It was quite in vain, however, that the amorous5 porter tried to get the maiden6 interested in his pretty speeches, for pert Miss Marcellina would have none of him to-day, and was even cruel enough to hint that her thoughts were with some more favoured suitor elsewhere; and Jacquino felt himself very badly used. For until lately, he alone had been the favoured swain of this rustic7 coquette; but since the recent advent8 of a new assistant, a handsome youth rejoicing in the name of Fidelio, the jailer's pretty daughter had looked coldly upon her old sweetheart, and bestowed9 all her most bewitching smiles upon the newcomer.
beethoven
BEETHOVEN
It was of Fidelio she was thinking now, knowing that the youth would shortly be returning from an errand upon which he had been sent some hours before; and so, when a loud knock was presently heard at the outer gate, she was filled with joyful10 anticipation11, and eagerly bade Jacquino unfasten the bolts at once, which the porter did very reluctantly and with much grumbling12 at such untimely interruption to his own suit. He was somewhat grimly pleased, therefore, when, on opening the gate, he admitted Rocco, the jailer, instead of the new assistant; but even this small satisfaction was short-lived, for almost immediately afterwards, his rival, Fidelio, appeared, and so laden14 with packages and baskets, that Marcellina ran to relieve him of them at once, commiserating15 tenderly with him on being thus heavily laden on so hot a day.
Now, in reality, though none suspected it, Fidelio was not the person he represented himself to be, but instead a lady of high degree, who had thus taken on the disguise of a youth from a very noble motive16. Within this prison castle there were a number of political prisoners, who, though innocent, were the victims of despotic power, and pined in captivity17, because some private enemy refused to speak the word that would have set them at liberty.
Amongst these prisoners was a certain Don Florestan, a nobleman, who, having had the misfortune to offend Don Pizarro, the governor of the fortress18, had been by him accused of some slight political misdemeanour, and thrust into a deep dungeon19 of the prison. Having thus got his hated enemy into his power, the crafty20 Governor gave out clearly afterwards that he had died, so that he should not be released when his short time of imprisonment21 was over; and thus, by keeping him closely chained in the deepest dungeon, and slowly starving him, he hoped that the wretched man would really die, and his own private vengeance22 be thus satisfied without resort to actual violence.
However, his plans were to be frustrated23 from quite an unexpected source; for Don Florestan had a beautiful young wife, the Lady Leonora, who loved her husband so devotedly24 that, refusing to believe the report of his death, she determined25 to learn the truth at all costs, and, if he still lived, to rescue him from the hands of his unscrupulous enemy, Pizarro, who she knew would not hesitate to murder him so soon as he could do so without fear of discovery.
Being of a brave and heroic disposition26, Leonora was not afraid to risk her life for the sake of the man she loved; and so, having donned masculine attire27, she boldly made her way to the fortress where her husband pined in captivity, and, giving her name as Fidelio, humbly28 requested the jailer to engage her as his assistant, hoping that in this way she would at last discover how Don Florestan was faring, and perhaps be able to plan some means of escape for him. Rocco, the jailer, being greatly struck with the pleasant looks and manners of the supposed youth, very willingly took her into his service; and, since the new assistant was neat-handed, useful and obliging, he quickly became a favourite with all within the castle, to the great chagrin29 of Jacquino, who, being clumsy and somewhat dull, now found himself quite out of favour.
Poor Jacquino felt more aggrieved30 still when saucy31 Mistress Marcellina also showed preference for the newcomer whose handsome face and air of melancholy32 attracted her fancy and caused her to treat her old sweetheart with disdain33; and when discovering in addition that his master, Rocco, favoured his daughter's new choice, he felt justly jealous of the unknown stranger who had so coolly supplanted34 him.
So to-day, as Marcellina and her father ran to relieve the supposed Fidelio of his burdens, Jacquino kept sulkily in the background; and presently he departed to perform some duties within the castle, determined to press his own suit at some more favourable35 time.
Rocco now began to praise his new assistant for the clever manner in which he had carried out his instructions that day; and to show his approval of this and of his conduct in general, he announced that he was quite willing to welcome such a likely youth as a son-in-law, since Marcellina seemed to regard him also with evident favour, and he even hinted at a very early date for the wedding-day.
Marcellina was delighted to hear this, and to know that her father favoured her fancy for her dear Fidelio; but Leonora was greatly embarrassed, not knowing how she could get safely out of this new difficulty, for though she had tried to ingratiate herself with the jailer's daughter for her own purposes, she did not wish to pain the maiden in any way.
