It was late on the afternoon of a sultry day in April, which had been passed amid active preparations, when a dark column of smoke, streaming over the tall shipping1 in the crowded harbour of Bombay, proclaimed the necessity of a hurried adieu to a concourse of friends who still thronged2 the deck; and scarcely was the last wish for success expressed to the parties that had embarked3, before the paddles performed their first revolution, and the Honourable4 East India Company’s steam frigate5 “Auckland,” bound upon her maiden6 voyage, shot through the still blue water.
A turbaned multitude of manifold religions had lined the pier7 and the ramparts of the saluting8 battery, to pay a parting tribute of respect to their late governor. Sir James Rivett Carnac, who, with his lady and family, was now returning to his native land. On board also were the officers and gentlemen composing an Embassy organised under instructions by the government of India. More than a fortnight had been diligently9 passed in the equipment of this mission; but its objects, no less than the destination of its innumerable bales and boxes, still served as puzzles to public curiosity; and many a sapient10 conjecture11 on the subject was doubtless launched after the bounding frigate as she disappeared amid the haze12 of the closing day.
Immortal13 Watt14! sordid15 is the man who places his foot behind the Titanic16 engines which owe their birth to thee, and who would withhold17, as an offering to the altar of thy memory, a mite18, according to his worldly means, wherewith to erect19 a fabric20 colossal21 as the power enthralled22 by thy transcendent genius! Strange are the revolutions undergone in affairs nautical23 since the introduction of the marine24 steam-engine upon the Indian seas. The creaking of yards has given place to the coughing and sobbing25 of machinery26, as it heaves in convulsive throes. Tacking27 and wearing have become terms obsolete28, and through the clang of the fire-doors, and the ceaseless stroke of paddle-wheels, the voice of the pilot is rarely heard, save in conjunction with “Stop her,” or “Turn a-head.”
Marked by a broad ploughed wake, the undeviating course pursued through the trackless main was demonstrated midway of the voyage by a tall pillar of smoke from the funnel30 of the “Cleopatra,” rising against the clear hot horizon, like a genie31 liberated32 from his sealed bottle, to proclaim the advent33 of the English mails. The deep blue sea was glassy smooth. Each passing zephyr34 set from Araby’s shores; but, heedless alike of wind and opposing current, the good ship steadily35 pursued her arrow-like flight,—passed the bold outline of Socotra, redolent of spicy36 odours,—and before sunset of the ninth day was within sight of her destined37 haven38, one thousand six hundred and eighty miles from the port she had left.
Cape39 Aden was the bold promontory40 in view, and it had borrowed an aspect even more sombre and dismal41 from a canopy42 of heavy clouds which stole across the naked and shattered peaks, to invest the castle-capped mountain with a funereal43 shroud44. Crossed by horizontal ledges45, and seamed with gaps and fissures47, Jebel Shemshán rears its turreted48 crags nearly eighteen hundred feet above the ocean, into which dip numerous bare and rugged49 buttresses50, of width only sufficient to afford footing to a cony, and each terminating in a bluff51 inaccessible52 scarp. Sand and shingle53 strew54 the cheerless valleys by which these spurs are divided, and save where a stunted55 balsam, or a sallow clump56 of senna, has struggled through the gaping57 fissure46, hollow as well as hill is destitute58 of even the semblance59 of vegetation.
“How hideously60
Its shapes are heap’d around, rude, bare, and high.
Ghastly, and scarr’d, and riven! Is this the scene
Where the old earthquake’s demon29 taught her young
Ruin? Were these their toys? - or did a sea
Of fire envelope once this dismal cape?”
