A scraggy, misshapen lad, claimed by Aboo Bekr as his own most dutiful nephew, now paddled alongside in a frail1 skiff, the devil dancing in his wicked eye; and having caught the end of a rope thrown by the doting2 uncle, he was on board in another instant.
During a former cruise of the “Euphrates,” this imp3 had contrived4 to pass on the purser a basket of half-hatched eggs, which he warranted “new laid,” but with which he was subsequently pelted5 over the gangway. On being greeted as “Sahib el bayzah,” “the master of the eggs,” and asked if he had not brought a fresh supply for sale, grinning archly, he dragged forward by the topknot a dull, stupid, little wretch—his messmate—whose heavy features formed the exact reverse of his own impudent6 animation7. “Here,” he exclaimed, “is the identical young rascal8 of whom I told you I bought them; he actually stole the whole from under his mother’s hen, and then assured me that they were fresh.” “Why don’t you grow taller as well as sharper?” enquired9 the party upon whom the precocious10 child of the sea had imposed; “’tis now twelve months since you cheated me, and you are as diminutive11 a dwarf12 as ever.”
“How can any one thrive who is starved,” was the prompt reply; “were I to eat as immoderately as you do, I doubt not I should soon grow as corpulent.”
But the arrival of Ali Shermárki shortly changed this desultory13 conversation to weightier matters. This worthy14 old man, she?kh of the Somauli tribe Aber Gerhájis, possessing great influence and consideration among the entire Danákil population of the coast, had been invited from Zeyla, his usual place of residence, to assist in the extensive preparations making for the journey of the Embassy; and he now represented the requisite15 number of camels to be on their way down from the mountains, if the assurances of the owners, upon whose word small reliance could be pieced, were to be implicitly16 believed.
Long faithfully attached to the British government, the sheikh’s first introduction arose out of a catastrophe17 which occurred many years ago—the loss of the merchant brig “Mary Anne” at Berbera, a sea-port on the Somauli coast, lying immediately opposite to the peninsula of Aden. Deserted18 from October till March, it becomes, throughout the residue19 of the year, one uninterrupted fair, frequented by ships from the Arabian shores, by rapacious20 Banians from India, and by caravans21 of wandering savages22 from all parts of the interior—a vast temporary city or encampment, populated by not fewer than fifty thousand souls, springing into existence as if by the magic aid of Aladdin’s lamp, and disappearing so suddenly, that within a single week, not one inhabitant is to be seen. Yet another six months, and the purse-proud merchant of Hurrur is again there, with his drove of comely24 slaves newly exported from the highlands of Abyssinia. There, too, is the wild pagan, displaying coffee, peltries, and precious gums from beyond Gurágue; and, punctual as ever, see the káfilah from the distant gurriahs of Amín and Ogáden, a nomade band, laden25 with ivory and ostrich26 plumes27, and stained from head to foot, both in person and in garment, by the impalpable red dust traversed during the long march from the southward.
Religious prejudices on the part of the wily Hindoo precluding28 all traffic in live stock, the Somauli shepherd retains in his own hand the sale of his black-headed flocks; embarked29 with which in his frail bark of fifty tons, he stands boldly across the gulf30, at seasons when the Arab fears even to creep along the coast of the Hejáz. All other trade, however, is engrossed31 by the subtle Banian, who divides the adductor pollicis of the right thumb, in order to increase the span by which his wares32 are to be measured; and he, during many years, has enjoyed, silently and unobserved, the enormous profits accruing33 from the riches annually34 poured out from the hidden regions of Africa. No form of government regulates the commerce; and, in the absence of imposts, barter35 is conducted solely36 through the medium of a native broker37 styled Abán, who, receiving a regulated percentage upon purchases and sales, is bound, at the risk of his own life, to protect his constituent38 from injury or outrage39.
A vessel40 standing41 towards the coast proves a signal to all who gain their livelihood42 by this system, to swim off, and contest first arrival on board; the winner of the aquatic44 race, in accordance with ancient usage, being invariably received as her Abán. Thus it was that Ali Shermárki became agent to the “Mary Anne,” a small English merchantman from Mauritius, whose captain, imprudently landing with the greater portion of his crew, afforded to a party of knavish45 Somauli an opportunity to cut the cable, when she drifted on shore and was lost. Hoping by his influence to prevail upon the plunderers to desist, the Abán, then a younger man, exerted himself to gain the wreck46, but he was repulsed47 by a shower of spears, and his boat was swamped. A savage23 rabble48 next beleaguered49 his dwelling50, and imperiously demanded the persons of the officers and crew, in order to put them to death; but, true to his charge, Ali Shermárki stoutly51 resisted, and being severely52 wounded, succeeded with his blood in securing honourable53 terms, and preserving the lives for which he had made himself responsible. His zealous54 integrity was duly rewarded by the British Government, and a sword was presented in token of his gallantry, the display of the brilliant setting of which led to the narration55 of the foregoing history.
