“What was it you were saying?”
“Ah! Yes! You should have seen this settlement that night. I don’t think anybody went to bed. I walked down to the point, and could see them. They had a big bonfire in the palm grove1, and the talk went on there till the morning. When I came back here and sat in the dark verandah in this quiet house I felt so frightfully lonely that I stole in and took the child out of her cot and brought her here into my hammock. If it hadn’t been for her I am sure I would have gone mad; I felt so utterly3 alone and helpless. Remember, I hadn’t heard from you for four months. Didn’t know whether you were alive or dead. Patalolo would have nothing to do with me. My own men were deserting me like rats do a sinking hulk. That was a black night for me, Captain Lingard. A black night as I sat here not knowing what would happen next. They were so excited and rowdy that I really feared they would come and burn the house over my head. I went and brought my revolver. Laid it loaded on the table. There were such awful yells now and then. Luckily the child slept through it, and seeing her so pretty and peaceful steadied me somehow. Couldn’t believe there was any violence in this world, looking at her lying so quiet and so unconscious of what went on. But it was very hard. Everything was at an end. You must understand that on that night there was no government in Sambir. Nothing to restrain those fellows. Patalolo had collapsed4. I was abandoned by my own people, and all that lot could vent5 their spite on me if they wanted. They know no gratitude6. How many times haven’t I saved this settlement from starvation? Absolute starvation. Only three months ago I distributed again a lot of rice on credit. There was nothing to eat in this infernal place. They came begging on their knees. There isn’t a man in Sambir, big or little, who is not in debt to Lingard & Co. Not one. You ought to be satisfied. You always said that was the right policy for us. Well, I carried it out. Ah! Captain Lingard, a policy like that should be backed by loaded rifles . . . ”
“You had them!” exclaimed Lingard in the midst of his promenade7, that went on more rapid as Almayer talked: the headlong tramp of a man hurrying on to do something violent. The verandah was full of dust, oppressive and choking, which rose under the old seaman8’s feet, and made Almayer cough again and again.
“Yes, I had! Twenty. And not a finger to pull a trigger. It’s easy to talk,” he spluttered, his face very red.
Lingard dropped into a chair, and leaned back with one hand stretched out at length upon the table, the other thrown over the back of his seat. The dust settled, and the sun surging above the forest flooded the verandah with a clear light. Almayer got up and busied himself in lowering the split rattan9 screens that hung between the columns of the verandah.
“Phew!” said Lingard, “it will be a hot day. That’s right, my boy. Keep the sun out. We don’t want to be roasted alive here.”
Almayer came back, sat down, and spoke10 very calmly —
“In the morning I went across to see Patalolo. I took the child with me, of course. I found the water-gate barred, and had to walk round through the bushes. Patalolo received me lying on the floor, in the dark, all the shutters11 closed. I could get nothing out of him but lamentations and groans12. He said you must be dead. That Lakamba was coming now with Abdulla’s guns to kill everybody. Said he did not mind being killed, as he was an old man, but that the wish of his heart was to make a pilgrimage. He was tired of men’s ingratitude13 — he had no heirs — he wanted to go to Mecca and die there. He would ask Abdulla to let him go. Then he abused Lakamba — between sobs14 — and you, a little. You prevented him from asking for a flag that would have been respected — he was right there — and now when his enemies were strong he was weak, and you were not there to help him. When I tried to put some heart into him, telling him he had four big guns — you know the brass15 six-pounders you left here last year — and that I would get powder, and that, perhaps, together we could make head against Lakamba, he simply howled at me. No matter which way he turned — he shrieked16 — the white men would be the death of him, while he wanted only to be a pilgrim and be at peace. My belief is,” added Almayer, after a short pause, and fixing a dull stare upon Lingard, “that the old fool saw this thing coming for a long time, and was not only too frightened to do anything himself, but actually too scared to let you or me know of his suspicions. Another of your particular pets! Well! You have a lucky hand, I must say!”
Lingard struck a sudden blow on the table with his clenched17 hand. There was a sharp crack of splitting wood. Almayer started up violently, then fell back in his chair and looked at the table.
