—So with outragious cry,
A thousand villeins round about him swarmed1
Out of the rocks and caves adjoining nye;
Vile2 caitive wretches3, ragged4, rude, deformed5;
All threatning death, all in straunge manner armed;
Some with unweldy clubs, some with long speares.
Some rusty6 knives, some staves in fier warmd.
We will not be of any occupation,
Let such vile vassals7, born to base vocation8,
Drudge9 in the world, and for their living droyle,
Which have no wit to live withouten toyle.
Southwest of Barrington lies Charles’s Isle10. And hereby hangs a history which I gathered long ago from a shipmate learned in all the lore11 of outlandish life.
During the successful revolt of the Spanish provinces from Old Spain, there fought on behalf of Peru a certain Creole adventurer from Cuba, who, by his bravery and good fortune, at length advanced himself to high rank in the patriot12 army. The war being ended, Peru found itself like many valorous gentlemen, free and independent enough, but with few shot in the locker14. In other words, Peru had not wherewithal to pay off its troops. But the Creole—I forget his name—volunteered to take his pay in lands. So they told him he might have his pick of the Enchanted15 Isles16, which were then, as they still remain, the nominal17 appanage of Peru. The soldier straightway embarks18 thither19, explores the group, returns to Callao, and says he will take a deed of Charles’s Isle. Moreover, this deed must stipulate20 that thenceforth Charles’s Isle is not only the sole property of the Creole, but is forever free of Peru, even as Peru of Spain. To be short, this adventurer procures22 himself to be made in effect Supreme23 Lord of the Island, one of the princes of the powers of the earth.[A]
[Footnote A: The American Spaniards have long been in the habit of making presents of islands to deserving individuals. The pilot Juan Fernandez procured24 a deed of the isle named after him, and for some years resided there before Selkirk came. It is supposed, however, that he eventually contracted the blues25 upon his princely property, for after a time he returned to the main, and as report goes, became a very garrulous26 barber in the city of Lima.]
He now sends forth21 a proclamation inviting27 subjects to his as yet unpopulated kingdom. Some eighty souls, men and women, respond; and being provided by their leader with necessaries, and tools of various sorts, together with a few cattle and goats, take ship for the promised land; the last arrival on board, prior to sailing, being the Creole himself, accompanied, strange to say, by a disciplined cavalry28 company of large grim dogs. These, it was observed on the passage, refusing to consort29 with the emigrants30, remained aristocratically grouped around their master on the elevated quarter-deck, casting disdainful glances forward upon the inferior rabble31 there; much as, from the ramparts, the soldiers of a garrison32, thrown into a conquered town, eye the inglorious citizen-mob over which they are set to watch.
Now Charles’s Isle not only resembles Barrington Isle in being much more inhabitable than other parts of the group, but it is double the size of Barrington, say forty or fifty miles in circuit.
Safely debarked at last, the company, under direction of their lord and patron, forthwith proceeded to build their capital city. They make considerable advance in the way of walls of clinkers, and lava33 floors, nicely sanded with cinders34. On the least barren hills they pasture their cattle, while the goats, adventurers by nature, explore the far inland solitudes35 for a scanty36 livelihood37 of lofty herbage. Meantime, abundance of fish and tortoises supply their other wants.
The disorders38 incident to settling all primitive39 regions, in the present case were heightened by the peculiarly untoward40 character of many of the pilgrims. His Majesty41 was forced at last to proclaim martial42 law, and actually hunted and shot with his own hand several of his rebellious43 subjects, who, with most questionable44 intentions, had clandestinely45 encamped in the interior, whence they stole by night, to prowl barefooted on tiptoe round the precincts of the lava-palace. It is to be remarked, however, that prior to such stern proceedings46, the more reliable men had been judiciously47 picked out for an infantry48 body-guard, subordinate to the cavalry body-guard of dogs. But the state of politics in this unhappy nation may be somewhat imagined, from the circumstance that all who were not of the body-guard were downright plotters and malignant49 traitors50. At length the death penalty was tacitly abolished, owing to the timely thought, that were strict sportsman’s justice to be dispensed51 among such subjects, ere long the Nimrod King would have little or no remaining game to shoot. The human part of the life-guard was now disbanded, and set to work cultivating the soil, and raising potatoes; the regular army now solely52 consisting of the dog-regiment53. These, as I have heard, were of a singularly ferocious54 character, though by severe training rendered docile55 to their master. Armed to the teeth, the Creole now goes in state, surrounded by his canine56 janizaries, whose terrific bayings prove quite as serviceable as bayonets in keeping down the surgings of revolt.
But the census57 of the isle, sadly lessened58 by the dispensation of justice, and not materially recruited by matrimony, began to fill his mind with sad mistrust. Some way the population must be increased. Now, from its possessing a little water, and its comparative pleasantness of aspect, Charles’s Isle at this period was occasionally visited by foreign whalers. These His Majesty had always levied59 upon for port charges, thereby60 contributing to his revenue. But now he had additional designs. By insidious61 arts he, from time to time, cajoles certain sailors to desert their ships, and enlist62 beneath his banner. Soon as missed, their captains crave63 permission to go and hunt them up. Whereupon His Majesty first hides them very carefully away, and then freely permits the search. In consequence, the delinquents64 are never found, and the ships retire without them.
