“Sellswords,” Tyrion said. “They like my gold well enough, but will they die for it? As for these walls, a man could stand on another’s shoulders and be over in a heartbeat. A manse much like this one was burned during the riots. They killed the goldsmith who owned it for the crime of having a full
larder1, just as they tore the High Septon to pieces,
raped2 Lollys half a hundred times, and smashed Ser Aron’s
skull3 in. What do you think they would do if they got their hands on the Hand’s lady?” “The Hand’s whore, you mean?” She looked at him with those big bold eyes of hers. “Though I would be your lady, m’lord. I’d dress in all the beautiful things you gave me, in satin and samite and cloth-of-gold, and I’d wear your jewels and hold your hand and sit by you at feasts. I could give you sons, I know I could... and I
vow4 I’d never shame you.” My love for you shames me enough. “A sweet dream, Shae. Now put it aside, I beg you. It can never be.” “Because of the queen? I’m not afraid of her either.” “I am.” “Then kill her and be done with it. It’s not as if there was any love between you.” Tyrion sighed. “She’s my sister. The man who kills his own blood is cursed forever in the sight of gods and men. Moreover, whatever you and I may think of Cersei, my father and brother hold her dear. I can scheme with any man in the Seven Kingdoms, but the gods have not equipped me to face Jaime with swords in hand.” “The Young Wolf and Lord Stannis have swords and they don’t scare you.” How little you know, sweetling. “Against them I have all the power of House Lannister. Against Jaime or my father, I have no more than a twisted back and a pair of
stunted5 legs.” “You have me.” Shae kissed him, her arms sliding around his neck as she pressed her body to his. The kiss aroused him, as her kisses always did, but this time Tyrion gently disentangled himself. “Not now. Sweetling, I have... well, call it the seed of a plan. I think I might be able to bring you into the castle kitchens.” Shae’s face went still. “The kitchens?” “Yes. If I act through Varys, no one will be the wiser.” She
giggled6. “M’lord, I’d poison you. Every man who’s tasted my cooking has told me what a good whore I am.” “The Red Keep has sufficient cooks. Butchers and
bakers7 too. You’d need to pose as a scullion.” “A pot girl,” she said, “in scratchy brown roughspun. Is that how m’lord wants to see me?” “M’lord wants to see you alive,” Tyrion said. “You can scarcely
scour8 pots in silk and
velvet9.” “Has m’lord grown tired of me?” She reached a hand under his
tunic10 and found his cock. In two quick strokes she had it hard. “He still wants me.” She laughed. “Would you like to fuck your kitchen wench, m’lord? You can dust me with flour and suck
gravy11 off my titties if you...” “Stop it.” The way she was
acting12 reminded him of Dancy, who had tried so hard to win her
wager13. He yanked her hand away to keep her from further
mischief14. “This is not the time for bed sport, Shae. Your life may be at stake.” Her grin was gone. “If I’ve
displeased15 m’lord, I never meant it, only... couldn’t you just give me more guards?” Tyrion breathed a deep sigh. Remember how young she is, he told himself. He took her hand. “Your
gems16 can be replaced, and new gowns can be sewn twice as lovely as the old. To me, you’re the most precious thing within these walls. The Red Keep is not safe either, but it’s a deal safer than here. I want you there.” “In the kitchens.” Her voice was flat. “
Scouring17 pots.” “For a short while.” “My father made me his kitchen wench,” she said, her mouth twisting. “That was why I ran off.” “You told me you ran off because your father made you his whore,” he reminded her. “That too. I didn’t like scouring his pots no more than I liked his cock in me.” She tossed her head. “Why can’t you keep me in your tower? Half the lords at court keep bedwarmers.” “I was expressly forbidden to take you to court.” “By your stupid father.” Shae
pouted18. “You’re old enough to keep all the whores you want. Does he take you for a beardless boy? What could he do,
spank19 you?” He slapped her. Not hard, but hard enough. “Damn you,” he said. “Damn you. Never mock me. Not you.” For a moment Shae did not speak. The only sound was the cricket,
chirping20, chirping. “Beg pardon, m’lord,” she said at last, in a heavy wooden voice. “I never meant to be
impudent21.” And I never meant to strike you. Gods be good, am I turning into Cersei? “That was ill done,” he said. “On both our parts. Shae, you do not understand.” Words he had never meant to speak came tumbling out of him like mummers from a hollow horse. “When I was thirteen, I
wed22 a crofter’s daughter. Or so I thought her. I was blind with love for her, and thought she felt the same for me, but my father rubbed my face in the truth. My bride was a whore Jaime had hired to give me my first taste of manhood.” And I believed all of it, fool that I was. “To drive the lesson home, Lord Tywin gave my wife to a barracks of his guardsmen to use as they pleased, and commanded me to watch.” And to take her one last time, after the rest were done. one last time, with no trace of love or tenderness remaining. “So you will remember her as she truly is,” he said, and I should have defied him, but my cock betrayed me, and I did as I was bid. “After he was done with her, my father had the marriage
undone23. It was as if we had never been wed, the septons said.” He squeezed her hand. “Please, let’s have no more talk of the Tower of the Hand. You will be in the kitchens only a little while. Once we’re done with Stannis, you’ll have another manse, and silks as soft as your hands.” Shae’s eyes had grown large but he could not read what lay behind them. “My hands won’t be soft if I clean ovens and scrape plates all day. Will you still want them
