"THIS is the glorious Fourth of July," remarked Si, as Co. Q broke ranks from reveille roll-call on the banks of Elk River, and he and Shorty turned anxious attention to the problem of getting a satisfactory breakfast out of the scanty2 materials at their command. "Up home they're gittin' ready for a great time. Yesterday mother and the girls cooked enough goodies to feed the whole company. Mother had Abe Lincoln split up a lot o' fine, dry hickory. Then she het up the big brick oven out by the Summer-kitchen, and she baked there a lot o' loaves o' her splendiferous salt-raisin' bread, the best in the whole country, if I do say it myself."
"Resemble this, Si?" asked Shorty, who was pawing around in his shrunken haversack, as he produced two dingy3 crackers5 and a handful of pieces, discolored by contact with the coffee and meat during the days of marching in the rain.
"And, then," continued Si, unmindful of the interruption, "after she took the bread out, smelling like a bouquet6, she put in some biscuits, and then some dressed chicken, a young pig."
"Just like this," echoed Shorty, pulling out a rusty7 remnant of very fat commissary pork.
"Shet up, Shorty," said Si, angered at this reminder8 of their meager9 store, which was all that was left them for the day, since they had far out marched their wagons11. "I won't have you makin' fun o' my mother's cookin'."
"Well, you shut up torturing me about home goodies," answered Shorty, "when we hain't got enough grub here to fill one undivided quarter-section o' one o' our gizzards, and there hain't no more this side o' the wagons, which are stalled somewhere in the Duck River hills, and won't be up till the katydids sing. I ain't making fun o' your mother's cookin'. But I won't have you tormenting13 me with gas about the goodies back home."
"I know it ain't right, Shorty," said Si. "It only makes us feel worse. But I can't help thinkin'—"
"Jest go on thinkin'," sneered14 Shorty, "if you kin12 fill yourself up that way. I can't. You'd better set to studyin' how to make less'n quarter rations15 for one fill up two men for all day. There ain't no use goin' a-foragin'. They call this country the Cumberland Barrens. There never was grub enough in it to half support the clay-eaters that live around here, and what there was the rebels have carried off. The only thing I kin think of is to cut up some basswood chips and fry with this pork. Mebbe we could make 'em soft enough to fill up on." And Shorty gloomily shook out the last crumb16 from the haversacks into a tin of water to soak, while he fried the grease out of the fragment of pork in his half-canteen.
"And Pap," continued Si, as if determined17 to banish18 famine thoughts by more agreeable ones, "has had the trottin' team nicely curried19, and their manes and tails brushed out, and hitched20 'em to that new Studebaker-spring wagon10 he wrote about. They'll put all the good things in, and then mother and the girls'll climb in. They'll go down the road in great style, and pick up Annabel, and drive over to the Grove21, where they'll meet all the neighbors, and talk about their boys in the army, and the Posey Brass22 Band'll play patriotic23 tunes24, and old Beach Jamieson'll fire off the anvil25, and then Parson Ricketts'll put on his glasses and read the Declaration o' Independence, and then some politician young lawyer from Mt. Vernon or Poseyville 'll make a sky-soaring, spread-eagle speech, and—"
"O, do come off, Si," said Shorty irritably26. "You're only making yourself hungrier exercising your tongue so. Come here and git your share o' the breakfast and mind you eat fair."
Shorty had fried out the pork in the dingy, black half-canteen, poured the soaked crackers into the sputtering27 hot grease, and given the mess a little further warming and stirring. Then he pulled the half-canteen from the split stick which served for a handle, set it on the ground, and drew a line through it with his spoon to divide the food fairly into equal portions..
Meanwhile Si had strolled over a little ways to where an old worm fence had stood when the regiment28 went into camp. Now only the chunks29 at the corners remained. He looked a minute, and then gave a yell of delight.