The passage from Aden had been made in forty-two hours. As the cable of the “Euphrates” ran through the hawse-holes, and the rest of the squadron feu into their places betwixt herself and the shore, she fired a salute56 of five guns; and, after considerable delay, a negro was perceived timidly advancing with a lighted brand from among a knot of grey-bearded elders, seated in deep consultation57 beneath the scanty58 foliage59 of an ancient date tree. A superannuated60 4 Pr., honey-combed throughout its calibre, and mounted upon a rickety ship carriage, tottered61 on the beach—the sole piece of ordnance62 possessed63 by Sultán Mohammad ibn Mohammad, reputed ruler of all the Danákil tribes. It was, after much coaxing64, persuaded to explode in reply to the compliment paid, and for some minutes afterwards, wreaths of white smoke continued to ascend65 from the chimney-like vent66, as though the venerable engine had taken fire, and was being consumed internally.
The commander of the “Euphrates,” whose naval67 functions were now temporarily suspended, having long enjoyed the honour of a personal acquaintance with the potentate68 bearing the above pompous69 and high-sounding title, repaired forthwith to the palace, which consists of the stern moiety70 of the ill-starred “Mary Anne,” tastily erected71, keel uppermost, in the middle of the town, to serve as an attic72 story. Letters of introduction from the political authorities at Aden, with many complimentary73 speeches, duly delivered, permission to land was solicited74; and although the formidable array of shipping75, whose guns, not two hundred yards distant, sullenly76 overlooked the royal lodge77, had given birth to certain misgivings78, the Sultán finally overcame his fears, and acquiesced79 in the arrangement. A spot of waste land, forming a common near the mosque80, was pointed81 out as the site upon which to encamp, but the favour was granted with this express understanding, that the British Embassy should tarry in so enviable a situation, not one moment longer than the exigencies82 of the service imperatively83 demanded; a saving clause in the stipulation84 to which all parties heartily85 subscribed86.
The bay in which the “Euphrates” now rode, styled, from its wonted smoothness, “Bahr el Bánateen,” “the sea of the two nymphs,” is a deep narrow estuary87, bounded by a bold coast, and extending, in a south-westerly direction, about forty-five miles, when the Eesah and Danákil shores suddenly converge88 so as to form a straitened channel, which imparts the figure of an hour-glass. Barely three quarters of a mile across, this passage is divided by a barren rocky islet styled “Báb,” “the door,” as occupying the gateway89 to the inner bay of Góobut el Kharáb, “the basin of foulness90.” The vortices formed by the strong tide setting through these confined apertures91, assume a most dangerous aspect; and although the water in the bowl, whereof the longer axis92 measures twelve, and the shorter five miles, is so intensely salt as to create a smarting of the skin during immersion93, mud adhering to the lead at one hundred fathoms94, is perfectly95 sweet and fresh. Of four islets, two are rocks; Bood Ali, on the contrary, three hundred feet in height, and perfectly inaccessible96, being thickly encrusted with earth and vegetable matter, whilst the sides of its nearest neighbour. Hood43 Ali, are bare, and present unequivocal traces of more recent volcanic97 action than are to be found in the surrounding débris.
Immediately outside the bay, on the Danákil coast, there issues from the rock below high water line, a spring which, at the flood tide, is completely effaced98; but during the ebb99 is so intensely hot, that a crab100 is instantly destroyed and turned red by immersion. At the western extremity101 of Goobut el Kharáb, a cove102 three hundred yards in diameter, with sixteen fathoms water, is enclosed by precipitous volcanic cliffs, and the entrance barred by a narrow coral reef, which, at low tide, lies high and dry. In the waters of this recess103 is presented one of those strange phenomena104 which are not to be satisfactorily explained. Always ebbing105, there is an underflow during even the flood tide; and usually glassy smooth, they become occasionally agitated106 by sudden ebullition, boiling up in whirlpools, which pour impetuously over the bar; whence the natives, persuaded that there exists a subterranean107 passage connected with the great Salt Lake, of which the sparkling expanse is visible from an intervening high belt of decomposing108 lava109, term the cove “Mirsa good Ali,” “the source of the sea.”
