Not many weeks had elapsed since certain substantial merchants of Hurrur, after visiting the shrine1 at Medina, and making a long and profitable sojourn2 in Alio Amba, had returned to their native land to enjoy the honours attaching to their religious pilgrimage. Slaves, ivory, and precious gums had been disposed of to great advantage in Arabia, and the proceeds invested in beads3, berillés, and broad-cloth, with which the enterprising traders landed at the maritime4 town of Tajúra. Proceeding5 thence to Efát, they embarked6 their gains in slaves, mules7, and cotton cloths; and designing to pass the residue8 of their days in ease and affluence9, set out by way of Hurrur for the great annual fair at Berbera.
In advance of the time, however, these luckless individuals had ventured to speculate to their envious10 countrymen upon the advantage to be derived11 from foreign traffic and the presence of the white man. The incautious word had caught the ear of Abdel Yonag, the wily chief of the Hurrurhi, and letters were secretly despatched to his master the Ameer, representing the wealthy hajjis to be men of turbulent and ambitious views, who had devised dangerous innovations, and were plotting, with the Ada?el, the monopoly of the commerce in slaves. With hearts bounding at the sight of their native minarets13, and utterly14 unconscious of the slander15 that had preceded them, the pilgrims entered the Isma-deen gate of the city; but ere return had been welcomed by wife or child, they were hurried by the soldiery to the presence of the despot, and, without even the mockery of a trial, were beaten to death with huge maces of iron.
The independent principality of Hurrur is a spot yet unvisited by any European, and is remarkable16 for its isolated17 position among the Pagan and Mohammadan Galla, against whose continual inroads it has hitherto contrived18, with the aid of two hundred matchlock-men and a few archers19, to maintain its integrity. The Alla, the Nooli, the Geeri, the Tarsoo, the Babili, the Bursoo, the Burteera, and the Gooti, compass it on every side, and making sudden descents, sweep the ripe crops from off the face of the smiling land; but their efforts against the town have uniformly proved unsuccessful, and caravans20 continue, in spite of hostilities22, to carry on a very considerable traffic through the Ittoo and Aroosi tribes, with Shoa and the Somauli coast.
Originally founded and peopled by a colony of the sons of Yemen, the town is described to be situated23 in a pleasant and well-watered valley, surrounded by hills, and enjoying a cool and salubrious climate. A wall of mud and stone, six miles in circumference24, with five fortified25 gates, affords security to the entire population, whose houses, many of them two-storied, are constructed of stone, whitewashed26, and terraced. Mosques27 and minarets are conspicuous28 in every street. The matin voice of the muezzin is regularly heard, and the Jama el Musjid is believed to be the abode29 of guardian30 angels, who stretch the strong pinion31 of protection over the heads of the Faithful. “How could Hurrur have triumphed thus long over the unbelievers,” inquire the devout32 citizens, “had Allah not extended his right arm to succour the followers33 of his Prophet?”
Aboo Bekr, the reigning34 Ameer, has wielded35 the sceptre during the last seven years, and pursuing the barbarous custom of Shoa, his brothers and family are permanent inmates36 of subterranean37 dungeons38, which for better security are constructed immediately below the foundations of his own palace. Although cruel and vindictive39, he is reputed a brave prince, heading the foray in person, and taking the front in the battle field; but suspicion of the stranger would seem to form the ruling feature of his character, nor is this to be wondered at, since bloodshed and aggression40 are known to have once marked the footstep of the intruder.
During the reign12 of Abd el Kurreem, uncle to the present Ameer, a large body of Arabs from Mocha, instigated41 by a disgraced member of the blood-royal, who had fled thither42 for safety, laid siege to the town, and assisted by guns of small calibre, which are now mounted on the walls, had nearly prevailed. Again the guardian angels stretched their white wings over the beleaguered43 city. The magazine blew up and destroyed numbers of the enemy, and their traitorous44 leader, who had induced the attack by representing his countrymen to be infidels and apostates45 from the true religion, falling into the hands of the garrison46, had his head exalted47 on a pole in the market-place, after the brains had been dashed out with an iron club. Death is now the portion of every fool-hardy wanderer from the shores of Araby, and whilst the Galla is compelled to relinquish48 his arms at the gate, every precaution is taken to exclude from the land the foreigner of whatever nation.
