Meanwhile, the men were fully9 occupied each day in hunting seals or fishing, cutting firewood with the axe10 they had found in the hut, and in making their home more comfortable. A door was fitted to the hut; a wooden partition was put up to cut off more effectually the women’s apartment from that of the men; the open crevices12 in the walls were stopped up with moss13, and many other improvements were made. A few nails extracted from the walls of the hut were converted into fish-hooks, by means of the file which had been found, and Nellie spun14 some excellent fishing-lines from flax found growing wild in abundance. The file also enabled them to strike fire with broken flints picked up on the shore. The ash of burnt cotton, as the doctor knew, makes good tinder; so in the public interest, John Mitford agreed to part with the ragged15 remains16 of the cotton shirt he had long worn—quite unnecessarily—over his woollen jersey17. Thus they could afford to let the fire go out, and were relieved from constant watching, as well as anxiety in regard to it.
They did not, however, cease their nocturnal vigils, for the hope of deliverance never died out, though it at last sank very low. Besides keeping their seal-skin flag flying, they kindled18 a beacon-fire every night, to guard and replenish19 which became the nightly duty of one or other of the men—watch and watch about—all the time they stayed on the island.
During the earlier part of each night, however, the beacon-fire was not watched. It was merely lighted and left for some hours to look after itself. During this period, after supper, the whole party were wont20 to draw round the blazing fire in the hut, and each contributed his or her share to the entertainment of the social circle. Then it was that lugubrious21 John Mitford developed amazing powers of inventive story-telling, and Joe Slag22 came out strong with thrilling lifeboat tales, every word of which Bob Massey corroborated23, while Terrence O’Connor displayed powers of sarcastic24 criticism of the highest order, and Tomlin, Black Ned, and the women proved an intensely appreciative25 audience. But the latter were not merely listeners. True, Peggy did nothing for the general good. Having quite exhausted26 her lungs with incessant27 talk during each day, she was fortunately almost incapable28 of speech in the evening, but Nellie, who possessed29 a voice as sweet as herself, and clear and true as that of a nightingale, was induced to “favour the company”—chiefly with pathetic or patriotic30 ditties and hymns—while Eva thrilled her audience with terrible tales of slavery, in many of which she had acted a part. Of course Dr Hayward lent his aid, both with song and story; but, like a true leader, he devoted32 himself chiefly to drawing out the powers of his companions, directing or diverting the flow of conversation, and keeping order. He also instituted what may be truly styled family worship at night, by repeating from memory portions of the word of God and engaging in prayer just before retiring to rest. Bob Massey and Tomlin were induced to help him in this, and never was a prayer put up from that hut in which there was not an earnest petition that a ship might be sent for their deliverance.
“But a ship is long, long o’ comin’,” said Slag to Jarring as he accompanied the latter part of the way to the beacon-fire one night when it was Black Ned’s turn to watch.
“A ship’ll come, Joe, when God sees fit to send it,” said Ned.
Slag glanced at his comrade in surprise, the reply was so very unlike Ned’s usual style of speech that he felt uncertain whether it was uttered in earnest.
“The only thing I feel an awful longin’ for now, at times, is a bit o’ ’baccy,” continued Ned.
“So does I, Ned, an’ I sometimes think Dr Hayward has got the advantage of us there, for he never smoked, so he says, an’ in coorse it stands to reason that he can’t have no longin’ for a thing he don’t want—an’ he seems as jolly an’ happy as the best of us without it!”
“Ay, jollier and happier!” replied Ned, shortly.
“But, I say, Ned, don’t ye ever feel a longin’ for grog? Ye used to be raither fond of it.”
“No—not now, Joe. It’s the best thing as ever happened to me, bein’ cast on this here island—wi’ Dr Hayward to give a feller a word of advice.”
Slag, who felt a sort of self-righteous superiority over his comrade, inasmuch as he had never given way to drink, said, “You should be thankful for that, Ned.”
“I am thankful,” returned the other in a tone that induced Slag to say no more.
It was a very dark night, and cold, so that Black Ned involuntarily shuddered33 as he approached the beacon-fire alone—Joe having left him—and commenced to heap on fuel. Then rain began to fall heavily. There was no shelter, and the watchman was soon drenched34 to the skin. Heaping on more logs till the fire roared again, he tried to warm himself, and stood so close to the blaze that his garments smoked—they would have burnt had they not been wet—but no heat seemed to penetrate36 the shivering frame of Black Ned.
