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Chapter 13 Newborn
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“THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAND,” Jasper answered in a quiet voice. “Repeated a thousandtimes.” He laughed a little ruefully and brushed at his arm. “Our venom1 is the only thing that leaves a scar.”

  “Why?” I breathed in horror, feeling rude but unable to stop staring at his subtly ravaged2 skin.

  “I didn’t have quite the same . . . upbringing as my adopted siblings3 here. My beginning was somethingelse entirely4.” His voice turned hard as he finished.

  I gaped5 at him, appalled6.

  “Before I tell you my story,” Jasper said, “you must understand that there are places in our world, Bella,where the life span of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries.”

  The others had heard this before. Carlisle and Emmett turned their attention to the TV again. Alice movedsilently to sit at Esme’s feet. But Edward was just as absorbed as I was; I could feel his eyes on my face,reading every flicker7 of emotion.

  “To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have toimagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy . . . the perpetually thirsty.

  “You see, there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can beless restrained, and still avoid detection.

  “Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot.

  The thicker the red, the more easily we — well, those who exist this way — can feed without attractingnotice.”

  I shuddered8 at the image in my head, at the word feed. But Jasper wasn’t worried about frightening me,not overprotective like Edward always was. He went on without a pause.

  “Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It’s the Volturi thatkeep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of uswould be quickly exposed.”

  I frowned at the way he pronounced the name — with respect, almost gratitude9. The idea of the Volturi asthe good guys in any sense was hard to accept.

  “The North is, by comparison, very civilized10. Mostly we are nomads11 here who enjoy the day as well asthe night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly — anonymity12 is important to us all.

  “It’s a different world in the South. The immortals13 there come out only at night. They spend the dayplotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy’s. Because it has been war in the South, constant war forcenturies, with never one moment of truce14. The covens there barely note the existence of humans, except assoldiers notice a herd15 of cows by the wayside — food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of theherd because of the Volturi.”

  “But what are they fighting for?” I asked.

  Jasper smiled. “Remember the map with the red dots?”

  He waited, so I nodded.

  “They fight for control of the thickest red.

  “You see, it occurred to someone once that, if he were the only vampire16 in, let’s say Mexico City, wellthen, he could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. He plotted ways to get ridof the competition.

  “Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others.

  “But the most effective tactic17 was invented by a fairly young vampire named Benito. The first anyone everheard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred the two small covens that sharedthe area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much stronger clan18 of allies that claimed Monterrey innorthern Mexico. Again, he won.”

  “How did he win?” I asked with wary19 curiosity.

  “Benito had created an army of newborn vampires20. He was the first one to think of it, and, in thebeginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile21, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They’ll turnon each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they foughtamongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost.

  “You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you’re doing.

  They’re incredibly powerful physically22, for the first year or so, and if they’re allowed to bring strength to bearthey can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually,they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers.”

  “The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing theycould think of to counteract24 Benito. They made armies of their own. . . .

  “All hell broke loose — and I mean that more literally25 than you can possibly imagine. We immortals haveour histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to behuman in Mexico, either.”

  I shuddered.

  “When the body count reached epidemic26 proportions — in fact, your histories blame a disease for thepopulation slump27 — the Volturi finally stepped in. The entire guard came together and sought out everynewborn in the bottom half of North America. Benito was entrenched28 in Puebla, building his army as quicklyas he could in order to take on the prize — Mexico City. The Volturi started with him, and then moved on tothe rest.

  “Anyone who was found with the newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying toprotect themselves from Benito, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time.

  “The Volturi were cleaning house for almost a year. This was another chapter of our history that willalways be remembered, though there were very few witnesses left to speak of what it was like. I spoke29 tosomeone once who had, from a distance, watched what happened when they visited Culiacán.”

  Jasper shuddered. I realized that I had never before seen him either afraid or horrified30. This was a first.

  “It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South. The rest of the world stayedsane. We owe the Volturi for our present way of life.

  “But when the Volturi went back to Italy, the survivors31 were quick to stake their claims in the South.

  “It didn’t take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you’ll forgivethe expression. Vendettas32 abounded34. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able toresist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. Thenewborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were usedcircumspectly, and the humans remained, for the most part, oblivious35. Their creators gave the Volturi noreason to return.

  “The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculationwould begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let theothers, the careful ones, continue. . . .”

  Jasper was staring off into space.

  “That’s how you were changed.” My realization36 was a whisper.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas. I was almost seventeen years old whenI joined the Confederate Army in 1861. I lied to the recruiters and told them I was twenty. I was tall enoughto get away with it.

  “My military career was short-lived, but very promising37. People always . . . liked me, listened to what Ihad to say. My father said it was charisma38. Of course, now I know it was probably something more. But,whatever the reason, I was promoted quickly through the ranks, over older, more experienced men. TheConfederate Army was new and scrambling39 to organize itself, so that provided opportunities, as well. By thefirst battle of Galveston — well, it was more of a skirmish, really — I was the youngest major in Texas, noteven acknowledging my real age.

