CHAPTER20
What in the name of StarClan made her come all this way?
Jayfeather trudged2 up the rocky path toward the Moonpool, following the scents3 of Poppyfrost and Breezepelt. His fur prickled as he thought how unlikely it was that the two of them would be together willingly.
What could he possibly want with her?
The sun had gone down, and the wind was rising, bringing with it the damp scent4 of rain. At last the drought seemed as if it could be coming to an end. That’s one good thing, Jayfeather thought.
One last hard scramble6 brought him to the ring of thornbushes that surrounded the Moonpool. Pushing his way through, he padded down the spiral path, feeling once more the prints of the ancient Clan1 beneath his paws. Their whispers surrounded him, but Jayfeather was too intent on finding Poppyfrost to listen to them tonight.
With the endless gush7 of the waterfall in his ears, he reached the edge of the pool and picked up Poppyfrost’s scent. The she-cat was sitting at the waterside a little farther around. She was alone; there was no sign of Breezepelt. He’s here somewhere. But where?
“Poppyfrost?” Jayfeather whispered.
“Yes.” But I won’t tell her another cat might have followed her as well. “Your Clanmates are worried about you,” he went on. “You shouldn’t have come up here alone.”
“My kits9 are fine,” Poppyfrost responded, her voice dull and listless. “Is Berrynose worried about me?”
Jayfeather hesitated. He hadn’t seen Berrynose before he left; for all he knew the cream-colored warrior10 was still unaware11 that his mate had disappeared.
“You don’t need to answer,” Poppyfrost went on bitterly. “Of course he isn’t! He doesn’t care about me. He’s still in love with Honeyfern.”
Jayfeather searched helplessly for the right words to say, but Poppyfrost went on at once, seeming to assume that he agreed with her.
“I wanted to see Honeyfern so much. I miss her more than I can say, and I don’t blame herthat Berrynose doesn’t love me.” Poppyfrost let out a shuddering12 sigh. “I always loved him, even when he was with Honeyfern. But I would never have tried to take him away from her! Then when she died, I thought he might love me after all…but he doesn’t.”
“You don’t know—” Jayfeather began.
“Oh, yes, I do!” Poppyfrost flashed back at him. “You can tell from the way he behaves that he doesn’t care about me at all. Why else would he want me to go into the nursery so early? He doesn’t even want to see me in the warriors15’ den16!”
Jayfeather was at a loss for how to reply. No cat could make Berrynose love Poppyfrost if he still wanted her dead sister, and trekking17 up here to the Moonpool wasn’t going to help.
“I’m going to take you home,” he meowed. “Remember I brought you home once before from a forest you visited in your dreams?”
Poppyfrost was silent for a moment; Jayfeather could feel the memories stirring in her mind, flickering18 like starlight on water.
“Yes, I remember,” she murmured, her voice scarcely audible above the sound of the waterfall. “I was sick, wasn’t I? But I didn’t really leave the stone hollow. So where was that forest?” She caught her breath, and her voice strengthened as she went on. “It was StarClan, wasn’t it? I was dying, and you saved my life!”
“Yes, that’s what happened,” Jayfeather mewed. “And I’ve come to help you again.”
He heard Poppyfrost rise to her paws and pad around the Moonpool until she was standing19 in front of him, her scent strong in his nose.
“If I went to StarClan once and came back, I can go there again! Please!” Jayfeather could feel her body tremble with longing20. “I want to see Honeyfern. I want to tell her that I didn’t mean to take Berrynose from her. Oh, Jayfeather, what if she hates me, too?”
Jayfeather stifled21 a sigh. “That’s not possible,” he began. “Warriors can’t just stroll in and out of StarClan. I would have to hurt you or make you sick, and medicine cats can’t—”
He broke off at the sound of a soft pad of footsteps from the edge of the hollow. Breezepelt’s voice echoed coldly off the stone. “What’s this? Another dilemma22 for ThunderClan? You cats should really learn to control your emotions, you know. Now you’ll just have more kits who should never have been born,” he added.
