It was the 24th of March, and Palm Sunday, a bright, joyous1 day in many a town and village of the Old World, but in this desolate2 region what mournful silence prevailed! No willow3 branches here with their silvery blossom — not even a single withered4 leaf to be seen — not a blade of grass!
Yet this was a glad day to the travellers, for it promised them speedy deliverance from the death that had seemed so inevitable5.
They hastened onward6, the dogs put forth7 renewed energy, and Duk barked his loudest, till, before long, they arrived at the ship. The Porpoise8 was completely buried under the snow. All her masts and rigging had been destroyed in the shipwreck9, and she was lying on a bed of rocks so entirely11 on her side that her hull12 was uppermost.
They had to knock away fifteen feet of ice before they could even catch a glimpse of her, and it was not without great difficulty that they managed to get on board, and made the welcome discovery that the provision stores had not been visited by any four-footed marauders. It was quite evident, however, that the ship was not habitable.
“Never mind!” said Hatteras, “we must build a snow-house, and make ourselves comfortable on land.”
“Yes, but we need not hurry over it,” said the Doctor; “let us do it well while we’re about it, and for a time we can make shift on board; for we must build a good, substantial house, that will protect us from the bears as well as the cold. I’ll undertake to be the architect, and you shall see what a first-rate job I’ll make of it.”
“I don’t doubt your talents, Mr. Clawbonny,” replied Johnson; “but, meantime, let us see about taking up our abode13 here, and making an inventory14 of the stores we find. There does not seem a boat visible of any description, and I fear these timbers are in too bad a condition to build a new ship out of them.”
“I don’t know that,” returned Clawbonny, “time and thought do wonders; but our first business is to build a house, and not a ship; one thing at a time, I propose.”
“And quite right too,” said Hatteras; “so we’ll go ashore15 again.”
They returned to the sledge16, to communicate the result of their investigation17 to Bell and Altamont; and about four in the afternoon the five men installed themselves as well as they could on the wreck10. Bell had managed to make a tolerably level floor with planks18 and spars; the stiffened19 cushions and hammocks were placed round the stove to thaw20, and were soon fit for use. Altamont, with the Doctor’s assistance, got on board without much trouble, and a sigh of satisfaction escaped him as if he felt himself once more at home — a sigh which to Johnson’s ear boded21 no good.
The rest of the day was given to repose22, and they wound up with a good supper off the remains23 of the bear, backed by a plentiful24 supply of biscuit and hot tea.
It was late next morning before Hatteras and his companions woke, for their minds were not burdened now with any solicitudes25 about the morrow, and they might sleep as long as they pleased. The poor fellows felt like colonists26 safely arrived at their destination, who had forgotten all the sufferings of the voyage, and thought only of the new life that lay before them.
“Well, it is something at all events,” said the Doctor, rousing himself and stretching his arms, “for a fellow not to need to ask where he is going to find his next bed and breakfast.”
“Let us see what there is on board before we say much,” said Johnson.
The Porpoise has been thoroughly27 equipped and provisioned for a long voyage, and, on making an inventory of what stores remained, they found 6150 lbs. of flour, fat, and raisins28; 2000 lbs. of salt beef and pork, 1500 lbs. of pemmican; 700 lbs. of sugar, and the same of chocolate; a chest and a half of tea, weighing 96 lbs.; 500 lbs. of rice; several barrels of preserved fruits and vegetables; a quantity of lime-juice, with all sorts of medicines, and 300 gallons of rum and brandy. There was also a large supply of gunpowder29, ball, and shot, and coal and wood in abundance.
Altogether, there was enough to last those five men for more than two years, and all fear of death from starvation or cold was at an end.
“Well, Hatteras, we’re sure of enough to live on now,” said the Doctor, “and there is nothing to hinder us reaching the Pole.”
“The Pole!” echoed Hatteras.
“Yes, why not? Can’t we push our way overland in the summer months?”
“We might overland; but how could we cross water?”
“Perhaps we may be able to build a boat out of some of the ship’s planks.”
“Out of an American ship!” exclaimed the captain, contemptuously.
Clawbonny was prudent30 enough to make no reply, and presently changed the conversation by saying —
“Well, now we have seen what we have to depend upon, we must begin our house and store-rooms. We have materials enough at hand; and, Bell, I hope you are going to distinguish yourself,” he added.
“I am ready, Mr. Clawbonny,” replied Bell; “and, as for material, there is enough for a town here with houses and streets.”
“We don’t require that; we’ll content ourselves with imitating the Hudson’s Bay Company. They entrench31 themselves in fortresses32 against the Indians and wild beasts. That’s all we need — a house one side and stores the other, with a wall and two bastions. I must try to make a plan.”
“Ah! Doctor, if you undertake it,” said Johnson, “I am sure you’ll make a good thing of it.”
“Well, the first part of the business is to go and choose the ground. Will you come with us Hatteras?”
“I’ll trust all that to you, Doctor,” replied the captain. “I’m going to look along the coast.”
Altamont was too feeble yet to take part in any work, so he remained on the ship, while the others commenced to explore the unknown continent.
