Sophie Neveu, despite working in law enforcement, had never found herself at gunpoint untiltonight. Almost inconceivably, the gun into which she was now staring was clutched in the palehand of an enormous albino with long white hair. He looked at her with red eyes that radiated afrightening, disembodied quality. Dressed in a wool robe with a rope tie, he resembled a medievalcleric. Sophie could not imagine who he was, and yet she was feeling a sudden newfound respectfor Teabing's suspicions that the Church was behind this.
"You know what I have come for," the monk1 said, his voice hollow.
Sophie and Teabing were seated on the divan2, arms raised as their attacker had commanded.
Langdon lay groaning3 on the floor. The monk's eyes fell immediately to the keystone on Teabing'slap.
Teabing's tone was defiant4. "You will not be able to open it.""My Teacher is very wise," the monk replied, inching closer, the gun shifting between Teabing andSophie.
Sophie wondered where Teabing's manservant was. Didn't he hear Robert fall?
"Who is your teacher?" Teabing asked. "Perhaps we can make a financial arrangement.""The Grail is priceless." He moved closer.
"You're bleeding," Teabing noted5 calmly, nodding to the monk's right ankle where a trickle6 ofblood had run down his leg. "And you're limping.""As do you," the monk replied, motioning to the metal crutches7 propped9 beside Teabing. "Now,hand me the keystone.""You know of the keystone?" Teabing said, sounding surprised.
"Never mind what I know. Stand up slowly, and give it to me.""Standing10 is difficult for me.""Precisely11. I would prefer nobody attempt any quick moves."Teabing slipped his right hand through one of his crutches and grasped the keystone in his left.
Lurching to his feet, he stood erect12, palming the heavy cylinder13 in his left hand, and leaningunsteadily on his crutch8 with his right.
The monk closed to within a few feet, keeping the gun aimed directly at Teabing's head. Sophiewatched, feeling helpless as the monk reached out to take the cylinder.
"You will not succeed," Teabing said. "Only the worthy14 can unlock this stone."God alone judges the worthy, Silas thought.
"It's quite heavy," the man on crutches said, his arm wavering now. "If you don't take it soon, I'mafraid I shall drop it!" He swayed perilously15.
Silas stepped quickly forward to take the stone, and as he did, the man on crutches lost his balance.
The crutch slid out from under him, and he began to topple sideways to his right. No! Silas lungedto save the stone, lowering his weapon in the process. But the keystone was moving away fromhim now. As the man fell to his right, his left hand swung backward, and the cylinder tumbled fromhis palm onto the couch. At the same instant, the metal crutch that had been sliding out from underthe man seemed to accelerate, cutting a wide arc through the air toward Silas's leg.
Splinters of pain tore up Silas's body as the crutch made perfect contact with his cilice, crushing thebarbs into his already raw flesh. Buckling16, Silas crumpled17 to his knees, causing the belt to cutdeeper still. The pistol discharged with a deafening18 roar, the bullet burying itself harmlessly in thefloorboards as Silas fell. Before he could raise the gun and fire again, the woman's foot caught himsquare beneath the jaw19.
At the bottom of the driveway, Collet heard the gunshot. The muffled20 pop sent panic through hisveins. With Fache on the way, Collet had already relinquished21 any hopes of claiming personalcredit for finding Langdon tonight. But Collet would be damned if Fache's ego22 landed him in frontof a Ministerial Review Board for negligent23 police procedure.
A weapon was discharged inside a private home! And you waited at the bottom of the driveway?
Collet knew the opportunity for a stealth approach had long since passed. He also knew if he stoodidly by for another second, his entire career would be history by morning. Eyeing the estate's irongate, he made his decision.
"Tie on, and pull it down."In the distant recesses24 of his groggy25 mind, Robert Langdon had heard the gunshot. He'd also hearda scream of pain. His own? A jackhammer was boring a hole into the back of his cranium.
Somewhere nearby, people were talking.
