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Chapter 32 Company
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The Cullens' enormous house was more crowded with guests than anyone would assume could possiblybe comfortable. It only worked out because none of the visitors slept. Mealtimes were dicey, though.

  Our company cooperated as best they could. They gave Forks and La Push a wide berth1, only huntingout of state; Edward was a gracious host, lending out his cars as needed without so much as a wince2.

  The compromise made me very uncomfortable, though I tried to tell myself that they'd all be huntingsomewhere in the world, regardless.

  Jacob was even more upset. The werewolves existed to prevent the loss of human life, and here wasrampant murder being condoned3 barely outside the packs' borders. But under these circumstances, withRenesmee in acute danger, he kept his mouth shut and glared at the floor rather than the vampires5.

  I was amazed at the easy acceptance the visiting vampires had for Jacob; the problems Edward hadanticipated had never materialized. Jacob seemed more or less invisible to them, not quite a person, butalso not food, either. They treated him the way people who are not animal-lovers treat the pets of theirfriends.

  Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry were assigned to run with Sam for now, and Jacob would have happilyjoined them, except that he couldn't stand to be away from Renesmee, and Renesmee was busyfascinating the strange collection of Carlisle's friends.

  We'd replayed the scene of Renesmee's introduction to the Denali coven a half dozen times. First forPeter and Charlotte, whom Alice and Jasper had sent our way without giving them any explanation at all;like most people who knew Alice, they trusted her instructions despite the lack of information. Alice hadtold them nothing about which direction she and Jasper were heading. She'd made no promise to eversee them again in the future.

  Neither Peter nor Charlotte had ever seen an immortal6 child. Though they knew the rule, their negativereaction was not as powerful as the Denali vampires' had been at first. Curiosity had driven them to allowRenesmee's "explanation." And that was it. Now they were as committed to witnessing as Tanya's family.

  Carlisle had sent friends from Ireland and Egypt.

  The Irish clan7 arrived first, and they were surprisingly easy to convince. Siobhan—a woman of immensepresence whose huge body was both beautiful and mesmerizing8 as it moved in smooth undulations—wasthe leader, but she and her hard-faced mate, Liam, were long used to trusting the judgment9 of theirnewest coven member. Little Maggie, with her bouncy red curls, was not physically10 imposing11 like theother two, but she had a gift for knowing when she was being lied to, and her verdicts were nevercontested. Maggie declared that Edward spoke12 the truth, and so Siobhan and Liam accepted our storyabsolutely before even touching13 Renesmee.

  Amun and the other Egyptian vampires were another story. Even after two younger members of hiscoven, Benjamin and Tia, had been convinced by Renesmee's explanation, Amun refused to touch herand ordered his coven to leave. Benjamin—an oddly cheerful vampire4 who looked barely older than aboy and seemed both utterly14 confident and utterly careless at the same time—persuaded Amun to staywith a few subtle threats about disbanding their alliance. Amun stayed, but continued to refuse to touchRenesmee, and would not allow his mate, Kebi, to touch her, either. It seemed an unlikelygrouping—though the Egyptians all looked so alike, with their midnight hair and olive-toned pallor, thatthey easily could have passed for a biological family. Amun was the senior member and the outspokenleader. Kebi never strayed farther away from Amun than his shadow, and I never heard her speak asingle word. Tia, Benjamin's mate, was a quiet woman as well, though when she did speak there wasgreat insight and gravity to everything she said. Still, it was Benjamin whom they all seemed to revolvearound, as if he had some invisible magnetism15 the others depended upon for their balance. I saw Eleazarstaring at the boy with wide eyes and assumed Benjamin had a talent that drew the others to him.

  "It's not that," Edward told me when we were alone that night. "His gift is so singular that Amun isterrified of losing him. Much like we had planned to keep Renesmee from Aro's knowledge"—hesighed—"Amun has been keeping Benjamin from Aro's attention. Amun created Benjamin, knowing hewould be special.""What can he do?""Something Eleazar's never seen before. Something I've never heard of. Something that even your shieldwould do nothing against." He grinned his crooked16 smile at me. "He can actually influence the elements—earth, wind, water, and fire. True physical manipulation, no illusion of the mind. Benjamin's stillexperimenting with it, and Amun tries to mold him into a weapon. But you see how independentBenjamin is. He won't be used.""You like him," I surmised17 from the tone of his voice.

  "He has a very clear sense of right and wrong. I like his attitude."Amun's attitude was something else, and he and Kebi kept to themselves, though Benjamin and Tia werewell on their way to being fast friends with both the Denali and the Irish covens. We hoped that Carlisle'sreturn would ease the remaining tension with Amun.

  Emmett and Rose sent individuals—any nomad18 friends of Carlisle's that they could track down.

  Garrett came first—a tall, rangy vampire with eager ruby19 eyes and long sandy hair he kept tied backwith a leather thong—and it was apparent immediately that he was an adventurer. I imagined that wecould have presentedhim with any challenge and he would have accepted, just to test himself. He fell in quickly with the Denalisisters, asking endless questions about their unusual lifestyle. I wondered if vegetarianism20 was anotherchallenge he would try, just to see if he could do it.

  Mary and Randall also came—friends already, though they did not travel together. They listened toRenesmee's story and stayed to witness like the others. Like the Denalis, they considered what theywould do if the Volturi did not pause for explanations. All three of the nomads21 toyed with the idea ofstanding with us.

