ONE week's end Jude was as usual walking out to his aunt's at Marygreen from his lodging1 in Alfredston, a walk which now had large attractions for him quite other than his desire to see his aged2 and morose3 relative. He diverged4 to the right before ascending5 the hill with the single purpose of gaining, on his way, a glimpse of Arabella that should not come into the reckoning of regular appointments. Before quite reaching the homestead his alert eye perceived the top of her head moving quickly hither and thither6 over the garden hedge. Entering the gate he found that three young unfattened pigs had escaped from their sty by leaping clean over the top, and that she was endeavouring unassisted to drive them in through the door which she had set open. The lines of her countenance7 changed from the rigidity8 of business to the softness of love when she saw Jude, and she bent9 her eyes languishingly10 upon him. The animals took a vantage of the pause by doubling and bolting out of the way.
"They were only put in this morning!" she cried, stimulated11 to pursue in spite of her lover's presence. "They were drove from Spaddleholt Farm only yesterday, where Father bought 'em at a stiff price enough. They are wanting to get home again, the stupid toads12! Will you shut the garden gate, dear, and help me to get 'em in. There are no men folk at home, only Mother, and they'll be lost if we don't mind."
He set himself to assist, and dodged13 this way and that over the potato rows and the cabbages. Every now and then they ran together, when he caught her for a moment an kissed her. The first pig was got back promptly14; the second with some difficulty; the third a long-legged creature, was more obstinate15 and agile16. He plunged17 through a hole in the garden hedge, and into the lane.
"He'll be lost if I don't follow 'n!" said she. "Come along with me!"
She rushed in full pursuit out of the garden, Jude alongside her, barely contriving19 to keep the fugitive20 in sight. Occasionally they would shout to some boy to stop the animal, but he always wriggled21 past and ran on as before.
"Let me take your hand, darling," said Jude. "You are getting out of breath." She gave him her now hot hand with apparent willingness, and they trotted22 along together.
"This comes of driving 'em home," she remarked. "They always know the way back if you do that. They ought to have been carted over."
By this time the pig had reached an unfastened gate admitting to the open down, across which he sped with all the agility23 his little legs afforded. As soon as the pursuers had entered and ascended24 to the top of the high ground it became apparent that they would have to run all the way to the farmer's if they wished to get at him. From this summit he could be seen as a minute speck25, following an unerring line towards his old home.
"It is no good!" cried Arabella. "He'll be there long before we get there. It don't matter now we know he's not lost or stolen on the way. They'll see it is ours, and send un back. Oh dear, how hot I be!"
Without relinquishing26 her hold of Jude's hand she swerved27 aside and flung herself down on the sod under a stunted28 thorn, precipitately29 pulling Jude on to his knees at the same time.
"Oh, I ask pardon--I nearly threw you down, didn't I! But I am so tired!"
She lay supine, and straight as an arrow, on the sloping sod of this hill-top, gazing up into the blue miles of sky, and still retaining her warm hold of Jude's hand. He reclined on his elbow near her.
"We've run all this way for nothing," she went on, her form heaving and falling in quick pants, her face flushed, her full red lips parted, and a fine dew of perspiration30 on her skin. "Well--why don't you speak, deary?"
"I'm blown too. It was all up hill."
They were in absolute solitude--the most apparent of all solitudes31, that of empty surrounding space. Nobody could be nearer than a mile to them without their seeing him. They were, in fact, on one of the summits of the county, and the distant landscape around Christminster could be discerned from where they lay. But Jude did not think of that then.
"Oh, I can see such a pretty thing up this tree," said Arabella. "A sort of a--caterpillar, of the most loveliest green and yellow you ever came across!"
"Where?" said Jude, sitting up.
"You can't see him there--you must come here," said she.
He bent nearer and put his head in front of hers. "No--I can't see it," he said.
"Why, on the limb there where it branches off--close to the moving leaf--there!" She gently pulled him down beside her.
"I don't see it," he repeated, the back of his head against her cheek. "But I can, perhaps, standing32 up." He stood accordingly, placing himself in the direct line of her gaze.
"How stupid you are!" she said crossly, turning away her face.
"I don't care to see it, dear: why should I?" he replied looking down upon her. "Get up, Abby."
"Why?"
"I want you to let me kiss you. I've been waiting to ever so long!"
She rolled round her face, remained a moment looking deedily aslant33 at him; then with a slight curl of the lip sprang to her feet, and exclaiming abruptly34 "I must mizzle!" walked off quickly homeward. Jude followed and rejoined her.