"Where the devil were you?" Teabing was yelling.
The manservant hurried in. "What happened? Oh my God! Who is that? I'll call the police!""Bloody26 hell! Don't call the police. Make yourself useful and get us something with which torestrain this monster.""And some ice!" Sophie called after him.
Langdon drifted out again. More voices. Movement. Now he was seated on the divan. Sophie washolding an ice pack to his head. His skull27 ached. As Langdon's vision finally began to clear, hefound himself staring at a body on the floor. Am I hallucinating? The massive body of an albinomonk lay bound and gagged with duct tape. His chin was split open, and the robe over his rightthigh was soaked with blood. He too appeared to be just now coming to.
Langdon turned to Sophie. "Who is that? What... happened?"Teabing hobbled over. "You were rescued by a knight29 brandishing30 an Excalibur made by AcmeOrthopedic."Huh? Langdon tried to sit up.
Sophie's touch was shaken but tender. "Just give yourself a minute, Robert.""I fear," Teabing said, "that I've just demonstrated for your lady friend the unfortunate benefit ofmy condition. It seems everyone underestimates you."From his seat on the divan, Langdon gazed down at the monk and tried to imagine what hadhappened.
"He was wearing a cilice," Teabing explained.
"A what?"Teabing pointed31 to a bloody strip of barbed leather that lay on the floor. "A Discipline belt. Hewore it on his thigh28. I took careful aim."Langdon rubbed his head. He knew of Discipline belts. "But how... did you know?"Teabing grinned. "Christianity is my field of study, Robert, and there are certain sects32 who weartheir hearts on their sleeves." He pointed his crutch at the blood soaking through the monk's cloak.
"As it were.""Opus Dei," Langdon whispered, recalling recent media coverage33 of several prominent Bostonbusinessmen who were members of Opus Dei. Apprehensive34 coworkers had falsely and publiclyaccused the men of wearing Discipline belts beneath their three-piece suits. In fact, the three mendid no such thing. Like many members of Opus Dei, these businessmen were at the"supernumerary" stage and practiced no corporal mortification35 at all. They were devout36 Catholics,caring fathers to their children, and deeply dedicated37 members of the community. Not surprisingly,the media spotlighted38 their spiritual commitment only briefly39 before moving on to the shock valueof the sect's more stringent40 "numerary" members... members like the monk now lying on the floorbefore Langdon.
Teabing was looking closely at the bloody belt. "But why would Opus Dei be trying to find theHoly Grail?"Langdon was too groggy to consider it.
"Robert," Sophie said, walking to the wooden box. "What's this?" She was holding the small Roseinlay he had removed from the lid.
"It covered an engraving41 on the box. I think the text might tell us how to open the keystone."Before Sophie and Teabing could respond, a sea of blue police lights and sirens erupted at thebottom of the hill and began snaking up the half-mile driveway.
Teabing frowned. "My friends, it seems we have a decision to make. And we'd better make it fast."