  Of course, Jacob got more surly with each new addition. He kept his distance when he could, and whenhe couldn't he grumbled22 to Renesmee that someone was going to have to provide an index if anyoneexpected him to keep all the new bloodsuckers1names straight.*Carlisle and Esme returned a week after they had gone, Emmett and Rosalie just a few days later, andall of us felt better when they were home. Carlisle brought one more friend home with him, though friendmight have been the wrong term. Alistair was a misanthropic24 English vampire who counted Carlisle as hisclosest acquaintance, though he could hardly stand a visit more than once a century. Alistair very muchpreferred to wander alone, and Carlisle had called in a lot of favors to get him here. He shunned25 allcompany, and it was clear he didn't have any admirers in the gathered covens.

  The brooding dark-haired vampire took Carlisle at his word about Renesmee's origins, refusing, likeAmun, to touch her. Edward told Carlisle, Esme, and me that Alistair was afraid to be here, but moreafraid of not knowing the outcome. He was deeply suspicious of all authority, and therefore naturallysuspicious of the Volturi. What was happening now seemed to confirm all his fears.

  "Of course, now they'll know i was here," we heard him grumble23 to himself in the attic—his preferredspot to sulk. "No way to keep it from Aro at this point. Centuries on the run, that's what this will mean.

  Everyone Carlisle's talked to in the last decade will be on their list. I can't believe I got myself sucked intothis mess. What a fine way to treat your friends."But if he was right about having to run from the Volturi, at least he had more hope of doing that than therest of us. Alistair was a tracker, though not nearly as precise and efficient as Demetri. Alistair just felt anelusive pull toward whatever he was seeking. But that pull would be enough to tell him which direction torun—the opposite direction from Demetri.

  And then another pair of unexpected friends arrived—unexpected, because neither Carlisle nor Rosaliehad been able to contact the Amazons.

  "Carlisle," the taller of the two very tall feline26 women greeted him when they arrived. Both of themseemed as if they'd been stretched—long arms and legs, long fingers, long black braids, and long faceswith long noses. They wore nothing but animal skins—hide vests and tight-fitting pants that laced on thesides with leather ties. It wasn't just their eccentric clothes that made them seem wild but everything aboutthem, from their restless crimson27 eyes to their sudden, darting28 movements. I'd never met any vampiresless civilized29.

  But Alice had sent them, and that was interesting news, to put it mildly. Why was Alice in SouthAmerica? Justbecause she'd seen that no one else would be able to get in touch with the Amazons?

  "Zafrina and Senna! But Where's Kachiri?" Carlisle asked. Tve never seen you three apart.""Alice told us we needed to separate," Zafrina answered in the rough, deep voice that matched her wildappearance. "It's uncomfortable to be away from each other, but Alice assured us that you needed ushere, while she very much needed Kachiri somewhere else. That's all she would tell us, except that therewas a great hurry... ?" Zafrina's statement trailed off into a question, and—with the tremor30 of nerves thatnever went away no matter how often I did this—I brought Renesmee out to meet them.

  Despite their fierce appearance, they listened very calmly to our story, and then allowed Renesmee toprove the point. They were every bit as taken with Renesmee as any of the other vampires, but I couldn'thelp worrying as I watched their swift, jerky movements so close beside her. Senna was always nearZafrina, never speaking, but it wasn't the same as Amun and Kebi. Kebi's manner seemed obedient;Senna and Zafrina were more like two limbs of one organism—Zafrina just happened to be themouthpiece.

  The news about Alice was oddly comforting. Clearly, she was on some obscure mission of her own asshe avoided whatever Aro had planned for her.

  Edward was thrilled to have the Amazons with us, because Zafrina was enormously talented; her giftcould make a very dangerous offensive weapon. Not that Edward was asking for Zafrina to side with usin the battle, but if the Volturi did not pause when they saw our witnesses, perhaps they would pause fora different kind of scene.

  "It's a very straightforward31 illusion," Edward explained when it turned out that I couldn't see anything, asusual. Zafrina was intrigued32 and amused by my immunity—something she'd never encounteredbefore—and she hovered33 restlessly while Edward described what I was missing. Edward's eyesunfocused slightly as he continued. "She can make most people see whatever she wants them tosee—see that, and nothing else. For example, right now I would appear to be alone in the middle of arain forest. It's so clear I might possibly believe it, except for the fact that I can still feel you in my arms."Zafrina's lips twitched34 into her hard version of a smile. A second later, Edward's eyes focused again, andhe grinned back.

  "Impressive," he said.

  Renesmee was fascinated with the conversation, and she reached out fearlessly toward Zafrina.

  "Can I see?" she asked.

  "What would you like to see?" Zafrina asked.

  "What you showed Daddy."Zafrina nodded, and I watched anxiously as Renesmee's eyes stared blankly into space. A second later,Renesmee's dazzling smile lit up her face.

  "More," she commanded.

  After that, it was hard to keep Renesmee away from Zafrina and her pretty pictures. I worried,because I was quite sure that Zafrina was able to create images that were not pretty at all. But throughRenesmee's thoughts Icould see Zafrina's visions for myself—they were as clear as any of Renesmee's own memories, like theywere real—and thus judge for myself whether they were appropriate or not.

  Though I didn't give her up easily, I had to admit it was a good thing Zafrina was keeping Renesmeeentertained. I needed my hands. I had so much to learn, both physically and mentally, and the time wasso short.

