CHAPTER24
Hollyleaf’s pelt1 prickled with frustration2 asshe and her brothers headed back toward their own territory. They had been so close to discovering who their father was! But Sol had enjoyed holding his knowledge out of their reach, like a juicy bit of prey3 that he meant to keep for himself.
I could have made him tell us, if Lionblaze hadn’t interfered4!
She was so angry that she was hardly aware of her surroundings; suddenly Jayfeather nudged her hard in the side, nearly knocking her off her paws. “What—?” she began.
Lionblaze slapped his tail over her mouth. “ShadowClan!” he hissed8. “Hide!”
All three cats dived for cover into a bramble thicket9. Hollyleaf spat10 in annoyance11 as a thorn pierced one of her pads, and she tried to lick it out as ShadowClan scent12 wreathed around her.
“Ivytail, Smokefoot, and Owlpaw,” Lionblaze reported, peering out through the bramble tendrils. “They’re patroling the border. I hope they didn’t scent us.”
No challenging yowls came from the patrol, and the scents13 gradually died away, leaving only the smell of the border markers.
“I guess it’s safe to come out now,” Lionblaze mewed after a few heartbeats. “Let’s get back into our own territory as quickly as we can.”
He took the lead, racing14 over the rough grass, weaving his way around hazel thickets15 and clumps17 of fern, until they flashed past their own border markers and drew to a panting halt several fox-lengths into ThunderClan territory.
“We’d better hunt on our way back,” he told them. “That way we can pretend we went out to restock the fresh-kill pile.”
Jayfeather nodded. “And I’ll look for yarrow. If I come back empty-pawed, Leafpool will want to know why.”
Though she did as Lionblaze suggested, padding softly through the undergrowth with her ears pricked19 and her jaws20 gaping21 for the first scent of prey, Hollyleaf’s pelt crawled with resentment22. We shouldn’t have to lie and deceive like this! Why can’t we be proud of what we can do?
While stalking a squirrel, she thought about how she could make Sol tell them the name of their father. I’d do anything. Anything!she thought fiercely. She remembered how easily her jaws had met in Ashfur’s throat….
No, don’t think of that! Ashfur had to die because he would have ruined everything. He’s not important now. We’re the ones who matter!
Hollyleaf’s claws tore at the mossy ground under her paws; alerted, the squirrel started up and shot to safety in the nearest tree.
“Mouse dung!” Hollyleaf spat.
“What’s the matter with you?” Lionblaze asked, padding up with a blackbird in his jaws. “Do you expect the prey to come and throw itself onto your claws?”
Hollyleaf shrugged24 and turned away. When our father learns who we are, he’ll be so proud of us! Maybe he doesn’t even know about us! Maybe he’s always wanted kits26, and now he has three warriors27 to be his kin6 for the rest of his life.
Closer to the camp, she managed to catch a mouse, though she had to admit to herself that it looked ready to die of old age and hadn’t even tried to run. Prey was scarce, and by the time they reached the stone hollow she and Lionblaze hadn’t caught anything else, but Jayfeather had found a clump16 of yarrow and now padded along with a bunch of the herb in his jaws
When Hollyleaf pushed her way into the clearing, followed by her littermates, she spotted29 Spiderleg, Birchfall, and Hazeltail clustered together near the fresh-kill pile.
“I don’t think Sol’s gone,” she heard Birchfall meow as she padded across with her prey. “He’s lurking30 about somewhere.”
Hazeltail shivered. “I hope not. I knew all along we should never have brought him back.”
Spiderleg shrugged. “He can’t do any more harm. Let him go where he likes.”
“And kill more cats?” Hazeltail’s neck fur rose. “That’s mouse-brained!”
“If he’s here, our patrols will find him,” Birchfall reassured31 her, touching32 her shoulder with his tail. “And Firestar—”
He was interrupted by a call from Dustpelt, who came bounding over from the barrier around the snake’s hole. “I’m alerting every cat,” the brown tabby warrior28 meowed. “That mouse with the deathberries hasn’t been touched. The snake must be still around.” He dashed off to warn Brambleclaw and his patrol, who had just appeared through the tunnel.
A sense of power thrilled through Hollyleaf from ears to tail-tip. ThunderClan had never felt so alive! Every cat was working together to face the threats that surrounded them. There was nothing they couldn’t do! And I could do anything too, if I could lead them!
