The thudding rhythm and the sour-sweet smell rocked them as they pushed through the heavy curtains inside the swing door. The eyes of the hat-check girls glowed and beckoned1.
'Have you reserved, Sir?' asked the head waiter.
'No,' said Leiter. 'We don't mind sitting at the bar.'
The head waiter consulted his table-plan. He seemed to decide. He put his pencil firmly through a space at the end of the card.
'Party hasn't shown. Guess Ah cain't hold their res'vation all night. This way, please.' He held his card high over his head and led them round the small crowded dance-floor. He pulled out one of the two chairs and removed the 'Reserved' sign.
'Sam,' he called a waiter over. 'Look after these gem-mums order.' He moved away.
They ordered Scotch-and-soda and chicken sandwiches.
Bond sniffed2. 'Marihuana," he commented.
'Most of the real hep-cats smoke reefers,' explained Leiter. 'Wouldn't be allowed most places.'
Bond looked round. The music had stopped. The small four-piece band, clarinet, double-bass3, electric guitar and drums, was moving out of the corner opposite. The dozen or so couples were walking and jiving to their tables and the crimson5 light was turned off under the glass dance-floor. Instead, pencil-thin lights in the roof came on and hit coloured glass witchballs, larger than footballs, that hung at intervals6 round the wall. They were of different hues7, golden, blue, green, violet, red. As the beams of light hit them, they glowed like coloured suns. The walls, varnished8 black, mirrored their reflections as did the sweat on the ebony faces of the men. Sometimes a man sitting between two lights showed cheeks of different colour, green on one side, perhaps, and red on the other. The lighting9 made it impossible to distinguish features unless they were only a few feet away. Some of the lights turned the girls' lipstick10 black, others lit their whole faces in a warm glow on one side and gave the other profile the luminosity of a drowned corpse11.
The whole scene was macabre12 and livid, as if El Greco had done a painting by moonlight of an exhumed13 graveyard14 in a burning town.
It was not a large room, perhaps sixty foot square. There were about fifty tables and the customers were packed in like black olives in a jar. It was hot and the air was thick with smoke and the sweet, feral smell of two hundred negro bodies. The noise was terrific - an undertone of the jabber15 of negroes enjoying themselves without restraint, punctuated16 by sharp bursts of noise, shouts and high giggles17, as loud voices called to each other across the room.
'Sweet Jeessus, look who's hyar…'
'Where you been keepin yoself, baby…'
'Gawd's troof. It's Pinkus… Hi Pinkus…'
'Cmon over…'
'Lemme be… Lemme be, Fse telling ya…' (The noise of a slap.)
'Where's G-G. Cmon G-G. Strut18 yo stuff…'
From time to time a man or girl would erupt on to the dance-floor and start a wild solo jive. Friends would clap the rhythm. There would be a burst of catcalls and whistles. If it was a girl, there would be cries of 'Strip, strip, strip,' 'Get hot, baby!' 'Shake it, shake it,' and the MC would come out and clear the floor amidst groans20 and shouts of derision.
The sweat began to bead21 on Bond's forehead. Leiter leant over and cupped his hands. 'Three exits. Front. Service behind us. Behind the band.' Bond nodded. At that moment he felt it didn't matter. This was nothing new to Leiter, but for Bond it was a close-up of the raw material on which The Big Man worked, the clay in his hands. The evening was gradually putting flesh on the dossiers he had read in London and New York. If the evening ended now, without any closer sight of Mr. Big himself, Bond still felt his education in the case would be almost complete. He took a deep draught22 of his whisky. There was a burst of applause. The MC had come out on to the dance-floor, a tall negro in immaculate tails with a red carnation23 in his button hole. He stood, holding up his hands. A single white spotlight24 caught him. The rest of the room went dark.
There was silence.
'Folks,' announced the MG with a broad flash of gold and white teeth. 'This is it.'
There was excited clapping.
He turned to the left of the floor, directly across from Leiter and Bond.
He flung out his right hand. Another spot came on.
'Mistah Jungles Japhet 'n his drums.'
A crash of applause, catcalls, whistles.
Four grinning negroes in flame-coloured shirts and peg-top white trousers were revealed, squatting25 astride four tapering26 barrels with rawhide27 membranes28. The drums were of different sizes. The negroes were all gaunt and stringy. The one sitting astride the bass drum rose briefly29 and shook clasped hands at the spectators.
'Voodoo drummers from Haiti,' whispered Leiter.
There was silence. With the tips of their fingers the drummers began a slow, broken beat, a soft rumba shuffle30.
'And now, friends,' announced the MC, still turned towards the drums, 'G-G…' he paused, 'SUMATRA.'