  My first attempt at learning to fight did not go well.

  Edward had me pinned in about two seconds. But instead of letting me wrestle35 my way free—which Iabsolutely could have—he'd leaped up and away from me. I knew immediately that something waswrong; he was still as stone, staring across the meadow we were practicing in.

  Tm sorry, Bella," he said.

  "No, I'm fine," I said. "Let's go again.""I can't.""What do you mean, you can't? We just started."He didn't answer.

  "Look, I know I'm no good at this, but I can't get better if you don't help me."He said nothing. Playfully, I sprang at him. He made no defense36 at all, and we both fell to the ground. Hewas motionless as I pressed my lips to his jugular37.

  "I win," I announced.

  His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

  "Edward? What's wrong? Why won't you teach me?"A full minute passed before he spoke again.

  "I just can't... bear it. Emmett and Rosalie know as much as I do. Tanya and Eleazar probably knowmore. Ask someone else.""That's not fair! You're good at this. You helped Jasper before—you fought with him and all the others,too. Why not me? What did I do wrong?"He sighed, exasperated38. His eyes were dark, barely any gold to lighten the black.

  "Looking at you that way, analyzing39 you as a target. Seeing all the ways I can kill you .. ." He flinched40. "Itjust makes it too real for me. We don't have so much time that it will really make a difference who yourteacher is. Anyone can teach you the fundamentals."I scowled41.

  He touched my pouting42 lower lip and smiled. "Besides, it's unnecessary. The Volturi will stop. They willbe made to understand.""But if they don't! I need to learn this.""Find another teacher."That was not our last conversation on the subject, but I never swayed him an inch from his decision.

  Emmett was more than willing to help, though his teaching felt to me a lot like revenge for all the lostarm-wrestling matches. If I could still bruise43, I would have been purple from head to toe. Rose, Tanya,and Eleazar all were patient and supportive. Their lessons reminded me of Jasper's fighting instructions tothe others last June, though those memories were fuzzy and indistinct. Some of the visitors found myeducation entertaining, and some even offered assistance. The nomad Garrett took a few turns—he wasa surprisingly good teacher; he interacted so easily with others in general that I wondered how he'd neverfound a coven. I even fought once with Zafrina while Renesmee watched from Jacob's arms. I learnedseveral tricks, but I never asked for her help again. In truth, though I liked Zafrina very much and I knewshe wouldn't really hurt me, the wild woman scared me to death.

  I learned many things from my teachers, but I had the sense that my knowledge was still impossiblybasic. I had no idea how many seconds I would last against Alec and Jane. I only prayed that it would belong enough to help.

  Every minute of the day that I wasn't with Renesmee or learning to fight, I was in the backyard workingwith Kate, trying to push my internal shield outside of my own brain to protect someone else. Edwardencouraged me in this training. I knew he hoped I would find a way of contributing that satisfied me whilealso keeping me out of the line of fire.

  It was just so hard. There was nothing to get a hold of, nothing solid to work with. I had only my ragingdesire to be of use, to be able to keep Edward, Renesmee, and as much of my family as possible safewith me. Over and over I tried to force the nebulous shield outside of myself, with only faint, sporadicsuccess. It felt like I was wrestling to stretch an invisible rubber band—a band that would change fromconcrete tangibility44 into insubstantial smoke at any random45 moment.

  Only Edward was willing to be our guinea pig—to receive shock after shock from Kate while I grappledincompetently with the insides of my head. We worked for hours at a time, and I felt like I should becovered in sweat from the exertion46, but of course my perfect body didn't betray me that way. Myweariness was all mental.

  It killed me that it was Edward who had to suffer, my arms wrapped uselessly around him while hewinced over and over from Kate's low" setting. I tried as hard as I could to push my shield around usboth; every now and then I would get it, and then it would slip away again.

  I hated this practice, and I wished that Zafrina would help instead of Kate. Then all Edward would haveto do was look at Zafrina's illusions until I could stop him from seeing them. But Kate insisted that Ineeded better motivation—by which she meant my hatred47 of watching Edward's pain. I was beginning todoubt her assertion from the first day we'd met—that she wasn't sadistic48 about the use of her gift. Sheseemed to be enjoying herself to me.

  "Hey," Edward said cheerfully, trying to hide any evidence of distress49 in his voice. Anything to keep mefrom fighting practice. "That one barely stung. Good job, Bella."I took a deep breath, trying to grasp exactly what I'd done right, i tested the elastic50 band, struggling toforce it to remain solid as I stretched it away from me.

  "Again, Kate," I grunted51 through my clenched52 teeth.

  Kate pressed her palm to Edward's shoulder.

  He sighed in relief. "Nothing that time."She raised an eyebrow53. "That wasn't low, either.""Good," I huffed.

  "Get ready," she told me, and reached out to Edward again.

  This time he shuddered54, and a low breath hissed55 between his teeth.

  "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" I chanted, biting my lip. Why couldn't I get this right?

  "You're doing an amazing job, Bella," Edward said, pulling me tight against him. "You've really only beenworking at this for a few days and you're already projecting sporadically56. Kate, tell her how well she'sdoing."Kate pursed her lips. "I don't know. She's obviously got tremendous ability, and we're only beginning totouch it. She can do better, I'm sure. She's just lacking incentive57."I stared at her in disbelief, my lips automatically curling back from my teeth. How could she think Ilacked motivation with her shocking Edward right here in front of me?