  “I was placed in charge of evacuating40 the women and children from the city when the Union’s mortarboats reached the harbor. It took a day to prepare them, and then I left with the first column of civilians41 toconvey them to Houston.

  “I remember that one night very clearly.

  “We reached the city after dark. I stayed only long enough to make sure the entire party was safely situated42. As soon as that was done, I got myself a fresh horse, and I headed back to Galveston. There wasn’ttime to rest.

  “Just a mile outside the city, I found three women on foot. I assumed they were stragglers and dismountedat once to offer them my aid. But, when I could see their faces in the dim light of the moon, I was stunned43 intosilence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen.

  “They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it. Even the little black-haired girl, whose features wereclearly Mexican, was porcelain44 in the moonlight. They seemed young, all of them, still young enough to becalled girls. I knew they were not lost members of our party. I would have remembered seeing these three.

  “‘He’s speechless,’ the tallest girl said in a lovely, delicate voice — it was like wind chimes. She had fairhair, and her skin was snow white.

  “The other was blonder still, her skin just as chalky. Her face was like an angel’s. She leaned toward mewith half-closed eyes and inhaled45 deeply.

  “‘Mmm,’ she sighed. ‘Lovely.’

  “The small one, the tiny brunette, put her hand on the girl’s arm and spoke quickly. Her voice was too softand musical to be sharp, but that seemed to be the way she intended it.

  “‘Concentrate, Nettie,’ she said.

  “I’d always had a good sense of how people related to each other, and it was immediately clear that thebrunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they’d been military, I would have said that she outrankedthem.

  “‘He looks right — young, strong, an officer. . . . ’ The brunette paused, and I tried unsuccessfully tospeak. ‘And there’s something more . . . do you sense it?’ she asked the other two. ‘He’s . . . compelling.’

  “‘Oh, yes,’ Nettie quickly agreed, leaning toward me again.

  “‘Patience,’ the brunette cautioned her. ‘I want to keep this one.’

  “Nettie frowned; she seemed annoyed.

  “‘You’d better do it, Maria,’ the taller blonde spoke again. ‘If he’s important to you. I kill them twice asoften as I keep them.’

  “‘Yes, I’ll do it,’ Maria agreed. ‘I really do like this one. Take Nettie away, will you? I don’t want to haveto protect my back while I’m trying to focus.’

  “My hair was standing46 up on the back of my neck, though I didn’t understand the meaning of anything thebeautiful creatures were saying. My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it whenshe spoke of killing47, but my judgment48 overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but toprotect them.

  “‘Let’s hunt,’ Nettie agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the tall girl’s hand. They wheeled — they wereso graceful49! — and sprinted50 toward the city. They seemed to almost take flight, they were so fast — theirwhite dresses blew out behind them like wings. I blinked in amazement51, and they were gone.

  “I turned to stare at Maria, who was watching me curiously52.

  “I’d never been superstitious53 in my life. Until that second, I’d never believed in ghosts or any other suchnonsense. Suddenly, I was unsure.

  “‘What is your name, soldier?’ Maria asked me.

  “‘Major Jasper Whitlock, ma’am,’ I stammered54, unable to be impolite to a female, even if she was aghost.

  “‘I truly hope you survive, Jasper,’ she said in her gentle voice. ‘I have a good feeling about you.’

  “She took a step closer, and inclined her head as if she were going to kiss me. I stood frozen in place,though my instincts were screaming at me to run.”

  Jasper paused, his face thoughtful. “A few days later,” he finally said, and I wasn’t sure if he had edited hisstory for my sake or because he was responding to the tension that even I could feel exuding56 from Edward, “Iwas introduced to my new life.

  “Their names were Maria, Nettie, and Lucy. They hadn’t been together long — Maria had rounded up theother two — all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership57 of convenience. Mariawanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase their . . . herd lands, Isuppose you could say. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual.

  It was Maria’s idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, andshe taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well, we were rewarded. . . .”

  He paused, editing again.

  “She was in a hurry, though. Maria knew that the massive strength of the newborn began to wane58 aroundthe year mark, and she wanted to act while we were strong.

  “There were six of us when I joined Maria’s band. She added four more within a fortnight. We were allmale — Maria wanted soldiers — and that made it slightly more difficult to keep from fighting amongstourselves. I fought my first battles against my new comrades in arms. I was quicker than the others, better atcombat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed. Iwas rewarded often, and that made me stronger.

  “Maria was a good judge of character. She decided59 to put me in charge of the others — as if I were beingpromoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled60 tohover around twenty.

  “This was considerable for the cautious times we lived in. My ability, as yet undefined, to control theemotional atmosphere around me was vitally effective. We soon began to work together in a way thatnewborn vampires had never cooperated before. Even Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were able to work togethermore easily.

  “Maria grew quite fond of me — she began to depend upon me. And, in some ways, I worshipped theground she walked on. I had no idea that any other life was possible. Maria told us this was the way thingswere, and we believed.