“Breezepelt!” Poppyfrost sounded shocked. “What are you doing here?”
“That’s not very friendly.” The WindClan cat’s voice was soft. “The Moonpool isn’t ThunderClan territory, you know.”
“Leave us alone,” Jayfeather snapped, trying to conceal23 the fear that was trickling24 like icemelt down his spine25. “We don’t need you here.”
“Oh, I think you do.” The soft voice was drawing closer. “I’m willing to help Poppyfrost get to StarClan, even if you’re not.”
Jayfeather gulped26, picking up a wave of fear and bewilderment from Poppyfrost, as if the young she-cat couldn’t understand why the WindClan warrior was threatening her. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he meowed. “You won’t kill her, not when I’m here.”
“Oh, really?” Breezepelt snarled27; he was only about a tail-length away now. “And you, a blind medicine cat, think you can stop me, do you? When her body is found drowned in your precious pool, it’ll be your word against mine. I was never here tonight. My Clanmates can lie as well as yours, Jayfeather.”
Poppyfrost let out a gasp. Jayfeather stepped in front of her, guarding her from Breezepelt. The waves of hatred28 coming from his half brother were almost enough to knock him off his paws—and he realized that Breezepelt would do anything to punish him for being born.
Breezepelt gave a snort of contempt. “Sending you to StarClan isn’t enough of a punishment. You need to know what it’s like to have every cat in your Clan stare at you, whisper about you. You need to know that you’re surrounded by lies and hatred and things that should never have happened.”
“You think we don’tknow that?” Jayfeather challenged him. “The worst of the lies were told about us. We didn’t even know who our real parents were.”
StarClan help me!Jayfeather thought, knowing there was only one way forward. Unsheathing his claws, he sprang at Breezepelt. He felt the WindClan cat’s surprise as he was bowled over; Jayfeather landed on top of him and battered33 at his neck and ears, ripping his claws down his pelt5.
Breezepelt let out a yowl of pain and fury. But Jayfeather knew that he couldn’t hope to win a fight against a seasoned warrior. The WindClan cat threw him off and flipped34 him over onto his back. Holding him down with one paw, Breezepelt landed several hard blows on Jayfeather’s belly35. Wriggling36 in a vain attempt to escape, Jayfeather realized dully his adversary37 was keeping his claws sheathed38.
He’s playing with me. He’ll finish me off when he’s ready.
Poppyfrost’s terrified wail39 came close to Jayfeather’s ear. “Stop it! You can’t kill a medicine cat!”
“Watch me,” Breezepelt growled.
Poppyfrost aimed a blow at his shoulder, but she was heavy with her kits and clumsy; Jayfeather could tell the blow had no force behind it.
Poppyfrost backed away, whimpering, but she didn’t try to leave.
In the next heartbeat Breezepelt sprang away from Jayfeather, who scrambled41, half-dazed, to his paws. Standing still, he tried to locate the WindClan cat, but between pain and fear he was losing control of his senses.
Then Breezepelt leaped back in front of him, lashing42 out with his paws, claws still sheathed as he just brushed Jayfeather’s ears and muzzle43. “Go on, see if you can hit me!” he taunted44.
Jayfeather sprang forward, but before he reached the WindClan cat a heavy weight landed on him from behind and claws raked across his shoulders.
Another cat? Oh, great StarClan, no!
Remembering his battle training, Jayfeather let himself go limp, flopping45 down on the edge of the pool with the strange tom crushing him down. He lashed13 out with all four paws, clawing frantically46 at the other cat’s belly.
Who is it? How many cats want to kill me?
The newcomer’s scent was all around him, but Jayfeather didn’t recognize it. The tom didn’t belong to WindClan, or to any of the other Clans47. But he’s not a rogue48 or a loner. I ought to recognize that scent, but I don’t.
The unknown tom’s weight suddenly vanished; Jayfeather struggled to his paws, only to stagger as a massive paw swiped him toward the pool. Breezepelt blocked him and shoved him back; for a few heartbeats the two cats batted Jayfeather between them like a pair of kits playing with a ball of moss49.