  I heard murmurs58 from the audience that had grown steadily59 as I practiced—only Eleazar, Carmen, andTanya at first, but then Garrett had wandered over, then Benjamin and Tia, Siobhan and Maggie, andnow even Alistair was peering down from a window on the third story. The spectators agreed withEdward; they thought I was already doing well.

  "Kate...," Edward said in a warning voice as some new course of action occurred to her, but she wasalready in motion. She darted60 along the curve of the river to where Zafrina, Senna, and Renesmee werewalking slowly, Renesmee's hand in Zafrina's as they traded pictures back and forth61. Jacob shadowedthem from a few feet behind.

  "Nessie," Kate said—the newcomers had quickly picked up the irritating nickname, "would you like tocome help your mother?""No," I half-snarled.

  Edward hugged me reassuringly63. I shook him off just as Renesmee flitted across the yard to me, withKate, Zafrina, and Senna right behind her.

  "Absolutely not, Kate," I hissed.

  Renesmee reached for me, and I opened my arms automatically. She curled into me, pressing her headinto the hollow beneath my shoulder.

  "But Momma, I want to help," she said in a determined64 voice. Her hand rested against my neck,reinforcing her desire with images of the two of us together, a team.

  "No," I said, quickly backing away. Kate had taken a deliberate step in my direction, her hand stretchedtoward us.

  "Stay away from us, Kate," I warned her.

  "No." She began stalking forward. She smiled like a hunter cornering her prey65.

  I shifted Renesmee so that she was clinging to my back, still backing away at a pace that matchedKate's. Now my hands were free, and if Kate wanted to keep her hands attached to her wrists, she'dbetter keep her distance.

  Kate probably didn't understand, never having known for herself the passion of a mother for her child.

  She mustnot have realized just how far past too far she'd already gone. I was so furious that my vision took on astrange reddish tint66, and my tongue tasted like burning metal. The strength I usually worked to keeprestrained flowed through my muscles, and I knew I could crush her into diamond-hard rubble67 if shepushed me to it.

  The rage brought every aspect of my being into sharper focus. I could even feel the elasticity68 of myshield more exactly now—feel that it was not a band so much as a layer, a thin film that covered me fromhead to toe. With the anger rippling69 through my body, I had a better sense of it, a tighter hold on it. Istretched it around myself, out from myself, swaddling Renesmee completely inside it, just in case Kategot past my guard.

  Kate took another calculated step forward, and a vicious snarl62 ripped up my throat and through myclenched teeth.

  "Be careful, Kate," Edward cautioned.

  Kate took another step, and then made a mistake even someone as inexpert as I could recognize. Just ashort leap away from me, she looked away, turning her attention from me to Edward.

  Renesmee was secure on my back; I coiled to spring.

  "Can you hear anything from Nessie?" Kate asked him, her voice calm and easy.

  Edward darted into the space between us, blocking my line to Kate.

  "No, nothing at all," he answered. "Now give Bella some space to calm down, Kate. You shouldn't goadher like that. I know she doesn't seem her age, but she's only a few months old.""We don't have time to do this gently, Edward. We're going to have to push her. We only have a fewweeks, and she's got the potential to—""Back off for a minute, Kate."Kate frowned but took Edward's warning more seriously than she'd taken mine.

  Renesmee's hand was on my neck; she was remembering Kate's attack, showing me that no harm wasmeant, that Daddy was in on it....

  This did not pacify70 me. The spectrum71 of light I saw still seemed tainted72 with crimson. But I was in bettercontrol of myself, and I could see the wisdom of Kate's words. The anger helped me. I would learnfaster under pressure.

  That didn't mean I liked it.

  "Kate," I growled73. I rested my hand on the small of Edward's back. I could still feel my shield like astrong, flexible sheet around Renesmee and me. I pushed it farther, forcing it around Edward. There wasno sign of a flaw in the stretchy fabric74, no threat of a tear. I panted with the effort, and my words cameout sounding breathless rather than furious. "Again," I said to Kate. "Edward only."She rolled her eyes but flitted forward and pressed her palm to Edward's shoulder.

  "Nothing," Edward said. I heard the smile in his voice.

  "And now?" Kate asked.

  "Stillnothing.""And now?" This time, there was the sound of strain in her voice.

  "Nothing at all."Kate grunted and stepped away.

  "Can you see this?" Zafrina asked in her deep, wild voice, staring intently at the three of us. Her Englishwas strangely accented, her words pulling up in unexpected places.

  "I don't see anything I shouldn't," Edward said.

  "And you, Renesmee?" Zafrina asked.

  Renesmee smiled at Zafrina and shook her head.

  My fury had almost entirely75 ebbed76, and I clenched my teeth together, panting faster as I pushed outagainst the elastic shield; it felt like it was getting heavier the longer I held it. It pulled back, dragginginward.

  "No one panic," Zafrina warned the little group watching me. "I want to see how far she can extend."There was a shocked gasp77 from everyone there—Eleazar, Carmen, Tanya, Garrett, Benjamin, Tia,Siobhan, Maggie—everyone but Senna, who seemed prepared for whatever Zafrina was doing. Theothers' eyes were blank, their expressions anxious.