Rounding the stern peninsula, within stone’s cast of the frowning headlands, the magnificent western bay developed its broad expanse as the evening closed. Here, with colliers and merchantmen, were riding the vessels61 of war composing the Red Sea squadron. Among the isolated62 denizens63 of British Arabia, the unexpected arrival of a steam frigate created no small sensation. Exiles on a barren and dreary64 soil, which is precluded65 from all intercourse66 with the fruitful, but barbarous interior, there is nothing to alleviate67 a positive imprisonment68, save the periodical flying visits of the packets that pass and repass betwixt Suez and Bombay. In the dead of night the sudden glare of a blue light in the offing is answered by the illumination of the blockship, heretofore veiled behind a curtain of darkness. The double thunder of artillery69 next peals71 from her decks; and as the labouring of paddle-wheels, at first faint and distant, and heard only at broken intervals72, comes booming more heavily over the still waters, the spectral73 lantern at the mast-head is followed by a red glow under the stem, as the witch, buffeting74 a cascade75 of snowy spray, vibrates to every stroke of the engine, and leaving a phosphoric train to mark her even course, glides76, hissing77 and boiling, towards her anchorage. Warped78 alongside the blockship, the dingy79 hulls80 lean over like affectionate sisters that have been long parted; and, flinging their arms together, remain fast locked in each other’s embrace.
And who are these swart children of the sun, that, like a May-day band of chimney-sweeps, are springing with wild whoops81 and yells over the bulwarks82 of the new arrival? ’tis a gang of brawny83 Seedies, enfranchised84 negroes from the coast of Zanzibar, whose pleasure consists in the transhipment of yonder mountain of coal, lying heaped in tons upon the groaning85 deck. To the dissonant86 tones of a rude tambourine87, thumped88 with the thighbone of a calf89, their labour has already commenced. Increasing the vehemence90 of their savage91 dance, they heave the ponderous92 sacks like giants busied at pitch and toss, and begrimed from head to foot, roll at intervals upon the blackened planks93, to stanch94 the streaming perspiration95. Thus stamping and howling with increased fury, while the harsh notes of the drum peal70 louder and louder to the deafening96 vehemence of the frantic97 musician, they pursue their task, night as well as day, amid clamour and fiendish vociferations, such as might suggest the idea of furies engaged in unearthly orgies. In the first burst of their revelry, the spectator is happy to escape from the suffocating98 atmosphere of impalpable coal-dust; and rarely does it happen that for every hundred tons of fuel received, fewer than one life is forfeited99 by the actors in the wild scene described—some doomed100 victim, swollen101 with copious102 draughts103, and exhausted104 by the frenzy105 of excitement, invariably casting himself down when his Herculean task is done, to rally and rise up no more.
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1 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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2 thronged | |
v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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4 honourable | |
adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
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5 frigate | |
n.护航舰,大型驱逐舰 | |
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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 pier | |
n.码头;桥墩,桥柱;[建]窗间壁,支柱 | |
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8 saluting | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的现在分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
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9 diligently | |
ad.industriously;carefully | |
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10 sapient | |
adj.有见识的,有智慧的 | |
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11 conjecture | |
n./v.推测,猜测 | |
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12 haze | |
n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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13 immortal | |
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的 | |
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14 watt | |
n.瓦,瓦特 | |
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15 sordid | |
adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的 | |
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16 titanic | |
adj.巨人的,庞大的,强大的 | |
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17 withhold | |
v.拒绝,不给;使停止,阻挡 | |
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18 mite | |
n.极小的东西;小铜币 | |
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19 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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20 fabric | |
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织 | |
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21 colossal | |
adj.异常的,庞大的 | |
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22 enthralled | |
迷住,吸引住( enthrall的过去式和过去分词 ); 使感到非常愉快 | |
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23 nautical | |
adj.海上的,航海的,船员的 | |
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24 marine | |
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 | |
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25 sobbing | |
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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26 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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27 tacking | |
(帆船)抢风行驶,定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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28 obsolete | |
adj.已废弃的,过时的 | |
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29 demon | |
n.魔鬼,恶魔 | |
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30 funnel | |
n.漏斗;烟囱;v.汇集 | |
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31 genie | |
n.妖怪,神怪 | |
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32 liberated | |
a.无拘束的,放纵的 | |
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33 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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34 zephyr | |
n.和风,微风 | |
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35 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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36 spicy | |
adj.加香料的;辛辣的,有风味的 | |
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37 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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38 haven | |
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所 | |
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39 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
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40 promontory | |
n.海角;岬 | |