"Here, Shorty," he called out; "here's something that beats your fried breakfasts all holler. Here's ripe blackberries till you can't rest, and the biggest, finest ones you ever saw. Come over here, and you can pick all you can eat in five minutes."
He began picking and eating with the greatest industry. Shorty walked over and followed his example.
"They are certainly the finest blackberries I ever saw," he agreed. "Strange that we didn't notice them before. This country ain't no good for nothin' else, but it surely kin beat the world on blackberries. Hi, there! Git out, you infernal brute31!"
This latt'er remark was addressed to a long-legged, mangy hound that had suddenly appeared from no where, and was nosing around their breakfast with appreciative32 sniffs33. Shorty made a dive for him, but he cleaned out the half-canteen at one comprehensive gulp34, and had put a good-sized farm between him and the fire before Shorty reached it. That gentleman fairly danced with rage, and swore worse than a teamster, but the breakfast was gone beyond recovery. The other boys yelled at and gibed35 him, but they were careful to do it at a safe distance.
"'Twasn't much of a breakfast, after all, Shorty," said Si, consolingly. "The crackers was moldly and the pork full o' maggots, and the Surgeon has warned us time and again against eatin' them greasy36 fried messes. All the doctors say that blackberries is very healthy, and they certainly taste nice."
Shorty's paroxysm of rage expended37 itself, and he decided38 it wisest to accept Si's advice.
"The berries is certainly fine, Si," he said with returning good humor. "If I could've only laid a foundation of crackers and meat I could've built a very good breakfast out of 'em. I misdoubt, though, whether they've got enough substance and stick-to-the-ribs to make a meal out of all by themselves. However, I'll fill up on 'em, and hope they'll last till a grub-cart gets through. There ought to be one here before noon."
"One consolation," said Si; "we won't have to march on this peck. The Adjutant's just passed the word that we're to rest here a day or two."
The rest of the regiment were similarly engaged in browsing39 off the blackberries that grew in wonderful profusion40 all around, and were really of extraordinary size. After filling themselves as full as possible of the fruit, Si and Shorty secured a couple of camp kettles and gave their garments a boiling that partially41 revenged themselves upon the insect life of Tennessee for the torments42 they endured in the Tullahoma campaign.
"The better the day the better the deed," remarked Shorty, as he and Si stood around the fire, clothed in nothing but their soldierly character, and satisfiedly poked43 their clothes down in the scalding water. "Thousands must die that one may be free from graybacks, fleas44, and ticks. How could be better celebrated45 the Fourth of July than by the wholesale46 slaughter47 of the tyrants48 who drain the life-blood of freemen and patriots49? Now, that's a sentiment that would be fine for your orator50 who is making a speech about this time to your folks in Injianny."
By this time they were hungry again. The black berries had no staying power in proportion to their filling qualities, and anxiously as they watched the western horizon, no feet of the mules52 bringing rations had been seen beautiful on the mountains.
They went out and filled up again on blackberries, but these seemed to have lost something of their delicious taste of those eaten earlier in the morning.
They went back, wrung53 out their clothes, and put them on again.
"They'll fit better if they dry on us," remarked Shorty. "And I'm afraid we'll warp54, splinter and check if we are exposed to this sun any longer after all the soakin' we've bin55 havin' for the past 10 days."
Comfortably full abdominally, with a delicious sense of relief from the fiendish insects, the sun shining once more brightly in the sky, and elated over the brilliant success of the campaign, they felt as happy as it often comes to men.
The scenery was inspiring. Beyond Elk River the romantic Cumberland Mountains raised their picturesque56 peaks and frowning cliffs into a wondrous57 cloud-world, where the radiant sunshine and the pearly showers seemed in endless struggle for dominion58, with the bright rainbows for war-banners. When the sunshine prevailed, filmy white clouds flags of truce59 floated lazily from peak to peak, and draped themselves about the rugged60 rocks. It was an ever-changing panorama61 of beauty and mystery, gazing on which the eye never wearied.
