At every word of the Highest, creation sprung. Darkness, borne back by the mighty torrent13 of effulgent14 light, would have passed annihilated15 from the face of the new-born world, but, shielded by angelic ministers, it lingered, in its new-appointed sphere, to do its destined16 bidding. A firmament17 of sapphire18, stretched between the waters and the waters, veiling the glory of the spiritual heavens from the grosser earth. Land rose from the liquid deep. The rolling waters rushed impetuously to their destined boundaries, held there by the Omnific will. And over the land the creating Word went forth19; and, at once, the mountains raised their stupendous forms, crowned with imperishable verdure; the valleys, and woods, and glens rose and sunk in their appointed rest; and flowers, and trees, and streams, and thousand other charms of sight, and sound, and sense, burst forth into perfected being. Myriads20 of angels hovered21 round, visible then in their beauty; but now heard only in the sweet breath of the gentle flowers; in the varied22 sounds of the forest trees as the wind floats by; in the summer breeze, or the wintry storm; in the musical gush23 of the silvery rill; aye, and in the deep hush24 and calm of the evening hour, when nature herself, as conscious of their ministering presence, sinks into deep and spiritual repose25.
But not for the abode26 of angelic spirits was this lovely world. A new creation was to raise the voice of love and adoration27! and for such, the spiritual light enveloping28 the infant globe was too ethereal, too resplendent. Nought29 but the purified orbs of the angelic and archangelic hosts could gaze on its refined effulgence30; and therefore, from the council of the Eternal went forth the decree:—
“Let there be two great lights to rule the earth, the one by day, and the one by night, and they shall rule times and seasons.” And as He spake it was. Instantaneously the minute particles of the ethereal essence formed into an orb11 of splendour, fraught31 with such power and glory, that the lustrous32 flood rushed back into the Heavenly Fount—earth needing it no more;—circled by a diadem33 of many-coloured light, extending in resplendent rays over the new-born world, infusing its golden glory over the azure34 heavens; clouds, dyed with the brilliant tints35 of amethyst36, and rose, and ruby37, formed before him and faded into glory as He passed. Earth, through her ministering spirits of mount, and wood, and stream, and flower, sent up her thrilling song of thanksgiving, echoed and re-echoed by the myriads and myriads of angels peopling the spiritual courts. Heaven and Earth rejoiced. Increased and dazzling beauty enveloped38 the new creation. Luscious39 fragrance40 issued from the flowers; their petals41, adorned42 by their guardian43 seraphs, expanded to the glorious orb, and shone in his rays like gems44. The Spirit of Day, selected from the highest and purest order of angels, to renew and tend the beauteous work, ascended45 his throne in the burning centre, whence the effulgent rays emanate46 on earth, but on which no mortal eye can look; and proudly and rejoicingly as a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber47, as a youthful hero from his victorious48 career, he guided the glorious luminary49 on its resplendent course, joining his voice to the hallelujahs pealing50 around.
And in varied but equal beauty rose the second light; but its guardian spirit, selected from the same pure and exalted51 ranks, looked on the effulgence of the Orb of Day, and beheld52 his brother spirit circled by glory more dazzling than his own. His invisible throne was within the silver radiance of his orb. Light, ethereal and pure as the heavenly essence of which both sun and moon had been formed, enriched him; less glittering but equally resplendent. But a deep shadow stole over the exquisite53 colouring of the spirit’s wings. His voice of music refused to join the pealing hallelujahs.
“Wherefore?” he exclaimed; and the troubled accents sounded through space, strangely and darkly falling on the full tide of song. “Wherefore do two monarchs55 occupy one throne? Wherefore to me is given less than to my brother? I have loved, I have served as faithfully as he. Why, then, should I be second, and he the first? Earth rejoices when he comes. Heaven greets him with songs of love. What need is there for me, unless to me the same is given?”
The hallelujahs ceased. A sudden silence, awful in its profoundness, sunk on the rejoicing myriads. The pure founts of ever-living light became obscured. Thunder rolled over the illimitable expanse. The superb radiance of the effulgent moon vanished, and, spreading far into the Empyrean, became the glorious host of stars, each with its attendant spirit as it formed. Darkness clothed the complaining angel; the beautiful luminary given to his charge, seemed quivering and fading into space; while, still strong and rejoicing, the Orb of Day held on his victorious career.
Prostrate56 and convulsed with remorseful57 anguish58, the spirit sunk before the celestial59 hosts. He who had been of that favoured class to whom the ways as well as the works of the Highest were revealed, had fallen lower in intellect and love than the youthful seraph, whose task was only to worship and adore. Where could he hide himself from their searching orbs? Where fly from the flashing light that, as the thunder rolled, played round him, marking him disgraced and criminal? But Him whom he had offended, he loved, as only angels love. And so he welcomed that remorseful agony, and prayed, “Have mercy, Father of all Beings! My Father, have mercy on me!” And out of that awful stillness issued a thrilling strain of gushing60 music—low, soft, spiritual—the murmured prayer, from countless61 myriads, for pardon for an erring62 brother. The dimness fled from the founts of light. The thunder ceased; the scorching63 lightnings blazed no longer. A mild effulgence circled the sorrowing spirit as he lay, burying his refulgent brow in the darkened iris of his wings.