touching24 you when they’re all red and raw and cracked from hot water and lye soap?” “More than ever,” he said. “When I look at them, they’ll remind me how brave you were.” He could not say if she believed him. She lowered her eyes. “I am yours to command, m’lord.” It was as much acceptance as she could give tonight, he saw that plain enough. He kissed her cheek where he’d struck her, to take some sting from the blow. “I will send for you.” Varys was waiting in the stables, as promised. His horse looked spavined and half-dead. Tyrion mounted up; one of the sellswords opened the gates. They rode out in silence. Why did I tell her about Tasha, gods help me? he asked himself, suddenly afraid. There were some secrets that should never be spoken, some shames a man should take to his grave. What did he want from her, forgiveness? The way she had looked at him, what did that mean? Did she hate the thought of scouring pots that much, or was it his
confession26? How could I tell her that and still think she would love me? part of him said, and another part mocked, saying, Fool of a
dwarf27, it is only the gold and jewels the whore loves. His scarred elbow was
throbbing28, jarred every time the horse set down a
hoof29. Sometimes he could almost fancy he heard the bones grinding together inside. Perhaps he should see a maester, get some potion for the pain... but since Pycelle had revealed himself for what he was, Tyrion Lannister mistrusted the maesters. The gods only knew who they were
conspiring30 with, or what they had mixed in those potions they gave you. “Varys,” he said. “I need to bring Shae into the castle without Cersei becoming aware.”
Briefly31, he
sketched32 out his kitchen scheme. When he was done, the eunuch made a little clucking sound. “I will do as my lord commands, of course... but I must warn you, the kitchens are full of eyes and ears. Even if the girl falls under no particular suspicion, she will be subject to a thousand questions. Where was she born? Who were her parents? How did she come to King’s Landing? The truth will never do, so she must lie... and lie, and lie.” He glanced down at Tyrion. “And such a pretty young kitchen wench will
incite33 lust34 as well as curiosity. She will be touched, pinched, patted, and fondled. Pot boys will crawl under her blankets of a night. Some lonely cook may seek to wed her. Bakers will knead her breasts with floured hands.” “I’d sooner have her fondled than stabbed,” said Tyrion. Varys rode on a few paces and said, “It might be that there is another way. As it happens, the maidservant who attends Lady Tanda’s daughter has been
filching35 her jewels. Were I to inform Lady Tanda, she would be forced to dismiss the girl at once. And the daughter would require a new maidservant.” “I see.” This had possibilities, Tyrion saw at once. A lady’s bedmaid wore finer
garb36 than a scullion, and often even a jewel or two. Shae should be pleased by that. And Cersei thought Lady Tanda tedious and
hysterical37, and Lollys a
bovine38 lackwit. She was not like to pay them any friendly calls. “Lollys is timid and trusting,” Varys said. “She will accept any tale she is told. Since the mob took her
maidenhood39 she is afraid to leave her
chambers40, so Shae will be out of sight... but conveniently close, should you have need of comfort.” “The Tower of the Hand is watched, you know as well as I, Cersei would be certain to grow curious if Lollys’s bedmaid starting paying me calls.” “I might be able to slip the child into your bedchamber unseen. Chataya’s is not the only house to boast a hidden door.” “A secret access? To my chambers?” Tyrion was more annoyed than surprised. Why else would Maegor the Cruel have ordered death for all the builders who had worked on his castle, except to preserve such secrets? “Yes, I suppose there would be. Where will I find the door? In my solar? My bedchamber?” “My friend, you would not force me to reveal all my little secrets, would you?” “Henceforth think of them as our little secrets, Varys.” Tyrion glanced up at the eunuch in his smelly mummer’s garb. “Assuming you are on my side...” “Can you doubt it?” “Why no, I trust you
implicitly41.” A bitter laugh echoed off the shuttered windows. “I trust you like one of my own blood, in truth. Now tell me how Cortnay Penrose died.” “It is said that he threw himself from a tower.” “Threw himself? No, I will not believe that!” “His guards saw no man enter his chambers, nor did they find any within
afterward42.” “Then the
killer43 entered earlier and hid under the bed,” Tyrion suggested, “or he climbed down from the roof on a rope. Perhaps the guards are lying. Who’s to say they did not do the thing themselves?” “Doubtless you are right, my lord.” His smug tone said otherwise. “But you do not think so? How was it done,then?” For a long moment Varys said nothing. The only sound was the stately clack of horseshoes on cobbles. Finally the eunuch cleared his throat. “My lord, do you believe in the old powers?” “Magic, you mean?” Tyrion said impatiently. “Bloodspells, curses, shapeshifting, those sorts of things?” He snorted. “Do you mean to suggest that Ser Cortnay was magicked to his death?” “Ser Cortnay had challenged Lord Stannis to single combat on the morning he died. I ask you, is this the act of a man lost to despair? Then there is the matter of Lord Renly’s mysterious and most fortuitous murder, even as his battle lines were forming up to sweep his brother from the field.” The eunuch paused a moment. “My lord, you once asked me how it was that I was cut.” “I recall,” said Tyrion. “You did not want to talk of it.” “Nor do I, but...” This pause was longer than the one before, and when Varys
spoke25 again his voice was different somehow.