"Bragg's somewhere behind them mountains, Shorty," said Si, as the two lay on the ground, smoked, and looked with charmed eyes on the sky line. "The next job's to go in there and find him and lick him."
"I don't care a durn, if it's only dry weather," answered Shorty. "I kin stand anything but rain. I'd like to soldier awhile in the Sahara Desert for a change. Hello, what's that? A fight?"
A gun had boomed out loudly. The boys pricked62 up their ears, took their pipes from their mouths and half raised in anticipation63 of the bugle-call. An other shot followed after an interval64, and then a third and fourth.
"They're firing a National salute65 at Division Headquarters in honor of the Fourth of July," explained the Orderly-Sergeant.
Everybody jumped to his feet and cheered
Cheered for the Fourth of July;
Cheered for the United States of America;
Cheered for President Abraham Lincoln;
Cheered for Maj.-Gen. Wm. S. Rosecrans.
Cheered for the Army of the Cumberland;
Cheered for the Corps66 Commander;
Cheered for the Division Commander;
Cheered for the Brigadier-General;
Cheered for the Colonel of the 200th Ind.;
Cheered for their Royal Selves.
"Whew, how hungry that makes me," said Shorty as the cheering and the firing ended, and he studied the western horizon anxiously. "And not a sign yit of any mule51-team comin' up from the rear. They must have religious scruples67 agin travelin' on the Fourth o' July. Well, I s'pose there's nothin' to do but hunt up some more blackberries. But blackberries is like mush. They don't seem to stay with you much longer'n you're eatin' 'em."
But they had to go much farther now to find blackberries. The whole hungry regiment had been hunt ing blackberries all day, and for more than a mile around camp the briers were bare. Si and Shorty succeeded at last in finding another plentiful68 patch, upon which they filled up, and returned to camp for another smoke and an impatient look for the Commissary teams.
"I like blackberries as well as any other man," mused69 Shorty, "but it don't seem to me that last lot was nearly so good as the first we had this morning. Mebbe the birds kin eat 'em four times a day and seven days in the week without gittin' tired, but I ain't much of a bird, myself. I'd like to change off just now to about six big crackers, a pound o' fat pork and a quart o' coffee. Wonder if the rebel cavalry70 could've got around in our rear and jumped our trains? No; 'Joe Wheeler's critter company,' as that rebel called 'em, hain't quit runnin' yit from the lickin' Minty give 'em at Shelbyville. Mebbe the mules have struck. I'd 'a' struck years ago if I'd bin a mule."
The sun began to sink toward the western hills, and still no welcome sign of coming wagons.
Si remarked despairingly:
"Well, after all the berry-eatin' I've done to-day I feel as holler as a bee-gum. I don't believe any wagons'll git up to-night, and if we're goin' to have any supper at all we'd better go out and pick it before it gits too dark to see."
They had to go a long distance out this time to find a good berry patch. It was getting dark be fore30 they fairly began picking their supper. Presently they heard voices approaching from the other side. They crouched71 down a little behind the brier-clumps and listened.
"Be keerful. The Yankee pickets72 must be nigh. Thar's their campfires."
"Pshaw. Them fires is two miles away. Thar's no pickets fur a mile yit. Go ahead."
"No sich thing. Them fires ain't a mile off.
"Their pickets are likely right along that 'ere ridge73 thar."
"Bushwhackers," whispered Si, rising a little to reconnoiter. "One, two, three, four, five, six on 'em. Sneakin' up to pick off our pickets. What'd we better do?"
"Only thing I kin think of," whispered Shorty back, feeling around for a stick that would represent a gun, "is the old trick of ordering 'em to surrender. It's an awful bluff74, but we may work it this time. If they've got any grit75 we needn't worry no more about rations. They'll git us."
Si snatched up a piece of rail, and they sprang up together, shouting:
"Halt! Surrender! Don't move a hand or we'll blow your heads off."