The last word was a yell. He began to clap. There was pandemonium31 in the room, a frenzy32 of applause. The door behind the drums burst open and two huge negroes, naked except for gold loincloths, ran out on to the floor carrying between them, her arms round their necks, a tiny figure, swathed completely in black ostrich33 feathers, a black domino across her eyes.
They put her down in the middle of the floor. They bowed down on either side of her until their foreheads met the ground. She took two paces forward. With the spotlight off them, the two negroes melted away into the shadows and through the door.
The MC had disappeared. There was absolute silence save for the soft thud of the drums.
The girl put her hand up to her throat and the cloak of black feathers came away from the front of her body and spread out into a five-foot black fan. She swirled34 it slowly behind her until it stood up like a peacock's tail. She was naked except for a brief vee of black lace and a black sequin star in the centre of each breast and the thin black domino across her eyes. Her body was small, hard, bronze, beautiful. It was slightly oiled and glinted in the white light.
The audience was silent. The drums began to step up the tempo35. The bass drum kept its beat dead on the timing36 of the human pulse.
The girl's naked stomach started slowly to revolve37 in time with the rhythm. She swept the black feathers across and behind her again, and her hips38 started to grind in time with the bass drum. The upper part of her body was motionless. The black feathers swirled again, and now her feet were shifting and her shoulders. The drums beat louder. Each part of her body seemed to be keeping a different time. Her lips were bared slightly from her teeth. Her nostrils39 began to flare40. Her eyes glinted hotly through the diamond slits41. It was a sexy, pug-like face - chienne was the only word Bond could think of.
The drums thudded faster, a complexity42 of interlaced rhythms. The girl tossed the big fan off the floor, held her arms up above her head. Her whole body began to shiver. Her belly43 moved faster. Round and round, in and out. Her legs straddled. Her hips began to revolve in a wide circle. Suddenly she plucked the sequin star off her right breast and threw it into the audience. The first noise came from the spectators, a quiet growl44. Then they were silent again. She plucked off the other star. Again the growl and then silence. The drums began to crash and roll. Sweat poured off the drummers. Their hands fluttered like grey flannel45 on the pale membranes. Their eyes were bulging46, distant. Their heads were slightly bent47 to one side as if they were listening. They hardly glanced at the girl. The audience panted softly, liquid eyes bulging and rolling.
The sweat was shining all over her now. Her breasts and stomach glistened48 with it. She broke into great shuddering49 jerks. Her mouth opened and she screamed softly. Her hands snaked down to her sides and suddenly she had torn away the strip of lace. She threw it into the audience. There was nothing now but a single black G-string. The drums went into a hurricane of sexual rhythm. She screamed softly again and then, her arms stretched before her as a balance, she started to lower her body down to the floor and up again. Faster and faster. Bond could hear the audience panting and grunting50 like pigs at the trough. He felt his own hands gripping the tablecloth51. His mouth was dry.
The audience began to shout at her. 'Cmon, G-G. Take it away, Baby. Cmon. Grind Baby, grind.'
She sank to her knees and as the rhythm slowly died so she too went into a last series of juddering spasms52, mewing softly.
The drums came down to a slow tom-tom beat and shuffle. The audience howled for her body. Harsh obscenities came from different corners of the room.
The MC came on to the floor. A spot went on him.
'Okay, folks, okay.' The sweat was pouring off his chin. He spread his arms in surrender.
'Da G-G AGREES!'
There was a delighted howl from the audience. Now she would be quite naked. 'Take it off, G-G. Show yoself Baby. Cmon, cmon.'
The drums growled53 and stuttered softly.
'But, mah friends,' yelled the MC,' she stipperlates -With da lights OUT!'
There was a frustrated54 groan19 from the audience. The whole room was plunged55 in darkness.
Must be an old gag, thought Bond to himself.
Suddenly all his senses were alert.
The howling of the mob was disappearing, rapidly. At the same time he felt cold air on his face. He ielt as if he was sinking.
'Hey,' shouted Leiter. His voice was close but it sounded hollow.
Christ! thought Bond.
Something snapped shut above his head. He put his hand out behind him. It touched a moving wall a foot from his back.
'Lights,' said a voice, quietly.
At the same time both his arms were gripped. He was pressed down in his chair.
Opposite him, still at the table, sat Leiter, a huge negro grasping his elbows. They were in a tiny square cell. To right and left were two more negroes in plain clothes with guns trained on them.
There was the sharp hiss56 of a hydraulic57 garage lift and the table settled quietly to the floor. Bond glanced up. There was the faint join of a broad trap-door a few feet above their heads. No sound came through it.