"Shan't!" she said
He, surprised: "What's the matter?"
She kept her two lips resentfully together, and Jude followed her like a pet lamb till she slackened her pace and walked beside him, talking calmly on indifferent subjects, and always checking him if he tried to take her hand or clasp her waist. Thus they descended36 to the precincts of her father's homestead, and Arabella went in, nodding good-bye to him with a supercilious37, affronted38 air.
"I expect I took too much liberty with her, somehow," Jude said to himself, as he withdrew with a sigh and went on to Marygreen.
On Sunday morning the interior of Arabella's home was, as usual, the scene of a grand weekly cooking, the preparation of the special Sunday dinner. Her father was shaving before a little glass hung on the mullion of the window, and her mother and Arabella herself were shelling beans hard by. A neighbour passed on her way home from morning service at the nearest church, and seeing Donn engaged at the window with the razor, nodded and came in.
She at once spoke39 playfully to Arabella: "I zeed 'ee running with 'un--hee-hee! I hope 'tis coming to something?"
Arabella merely threw a look of consciousness into her face without raising her eyes.
"He's for Christminster, I hear, as soon as he can get there."
"Have you heard that lately--quite lately?" asked Arabella with a jealous, tigerish indrawing of breath.
"Oh no! But it has been known a long time that it is his plan. He's on'y waiting here for an opening. Ah well: he must walk about with somebody, I s'pose. Young men don't mean much now-a-days. 'Tis a sip40 here and a sip there with 'em. 'Twas different in my time."
When the gossip had departed Arabella said suddenly to her mother: "I want you and Father to go and inquire how the Edlins be, this evening after tea. Or no--there's evening service at Fensworth-- you can walk to that."
"Oh? What's up to-night, then?"
"Nothing. Only I want the house to myself. He's shy; and I can't get un to come in when you are here. I shall let him slip through my fingers if I don't mind, much as I care for 'n!"
"If it is fine we med as well go, since you wish."
In the afternoon Arabella met and walked with Jude, who had now for weeks ceased to look into a book of Greek, Latin, or any other tongue. They wandered up the slopes till they reached the green track along the ridge41, which they followed to the circular British earth-bank adjoining, Jude thinking of the great age of the trackway, and of the drovers who had frequented it, probably before the Romans knew the country. Up from the level lands below them floated the chime of church bells. Presently they were reduced to one note, which quickened, and stopped.
"Now we'll go back," said Arabella, who had attended to the sounds.
Jude assented42. So long as he was near her he minded little where he was. When they arrived at her house he said lingeringly: "I won't come in. Why are you in such a hurry to go in to-night? It is not near dark."
"Wait a moment," said she. She tried the handle of the door and found it locked.
"Ah--they are gone to church," she added. And searching behind the scraper she found the key and unlocked the door. "Now, you'll come in a moment?" she asked lightly. "We shall be all alone."
"Certainly," said Jude with alacrity43, the case being unexpectedly altered.
Indoors they went. Did he want any tea? No, it was too late: he would rather sit and talk to her. She took off her jacket and hat, and they sat down--naturally enough close together.
"Don't touch me, please," she said softly. "I am part egg-shell. Or perhaps I had better put it in a safe place." She began unfastening the collar of her gown.
"What is it?" said her lover.
"An egg--a cochin's egg. I am hatching a very rare sort. I carry it about everywhere with me, and it will get hatched in less than three weeks."
"Where do you carry it?"
"Just here." She put her hand into her bosom44 and drew out the egg, which was wrapped in wool, outside it being a piece of pig's bladder, in case of accidents. Having exhibited it to him she put it back, "Now mind you don't come near me. I don't want to get it broke, and have to begin another."
"Why do you do such a strange thing?"
"It's an old custom. I suppose it is natural for a woman to want to bring live things into the world."
"It is very awkward for me just now," he said, laughing.
"It serves you right. There--that's all you can have of me"
She had turned round her chair, and, reaching over the back of it, presented her cheek to him gingerly.
"That's very shabby of you!"
"You should have catched me a minute ago when I had put the egg down! There!" she said defiantly45, "I am without it now!" She had quickly withdrawn46 the egg a second time; but before he could quite reach her she had put it back as quickly, laughing with the excitement of her strategy. Then there was a little struggle, Jude making a plunge18 for it and capturing it triumphantly47. Her face flushed; and becoming suddenly conscious he flushed also.