"All right, Yank. We surrender. Don't shoot. We'uns 've bin a-huntin' yo'uns to gin ourselves up. We'uns is tired o' the wah."
The Bluff Worked 107
"The thunder you do," said Si in amazement76.
"Yes," said the leader, walking forward; "we'uns is plumb77 sick o' the wah, and want t' take the oath and go home. 'Deed we'uns do."
"Well, you liked to 've scared two fine young soldiers to death," murmured Si under his breath.
"Halt, there," called out the suspicious Shorty.
"Don't come any nearer, or I'll fire. Stand still, and hold your guns over your heads, till I send a man out to git 'em."
The rebels obediently held their guns in the air.
"Sergeant," commanded Shorty, "go forward and relieve the men of their arms, while the rest of us keep 'em kivvered to prevent treachery and gittin' the drop on us."
Si went out and took the guns, one by one, from the hands of the men, and made as good an examination as he could, hastily, to see that they carried nothing else.
"Lordy, Yank, if you only knowed how powerful glad we'uns is to git to yo'uns, you wouldn't 'spicion us. We'uns 's nigh on to starved t' death. Hain't had nothin' to eat but blackberries for days. And hit's bin march, march, all the time, right away from we'uns's homes. Goramighty only knows whar ole Bragg's a-gwine tuh. Mebbe t' Cuby. We'uns wuz willin' t' fout fur ole Tennessee, but for nary other State. When he started out o' Tennessee we'uns jest concluded t' strike out and leave him. Lordy, Mister, hain't you got something t' eat? We'uns is jest starvin' t' death. 'Deed we'uns is."
"Awful sorry," replied Shorty, as he and Si gathered up the guns and placed themselves behind the group. "But we hain't nothin' to eat ourselves but blackberries, and won't have till our wagons git up, which 'll be the Lord and Gen. Rosecrans only knows when. You shall have it when we kin git it. Hello, the boys are cheerin'. That means a wagon's got in. Skip out, now, at a quarter-hoss gait. They may gobble it all up before we git there."
Inspired by this, they all started for camp in quick-time. Shorty was right in interpreting the cheering to mean the arrival of a ration-wagon.
When they reached Co. Q they found the Orderly-Sergeant standing78 over a half-box of crackers.
Around him was gathered the company in a petulant79 state of mind.
"Cuss and swear, boys, all you've a mind to," he was saying, "if you think that'll swell80 your grub. You know it won't. Only one wagon's come up, and it had only a half-load. Our share in it is what you see here. I figure that there's just about one cracker4 apiece for you, and as I call your names you'll step up and get it. Don't swear at me. I've done the best I could. Cuss the Tennessee mud and freshets in the cricks all you want to, if you think that'll fill your crops, but let me alone, or I'll bust81 somebody."
"I've my opinion o' the glorious Fourth o' July," said Shorty, as he nibbled82 moodily83 at his solitary84 cracker. "I'll change my politics and vote for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas after this."
"Well, I think that we've had a pretty fine Fourth," said the more cheerful Si. "For once in my life I've had all the blackberries I could eat, and otherwise it's a pleasant day. Them deserters gave me a cold chill at first, but I'm glad we got 'em. There'll certainly be more wagons up to-night, and to-morrow we'll have all we kin eat."
And that night, for the first in 10 days, they slept under dry blankets.