From the invisible throne of the Highest, the mightiest64, the best beloved, most favoured messenger of the Eternal, the Spirit of Love, winged his downward flight, and on the instant, space became irradiated. New lustre spread over the vast courts of Heaven; the richest harmonies attended every movement of his wings. Angels and archangels, seraphs and ministers, pressed forwards as he passed, to bask65 in the wondrous66 beauty of his lustrous face, and raise anew the irrepressible burst of song.
“Spirit of Night, arise!” he said, and the repentant67 angel lifted up his brow once more in returning hope, so thrillingly that voice of liquid music fell; “arise, and list the irrevocable decree of the Eternal! Because thou hast envied the resplendence of the Spirit of Day, the radiance of thine orb will henceforth be borrowed from His lustre; and when yonder earth passes thee thou wilt68 stand, as now thou dost, deprived of thy glory, and eclipsed, either wholly or in part. Thou hast dared arraign69 the wisdom and the goodness of the Highest; and though He pardons, yet must He chastise70, lest others sin yet more. Yet weep not, repentant brother! thy repining is forgiven, and thou too shalt reign1 a monarch54 in thy radiance! Queen of the lovely night will thine orb be hailed; the tears of thy repentance71 shall be a reviving balm to all that languish72; imparting consolation73 to the mourner, rest to the weary, soothing74 to the careworn75, strength to the exhausted76. Peace shall be thy whisper, and in thy kingdom of stillness and repose, breathe thrillingly the promise of Heaven, and its rest. Go forth, then, on thy mild and vivifying career. The Orb of Day will do his work, and be hailed with rejoicing mirth; but many a one shall turn to thee from him, and in the radiance of thy tears find consolation.”
He spake: and behold77! the pale but lovely lustre in which the Orb of Night still shines flowed round her. The Spirit of Night resumed his silvery throne, and in the profound submissiveness of most perfect love entered upon his silent and beautiful career, circled by the glittering radiance of the attendant stars. Soon was revealed the benignant mercy of His sentence. Even ere sin darkened the lovely earth, His beauteous orb was hailed by all creation with rejoicing; and when man fell, when labour and weariness, sickness and woe78, obtained dominion79, how soothing the consolation whispered by the Spirit of Night! Weeping oft at the remembrance of his own fault, the Spirit commiserates80 the tears of others. Floating over the earth, invisible, save through the exquisite beauty of his orb, and the thrilling thoughts of Heaven and immortality81 awakening82 in the soul, which, formed of kindred essence, becomes thus conscious of his presence, the Spirit sends his soft rays, formed from the liquid lustre of his tears, on all who need his pity and repose. By the couch of the sufferer—the side of the sorrowing—by the kneeling penitent—by the wakeful mourner—by the careworn and the weary—to the hut of the beggar as the palace of the king—he sends pity, and peace, and consolation. Nor does he sympathise with sorrow alone: the joy which, in the sunshine and midst the turmoil83 of the world, has agitated84 the soul even to pain, he softens85 into such deep calm, as to whisper of that Heaven whence alone the full bliss86 comes. Love, shrinking from the garish87 day, finds in his presence eloquence88 and voice. The poet, oppressed and suffering in the rich blaze of day, at night pours out his full soul in stirring words; for, conscious of a spirit’s presence, the pressure of infinity89 is then less painful to be borne. The artist, does he dream of giving life to the vacant canvas, the senseless marble, or voice and sound to the rich harmonics for ever breathing in his ear—labours in toil90, often in despondency, during the day, for Earth only is present then; but when alone with his own soul and the holy night; when the Spirit, visible either through his silvery tears, or in the rich beauty of his starry91 zone, penetrates92 his whole being with his heavenly presence, then life is strong once more! The dream of Immortality on Earth, even as in Heaven, dashes down all earthly fears. The spark of the Deity93 in every soul is rekindled94 by the touch of its kindred essence, and Hope, and Truth, and Beauty start into enduring glory beneath the vivifying flash.
Beautiful Spirit! such hast been, and is, and will still be thy task. Over the earth thou floatest, and man, be he in gloom or gladness, aspiring95 or desponding, hails thee with rejoicing; and even as the pale flowers drooping96 beneath the noontide heat, and the parched97 and languishing98 earth, so does he turn to thee for coolness and repose. Beautiful Spirit! thou hast sinned and been forgiven—therefore we rest on thee!