Thus, by a two-edged policy of this crafty65 monarch66, foreign nations were crippled in the number of their subjects, and his own were greatly multiplied. He particularly petted these renegado strangers. But alas67 for the deep-laid schemes of ambitious princes, and alas for the vanity of glory. As the foreign-born Pretorians, unwisely introduced into the Roman state, and still more unwisely made favorites of the Emperors, at last insulted and overturned the throne, even so these lawless mariners68, with all the rest of the body-guard and all the populace, broke out into a terrible mutiny, and defied their master. He marched against them with all his dogs. A deadly battle ensued upon the beach. It raged for three hours, the dogs fighting with determined69 valor13, and the sailors reckless of everything but victory. Three men and thirteen dogs were left dead upon the field, many on both sides were wounded, and the king was forced to fly with the remainder of his canine regiment. The enemy pursued, stoning the dogs with their master into the wilderness70 of the interior. Discontinuing the pursuit, the victors returned to the village on the shore, stove the spirit casks, and proclaimed a Republic. The dead men were interred71 with the honors of war, and the dead dogs ignominiously72 thrown into the sea. At last, forced by stress of suffering, the fugitive73 Creole came down from the hills and offered to treat for peace. But the rebels refused it on any other terms than his unconditional74 banishment75. Accordingly, the next ship that arrived carried away the exking to Peru.
The history of the king of Charles’s Island furnishes another illustration of the difficulty of colonizing76 barren islands with unprincipled pilgrims.
Doubtless for a long time the exiled monarch, pensively77 ruralizing in Peru, which afforded him a safe asylum78 in his calamity79, watched every arrival from the Encantadas, to hear news of the failure of the Republic, the consequent penitence80 of the rebels, and his own recall to royalty81. Doubtless he deemed the Republic but a miserable82 experiment which would soon explode. But no, the insurgents83 had confederated themselves into a democracy neither Grecian, Roman, nor American. Nay84, it was no democracy at all, but a permanent Riotocracy, which gloried in having no law but lawlessness. Great inducements being offered to deserters, their ranks were swelled85 by accessions of scamps from every ship which touched their shores. Charles’s Island was proclaimed the asylum of the oppressed of all navies. Each runaway86 tar87 was hailed as a martyr88 in the cause of freedom, and became immediately installed a ragged citizen of this universal nation. In vain the captains of absconding89 seamen90 strove to regain91 them. Their new compatriots were ready to give any number of ornamental92 eyes in their behalf. They had few cannon93, but their fists were not to be trifled with. So at last it came to pass that no vessels94 acquainted with the character of that country durst touch there, however sorely in want of refreshment95. It became Anathema—a sea Alsatia—the unassailed lurking-place of all sorts of desperadoes, who in the name of liberty did just what they pleased. They continually fluctuated in their numbers. Sailors, deserting ships at other islands, or in boats at sea anywhere in that vicinity, steered97 for Charles’s Isle, as to their sure home of refuge; while, sated with the life of the isle, numbers from time to time crossed the water to the neighboring ones, and there presenting themselves to strange captains as shipwrecked seamen, often succeeded in getting on board vessels bound to the Spanish coast, and having a compassionate98 purse made up for them on landing there.
One warm night during my first visit to the group, our ship was floating along in languid stillness, when some one on the forecastle shouted “Light ho!” We looked and saw a beacon99 burning on some obscure land off the beam. Our third mate was not intimate with this part of the world. Going to the captain he said, “Sir, shall I put off in a boat? These must be shipwrecked men.”
The captain laughed rather grimly, as, shaking his fist towards the beacon, he rapped out an oath, and said—“No, no, you precious rascals100, you don’t juggle101 one of my boats ashore102 this blessed night. You do well, you thieves—you do benevolently103 to hoist104 a light yonder as on a dangerous shoal. It tempts105 no wise man to pull off and see what’s the matter, but bids him steer96 small and keep off shore—that is Charles’s Island; brace106 up, Mr. Mate, and keep the light astern.”
