Ahead marched a hundred of his rovers in their short caftans of every conceivable colour, their waists swathed in gaudy8 scarves, some of which supported a very arsenal9 of assorted10 cutlery; many wore body armour11 of mail and the gleaming spike12 of a casque thrust up above their turbans. After them, dejected and in chains, came the five score prisoners taken aboard the Dutchman, urged along by the whips of the corsairs who flanked them. Then marched another regiment13 of corsairs, and after these the long line of stately, sneering14 camels, shuffling15 cumbrously along and led by shouting Saharowis. After them followed yet more corsairs, and then mounted, on a white Arab jennet, his head swathed in a turban of cloth of gold, came Sakr-el-Bahr. In the narrower streets, with their white and yellow washed houses, which presented blank windowless walls broken here and there by no more than a slit16 to admit light and air, the spectators huddled17 themselves fearfully into doorways18 to avoid being crushed to death by the camels, whose burdens bulging19 on either side entirely20 filled those narrow ways. But the more open spaces, such as the strand21 on either side of the mole, the square before the s?k, and the approaches of Asad’s fortress22, were thronged23 with a motley roaring crowd. There were stately Moors25 in flowing robes cheek by jowl with half-naked blacks from the Sus and the Draa; lean, enduring Arabs in their spotless white djellabas rubbed shoulders with Berbers from the highlands in black camel-hair cloaks; there were Levantine Turks, and Jewish refugees from Spain ostentatiously dressed in European garments, tolerated there because bound to the Moor24 by ties of common suffering and common exile from that land that once had been their own.
Under the glaring African sun this amazing crowd stood assembled to welcome Sakr-el-Bahr; and welcome him it did, with such vocal26 thunder that an echo of it from the mole reached the very Kasbah on the hilltop to herald27 his approach.
By the time, however, that he reached the fortress his procession had dwindled28 by more than half. At the s?k his forces had divided, and his corsairs, headed by Othmani, had marched the captives away to the bagnio — or banyard, as my Lord Henry calls it — whilst the camels had continued up the hill. Under the great gateway29 of the Kasbah they padded into the vast courtyard to be ranged along two sides of it by their Saharowi drivers, and there brought clumsily to their knees. After them followed but some two score corsairs as a guard of honour to their leader. They took their stand upon either side of the gateway after profoundly salaaming30 to Asad-ed-Din. The Basha sat in the shade of an awning31 enthroned upon a divan32, attended by his wazeer Tsamanni and by Marzak, and guarded by a half-dozen janissaries, whose sable33 garments made an effective background to the green and gold of his jewelled robes. In his white turban glowed an emerald crescent.
The Basha’s countenance34 was dark and brooding as he watched the advent35 of that line of burdened camels. His thoughts were still labouring with the doubt of Sakr-el-Bahr which Fenzileh’s crafty36 speech and craftier37 reticence38 had planted in them. But at sight of the corsair leader himself his countenance cleared suddenly, his eyes sparkled, and he rose to his feet to welcome him as a father might welcome a son who had been through perils39 on a service dear to both.
Sakr-el-Bahr entered the courtyard on foot, having dismounted at the gate. Tall and imposing40, with his head high and his forked beard thrusting forward, he stalked with great dignity to the foot of the divan followed by Ali and a mahogany-faced fellow, turbaned and red-bearded, in whom it needed more than a glance to recognize the rascally41 Jasper Leigh, now in all the panoply42 of your complete renegado.
Sakr-el-Bahr went down upon his knees and prostrated43 himself solemnly before his prince.
“The blessing44 of Allah and His peace upon thee, my lord,” was his greeting.
And Asad, stooping to lift that splendid figure in his arms, gave him a welcome that caused the spying Fenzileh to clench45 her teeth behind the fretted46 lattice that concealed47 her.
“The praise to Allah and to our Lord Mahomet that thou art returned and in health, my son. Already hath my old heart been gladdened by the news of thy victories in the service of the Faith.”
Then followed the display of all those riches wrested48 from the Dutch, and greatly though Asad’s expectations had been fed already by Othmani, the sight now spread before his eyes by far exceeded all those expectations.
In the end all was dismissed to the treasury49, and Tsamanni was bidden to go cast up the account of it and mark the share that fell to the portion of those concerned — for in these ventures all were partners, from the Basha himself, who represented the State down to the meanest corsair who had manned the victorious50 vessels51 of the Faith, and each had his share of the booty, greater or less according to his rank, one twentieth of the total falling to Sakr-el-Bahr himself.
In the courtyard were left none but Asad, Marzak and the janissaries, and Sakr-el-Bahr with Ali and Jasper. It was then that Sakr-el-Bahr presented his new officer to the Bashal as one upon whom the grace of Allah had descended52, a great fighter and a skilled seaman53, who had offered up his talents and his life to the service of Islam, who had been accepted by Sakr-el-Bahr, and stood now before Asad to be confirmed in his office.
