UPON RECEIVING THE CALL, DUNNY WHISTLER at once responds to it, driving directly to Beverly Hills.
He doesn’t need the car anymore. Nevertheless, he enjoys being behind the wheel of a well-engineered automobile1, and even the simple pleasure of driving has a new poignancy2 in light of recent events.
En route, traffic lights turn green just when needed, gaps in traffic repeatedly open for him, and he makes such speed that dark wings of water plume3 from his tires most of the way. He should feel exhilarated, but many concerns weigh on his mind.
At the hotel, where the arriving and departing vehicles seem to be those makes that retail4 for six figures, he leaves his car with valet parking. He tips the attendant twenty bucks5, going in, because he’s not likely to be around long enough to spend all his cash on pleasures for himself.
The sumptuous6 luxury of the lobby embraces him with such warmth of color, texture7, and form that Dunny could easily forget that the night outside is cold and rainy.
Richly paneled, expensively appointed, lighted for romance, a textbook on glamorous8 decor, the hotel bar is huge, but crowded in spite of its size.
[213] Every woman in sight, regardless of age, is beautiful, by either the grace of God or the knife of a good surgeon. Half the men are as handsome as movie stars, and the other half think they are.
Most of these people work in the entertainment industry. No actors, but agents and studio executives, publicists and producers.
In another hotel, elsewhere in the city, you might hear several foreign tongues, but in this place only English is spoken, and only that narrow but colorful version of English known as the dialect of the deal. Connections are being secured here; money is being made; sexual excesses are being plotted.
These people are energetic, optimistic, flirtatious9, loud, and convinced of their immortality10.
In the manner that Cary Grant once navigated11 crowded parties in the movies, as though skating while everyone around him walked with leg weights, Dunny glides12 past the bar, among the crowded tables, directly to a prized corner table for four where only one man sits.
This man’s name is Typhon, or so he would have you believe. He pronounces it tie-fon, and tells you on first meeting that he bears the name of a monster from Greek mythology13, a beast that traveled in storms and spread terror wherever the rain took it. Then he laughs, perhaps in recognition that his name is dramatically at odds14 with his appearance, his genteel business style, and his polished manners.
Nothing about Typhon appears the least monstrous15 or stormy. He is plump, white-haired, with a sweet androgynous face that would serve well in a movie as either that of a beatific16 nun17 or that of a saintly friar. His smile comes easily and often, and seems sincere. Soft-spoken, a good listener, irresistibly18 likable, the man can make a friend in a minute.
He is impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit, white silk shirt, blue-and-red club tie, and red display handkerchief. His thick white hair has been cut by a stylist to stars and royalty19. Unblemished skin smoothed by expensive emollients20, bleached21 teeth, and manicured nails suggest that he takes pride in his appearance.
[214] Typhon sits facing the room, pleasantly regal in demeanor22, as might be a kindly23 monarch24 holding court. Although he must be known to this crowd, no one bothers him, as though it is understood that he prefers to see and be seen rather than to talk with anyone.
Of the four chairs at the table, two face the room. Dunny takes the second.
Typhon is eating oysters25 and drinking a superb Pinot Grigio. He says, “Dine with me, please, dear boy. Have anything you wish.”
As if conjured27 by a sorcerer, a waiter instantly appears. Dunny orders double oysters and a bottle of Pinot Grigio for himself. He has always been a man of large appetites.
“You have always been a man of large appetites,” Typhon notes, and smiles impishly.
“There’ll be an end to that soon enough,” Dunny says. “While there’s still a banquet in front of me, I intend to gorge28.”
“That’s the spirit!” Typhon declares. “You’re a man after my own heart, Dunny. By the way, that’s a handsome suit.”
“You’ve got an excellent tailor yourself.”
“It’s a bother having to do business,” says Typhon, “so let’s get it out of the way first thing.”
Dunny says nothing, but steels himself for a reprimand.
Typhon sips29 his wine, sighs with pleasure. “Am I to understand that you hired a hit man to remove Mr. Reynerd?”
“Yes. I did. A guy called himself Hector X.”
“A hit man,” Typhon repeats with audible astonishment30.