“Hollyleaf.” The black she-cat started as Leafpool spoke33 behind her; dropping her prey on the fresh-kill pile, she spun34 around to see the medicine cat with Squirrelflight at her side.
“We need to talk,” Squirrelflight mewed.
Hollyleaf stared at Leafpool, her heart suddenly thundering in her chest. Is she going to tell the others what I did?
Then Leafpool gave a tiny shake of her head, and Hollyleaf relaxed.
“What do you want to say to us?” Lionblaze asked; he had come up to deposit his prey in time to hear what Squirrelflight had said.
“Yes, what have we got to talk about?” Jayfeather added, his challenging tone muffled35 by his mouthful of yarrow stems.
“Not here,” Leafpool murmured with a glance at the cats close by. “Come with us into the forest.”
Hollyleaf hesitated, exchanging a glance with Lionblaze. He seemed to be waiting for her to decide. Then she nodded. “Okay. We’ll talk to you.”
When Jayfeather had deposited the yarrow in the medicine cats’ den5, Squirrelflight led the way into the forest as far as a huge oak tree with moss23-covered roots.
“Well?” Jayfeather demanded, an edge to his tone. “What’s this all about?”
Squirrelflight and Leafpool gave the three littermates a long look. Hollyleaf realized that although they were such different cats, the expression in their eyes was the same. She didn’t want to recognize it; she didn’t want to admit that it was love.
Finally Squirrelflight took a deep breath. “Leafpool is your mother,” she began, “but I want to say that I couldn’t have loved you more if I had given birth to you myself. We raised you together, and surely that’s what matters.”
“You raised us to believe in a lie!” Hollyleaf hissed, not giving her brothers a chance to respond. “We have nothing to say to either of you.” Ignoring the shocked looks on Lionblaze’s and Jayfeather’s faces, she added, “Come on. There are no mothers here. A mother would love her kits enough to tell them the truth.”
She stood for a moment longer, savoring36 the anguish37 her rejection38 had called up in the two she-cats, then whipped around and began stalking back to the camp.
“Hollyleaf, wait!” Lionblaze called.
Hollyleaf glanced over her shoulder; fury surged through her and she bared her teeth in a snarl39. “Come on!”
Lionblaze bounded after her, followed a heartbeat later by Jayfeather. “This is mouse-brained,” he protested. “We could at least talk. They might be prepared to tell us things we need to know.”
“Like the name of our father?” Hollyleaf snapped, not breaking stride. “No, there’s no point in asking them. We’d only get more lies.” She lashed18 her tail, trying hard to dismiss Squirrelflight and Leafpool from her mind. “Sol will tell us,” she declared.
“Bring the moss over here,” Hollyleaf directed. “Whitewing’s kits will come soon, and she needs a really comfortable nest.” Since the disastrous40 meeting with Sol the day before, she had struggled to put her sense of betrayal out of her mind and concentrate on her Clan7 duties, but she couldn’t manage it. How could she make herself a good warrior when she knew she should never have been born at all? Every cat knew that medicine cats weren’t allowed to have kits. She and her littermates were nothing more than a mistake. One that Leafpool had been too ashamed to own up to. Maybe their real father would feel differently….
The nursery seemed full of queens and wriggling41 kits as Foxpaw and Icepaw staggered through the entrance with huge balls of moss. Whitewing was curled up nearby.
“Thanks, Hollyleaf,” she mewed. “You’ll make a great mentor42 when you have an apprentice43 of your own.”
“I hope so,” Hollyleaf replied. How can I have an apprentice? How could I teach a young cat about the warrior code, knowing what I know?
She was helping44 the two apprentices45 to spread out the moss when she was startled by a sudden yowl of alarm from the clearing. Before she could do more than look up, Rosekit shot into the nursery with every hair on her pelt fluffed up. “It’s ShadowClan!” she squealed46. “ShadowClan cats are in the camp!”
While Daisy reached out to comfort the terrified kit25, Hollyleaf thrust her way outside, her claws bared to fight off an attack. But once she was in the open, she relaxed. Only three cats were entering the camp, flanked by Spiderleg and Mousewhisker: Russetfur, Oakfur, and Ivytail. Firestar was already crossing the clearing to meet them, his flame-colored pelt gleaming in the scarlet47 light of the setting sun, while the rest of the Clan gathered behind him.