  “She asked me to tell her when my brothers and I were ready to fight, and I was eager to prove myself. Ipulled together an army of twenty-three in the end — twenty-three unbelievably strong new vampires,organized and skilled as no others before. Maria was ecstatic.

  “We crept down toward Monterrey, her former home, and she unleashed61 us on her enemies. They hadonly nine newborns at the time, and a pair of older vampires controlling them. We took them down moreeasily than Maria could believe, losing only four in the process. It was an unheard-of margin62 of victory.

  “And we were well trained. We did it without attracting notice. The city changed hands without any humanbeing aware.

  “Success made Maria greedy. It wasn’t long before she began to eye other cities. That first year, sheextended her control to cover most of Texas and northern Mexico. Then the others came from the South todislodge her.”

  He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm.

  “The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return. Of the original twenty-three,I was the only one to survive the first eighteen months. We both won and lost. Nettie and Lucy turned onMaria eventually — but that one we won.

  “Maria and I were able to hold on to Monterrey. It quieted a little, though the wars continued. The idea ofconquest was dying out; it was mostly vengeance63 and feuding64 now. So many had lost their partners, and that issomething our kind does not forgive. . . .

  “Maria and I always kept a dozen or so newborns ready. They meant little to us — they were pawns65, theywere disposable. When they outgrew66 their usefulness, we did dispose of them. My life continued in the sameviolent pattern and the years passed. I was sick of it all for a very long time before anything changed . . .

  “Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who’d remained useful and survived his firstthree years, against the odds67. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was . . . civilized — I suppose that’s theright word. He didn’t enjoy the fight, though he was good at it.

  “He was assigned to deal with the newborns — babysit them, you could say. It was a full-time68 job.

  “And then it was time to purge69 again. The newborns were outgrowing70 their strength; they were due to bereplaced. Peter was supposed to help me dispose of them. We took them aside individually, you see, one byone . . . It was always a very long night. This time, he tried to convince me that a few had potential, but Mariahad instructed that we get rid of them all. I told him no.

  “We were about halfway71 through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll72 on Peter. I was trying todecide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To mysurprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced73 for whatever his mood might foreshadow — he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me.

  “The newborn I’d summoned was a female, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His feelingschanged when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. Icould have pursued them, but I didn’t. I felt . . . averse74 to destroying him.

  “Maria was irritated with me for that . . .

  “Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He picked a good day to arrive.

  “Maria was mystified by my ever-deteriorating frame of mind. She’d never felt a moment’s depression,and I wondered why I was different. I began to notice a change in her emotions when she was near me —sometimes there was fear . . . and malice75 — the same feelings that had given me advance warning when Nettieand Lucy struck. I was preparing myself to destroy my only ally, the core of my existence, when Peterreturned.

  “Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I’d never dreamed I had. In fiveyears, they’d never had a fight, though they’d met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist withoutthe constant mayhem.

  “In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn’t have tokill Maria. I’d been her companion for as many years as Carlisle and Edward have been together, yet thebond between us was nowhere near as strong. When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships youform are tenuous76 and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance.

  “I traveled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. Butthe depression didn’t fade. I didn’t understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was alwaysworse after I’d hunted.

  “I contemplated77 that. In so many years of slaughter78 and carnage, I’d lost nearly all of my humanity. I wasundeniably a nightmare, a monster of the grisliest kind. Yet each time I found another human victim, I wouldfeel a faint prick79 of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I couldsee Maria and the others in my head, what they had looked like to me the last night that I was JasperWhitlock. It was stronger for me — this borrowed memory — than it was for anyone else, because I couldfeel everything my prey80 was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them.

  “You’ve experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, Bella, but I wonder if yourealize how the feelings in a room affect me. I live every day in a climate of emotion. For the first century of mylife, I lived in a world of bloodthirsty vengeance. Hate was my constant companion. It eased some when I leftMaria, but I still had to feel the horror and fear of my prey.

  “It began to be too much.

  “The depression got worse, and I wandered away from Peter and Charlotte. Civilized as they were, theydidn’t feel the same aversion I was beginning to feel. They only wanted peace from the fight. I was so weariedby killing — killing anyone, even mere55 humans.

  “Yet I had to keep killing. What choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty andI would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline . . . challenging. I still haven’tperfected that.”

  Jasper was lost in the story, as was I. It surprised me when his desolate81 expression smoothed into apeaceful smile.

  “I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day — something I was notcompletely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a littlehalf-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty,and that worried me a little.

  “She was there — expecting me, naturally.” He chuckled82 once. “She hopped83 down from the high stool atthe counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me.

  “It shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That’s the only interpretation84 of her behavior mypast had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating85 from her were like nothing I’dever felt before.

  “‘You’ve kept me waiting a long time,’ she said.”

  I didn’t realize Alice had come to stand behind me again.

  “And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am.’” Alice laughed at the memory.

  Jasper smiled down at her. “You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of whatI was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope.”