“He was a gangbanger I knew in the old days, a ranking cuzz with the Crips. We manufactured and distributed sherm together back then.”
“Sherm?”
“PCP, an animal tranquilizer. Had a Jim Jones production line going. Marijuana joints31 laced with cocaine32 and dipped in PCP.”
“Do all your associates have such charming resumes?”
Dunny shrugs33. “He was who he was.”
[215] “Yes, was. Both men are dead now.”
“Here’s the way I see it. Hector had killed before, and Reynerd conspired34 to have his own mother murdered. I wasn’t corrupting35 an innocent or targeting one, either.”
“I’m not concerned about corruption36, Dunny. I’m concerned that you seem not to understand the limits of your authority.”
“I know ringing in one killer37 to take out another is somewhat unconventional—”
“Unconventional!” Typhon shakes his head. “No, lad, it’s utterly38 unacceptable.”
Dunny’s oysters and wine arrive. The waiter uncorks the Pinot Grigio, pours a taste, and Dunny approves.
Relying on the pleasant boozy rumble39 of the glamorous crowd to screen their sensitive conversation, Typhon returns to business. “Dunny, you must conduct yourself with discretion40. All right, you’ve been a rogue41 much of your life, that’s true, but you gave that up in recent years, didn’t you?”
“Tried. Mostly succeeded. Listen, Mr. Typhon, I didn’t pull the trigger on Reynerd myself. I worked by indirection, like we agreed.”
“Hiring a hit man is not indirection.”
Dunny swallows an oyster26. “Then I misunderstood.”
“I doubt that,” Typhon says. “I believe you knowingly stretched your authority to see if it would snap.”
Pretending gluttonous42 fascination43 with the oysters, Dunny dares not ask the obvious question.
The most powerful studio chief in the film industry enters the farther end of the room with all the poise44 and self-assurance of a Caesar. He travels in the company of an entourage of young male and female employees who are as sleek45 and cool as vampires46 yet, on closer inspection47, appear simultaneously48 as nervous as Chihuahuas.
At once spotting Typhon, this king of Hollywood waves with a measured but revealing eagerness.
Typhon returns the greeting with a markedly more restrained wave, [216] thus instantly establishing himself as the higher of the two on the pecking order, to the Caesar’s controlled but still visible embarrassment49.
Typhon now asks the question that Dunny has been reluctant to voice: “In hiring Hector X, did you stretch your authority past the snapping point?” Then he answers it: “Yes. But I’m inclined to give you one more chance.”
Dunny swallows another oyster, which slides down his throat more easily than the one before it.
“Many of the men and women in this bar,” says Typhon, “daily negotiate contracts with the intention of breaching51 them. The people with whom they negotiate fully52 expect to be victimized or to breach50 certain terms themselves. Eventually angry accusations53 are exchanged, attorneys are brandished54, legal actions are served if not filed, and amidst bitter charges and vehement55 countercharges, a settlement is arranged out of court. After all this, and sometimes even during it, the same parties are engaged in negotiating other contracts with each other, contracts which they also intend to breach.”
“The film business is an asylum,” Dunny observes.
“Yes, it is. But, dear boy, that’s not my point.”
“Sorry.”
“My point is that breach of contract—betrayal in general—is an accepted part of their personal and business culture, just as human sacrifice was an accepted practice in the Aztec world. But betrayal isn’t something I accept. I’m not that cynical56. Words, promises, and integrity matter to me. They matter deeply. I can’t do business—I simply won’t—with people who give their word insincerely.”
“I understand,” Dunny says. “I’m properly chastised57.”
Typhon appears to be genuinely pained by Dunny’s reaction. His plump face puckers58 with dismay. His eyes, usually characterized as much by a sparkle of merriment as by their singular blue color, now cloud with sadness.
This man is remarkably59 easy to read, open with his emotions, not in the least enigmatic, which is one reason that he’s so likable.
[217] “Dunny, I’m truly sorry if you feel chastised. That wasn’t my intention. I just needed to clear the air. The thing is, I want you to succeed, I really do, lad. But if you’re to succeed, you’ve got to operate according to the high standards we originally discussed.”
“All right. You’re more than fair. And I’m grateful to have another chance.”