点击收听单词发音
1 frail | |
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
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2 doting | |
adj.溺爱的,宠爱的 | |
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3 imp | |
n.顽童 | |
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4 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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5 pelted | |
(连续地)投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 ); 连续抨击; 攻击; 剥去…的皮 | |
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6 impudent | |
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的 | |
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7 animation | |
n.活泼,兴奋,卡通片/动画片的制作 | |
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8 rascal | |
n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
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9 enquired | |
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问 | |
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10 precocious | |
adj.早熟的;较早显出的 | |
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11 diminutive | |
adj.小巧可爱的,小的 | |
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12 dwarf | |
n.矮子,侏儒,矮小的动植物;vt.使…矮小 | |
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13 desultory | |
adj.散漫的,无方法的 | |
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14 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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15 requisite | |
adj.需要的,必不可少的;n.必需品 | |
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16 implicitly | |
adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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17 catastrophe | |
n.大灾难,大祸 | |
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18 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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19 residue | |
n.残余,剩余,残渣 | |
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20 rapacious | |
adj.贪婪的,强夺的 | |
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21 caravans | |
(可供居住的)拖车(通常由机动车拖行)( caravan的名词复数 ); 篷车; (穿过沙漠地带的)旅行队(如商队) | |
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22 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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23 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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24 comely | |
adj.漂亮的,合宜的 | |
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25 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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26 ostrich | |
n.鸵鸟 | |
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27 plumes | |
羽毛( plume的名词复数 ); 羽毛饰; 羽毛状物; 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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28 precluding | |
v.阻止( preclude的现在分词 );排除;妨碍;使…行不通 | |
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29 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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30 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
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31 engrossed | |
adj.全神贯注的 | |
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32 wares | |
n. 货物, 商品 | |
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33 accruing | |
v.增加( accrue的现在分词 );(通过自然增长)产生;获得;(使钱款、债务)积累 | |
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34 annually | |
adv.一年一次,每年 | |
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35 barter | |
n.物物交换,以货易货,实物交易 | |
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36 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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37 broker | |
n.中间人,经纪人;v.作为中间人来安排 | |
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38 constituent | |
n.选民;成分,组分;adj.组成的,构成的 | |
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39 outrage | |
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒 | |
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40 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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41 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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42 livelihood | |
n.生计,谋生之道 | |
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43 hood | |
n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖 | |
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44 aquatic | |
adj.水生的,水栖的 | |
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45 knavish | |
adj.无赖(似)的,不正的;刁诈 | |
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46 wreck | |
n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难 | |
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47 repulsed | |
v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 );驳斥;拒绝 | |
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48 rabble | |
n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
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49 beleaguered | |
adj.受到围困[围攻]的;包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词);困扰;骚扰 | |
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50 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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51 stoutly | |
adv.牢固地,粗壮的 | |
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52 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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53 honourable | |
adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
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54 zealous | |
adj.狂热的,热心的 | |
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55 narration | |
n.讲述,叙述;故事;记叙体 | |
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56 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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57 consultation | |
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议 | |
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58 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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59 foliage | |
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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60 superannuated | |
adj.老朽的,退休的;v.因落后于时代而废除,勒令退学 | |
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61 tottered | |
v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠 | |
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62 ordnance | |
n.大炮,军械 | |
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63 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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64 coaxing | |
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱;“锻炼”效应 | |
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65 ascend | |
vi.渐渐上升,升高;vt.攀登,登上 | |
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66 vent | |
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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67 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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68 potentate | |
n.统治者;君主 | |
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69 pompous | |
adj.傲慢的,自大的;夸大的;豪华的 | |
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70 moiety | |
n.一半;部分 | |
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71 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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72 attic | |
n.顶楼,屋顶室 | |
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73 complimentary | |
adj.赠送的,免费的,赞美的,恭维的 | |
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74 solicited | |
v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 );(指娼妇)拉客;索求;征求 | |
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75 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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76 sullenly | |
不高兴地,绷着脸,忧郁地 | |
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77 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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78 misgivings | |
n.疑虑,担忧,害怕;疑虑,担心,恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 );疑惧 | |
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79 acquiesced | |
v.默认,默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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80 mosque | |
n.清真寺 | |
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81 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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82 exigencies | |
n.急切需要 | |
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83 imperatively | |
adv.命令式地 | |
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84 stipulation | |
n.契约,规定,条文;条款说明 | |
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85 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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86 subscribed | |
v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 );签署,题词;订阅;同意 | |
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87 estuary | |
n.河口,江口 | |
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88 converge | |
vi.会合;聚集,集中;(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
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89 gateway | |
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法 | |
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90 foulness | |
n. 纠缠, 卑鄙 | |
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91 apertures | |
n.孔( aperture的名词复数 );隙缝;(照相机的)光圈;孔径 | |
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92 axis | |
n.轴,轴线,中心线;坐标轴,基准线 | |
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93 immersion | |
n.沉浸;专心 | |
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94 fathoms | |
英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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95 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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96 inaccessible | |
adj.达不到的,难接近的 | |
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97 volcanic | |
adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的 | |
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98 effaced | |
v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 );抹去;超越;使黯然失色 | |
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99 ebb | |
vi.衰退,减退;n.处于低潮,处于衰退状态 | |
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100 crab | |
n.螃蟹,偏航,脾气乖戾的人,酸苹果;vi.捕蟹,偏航,发牢骚;vt.使偏航,发脾气 | |
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101 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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102 cove | |
n.小海湾,小峡谷 | |
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103 recess | |
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处) | |
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104 phenomena | |
n.现象 | |
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105 ebbing | |
(指潮水)退( ebb的现在分词 ); 落; 减少; 衰落 | |
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106 agitated | |
adj.被鼓动的,不安的 | |
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107 subterranean | |
adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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108 decomposing | |
腐烂( decompose的现在分词 ); (使)分解; 分解(某物质、光线等) | |
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109 lava | |
n.熔岩,火山岩 | |
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