  "Raise your hand when you get your sight back," Zafrina instructed. "Now, Bella. See how many youcan shield."My breath came out in a huff. Kate was the closest person to me besides Edward and Renesmee, buteven she was about ten feet away. I locked my jaw78 and shoved, trying to heave the resisting, resilientsafeguard farther from myself. Inch by inch I drove it toward Kate, fighting the reaction that fought backwith every fraction that I gained. I only watched Kate's anxious expression while I worked, and Igroaned quietly with relief when her eyes blinked and focused. She raised her hand.

  "Fascinating!" Edward murmured under his breath. "It's like one-way glass. I can read everything they'rethinking, but they can't reach me behind it. And I can hear Renesmee, though I couldn't when I was onthe outside. I'll bet Kate could shock me now, because she's underneath79 the umbrella. I still can't hearyou... hmmm. How does that work? I wonder if..."He continued to mumble80 to himself, but I couldn't listen to the words. I ground my teeth together,struggling to force the shield out to Garrett, who was closest to Kate. His hand came up.

  "Very good," Zafrina complimented me. "Now—"But she'd spoken too soon; with a sharp gasp, I felt my shield recoil81 like a rubber band stretched too far,snapping back into its original shape. Renesmee, experiencing for the first time the blindness Zafrina hadconjured for the others, trembled against my back. Wearily, I fought back against the elastic pull, forcingthe shield to include her again.

  "Can I have a minute?" I panted. Since I'd become a vampire, I hadn't felt the need to rest even oncebefore this moment. It was unnerving to feel so drained and yet so strong at the same time.

  "Of course," Zafrina said, and the spectators relaxed as she let them see again.

  "Kate," Garrett called as the others murmured and drifted slightly away, disturbed by the moment ofblindness; vampires were not used to feeling vulnerable. The tall, sandy-haired Garrett was the onlynon-gifted immortal whoseemed drawn82 to my practice sessions. I wondered what the lure83 was for the adventurer.

  "I wouldn't, Garrett," Edward cautioned.

  Garrett continued toward Kate despite the warning, his lips pursed in speculation84. "They say you can puta vampire flat on his back.""Yes," she agreed. Then, with a sly smile, she wiggled her fingers playfully at him. "Curious?"Garrett shrugged85. "That's something I've never seen. Seems like it might be a bit of an exaggeration___""Maybe," Kate said, her face suddenly serious. "Maybe it only works on the weak or the young. I'm notsure. You look strong, though. Perhaps you could withstand my gift." She stretched her hand out to him,palm up—a clear invitation. Her lips twitched, and I was pretty sure her grave expression was an attemptto hustle86 him.

  Garrett grinned at the challenge. Very confidently, he touched her palm with his index finger.

  And then, with a loud gasp, his knees buckled87 and he keeled over backward. His head hit a piece ofgranite with a sharp cracking noise. It was shocking to watch. My instincts recoiled88 against seeing animmortal incapacitated that way; it was profoundly wrong.

  "I told you so," Edward muttered.

  Garrett's eyelids89 trembled for a few seconds, and then his eyes opened wide. He stared up at thesmirking Kate, and a wondering smile lit his face.

  "Wow," he said.

  "Did you enjoy that?" she asked skeptically.

  "I'm not crazy," he laughed, shaking his head as he got slowly to his knees, "but that was suresomething!""That's what I hear."Edward rolled his eyes.

  And then there was a low commotion90 from the front yard. I heard Carlisle speaking over a babble91 ofsurprised voices.

  "Did Alice send you?" he asked someone, his voice unsure, slightly upset.

  Another unexpected guest?

  Edward darted into the house and most of the others imitated him. I followed more slowly, Renesmeestill perched on my back. I would give Carlisle a moment. Let him warm up the new guest, prepare himor her or them for the idea of what was coming.

  I pulled Renesmee into my arms as I walked cautiously around the house to enter through the kitchendoor, listening to what I couldn't see.

  "No one sent us," a deep whispery voice answered Carlisle's question. I was immediately reminded ofthe ancient voices of Aro and Caius, and I froze just inside the kitchen.

  I knew the front room was crowded—almost everyone had gone in to see the newest visitors—butthere was barely any noise. Shallow breathing, that was all.

  Carlisle's voice was wary92 as he responded. "Then what brings you here now?""Word travels," a different voice answered, just as feathery as the first. "We heard hints that Volturi weremoving against you. There were whispers that you would not stand alone. Obviously, the whispers weretrue. This is an impressive gathering93.""We are not challenging the Volturi," Carlisle answered in a strained tone. "There has been amisunderstanding, that is all. A very serious misunderstanding, to be sure, but one we're hoping to clearup. What yousee are witnesses. We just need the Volturi to listen. We didn't—""We don't care what they say you did," the first voice interrupted. "And we don't care if you broke thelaw.""No matter how egregiously," the second inserted.

  "We've been waiting a millennium94 and a half for the Italian scum to be challenged," said the first. "If thereis any chance theywill fall, we will be here to see it.""Or even to help defeat them," the second added. They spoke ina smooth tandem95, their voices so similarthat less sensitive ears would assume there was only one speaker. "If we think you havea chance ofsuccess.""Bella?"Edward called to me ina hard voice. "Bring Renesmee here, please. Maybe we should test ourRomanian visitors' claims."It helped to know that probably half of the vampires in the other room would come to Renesmee'sdefense if these Romanians were upset by her. I didn't like the sound of their voices, or the dark menacein their words. As I walked into the room, I could see that I was not alone in that assessment96. Most ofthe motionless vampires glared with hostile eyes, anda few—Carmen, Tanya, Zafrina, andSenna—repositioned themselves subtly into defensive97 poses between the newcomers and Renesmee.