索菲。奈芙本是个执法人员，可今天晚上倒好，她发现黑洞洞的枪口正对着自己。这几乎让人感到不可思议。她紧盯着枪，此刻，它正被一个头发又长又白、块头肥大的白化病患者抓在苍白的手中。那人红眼瞪着她，目光里流露出一种令人恐惧的、空洞的神情。他身穿带有绳领结的羊毛长袍，看上去就像中世纪的牧师。索菲想象不出他到底是谁，然而她顿时对提彬生出几分新的敬意来，因为他首先怀疑天主教会就是此人幕后的操纵者。
"你知道我来干什么。"修道士说，声音听起来很飘渺。
索菲和提彬坐在长沙发椅上，按照袭击者的要求举起双手。兰登瘫倒在地板上，痛苦地呻吟。修道士立刻注意到了提彬膝盖上的拱心石。
"你打不开的。"提彬的语调里流露出一种轻蔑的味道。
"我师父聪明得很呢。"修道士答道，一步步逼近。他一会儿将手枪对准了索菲，一会儿又对准了提彬。
"你师父是谁？"提彬问道。"或许我们可以做一笔交易呢。"
"可圣杯是无价的。"他逼得更近了。
"你出血了。"提彬平静地说，一边向修道士右边的脚踝点了点头--鲜血正从他腿上流了下来。"你还瘸了腿呢。"
"你也好不了多少。"修道士没好气地回答，同时向放在提彬旁边的金属离合器走去。"好了，把拱心石交给我。""你知道我有拱心石？"提彬惊讶地问道。
"你甭管我知道什么。你慢慢站起来，再把它交给我。"
"可是我站不起来。"
"那好，眼下我倒是不喜欢别人能够敏捷地行来动去呢。"
提彬的右手从拐杖上滑落，但他的左手却紧紧攥住了拱心石。他挣扎着站起来，站得笔直笔直的，他把那沉重的圆石筒攥在手心，将身子颤颤巍巍地靠在右手的拐杖上。
修道士现在离他们只有几英尺远了，他一直用枪对准提彬的头。索菲眼看着修道士伸手去抓那圆石筒，却爱莫能助，无可奈何。
"你不会得逞的。"提彬喊道。"只有配得上的人才能把它打开。"
配不配得上，还不是只有上帝说了算。塞拉斯心想。
"太重了。"那个拄拐杖的人说，他胳膊颤抖着。"如果你还不快点接住，我担心它马上要掉下来了。"他摇摇晃晃，一副快要倒地的样子。
塞拉斯飞跃上前，去接那块石头，然而就在此时，那个拄拐杖的人身体忽然失去了平衡，拐杖从他胳膊下滑了出来，他本人斜着身子开始向右边倒了下去。糟糕！塞拉斯急忙伸手去接住那块石头，同时将高举在手中的武器放了下来，然而他眼瞅着拱心石从身边飞了开去。那人向右边倒下，左手则往后仰，于是那圆石筒立刻从他手里弹了出去，掉落到沙发里。与此同时，从男人胳膊底下滑出来的那根拐杖似乎也加快了速度，在空中画了一圈很大的弧线，朝塞拉斯的脚上袭来。
拐杖恰好与他的粗布衣服碰个正着，将他衣服上的毛刺撞个粉碎，一直嵌入到他原本就很粗糙的皮肉里，一股钻心的疼痛顿时在塞拉斯的体内弥漫开来。塞拉斯扭着身子，痛苦得将双膝蜷缩起来，这使他身上卡进皮肤里的腰带卡得更深了。他倒在地上，手枪走火了，发出震耳欲聋的响声。不过，幸运的是子弹射进了地板里，因而没有造成人员的伤亡。他还没来得及再次举起枪，女人的一只脚就不偏不倚地踏了上来，踩在他下巴以下的地方。
科莱是在车道的尽头听到枪声的。那沉闷的枪声使他全身的神经因为恐惧而紧绷起来。跟法希一道走在途中的科莱，已经完全放弃了任何欲在今晚找到兰登并借此提高个人声誉的打算。不过，如果法希出于自私而以玩忽职守的名义把他告到警署纪律检查部门去的话，那科莱必受处罚无疑。
竟然放纵他人在私人住宅里开枪！而你却在车道尽头消极地等待？！
科莱知道，偷偷采取行动的机会早就没有了，他也深知如果继续袖手旁观，哪怕只是多耽搁一秒，那么到明天早上，他的前程就会毁于一旦。他注视着那座府邸的铁门，随即做出了决定。
"将它包围起来，堵住各个通道。"
罗伯特。兰登昏昏沉沉的，他隐约听到了枪声，也听到了痛苦的喊叫。是他自己在喊吗？
他的头盖骨后面被人用锤子敲了一个口子。从附近的某个地方，传来有人说话的声音。
"你到底在哪里？"提彬大声喊道。
男仆人匆匆跑了进来。"出什么事啦？哦，上帝！那是谁？我去报警吧！"
"去死！报警就不必了。你帮帮忙，给我们拿些东西来，制服这个家伙。"
"再拿些冰块来。"索菲在他身后叫道。
兰登感到整个身子开始漂浮起来。声音更嘈杂了。有人在跑来跑去。终于，他坐到长沙发上。索菲将一包冰块举到兰登的头上。他头痛极了。等到他的视线变得逐渐清晰起来，才发现自己正盯着横倒在地板上的一具人的躯体。我不是在做梦吧？那个患了白化病的修道士躺在地板上，硕大的身子被绑了起来，他的嘴里塞满了电缆线，下巴裂开了，而膝盖以上的袍子则沾满了血迹。他似乎很快就会苏醒过来。
兰登转身问索菲："那人是谁？出--出什么事啦？"
提彬蹒跚着走过来。"是一位佩带了埃克姆公司铸造的亚瑟王神剑的骑士救了你的。"
"是吗？"兰登拼命想坐起来。
索菲温柔地抚摸着他，手却在不停地颤抖。"罗伯特，你别急，慢慢来。"
"我刚才还担心向你这位女性朋友暴露了我的狼狈呢。现在看来大家都低估你了。"
兰登坐在长沙发上，低头盯着躺在地上的修道士，努力想象刚才发生的事情。
"他穿了件粗布衣服呢。"提彬解释道。
"你说什么？"
提彬用手指着地上一条血迹斑斑的带钩刺的皮带说："这是一条戒律带。他把它系在膝盖上，我是小心瞄准好才击中的。"兰登摸了摸头，他听说过戒律带。"可是，你是怎么知道的？"
提彬咧嘴笑了笑。"罗伯特，基督教可是我研究的专长啊。有些教派是坦诚相见，对外公开的。"他用拐杖指了指从那个修道士衣领上渗出来的血。"好像就是这样。""是天主事工会的呀。"兰登低声自语道，他想起最近有些媒体报导了几位有名的波斯顿商人，他们都是天主事工会的人。有些忧心忡忡的同伙曾背信弃义并公开地告发这三位商人，说他们将粗布腰带系在三件衣服以下。事实上，这三人根本就没有那样做。这些商人，跟天主事工会的其他许多成员一样，显得多余而无足轻重，却也从未有过禁欲的行为。他们是虔诚的天主教徒，是孩子们慈爱的父亲，是所在团体中最有奉献精神的成员。
