We entered a shady channel between two high ranges of mountains, oddly symmetrical — like stage scenery, very pretty, though unlike nature. It seemed as if Japan were opened to our view through an enchanted2 fissure3, allowing us to penetrate4 into her very heart.
Nagasaki, as yet unseen, must be at the extremity5 of this long and peculiar6 bay. All around us was exquisitely7 green. The strong sea-breeze had suddenly fallen, and was succeeded by a calm; the atmosphere, now very warm, was laden8 with the perfume of flowers. In the valley resounded9 the ceaseless whirr of the cicalas, answering one another from shore to shore; the mountains reechoed with innumerable sounds; the whole country seemed to vibrate like crystal. We passed among myriads10 of Japanese junks, gliding11 softly, wafted12 by imperceptible breezes on the smooth water; their motion could hardly be heard, and their white sails, stretched out on yards, fell languidly in a thousand horizontal folds like window-blinds, their strangely contorted poops, rising up castle-like in the air, reminding one of the towering ships of the Middle Ages. In the midst of the verdure of this wall of mountains, they stood out with a snowy whiteness.
What a country of verdure and shade is Japan; what an unlooked-for Eden!
Beyond us, at sea, it must have been full daylight; but here, in the depths of the valley, we already felt the impression of evening; beneath the summits in full sunlight, the base of the mountains and all the thickly wooded parts near the water’s edge were steeped in twilight13.
The passing junks, gleaming white against the background of dark foliage14, were silently and dexterously15 manoeuvred by small, yellow, naked men, with long hair piled up on their heads in feminine fashion. Gradually, as we advanced farther up the green channel, the perfumes became more penetrating16, and the monotonous17 chirp18 of the cicalas swelled19 out like an orchestral crescendo20. Above us, against the luminous21 sky, sharply delineated between the mountains, a kind of hawk22 hovered23, screaming out, with a deep, human voice, “Ha! Ha! Ha!” its melancholy24 call prolonged by the echoes.
All this fresh and luxuriant nature was of a peculiar Japanese type, which seemed to impress itself even on the mountain-tops, and produced the effect of a too artificial prettiness. The trees were grouped in clusters, with the pretentious25 grace shown on lacquered trays. Large rocks sprang up in exaggerated shapes, side by side with rounded, lawn-like hillocks; all the incongruous elements of landscape were grouped together as if artificially created.
When we looked intently, here and there we saw, often built in counterscarp on the very brink26 of an abyss, some old, tiny, mysterious pagoda27, half hidden in the foliage of the overhanging trees, bringing to the minds of new arrivals, like ourselves, a sense of unfamiliarity28 and strangeness, and the feeling that in this country the spirits, the sylvan29 gods, the antique symbols, faithful guardians30 of the woods and forests, were unknown and incomprehensible.
When Nagasaki appeared, the view was rather disappointing. Situated31 at the foot of green overhanging mountains, it looked like any other ordinary town. In front of it lay a tangled32 mass of vessels33, flying all the flags of the world; steamboats, just as in any other port, with dark funnels34 and black smoke, and behind them quays35 covered with warehouses37 and factories; nothing was wanting in the way of ordinary, trivial, every-day objects.
Some time, when man shall have made all things alike, the earth will be a dull, tedious dwelling-place, and we shall have even to give up travelling and seeking for a change which can no longer be found.
About six o’clock we dropped anchor noisily amid the mass of vessels already in the harbor, and were immediately invaded.
We were visited by a mercantile, bustling38, comical Japan, which rushed upon us in full boat-loads, in waves, like a rising sea. Little men and little women came in a continuous, uninterrupted stream, but without cries, without squabbles, noiselessly, each one making so smiling a bow that it was impossible to be angry with them, so that by reflex action we smiled and bowed also. They carried on their backs little baskets, tiny boxes, receptacles of every shape, fitting into one another in the most ingenious manner, each containing several others, and multiplying till they filled up everything, in endless number. From these they drew forth39 all manner of curious and unexpected things: folding screens, slippers40, soap, lanterns, sleeve-links, live cicalas chirping41 in little cages, jewelry42, tame white mice turning little cardboard mills, quaint43 photographs, hot soups and stews44 in bowls, ready to be served out in rations45 to the crew; — china, a legion of vases, teapots, cups, little pots and plates. In one moment, all this was unpacked46, spread out with astounding47 rapidity and a certain talent for arrangement; each seller squatting48 monkey-like, hands touching49 feet, behind his fancy ware36 — always smiling, bending low with the most engaging bows. Under the mass of these many-colored things, the deck presented the appearance of an immense bazaar50; the sailors, very much amused and full of fun, walked among the heaped-up piles, taking the little women by the chin, buying anything and everything; throwing broadcast their white dollars. But how ugly, mean, and grotesque51 all those folk were! I began to feel singularly uneasy and disenchanted regarding my possible marriage.
Yves and I were on duty till the next morning, and after the first bustle52, which always takes place on board when settling down in harbor — boats to lower, booms to swing out, running rigging to make taut53 — we had nothing more to do but look on. We said to each other: “Where are we in reality? — In the United States? — In some English colony in Australia, or in New Zealand?”