  The vampires at the door were both slight and short, one dark-haired and the other with hair so ashyblond that it looked pale gray. They had the same powdery look to their skin as the Volturi, though Ithought it was not so pronounced. I couldn't be sure about that, as I had never seen the Volturi exceptwith human eyes; I could not make a perfect comparison. Their sharp, narrow eyes were dark burgundy,with no milky98 film. They wore very simple black clothes that could pass as modern but hinted at olderdesigns.

  The dark one grinned when I came into view. "Well, well, Carlisle. You have been naughty, haven'tyou?""She's not what you think, Stefan.""And we don't care either way," the blonde responded. "As we said before.""Then you're welcome to observe, Vladimir, but it is definitely not our plan to challenge the Volturi, aswe said before.""Then we'lljust cross our fingers," Stefan began.

  "And hope we get lucky," finished Vladimir.

  In the end, we had pulled together seventeen witnesses—the Irish, Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie; theEgyptians, Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia; the Amazons, Zafrina and Senna; the Romanians, Vladimirand Stefan; and thenomads, Charlotte and Peter, Garrett, Alistair, Mary, and Randall—to supplement our family of eleven.

  Tanya, Kate, Eleazar, and Carmen insisted on being counted as part of our family.

  Aside from the Volturi, it was probably the largest friendly gathering of mature vampires in immortalhistory.

  We all were beginning to be a little bit hopeful. Even I couldn't help it.Renesmee had won over somany in such a brief time.The Volturi only had to listen for just the tiniest second___The lasttwo surviving Romanians—focused only on their bitter resentment99 of the ones who hadoverthrown their empire fifteen hundred years earlier—took everything in stride. They would not touchRenesmee, but they showed no aversion to her. They seemed mysteriously delighted by our alliance withthe werewolves.They watched me practice my shield with Zafrina and Kate, watched Edward answerunspoken questions, watched Benjaminpull geysers of water from the river or sharp gusts100 of wind fromthe still air with just his mind, and their eyes glowed with their fierce hope that the Volturi had finally mettheir match.