  Jasper took Alice’s hand as he spoke.

  Alice grinned. “I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up.”

  They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Jasper looked back to me, the soft expressionlingering.

  “Alice told me what she’d seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence waspossible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them.”

  “Scared the hell out of them, too,” Edward said, rolling his eyes at Jasper before turning to me to explain.

  “Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little freak” — henudged Alice playfully — “who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to knowwhich room she can move into.”

  Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony, soprano and bass86.

  “When I got home, all my things were in the garage,” Edward continued.

  Alice shrugged87. “Your room had the best view.”

  They all laughed together now.

  “That’s a nice story,” I said.

  Three pairs of eyes questioned my sanity88.

  “I mean the last part,” I defended myself. “The happy ending with Alice.”

  “Alice has made all the difference,” Jasper agreed. “This is a climate I enjoy.”

  But the momentary89 pause in the stress couldn’t last.

  “An army,” Alice whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  The others were intent again, their eyes locked on Jasper’s face.

  “I thought I must be interpreting the signs incorrectly. Because where is the motive90? Why would someonecreate an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta33. It makes no sense from a conqueststandpoint, either; no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there’s no one to fight for it. No one to defendit from.

  “But I’ve seen this before, and there’s no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires inSeattle. Fewer than twenty, I’d guess. The difficult part is that they are totally untrained. Whoever made themjust set them loose. It will only get worse, and it won’t be much longer till the Volturi step in. Actually, I’msurprised they’ve let this go on so long.”

  “What can we do?” Carlisle asked.

  “If we want to avoid the Volturi’s involvement, we will have to destroy the newborns, and we will have todo it very soon.” Jasper’s face was hard. Knowing his story now, I could guess how this evaluation91 mustdisturb him. “I can teach you how. It won’t be easy in the city. The young ones aren’t concerned aboutsecrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways that they are not. Maybe we can lure92 them out.”

  “Maybe we won’t have to.” Edward’s voice was bleak93. “Does it occur to anyone else that the onlypossible threat in the area that would call for the creation of an army is . . . us?”

  Jasper’s eyes narrowed; Carlisle’s widened, shocked.

  “Tanya’s family is also near,” Esme said slowly, unwilling94 to accept Edward’s words.

  “The newborns aren’t ravaging95 Anchorage, Esme. I think we have to consider the idea that we are thetargets.”

  “They’re not coming after us,” Alice insisted, and then paused. “Or . . . they don’t know that they are.

  Not yet.”

  “What is that?” Edward asked, curious and tense. “What are you remembering?”

  “Flickers,” Alice said. “I can’t see a clear picture when I try to see what’s going on, nothing concrete. ButI’ve been getting these strange flashes. Not enough to make sense of. It’s as if someone’s changing their mind,moving from one course of action to another so quickly that I can’t get a good view. . . .”

  “Indecision?” Jasper asked in disbelief.

  “I don’t know. . . .”

  “Not indecision,” Edward growled97. “Knowledge. Someone who knows you can’t see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from us. Playing with the holes in your vision.”

  “Who would know that?” Alice whispered.

  Edward’s eyes were hard as ice. “Aro knows you as well as you know yourself.”

  “But I would see if they’d decided to come. . . .”

  “Unless they didn’t want to get their hands dirty.”

  “A favor,” Rosalie suggested, speaking for the first time. “Someone in the South . . . someone who alreadyhad trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed is offered a second chance — if theytake care of this one small problem. . . . That would explain the Volturi’s sluggish98 response.”

  “Why?” Carlisle asked, still shocked. “There’s no reason for the Volturi —”

  “It was there,” Edward disagreed quietly. “I’m surprised it’s come to this so soon, because the otherthoughts were stronger. In Aro’s head he saw me at his one side and Alice at his other. The present and thefuture, virtual omniscience99. The power of the idea intoxicated100 him. I would have thought it would take himmuch longer to give up on that plan — he wanted it too much. But there was also the thought of you, Carlisle,of our family, growing stronger and larger. The jealousy101 and the fear: you having . . . not more than he had, butstill, things that he wanted. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn’t hide it completely. The idea of rootingout the competition was there; besides their own, ours is the largest coven they’ve ever found. . . .”

  I stared at his face in horror. He’d never told me this, but I guessed I knew why. I could see it in my headnow, Aro’s dream. Edward and Alice in black, flowing robes, drifting along at Aro’s side with their eyes coldand blood-red. . . .

  Carlisle interrupted my waking nightmare. “They’re too committed to their mission. They would neverbreak the rules themselves. It goes against everything they’ve worked for.”

  “They’ll clean up afterward102. A double betrayal,” Edward said in a grim voice. “No harm done.”

  Jasper leaned forward, shaking his head. “No, Carlisle is right. The Volturi do not break rules. Besides,it’s much too sloppy103. This . . . person, this threat — they have no idea what they’re doing. A first-timer, I’dswear to it. I cannot believe the Volturi are involved. But they will be.”