Hollyleaf padded over to join Lionblaze and Jayfeather. “What’s all this about?” she whispered. “More trouble about Sol?”
Lionblaze shook his head. “I’ve no idea.”
“Greetings.” Firestar dipped his head to the patrol. “Sol has gone.”
“We’re not here about Sol,” Russetfur informed him curtly48. “Three of your cats were spotted near the ShadowClan border yesterday—well outside your territory. What were they doing?”
“Fox dung!” Jayfeather muttered, while Hollyleaf felt her pelt beginning to bristle49. If Firestar finds out what we were doing, we’re crow-food!
“Three ThunderClan cats?” Firestar asked. “Are you sure?”
“We know ThunderClan scent when we smell it,” Russetfur retorted. “And Ivytail got a good look at them. Ivytail, point them out.”
The ShadowClan she-cat stepped forward and swept her tail around to point at Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather. “Those three.”
A gasp50 went up from the other ThunderClan cats. Hollyleaf faced them defiantly51. We weren’t bothering ShadowClan! Why do they have to make trouble?
Firestar gave the three littermates a thoughtful glance. Hollyleaf felt her fur grow uncomfortably hot, and she tried not to twitch52. Then the ThunderClan leader turned back to the ShadowClan patrol.
“I’m sure my warriors had a very good reason to be there,” he meowed. “You should know that a medicine cat is hardly likely to be part of an invading patrol. Have you considered that they might have been looking for herbs?”
All three cats nodded; Jayfeather added, “Yarrow,” as if he was daring the ShadowClan cats to contradict him.
“Herbs…” Russetfur hissed the word just loud enough to be heard; clearly she didn’t believe it, but she wasn’t prepared to accuse the ThunderClan cats of lying.
“I apologize that they strayed so close to your border,” Firestar continued. “It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t,” Russetfur retorted. Turning, she gathered her patrol together with a flick53 of her tail and headed toward the thorn tunnel. Spiderleg and Mousewhisker followed, to escort them out of the territory.
At the camp entrance, Russetfur glanced back. “Firestar, I hope you get your Clan under control again soon,” she mewed, and vanished into the tunnel before any cat could reply.
Hollyleaf knew her Clanmates were staring at her and her brothers as Firestar stalked across the clearing to confront them. She forced herself to meet his searing green gaze.
“Whatever you were doing, I don’t want to know.” His voice was tight with tension. “Just don’t do it again. Do you think I haven’t got enough to deal with right now?”
What about us?Hollyleaf thought resentfully. You have no idea what we’re going through.
“Sorry, Firestar,” Lionblaze mewed.
Firestar just let out a sigh before bounding off to join Sandstorm, Graystripe, and the other cats around the fresh-kill pile.
Once he was out of earshot, Hollyleaf turned to her brothers. “We’ll have to—”
She broke off at a warning touch on her shoulder from Lionblaze’s tail, and glanced around to see Brambleclaw padding up.Oh, great.
The deputy halted and raked the three cats with a cold yellow gaze. “Are you going to tell me what you were doing?”
Hollyleaf clamped her jaws shut and stared mutinously54 at the tabby warrior. Beside her, Lionblaze and Jayfeather were silent, too.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately.” Brambleclaw sighed. “You’re all—”
“Hey, Brambleclaw!” Dustpelt interrupted from outside the warriors’ den. “I’m leading the evening patrol. Which cats do you want to go with me?”
“I have to go,” Brambleclaw meowed to Hollyleaf and her littermates. “Just try to keep out of trouble, okay?”
Hollyleaf watched him go, then drew her brothers into a tight huddle55. “We’ll go back to Sol tomorrow. I don’t care what ShadowClan thinks. We have to know the truth!”
Lionblaze was gazing warily56 at her, as if he was wondering whether she would lose her temper with Sol again, but Jayfeather just looked thoughtful. At last he nodded. “I agree. This time, he’s gotto talk to us. And if he refuses, we’ll makehim. The prophecy belongs to us, remember. Not to him.”
收听单词发音 |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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spoke
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| 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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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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savoring
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的现在分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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rejection
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| n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃 | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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41
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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52
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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53
flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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mutinously
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| adv.反抗地，叛变地 | |
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huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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