“There!” he said, moodily18, “you don’t know your own strength. This table is completely ruined. The only table I had been able to save from my wife. By and by I will have to eat squatting19 on the floor like a native.”
Lingard laughed heartily20. “Well then, don’t nag21 at me like a woman at a drunken husband!” He became very serious after awhile, and added, “If it hadn’t been for the loss of the Flash I would have been here three months ago, and all would have been well. No use crying over that. Don’t you be uneasy, Kaspar. We will have everything ship-shape here in a very short time.”
“What? You don’t mean to expel Abdulla out of here by force! I tell you, you can’t.”
“Not I!” exclaimed Lingard. “That’s all over, I am afraid. Great pity. They will suffer for it. He will squeeze them. Great pity. Damn it! I feel so sorry for them if I had the Flash here I would try force. Eh! Why not? However, the poor Flash is gone, and there is an end of it. Poor old hooker. Hey, Almayer? You made a voyage or two with me. Wasn’t she a sweet craft? Could make her do anything but talk. She was better than a wife to me. Never scolded. Hey? . . . And to think that it should come to this. That I should leave her poor old bones sticking on a reef as though I had been a damned fool of a southern-going man who must have half a mile of water under his keel to be safe! Well! well! It’s only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose. But it’s hard. Hard.”
He nodded sadly, with his eyes on the ground. Almayer looked at him with growing indignation.
“Upon my word, you are heartless,” he burst out; “perfectly heartless — and selfish. It does not seem to strike you — in all that — that in losing your ship — by your recklessness, I am sure — you ruin me — us, and my little Nina. What’s going to become of me and of her? That’s what I want to know. You brought me here, made me your partner, and now, when everything is gone to the devil — through your fault, mind you — you talk about your ship . . . ship! You can get another. But here. This trade. That’s gone now, thanks to Willems. . . . Your dear Willems!”
“Never you mind about Willems. I will look after him,” said Lingard, severely22. “And as to the trade . . . I will make your fortune yet, my boy. Never fear. Have you got any cargo23 for the schooner24 that brought me here?”
“The shed is full of rattans,” answered Almayer, “and I have about eighty tons of guttah in the well. The last lot I ever will have, no doubt,” he added, bitterly.
“So, after all, there was no robbery. You’ve lost nothing actually. Well, then, you must . . . Hallo! What’s the matter! . . . Here! . . . ”
“Robbery! No!” screamed Almayer, throwing up his hands.
He fell back in the chair and his face became purple. A little white foam25 appeared on his lips and trickled26 down his chin, while he lay back, showing the whites of his upturned eyes. When he came to himself he saw Lingard standing27 over him, with an empty water-chatty in his hand.
“You had a fit of some kind,” said the old seaman with much concern. “What is it? You did give me a fright. So very sudden.”
Almayer, his hair all wet and stuck to his head, as if he had been diving, sat up and gasped28.
“Outrage29! A fiendish outrage. I . . . ”
Lingard put the chatty on the table and looked at him in attentive30 silence. Almayer passed his hand over his forehead and went on in an unsteady tone:
“When I remember that, I lose all control,” he said. “I told you he anchored Abdulla’s ship abreast31 our jetty, but over to the other shore, near the Rajah’s place. The ship was surrounded with boats. From here it looked as if she had been landed on a raft. Every dugout in Sambir was there. Through my glass I could distinguish the faces of people on the poop — Abdulla, Willems, Lakamba — everybody. That old cringing32 scoundrel Sahamin was there. I could see quite plain. There seemed to be much talk and discussion. Finally I saw a ship’s boat lowered. Some Arab got into her, and the boat went towards Patalolo’s landing-place. It seems they had been refused admittance — so they say. I think myself that the water-gate was not unbarred quick enough to please the exalted33 messenger. At any rate I saw the boat come back almost directly. I was looking on, rather interested, when I saw Willems and some more go forward — very busy about something there. That woman was also amongst them. Ah, that woman . . . ”
Almayer choked, and seemed on the point of having a relapse, but by a violent effort regained34 a comparative composure.