1 swarmed | |
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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2 vile | |
adj.卑鄙的,可耻的,邪恶的;坏透的 | |
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3 wretches | |
n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 );可怜的人;恶棍;坏蛋 | |
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4 ragged | |
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的 | |
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5 deformed | |
adj.畸形的;变形的;丑的,破相了的 | |
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6 rusty | |
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的 | |
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7 vassals | |
n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 );(封建时代)诸侯;从属者;下属 | |
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8 vocation | |
n.职业,行业 | |
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9 drudge | |
n.劳碌的人;v.做苦工,操劳 | |
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10 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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11 lore | |
n.传说;学问,经验,知识 | |
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12 patriot | |
n.爱国者,爱国主义者 | |
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13 valor | |
n.勇气,英勇 | |
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14 locker | |
n.更衣箱,储物柜,冷藏室,上锁的人 | |
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15 enchanted | |
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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16 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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17 nominal | |
adj.名义上的;(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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18 embarks | |
乘船( embark的第三人称单数 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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19 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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20 stipulate | |
vt.规定,(作为条件)讲定,保证 | |
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21 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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22 procures | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的第三人称单数 );拉皮条 | |
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23 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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24 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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25 blues | |
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐 | |
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26 garrulous | |
adj.唠叨的,多话的 | |
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27 inviting | |
adj.诱人的,引人注目的 | |
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28 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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29 consort | |
v.相伴;结交 | |
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30 emigrants | |
n.(从本国移往他国的)移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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31 rabble | |
n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
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32 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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33 lava | |
n.熔岩,火山岩 | |
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34 cinders | |
n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 );炭渣;煤渣路;煤渣跑道 | |
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35 solitudes | |
n.独居( solitude的名词复数 );孤独;荒僻的地方;人迹罕至的地方 | |
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36 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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37 livelihood | |
n.生计,谋生之道 | |
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38 disorders | |
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调 | |
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39 primitive | |
adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物 | |
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40 untoward | |
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的 | |
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41 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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42 martial | |
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的 | |
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43 rebellious | |
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的 | |
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44 questionable | |
adj.可疑的,有问题的 | |
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45 clandestinely | |
adv.秘密地,暗中地 | |
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46 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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47 judiciously | |
adv.明断地,明智而审慎地 | |
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48 infantry | |
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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49 malignant | |
adj.恶性的,致命的;恶意的,恶毒的 | |
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50 traitors | |
卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 ); 叛徒; 背叛者; 背信弃义的人 | |
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51 dispensed | |
v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 );施与;配(药) | |
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52 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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53 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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54 ferocious | |
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的 | |
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55 docile | |
adj.驯服的,易控制的,容易教的 | |
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56 canine | |
adj.犬的,犬科的 | |
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57 census | |
n.(官方的)人口调查,人口普查 | |
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58 lessened | |
减少的,减弱的 | |
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59 levied | |
征(兵)( levy的过去式和过去分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税 | |
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60 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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61 insidious | |
adj.阴险的,隐匿的,暗中为害的,(疾病)不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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62 enlist | |
vt.谋取(支持等),赢得;征募;vi.入伍 | |
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63 crave | |
vt.渴望得到,迫切需要,恳求,请求 | |
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64 delinquents | |
n.(尤指青少年)有过失的人,违法的人( delinquent的名词复数 ) | |
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65 crafty | |
adj.狡猾的,诡诈的 | |
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66 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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67 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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68 mariners | |
海员,水手(mariner的复数形式) | |
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69 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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70 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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71 interred | |
v.埋,葬( inter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72 ignominiously | |
adv.耻辱地,屈辱地,丢脸地 | |
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73 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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74 unconditional | |
adj.无条件的,无限制的,绝对的 | |
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75 banishment | |
n.放逐,驱逐 | |
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76 colonizing | |
v.开拓殖民地,移民于殖民地( colonize的现在分词 ) | |
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77 pensively | |
adv.沉思地,焦虑地 | |
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78 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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79 calamity | |
n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件 | |
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80 penitence | |
n.忏悔,赎罪;悔过 | |
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81 royalty | |
n.皇家,皇族 | |
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82 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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83 insurgents | |
n.起义,暴动,造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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84 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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85 swelled | |
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情) | |
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86 runaway | |
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的 | |
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87 tar | |
n.柏油,焦油;vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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88 martyr | |
n.烈士,殉难者;vt.杀害,折磨,牺牲 | |
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89 absconding | |
v.(尤指逃避逮捕)潜逃,逃跑( abscond的现在分词 ) | |
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90 seamen | |
n.海员 | |
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91 regain | |
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复 | |
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92 ornamental | |
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物 | |
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93 cannon | |
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮 | |
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94 vessels | |
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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95 refreshment | |
n.恢复,精神爽快,提神之事物;(复数)refreshments:点心,茶点 | |
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96 steer | |
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
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97 steered | |
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导 | |
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98 compassionate | |
adj.有同情心的,表示同情的 | |
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99 beacon | |
n.烽火,(警告用的)闪火灯,灯塔 | |
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100 rascals | |
流氓( rascal的名词复数 ); 无赖; (开玩笑说法)淘气的人(尤指小孩); 恶作剧的人 | |
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101 juggle | |
v.变戏法,纂改,欺骗,同时做;n.玩杂耍,纂改,花招 | |
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102 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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103 benevolently | |
adv.仁慈地,行善地 | |
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104 hoist | |
n.升高,起重机,推动;v.升起,升高,举起 | |
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105 tempts | |
v.引诱或怂恿(某人)干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 );使想要 | |
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106 brace | |
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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