They looked at each other, panting; till he rose and said: "One kiss, now I can do it without damage to property; and I'll go!"
But she had jumped up too. "You must find me first!" she cried.
Her lover followed her as she withdrew. It was now dark inside the room, and the window being small he could not discover for a long time what had become of her, till a laugh revealed her to have rushed up the stairs, whither Jude rushed at her heels.
裘德在一个周末从阿尔夫瑞顿的住处回马利格林姑婆家。这段路程如今对他的吸引力,迎非昔日他一心回去给脾气不好的老亲戚请安可比了。他先往北岔过去,然后上了山,目的就是一个,在平常安排好的约会之处,再看看阿拉贝拉。快到小庄院时候,他处处留神,只见园篱高头她的头顶很快地晃来晃去;进了篱笆门,才看到三头还没喂肥的小猪干净利落地跳过猪圈墙,跑出来了,阿拉贝拉一个人正拼命想把它们从她开了的圈门赶回去。她刚一瞧见裘德,脸上那份干正经事的死板样儿就一变而为爱情的柔媚,脉脉含情地盯着他。不料那几个畜牲却钻了这个空子,跑得更快,一下子跑开了。
“今儿早上才把它们关起来的。”她喊着,顾不得情人还在面前,撒腿就追。“爸爸昨几个把它们从斯帕多农场赶回来的,那儿要价可高啦。它们要回家,这些猪崽子!你把园门关上,帮我把它们弄回来好不好?家里头就有妈,没男人。要是咱们不当心,猪就丢啦。”
他赶忙上前相助,在土豆地和苞菜地里头东一脚西一脚。有时候两个人跑到一块儿,他就拉住她,亲她。他们把第一头猪很快弄进了猪圈;第二头费了点事;第三头是个长腿家伙,更不听话,也更利索。它钻过园门上的窟窿,跑上有边篱的小路。
“要不去追它,准得丢了!”她说。“跟我来呀。”她跑出园门,全力冲刺。裘德在旁边跟着,不过他们只能看见这个逃犯的影儿了。有时候碰上个男孩儿,他们就大声喊他把猪拦住,可是它总有办法东窜西拐绕过去,照样往前跑。
“我拉着你手吧,亲爱的,”裘德说,“你气都喘不过来啦。”她把跑热了的手递给他,显然心里挺愿意这样,两个人就拉着手一块儿往前跑。
“这全得怪把它们赶回来,”她认真地说,“你要是把它们赶回来,它们准认得回去的道儿。该拿车装回来嘛。”
猪那会儿已经跑到一扇对着空阔的丘陵地开的、没上栓的篱笆门,刚一穿过门,它就凭小腿子的利索劲儿,加速奔跑。两个追猪的进了篱笆门,跑到高地顶上面,立刻就明白了,要想追上它的话,那只好把全程跑完,直到农场主家。从最高点上望去,猪像个黑点,顺着一条准确无误的路线往老家奔。
“没办法啦!”阿拉贝拉喊着。‘它老早在我们前头到那儿啦!这倒没关系了,它不会在路上丢了,也不会让人偷走了。他们知道是咱们的,会把它送回来。哎,亲爱的,我热死啦!”
她没松开裘德的手,就歪到一边,一下子倒在了一棵长不起来的荆棘下边的草皮上,同时猛一用劲,把裘德拉得跪到了地上。
“哎,对不起哟——我简直把你拽倒啦,真是的!我可真累呀!”
她在山顶斜坡草地上仰面朝天躺着,身子伸直得像箭杆,凝视着浩渺的蓝天。她仍然热烘烘地握着裘德的手。他在她旁边拿胳臂肘撑着,歪着身子。
“咱们这一大趟算白跑啦。”她说下去,胸脯因呼吸急促而起伏,丰满的嘴唇微微张开,脸发红,皮肤上汗涔涔的。“喂——你干吗不说话呀,亲爱的?”
“我也没劲啦。都是跑着爬坡累的。”
他们这会儿置身于绝对的空寂——这是达到了极致的空寂,是四野苍茫、极望寥廓的空寂。一个人要是离他们一英里之内,他们就能看得见。他们实际上是在那个郡的诸峰之一的极顶上,从他们歇着的地方望去,基督堂周围的遥远的景色尽收眼底。不过裘德这会儿没有这样的心思。
“哎呀,我可在这树高头瞧见这么个好看玩意儿啦。”阿拉贝拉说。“一种——毛毛虫啊,我真没见过这么绿、这么黄的,太可爱啦!”
