“For such superior Intelligences a Cause-and-Effect Philosophy of Clothes, as of Laws, were probably a comfortable winter-evening entertainment: nevertheless, for inferior Intelligences, like men, such Philosophies have always seemed to me uninstructive enough. Nay17, what is your Montesquieu himself but a clever infant spelling Letters from a hieroglyphical18 prophetic Book, the lexicon19 of which lies in Eternity20, in Heaven? — Let any Cause-and-Effect Philosopher explain, not why I wear such and such a Garment, obey such and such a Law; but even why I am here, to wear and obey anything! — Much, therefore, if not the whole, of that same Spirit of Clothes I shall suppress, as hypothetical, ineffectual, and even impertinent: naked Facts, and Deductions21 drawn23 therefrom in quite another than that omniscient24 style, are my humbler and proper province.”
Acting25 on which prudent26 restriction27, Teufelsdrockh, has nevertheless contrived28 to take in a well-nigh boundless29 extent of field; at least, the boundaries too often lie quite beyond our horizon. Selection being indispensable, we shall here glance over his First Part only in the most cursory30 manner. This First Part is, no doubt, distinguished31 by omnivorous32 learning, and utmost patience and fairness: at the same time, in its results and delineations, it is much more likely to interest the Compilers of some Library of General, Entertaining, Useful, or even Useless Knowledge than the miscellaneous readers of these pages. Was it this Part of the Book which Heuschrecke had in view, when he recommended us to that joint-stock vehicle of publication, “at present the glory of British Literature”? If so, the Library Editors are welcome to dig in it for their own behoof.
To the First Chapter, which turns on Paradise and Fig-leaves, and leads us into interminable disquisitions of a mythological33, metaphorical34, cabalistico-sartorial and quite antediluvian35 cast, we shall content ourselves with giving an unconcerned approval. Still less have we to do with “Lilis, Adam’s first wife, whom, according to the Talmudists, he had before Eve, and who bore him, in that wedlock36, the whole progeny37 of aerial, aquatic38, and terrestrial Devils,” — very needlessly, we think. On this portion of the Work, with its profound glances into the Adam–Kadmon, or Primeval Element, here strangely brought into relation with the Nifl and Muspel (Darkness and Light) of the antique North, it may be enough to say, that its correctness of deduction22, and depth of Talmudic and Rabbinical lore39 have filled perhaps not the worst Hebraist in Britain with something like astonishment40.
But, quitting this twilight41 region, Teufelsdrockh hastens from the Tower of Babel, to follow the dispersion of Mankind over the whole habitable and habilable globe. Walking by the light of Oriental, Pelasgic, Scandinavian, Egyptian, Otaheitean, Ancient and Modern researches of every conceivable kind, he strives to give us in compressed shape (as the Nurnbergers give an Orbis Pictus) an Orbis Vestitus; or view of the costumes of all mankind, in all countries, in all times. It is here that to the Antiquarian, to the Historian, we can triumphantly42 say: Fall to! Here is learning: an irregular Treasury43, if you will; but inexhaustible as the Hoard44 of King Nibelung, which twelve wagons45 in twelve days, at the rate of three journeys a day, could not carry off. Sheepskin cloaks and wampum belts; phylacteries, stoles, albs; chlamydes, togas, Chinese silks, Afghaun shawls, trunk-hose, leather breeches, Celtic hilibegs (though breeches, as the name Gallia Braccata indicates, are the more ancient), Hussar cloaks, Vandyke tippets, ruffs, fardingales, are brought vividly46 before us, — even the Kilmarnock nightcap is not forgotten. For most part, too, we must admit that the Learning, heterogeneous47 as it is, and tumbled down quite pell-mell, is true concentrated and purified Learning, the drossy48 parts smelted49 out and thrown aside.
Philosophical50 reflections intervene, and sometimes touching51 pictures of human life. Of this sort the following has surprised us. The first purpose of Clothes, as our Professor imagines, was not warmth or decency52, but ornament53. “Miserable indeed,” says he, “was the condition of the Aboriginal54 Savage55, glaring fiercely from under his fleece of hair, which with the beard reached down to his loins, and hung round him like a matted cloak; the rest of his body sheeted in its thick natural fell. He loitered in the sunny glades56 of the forest, living on wild-fruits; or, as the ancient Caledonian, squatted57 himself in morasses58, lurking for his bestial59 or human prey60; without implements61, without arms, save the ball of heavy Flint, to which, that his sole possession and defence might not be lost, he had attached a long cord of plaited thongs62; thereby64 recovering as well as hurling65 it with deadly unerring skill. Nevertheless, the pains of Hunger and Revenge once satisfied, his next care was not Comfort but Decoration (Putz). Warmth he found in the toils66 of the chase; or amid dried leaves, in his hollow tree, in his bark shed, or natural grotto68: but for Decoration he must have Clothes. Nay, among wild people, we find tattooing69 and painting even prior to Clothes. The first spiritual want of a barbarous man is Decoration, as indeed we still see among the barbarous classes in civilized70 countries.
