gaby of a faither as me. His wan37 goose be a royal swan, an’ he do reckon all the countryside must see wi’ his silly eyne an’ think same as him—fond auld man!”
The cold light of day and the forge-glow struck her face alternately as she moved. Young Chave was a man and not a stock or a stone. Therefore he seized the hour and answered her remark.
“You shouldn’t blame your father for telling the truth, young mistress,” he said. “Even though it suit you not to hear it. Yet when ’tis so pleasant and so generally accepted, it might well be agreeable to you.”
“Theer’s butivul scholar’s English,” chuckled38 Mr. Belworthy; “theer’s high gen’leman’s language, an’ the case in a nutshell!”
Sarah grew shy and uncomfortable. Angry she could not be before Tim’s compliments, and how p. 40to answer him without contradicting him she did not know. So she turned to her father instead.
“Be gwaine to eat an’ drink up your food or ban’t ’e, faither?”
“All in gude time. I’ve got to rough the young gen’leman’s horse’s shoes fust.”
“Be in no hurry,” said Tim. “I can wait awhile.”
“I can’t then,” declared Sarah, ungraciously, and so marched off in a fine flutter of mingled39 emotions.
Mr. Belworthy looked up from the hoof40 between his knees and winked41 with great significance at Timothy.
“Kittle cattle—eh? Look at the walk of her! Theer ban’t another girl this side Dartymoor as travels like that. ’Tis light as a bird, an’ you’d doubt if her’d leave a footprint ’pon new-fallen snow.”
“So Diana walked,” declared Tim.
“Did her? A Plymouth maiden43, I s’pose?” asked Mr. Belworthy, with simulated indifference44.
“No—a goddess of ancient times—just a moonbeam shadow, you know. Not a splendid flesh and blood beauty like your daughter.”
There was no sound but the rasping of the file; then Belworthy spoke again.
“Tokened to a man as’ll never rise much beyond Bellever Barton cow yard—that’s the mischief45 of p. 41it. Her, as might have looked so high, seein’ as the body of her an’ the faace of her be what they be. Not a word ’gainst the chap, mind. Brains is the gift of God, to be given or held back according to His gude pleasure.”
“Such a clever girl, too, I’ll warrant. What did she see in John Aggett, I wonder?”
“Clever in a way, though not so full of wit as my cheel might have been prophesied46. Me bein’ generally reckoned a man of might on the bass viol Sundays. But Sally’s just Sally, an’ I wouldn’t change an eyelash of her. Power over musical instruments ban’t given to women-kind, I reckon; though for plain singin’ wi’ other maidens47 in a plaace o’ worship, she’m a tower o’ strength. An’ she be just a polished corner o’ the temple prayer-times, no matter what gentlefolks comes theer. As to why she took on wi’ Jan, I lay her couldn’t give ’e reasons any more’n me. But so ’tis, an’ though it mayn’t never come to axing out in church, yet lovers be stubborn in their awn conceits48. An’ so—you being Farmer Chave’s awn son an’ heir—might, if you was that way minded, up an’ say a word for Jan.”
“So I will then. He’s a right good fellow.”
“’Tis the season o’ herald49 angels, when hearts are warm, you see. An’ six shillin’ a week do taake a terrible long time to goody. Of course, Jan gets p. 42cider, an’ corn at market price tu; yet wi’out offence ’tis tail corn most times an’ not stomachable—stuff as doan’t harden muscle.”
“My father would never give his men tail corn,” cried Timothy, indignantly.
“Wouldn’t he? Then I was wrong. I wouldn’t go against un for all the tin hid on Dartymoor. But theer ’tis. I doan’t see how the man’s gwaine to save against a wife an’ fam’ly unless his wage be bettered. An’ I don’t want to see my darter grow into an auld virgin50 mumphead while he’s tryin’ to scrape brass51 enough to give her a home. ’Tis wisht work such waitin’.”
“I’ll not forget John Aggett. He’s a very well-meaning man, and honest, and a splendid shot.”
“So he is then, an’ a gude shot as you say, though I’ll allus be sorry as he brought down my li’l bird.”
“If she loves him, ’twill fall out all right, you know, Belworthy.”
“If love could taake the place o’ victuals52 an’ a stone cottage an’ a snug53 peat hearth54, it might fall out right; but I’m sorry for the maiden’s love as have got to burn at full pitch o’ heat year arter year wi’ marriage no nearer. ’Tis a withering55 thing for a girl to love on, knawin’ in her secret heart as each winter doan’t pass awver her for nought56 but leaves its awn touch o’ coldness an’ greyness. She hides it from the man, o’ course—from p. 43everyone else tu, for that matter,—but ’tis with her all the seasons through an’ dims her eye, an’ furrows57 her smooth young forehead at night-times unbeknawnst to them that love her best.”
