Agnes reached her silvery nails up abruptly26 and yanked a hair out of her head and broke it between her fingers, with a bitter jerk. Brody said tightly: "You're not going to any cops, brother. Not if it's the Sternwoods you're working for. I've got too much stuff on that family. You got your pictures and you got your hush27. Go and peddle your papers." "Make your mind up," I said. "You told me to dust, I was on my way out, you hollered at me and I stopped, and now I'm on my way out again. Is that what you want?" "You ain't got anything on me," Brody said. "Just a couple of murders. Small change in your circle." He didn't jump more than an inch, but it looked like a foot. The white cornea showed all around the tobacco-colored iris28 of his eyes. The brown skin of his face took on a greenish tinge29 in the lamplight. Blonde Agnes let out a low animal wail30 and buried her head in a cushion on the end of the davenport. I stood there and admired the long line of her thighs31. Brody moistened his lips slowly and said: "Sit down, pal. Maybe I have a little more for you. What's that crack about two murders mean?" I leaned against the door. "Where were you last night about seven-thirty, Joe?" His mouth drooped33 sulkily and he stared down at the floor. "I was watching a guy, a guy who had a nice racket I figured he needed a partner in. Geiger. I was watching him now and then to see had he any tough connections. I figure he has friends or he don't work the racket as open as he does. But they don't go to his house. Only dames34." "You didn't watch hard enough," I said. "Go on." "I'm there last night on the street below Geiger's house. It's raining hard and I'm buttoned up in my coupe and I don't see anything. There's a car in front of Geiger's and another car a little way up the hill. That's why I stay down below. There's a big Buick parked down where I am and after a while I go over and take a gander into it. It's registered to Vivian Regan. Nothing happens, so I scram. That's all." He waved his cigarette. His eyes crawled up and down my face. "Could be," I said. "Know where that Buick is now?" "Why would I?" "In the Sheriff's garage. It was lifted out of twelve feet of water off Lido fish pier35 this a.m. There was a dead man in it. He had been sapped and the car pointed36 out the pier and the hand throttle37 pulled down." Brody was breathing hard. One of his feet tapped restlessly. "Jesus, guy, you can't pin that one on me," he said thickly. "Why not? This Buick was down back of Geiger's according to you. Well, Mrs. Regan didn't have it out. Her chauffeur38, a lad named Owen Taylor, had it out. He went over to Geiger's place to have words with him, because Owen Taylor was sweet on Carmen, and he didn't like the kind of games Geiger was playing with her. He let himself in the back way with a jimmy and a gun and he caught Geiger taking a photo of Carmen without any clothes on. So his gun went off, as guns will, and Geiger fell down dead and Owen ran away, but not without the photo negative Geiger had just taken. So you ran after him and took the photo from him. How else would you have got hold of it?" Brody licked his lips. "Yeah," he said. "But that don't make me knock him off. Sure, I heard the shots and saw this killer39 come slamming down the back steps into the Buick and off. I took out after him. He hit the bottom of the canyon40 and went west on Sunset. Beyond Beverly Hills he skidded41 off the road and had to stop and I came up and played copper42. He had a gun but his nerve was bad and I sapped him down. So I went through his clothes and found out who he was and I lifted the plateholder, just out of curiosity. I was wondering what it was all about and getting my neck wet when he came out of it all of a sudden and knocked me off the car. He was out of sightwhen I picked myself up. That's the last I saw of him." "How did you know it was Geiger he shot?" I asked gruffly. Brody shrugged43. "I figure it was, but I can be wrong. When I had the plate developed and saw what was on it, I was pretty damn sure. And when Geiger didn't come down to the store this morning and didn't answer his phone I was plenty sure. So I figure it's a good time to move his books out and make a quick touch on the Sternwoods for travel money and blow for a while." I nodded. "That seems reasonable. Maybe you didn't murder anybody at that. Where did you hide Geiger's body?" He jumped his eyebrows44. Then he grinned. "Nix, nix. Skip it. You think I'd go back there and handle him, not knowing when a couple carloads of law would come tearing around the corner? Nix." "Somebody hid the body," I said. Brody shrugged. The grin stayed on his face. He didn't believe me. While he was still not believing me the door buzzer45 started to ring again. Brody stood up sharply, hard-eyed. He glanced over at his guns on the desk. "So she's back again," he growled. "If she is, she doesn't have her guns!' I comforted him. "Don't you have any other friends?" "Just about one," he growled. "I got enough of this puss in the corner game." He marched to the desk and took the Colt. He held it down at his side and went to the door. He put his left hand to the knob and twisted it and opened the door a foot and leaned into the opening, holding the gun tight against his thigh32. A voice said: "Brody?" Brody said something I didn't hear. The two quick reports were muffled46. The gun must have been pressed tight against Brody's body. He tilted47 forward against the door and the weight of his body pushed it shut with a bang. He slid down the wood. His feet pushed the carpet away behind him. His left hand dropped off the knob and the arm slapped the floor with a thud. His head was wedged against the door. He didn't move. The Colt clung to his right hand. I jumped across the room and rolled him enough to get the door open and crowd through. A woman peered out of a door almost opposite. Her face was full of fright and she pointed along the hall with a clawlike hand. I raced down the hall and heard thumping48 feet going down the tile steps and went down after the sound. At the lobby level the front door was closing itself quietly and running feet slapped the sidewalk outside. I made the door before it was shut, clawed it open again and charged out. A tall hatless figure in a leather jerkin was running diagonally across the street between the parked cars. The figure turned and flame spurted49 from it. Two heavy hammers hit the stucco wall beside me. The figure ran on, dodged50 between two cars, vanished. A man came up beside me and barked: "What happened?" "Shooting going on," I said. "Jesus!" He scuttled51 into the apartment house. I walked quickly down the sidewalk to my car and got in and started it. I pulled out from the curb52 and drove down the hill, not fast. No other car started up on the other side of the street. I thought I heard steps, but I wasn't sure about that. I rode down the hill a block and a half, turned at the intersection53 and started back up. The sound of a muted whistling came to me faintly along the sidewalk. Then steps. I double parked and slid out between two cars and went down low. I took Carmen's little revolver out of my pocket. The sound of the steps grew louder, and the whistling went on cheerfully. In a moment the jerkin showed. I stepped out between the two cars and said: "Got a match, buddy54?" The boy spun55 towards me and his right hand darted56 up to go inside the jerkin. His eyes were a wet shine in the glow of the round electroliers. Moist dark eyes shaped like almonds, and a pallid57 handsome face with wavy58 black hair growing low on the forehead in two points. A very handsome boy indeed, the boy from Geiger's store.