“在哪儿呀?”裘德说,坐直了。
“你在那儿瞧不见——要到这边儿来。”
他弯下身子,近了点,脑袋放在她脑袋前边。“不行,我瞧不见。”
“哪,就在那个大枝子分出来的小权上——离摇摆的叶子挺近,就在那儿哪!”她轻轻地把他拉到身边。
“还是瞧不见。”他又说了一遍,他的黑头发的脑袋挨着她的脸蛋。
“你真笨啊!”她气恼地说,把脸扭开。
“我不一定要看呀,亲爱的,我干吗非看不可呢?”他低头看着她。“起来吧,阿贝。”
“干吗?”
“我想吻你,叫我吻吧。我等得太长啦!”
她把脸转过来,有一会儿还是绷着脸斜着看他。接着嘴撤了撇,一下子蹦起来,突然大声说:“我得走啦!”立刻朝回家的道上快走。裘德跟着她,走到一块儿。
“就吻一回行不行?”裘德哄她。
“不行!”她说。
他,吃惊了:“怎么回事呀?”
她因为生气,嘴闹得紧紧的,裘德跟着她,就像听话的宠物小羊羔,后来她步子慢了,就跟他并排走,跟没事一样跟他瞎聊。他要是想拉她手,搂她腰,她总把他拦住。就这样,他们从丘陵地下来,走到她父亲的庄院边上。阿拉贝拉进了院子,跟他点点头,表示再见,神气十足,仿佛她高人一等,降格俯就,而他却不知好歹,腆着脸高攀。
“我大概跟她太随便啦。”裘德心里想,一面叹口气,掉头回马利格林去了。
逢礼拜天,阿拉贝拉家里是一片大摆宴席的派头,专门准备礼拜天用的正餐。他父亲正对着挂在窗棂上的镜子刮脸,她妈跟她在旁边一个劲儿剥豆子。有个邻居在紧靠这儿的教堂做完礼拜,正朝家里走,一眼瞧见老邓恩正在窗底下拿着刮脸刀,点点头,就进来了。
她立刻挤眉弄眼地跟阿拉贝拉说话:“我瞧见你跟他一块儿跑哪——嘻嘻!我看有了点眉目吧?”
阿拉贝拉连眼皮也没抬,只露出来懂了的意思。
“我听说他要上基督堂呢,只要一办到,他就走啦。”
“你新近听说的——刚刚听说的?”阿拉贝拉问,因为吃醋、冒火,咽住一口气。
“那倒不是。听说他老早就有这个打算哩,他呆在这儿就是等走的那天。哎嗨,我看他大概相中了什么人啦。小伙子这年头什么都不在乎呀。一会儿这个,一会儿那个的。我那时候才不这样呢。”
那个贫嘴恶舌的女人走后,阿拉贝拉突然对她妈说:“今儿晚上吃了茶点,我想你跟爸爸就上艾林家玩玩吧。哦,不必啦——芬司屋那儿做晚礼拜,你们就到那儿好啦。”
“啊?晚上有事儿吗?”
“没事儿。我就是晚上要呆在家里头。他这人腼腆,你们在家,我不好让他来。我要是一大意,可就要鸡飞蛋打啦,光他喜欢有什么用呢!”
“既然你愿意这样,天好,我们就出去。”
下午阿拉贝拉跟裘德见面,还一块儿散步。裘德已经几个礼拜没摸过什么希腊文、拉丁文或者别的文字的书了。他们在山坡上慢慢悠悠地逛荡,一直逛到长满青草的古道,又从古道走到同它连着的环形的不列颠古土堤,裘德不禁想到从前那条土路上牲口贩子经年熙来攘往的伟大时代,恐怕罗马人那时候还对这个国家一无所知呢。教堂众钟和鸣,从他们脚下的平地飘上来了,等会儿就成了一钟独呜,节奏渐快,终于停止。
“咱们该回去啦。”阿拉贝拉说,刚才她对钟声很注意。
裘德也愿意回去。反正能挨着她,他到哪儿都行。到了她家门口,他犹犹豫豫地说,“我不进去了,今天晚上你干吗这么个忙劲儿,天还没黑哪。”
“你先等等。”她说。她试了试门把手,发现锁上了。
“哦——他们做礼拜去啦。”她又说了一句。接着在刮泥板后边摸了一阵子,找到了钥匙,把门打开了。“你进来呆会儿吧,好不好?”她柔声问道。“就咱们俩呀。”
“行啊。”裘德答应得挺干脆,因为情势意外地大为改观,正合心意。
他们进了屋里。他要不要来点茶点?不要,已经太晚啦;他就想坐坐,跟她聊会儿。她脱了上衣,摘下帽子——两个人很自然地挨着坐在一块儿。
“你可千万别沾我,”她和婉地说,“我身上带着蛋哪。我还是顶好把它放在碰不着的地方吧。”说着就动手解长袍的领子。
“怎么回事呀?”她的情人说。
“是个——交趾鸡的蛋。我正孵个怪少见的蛋呢。我上哪儿都带着它,用不了三个礼拜就孵出来了。”
“你带在哪儿呢?”