However, she succeeded in hiding her embarrassment36 for the time being, and presently managed to direct the conversation into a safer channel, by begging Rocco to allow her to accompany him in his daily visits to the prisoners in the lower dungeons37, and to assist him with this work, which the jailer had hitherto performed alone; for, in this way, she knew she would be able to discover if her beloved husband still lived, since she had not seen him amongst the more favoured prisoners, whom she was permitted to wait upon.
At first Rocco refused this plea, declaring that Fidelio was too young to witness such dreadful sights as these wretched chained captives, and to emphasize his refusal, described the miserable38 state of one of these, who was nearly at the point of death through close confinement39 and starvation; but when Leonora, on hearing this, redoubled her entreaties40, feeling sure from the description that this unhappy prisoner must be her own dear husband, he at length consented, feeling better pleased than ever with the youth's evident desire to assist him even in such disagreeable duties as visiting the dungeon captives.
At this moment Don Pizarro, the cruel Governor of the prison, entered the courtyard with some of the guard; and, after giving orders to the captain, he proceeded to read the despatches brought from the town by Fidelio, and now handed to him by Rocco.
Amongst these despatches, Pizarro found a missive warning him that the Prime Minister intended to pay a surprise visit to the prison that evening, having been informed that certain victims of despotic power were still unjustly held captives there; and, suddenly filled with fear at the thought of how he should account for the presence of Don Florestan, so long believed to be dead, he began to form a plan to avoid this new danger to himself, and soon decided41 to kill his hated enemy within the next few hours. However, he did not mean to do this dreadful deed himself, if possible; and so, when the guard had presently gone on duty, he detained Rocco, intending to make him his instrument of vengeance.
Carelessly handing the jailer a purse of gold, he hinted darkly that he desired the death of this wretched prisoner in the lowest dungeon; but Rocco, recoiling42 from the thought of such cold-blooded murder, refused to do the deed, although, being afraid of offending his unscrupulous superior, he tremblingly agreed to dig the victim's grave, if Pizarro himself would strike the fatal blow. With this the Governor was fain to be content; and the two departed separate ways, having first laid their plans and arranged that the grave should be dug beneath an old ruined cistern43 at the side of the dungeon.
Now it happened that Leonora, having suspected from the dark looks of Pizarro that he intended ill to someone, had crept back to the courtyard, where she had remained hidden in such a position that she could overhear the conversation between the Governor and Rocco; and filled with horror at the thought of the violent death now destined44 for the unhappy prisoner, whom she felt sure was her own beloved husband, she determined to rescue him that evening if possible, and hurried after Rocco, in order to be with him wherever he should go, and so learn all his plans.
Later on, she returned with the jailer to the courtyard, where she discovered Marcellina and Jacquino engaged in a lively dispute; and, finding that the squabble was about herself as the supposed Fidelio, whom Jacquino regarded as a rival and Marcellina desired as a new sweetheart, she hastily changed this embarrassing subject by entreating45 Rocco to allow the more privileged prisoners to walk for a short time in the courtyard to enjoy a breath of fresh air, a request he had several times promised to grant when a suitable opportunity should occur. As Marcellina also added her entreaties to this kindly46 request, hoping to please her dear Fidelio by so doing, Rocco agreed, promising47 to keep Pizarro engaged for a short time on business at the other end of the fortress; and so, when he had departed, Jacquino and Leonora unlocked the cells, and invited the wretched inmates48 to walk outside for a while.
Full of gratitude49 for this unexpected pleasure, the prisoners poured forth50 into the courtyard, walking about with slow painful steps, but uttering cries of delight at the sight of the brilliant sunshine, and inhaling51 the fresh summer air with deep thankfulness.
Presently, Rocco returned, and informed the new assistant that Pizarro had consented to his helping52 him in the duties of attending upon the dungeon captives, and that he should begin that day by helping to dig the grave for the victim who was to die so soon as it was ready; and Leonora was filled with conflicting emotions, joyful at the thought of meeting her beloved one again, should the captive indeed prove to be her husband, but terrified by the prospect53 of her dreadful task.
Whilst they were still talking together, Pizarro unexpectedly appeared on the scene; and, enraged54 at the sight of the captives walking in the courtyard, he poured forth angry abuse upon Rocco for daring to permit such a thing. The jailer, however, stopped this outburst by reminding Pizarro of the dark deed he was presently to assist him with; and, anxious to keep on good terms with one who knew his wicked plans, the Governor ceased to bluster55, but gave orders for the prisoners to be once more locked up.