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41 dismal | |
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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42 canopy | |
n.天篷,遮篷 | |
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43 funereal | |
adj.悲哀的;送葬的 | |
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44 shroud | |
n.裹尸布,寿衣;罩,幕;vt.覆盖,隐藏 | |
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45 ledges | |
n.(墙壁,悬崖等)突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 );(平窄的)壁架;横档;(尤指)窗台 | |
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46 fissure | |
n.裂缝;裂伤 | |
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47 fissures | |
n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 );裂伤;分歧;分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48 turreted | |
a.(像炮塔般)旋转式的 | |
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49 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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50 buttresses | |
n.扶壁,扶垛( buttress的名词复数 )v.用扶壁支撑,加固( buttress的第三人称单数 ) | |
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51 bluff | |
v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
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52 inaccessible | |
adj.达不到的,难接近的 | |
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53 shingle | |
n.木瓦板;小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌);v.用木瓦板盖(屋顶);把(女子头发)剪短 | |
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54 strew | |
vt.撒;使散落;撒在…上,散布于 | |
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55 stunted | |
adj.矮小的;发育迟缓的 | |
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56 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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57 gaping | |
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
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58 destitute | |
adj.缺乏的;穷困的 | |
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59 semblance | |
n.外貌,外表 | |
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60 hideously | |
adv.可怕地,非常讨厌地 | |
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61 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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62 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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63 denizens | |
n.居民,住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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64 dreary | |
adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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65 precluded | |
v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 );排除;妨碍;使…行不通 | |
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66 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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67 alleviate | |
v.减轻,缓和,缓解(痛苦等) | |
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68 imprisonment | |
n.关押,监禁,坐牢 | |
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69 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
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70 peal | |
n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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71 peals | |
n.(声音大而持续或重复的)洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 );隆隆声;洪亮的钟声;钟乐v.(使)(钟等)鸣响,(雷等)发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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72 intervals | |
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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73 spectral | |
adj.幽灵的,鬼魂的 | |
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74 buffeting | |
振动 | |
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75 cascade | |
n.小瀑布,喷流;层叠;vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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76 glides | |
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 );滑音;音渡;过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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77 hissing | |
n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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78 warped | |
adj.反常的;乖戾的;(变)弯曲的;变形的v.弄弯,变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 );使(行为等)不合情理,使乖戾, | |
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79 dingy | |
adj.昏暗的,肮脏的 | |
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80 hulls | |
船体( hull的名词复数 ); 船身; 外壳; 豆荚 | |
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81 whoops | |
int.呼喊声 | |
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82 bulwarks | |
n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 );保障;支柱;舷墙 | |
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83 brawny | |
adj.强壮的 | |
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84 enfranchised | |
v.给予选举权( enfranchise的过去式和过去分词 );(从奴隶制中)解放 | |
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85 groaning | |
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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86 dissonant | |
adj.不和谐的;不悦耳的 | |
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87 tambourine | |
n.铃鼓,手鼓 | |
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88 thumped | |
v.重击, (指心脏)急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89 calf | |
n.小牛,犊,幼仔,小牛皮 | |
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90 vehemence | |
n.热切;激烈;愤怒 | |
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91 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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92 ponderous | |
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的 | |
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93 planks | |
(厚)木板( plank的名词复数 ); 政纲条目,政策要点 | |
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94 stanch | |
v.止住(血等);adj.坚固的;坚定的 | |
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95 perspiration | |
n.汗水;出汗 | |
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96 deafening | |
adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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97 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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98 suffocating | |
a.使人窒息的 | |
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99 forfeited | |
(因违反协议、犯规、受罚等)丧失,失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100 doomed | |
命定的 | |
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101 swollen | |
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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102 copious | |
adj.丰富的,大量的 | |
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103 draughts | |
n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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104 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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105 frenzy | |
n.疯狂,狂热,极度的激动 | |
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