“就在这儿。”她把手伸进怀里头,把蛋掏出来,蛋用一块呢子裹着,外边再拿猪尿泡包起来,免得挤碎了。给他开了眼之后,她又放回去,“你千万别到我这边儿来。我可不想把它弄破了,要不然还得再孵一个。”
“你干吗干这样怪事儿呢?”
“这可是老风俗哟。我看哪个女人家不想给世上添个活物儿,还不是挺自然的。”
“你这会儿这么着,可真是跟我过不去呀。”他说,笑起来了。
“那才活该呢。这儿——全是你的!”
她把椅子掉了个圈,身子高出了椅背,慢吞吞地把脸送到他面前。
“你真能折腾人啊!”
“刚才我掏蛋时候,你就该逮住我啊!瞧这儿吧!”她故意撩他。“我蛋没啦!”她第二次很快把蛋掏出来,可是他刚要伸出手够到她,她很快放回去了,因为自己的擒纵术那么有效,兴奋得大笑起来。接着他们两个你争我夺了一会儿,裘德冷不防把手一下子插到她怀里,成功地把蛋抓到手。她脸红了;裘德忽然明白过来,脸也红了。
他们俩对看着,直喘气。“亲一下吧,这会儿我亲你,伤不着宝贝啦;亲完了,我就走啦。”
可是她乘这时候又蹦起来。“你可得抓得着我才行哪。”
她往后退,她的情人就往前跟。屋里已经挺黑了,因为窗子很小,他好一阵没法找着她,她笑了一声,这才露了馅,原来她已经往楼上跑啦,裘德不容分说,紧追不舍。
1 lodging | |
n.寄宿,住所;(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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2 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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3 morose | |
adj.脾气坏的,不高兴的 | |
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4 diverged | |
分开( diverge的过去式和过去分词 ); 偏离; 分歧; 分道扬镳 | |
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5 ascending | |
adj.上升的,向上的 | |
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6 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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7 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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8 rigidity | |
adj.钢性,坚硬 | |
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9 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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10 languishingly | |
渐渐变弱地,脉脉含情地 | |
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11 stimulated | |
a.刺激的 | |
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12 toads | |
n.蟾蜍,癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 ) | |
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13 dodged | |
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避 | |
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14 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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15 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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16 agile | |
adj.敏捷的,灵活的 | |
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17 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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18 plunge | |
v.跳入,(使)投入,(使)陷入;猛冲 | |
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19 contriving | |
(不顾困难地)促成某事( contrive的现在分词 ); 巧妙地策划,精巧地制造(如机器); 设法做到 | |
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20 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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21 wriggled | |
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等) | |
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22 trotted | |
小跑,急走( trot的过去分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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23 agility | |
n.敏捷,活泼 | |
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24 ascended | |
v.上升,攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25 speck | |
n.微粒,小污点,小斑点 | |
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26 relinquishing | |
交出,让给( relinquish的现在分词 ); 放弃 | |
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27 swerved | |
v.(使)改变方向,改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28 stunted | |
adj.矮小的;发育迟缓的 | |
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29 precipitately | |
adv.猛进地 | |
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30 perspiration | |
n.汗水;出汗 | |
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31 solitudes | |
n.独居( solitude的名词复数 );孤独;荒僻的地方;人迹罕至的地方 | |
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32 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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33 aslant | |
adv.倾斜地;adj.斜的 | |
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34 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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35 coaxed | |
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱 | |
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36 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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37 supercilious | |
adj.目中无人的,高傲的;adv.高傲地;n.高傲 | |
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38 affronted | |
adj.被侮辱的,被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 );相遇 | |
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39 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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40 sip | |
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量 | |
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41 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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42 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43 alacrity | |
n.敏捷,轻快,乐意 | |
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44 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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45 defiantly | |
adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地 | |
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46 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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47 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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