  They all stared at each other, frozen with stress.

  “Then let’s go,” Emmett almost roared. “What are we waiting for?”

  Carlisle and Edward exchanged a long glance. Edward nodded once.

  “We’ll need you to teach us, Jasper,” Carlisle finally said. “How to destroy them.” Carlisle’s jaw104 washard, but I could see the pain in his eyes as he said the words. No one hated violence more than Carlisle.

  There was something bothering me, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I was numb23, horrified, deathlyafraid. And yet, under that, I could feel that I was missing something important. Something that would makesome sense out of the chaos105. That would explain it.

  “We’re going to need help,” Jasper said. “Do you think Tanya’s family would be willing . . . ? Another fivemature vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazar would be especiallyadvantageous on our side. It would be almost easy, with their aid.”

  “We’ll ask,” Carlisle answered.

  Jasper held out a cell phone. “We need to hurry.”

  I’d never seen Carlisle’s innate106 calm so shaken. He took the phone, and paced toward the windows. Hedialed a number, held the phone to his ear, and laid the other hand against the glass. He stared out into thefoggy morning with a pained and ambivalent107 expression.

  Edward took my hand and pulled me to the white loveseat. I sat beside him, staring at his face while hestared at Carlisle.

  Carlisle’s voice was low and quick, difficult to hear. I heard him greet Tanya, and then he raced throughthe situation too fast for me to understand much, though I could tell that the Alaskan vampires were notignorant of what was going on in Seattle.

  Then something changed in Carlisle’s voice.

  “Oh,” he said, his voice sharper in surprise. “We didn’t realize . . . that Irina felt that way.”

  Edward groaned108 at my side and closed his eyes. “Damn it. Damn Laurent to the deepest pit of hell wherehe belongs.”

  “Laurent?” I whispered, the blood emptying from my face, but Edward didn’t respond, focused onCarlisle’s thoughts.

   My short encounter with Laurent early this spring was not something that had faded or dimmed in mymind. I still remembered every word he’d said before Jacob and his pack had interrupted.

  I actually came here as a favor to her. . . .

  Victoria. Laurent had been her first maneuver109 — she’d sent him to observe, to see how hard it might be toget to me. He hadn’t survived the wolves to report back.

  Though he’d kept up his old ties with Victoria after James’s death, he’d also formed new ties and newrelationships. He’d gone to live with Tanya’s family in Alaska — Tanya the strawberry blonde — the closestfriends the Cullens had in the vampire world, practically extended family. Laurent had been with them foralmost a year previous to his death.

  Carlisle was still talking, his voice not quite pleading. Persuasive110, but with an edge. Then the edge abruptlywon out over the persuasion111.

  “There’s no question of that,” Carlisle said in a stern voice. “We have a truce. They haven’t broken it, andneither will we. I’m sorry to hear that. . . . Of course. We’ll just have to do our best alone.”

  Carlisle shut the phone without waiting for an answer. He continued to stare out into the fog.

  “What’s the problem?” Emmett murmured to Edward.

  “Irina was more involved with our friend Laurent than we knew. She’s holding a grudge112 against the wolvesfor destroying him to save Bella. She wants —” He paused, looking down at me.

  “Go on,” I said as evenly as I could.

  His eyes tightened113. “She wants revenge. To take down the pack. They would trade their help for ourpermission.”

  “No!” I gasped114.

  “Don’t worry,” he told me in a flat voice. “Carlisle would never agree to it.” He hesitated, then sighed.

  “Nor would I. Laurent had it coming” — this was almost a growl96 — “and I still owe the wolves for that.”

  “This isn’t good,” Jasper said. “It’s too even a fight. We’d have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers.

  We’d win, but at what price?” His tense eyes flashed to Alice’s face and away.

  I wanted to scream out loud as I grasped what Jasper meant.

  We would win, but we would lose. Some wouldn’t survive.