“Reader, the heaven-inspired melodious71 Singer; loftiest Serene72 Highness; nay thy own amber-locked, snow-and-rosebloom Maiden73, worthy74 to glide75 sylph-like almost on air, whom thou lovest, worshippest as a divine Presence, which, indeed, symbolically76 taken, she is, — has descended77, like thyself, from that same hair-mantled, flint-hurling Aboriginal Anthropophagus! Out of the eater cometh forth78 meat; out of the strong cometh forth sweetness. What changes are wrought79, not by Time, yet in Time! For not Mankind only, but all that Mankind does or beholds80, is in continual growth, re-genesis and self-perfecting vitality81. Cast forth thy Act, thy Word, into the ever-living, ever-working Universe: it is a seed-grain that cannot die; unnoticed to-day (says one), it will be found flourishing as a Banyan-grove (perhaps, alas82, as a Hemlock-forest!) after a thousand years.
“He who first shortened the labor83 of Copyists by device of Movable Types was disbanding hired Armies, and cashiering most Kings and Senates, and creating a whole new Democratic world: he had invented the Art of Printing. The first ground handful of Nitre, Sulphur, and Charcoal84 drove Monk85 Schwartz’s pestle86 through the ceiling: what will the last do? Achieve the final undisputed prostration87 of Force under Thought, of Animal courage under Spiritual. A simple invention it was in the old-world Grazier, — sick of lugging88 his slow Ox about the country till he got it bartered89 for corn or oil, — to take a piece of Leather, and thereon scratch or stamp the mere Figure of an Ox (or Pecus); put it in his pocket, and call it Pecunia, Money. Yet hereby did Barter90 grow Sale, the Leather Money is now Golden and Paper, and all miracles have been out-miracled: for there are Rothschilds and English National Debts; and whoso has sixpence is sovereign (to the length of sixpence) over all men; commands cooks to feed him, philosophers to teach him, kings to mount guard over him, — to the length of sixpence. — Clothes too, which began in foolishest love of Ornament, what have they not become! Increased Security and pleasurable Heat soon followed: but what of these? Shame, divine Shame (Schaam, Modesty), as yet a stranger to the Anthropophagous bosom91, arose there mysteriously under Clothes; a mystic grove-encircled shrine92 for the Holy in man. Clothes gave us individuality, distinctions, social polity; Clothes have made Men of us; they are threatening to make Clothes-screens of us.
“But, on the whole,” continues our eloquent93 Professor, “Man is a Tool-using Animal (Handthierendes Thier). Weak in himself, and of small stature94, he stands on a basis, at most for the flattest-soled, of some half-square foot, insecurely enough; has to straddle out his legs, lest the very wind supplant95 him. Feeblest of bipeds! Three quintals are a crushing load for him; the steer96 of the meadow tosses him aloft, like a waste rag. Nevertheless he can use Tools; can devise Tools: with these the granite97 mountain melts into light dust before him; he kneads glowing iron, as if it were soft paste; seas are his smooth highway, winds and fire his unwearying steeds. Nowhere do you find him without Tools; without Tools he is nothing, with Tools he is all.”
Here may we not, for a moment, interrupt the stream of Oratory98 with a remark, that this Definition of the Tool-using Animal appears to us, of all that Animal-sort, considerably99 the precisest and best? Man is called a Laughing Animal: but do not the apes also laugh, or attempt to do it; and is the manliest100 man the greatest and oftenest laugher? Teufelsdrockh himself, as we said, laughed only once. Still less do we make of that other French Definition of the Cooking Animal; which, indeed, for rigorous scientific purposes, is as good as useless. Can a Tartar be said to cook, when he only readies his steak by riding on it? Again, what Cookery does the Greenlander use, beyond stowing up his whale-blubber, as a marmot, in the like case, might do? Or how would Monsieur Ude prosper101 among those Orinoco Indians who, according to Humboldt, lodge102 in crow-nests, on the branches of trees; and, for half the year, have no victuals103 but pipe-clay, the whole country being under water? But, on the other hand, show us the human being, of any period or climate, without his Tools: those very Caledonians, as we saw, had their Flint-ball, and Thong63 to it, such as no brute104 has or can have.
“Man is a Tool-using Animal,” concludes Teufelsdrockh, in his abrupt105 way; “of which truth Clothes are but one example: and surely if we consider the interval106 between the first wooden Dibble fashioned by man, and those Liverpool Steam-carriages, or the British House of Commons, we shall note what progress he has made. He digs up certain black stones from the bosom of the earth, and says to them, Transport me and this luggage at the rate of file-and-thirty miles an hour; and they do it: he collects, apparently107 by lot, six hundred and fifty-eight miscellaneous individuals, and says to them, Make this nation toil67 for us, bleed for us, hunger and, sorrow and sin for us; and they do it.”
