Meanwhile the People of the Field had watched Pseudopolis burn, and had wondered what would befall them. They had not long to wonder, for next day the Fields were occupied, without any resistance by the inhabitants.
"The People of the Field," said they, "have never fought, and for them to begin now would be a very unheard-of thing indeed."
So the Fields were captured by the Philistines, and Chloris and Jurgen and all the People of the Field were judged summarily. They were declared to be obsolete2 illusions, whose merited doom3 was to be relegated4 to limbo5. To Jurgen this appeared unreasonable6.
"For I am no illusion," he asserted. "I am manifestly flesh and blood, and in addition, I am the high King of Eubonia, and no less. Why, in disputing these facts you contest circumstances that are so well known hereabouts as to rank among mathematical certainties. And that makes you look foolish, as I tell you for your own good."
This vexed7 the leaders of the Philistines, as it always vexes8 people to be told anything for their own good. "We would have you know," said they, "that we are not mathematicians10; and that moreover, we have no kings in Philistia, where all must do what seems to be expected of them, and have no other law."
"How then can you be the leaders of Philistia?"
"Why, it is expected that women and priests should behave unaccountably. Therefore all we who are women or priests do what we will in Philistia, and the men there obey us. And it is we, the priests of Philistia, who do not think you can possibly have any flesh and blood under a shirt which we recognize to be a conventional figure of speech. It does not stand to reason. And certainly you could not ever prove such a thing by mathematics; and to say so is nonsense."
"But I can prove it by mathematics, quite irrefutably. I can prove anything you require of me by whatever means you may prefer," said Jurgen, modestly, "for the simple reason that I am a monstrous11 clever fellow."
Then spoke12 the wise Queen Dolores, saying: "I have studied mathematics. I will question this young man, in my tent to-night, and in the morning I will report the truth as to his claims. Are you content to endure this interrogatory, my spruce young fellow who wear the shirt of a king?"
Jurgen looked full upon her: she was lovely as a hawk13 is lovely: and of all that Jurgen saw Jurgen approved. He assumed the rest to be in keeping: and deduced that Dolores was a fine woman.
"Madame and Queen," said Jurgen, "I am content. And I can promise to deal fairly with you."
So that evening Jurgen was conducted into the purple tent of Queen Dolores of Philistia. It was quite dark there, and Jurgen went in alone, and wondering what would happen next: but this scented14 darkness he found of excellent augury15, if only because it prevented his shadow from following him.
"Now, you who claim to be flesh and blood, and King of Eubonia, too," says the voice of Queen Dolores, "what is this nonsense you were talking about proving any such claims by mathematics?"
"Well, but my mathematics," replied Jurgen, "are Praxagorean."
"What, do you mean Praxagoras of Cos?"
Praxagoras!"
"But he, as I recall, belonged to the medical school of the Dogmatici," observed the wise Queen Dolores, "and was particularly celebrated17 for his researches in anatomy18. Was he, then, also a mathematician9?"
"The two are not incongruous, madame, as I would be delighted to demonstrate."
"Oh, nobody said that! For, indeed, it does seem to me I have heard of this Praxagorean system of mathematics, though, I confess, I have never studied it."
"Our school, madame, postulates19, first of all, that since the science of mathematics is an abstract science, it is best inculcated by some concrete example."
Said the Queen: "But that sounds rather complicated."
"It occasionally leads to complications," Jurgen admitted, "through a choice of the wrong example. But the axiom is no less true."
"Come, then, and sit next to me on this couch if you can find it in the dark; and do you explain to me what you mean."
"Why, madame, by a concrete example I mean one that is perceptible to any of the senses—as to sight or hearing, or touch—"
"Oh, oh!" said the Queen, "now I perceive what you mean by a concrete example. And grasping this, I can understand that complications must of course arise from a choice of the wrong example."
"Well, then, madame, it is first necessary to implant20 in you, by the force of example, a lively sense of the peculiar21 character, and virtues23 and properties, of each of the numbers upon which is based the whole science of Praxagorean mathematics. For in order to convince you thoroughly24, we must start far down, at the beginning of all things."
"I see," said the Queen, "or rather, in this darkness I cannot see at all, but I perceive your point. Your opening interests me: and you may go on."
"Now ONE, or the monad," says Jurgen, "is the principle and the end of all: it reveals the sublime25 knot which binds26 together the chain of causes: it is the symbol of identity, of equality, of existence, of conservation, and of general harmony." And Jurgen emphasized these characteristics vigorously. "In brief, ONE is a symbol of the union of things: it introduces that generating virtue22 which is the cause of all combinations: and consequently ONE is a good principle."