One of the negroes grinned.
'Take it easy, folks. Enjoy da ride?'
Leiter let out one single harsh obscenity. Bond relaxed his muscles, waiting.
'Which is da Limey?' asked the negro who had spoken. He seemed to be in charge. The pistol he held trained lazily on Bond's heart was very fancy. There was a glint of mother-of-pearl between his black fingers on the stock and the long octagonal barrel was finely chased.
'Dis one, Ah guess,' said the negro who was holding Bond's arm. 'He got da scar.'
The negro's grip on Bond's arm was terrific. It was as if he had two fierce tourniquets58 applied59 above the elbows. His hands were beginning to go numb60.
The man with the fancy gun came round the corner of the table. He shoved the muzzle61 of his gun into Bond's stomach. The hammer was back.
'You oughtn't to miss at that range,' said Bond.
'Shaddap,' said the negro. He frisked Bond expertly with his left hand - legs, thighs62, back, sides. He dug out Bond's gun and handed it to the other armed man.
'Give dat to da Boss, Tee-Hee,' he said. 'Take da Limey up. Yuh go 'long wid em. Da other guy stays wid me.'
'Yassuh,' said the man called Tee-Hee, a paunchy negro in a chocolate shirt and lavender-coloured peg-top trousers.
Bond was hauled to his feet. He had one foot hooked under a leg of the table. He yanked hard. There was a crash of glass and silverware. At the same moment, Leiter kicked out backwards63 round the leg of his chair. There was a satisfactory 'klonk' as his heel caught his guard's shin. Bond did the same but missed. There was a moment of chaos64, but neither of the guards slackened his grip. Leiter's guard picked him bodily out of the chair as if he had been a child, faced him to the wall and slammed him into it. It nearly smashed Leiter's nose. The guard swung him round. Blood was streaming down over his mouth.
The two guns were still trained unwaveringly on them. It had been a futile65 effort, but for a split second they had regained66 the initiative and effaced67 the sudden shock of capture.
'Don' waste yo breff,' said the negro who had been giving the orders. 'Take da Limey away.' He addressed Bond's guard. 'Mr. Big's waiten'.' He turned to Leiter.
'Yo kin4 tell yo fren' goodbye,' he said. 'Yo is unlikely be seein' yoselves agin.'
Bond smiled at Leiter. 'Lucky we made a date for the police to meet us here at two,' he said. 'See you at the lineup.'
Leiter grinned back. His teeth were red with blood. 'Commissioner68 Monahan's going to be pleased with this bunch. Be seeing you.'
'Crap,' said the negro with conviction. 'Get goin'.'
Bond's guard whipped him round and shoved him against a section of the wall. It opened on a pivot69 into a long bare passage. The man called Tee-Hee pushed past them and led the way.
The door swung to behind them.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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3
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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4
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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5
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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6
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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7
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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varnished
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| 浸渍过的，涂漆的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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lipstick
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| n.口红，唇膏 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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12
macabre
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| adj.骇人的，可怖的 | |
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13
exhumed
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| v.挖出，发掘出( exhume的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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15
jabber
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| v.快而不清楚地说；n.吱吱喳喳 | |
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16
punctuated
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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17
giggles
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| n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 )；傻笑；玩笑；the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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18
strut
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| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 | |
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19
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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20
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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21
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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22
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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23
carnation
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| n.康乃馨（一种花） | |
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24
spotlight
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| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
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25
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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26
tapering
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| adj.尖端细的 | |
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27
rawhide
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| n.生牛皮 | |
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28
membranes
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| n.（动物或植物体内的）薄膜( membrane的名词复数 )；隔膜；（可起防水、防风等作用的）膜状物 | |
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29
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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30
shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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31
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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32
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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ostrich
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| n.鸵鸟 | |
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34
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
tempo
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| n.(音乐的)速度；节奏，行进速度 | |
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36
timing
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| n.时间安排，时间选择 | |
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37
revolve
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| vi.(使)旋转；循环出现 | |
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38
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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39
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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40
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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41
slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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42
complexity
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| n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物 | |
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43
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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44
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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45
flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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46
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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47
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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48
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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50
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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51
tablecloth
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| n.桌布，台布 | |
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52
spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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53
growled
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| 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 | |
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54
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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55
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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56
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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57
hydraulic
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| adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的 | |
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58
tourniquets
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| n.止血带( tourniquet的名词复数 ) | |
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59
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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60
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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61
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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62
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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63
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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64
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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65
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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66
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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67
effaced
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| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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68
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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pivot
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| v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的 | |
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