点击收听单词发音
1 legislating | |
v.立法,制定法律( legislate的现在分词 ) | |
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2 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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3 lurking | |
潜在 | |
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4 edifice | |
n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿,教室) | |
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5 gracefully | |
ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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6 mantles | |
vt.&vi.覆盖(mantle的第三人称单数形式) | |
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7 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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8 starched | |
adj.浆硬的,硬挺的,拘泥刻板的v.把(衣服、床单等)浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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10 agglomeration | |
n.结聚,一堆 | |
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11 scarlet | |
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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12 betoken | |
v.预示 | |
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13 incessant | |
adj.不停的,连续的 | |
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14 infinitely | |
adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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15 snip | |
n.便宜货,廉价货,剪,剪断 | |
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16 illegible | |
adj.难以辨认的,字迹模糊的 | |
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17 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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18 hieroglyphical | |
n.象形文字,象形文字的文章 | |
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19 lexicon | |
n.字典,专门词汇 | |
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20 eternity | |
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷 | |
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21 deductions | |
扣除( deduction的名词复数 ); 结论; 扣除的量; 推演 | |
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22 deduction | |
n.减除,扣除,减除额;推论,推理,演绎 | |
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23 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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24 omniscient | |
adj.无所不知的;博识的 | |
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25 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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26 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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27 restriction | |
n.限制,约束 | |
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28 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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29 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
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30 cursory | |
adj.粗略的;草率的;匆促的 | |
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31 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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32 omnivorous | |
adj.杂食的 | |
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33 mythological | |
adj.神话的 | |
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34 metaphorical | |
a.隐喻的,比喻的 | |
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35 antediluvian | |
adj.史前的,陈旧的 | |
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36 wedlock | |
n.婚姻,已婚状态 | |
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37 progeny | |
n.后代,子孙;结果 | |
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38 aquatic | |
adj.水生的,水栖的 | |
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39 lore | |
n.传说;学问,经验,知识 | |
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40 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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41 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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42 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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43 treasury | |
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库 | |
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44 hoard | |
n./v.窖藏,贮存,囤积 | |
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45 wagons | |
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车 | |
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46 vividly | |
adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地 | |
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47 heterogeneous | |
adj.庞杂的;异类的 | |
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48 drossy | |
adj.浮渣一样的,铁渣的,碎屑的 | |
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49 smelted | |
v.熔炼,提炼(矿石)( smelt的过去式和过去分词 );合演( costar的过去式和过去分词 );闻到;嗅出 | |
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50 philosophical | |
adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的 | |
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51 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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52 decency | |
n.体面,得体,合宜,正派,庄重 | |
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53 ornament | |
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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54 aboriginal | |
adj.(指动植物)土生的,原产地的,土著的 | |
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55 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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56 glades | |
n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 ) | |
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57 squatted | |
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 );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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58 morasses | |
n.缠作一团( morass的名词复数 );困境;沼泽;陷阱 | |
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59 bestial | |
adj.残忍的;野蛮的 | |
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60 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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61 implements | |
n.工具( implement的名词复数 );家具;手段;[法律]履行(契约等)v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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62 thongs | |
的东西 | |
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63 thong | |
n.皮带;皮鞭;v.装皮带 | |
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64 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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65 hurling | |
n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的现在分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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66 toils | |
网 | |
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67 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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68 grotto | |
n.洞穴 | |
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69 tattooing | |
n.刺字,文身v.刺青,文身( tattoo的现在分词 );连续有节奏地敲击;作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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70 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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71 melodious | |
adj.旋律美妙的,调子优美的,音乐性的 | |
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72 serene | |
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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73 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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74 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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75 glide | |
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝 | |
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76 symbolically | |
ad.象征地,象征性地 | |
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77 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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78 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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79 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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80 beholds | |
v.看,注视( behold的第三人称单数 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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81 vitality | |
n.活力,生命力,效力 | |
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82 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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83 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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84 charcoal | |
n.炭,木炭,生物炭 | |
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85 monk | |
n.和尚,僧侣,修道士 | |
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86 pestle | |
n.杵 | |
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87 prostration | |
n. 平伏, 跪倒, 疲劳 | |
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88 lugging | |
超载运转能力 | |
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89 bartered | |
v.作物物交换,以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90 barter | |
n.物物交换,以货易货,实物交易 | |
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91 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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92 shrine | |
n.圣地,神龛,庙;v.将...置于神龛内,把...奉为神圣 | |
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93 eloquent | |
adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的 | |
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94 stature | |
n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材 | |
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95 supplant | |
vt.排挤;取代 | |
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96 steer | |
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
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97 granite | |
adj.花岗岩,花岗石 | |
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98 oratory | |
n.演讲术;词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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99 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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100 manliest | |
manly(有男子气概的)的最高级形式 | |
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101 prosper | |
v.成功,兴隆,昌盛;使成功,使昌隆,繁荣 | |
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102 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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103 victuals | |
n.食物;食品 | |
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104 brute | |
n.野兽,兽性 | |
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105 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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106 interval | |
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息 | |
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107 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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