Poppyfrost was still hovering50 close by. “Breezepelt, don’t!” she pleaded. “StarClan will be angry if you kill a medicine cat.”
“Like I care!” Breezepelt snarled.
Yowling in fury, Jayfeather tried to lash14 out, but his blows were too wild and uncontrolled to do any damage. He felt blood start to trickle51 from one shoulder as Breezepelt scratched him.
They’re getting tired of this. They’ll finish me off soon.
He was close to keeling over with exhaustion52 when he felt another cat leap down beside him. His last hope died at the thought of yet another enemy attacking him. Then he heard a startled screech53 from Breezepelt, and he realized that the latest arrival had sprung at the WindClan cat, driving him back.
“Honeyfern!” Jayfeather gasped.
The StarClan warrior’s scent wreathed around him as she jumped back to his side. The massive tom bore down on them again; this time Jayfeather slashed55 with rapid blows at his ears, while Honeyfern dealt the WindClan warrior a hard blow to the belly.
“Get away!” Honeyfern snarled. “You’re not wanted here! And as for you, Breezepelt—” She swung around to face the WindClan cat again. “You get out of here, too. Or do you want a couple of shredded56 ears?”
“You might have won this time,” Breezepelt spat57. “But don’t think this is over, Jayfeather, because it’s not.”
Jayfeather heard his paws retreating up the spiral path; his scent faded. Breathing hard, Jayfeather turned to Honeyfern and realized that he could see her. She was sitting at the edge of the pool, with starlight shimmering58 in her pale tabby fur. Rows and rows of starry59 cats had appeared behind her, clustering around the Moonpool and up the sides of the hollow. Jayfeather didn’t dare look at them too closely, in case he saw Hollyleaf among them. Or didn’t—which might mean she was somewhere much, much worse.
Instead, he padded up to Honeyfern. “Thankyou,” he panted. “I thought I was going to join you in StarClan for sure.”
Honeyfern twitched60 her tail. “It isn’t your time yet, Jayfeather,” she replied. “You still have much to do.” Stretching forward, she gave his ear a friendly lick. “Thank you for saving my sister.”
“Can she see you?” Jayfeather asked, with a glance at Poppyfrost, who was crouched61 a little way up the spiral path.
Honeyfern shook her head sadly. “Please tell her that I miss her just as much as she misses me. And I will love her kits as if they were my own.” Her eyes glowed with love and sympathy as she went on. “Berrynose does love her. He’s just scared of losing her as he lost me. I am watching over both of them.”
Dipping her head once more, she melted back into the crowd of starry warriors. Another cat came forward, her tousled fur like smoke in the starlight.
“Yellowfang,” he sighed.
“I know who was helping62 Breezepelt,” the former medicine cat told him, without wasting time on any greetings.
“You do? Who was it?”
Yellowfang blinked her amber63 eyes. “You don’t need to know that yet. But his presence is a sign of great trouble to come.”
Jayfeather’s belly twisted. “What do you mean?”
“Honeyfern fought beside you today,” Yellowfang meowed. “And so will every warrior of StarClan when their turn comes. But the empty hearts of our enemies have filled up with hatred and hunger for revenge, and that gives them strength that cannot be measured.”
Jayfeather stared at her in horror.
“The forces of the Dark Forest are rising.” Yellowfang’s voice vibrated with foreboding. “I am afraid that it will take a power greater than StarClan to defeat them.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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3
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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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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7
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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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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9
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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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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13
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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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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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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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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17
trekking
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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21
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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22
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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24
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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25
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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26
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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27
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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28
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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30
growled
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| 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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31
falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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32
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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33
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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34
flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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35
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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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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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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38
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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39
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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40
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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41
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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42
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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43
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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44
taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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45
flopping
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| n.贬调v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的现在分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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46
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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48
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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49
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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50
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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51
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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52
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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53
screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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54
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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56
shredded
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| shred的过去式和过去分词 | |
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57
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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58
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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59
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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60
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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61
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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