Marzak interposed petulantly54, to exclaim that already were there too many erstwhile Nasrani dogs in the ranks of the soldiers of the Faith, and that it was unwise to increase their number and presumptuous55 in Sakr-el-Bahr to take so much upon himself.
Sakr-el-Bahr measured him with an eye in which scorn and surprise were nicely blended.
“Dost say that it is presumptuous to win a convert to the banner of Our Lord Mahomet?” quoth he. “Go read the Most Perspicuous Book and see what is there enjoined56 as a duty upon every True–Believer. And bethink thee, O son of Asad, that when thou dost in thy little wisdom cast scorn upon those whom Allah has blessed and led from the night wherein they dwelt into the bright noontide of Faith, thou dost cast scorn upon me and upon thine own mother, which is but a little matter, and thou dost blaspheme the Blessed name of Allah, which is to tread the ways that lead unto the Pit.”
Angry but defeated and silenced, Marzak fell back a step and stood biting his lip and glowering57 upon the corsair, what time Asad nodded his head and smiled approval.
“Verily art thou full learned in the True Belief, Sakr-el-Bahr,” he said. “Thou art the very father of wisdom as of valour.” And thereupon he gave welcome to Master Leigh, whom he hailed to the ranks of the Faithful under the designation of Jasper–Reis.
That done, the renegade and Ali were both dismissed, as were also the janissaries, who, quitting their position behind Asad, went to take their stand on guard at the gateway. Then the Basha beat his hands together, and to the slaves who came in answer to his summons he gave orders to set food, and he bade Sakr-el-Bahr to come sit beside him on the divan.
Water was brought that they might wash. That done, the slaves placed before them a savoury stew58 of meat and eggs with olives, limes, and spices.
Asad broke bread with a reverently59 pronounced “Bismillah!” and dipped his fingers into the earthenware60 bowl, leading the way for Sakr-el-Bahr and Marzak, and as they ate he invited the corsair himself to recite the tale of his adventure.
When he had done so, and again Asad had praised him in high and loving terms, Marzak set him a question.
“Was it to obtain just these two English slaves that thou didst undertake this perilous61 voyage to that distant land?”
“That was but a part of my design,” was the calm reply. “I went to rove the seas in the Prophet’s service, as the result of my voyage gives proof.”
“Thou didst not know that this Dutch argosy would cross thy path,” said Marzak, in the very words his mother had prompted him.
“Did I not?” quoth Sakr-el-Bahr, and he smiled confidently, so confidently that Asad scarce needed to hear the words that so cunningly gave the lie to the innuendo62. “Had I no trust in Allah the All-wise, the All-knowing?
“Well answered, by the Koran!” Asad approved him heartily63, the more heartily since it rebutted64 insinuations which he desired above all to hear rebutted.
But Marzak did not yet own himself defeated. He had been soundly schooled by his guileful65 Sicilian mother.
“Yet there is something in all this I do not understand,” he murmured, with false gentleness.
“All things are possible to Allah!” said Sakr-el-Bahr, in tones of incredulity, as if he suggested — not without a suspicion of irony66 — that it was incredible there should be anything in all the world that could elude67 the penetration68 of Marzak.
The youth bowed to him in acknowledgment. “Tell me, O mighty69 Sakr-el-Bahr,” he begged, “how it came to pass that having reached those distant shores thou wert content to take thence but two poor slaves, since with thy followers70 and the favour of the All-seeing thou might easily have taken fifty times that number.” And he looked ingenuously71 into the corsair’s swarthy, rugged72 face, whilst Asad frowned thoughtfully, for the thought was one that had occurred to him already.
It became necessary that Sakr-el-Bahr should lie to clear himself. Here no high-sounding phrase of Faith would answer. And explanation was unavoidable, and he was conscious that he could not afford one that did not go a little lame73.
“Why, as to that,” said he, “these prisoners were wrested from the first house upon which we came, and their capture occasioned some alarm. Moreover, it was night-time when we landed, and I dared not adventure the lives of my followers by taking them further from the ship and attacking a village which might have risen to cut off our good retreat.”
The frown remained stamped upon the brow of Asad, as Marzak slyly observed.
“Yet Othmani,” said he, “urged thee to fall upon a slumbering74 village all unconscious of thy presence, and thou didst refuse.”
Asad looked up sharply at that, and Sakr-el-Bahr realized with a tightening75 about the heart something of the undercurrents at work against him and all the pains that had been taken to glean76 information that might be used to his undoing77.
“Is it so?” demanded Asad, looking from his son to his lieutenant78 with that lowering look that rendered his face evil and cruel.
Sakr-el-Bahr took a high tone. He met Asad’s glance with an eye of challenge.