点击
收听单词发音
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1
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 |
参考例句： |
- Please put the food into the larder.请将您地食物放进食物柜内。
- They promised never to raid the larder again.他们答应不再随便开食橱拿东西吃了。
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2
raped
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| v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸 |
参考例句： |
- A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
- We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句
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3
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 |
参考例句： |
- The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
- He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。
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4
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 |
参考例句： |
- My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
- I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。
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5
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 |
参考例句： |
- the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
- But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。
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6
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
- The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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7
bakers
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| n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三 |
参考例句： |
- The Bakers have invited us out for a meal tonight. 贝克一家今晚请我们到外面去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The bakers specialize in catering for large parties. 那些面包师专门负责为大型宴会提供食品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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8
scour
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| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 |
参考例句： |
- Mother made me scour the family silver.母亲让我擦洗家里的银器。
- We scoured the telephone directory for clues.我们仔细查阅电话簿以寻找线索。
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9
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 |
参考例句： |
- This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
- The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。
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10
tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 |
参考例句： |
- The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。
- Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。
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gravy
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| n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快 |
参考例句： |
- You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
- The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。
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12
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 |
参考例句： |
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
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13
wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 |
参考例句： |
- They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
- I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。
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14
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 |
参考例句： |
- Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
- He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
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15
displeased
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| a.不快的 |
参考例句： |
- The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
- He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。
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gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 |
参考例句： |
- a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
- The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。
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17
scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 |
参考例句： |
- The police are scouring the countryside for the escaped prisoners. 警察正在搜索整个乡村以捉拿逃犯。
- This is called the scouring train in wool processing. 这被称为羊毛加工中的洗涤系列。
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18
pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- Her lips pouted invitingly. 她挑逗地撮起双唇。
- I pouted my lips at him, hinting that he should speak first. 我向他努了努嘴，让他先说。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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19
spank
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| v.打，拍打(在屁股上) |
参考例句： |
- Be careful.If you don't work hard,I'll spank your bottom.你再不好好学习，小心被打屁股。
- He does it very often.I really get mad.I can't help spank him sometimes.他经常这样做。我很气愤。有时候我忍不住打他的屁股。
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20
chirping
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。
- The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。
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21
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 |
参考例句： |
- She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
- The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。
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22
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 |
参考例句： |
- The couple eventually wed after three year engagement.这对夫妇在订婚三年后终于结婚了。
- The prince was very determined to wed one of the king's daughters.王子下定决心要娶国王的其中一位女儿。
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23
undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 |
参考例句： |
- He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。
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24
touching
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| 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。
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25
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 |
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。
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26
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 |
参考例句： |
- Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
- The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
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27
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 |
参考例句： |
- The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
- The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。
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28
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 |
参考例句： |
- My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动，身子在不住颤抖。
- There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。
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29
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 |
参考例句： |
- Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。
- I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。
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30
conspiring
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| 密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 |
参考例句： |
- They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
- John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。
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31
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 |
参考例句： |
- I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
- He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
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32
sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） |
参考例句： |
- The historical article sketched the major events of the decade. 这篇有关历史的文章概述了这十年中的重大事件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He sketched the situation in a few vivid words. 他用几句生动的语言简述了局势。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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33
incite
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| v.引起，激动，煽动 |
参考例句： |
- I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
- Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。
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34
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 |
参考例句： |
- He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
- Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。
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35
filching
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| v.偷（尤指小的或不贵重的物品）( filch的现在分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The boys were in the habit of filching fruit from the peddler's carts. 那些男孩们有偷小贩车上水果的习惯。 来自互联网
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36
garb
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| n.服装，装束 |
参考例句： |
- He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
- Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。
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37
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 |
参考例句： |
- He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
- His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。
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38
bovine
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| adj.牛的；n.牛 |
参考例句： |
- He threw off his pack and went into the rush-grass andand munching,like some bovine creature.他丢开包袱，爬到灯心草丛里，像牛似的大咬大嚼起来。
- He was a gentle,rather bovine man.他是一位文雅而反应迟钝的人。
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 |
参考例句： |
- The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网
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41
implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 |
参考例句： |
- Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。
- I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想，我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧？
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42
afterward
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| 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。
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43
killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 |
参考例句： |
- Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
- The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
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