Timothy doubted not that the blacksmith spoke truth, then he trotted off up the hill, and without set purpose overtook Sarah on her way home. Her voice and the frankness of her face thrilled him as she smiled shyly, her temper gone. Again she chid58 him for listening to her parent’s nonsense, and he tried to assume a friendly, fatherly manner toward her, and failed. The girl made his blood burn and his hand shake on his horse’s mane. His breath came short, his eyes grew bright, and only with difficulty did he arrest a frantic59, reckless petition for a kiss at any cost. Perhaps such an abrupt60 and volcanic61 climax62 had been best; but he restrained himself, swallowed his ardour and became humble63 before her. Seeing that she preferred this attitude, he sank to servility; then, rating him for wasting his time and her own, she turned away hard by her cottage door, and he, without formal farewell, walked his horse onward64 all a-dreaming. Sarah, too, was not unmoved, but she hid her emotion and was glad that neither her mother’s nor any other pair of eyes had seen her with young Chave.
Timothy met the third party to that unfolding drama as he proceeded on to the Moor42. Then came p. 44John Aggett with an anxious face looking out upon the world above his pale beard. The labourer stopped Tim, and in broken sentences—like a child that wrestles65 to describe new things within his experience but beyond his vocabulary—strove clumsily to express a mental upheaval66 which he lacked words to display. He made it clear, however, that he was in a great turmoil67 of mind and much driven by fear of appearances in connection with Gammer Gurney’s predictions of the previous night.
“I be just come from speech with the old woman, and can’t say as ’twas sense or yet nonsense I got out of her. She kept a close watch on her lips, ’peared to me; but her eyes threatened bad things an’ her weern’t at ease. ‘What will happen, will happen,’ she sez to me; an’ at the fust utterance68 it seemed a deep sayin’, yet, come to think on’t, ’twas a thing known so well to me as she.”
“Why did you go to her?” enquired69 Timothy, knowing without need of answer.
“’Bout last night. Couldn’t banish70 it from my head what her said as to your sweetheart. So I went an’ telled her how you met my Sarah an’ axed if that comed in the spell, seein’ the girl were tokened to another man. An’ she said as it might be or might not be, because the spoken word remained an’ was no more to be called back again than last year’s primrosen. Then I axed her what p. 45her view of it might be, an’ she up an’ said what I told ’e; ‘What will happen, will happen.’ Arter that I grew hot an’ said any fule knowed so much, an’ she turned round ’pon me like a dog you’ve trod on by mistake, an’ her eyes glinted like shinin’ steel, an’ I reckoned she was gwaine to awverlook me theer an’ then. So I cleared out of it.”
“What happens, happens, because it must. That’s all right enough, John. And things won’t fall out differently because we take thought and pine about ’em.”
“I be keepin’ comp’ny, an’ it may be a sort o’ state as blinds the eyes,” said Aggett, humbly71. “I trust ’e in this thing—you’m a gen’leman, an’ wiser’n me, as be a mere72 zawk for brains alongside you. But theer ’tis, she’m my awn maid, an’ if the ’mazin’ butivul looks of her have fired ’e, then, as you’m a gude man, so I pray you’ll be at trouble not to see her no more. ’Tis very well to say what must fall, must; but the future did ought to be a man’s sarvant, I reckon, not his master.”
“That’s not philosophic73, John.”
“Anyway, if theer’s danger in my maid to you, then turn your back upon her. I sez it wi’ all respects as man to master; an’ as man to man, I’ll say more, an’ bid you be a man an’ look any way but that. Ess fay, I sez it, though not worthy14 to hold a cannel to ’e. An’ what’s more, I trust ’e.”
p. 46To Timothy’s relief John did not delay for an answer to his exhortation74, but proceeded upon his way. So they parted, by curious chance, at that spot where to-day there rise the mound75 and aged76 thorn. The Moor was of a uniform and sullen77 iron colour under a sky of like hue78 but paler shade. The north wind still blew, but the clouds were lower, denser79 and heavy with snow. Even as Aggett went down the hill and his rival proceeded upward, there came fluttering out of the grey the first scattered80 flakes81 of a long-delayed downfall. They floated singly, wide-scattered on the wind; others followed; here a monstrous82 fragment, undulating like a feather, capsized in the invisible currents of the air. Then the swarm83 thickened and hurried horizontally in puffs84 and handfuls. The clean black edges of the distant Moor were now swept and softened85 with a mist of falling snow; aloft, thicker and faster, came the flakes, huddling86 and leaping out of nothingness and appearing as dark grey specks87 against the lighter88 sky. Presently indication of change marked the world, and a glimmer89 of virgin white under on-coming gloom outlined sheep tracks and made ghostly the grey boulders90 of the Moor. By nightfall the great snow had fairly begun, and blinding blizzards91 were screaming over the Moor on the wings of a gale92 of wind.