When the wretched captives had returned reluctantly to their cells, uttering deep sighs of regret as they quitted the bright sunshine for the gloomy darkness of the prison, Rocco called the supposed Fidelio to one side; and, laden with spades and pickaxes, they made their way to the deepest dungeon to commence their gruesome task.
Little dreaming that the one person in all the world he most longed to see, his beloved wife, was even now approaching, Don Florestan lay suffering upon the floor of his horrible cell, with despair in his heart; for he had now been so long without food, and was so terribly exhausted56, that he knew death could not be far off. All hope of escape had long since deserted57 him, and he had quite resigned himself to his fate, looking forward to death as the end of his sufferings; but even now the image of his beautiful Leonora shone brightly in his heart, and every now and again he would breathe her name tenderly, and stretch forth his arms with a loving gesture, as though about to embrace her visionary form, or call a passionate58 greeting to her, thinking in his wandering delirium59 that she indeed stood before him.
Just as he sank back exhausted after one of these flights of feverish60 fancy, Rocco the jailer entered the dungeon, followed by the trembling Leonora, who shivered as she felt the chill, damp air of the subterranean61 cell, and glanced apprehensively62 at the huddled63 form on the ground, fearing, yet hoping, that it would prove to be her husband.
Rocco at once proceeded to the ruined cistern situated64 at one side of the dungeon, and, taking his spade and pickaxe, began to dig the grave, calling to his assistant to do likewise, speaking in gruff but not unkindly tones, thinking that the youth's evident reluctance65 to commence the horrid66 task was due to the softness natural to his tender years, rather than to any deeper feeling.
At length, however, Leonora, in order to keep up her disguise, took her spade and began to assist in the work; but every now and again, she turned her eyes upon the crouching67 form of the poor prisoner, who appeared to be sleeping.
Presently, however, Don Florestan raised his head, and addressed the jailer; and Leonora, seeing now that he was indeed her own beloved husband, was so overcome that she sank back in a swoon. Rocco, not noticing the agitation68 of his assistant, approached the prisoner, who demanded, as he had already done many times before, the name of the tyrant69 whose cruelty thus doomed70 him to a living death. Rocco, knowing that the poor man was to die within the next hour, felt that there could now be no harm in granting this request; so he told Florestan that his enemy was Don Pizarro, the Governor of the prison.
The name of Pizarro recalled Leonora's wandering senses; and still keeping her face hidden from Florestan, she tried to persuade Rocco to permit her to give the captive some bread she had brought with her for this purpose. Though the jailer at first refused, his own pity for the wretched prisoner at length got the better of him, and he gave his consent, even making him drink a little wine from a small flagon he had himself brought.
No sooner had Florestan eagerly partaken of the welcome food, which quickly brought back some little strength to his weary frame, than the dreaded71 Pizarro entered the dungeon, his first words being to bid Rocco send his youthful assistant away. Leonora, however, though she pretended to obey, only retired72 into the shadows of the dungeon; and then Pizarro, flinging open his cloak, and drawing his dagger73, strode towards the prisoner, and in cruel, triumphant74 tones bade him prepare to die, hoping to see him fall on his knees and beg for mercy.
But Florestan, who had now risen to his feet, bravely drew himself up to his full height with quiet dignity; and his look of calm contempt so exasperated75 the wicked Pizarro, that he sprang forward immediately, intending to stab him to the heart. Ere he could strike, however, Leonora flung herself upon him, and bade him desist; and as Pizarro, taken by surprise, drew back, she now boldly declared herself to be the wife of his intended victim.
Florestan, seeing the face of the supposed youth for the first time, was amazed to recognise his beloved Leonora; and full of joy, even in this awful moment of danger, the long separated husband and wife embraced tenderly.
Pizarro, enraged at this untimely interruption of his evil plans, and knowing that he had little time to lose, since his superior officer would arrive very shortly, sprang forward again, intending to stab them both; but Leonora, in a flash, drew forth a loaded pistol she had concealed76 in her garments, and, covering him with it, declared she would fire if he moved a step further.
Chagrined77, and completely nonplussed78 at this sudden turning of the tables upon him, Pizarro stood helpless, glaring furiously upon the brave Leonora; and as they stood thus, the sound of a trumpet79 was heard, and Jacquino, accompanied by several officers of the castle, appeared in the doorway, announcing that Don Fernando, the Minister, had just arrived, and demanded an immediate13 interview with the Governor of the prison.