  I looked around the room at their faces — Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Esme, Carlisle . . . Edward —the faces of my family.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 venom qLqzr     
n.毒液,恶毒,痛恨
参考例句:
  • The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
  • In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上,毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。
2 ravaged 0e2e6833d453fc0fa95986bdf06ea0e2     
毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 ); 蹂躏; 劫掠; 抢劫
参考例句:
  • a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
  • The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。
3 siblings 709961e45d6808c7c9131573b3a8874b     
n.兄弟,姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分
4 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
5 gaped 11328bb13d82388ec2c0b2bf7af6f272     
v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 );张开,张大
参考例句:
  • A huge chasm gaped before them. 他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The front door was missing. A hole gaped in the roof. 前门不翼而飞,屋顶豁开了一个洞。 来自辞典例句
6 appalled ec524998aec3c30241ea748ac1e5dbba     
v.使惊骇,使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的;丧胆的
参考例句:
  • The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
  • They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 flicker Gjxxb     
vi./n.闪烁,摇曳,闪现
参考例句:
  • There was a flicker of lights coming from the abandoned house.这所废弃的房屋中有灯光闪烁。
  • At first,the flame may be a small flicker,barely shining.开始时,光辉可能是微弱地忽隐忽现,几乎并不灿烂。
8 shuddered 70137c95ff493fbfede89987ee46ab86     
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动
参考例句:
  • He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车,车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
10 civilized UwRzDg     
a.有教养的,文雅的
参考例句:
  • Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
  • rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为
11 nomads 768a0f027c2142bf3f626e9422a6ffe9     
n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 );流浪者;游牧生活;流浪生活
参考例句:
  • For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
  • Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 anonymity IMbyq     
n.the condition of being anonymous
参考例句:
  • Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密,书中的人用的都是化名。
  • Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。
13 immortals 75abd022a606c3ab4cced2e31d1b2b25     
不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 ); 永生不朽者
参考例句:
  • Nobody believes in the myth about human beings becoming immortals. 谁也不相信人能成仙的神话。
  • Shakespeare is one of the immortals. 莎士比亚是不朽的人物之一。
14 truce EK8zr     
n.休战,(争执,烦恼等的)缓和;v.以停战结束
参考例句:
  • The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
  • She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。
15 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
16 vampire 8KMzR     
n.吸血鬼
参考例句:
  • It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆,而是个吸人血的妖精!
  • Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说,孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。
17 tactic Yqowc     
n.战略,策略;adj.战术的,有策略的
参考例句:
  • Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
  • She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。
18 clan Dq5zi     
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派
参考例句:
  • She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
  • The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以,中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。
19 wary JMEzk     
adj.谨慎的,机警的,小心的
参考例句:
  • He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
  • Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头,突然警惕起来。
20 vampires 156828660ac146a537e281c7af443361     
n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 );吸血蝠;高利贷者;(舞台上的)活板门
参考例句:
  • The most effective weapon against the vampires is avampire itself. 对付吸血鬼最有效的武器就是吸血鬼自己。 来自电影对白
  • If vampires existed, don`t you think we would`ve found them by now? 如果真有吸血鬼,那我们怎么还没有找到他们呢? 来自电影对白
21 volatile tLQzQ     
adj.反复无常的,挥发性的,稍纵即逝的,脾气火爆的;n.挥发性物质
参考例句:
  • With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定,投资冒着很大的风险。
  • His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱,喜怒无常。
22 physically iNix5     
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
23 numb 0RIzK     
adj.麻木的,失去感觉的;v.使麻木
参考例句:
  • His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
  • Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵,催着疲惫的马继续往前走。
24 counteract vzlxb     
vt.对…起反作用,对抗,抵消
参考例句:
  • The doctor gave him some medicine to counteract the effect of the poison.医生给他些药解毒。
  • Our work calls for mutual support.We shouldn't counteract each other's efforts.工作要互相支持,不要互相拆台。
25 literally 28Wzv     
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实
参考例句:
  • He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
  • Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。
26 epidemic 5iTzz     
n.流行病;盛行;adj.流行性的,流传极广的
参考例句:
  • That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
  • The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。
27 slump 4E8zU     
n.暴跌,意气消沉,(土地)下沉;vi.猛然掉落,坍塌,大幅度下跌
参考例句:
  • She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
  • Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。
28 entrenched MtGzk8     
adj.确立的,不容易改的(风俗习惯)
参考例句:
  • Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
  • If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地,我们就消灭他们。
29 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
30 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句:
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
31 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
32 vendettas 6287e0b3b258123640dc8d194bb4bb1c     
n.家族世仇( vendetta的名词复数 );族间仇杀;长期争斗;积怨
参考例句:
  • I'm not getting involved in your personal vendettas. 我没有牵扯到你们的私人恩怨里。 来自互联网
33 vendetta IL5zx     
n.世仇,宿怨
参考例句:
  • For years he pursued a vendetta against the Morris family.多年来他一直在寻求向莫里斯家族报世仇。
  • She conducted a personal vendetta against me.她对我有宿仇。
34 abounded 40814edef832fbadb4cebe4735649eb5     
v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Get-rich-quick schemes abounded, and many people lost their savings. “生财之道”遍地皆是,然而许多人一生积攒下来的钱转眼之间付之东流。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
  • Shoppers thronged the sidewalks. Olivedrab and navy-blue uniforms abounded. 人行道上逛商店的人摩肩接踵,身着草绿色和海军蓝军装的军人比比皆是。 来自辞典例句
35 oblivious Y0Byc     
adj.易忘的,遗忘的,忘却的,健忘的
参考例句:
  • Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后,妈妈变得特别健忘。
  • He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。
36 realization nTwxS     
n.实现;认识到,深刻了解
参考例句:
  • We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