In the features of the Hurrurhi is to be traced a strong resemblance to those of the parent stock. The costume consists of a checked kilt, a creese, and a cotton toga; the display of a turban being restricted to the Ameer, to the moolahs, and to those who have performed the pilgrimage to the shrine of the Prophet. Although distinct in itself, the language bears a singular affinity49 to that of the Amhára, but Arabic forms the written character. Barter50 is the most usual system of commerce, but the mahaluk, a small copper51 coin resembling the dewáni of Jiddah, is current in the realm. Twenty-two of these go to a nominal52 coin styled ashrafi, whereof forty are equivalent to the German crown. It bears on the reverse the name of the reigning Prince, and on the obverse the quotation53 from the Korán, “La illah, illilah!” “there is none other God but Allah.”
Around Hurrur the soil is rich, and extensively cultivated, especially in coffee. Two thousand bales of the finest quality are annually55 exported into India and Arabia by the ports of Zeyla and Berbera, which are visited thrice during the year by large caravans laden56 with ivory, ostrich57 feathers, ghee, saffron, gums, and myrrh, which latter is produced in great abundance. Blue and white calico, Indian piece goods, English prints, silks, and shawls, red cotton yam, silk thread, beads, frankincense, copper wire, and zinc58, are received in exchange, and a transit59 duty of one frazil of the latter metal is levied60 by the Ameer on every slave passing through his dominions61 from the cold hills of his brother of Shoa, where these commodities are bartered62.
(The distance of Hurrur from Zeyla may be assumed at 150 miles south-south-west and from Ankóber, 190 miles East.)
Between Aboo Bekr and the Christian63 monarch64 the most friendly intercourse65 subsists66. Letters continually pass and repass, and scarcely a month elapses without the arrival of a caravan21. The chief of the Wurj or merchants of Hurrur, standing67 specially54 appointed by the Ameer, possesses absolute power to punish all offences, and adjust all disputes amongst his own countrymen, who are not less fond of drawing the creese than their Ada?el brethren. Tullah, an inferior description of beer, being brewed68 and swallowed in alarming quantities, brawls69 and scuffles too frequently terminate the debauch70 in blood. Should a Christian subject of Shoa be slain71, the offence is passed over in politic72 silence, but when the reverse is the case, the worldly wealth of the sinning Abyssinian is confiscated73 by the crown, and his person handed over to the tender mercies of the Moslem74 savages75.
The continual change of inhabitants, the excessive cheapness of provisions, and the prevalent custom of hand-fasting for the visit, tend little to improve the morality of the market-town. The chains of the convenient alliances formed, are by no means binding76 on either party, and the sum of twopence-halfpenny is perfectly77 sufficient to support during the week the trader and his temporary mate. One hundred pieces of salt are considered a large dowry; the nuptials78 are celebrated79 by feasting and routing alone, and whilst the utmost indifference80 prevails on the part of the husband, he loosens the matrimonial knot at pleasure, by carrying his partner before the kázi, and thrice repeating the words, “Woman, I thee divorce.”
One fourth of the entire population of Alio Amba are Hurrurhi and Danákil. Of the worthies81 who accompanied the Embassy from Tajúra, the majority continued to reside at Fárri and Chánnoo for the convenience of foraging82 their camels, but flocking every Friday to the market, they never failed to confer the pleasure of their society for a few hours. Guba?yo, the deputy-governor of the town, had been specially appointed to the service of the foreigners, and whilst discharging his office of spy with the most creditable diligence, he exercised with strict impartiality83 his functions as door-keeper, enforcing, greatly to the amazement84 of the independent Ada?el, the Abyssinian usage, which precludes85 the invasion of visitors unless duly introduced. The obnoxious86 red man, whose iniquities87 had well nigh cost the lives of the whole party at the Great Salt Lake, and who had now the impudence88 to seek a reward for his services on the road, was the first who came under the remorseless lash89 of the despotic bully90; and it was a not less cheering and delightful91 sight to behold92 the warm-blooded little warrior93, Ibrahim Shehém Abli, flying like a football down the steps leading from the court-yard into the muddy lane, before the propulsive94 impetus95 of a Christian toe, which presently sent the tyrannical Izhák bounding after his colleague, with many a severe thwack from the wand of office, ringing across his Moslem shoulders, as he vainly proclaimed himself own brother to the reigning Sultán of Tajúra.