“All of a sudden,” he continued —“bang! They fired a shot into Patalolo’s gate, and before I had time to catch my breath — I was startled, you may believe — they sent another and burst the gate open. Whereupon, I suppose, they thought they had done enough for a while, and probably felt hungry, for a feast began aft. Abdulla sat amongst them like an idol35, cross-legged, his hands on his lap. He’s too great altogether to eat when others do, but he presided, you see. Willems kept on dodging36 about forward, aloof37 from the crowd, and looking at my house through the ship’s long glass. I could not resist it. I shook my fist at him.”
“Just so,” said Lingard, gravely. “That was the thing to do, of course. If you can’t fight a man the best thing is to exasperate38 him.”
Almayer waved his hand in a superior manner, and continued, unmoved: “You may say what you like. You can’t realize my feelings. He saw me, and, with his eye still at the small end of the glass, lifted his arm as if answering a hail. I thought my turn to be shot at would come next after Patalolo, so I ran up the union Jack39 to the flagstaff in the yard. I had no other protection. There were only three men besides Ali that stuck to me — three cripples, for that matter, too sick to get away. I would have fought singlehanded, I think, I was that angry, but there was the child. What to do with her? Couldn’t send her up the river with the mother. You know I can’t trust my wife. I decided40 to keep very quiet, but to let nobody land on our shore. Private property, that; under a deed from Patalolo. I was within my right — wasn’t I? The morning was very quiet. After they had a feed on board the barque with Abdulla most of them went home; only the big people remained. Towards three o’clock Sahamin crossed alone in a small canoe. I went down on our wharf41 with my gun to speak to him, but didn’t let him land. The old hypocrite said Abdulla sent greetings and wished to talk with me on business; would I come on board? I said no; I would not. Told him that Abdulla may write and I would answer, but no interview, neither on board his ship nor on shore. I also said that if anybody attempted to land within my fences I would shoot — no matter whom. On that he lifted his hands to heaven, scandalized, and then paddled away pretty smartly — to report, I suppose. An hour or so afterwards I saw Willems land a boat party at the Rajah’s. It was very quiet. Not a shot was fired, and there was hardly any shouting. They tumbled those brass guns you presented to Patalolo last year down the bank into the river. It’s deep there close to. The channel runs that way, you know. About five, Willems went back on board, and I saw him join Abdulla by the wheel aft. He talked a lot, swinging his arms about — seemed to explain things — pointed42 at my house, then down the reach. Finally, just before sunset, they hove upon the cable and dredged the ship down nearly half a mile to the junction43 of the two branches of the river — where she is now, as you might have seen.”
Lingard nodded.
“That evening, after dark — I was informed — Abdulla landed for the first time in Sambir. He was entertained in Sahamin’s house. I sent Ali to the settlement for news. He returned about nine, and reported that Patalolo was sitting on Abdulla’s left hand before Sahamin’s fire. There was a great council. Ali seemed to think that Patalolo was a prisoner, but he was wrong there. They did the trick very neatly44. Before midnight everything was arranged as I can make out. Patalolo went back to his demolished45 stockade46, escorted by a dozen boats with torches. It appears he begged Abdulla to let him have a passage in the Lord of the Isles47 to Penang. From there he would go to Mecca. The firing business was alluded48 to as a mistake. No doubt it was in a sense. Patalolo never meant resisting. So he is going as soon as the ship is ready for sea. He went on board next day with three women and half a dozen fellows as old as himself. By Abdulla’s orders he was received with a salute49 of seven guns, and he has been living on board ever since — five weeks. I doubt whether he will leave the river alive. At any rate he won’t live to reach Penang. Lakamba took over all his goods, and gave him a draft on Abdulla’s house payable50 in Penang. He is bound to die before he gets there. Don’t you see?”