But what has become of your concrete example?"
"It is ready for you, madame: there is but ONE Jurgen."
"Oh, I assure you, I am not yet convinced of that. Still, the audacity28 of your example will help me to remember ONE, whether or not you prove to be really unique."
"Now, TWO, or the dyad, the origin of contrasts—"
Jurgen went on penetratingly to demonstrate that TWO was a symbol of diversity and of restlessness and of disorder29, ending in collapse30 and separation: and was accordingly an evil principle. Thus was the life of every man made wretched by the struggle between his TWO components31, his soul and his body; and thus was the rapture32 of expectant parents considerably33 abated34 by the advent35 of TWINS.
THREE, or the triad, however, since everything was composed of three substances, contained the most sublime mysteries, which Jurgen duly communicated. We must remember, he pointed36 out, that Zeus carried a TRIPLE thunderbolt, and Poseidon a TRIDENT, whereas Adês was guarded by a dog with THREE heads: this in addition to the omnipotent37 brothers themselves being a TRIO.
Thus Jurgen continued to impart the Praxagorean significance of each digit38 separately: and by and by the Queen was declaring his flow of wisdom was superhuman.
"Ah, but, madame, not even the wisdom of a king is without limit.
EIGHT, I repeat, then, is appropriately the number of the
Beatitudes. And NINE, or the ennead, also, being the multiple of
THREE, should be regarded as sacred—"
The Queen attended docilely39 to his demonstration40 of the peculiar properties of NINE. And when he had ended she confessed that beyond doubt NINE should be regarded as miraculous41. But she repudiated42 his analogues43 as to the muses44, the lives of a cat, and how many tailors made a man.
"Rather, I shall remember always," she declared, "that King Jurgen of Eubonia is a NINE days' wonder."
"Well, madame," said Jurgen, with a sigh, "now that we have reached
"Oh, what a pity!" cried Queen Dolores. "Nevertheless, I will concede the only illustration I disputed; there is but ONE Jurgen: and certainly this Praxagorean system of mathematics is a fascinating study." And promptly47 she commenced to plan Jurgen's return with her into Philistia, so that she might perfect herself in the higher branches of mathematics. "For you must teach me calculus48 and geometry and all other sciences in which these digits are employed. We can arrange some compromise with the priests. That is always possible with the priests of Philistia, and indeed the priests of Sesphra can be made to help anybody in anything. And as for your Hamadryad, I will attend to her myself."
"But, no," says Jurgen, "I am ready enough in all conscience to compromise elsewhere: but to compound with the forces of Philistia is the one thing I cannot do."
"I mean it, my dear, as I mean nothing else. You are in many ways an admirable people, and you are in all ways a formidable people. So I admire, I dread50, I avoid, and at the very last pinch I defy. For you are not my people, and willy-nilly my gorge51 rises against your laws, as equally insane and abhorrent52. Mind you, though, I assert nothing. You may be right in attributing wisdom to these laws; and certainly I cannot go so far as to say you are wrong: but still, at the same time—! That is the way I feel about it. So I, who compromise with everything else, can make no compromise with Philistia. No, my adored Dolores, it is not a virtue, rather it is an instinct with me, and I have no choice."
Even Dolores, who was Queen of all the Philistines, could perceive that this man spoke truthfully. "I am sorry," says she, with real regret, "for you could be much run after in Philistia."
"Yes," said Jurgen, "as an instructor53 in mathematics."
"But, no, King Jurgen, not only in mathematics," said Dolores, reasonably. "There is poetry, for instance! For they tell me you are a poet, and a great many of my people take poetry quite seriously, I believe. Of course, I do not have much time for reading, myself. So you can be the Poet Laureate of Philistia, on any salary you like. And you can teach us all your ideas by writing beautiful poems about them. And you and I can be very happy together."
"Teach, teach! there speaks Philistia, and very temptingly, too, through an adorable mouth, that would bribe54 me with praise and fine food and soft days forever. It is a thing that happens rather often, though. And I can but repeat that art is not a branch of pedagogy!"
"Really I am heartily sorry. For apart from mathematics, I like you,
King Jurgen, just as a person."
"I, too, am sorry, Dolores. For I confess to a weakness for the women of Philistia."
"Certainly you have given me no cause to suspect you of any weakness in that quarter," observed Dolores, "in the long while you have been alone with me, and have talked so wisely and have reasoned so deeply. I am afraid that after to-night I shall find all other men more or less superficial. Heigho! and I shall probably weep my eyes out to-morrow when you are relegated to limbo. For that is what the priests will do with you, King Jurgen, on one plea or another, if you do not conform to the laws of Philistia."