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1 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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2 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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3 everlasting | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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4 chaos | |
n.混乱,无秩序 | |
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5 revolved | |
v.(使)旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 );细想 | |
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6 lustre | |
n.光亮,光泽;荣誉 | |
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7 refulgent | |
adj.辉煌的,灿烂的 | |
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8 iris | |
n.虹膜,彩虹 | |
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9 seraph | |
n.六翼天使 | |
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10 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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11 orb | |
n.太阳;星球;v.弄圆;成球形 | |
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12 orbs | |
abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球,天体,圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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13 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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14 effulgent | |
adj.光辉的;灿烂的 | |
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15 annihilated | |
v.(彻底)消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 );使无效;废止;彻底击溃 | |
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16 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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17 firmament | |
n.苍穹;最高层 | |
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18 sapphire | |
n.青玉,蓝宝石;adj.天蓝色的 | |
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19 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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20 myriads | |
n.无数,极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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21 hovered | |
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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22 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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23 gush | |
v.喷,涌;滔滔不绝(说话);n.喷,涌流;迸发 | |
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24 hush | |
int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静 | |
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25 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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26 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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27 adoration | |
n.爱慕,崇拜 | |
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28 enveloping | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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29 nought | |
n./adj.无,零 | |
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30 effulgence | |
n.光辉 | |
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31 fraught | |
adj.充满…的,伴有(危险等)的;忧虑的 | |
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32 lustrous | |
adj.有光泽的;光辉的 | |
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33 diadem | |
n.王冠,冕 | |
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34 azure | |
adj.天蓝色的,蔚蓝色的 | |
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35 tints | |
色彩( tint的名词复数 ); 带白的颜色; (淡色)染发剂; 痕迹 | |
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36 amethyst | |
n.紫水晶 | |
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37 ruby | |
n.红宝石,红宝石色 | |
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38 enveloped | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39 luscious | |
adj.美味的;芬芳的;肉感的,引与性欲的 | |
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40 fragrance | |
n.芬芳,香味,香气 | |
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41 petals | |
n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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42 adorned | |
[计]被修饰的 | |
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43 guardian | |
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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44 gems | |
growth; economy; management; and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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45 ascended | |
v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46 emanate | |
v.发自,来自,出自 | |
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47 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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48 victorious | |
adj.胜利的,得胜的 | |
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49 luminary | |
n.名人,天体 | |
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50 pealing | |
v.(使)(钟等)鸣响,(雷等)发出隆隆声( peal的现在分词 ) | |
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51 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
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52 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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53 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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54 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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55 monarchs | |
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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56 prostrate | |
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
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57 remorseful | |
adj.悔恨的 | |
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58 anguish | |
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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59 celestial | |
adj.天体的;天上的 | |
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60 gushing | |
adj.迸出的;涌出的;喷出的;过分热情的v.喷,涌( gush的现在分词 );滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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61 countless | |
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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62 erring | |
做错事的,错误的 | |
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63 scorching | |
adj. 灼热的 | |
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64 mightiest | |
adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 );巨大的;强有力的;浩瀚的 | |
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65 bask | |
vt.取暖,晒太阳,沐浴于 | |
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66 wondrous | |
adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地 | |
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67 repentant | |
adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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68 wilt | |
v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎;(指人)疲倦,衰弱 | |
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69 arraign | |
v.提讯;控告 | |
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70 chastise | |
vt.责骂,严惩 | |
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71 repentance | |
n.懊悔 | |
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72 languish | |
vi.变得衰弱无力,失去活力,(植物等)凋萎 | |
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73 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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74 soothing | |
adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 | |
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75 careworn | |
adj.疲倦的,饱经忧患的 | |
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76 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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77 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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78 woe | |
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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79 dominion | |
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图 | |
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80 commiserates | |
n.怜悯,同情( commiserate的名词复数 )v.怜悯,同情( commiserate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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81 immortality | |
n.不死,不朽 | |
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82 awakening | |
n.觉醒,醒悟 adj.觉醒中的;唤醒的 | |
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83 turmoil | |
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱 | |
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84 agitated | |
adj.被鼓动的,不安的 | |
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85 softens | |
(使)变软( soften的第三人称单数 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰 | |
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86 bliss | |
n.狂喜,福佑,天赐的福 | |
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87 garish | |
adj.华丽而俗气的,华而不实的 | |
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88 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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89 infinity | |
n.无限,无穷,大量 | |
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90 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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91 starry | |
adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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92 penetrates | |
v.穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 );刺入;了解;渗透 | |
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93 deity | |
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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94 rekindled | |
v.使再燃( rekindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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95 aspiring | |
adj.有志气的;有抱负的;高耸的v.渴望;追求 | |
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96 drooping | |
adj. 下垂的,无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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97 parched | |
adj.焦干的;极渴的;v.(使)焦干 | |
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98 languishing | |
a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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