  We did not hope for the same things, but we all hoped.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 berth yt0zq     
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊
参考例句:
  • She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
  • They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。
2 wince tgCwX     
n.畏缩,退避,(因痛苦,苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动;v.畏缩,退缩,退避
参考例句:
  • The barb of his wit made us wince.他那锋芒毕露的机智使我们退避三舍。
  • His smile soon modified to a wince.他的微笑很快就成了脸部肌肉的抽搐。
3 condoned 011fd77ceccf9f1d2e07bc9068cdf094     
v.容忍,宽恕,原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Terrorism can never be condoned. 决不能容忍恐怖主义。
  • They condoned his sins because he repented. 由于他的悔悟,他们宽恕了他的罪。 来自辞典例句
4 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。
5 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
6 immortal 7kOyr     
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的
参考例句:
  • The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
  • The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽!
7 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。
8 mesmerizing 7b8d59e68de653b4d25887c4d54c07d2     
adj.有吸引力的,有魅力的v.使入迷( mesmerize的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • I think you must be mesmerizing me, Charles. 查尔斯,我想你一定在对我施催眠术啦。 来自辞典例句
  • The attendant one-dimensional wave equation has mesmerizing harmonic properties. 伴生的一元波平衡具有迷人的和谐特性。 来自电影对白
9 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。
10 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。
11 imposing 8q9zcB     
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的
参考例句:
  • The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
  • He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。
12 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。
13 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
14 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地,绝对地
参考例句:
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民,把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
15 magnetism zkxyW     
n.磁性,吸引力,磁学
参考例句:
  • We know about magnetism by the way magnets act.我们通过磁铁的作用知道磁性是怎么一回事。
  • His success showed his magnetism of courage and devotion.他的成功表现了他的胆量和热诚的魅力。
16 crooked xvazAv     
adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的
参考例句:
  • He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指,示意我们到他那儿去。
  • You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。
17 surmised b42dd4710fe89732a842341fc04537f6     
v.臆测,推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 );揣测;猜想
参考例句:
  • From the looks on their faces, I surmised that they had had an argument. 看他们的脸色,我猜想他们之间发生了争执。
  • From his letter I surmised that he was unhappy. 我从他的信中推测他并不快乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 nomad uHyxx     
n.游牧部落的人,流浪者,游牧民
参考例句:
  • He was indeed a nomad of no nationality.他的确是个无国籍的游民。
  • The nomad life is rough and hazardous.游牧生活艰苦又危险。
19 ruby iXixS     
n.红宝石,红宝石色
参考例句:
  • She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
  • On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。
20 vegetarianism xKnzZ     
n.素食,素食主义
参考例句:
  • More and more people are believing in vegetarianism and diet for health. 而今越来越多的人们相信素食和节食有利于身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She is an exponent of vegetarianism. 她是一个素食主义的倡导者。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 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》
22 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
参考例句:
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
23 grumble 6emzH     
vi.抱怨;咕哝;n.抱怨,牢骚;咕哝,隆隆声
参考例句:
  • I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
  • He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。
24 misanthropic 51cb62b41cd9deaaa2dd98c773a09ebb     
adj.厌恶人类的,憎恶(或蔑视)世人的;愤世嫉俗
参考例句:
  • Jane is filled with sympathy for the misanthropic Rochester. Nevertheless, she realizes she must now depart. 简对愤世嫉俗的罗切斯特满怀同情,但意识到此时她必须离开。 来自互联网
25 shunned bcd48f012d0befb1223f8e35a7516d0e     
v.避开,回避,避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
  • He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人,总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 feline nkdxi     
adj.猫科的
参考例句:
  • As a result,humans have learned to respect feline independence.结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。
  • The awakening was almost feline in its stealthiness.这种醒觉,简直和猫的脚步一样地轻悄。
27 crimson AYwzH     
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色
参考例句:
  • She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
  • Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。
28 darting darting     
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
29 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
30 tremor Tghy5     
n.震动,颤动,战栗,兴奋,地震
参考例句:
  • There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
  • A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。
31 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
32 intrigued 7acc2a75074482e2b408c60187e27c73     
adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧!
  • He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。
33 hovered d194b7e43467f867f4b4380809ba6b19     
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
参考例句:
  • A hawk hovered over the hill. 一只鹰在小山的上空翱翔。
  • A hawk hovered in the blue sky. 一只老鹰在蓝色的天空中翱翔。
34 twitched bb3f705fc01629dc121d198d54fa0904     
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
  • The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着,像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
35 wrestle XfLwD     
vi.摔跤,角力;搏斗;全力对付
参考例句:
  • He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
  • We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。
36 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
37 jugular oaLzM     
n.颈静脉
参考例句:
  • He always goes for the jugular.他总是直奔要害而去。
  • Bilateral internal jugular vein stenting is also a rare procedure.两侧内颈静脉支架置放术也是少见的技术。
38 exasperated ltAz6H     
adj.恼怒的
参考例句:
  • We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
  • Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。
39 analyzing be408cc8d92ec310bb6260bc127c162b     
v.分析;分析( analyze的现在分词 );分解;解释;对…进行心理分析n.分析
参考例句:
  • Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据,暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
  • He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然,他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句
40 flinched 2fdac3253dda450d8c0462cb1e8d7102     
v.(因危险和痛苦)退缩,畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He flinched at the sight of the blood. 他一见到血就往后退。
  • This tough Corsican never flinched or failed. 这个刚毅的科西嘉人从来没有任何畏缩或沮丧。 来自辞典例句
41 scowled b83aa6db95e414d3ef876bc7fd16d80d     
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
  • The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。
42 pouting f5e25f4f5cb47eec0e279bd7732e444b     
v.撅(嘴)( pout的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The child sat there pouting. 那孩子坐在那儿,一副不高兴的样子。 来自辞典例句
  • She was almost pouting at his hesitation. 她几乎要为他这种犹犹豫豫的态度不高兴了。 来自辞典例句
43 bruise kcCyw     
n.青肿,挫伤;伤痕;vt.打青;挫伤
参考例句:
  • The bruise was caused by a kick.这伤痕是脚踢的。
  • Jack fell down yesterday and got a big bruise on his face.杰克昨天摔了一跤,脸上摔出老大一块淤斑。
44 tangibility qqBw1     
n.确切性
参考例句:
  • But that very tangibility can lead to reckless speculation. 但这种资产有形性导致过度投机。 来自互联网
  • The lovely baby in her dream somehow have no tangibility. 她梦中的那个可爱的婴儿不知为什麽不可触知。 来自互联网
45 random HT9xd     
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句:
  • The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
46 exertion F7Fyi     
n.尽力,努力
参考例句:
  • We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力,累得大汗淋漓。
  • She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡,她浑身发热。
47 hatred T5Gyg     
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨
参考例句:
  • He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
  • The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。
48 sadistic HDxy0     
adj.虐待狂的
参考例句:
  • There was a sadistic streak in him.他有虐待狂的倾向。
  • The prisoners rioted against mistreatment by sadistic guards.囚犯因不堪忍受狱警施虐而发动了暴乱。