“Ah, now, there’s no need for gratitude60, Dunny.” Typhon smiles broadly, his merriment regained61. “If you succeed, then I succeed. Your interests are my own.”
To reassure62 his benefactor63 that they are in full understanding of each other, Dunny says, “I’ll do everything I possibly can for Ethan Truman—always keeping a low profile, of course. But I won’t make any move against Corky Laputa.”
“What an appalling64 piece of work he is.” Typhon clucks his tongue, but his eyes twinkle. “The world desperately65 needs God’s mercy as long as there are men like Corky in it.”
“Amen.”
“You know that Corky would most likely have killed Reynerd anyway if you hadn’t interfered66.”
“I know,” Dunny says.
“Then why show up with Hector X?”
“Laputa wouldn’t have killed him with witnesses, certainly not with Hazard Yancy present. When Reynerd died in front of Yancy, then Yancy was involved, and more deeply than he’d have been otherwise. For Ethan’s sake, I want him involved.”
“Your friend does need all the help he can get,” Typhon acknowledges.
For a minute or two, they enjoy the oysters and the fine wine in a mutual67, comfortable silence.
Then Dunny says, “The incident with the PT Cruiser came as a surprise.”
Raising his eyebrows68, Typhon says, “You don’t think our people were involved with that, do you?”
[218] “No,” Dunny says. “I understand how these things work. It came as a surprise, that’s all. But I was able to use it to my advantage.”
“Leaving him with the three little bells was a clever move,” Typhon agrees. “Though you’ve driven him to drink.”
Smiling, nodding, Dunny agrees: “I probably have.”
“No ‘probably’ about it,” says Typhon. Pointing, he adds: “Poor Ethan is at the bar right now.”
Although Dunny’s chair faces most of the room, about a third of the long bar is to his back. He turns to look where Typhon points.
Past intervening tables where breachers of contracts socialize like friends, Ethan Truman sits on a stool at the bar, in profile to Dunny, staring into a glass that might contain high-quality Scotch69.
“He’ll see me,” Dunny worries.
“Most likely not. He’s too distracted. In a sense, he doesn’t see anyone right now. He might as well be here alone.”
“But if he does—”
“If he does,” Typhon says reassuringly70, “then you’ll manage the situation one way or another. I’m here for guidance if you need it.”
Dunny stares at Ethan for a moment, then turns his back to him. “You chose this place knowing he was here?”
The only response from Typhon is a winning smile with a sly twist) which seems to say that he knows he’s been naughty but simply couldn’t resist.
“You chose this place because he was here.”
Typhon says, “Did you know that Saint Duncan, for whom you were named, is the patron saint of guardians71 and protectors of many kinds, and that he will help you be steadfast72 and resourceful in your work if you petition him?”
Smiling thinly, Dunny says, “Is that so? Ironic73, huh?”
Patting Dunny on the arm, Typhon reassures74 him: “From everything I’ve seen, you’re an amazingly resourceful man to begin with.”
Dunny communes with the Pinot Grigio for a while, but then says, “Do you think he’s going to come through this alive?”
[219] After finishing his last oyster, Typhon says, “Ethan? To some extent, that’s up to you.”
“But only to some extent.”
“Well, you know how these things work, Dunny. More likely than not, he’ll be dead before Christmas. But his situation isn’t entirely75 hopeless. No one’s ever is.”
“And the people at Palazzo Rospo?”
With his white hair, plump features, and sparkling blue eyes, Typhon is but a beard away from being Santa Claus. His sweet face isn’t made for grim expressions. He appears disconcertingly merry when he says, “I don’t think any experienced oddsmaker would give them much of a chance, do you? Not against the likes of Mr. Laputa. He has the violent temperament76 and the reckless determination to get what he wants.”
“Even the boy?”
“Especially the boy,” says Typhon. “Especially him.”