"And that one compromise I cannot make! Ah, but even now I have a plan wherewith to escape your priests: and failing that, I possess a cantrap to fall back upon in my hour of direst need. My private affairs are thus not yet in a hopeless or even in a dejected condition. This fact now urges me to observe that TEN, or the decade, is the measure of all, since it contains all the numeric relations and harmonies—"
So they continued their study of mathematics until it was time for
Jurgen to appear again before his judges.
And in the morning Queen Dolores sent word to her priests that she was too sleepy to attend their council, but that the man was indisputably flesh and blood, amply deserved to be a king, and as a mathematician had not his peer.
Now these points being settled, the judges conferred, and Jurgen was decreed a backslider into the ways of undesirable55 error. His judges were the priests of Vel-Tyno and Sesphra and Ageus, who are the Gods of Philistia.
Then the priest of Ageus put on his spectacles and consulted the canonical56 law, and declared that this change in the indictment57 necessitated58 a severance59 of Jurgen from the others, in the infliction60 of punishment.
"For each, of course, must be relegated to the limbo of his fathers, as was foretold61, in order that the prophecies may be fulfilled. Religion languishes62 when prophecies are not fulfilled. Now it appears that the forefathers63 of the flesh and blood prisoner were of a different faith from the progenitors64 of these obsolete illusions, and that his fathers foretold quite different things, and that their limbo was called Hell."
"It is little you know," says Jurgen, "of the religion of Eubonia."
"We have it written down in this great book," the priest of Vel-Tyno then told him,—"every word of it without blot65 or error."
"Then you will see that the King of Eubonia is the head of the church there, and changes all the prophecies at will. Learned Gowlais says so directly: and the judicious66 Stevegonius was forced to agree with him, however unwillingly67, as you will instantly discover by consulting the third section of his widely famous nineteenth chapter."
"Both Gowlais and Stevegonius were probably notorious heretics," says the priest of Ageus. "I believe that was settled once for all at the Diet of Orthumar."
"Eh!" says Jurgen. He did not like this priest. "Now I will wager68, sirs," Jurgen continued, a trifle patronizingly, "that you gentlemen have not read Gowlais, or even Stevegonius, in the light of Vossler's commentaries. And that is why you underrate them."
"I at least have read every word that was ever written by any of these three," replied the priest of Sesphra—"and with, as I need hardly say, the liveliest abhorrence69. And this Gowlais in particular, as I hasten to agree with my learned confrère, is a most notorious heretic—"
"I tell you that I have been roused to indignation by his Historia de Bello Veneris—"
"You surprise me: still—"
"—Shocked by his Pornoboscodidascolo—"
"I can hardly believe it: even so, you must grant—"
"—And horrified by his Liber de immortalitate Mentulæ—"
"Well, conceding you that earlier work, sir, yet, at the same time—"
"—And have been disgusted by his De modo coeundi—"
"Ah, but, none the less—"
"—And have shuddered71 over the unspeakable enormities of his Erotopægnion! of his Cinædica! and especially of his Epipedesis, that most pestilential and abominable72 book, quem sine horrore nemo potest legere—"
"Still, you cannot deny—"
"—And have read also all the confutations of this detestable
Gowlais: as those of Zanchius, Faventinus, Lelius Vincentius,
Lagalla, Thomas Giaminus, and eight other admirable commentators—"
"You are very exact, sir: but—"
"—And that, in short, I have read every book you can imagine," says the priest of Sesphra.
The shoulders of Jurgen rose to his ears, and Jurgen silently flung out his hands, palms upward.
"For, I perceive," says Jurgen, to himself, "that this Realist is too circumstantial for me. None the less, he invents his facts: it is by citing books which never existed that he publicly confutes the Gowlais whom I invented privately73: and that is not fair. Now there remains74 only one chance for Jurgen; but luckily that chance is sure."
"Aha, you may well ask!" cried Jurgen. He unfolded the cantrap which had been given him by the Master Philologist76, and which Jurgen had treasured against the time when more was needed than a glib77 tongue. "O most unrighteous judges," says Jurgen, sternly, "now hear and tremble! 'At the death of Adrian the Fifth, Pedro Juliani, who should be named John the Twentieth, was through an error in the reckoning elevated to the papal chair as John the Twenty-first!'"
"Hah, and what have we to do with that?" inquired the priest of Vel-Tyno, with raised eyebrows78. "Why are you telling us of these irrelevant79 matters?"