He stood there looking at me silently, his right hand on the edge of the jerkin, but not inside it yet. I held the little revolver down at my side. "You must have thought a lot of that queen," I said. "Go----yourself," the boy said softly, motionless between the parked cars and the five-foot retaining wall on the inside of the sidewalk. A siren wailed59 distantly coming up the long hill. The boy's head jerked towards the sound. I stepped in close and put my gun into his jerkin. "Me or the cops?" I asked him. His head rolled a little sideways as if I had slapped his face. "Who are you?" he snarled60. "Friend of Geiger's." "Get away from me, you son of a bitch." "This is a small gun, kid. I'll give it you through the navel and it will take three months to get you well enough to walk. But you'll get well. So you can walk to the nice new gas chamber61 up in Quentin." He said: "Go----yourself." His hand moved inside the jerkin. I pressed harder on his stomach. He let out a long soft sigh, took his hand away from the jerkin and let it fall limp at his side. His wide shoulders sagged62. "What you want?" he whispered. I reached inside the jerkin and plucked out the automatic. "Get into my car, kid." He stepped past me and I crowded him from behind. He got into the car. "Under the wheel, kid. You drive." He slid under the wheel and I got into the car beside him. I said: "Let the prowl car pass up the hill. They'll think we moved over when we heard the siren. Then turn her down hill and we'll go home." I put Carmen's gun away and leaned the automatic against the boy's ribs63. I looked back through the window. The whine64 of the siren was very loud now. Two red lights swelled65 in the middle of the street. They grew larger and blended into one and the car rushed by in a wild flurry of sound. "Let's go," I said. The boy swung the car and started off down the hill. "Let's go home," I said. "To Laverne Terrace." His smooth lips twitched66. He swung the car west on Franklin. "You're a simple-minded lad. What's your name?" "Carol Lundgren," he said lifelessly. "You shot the wrong guy, Carol. Joe Brody didn't kill your queen." He spoke67 three words to me and kept on driving.
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1
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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caliber
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| n.能力；水准 | |
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cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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9
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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peddle
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| vt.(沿街)叫卖，兜售；宣传，散播 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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alibi
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| n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口 | |
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23
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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24
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
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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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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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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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
dames
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| n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人 | |
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35
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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throttle
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| n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压 | |
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38
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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40
canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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41
skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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42
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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43
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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45
buzzer
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| n.蜂鸣器；汽笛 | |
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46
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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47
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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48
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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49
spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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50
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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51
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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52
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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53
intersection
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| n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集 | |
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54
buddy
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| n.（美口）密友，伙伴 | |
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55
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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56
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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57
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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58
wavy
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| adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的 | |
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59
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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61
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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62
sagged
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| 下垂的 | |
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63
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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65
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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66
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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67
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 | |
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