49 distress 3llzX     
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
参考例句:
  • Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
  • Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。
50 elastic Tjbzq     
n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的
参考例句:
  • Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
  • These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。
51 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
52 clenched clenched     
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
  • She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上,以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
53 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
54 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》
55 hissed 2299e1729bbc7f56fc2559e409d6e8a7     
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 ); 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句:
  • Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过?
  • The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。
56 sporadically RvowJ     
adv.偶发地,零星地
参考例句:
  • There are some trees sporadically around his house. 他的房子周围零星地有点树木。 来自辞典例句
  • As for other aspects, we will sporadically hand out questionnaires. 在其他方面,我们会偶尔发送调查问卷。 来自互联网
57 incentive j4zy9     
n.刺激;动力;鼓励;诱因;动机
参考例句:
  • Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中,钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
  • He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。
58 murmurs f21162b146f5e36f998c75eb9af3e2d9     
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 );低语声;怨言;嘀咕
参考例句:
  • They spoke in low murmurs. 他们低声说着话。 来自辞典例句
  • They are more superficial, more distinctly heard than murmurs. 它们听起来比心脏杂音更为浅表而清楚。 来自辞典例句
59 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
60 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
61 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
62 snarl 8FAzv     
v.吼叫,怒骂,纠缠,混乱;n.混乱,缠结,咆哮
参考例句:
  • At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。
  • The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。
63 reassuringly YTqxW     
ad.安心,可靠
参考例句:
  • He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
  • The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑,让人心里很踏实。
64 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
65 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。
66 tint ZJSzu     
n.淡色,浅色;染发剂;vt.着以淡淡的颜色
参考例句:
  • You can't get up that naturalness and artless rosy tint in after days.你今后不再会有这种自然和朴实无华的红润脸色。
  • She gave me instructions on how to apply the tint.她告诉我如何使用染发剂。
67 rubble 8XjxP     
n.(一堆)碎石,瓦砾
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后,花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
  • After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。
68 elasticity 8jlzp     
n.弹性,伸缩力
参考例句:
  • The skin eventually loses its elasticity.皮肤最终会失去弹性。
  • Every sort of spring has a definite elasticity.每一种弹簧都有一定的弹性。
69 rippling b84b2d05914b2749622963c1ef058ed5     
起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的
参考例句:
  • I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
  • The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。
70 pacify xKFxa     
vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒);抚慰
参考例句:
  • He tried to pacify the protesters with promises of reform.他试图以改革的承诺安抚抗议者。
  • He tried to pacify his creditors by repaying part of the money.他为安抚债权人偿还了部分借款。
71 spectrum Trhy6     
n.谱,光谱,频谱;范围,幅度,系列
参考例句:
  • This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
  • We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成,我们已了解不少。
72 tainted qgDzqS     
adj.腐坏的;污染的;沾污的;感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 );使污染;败坏;被污染,腐坏,败坏
参考例句:
  • The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
  • He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》
73 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》
74 fabric 3hezG     
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织
参考例句:
  • The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
  • I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。
75 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。
76 ebbed d477fde4638480e786d6ea4ac2341679     
(指潮水)退( ebb的过去式和过去分词 ); 落; 减少; 衰落
参考例句:
  • But the pain had ebbed away and the trembling had stopped. 不过这次痛已减退,寒战也停止了。
  • But gradually his interest in good causes ebbed away. 不过后来他对这类事业兴趣也逐渐淡薄了。
77 gasp UfxzL     
n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说
参考例句:
  • She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
  • The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。
78 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。
79 underneath VKRz2     
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
参考例句:
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
80 mumble KwYyP     
n./v.喃喃而语,咕哝
参考例句:
  • Her grandmother mumbled in her sleep.她祖母含混不清地说着梦话。
  • He could hear the low mumble of Navarro's voice.他能听到纳瓦罗在小声咕哝。
81 recoil GA4zL     
vi.退却,退缩,畏缩
参考例句:
  • Most people would recoil at the sight of the snake.许多人看见蛇都会向后退缩。
  • Revenge may recoil upon the person who takes it.报复者常会受到报应。
82 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
83 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。
84 speculation 9vGwe     
n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机
参考例句:
  • Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
  • There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。
85 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》
86 hustle McSzv     
v.推搡;竭力兜售或获取;催促;n.奔忙(碌)
参考例句:
  • It seems that he enjoys the hustle and bustle of life in the big city.看起来他似乎很喜欢大城市的热闹繁忙的生活。
  • I had to hustle through the crowded street.我不得不挤过拥挤的街道。
87 buckled qxfz0h     
a. 有带扣的
参考例句:
  • She buckled her belt. 她扣上了腰带。
  • The accident buckled the wheel of my bicycle. 我自行车的轮子在事故中弄弯了。
88 recoiled 8282f6b353b1fa6f91b917c46152c025     
v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 );退缩;报应;返回
参考例句:
  • She recoiled from his touch. 她躲开他的触摸。
  • Howard recoiled a little at the sharpness in my voice. 听到我的尖声,霍华德往后缩了一下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
89 eyelids 86ece0ca18a95664f58bda5de252f4e7     
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 );眼睛也不眨一下;不露声色;面不改色
参考例句:
  • She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了,眼睑开始往下垂。
  • Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
90 commotion 3X3yo     
n.骚动,动乱
参考例句:
  • They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵,引起了一阵骚乱。
  • Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间,整条街道变得一片混乱。
91 babble 9osyJ     
v.含糊不清地说,胡言乱语地说,儿语
参考例句:
  • No one could understand the little baby's babble. 没人能听懂这个小婴孩的话。
  • The babble of voices in the next compartment annoyed all of us.隔壁的车厢隔间里不间歇的嘈杂谈话声让我们都很气恼。
92 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。
93 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
94 millennium x7DzO     
n.一千年,千禧年;太平盛世
参考例句:
  • The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
  • We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。
95 tandem 6Ibzp     
n.同时发生;配合;adv.一个跟着一个地;纵排地;adj.(两匹马)前后纵列的
参考例句:
  • Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
  • He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。
96 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
97 defensive buszxy     
adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的
参考例句:
  • Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题,使她警觉起来。
  • The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。
98 milky JD0xg     
adj.牛奶的,多奶的;乳白色的
参考例句:
  • Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
  • I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。
99 resentment 4sgyv     
n.怨愤,忿恨
参考例句:
  • All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
  • She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。
100 gusts 656c664e0ecfa47560efde859556ddfa     
一阵强风( gust的名词复数 ); (怒、笑等的)爆发; (感情的)迸发; 发作
参考例句:
  • Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
  • Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。


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