各家媒体，在将注意力转移到发生在教派里那些行为更严谨的成员--就像眼下躺在兰登面前的那位修道士--身上的爆炸性新闻之前，多半只是轻描淡写地将他们精神上的苦修行为曝光一下而已，这点并不使人感到奇怪。
提彬紧盯着那条沾满血迹的皮带。"可是，天主事工会的人为何要殚精竭虑地去寻找圣杯呢？"
兰登昏昏沉沉的，他想不下去了。
索菲走到木盒边，说："罗伯特，你看这是什么？"她手里正拿着他从盖子上取下来的镶嵌的玫瑰图案。
"盒子上雕刻了图案呢。我想那上面的文字，也许会告诉我们怎么打开这个拱心石吧？"
索菲和提彬还没来得及作出反应，突然，蓝色的警灯在山脚下亮了起来，警笛声骤起，汇成了一片光与声的海洋。警车开始沿着大约有半英里的车道盘旋而上。
提彬皱了皱眉。"朋友们，看来我们必须做出决定，而且要快。"
收听单词发音 |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
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crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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perilously
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| adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地 | |
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buckling
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| 扣住 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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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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relinquished
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃 | |
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ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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groggy
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| adj.体弱的；不稳的 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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sects
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| n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 ) | |
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coverage
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| n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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mortification
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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spotlighted
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| v.聚光照明( spotlight的过去式和过去分词 )；使公众注意，使突出醒目 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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stringent
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| adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的 | |
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engraving
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| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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