On examining the coast, they found that the Porpoise was in a sort of bay bristling33 with dangerous rocks, and that to the west, far as the eye could reach, the sea extended, entirely frozen now, though if Belcher and Penny were to be believed, open during the summer months. Towards the north, a promontory34 stretched out into the sea, and about three miles away was an island of moderate size. The roadstead thus formed would have afforded safe anchorage to ships, but for the difficulty of entering it. A considerable distance inland there was a solitary35 mountain, about 3000 feet high, by the Doctor’s reckoning; and half-way up the steep rocky cliffs that rose from the shore, they noticed a circular plateau, open on three sides to the bay and sheltered on the fourth by a precipitous wall, 120 feet high.
This seemed to the Doctor the very place for this house, from its naturally fortified36 situation. By cutting steps in the ice, they managed to climb up and examine it more closely.
They were soon convinced they could not have a better foundation, and resolved to commence operations forthwith, by removing the hard snow more than ten feet deep, which covered the ground, as both dwelling37 and storehouses must have a solid foundation.
This preparatory work occupied the whole of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. At last they came to hard granite38 close in grain, and containing garnets and felspar crystals, which flew out with every stroke of the pickaxe.
The dimensions and plan of the snow-house were then settled by the Doctor. It was to be divided into three rooms, as all they needed was a bed-room, sitting-room39 and kitchen. The sitting-room was to be in the middle, the kitchen to the left, and the bed-room to the right.
For five days they toiled40 unremittingly. There was plenty of material, and the walls required to be thick enough to resist summer thaws41. Already the house began to present an imposing42 appearance. There were four windows in front, made of splendid sheets of ice, in Esquimaux fashion, through which the light came softly in as if through frosted glass.
Outside there was a long covered passage between the two windows of the sitting-room. This was the entrance hall, and it was shut in by a strong door taken from the cabin of the Porpoise. The Doctor was highly delighted with his performance when all was finished, for though it would have been difficult to say to what style of architecture it belonged, it was strong, and that was the chief thing.
The next business was to move in all the furniture of the Porpoise. The beds were brought first and laid down round the large stove in the sleeping room; then came chairs, tables, arm-chairs, cupboards, and benches for the sitting-room, and finally the ship furnaces and cooking utensils43 for the kitchen. Sails spread on the ground did duty for carpets, and also served for inner doors.
The walls of the house were over five feet thick, and the windows resembled port-holes for cannon44. Every part was as solid as possible, and what more was wanted? Yet if the Doctor could have had his way, he would have made all manner of ornamental45 additions, in humble46 imitation of the Ice Palace built in St. Petersburgh in January, 1740, of which he had read an account. He amused his companions after work in the evening by describing its grandeur47, the cannons48 in front, and statues of exquisite49 beauty, and the wonderful elephant that spouted50 water out of his trunk by day and flaming naphtha by night — all cut out of ice. He also depicted51 the interior, with tables, and toilette tables, mirrors, candelabra, tapers52, beds, mattresses53, pillows, curtains, time-pieces, chairs, playing-cards, wardrobes, completely fitted up — in fact, everything in the way of furniture that could be mentioned, and the whole entirely composed of ice.
It was on Easter Sunday, the 31st of March, when the travellers installed themselves in their new abode and after holding divine service in the sitting-room, they devoted54 the remainder of the day to rest.
Next morning they set about building the storehouses and powder magazine. This took a whole week longer, including the time spent in unloading the vessel55, which was a task of considerable difficulty, as the temperature was so low, that they could not work for many hours at a time. At length on the 8th of April, provisions, fuel, and ammunition56 were all safe on terra firma, and deposited in their respective places. A sort of kennel57 was constructed a little distance from the house for the Greenland dogs, which the Doctor dignified58 by the name of “Dog Palace.” Duk shared his master’s quarters.
All that now remained to be done was to put a parapet right round the plateau by way of fortification.
By the 15th this was also completed, and the snow-house might bid defiance59 to a whole tribe of Esquimaux, or any other hostile invaders60, if indeed any human beings whatever were to be found on this unknown continent, for Hatteras, who had minutely examined the bay and the surrounding coast, had not been able to discover the least vestiges61 of the huts that are generally met with on shores frequented by Greenland tribes. The shipwrecked sailors of the Porpoise and Forward seemed to be the first whose feet had ever trod this lone62 region.
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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porpoise
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| n.鼠海豚 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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inventory
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| n.详细目录，存货清单 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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boded
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| v.预示，预告，预言( bode的过去式和过去分词 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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solicitudes
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| n.关心，挂念，渴望( solicitude的名词复数 ) | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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raisins
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| n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 ) | |
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gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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entrench
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| v.使根深蒂固；n.壕沟；防御设施 | |
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fortresses
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| 堡垒，要塞( fortress的名词复数 ) | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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thaws
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| n.（足以解冻的）暖和天气( thaw的名词复数 )；（敌对国家之间）关系缓和v.（气候）解冻( thaw的第三人称单数 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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spouted
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| adj.装有嘴的v.（指液体）喷出( spout的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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mattresses
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| 褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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vestiges
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| 残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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