点击收听单词发音
1 lame | |
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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2 allay | |
v.消除,减轻(恐惧、怀疑等) | |
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3 loft | |
n.阁楼,顶楼 | |
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4 catastrophe | |
n.大灾难,大祸 | |
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5 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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6 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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7 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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8 awakening | |
n.觉醒,醒悟 adj.觉醒中的;唤醒的 | |
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9 glamour | |
n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住 | |
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10 yearning | |
a.渴望的;向往的;怀念的 | |
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11 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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12 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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13 fascination | |
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 | |
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14 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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15 conspicuous | |
adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的 | |
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16 garish | |
adj.华丽而俗气的,华而不实的 | |
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17 marvelled | |
v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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19 explicit | |
adj.详述的,明确的;坦率的;显然的 | |
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20 lurked | |
vi.潜伏,埋伏(lurk的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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21 implicit | |
a.暗示的,含蓄的,不明晰的,绝对的 | |
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22 trotted | |
小跑,急走( trot的过去分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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23 cavern | |
n.洞穴,大山洞 | |
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24 gaped | |
v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 );张开,张大 | |
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25 anvil | |
n.铁钻 | |
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26 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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27 bellows | |
n.风箱;发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的名词复数 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫v.发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的第三人称单数 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫 | |
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28 lurid | |
adj.可怕的;血红的;苍白的 | |
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29 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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30 rein | |
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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31 throbbing | |
a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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32 refreshments | |
n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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33 bass | |
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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34 mortification | |
n.耻辱,屈辱 | |
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35 auld | |
adj.老的,旧的 | |
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36 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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37 wan | |
(wide area network)广域网 | |
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38 chuckled | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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40 hoof | |
n.(马,牛等的)蹄 | |
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41 winked | |
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮 | |
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42 moor | |
n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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43 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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44 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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45 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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46 prophesied | |
v.预告,预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47 maidens | |
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球 | |
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48 conceits | |
高傲( conceit的名词复数 ); 自以为; 巧妙的词语; 别出心裁的比喻 | |
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49 herald | |
vt.预示...的来临,预告,宣布,欢迎 | |
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50 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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51 brass | |
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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52 victuals | |
n.食物;食品 | |
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53 snug | |
adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房 | |
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54 hearth | |
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面 | |
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55 withering | |
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的 | |
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56 nought | |
n./adj.无,零 | |
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57 furrows | |
n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 );(脸上的)皱纹v.犁田,开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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58 chid | |
v.责骂,责备( chide的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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60 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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61 volcanic | |
adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的 | |
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62 climax | |
n.顶点;高潮;v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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63 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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64 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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65 wrestles | |
v.(与某人)搏斗( wrestle的第三人称单数 );扭成一团;扭打;(与…)摔跤 | |
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66 upheaval | |
n.胀起,(地壳)的隆起;剧变,动乱 | |
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67 turmoil | |
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱 | |
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68 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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69 enquired | |
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问 | |
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70 banish | |
vt.放逐,驱逐;消除,排除 | |
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71 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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72 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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73 philosophic | |
adj.哲学的,贤明的 | |
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74 exhortation | |
n.劝告,规劝 | |
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75 mound | |
n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫 | |
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76 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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77 sullen | |
adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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78 hue | |
n.色度;色调;样子 | |
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79 denser | |
adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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80 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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81 flakes | |
小薄片( flake的名词复数 ); (尤指)碎片; 雪花; 古怪的人 | |
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82 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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83 swarm | |
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
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84 puffs | |
n.吸( puff的名词复数 );(烟斗或香烟的)一吸;一缕(烟、蒸汽等);(呼吸或风的)呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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85 softened | |
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰 | |
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86 huddling | |
n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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87 specks | |
n.眼镜;斑点,微粒,污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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88 lighter | |
n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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89 glimmer | |
v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光 | |
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90 boulders | |
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾 | |
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91 blizzards | |
暴风雪( blizzard的名词复数 ); 暴风雪似的一阵,大量(或大批) | |
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92 gale | |
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) | |
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