"Because I thought it would interest you," said Jurgen. "It was a fact that appeared to me rather amusing. So I thought I would mention it."
"Then you have very queer ideas of amusement," they told him. And
Jurgen perceived that either he had not employed his cantrap
correctly or else that its magic was unappreciated by the leaders of
Philistia.
点击收听单词发音
1 philistines | |
n.市侩,庸人( philistine的名词复数 );庸夫俗子 | |
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2 obsolete | |
adj.已废弃的,过时的 | |
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3 doom | |
n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定 | |
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4 relegated | |
v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 );使降职;转移;把…归类 | |
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5 limbo | |
n.地狱的边缘;监狱 | |
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6 unreasonable | |
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的 | |
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7 vexed | |
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
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8 vexes | |
v.使烦恼( vex的第三人称单数 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
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9 mathematician | |
n.数学家 | |
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10 mathematicians | |
数学家( mathematician的名词复数 ) | |
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11 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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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 hawk | |
n.鹰,骗子;鹰派成员 | |
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14 scented | |
adj.有香味的;洒香水的;有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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15 augury | |
n.预言,征兆,占卦 | |
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16 scoffed | |
嘲笑,嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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18 anatomy | |
n.解剖学,解剖;功能,结构,组织 | |
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19 postulates | |
v.假定,假设( postulate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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20 implant | |
vt.注入,植入,灌输 | |
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21 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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22 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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23 virtues | |
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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24 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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25 sublime | |
adj.崇高的,伟大的;极度的,不顾后果的 | |
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26 binds | |
v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 );装订;捆绑;(用长布条)缠绕 | |
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27 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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28 audacity | |
n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 | |
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29 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
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30 collapse | |
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
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31 components | |
(机器、设备等的)构成要素,零件,成分; 成分( component的名词复数 ); [物理化学]组分; [数学]分量; (混合物的)组成部分 | |
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32 rapture | |
n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜 | |
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33 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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34 abated | |
减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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35 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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36 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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37 omnipotent | |
adj.全能的,万能的 | |
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38 digit | |
n.零到九的阿拉伯数字,手指,脚趾 | |
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39 docilely | |
adv.容易教地,易驾驶地,驯服地 | |
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40 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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41 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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42 repudiated | |
v.(正式地)否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 );拒绝接受;拒绝与…往来;拒不履行(法律义务) | |
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43 analogues | |
相似物( analogue的名词复数 ); 类似物; 类比; 同源词 | |
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44 muses | |
v.沉思,冥想( muse的第三人称单数 );沉思自语说(某事) | |
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45 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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46 digits | |
n.数字( digit的名词复数 );手指,足趾 | |
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47 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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48 calculus | |
n.微积分;结石 | |
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49 astounded | |
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶 | |
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50 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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51 gorge | |
n.咽喉,胃,暴食,山峡;v.塞饱,狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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52 abhorrent | |
adj.可恶的,可恨的,讨厌的 | |
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53 instructor | |
n.指导者,教员,教练 | |
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54 bribe | |
n.贿赂;v.向…行贿,买通 | |
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55 undesirable | |
adj.不受欢迎的,不良的,不合意的,讨厌的;n.不受欢迎的人,不良分子 | |
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56 canonical | |
n.权威的;典型的 | |
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57 indictment | |
n.起诉;诉状 | |
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58 necessitated | |
使…成为必要,需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59 severance | |
n.离职金;切断 | |
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60 infliction | |
n.(强加于人身的)痛苦,刑罚 | |
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61 foretold | |
v.预言,预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62 languishes | |
长期受苦( languish的第三人称单数 ); 受折磨; 变得(越来越)衰弱; 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐 | |
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63 forefathers | |
n.祖先,先人;祖先,祖宗( forefather的名词复数 );列祖列宗;前人 | |
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64 progenitors | |
n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 );先驱;前辈;原本 | |
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65 blot | |
vt.弄脏(用吸墨纸)吸干;n.污点,污渍 | |
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66 judicious | |
adj.明智的,明断的,能作出明智决定的 | |
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67 unwillingly | |
adv.不情愿地 | |
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68 wager | |
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌 | |
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69 abhorrence | |
n.憎恶;可憎恶的事 | |
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70 horrified | |
a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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71 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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72 abominable | |
adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的 | |
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73 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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74 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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75 fumbling | |
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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76 philologist | |
n.语言学者,文献学者 | |
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77 glib | |
adj.圆滑的,油嘴滑舌的 | |
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78 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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79 irrelevant | |
adj.不恰当的,无关系的,不相干的 | |
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