1 automobile | |
n.汽车,机动车 | |
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2 poignancy | |
n.辛酸事,尖锐 | |
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3 plume | |
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰 | |
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4 retail | |
v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格 | |
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5 bucks | |
n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 );钱;(英国十九世纪初的)花花公子;(用于某些表达方式)责任v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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6 sumptuous | |
adj.豪华的,奢侈的,华丽的 | |
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7 texture | |
n.(织物)质地;(材料)构造;结构;肌理 | |
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8 glamorous | |
adj.富有魅力的;美丽动人的;令人向往的 | |
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9 flirtatious | |
adj.爱调情的,调情的,卖俏的 | |
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10 immortality | |
n.不死,不朽 | |
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11 navigated | |
v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的过去式和过去分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃 | |
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12 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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13 mythology | |
n.神话,神话学,神话集 | |
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14 odds | |
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 | |
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15 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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16 beatific | |
adj.快乐的,有福的 | |
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17 nun | |
n.修女,尼姑 | |
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18 irresistibly | |
adv.无法抵抗地,不能自持地;极为诱惑人地 | |
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19 royalty | |
n.皇家,皇族 | |
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20 emollients | |
n.润滑剂,润肤剂( emollient的名词复数 ) | |
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21 bleached | |
漂白的,晒白的,颜色变浅的 | |
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22 demeanor | |
n.行为;风度 | |
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23 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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24 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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25 oysters | |
牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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26 oyster | |
n.牡蛎;沉默寡言的人 | |
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27 conjured | |
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 ); 祈求,恳求; 变戏法; (变魔术般地) 使…出现 | |
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28 gorge | |
n.咽喉,胃,暴食,山峡;v.塞饱,狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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29 sips | |
n.小口喝,一小口的量( sip的名词复数 )v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的第三人称单数 ) | |
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30 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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31 joints | |
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
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32 cocaine | |
n.可卡因,古柯碱(用作局部麻醉剂) | |
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33 shrugs | |
n.耸肩(以表示冷淡,怀疑等)( shrug的名词复数 ) | |
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34 conspired | |
密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 ); 搞阴谋; (事件等)巧合; 共同导致 | |
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35 corrupting | |
(使)败坏( corrupt的现在分词 ); (使)腐化; 引起(计算机文件等的)错误; 破坏 | |
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36 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
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37 killer | |
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者 | |
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38 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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39 rumble | |
n.隆隆声;吵嚷;v.隆隆响;低沉地说 | |
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40 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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41 rogue | |
n.流氓;v.游手好闲 | |
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42 gluttonous | |
adj.贪吃的,贪婪的 | |
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43 fascination | |
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 | |
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44 poise | |
vt./vi. 平衡,保持平衡;n.泰然自若,自信 | |
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45 sleek | |
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢 | |
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46 vampires | |
n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 );吸血蝠;高利贷者;(舞台上的)活板门 | |
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47 inspection | |
n.检查,审查,检阅 | |
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48 simultaneously | |
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地 | |
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49 embarrassment | |
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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50 breach | |
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
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51 breaching | |
攻破( breach的过去式 ); 破坏,违反 | |
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52 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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53 accusations | |
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 );指控;控告;(被告发、控告的)罪名 | |
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54 brandished | |
v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 );炫耀 | |
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55 vehement | |
adj.感情强烈的;热烈的;(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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56 cynical | |
adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的,不信世道向善的 | |
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57 chastised | |
v.严惩(某人)(尤指责打)( chastise的过去式 ) | |
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58 puckers | |
v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的第三人称单数 ) | |
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59 remarkably | |
ad.不同寻常地,相当地 | |
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60 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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61 regained | |
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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62 reassure | |
v.使放心,使消除疑虑 | |
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63 benefactor | |
n. 恩人,行善的人,捐助人 | |
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64 appalling | |
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的 | |
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65 desperately | |
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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66 interfered | |
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉 | |
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67 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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68 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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69 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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70 reassuringly | |
ad.安心,可靠 | |
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71 guardians | |
监护人( guardian的名词复数 ); 保护者,维护者 | |
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72 steadfast | |
adj.固定的,不变的,不动摇的;忠实的;坚贞不移的 | |
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73 ironic | |
adj.讽刺的,有讽刺意味的,出乎意料的 | |
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74 reassures | |
v.消除恐惧或疑虑,恢复信心( reassure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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75 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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76 temperament | |
n.气质,性格,性情 | |
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