Next morning the poor man was smitten37 with a raging fever. From the first the doctor had little hope of his recovery. With a constitution fatally injured by dissipation and drink, his chance was very small; but of course every effort was made to save him. He was laid on a soft bed of moss in the warmest corner of the hut, and the women took their turn in nursing him, night and day—the coxswain’s wife, however, being the chief nurse; for, besides being sympathetic and tender by nature, she had been trained in a rough school where self-reliance and capacity were constantly called into action in circumstances of difficulty, so that she was better fitted for the post than either of her companions. But their efforts were of no avail. After a week, Black Ned died, with a smile of gratitude on his dark face as he gazed in Hayward’s eyes, and held his hand until the spirit returned to God who gave it.
The gloom cast over the little community by this sudden appearance of the King of Terrors lasted for many days, and had the good effect of turning the thoughts of all of them to those subjects which are obviously and naturally distasteful to fallen man—the soul and the world to come. But gradually the gloom passed away, though it left in the party a greater longing38 than ever to escape from their island prison.
One day, while some of them were at breakfast, Terrence O’Connor rushed into the hut with the news that a ship was in sight! Instantly the boat was manned, and they rowed with all their might towards the vessel39, which was seen like a white speck40 on the horizon. They rowed to within four miles of her, with an oar35 set up as a mast, and a jacket attached thereto as a flag, but a breeze sprang up, and the strange sail actually passed on without taking the slightest notice of them—though the people on board could not have failed to see the boat!
Profound was the disappointment, and violent the indignation, that filled the thoughts of the castaways as they rowed slowly back to land.
“Sure it’s devils that must live in the bodies o’ some men,” growled41 O’Connor, in the bitterness of his soul.
“You’re too hard on the devils, Terrence,” said Bob Massey. “Some men in this world do the worst that they can, an’ surely devils can do no more than that.”
This incident, however, aroused the hopes and expectations of the party to a high pitch, so that the beacon-fire was kept burning more steadily42 and brightly than before, and the look-out hill was more frequently visited; still, weeks and months passed by, and no deliverance came to them.
During this period, the seal-hunting, fishing, clothes-mending, etcetera, were carried on with unflagging energy, and the nightly entertainments became more and more entertaining, by reason of use and effort developing new capacities and talents that might in less favourable43 circumstances have lain altogether dormant44. All this was due very much to their leader; for, besides being a God-fearing man, Hayward was pre-eminently cheery, and full of fun as well as vigour45. The coxswain, too, was like-minded, and of great capacity in every way; while his wife’s voice was so charming that the party became almost dependent on it. They could scarcely have gone to rest at last without Nellie’s hymn31 or song as a lullaby! We must state, however, that Tomlin did not share in this pleasure. That poor man had been born musically deaf, as some people are born physically46 blind. There was no musical inlet to his soul! There was, indeed, a door for sound to enter, and music, of course, sought an entrance by that door; but it was effectually destroyed, somehow, in passing through the doorway47, so that poor Tomlin showed no symptom of pleasure. What he heard, and how he heard it, is known only to himself!
Once or twice during this time they visited the cavern48 of the wreck49, with the view, if possible, of recovering something from the sunk vessel, but though most of the men could swim, none of them could dive, therefore the result was failure.
They succeeded, however, in making soap by boiling wood-ash and seal’s fat in their cast-iron pot. Those who are accustomed to the celebrated50 “Pears” can scarcely understand what an addition to cleanliness and comfort resulted from this coarsely manufactured article.
Gulls’ eggs were found in great quantity on the cliffs, and the discovery and capture of wild pigs added to the luxury of their table—which latter, by the way, was an ingenious contrivance of Joe Slag. Binding51 four sticks together in the form of a stout52 oblong frame, Joe had covered this—filled it in as it were—with straight branches about a finger thick, laid side by side and tied to the frame. This he fixed53 on four posts driven into the ground, and thus formed an excellent, if not an elegant, table.
One morning at breakfast, Terrence O’Connor was observed to be unusually busy with a large hook.
“Are you goin’ to fish for sharks to-day?” asked Slag.
“Faix, no; it’s to the woods I’ll go fishin’ to-day, Joe. Now, Nell, gi’ me the stoutest54 line ye’ve got on hand, mavourneen.”
“Will that do? I made it the other day specially8 for sharks—or whales!” said Nellie, with a light laugh, for she expected him to reject the line she held up.
“The very thing, Nell. Hand it over. Now, boys, I’m off to try my luck i’ the woods, for I’m gittin’ tired o’ the say.”