  • He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。
37 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
38 charisma uX3ze     
n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质,魅力
参考例句:
  • He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力,是个伟人。
  • I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力,能吸引这么多人。
39 scrambling cfea7454c3a8813b07de2178a1025138     
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发,冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》
40 evacuating 30406481b40b07bbecb67dbb3ced82f3     
撤离,疏散( evacuate的现在分词 ); 排空(胃肠),排泄(粪便); (从危险的地方)撤出,搬出,撤空
参考例句:
  • The solution is degassed by alternately freezing, evacuating and thawing. 通过交替的冻结、抽空和溶化来使溶液除气。
  • Are we evacuating these potential targets? 能够在这些目标地域内进行疏散吗?
41 civilians 2a8bdc87d05da507ff4534c9c974b785     
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓
参考例句:
  • the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
  • At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后,至少有300名平民下落不明。
42 situated JiYzBH     
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的
参考例句:
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
  • She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。
43 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
44 porcelain USvz9     
n.瓷;adj.瓷的,瓷制的
参考例句:
  • These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。
  • The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。
45 inhaled 1072d9232d676d367b2f48410158ae32     
v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼,深深吸了一口气。
  • Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
46 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
47 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
48 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
49 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
50 sprinted cbad7fd28d99bfe76a3766a4dd081936     
v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
  • Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句
51 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
52 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
53 superstitious BHEzf     
adj.迷信的
参考例句:
  • They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
  • These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。
54 stammered 76088bc9384c91d5745fd550a9d81721     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠,结结巴巴地说,“你是什么意思?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
55 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
56 exuding 170b18fac6e6a9a28bedc5d96a383433     
v.缓慢流出,渗出,分泌出( exude的现在分词 );流露出对(某物)的神态或感情
参考例句:
  • Water-soaked exuding spots occur in the bark near the growing shoot tips. 靠近生长着的稍皮内有水浸出点,使该处膨大。 来自辞典例句
  • Leaders get into everyone's skin, exuding positive energy and optimism. 深入到员工们中间,向他们传递积极的活力和乐观精神。 来自互联网
57 partnership NmfzPy     
n.合作关系,伙伴关系
参考例句:
  • The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
  • Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
58 wane bpRyR     
n.衰微,亏缺,变弱;v.变小,亏缺,呈下弦
参考例句:
  • The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。
  • Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。
59 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
60 swelled bd4016b2ddc016008c1fc5827f252c73     
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
参考例句:
  • The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染,他的手肿了起来。
  • After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后,河水猛涨。
61 unleashed unleashed     
v.把(感情、力量等)释放出来,发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
  • The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
62 margin 67Mzp     
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘
参考例句:
  • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
63 vengeance wL6zs     
n.报复,报仇,复仇
参考例句:
  • He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
  • For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。
64 feuding eafa661dffa44863a7478178ec28b5c1     
vi.长期不和(feud的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭,全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
  • The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网
65 pawns ce8a70b534dca7f188d5d4c44b4f7c50     
n.(国际象棋中的)兵( pawn的名词复数 );卒;被人利用的人;小卒v.典当,抵押( pawn的第三人称单数 );以(某事物)担保
参考例句:
  • The hostages are being used as political pawns. 人质正被用作政治卒子。
  • The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
66 outgrew e4f1aa7bc14c57fef78c00428dca9546     
长[发展] 得超过(某物)的范围( outgrow的过去式 ); 长[发展]得不能再要(某物); 长得比…快; 生长速度超过
参考例句:
  • She outgrew the company she worked for and found a better job somewhere else. 她进步很快,不再满足于她所在工作的公司,于是又在别处找到一份更好的工作。
  • It'soon outgrew Carthage and became the largest city of the western world. 它很快取代了迦太基成为西方的第一大城市。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
67 odds n5czT     
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别
参考例句:
  • The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
  • Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗?
68 full-time SsBz42     
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
参考例句:
  • A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
  • I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
69 purge QS1xf     
n.整肃,清除,泻药,净化;vt.净化,清除,摆脱;vi.清除,通便,腹泻,变得清洁
参考例句:
  • The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。
  • The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。
70 outgrowing 82cd0add74c70b02ba181ae60184a279     
长[发展] 得超过(某物)的范围( outgrow的现在分词 ); 长[发展]得不能再要(某物); 长得比…快; 生长速度超过
参考例句:
  • Vibrant colors last year around without wilting, watering, or outgrowing their pots early, quantities are limited. 它高贵优雅,不容易萎蔫,不用经常浇水,也不会长出花盆之外。
71 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
72 toll LJpzo     
n.过路(桥)费;损失,伤亡人数;v.敲(钟)
参考例句:
  • The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
  • The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
73 braced 4e05e688cf12c64dbb7ab31b49f741c5     
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来
参考例句:
  • They braced up the old house with balks of timber. 他们用梁木加固旧房子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The house has a wooden frame which is braced with brick. 这幢房子是木结构的砖瓦房。 来自《简明英汉词典》
74 averse 6u0zk     
adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的
参考例句:
  • I don't smoke cigarettes,but I'm not averse to the occasional cigar.我不吸烟,但我不反对偶尔抽一支雪茄。
  • We are averse to such noisy surroundings.我们不喜欢这么吵闹的环境。
75 malice P8LzW     
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋
参考例句:
  • I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
  • There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。