He sat silent for a while in dejected meditation51, then went on:
“Of course there were several rows during the night. Various fellows took the opportunity of the unsettled state of affairs to pay off old scores and settle old grudges52. I passed the night in that chair there, dozing53 uneasily. Now and then there would be a great tumult54 and yelling which would make me sit up, revolver in hand. However, nobody was killed. A few broken heads — that’s all. Early in the morning Willems caused them to make a fresh move which I must say surprised me not a little. As soon as there was daylight they busied themselves in setting up a flag-pole on the space at the other end of the settlement, where Abdulla is having his houses built now. Shortly after sunrise there was a great gathering55 at the flag-pole. All went there. Willems was standing leaning against the mast, one arm over that woman’s shoulders. They had brought an armchair for Patalolo, and Lakamba stood on the right hand of the old man, who made a speech. Everybody in Sambir was there: women, slaves, children — everybody! Then Patalolo spoke. He said that by the mercy of the Most High he was going on a pilgrimage. The dearest wish of his heart was to be accomplished56. Then, turning to Lakamba, he begged him to rule justly during his — Patalolo’s — absence. There was a bit of play-acting there. Lakamba said he was unworthy of the honourable57 burden, and Patalolo insisted. Poor old fool! It must have been bitter to him. They made him actually entreat58 that scoundrel. Fancy a man compelled to beg of a robber to despoil59 him! But the old Rajah was so frightened. Anyway, he did it, and Lakamba accepted at last. Then Willems made a speech to the crowd. Said that on his way to the west the Rajah — he meant Patalolo — would see the Great White Ruler in Batavia and obtain his protection for Sambir. Meantime, he went on, I, an Orang Blanda and your friend, hoist60 the flag under the shadow of which there is safety. With that he ran up a Dutch flag to the mast-head. It was made hurriedly, during the night, of cotton stuffs, and, being heavy, hung down the mast, while the crowd stared. Ali told me there was a great sigh of surprise, but not a word was spoken till Lakamba advanced and proclaimed in a loud voice that during all that day every one passing by the flagstaff must uncover his head and salaam61 before the emblem62.”
“But, hang it all!” exclaimed Lingard —“Abdulla is British!”
“Abdulla wasn’t there at all — did not go on shore that day. Yet Ali, who has his wits about him, noticed that the space where the crowd stood was under the guns of the Lord of the Isles. They had put a coir warp63 ashore64, and gave the barque a cant65 in the current, so as to bring the broadside to bear on the flagstaff. Clever! Eh? But nobody dreamt of resistance. When they recovered from the surprise there was a little quiet jeering66; and Bahassoen abused Lakamba violently till one of Lakamba’s men hit him on the head with a staff. Frightful2 crack, I am told. Then they left off jeering. Meantime Patalolo went away, and Lakamba sat in the chair at the foot of the flagstaff, while the crowd surged around, as if they could not make up their minds to go. Suddenly there was a great noise behind Lakamba’s chair. It was that woman, who went for Willems. Ali says she was like a wild beast, but he twisted her wrist and made her grovel67 in the dust. Nobody knows exactly what it was about. Some say it was about that flag. He carried her off, flung her into a canoe, and went on board Abdulla’s ship. After that Sahamin was the first to salaam to the flag. Others followed suit. Before noon everything was quiet in the settlement, and Ali came back and told me all this.”
Almayer drew a long breath. Lingard stretched out his legs.
“Go on!” he said.
Almayer seemed to struggle with himself. At last he spluttered out:
“The hardest is to tell yet. The most unheard-of thing! An outrage! A fiendish outrage!”
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1
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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rattan
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| n.藤条，藤杖 | |
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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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shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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moodily
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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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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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nag
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| v.(对…)不停地唠叨；n.爱唠叨的人 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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schooner
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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standing
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gasped
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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cringing
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| adj.谄媚，奉承 | |
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exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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exasperate
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| v.激怒，使（疾病）加剧，使恶化 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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payable
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| adj.可付的，应付的，有利益的 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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grudges
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| 不满，怨恨，妒忌( grudge的名词复数 ) | |
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dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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56
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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58
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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despoil
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| v.夺取，抢夺 | |
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60
hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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61
salaam
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| n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼 | |
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emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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63
warp
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| vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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65
cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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66
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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grovel
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| vi.卑躬屈膝，奴颜婢膝 | |
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