The Irishman had observed that the wild pigs were particularly fond of a certain root which was plentiful57 in a valley about three miles distant from the hut. Repairing to that valley, he dug up one of the roots, baited his hook with it, hung it from a low branch to attract attention, fastened the other end of the line to a tree, and went off to hide and bide58 his time. Before half-an-hour had elapsed, a gay young pig visited the scene of its former festivities, saw the pendent bait, smelt59 it, took it in its mouth, and straightway filled the woods with frantic60 lamentations. The struggle between the Irishman and that pig was worthy61 of record, but we prefer leaving it to the reader’s imagination. The upshot was, that the pig was overcome, carried—bound, and shrieking—to the hut, and tamed by Peggy. In a short time, other pigs were caught and tamed. So, also, were rabbits. These bred and multiplied. The original pig became the mother of a large family, and in a short time something like the sounds and aspects of a farm began to surround the old hut. Still further—by means of the cast-iron pot, which already boiled their soup and their soap—they managed to boil sea-water down into salt, and with this some of the pigs were converted into salt pork—in short, the place began to assume the appearance of a busy and thriving backwoods settlement.
“It’s risin’ tide with us again, after a fashion, Nell,” said the coxswain to his wife, as they stood one evening on the sea-shore watching the sunset.
Nellie sighed. “It is, Bob,” she said, “and I’m very thankful; but—but I’d rather be at home in Old England among kith and kin11, even though the tide was low!”
“What! alongside o’ Aunt Betty?”
“Yes, even alongside o’ Aunt Betty; for if this voyage has taught me anything at all, it has taught me that, after all, ‘there’s no place like home!’”
“Right you are, Nell,” said Joe Slag, who came up at that moment, “there’s no place like home—when it’s a happy one; but if it ain’t a happy one, there may be difference of opinion even on that pint62, d’ee see?”
That very night, a great ocean steamer, bound from the Antipodes to Old England, chanced to diverge63 from her true course, and sighted the beacon-fire which Tomlin—on duty at the time—was stirring up to fervent64 heat. The Captain was not one of those whom Terrence O’Connor credited with diabolic possession. He was a good man; and, knowing that men did not light beacon-fires on lonely islands merely for amusement, he resolved to lay-to till daylight, which was due in about an hour from the time the island was sighted. Meanwhile, he sounded his steam whistle.
At the sound, the hut instantly disgorged its male inmates65, who, recognising the familiar noise and the steamer’s lights, sent up a shout of mingled66 joy and thanksgiving.
“Get out the boat, boys!” cried Hayward, as he ran back to the hut to rouse the women.
“Get ready, quick! Eva; a steamer at last, thank God, in the offing! Don’t lose a moment. They may have little time to wait. Boat will be ready in a few minutes.”
“Ay, an’ pack up all you want to carry away,” cried the coxswain, crossing the threshold at that moment.
“So it is all going to end suddenly like a dream!” said Eva, as she hastened to obey orders.
“Wherever you are, my dear, the home will be sweet,” said Peggy. “Though of course it wouldn’t be that without your ’usband, for it takes two to make a fight, you know, an’ it takes two no less, I think, to make things pleasant, but—dear, dear, what a disagreeable thing it is to ’ave to dress in a ’urry, though one shouldn’t—”
“Look alive, there! look al–i–ve!” roared O’Connor, putting his head in at the door. “Daylight’s a-breakin’, an’ they won’t—”
“Oh! Terrence, that reminds me—don’t forget our pets,” cried Nellie, who had steadily declined to speak of them as “live stock.”
“All right, missis. It’s lookin’ after them I am this minnit.”
The Irishman ran, as he spoke68, to the styes and hutches where the pigs and rabbits were kept and opened the doors.
“Out wid ye!” he cried, “the Act of Emancipation’s passed, and ye’re all free—ivery mother’s son of ye.”
Accustomed to his voice and his caressing69 hand, the astonished creatures seemed to look up at him in surprise.
“Be aff, at wance, hooroo!” cried the excited man, with a clap of his hands and a Donnybrook yell that sent all the “pets” leaping and squealing70 into their native jungle.
Soon after that the boat was bounding out to sea under the impulse of strong arms and willing hearts. A few minutes more, and they were receiving the warm congratulations of the passengers and crew of the steamer. Then the order was given to go ahead full speed, and the engine’s great heart seemed to throb71 sympathetically within the hearts of the rescued ones as the vessel cut her way swiftly through the Southern Ocean—homeward bound for Old England! Nevertheless, there was a touch of sadness in the breasts of all as they turned their farewell gaze on the receding72 island and thought of the pets, the old hut, the long period of mingled pleasure and suffering, and the lonely grave.
We cannot part from the friends whose footsteps we have followed so long and so far without a parting word or two.
On returning to his native village, Bob Massey found that his successor as coxswain had died, and that another man had not yet been appointed to the lifeboat—he was therefore installed, with much rejoicing, in his old position as a rescuer of human lives. Joe Slag, naturally and pleasantly, also fell into his old post at the bow. Nellie found that Aunt Betty had had what the villagers called “a stroke” during her absence; which crushing blow had the effect of opening her eyes to many things regarding herself and others, to which she had been particularly blind before. It also had the effect—indirectly—of subduing73 much of the evil in her character and bringing out much of the good. As evil begets74 evil, so good begets good; and one result of this law was, that the seven children, whom she had brought—or banged—up, became seven repentant75 and sympathetic and reasonably good creatures when they saw the old mother, whom they used to think so harsh and so physically strong, reduced to amiable helplessness. Thus it came to pass that there was not in all the village an old woman who was so well looked after by her progeny76 as Aunt Betty.