Pizarro, baulked of his prey80, and feeling that disaster was about to fall on him, yet not daring to disobey the command of his superior, turned angrily on his heel, and left the cell.
When their enemy had departed, Florestan and Leonora again fell into each other's arms, and rejoiced together, full of gladness at meeting once more, and hopeful that their troubles would now shortly come to an end; and then as soon as the exhausted Count had sufficiently81 recovered, Rocco escorted them both to the large court of the castle, where the Minister, Don Fernando, surrounded by soldiers and officers, was receiving the thanks of the grateful captives, whom he had just ordered to be set free, knowing that they had unjustly been kept in bonds.
The jailer, eager to bring his cruel master into disgrace, led Florestan and Leonora forward at once, and appealed to the Minister for justice; and Don Fernando, astonished at thus beholding82 the young Count, whom all had believed to be dead, received him with great kindness, and gave him a hearty83 welcome. Then, when he was told the whole story of Pizarro's infamous84 plot, and how it was frustrated by the intended victim's brave wife, he declared that Florestan was free from that moment, and that Leonora herself should have the joy of removing the chains that had been put so unjustly upon him.
When this pleasant task had been performed by the now happy Leonora, the whole assemblage were free to rejoice together, for all were glad at the downfall of the tyrant Pizarro. The released captives were glad because they were at liberty once more; Jacquino was glad because the dangerous Fidelio could no longer be a rival to his claim upon the pretty Marcellina, who was even now ready to smile on him again; and Florestan and his faithful Leonora were the most joyful of all, since they were restored to each other and a life of perfect peace and happiness.
点击收听单词发音
1 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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2 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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3 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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4 pretence | |
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
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5 amorous | |
adj.多情的;有关爱情的 | |
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6 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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7 rustic | |
adj.乡村的,有乡村特色的;n.乡下人,乡巴佬 | |
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8 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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9 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10 joyful | |
adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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11 anticipation | |
n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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12 grumbling | |
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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13 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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14 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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15 commiserating | |
v.怜悯,同情( commiserate的现在分词 ) | |
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16 motive | |
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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17 captivity | |
n.囚禁;被俘;束缚 | |
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18 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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19 dungeon | |
n.地牢,土牢 | |
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20 crafty | |
adj.狡猾的,诡诈的 | |
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21 imprisonment | |
n.关押,监禁,坐牢 | |
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22 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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23 frustrated | |
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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24 devotedly | |
专心地; 恩爱地; 忠实地; 一心一意地 | |
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25 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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26 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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27 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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28 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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29 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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30 aggrieved | |
adj.愤愤不平的,受委屈的;悲痛的;(在合法权利方面)受侵害的v.令委屈,令苦恼,侵害( aggrieve的过去式);令委屈,令苦恼,侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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31 saucy | |
adj.无礼的;俊俏的;活泼的 | |
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32 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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33 disdain | |
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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34 supplanted | |
把…排挤掉,取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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36 embarrassment | |
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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37 dungeons | |
n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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38 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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39 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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40 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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41 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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42 recoiling | |
v.畏缩( recoil的现在分词 );退缩;报应;返回 | |
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43 cistern | |
n.贮水池 | |
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44 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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45 entreating | |
恳求,乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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46 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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47 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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48 inmates | |
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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49 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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50 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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51 inhaling | |
v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 ) | |
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52 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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53 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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54 enraged | |
使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 ); 歜; 激愤 | |
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55 bluster | |
v.猛刮;怒冲冲的说;n.吓唬,怒号;狂风声 | |
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56 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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57 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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58 passionate | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
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59 delirium | |
n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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60 feverish | |
adj.发烧的,狂热的,兴奋的 | |
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61 subterranean | |
adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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62 apprehensively | |
adv.担心地 | |
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63 huddled | |
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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64 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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65 reluctance | |
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿 | |
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66 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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67 crouching | |
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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68 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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69 tyrant | |
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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70 doomed | |
命定的 | |
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71 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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72 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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73 dagger | |
n.匕首,短剑,剑号 | |
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74 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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75 exasperated | |
adj.恼怒的 | |
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76 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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77 chagrined | |
adj.懊恼的,苦恼的v.使懊恼,使懊丧,使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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78 nonplussed | |
adj.不知所措的,陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79 trumpet | |
n.喇叭,喇叭声;v.吹喇叭,吹嘘 | |
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80 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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81 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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82 beholding | |
v.看,注视( behold的现在分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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83 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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84 infamous | |
adj.声名狼藉的,臭名昭著的,邪恶的 | |
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