点击收听单词发音
1 elk | |
n.麋鹿 | |
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2 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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3 dingy | |
adj.昏暗的,肮脏的 | |
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4 cracker | |
n.(无甜味的)薄脆饼干 | |
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5 crackers | |
adj.精神错乱的,癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 );薄脆饼干;(认为)十分愉快的事;迷人的姑娘 | |
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6 bouquet | |
n.花束,酒香 | |
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7 rusty | |
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的 | |
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8 reminder | |
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示 | |
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9 meager | |
adj.缺乏的,不足的,瘦的 | |
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10 wagon | |
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车 | |
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11 wagons | |
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车 | |
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12 kin | |
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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13 tormenting | |
使痛苦的,使苦恼的 | |
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14 sneered | |
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15 rations | |
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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16 crumb | |
n.饼屑,面包屑,小量 | |
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17 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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18 banish | |
vt.放逐,驱逐;消除,排除 | |
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19 curried | |
adj.加了咖喱(或咖喱粉的),用咖哩粉调理的 | |
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20 hitched | |
(免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上 | |
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21 grove | |
n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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22 brass | |
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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23 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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24 tunes | |
n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调 | |
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25 anvil | |
n.铁钻 | |
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26 irritably | |
ad.易生气地 | |
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27 sputtering | |
n.反应溅射法;飞溅;阴极真空喷镀;喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 );发劈啪声;喷出;飞溅出 | |
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28 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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29 chunks | |
厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 ); (某物)相当大的数量或部分 | |
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30 fore | |
adv.在前面;adj.先前的;在前部的;n.前部 | |
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31 brute | |
n.野兽,兽性 | |
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32 appreciative | |
adj.有鉴赏力的,有眼力的;感激的 | |
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33 sniffs | |
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的第三人称单数 );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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34 gulp | |
vt.吞咽,大口地吸(气);vi.哽住;n.吞咽 | |
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35 gibed | |
v.嘲笑,嘲弄( gibe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36 greasy | |
adj. 多脂的,油脂的 | |
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37 expended | |
v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 );使用(钱等)做某事;用光;耗尽 | |
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38 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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39 browsing | |
v.吃草( browse的现在分词 );随意翻阅;(在商店里)随便看看;(在计算机上)浏览信息 | |
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40 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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41 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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42 torments | |
(肉体或精神上的)折磨,痛苦( torment的名词复数 ); 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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43 poked | |
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交 | |
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44 fleas | |
n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 );爱财如命;没好气地(拒绝某人的要求) | |
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45 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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46 wholesale | |
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 | |
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47 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
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48 tyrants | |
专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 ); 暴君似的人; (古希腊的)僭主; 严酷的事物 | |
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49 patriots | |
爱国者,爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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50 orator | |
n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家 | |
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51 mule | |
n.骡子,杂种,执拗的人 | |
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52 mules | |
骡( mule的名词复数 ); 拖鞋; 顽固的人; 越境运毒者 | |
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53 wrung | |
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水) | |
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54 warp | |
vt.弄歪,使翘曲,使不正常,歪曲,使有偏见 | |
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55 bin | |
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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56 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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57 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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58 dominion | |
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图 | |
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59 truce | |
n.休战,(争执,烦恼等的)缓和;v.以停战结束 | |
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60 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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61 panorama | |
n.全景,全景画,全景摄影,全景照片[装置] | |
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62 pricked | |
刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛 | |
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63 anticipation | |
n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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64 interval | |
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息 | |
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65 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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66 corps | |
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组 | |
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67 scruples | |
n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 );顾虑,顾忌v.感到于心不安,有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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68 plentiful | |
adj.富裕的,丰富的 | |
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69 mused | |
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事) | |
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70 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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71 crouched | |
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72 pickets | |
罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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73 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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74 bluff | |
v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
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75 grit | |
n.沙粒,决心,勇气;v.下定决心,咬紧牙关 | |
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76 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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77 plumb | |
adv.精确地,完全地;v.了解意义,测水深 | |
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78 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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79 petulant | |
adj.性急的,暴躁的 | |
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80 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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81 bust | |
vt.打破;vi.爆裂;n.半身像;胸部 | |
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82 nibbled | |
v.啃,一点一点地咬(吃)( nibble的过去式和过去分词 );啃出(洞),一点一点咬出(洞);慢慢减少;小口咬 | |
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83 moodily | |
adv.喜怒无常地;情绪多变地;心情不稳地;易生气地 | |
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84 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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