Consular54 residences, custom-house offices, manufactories; a dry dock in which a Russian frigate55 was lying; on the heights the large European concession56, sprinkled with villas57, and on the quays, American bars for the sailors. Farther off, it is true, far away behind these commonplace objects, in the very depths of the vast green valley, peered thousands upon thousands of tiny black houses, a tangled mass of curious appearance, from which here and there emerged some higher, dark red, painted roofs, probably the true old Japanese Nagasaki, which still exists. And in those quarters — who knows? — there may be, lurking58 behind a paper screen, some affected59, cat’s-eyed little woman, whom perhaps in two or three days (having no time to lose) I shall marry! But no, the picture painted by my fancy has faded. I can no longer see this little creature in my mind’s eye; the sellers of the white mice have blurred60 her image; I fear now, lest she should be like them.
At nightfall the decks were suddenly cleared as by enchantment61; in a second they had shut up their boxes, folded their sliding screens and their trick fans, and, humbly62 bowing to each of us, the little men and little women disappeared.
Slowly, as the shades of night closed around us, mingling63 all things in the bluish darkness, Japan became once more, little by little, a fairy-like and enchanted country. The great mountains, now black, were mirrored and doubled in the still water at their feet, reflecting therein their sharply reversed outlines, and presenting the mirage64 of fearful precipices65, over which we seemed to hang. The stars also were reversed in their order, making, in the depths of the imaginary abyss, a sprinkling of tiny phosphorescent lights.
Then all Nagasaki became profusely66 illuminated67, sparkling with multitudes of lanterns: the smallest suburb, the smallest village was lighted up; the tiniest but perched up among the trees, which in the daytime was invisible, threw out its little glowworm glimmer68. Soon there were innumerable lights all over the country on all the shores of the bay, from top to bottom of the mountains; myriads of glowing fires shone out in the darkness, conveying the impression of a vast capital rising around us in one bewildering amphitheatre. Beneath, in the silent waters, another town, also illuminated, seemed to descend69 into the depths of the abyss. The night was balmy, pure, delicious; the atmosphere laden with the perfume of flowers came wafted to us from the mountains. From the tea-houses and other nocturnal resorts, the sound of guitars reached our ears, seeming in the distance the sweetest of music. And the whirr of the cicalas — which, in Japan, is one of the continuous noises of life, and which in a few days we shall no longer even be aware of, so completely is it the background and foundation of all other terrestrial sounds — was sonorous70, incessant71, softly monotonous, like the murmur72 of a waterfall.

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1
thickets
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n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 );丛状物 | |
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2
enchanted
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adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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3
fissure
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n.裂缝;裂伤 | |
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4
penetrate
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v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解 | |
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extremity
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n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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exquisitely
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adv.精致地;强烈地;剧烈地;异常地 | |
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laden
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adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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9
resounded
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v.(指声音等)回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 );产生回响;(指某处)回荡着声音 | |
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10
myriads
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n.无数,极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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11
gliding
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v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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12
wafted
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v.吹送,飘送,(使)浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
twilight
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n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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foliage
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n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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15
dexterously
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adv.巧妙地,敏捷地 | |
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16
penetrating
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adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的 | |
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17
monotonous
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adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的 | |
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18
chirp
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v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫 | |
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19
swelled
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增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情) | |
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20
crescendo
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n.(音乐)渐强,高潮 | |
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21
luminous
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adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
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22
hawk
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n.鹰,骗子;鹰派成员 | |
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23
hovered
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鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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24
melancholy
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n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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25
pretentious
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adj.自命不凡的,自负的,炫耀的 | |
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26
brink
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n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿 | |
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27
pagoda
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n.宝塔(尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔),(印度教或佛教的)塔式庙宇 | |
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28
unfamiliarity
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29
sylvan
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adj.森林的 | |
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30
guardians
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监护人( guardian的名词复数 ); 保护者,维护者 | |
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31
situated
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adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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32
tangled
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adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
vessels
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n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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34
funnels
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漏斗( funnel的名词复数 ); (轮船,火车等的)烟囱 | |
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35
quays
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码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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36
ware
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n.(常用复数)商品,货物 | |
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37
warehouses
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仓库,货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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38
bustling
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adj.喧闹的 | |
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39
forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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40
slippers
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n. 拖鞋 | |
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41
chirping
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鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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42
jewelry
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n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝 | |
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43
quaint
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adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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44
stews
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n.炖煮的菜肴( stew的名词复数 );烦恼,焦虑v.炖( stew的第三人称单数 );煨;思考;担忧 | |
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45
rations
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定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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46
unpacked
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v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等) | |
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47
astounding
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adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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48
squatting
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v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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49
touching
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adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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50
bazaar
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n.集市,商店集中区 | |
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51
grotesque
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adj.怪诞的,丑陋的;n.怪诞的图案,怪人(物) | |
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52
bustle
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v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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53
taut
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adj.拉紧的,绷紧的,紧张的 | |
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54
consular
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a.领事的 | |
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55
frigate
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n.护航舰,大型驱逐舰 | |
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56
concession
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n.让步,妥协;特许(权) | |
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57
villas
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别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
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58
lurking
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潜在 | |
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59
affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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60
blurred
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v.(使)变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 );(使)难以区分;模模糊糊;迷离 | |
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61
enchantment
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n.迷惑,妖术,魅力 | |
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62
humbly
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adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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63
mingling
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adj.混合的 | |
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64
mirage
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n.海市蜃楼,幻景 | |
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65
precipices
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n.悬崖,峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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66
profusely
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ad.abundantly | |
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67
illuminated
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adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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68
glimmer
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v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光 | |
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69
descend
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vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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70
sonorous
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adj.响亮的,回响的;adv.圆润低沉地;感人地;n.感人,堂皇 | |
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71
incessant
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adj.不停的,连续的 | |
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72
murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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