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1 shrine | |
n.圣地,神龛,庙;v.将...置于神龛内,把...奉为神圣 | |
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2 sojourn | |
v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留 | |
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3 beads | |
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链 | |
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4 maritime | |
adj.海的,海事的,航海的,近海的,沿海的 | |
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5 proceeding | |
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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6 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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7 mules | |
骡( mule的名词复数 ); 拖鞋; 顽固的人; 越境运毒者 | |
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8 residue | |
n.残余,剩余,残渣 | |
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9 affluence | |
n.充裕,富足 | |
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10 envious | |
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的 | |
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11 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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12 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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13 minarets | |
n.(清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的)光塔( minaret的名词复数 ) | |
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14 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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15 slander | |
n./v.诽谤,污蔑 | |
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16 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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17 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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18 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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19 archers | |
n.弓箭手,射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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20 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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21 caravan | |
n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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22 hostilities | |
n.战争;敌意(hostility的复数);敌对状态;战事 | |
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23 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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24 circumference | |
n.圆周,周长,圆周线 | |
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25 fortified | |
adj. 加强的 | |
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26 whitewashed | |
粉饰,美化,掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27 mosques | |
清真寺; 伊斯兰教寺院,清真寺; 清真寺,伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 ) | |
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28 conspicuous | |
adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的 | |
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29 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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30 guardian | |
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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31 pinion | |
v.束缚;n.小齿轮 | |
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32 devout | |
adj.虔诚的,虔敬的,衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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33 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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34 reigning | |
adj.统治的,起支配作用的 | |
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35 wielded | |
手持着使用(武器、工具等)( wield的过去式和过去分词 ); 具有; 运用(权力); 施加(影响) | |
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36 inmates | |
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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37 subterranean | |
adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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38 dungeons | |
n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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39 vindictive | |
adj.有报仇心的,怀恨的,惩罚的 | |
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40 aggression | |
n.进攻,侵略,侵犯,侵害 | |
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41 instigated | |
v.使(某事物)开始或发生,鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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43 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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44 traitorous | |
adj. 叛国的, 不忠的, 背信弃义的 | |
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45 apostates | |
n.放弃原来信仰的人( apostate的名词复数 );叛教者;脱党者;反叛者 | |
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46 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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47 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
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48 relinquish | |
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手 | |
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49 affinity | |
n.亲和力,密切关系 | |
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50 barter | |
n.物物交换,以货易货,实物交易 | |
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51 copper | |
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的 | |
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52 nominal | |
adj.名义上的;(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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53 quotation | |
n.引文,引语,语录;报价,牌价,行情 | |
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54 specially | |
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
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55 annually | |
adv.一年一次,每年 | |
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56 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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57 ostrich | |
n.鸵鸟 | |
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58 zinc | |
n.锌;vt.在...上镀锌 | |
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59 transit | |
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过 | |
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60 levied | |
征(兵)( levy的过去式和过去分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税 | |
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61 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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62 bartered | |
v.作物物交换,以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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64 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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65 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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66 subsists | |
v.(靠很少的钱或食物)维持生活,生存下去( subsist的第三人称单数 ) | |
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67 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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68 brewed | |
调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 ); 酝酿; 沏(茶); 煮(咖啡) | |
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69 brawls | |
吵架,打架( brawl的名词复数 ) | |
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70 debauch | |
v.使堕落,放纵 | |
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71 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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72 politic | |
adj.有智虑的;精明的;v.从政 | |
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73 confiscated | |
没收,充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 Moslem | |
n.回教徒,穆罕默德信徒;adj.回教徒的,回教的 | |
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75 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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76 binding | |
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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77 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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78 nuptials | |
n.婚礼;婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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79 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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80 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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81 worthies | |
应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 ); 值得做某事; 可尊敬的; 有(某人或事物)的典型特征 | |
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82 foraging | |
v.搜寻(食物),尤指动物觅(食)( forage的现在分词 );(尤指用手)搜寻(东西) | |
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83 impartiality | |
n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
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84 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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85 precludes | |
v.阻止( preclude的第三人称单数 );排除;妨碍;使…行不通 | |
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86 obnoxious | |
adj.极恼人的,讨人厌的,可憎的 | |
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87 iniquities | |
n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 );极不公正 | |
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88 impudence | |
n.厚颜无耻;冒失;无礼 | |
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89 lash | |
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛 | |
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90 bully | |
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮 | |
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91 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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92 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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93 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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94 propulsive | |
adj.推进的 | |
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95 impetus | |
n.推动,促进,刺激;推动力 | |
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