76 tenuous PIDz8     
adj.细薄的,稀薄的,空洞的
参考例句:
  • He has a rather tenuous grasp of reality.他对现实认识很肤浅。
  • The air ten miles above the earth is very tenuous.距离地面十公里的空气十分稀薄。
77 contemplated d22c67116b8d5696b30f6705862b0688     
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
  • The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。
78 slaughter 8Tpz1     
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀
参考例句:
  • I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
  • Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。
79 prick QQyxb     
v.刺伤,刺痛,刺孔;n.刺伤,刺痛
参考例句:
  • He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时,他感到剧烈的疼痛。
  • He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳,气球就爆了。
80 prey g1czH     
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨
参考例句:
  • Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
  • The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
81 desolate vmizO     
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂
参考例句:
  • The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
  • We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后,我们都觉得万分孤寂。
82 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
83 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
84 interpretation P5jxQ     
n.解释,说明,描述;艺术处理
参考例句:
  • His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
  • Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。
85 emanating be70e0c91e48568de32973cab34020e6     
v.从…处传出,传出( emanate的现在分词 );产生,表现,显示
参考例句:
  • Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此,也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
  • Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水,特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句
86 bass APUyY     
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴
参考例句:
  • He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
  • The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。
87 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
88 sanity sCwzH     
n.心智健全,神智正常,判断正确
参考例句:
  • I doubt the sanity of such a plan.我怀疑这个计划是否明智。
  • She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
89 momentary hj3ya     
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的
参考例句:
  • We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
  • I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。
90 motive GFzxz     
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的
参考例句:
  • The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
  • He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
91 evaluation onFxd     
n.估价,评价;赋值
参考例句:
  • I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
  • The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。
92 lure l8Gz2     
n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引
参考例句:
  • Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
  • He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。
93 bleak gtWz5     
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的
参考例句:
  • They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
  • The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。
94 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
95 ravaging e90f8f750b2498433008f5dea0a1890a     
毁坏( ravage的现在分词 ); 蹂躏; 劫掠; 抢劫
参考例句:
  • It is believed that in fatigue there is a repeated process of ravaging the material. 据认为,在疲劳中,有一个使材料毁坏的重复过程。
  • I was able to capture the lion that was ravaging through town. 我能逮住正在城里肆虐的那头狮子。
96 growl VeHzE     
v.(狗等)嗥叫,(炮等)轰鸣;n.嗥叫,轰鸣
参考例句:
  • The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫,尾巴也跟着摇摆。
  • The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。
97 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
98 sluggish VEgzS     
adj.懒惰的,迟钝的,无精打采的
参考例句:
  • This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
  • Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。
99 omniscience bb61d57b9507c0bbcae0e03a6067f84e     
n.全知,全知者,上帝
参考例句:
  • Omniscience is impossible, but we be ready at all times, constantly studied. 无所不知是不可能,但我们应该时刻准备着,不断地进修学习。 来自互联网
  • Thus, the argument concludes that omniscience and omnipotence are logically incompatible. 因此,争论断定那个上帝和全能是逻辑地不兼容的。 来自互联网
100 intoxicated 350bfb35af86e3867ed55bb2af85135f     
喝醉的,极其兴奋的
参考例句:
  • She was intoxicated with success. 她为成功所陶醉。
  • They became deeply intoxicated and totally disoriented. 他们酩酊大醉,东南西北全然不辨。
101 jealousy WaRz6     
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌
参考例句:
  • Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
  • I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
102 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
103 sloppy 1E3zO     
adj.邋遢的,不整洁的
参考例句:
  • If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎,我话说在头里,可要给你打不及格了。
  • Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。
104 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
105 chaos 7bZyz     
n.混乱,无秩序
参考例句:
  • After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后,城市一片混乱。
  • The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。
106 innate xbxzC     
adj.天生的,固有的,天赋的
参考例句:
  • You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
  • Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。
107 ambivalent Wx4zV     
adj.含糊不定的;(态度等)矛盾的
参考例句:
  • She remained ambivalent about her marriage.她对于自己的婚事仍然拿不定主意。
  • Although she professed fear of the Russians,she seemed to have ambivalent feelings toward Philby himself.虽然她承认害怕俄国人,然而她似乎对菲尔比本人有一种矛盾的感情。
108 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
109 maneuver Q7szu     
n.策略[pl.]演习;v.(巧妙)控制;用策略
参考例句:
  • All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后,所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
  • I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。
110 persuasive 0MZxR     
adj.有说服力的,能说得使人相信的
参考例句:
  • His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
  • The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。
111 persuasion wMQxR     
n.劝说;说服;持有某种信仰的宗派
参考例句:
  • He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说,他才决定离开。
  • After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后,她同意去了。
112 grudge hedzG     
n.不满,怨恨,妒嫉;vt.勉强给,不情愿做
参考例句:
  • I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
  • I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。
113 tightened bd3d8363419d9ff838bae0ba51722ee9     
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧
参考例句:
  • The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
  • His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机,然后又松开了。
114 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》


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