“And if it were so my lord?” he demanded.
“I asked thee is it so?”
“Ay, but knowing thy wisdom I disbelieved my ears,” said Sakr-el-Bahr. “Shall it signify what Othmani may have said? Do I take my orders or am I to be guided by Othmani? If so, best set Othmani in my place, give him the command and the responsibility for the lives of the Faithful who fight beside him.” He ended with an indignant snort.
“Thou art over-quick to anger,” Asad reproved him, scowling80 still
“And by the Head of Allah, who will deny my right to it? Am I to conduct such an enterprise as this from which I am returned laden81 with spoils that might well be the fruits of a year’s raiding, to be questioned by a beardless stripling as to why I was not guided by Othmani?”
He heaved himself up and stood towering there in the intensity82 of a passion that was entirely simulated. He must bluster83 here, and crush down suspicion with whorling periods and broad, fierce gesture.
“To what should Othmani have guided me?” he demanded scornfully. “Could he have guided me to more than I have this day laid at thy feet? What I have done speaks eloquently84 with its own voice. What he would have had me do might well have ended in disaster. Had it so ended, would the blame of it have fallen upon Othmani? Nay85, by Allah! but upon me. And upon me rests then the credit, and let none dare question it without better cause.”
Now these were daring words to address to the tyrant86 Asad, and still more daring was the tone, the light hard eyes aflash and the sweeping87 gestures of contempt with which they were delivered. But of his ascendancy88 over the Basha there was no doubt. And here now was proof of it.
Asad almost cowered89 before his fury. The scowl79 faded from his face to be replaced by an expression of dismay.
“Nay, nay, Sakr-el-Bahr, this tone!” he cried.
Sakr-el-Bahr, having slammed the door of conciliation90 in the face of the Basha, now opened it again. He became instantly submissive.
“Forgive it,” he said. “Blame the devotion of thy servant to thee and to the Faith he serves with little reck to life. In this very expedition was I wounded nigh unto death. The livid scar of it is a dumb witness to my zeal91. Where are thy scars, Marzak?”
Marzak quailed92 before the sudden blaze of that question, and Sakr-el-Bahr laughed softly in contempt.
“Sit,” Asad bade him. “I have been less than just.”
“Thou art the very fount and spring of justice, O my lord, as this thine admission proves,” protested the corsair. He sat down again, folding his legs under him. “I will confess to you that being come so near to England in that cruise of mine I determined93 to land and seize one who some years ago did injure me, and between whom and me there was a score to settle. I exceeded my intentions in that I carried off two prisoners instead of one. These prisoners,” he ran on, judging that the moment of reaction in Asad’s mind was entirely favourable94 to the preferment of the request he had to make, “are not in the bagnio with the others. They are still confined aboard the carack I seized.”
“And why is this?” quoth Asad, but without suspicion now.
“Because, my lord, I have a boon95 to ask in some reward for the service I have rendered.”
“Ask it, my son.”
“Give me leave to keep these captives for myself.”
Asad considered him, frowning again slightly. Despite himself, despite his affection for Sakr-el-Bahr, and his desire to soothe96 him now that rankling97 poison of Fenzileh’s infusing was at work again in his mind.
“My leave thou hast,” said he. “But not the law’s, and the law runs that no corsair shall subtract so much as the value of an asper from his booty until the division has been made and his own share allotted98 him,” was the grave answer.
“The law?” quoth Sakr-el-Bahr. “But thou art the law, exalted99 lord.”
“Not so, my son. The law is above the Basha, who must himself conform to it so that he be just and worthy of his high office. And the law I have recited thee applies even should the corsair raider be the Basha himself. These slaves of thine must forthwith be sent to the bagnio to join the others that tomorrow all may be sold in the s?k. See it done, Sakr-el-Bahr.”
The corsair would have renewed his pleadings, but that his eye caught the eager white face of Marzak and the gleaming expectant eyes, looking so hopefully for his ruin. He checked, and bowed his head with an assumption of indifference100.
“Name thou their price then, and forthwith will I pay it into thy treasury.”
But Asad shook his head. “It is not for me to name their price, but for the buyers,” he replied. “I might set the price too high, and that were unjust to thee, or too low, and that were unjust to others who would acquire them. Deliver them over to the bagnio.”
“It shall be done,” said Sakr-el-Bahr, daring to insist no further and dissembling his chagrin101.
Very soon thereafter he departed upon that errand, giving orders, however, that Rosamund and Lionel should be kept apart from the other prisoners until the hour of the sale on the morrow when perforce they must take their place with the rest.
Marzak lingered with his father after Oliver had taken his leave, and presently they were joined there in the courtyard by Fenzileh — this woman who had brought, said many, the Frankish ways of Shaitan into Algiers.