Terrence O’Connor continued to rove about the world in the capacity of a ship’s cook till near the end of his days. John Mitford and Peggy unexpectedly came into a small inheritance soon after returning home, and settled down for life close to the coxswain’s cottage. Tomlin went to New Zealand to seek his fortune. Whether he found it or not, we cannot tell! Last, but not least, Dr Hayward and his wife returned to their native land, and for many years afterwards kept up a steady correspondence with Nell Massey, in which, you may be sure, there were frequent and pleasant allusions77 to the time which they had spent together on the lonely isle78 in the southern seas.
One morning, Nellie presented her husband with a baby boy. Bob was out with the lifeboat rescuing a shipwrecked crew at the time the presentation was made. On his return, he opened the door and stood before his wife dripping wet.
“Fifteen saved this time, Nell,” he began, but the nurse stopped him by exhibiting the baby boy.
“Thank the Lord!” he said, with a glad look in his wet eyes.
“You mustn’t come near us,” said the nurse, with a look of warning. “Only a look just now.”
“The tide has risen to the flood now, Bob,” murmured the young mother, softly.
“Ay,” said the coxswain in a deep voice, “an’ it’s a high spring tide too. God bless you, Nell!”
The End.
点击收听单词发音
1 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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2 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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3 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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4 loquacious | |
adj.多嘴的,饶舌的 | |
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5 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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6 discursive | |
adj.离题的,无层次的 | |
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7 beguiled | |
v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 );使陶醉;使高兴;消磨(时间等) | |
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8 specially | |
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
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9 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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10 axe | |
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减 | |
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11 kin | |
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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12 crevices | |
n.(尤指岩石的)裂缝,缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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13 moss | |
n.苔,藓,地衣 | |
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14 spun | |
v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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15 ragged | |
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的 | |
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16 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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17 jersey | |
n.运动衫 | |
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18 kindled | |
(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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19 replenish | |
vt.补充;(把…)装满;(再)填满 | |
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20 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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21 lugubrious | |
adj.悲哀的,忧郁的 | |
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22 slag | |
n.熔渣,铁屑,矿渣;v.使变成熔渣,变熔渣 | |
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23 corroborated | |
v.证实,支持(某种说法、信仰、理论等)( corroborate的过去式 ) | |
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24 sarcastic | |
adj.讥讽的,讽刺的,嘲弄的 | |
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25 appreciative | |
adj.有鉴赏力的,有眼力的;感激的 | |
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26 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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27 incessant | |
adj.不停的,连续的 | |
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28 incapable | |
adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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29 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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30 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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31 hymn | |
n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌 | |
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32 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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33 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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34 drenched | |
adj.湿透的;充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体) | |
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35 oar | |
n.桨,橹,划手;v.划行 | |
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36 penetrate | |
v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解 | |
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37 smitten | |
猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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38 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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39 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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40 speck | |
n.微粒,小污点,小斑点 | |
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41 growled | |
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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42 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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43 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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44 dormant | |
adj.暂停活动的;休眠的;潜伏的 | |
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45 vigour | |
(=vigor)n.智力,体力,精力 | |
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46 physically | |
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律 | |
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47 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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48 cavern | |
n.洞穴,大山洞 | |
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49 wreck | |
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难 | |
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50 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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51 binding | |
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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53 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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54 stoutest | |
粗壮的( stout的最高级 ); 结实的; 坚固的; 坚定的 | |
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55 bestowing | |
砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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56 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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57 plentiful | |
adj.富裕的,丰富的 | |
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58 bide | |
v.忍耐;等候;住 | |
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59 smelt | |
v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼 | |
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60 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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61 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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62 pint | |
n.品脱 | |
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63 diverge | |
v.分叉,分歧,离题,使...岔开,使转向 | |
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64 fervent | |
adj.热的,热烈的,热情的 | |
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65 inmates | |
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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66 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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67 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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68 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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69 caressing | |
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的 | |
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70 squealing | |
v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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71 throb | |
v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动 | |
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72 receding | |
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
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73 subduing | |
征服( subdue的现在分词 ); 克制; 制服; 色变暗 | |
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74 begets | |
v.为…之生父( beget的第三人称单数 );产生,引起 | |
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75 repentant | |
adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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76 progeny | |
n.后代,子孙;结果 | |
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77 allusions | |
暗指,间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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78 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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