点击收听单词发音
1 cargo | |
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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2 mole | |
n.胎块;痣;克分子 | |
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3 pageants | |
n.盛装的游行( pageant的名词复数 );穿古代服装的游行;再现历史场景的娱乐活动;盛会 | |
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4 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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5 conqueror | |
n.征服者,胜利者 | |
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6 Mediterranean | |
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的 | |
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7 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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8 gaudy | |
adj.华而不实的;俗丽的 | |
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9 arsenal | |
n.兵工厂,军械库 | |
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10 assorted | |
adj.各种各样的,各色俱备的 | |
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11 armour | |
(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队 | |
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12 spike | |
n.长钉,钉鞋;v.以大钉钉牢,使...失效 | |
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13 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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14 sneering | |
嘲笑的,轻蔑的 | |
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15 shuffling | |
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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16 slit | |
n.狭长的切口;裂缝;vt.切开,撕裂 | |
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17 huddled | |
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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18 doorways | |
n.门口,门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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19 bulging | |
膨胀; 凸出(部); 打气; 折皱 | |
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20 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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21 strand | |
vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地) | |
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22 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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23 thronged | |
v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 moor | |
n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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25 moors | |
v.停泊,系泊(船只)( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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26 vocal | |
adj.直言不讳的;嗓音的;n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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27 herald | |
vt.预示...的来临,预告,宣布,欢迎 | |
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28 dwindled | |
v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29 gateway | |
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法 | |
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30 salaaming | |
行额手礼( salaam的现在分词 ) | |
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31 awning | |
n.遮阳篷;雨篷 | |
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32 divan | |
n.长沙发;(波斯或其他东方诗人的)诗集 | |
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33 sable | |
n.黑貂;adj.黑色的 | |
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34 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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35 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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36 crafty | |
adj.狡猾的,诡诈的 | |
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37 craftier | |
狡猾的,狡诈的( crafty的比较级 ) | |
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38 reticence | |
n.沉默,含蓄 | |
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39 perils | |
极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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40 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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41 rascally | |
adj. 无赖的,恶棍的 adv. 无赖地,卑鄙地 | |
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42 panoply | |
n.全副甲胄,礼服 | |
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43 prostrated | |
v.使俯伏,使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 );(指疾病、天气等)使某人无能为力 | |
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44 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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45 clench | |
vt.捏紧(拳头等),咬紧(牙齿等),紧紧握住 | |
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46 fretted | |
焦躁的,附有弦马的,腐蚀的 | |
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47 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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48 wrested | |
(用力)拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 ); 费力取得; (从…)攫取; ( 从… ) 强行取去… | |
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49 treasury | |
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库 | |
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50 victorious | |
adj.胜利的,得胜的 | |
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51 vessels | |
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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52 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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53 seaman | |
n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
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54 petulantly | |
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55 presumptuous | |
adj.胆大妄为的,放肆的,冒昧的,冒失的 | |
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56 enjoined | |
v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57 glowering | |
v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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58 stew | |
n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑 | |
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59 reverently | |
adv.虔诚地 | |
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60 earthenware | |
n.土器,陶器 | |
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61 perilous | |
adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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62 innuendo | |
n.暗指,讽刺 | |
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63 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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64 rebutted | |
v.反驳,驳回( rebut的过去式和过去分词 );击退 | |
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65 guileful | |
adj.狡诈的,诡计多端的 | |
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66 irony | |
n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄 | |
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67 elude | |
v.躲避,困惑 | |
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68 penetration | |
n.穿透,穿人,渗透 | |
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69 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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70 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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71 ingenuously | |
adv.率直地,正直地 | |
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72 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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73 lame | |
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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74 slumbering | |
微睡,睡眠(slumber的现在分词形式) | |
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75 tightening | |
上紧,固定,紧密 | |
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76 glean | |
v.收集(消息、资料、情报等) | |
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77 undoing | |
n.毁灭的原因,祸根;破坏,毁灭 | |
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78 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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79 scowl | |
vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
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80 scowling | |
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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81 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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82 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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83 bluster | |
v.猛刮;怒冲冲的说;n.吓唬,怒号;狂风声 | |
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84 eloquently | |
adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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85 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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86 tyrant | |
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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87 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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88 ascendancy | |
n.统治权,支配力量 | |
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89 cowered | |
v.畏缩,抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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90 conciliation | |
n.调解,调停 | |
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91 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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92 quailed | |
害怕,发抖,畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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94 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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95 boon | |
n.恩赐,恩物,恩惠 | |
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96 soothe | |
v.安慰;使平静;使减轻;缓和;奉承 | |
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97 rankling | |
v.(使)痛苦不已,(使)怨恨不已( rankle的现在分词 ) | |
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98 allotted | |
分配,拨给,摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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99 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
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100 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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101 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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