Hallblithe was exceeding weary; so he gave the oars4 to the alien and lay down in the stern and slept. And in his sleep he dreamed that he was lying in the House of the Raven2, and his sisters came to him and said, “Rise up now, Hallblithe! wilt5 thou be a sluggard6 on the day of thy wedding? Come thou with us to the House of the Rose that we may bear away the Hostage.” Then he dreamed that they departed, and he arose and clad himself: but when he would have gone out of the hall, then was it no longer daylight, but moonlight, and he dreamed that he had dreamed: nevertheless he would have gone abroad, but might not find the door; so he said he would go out by a window; but the wall was high and smooth (quite other than in the House of the Raven, where were low windows all along one aisle), nor was there any way to come at them. But he dreamed that he was so abashed8 thereat, and had such a weakness on him, that he wept for pity of himself: and he went to his bed to lie down; and lo! there was no bed and no hall; nought9 but a heath, wild and wide, and empty under the moon. And still he wept in his dream, and his manhood seemed departed from him, and he heard a voice crying out, “Is this the Land? Is this the Land?”
Therewithal he awoke, and as his eyes cleared he beheld10 the big man rowing and the black sail flapping against the mast; for the wind had fallen dead and they were faring on over a long smooth swell11 of the sea. It was broad daylight, but round about them was a thick mist, which seemed none the less as if the sun were ready to shine through it.
As Hallblithe caught the red man’s eye, he smiled and nodded on him and said: “Now has the time come for thee first to eat and then to row. But tell me what is that upon thy cheeks?”
Hallblithe, reddening somewhat, said: “The night dew hath fallen on me.”
Quoth the sea-rover, “It is no shame for thee a youngling to remember thy betrothed12 in thy sleep, and to weep because thou lackest her. But now bestir thee, for it is later than thou mayest deem.”
Therewith the big man drew in the oars and came to the afterpart of the boat, and drew meat and drink out of a locker13 thereby14; and they ate and drank together, and Hallblithe grew strong and somewhat less downcast; and he went forward and gat the oars into his hands.
Then the big red man stood up and looked over his left shoulder and said: “Soon shall we have a breeze and bright weather.”
Then he looked into the midmost of the sail and fell a-whistling such a tune16 as the fiddles17 play to dancing men and maids at Yule-tide, and his eyes gleamed and glittered therewithal, and exceeding big he looked. Then Hallblithe felt a little air on his cheek, and the mist grew thinner, and the sail began to fill with wind till the sheet tightened18: then, lo! the mist rising from the face of the sea, and the sea’s face rippling19 gaily20 under a bright sun. Then the wind increased, and the wall of mist departed and a few light clouds sped over the sky, and the sail swelled21 and the boat heeled over, and the seas fell white from the prow22, and they sped fast over the face of the waters.
Then laughed the red-haired man, and said: “O croaker on the dead branch, now is the wind such that no rowing of thine may catch up with it: so in with the oars now, and turn about, and thou shalt see whitherward we are going.”
Then Hallblithe turned about on the thwart23 and looked across the sea, and lo! before them the high cliffs and crags and mountains of a new land which seemed to be an isle7, and they were deep blue under the sun, which now shone aloft in the mid15 heaven. He said nought at all, but sat looking and wondering what land it might be; but the big man said: “O tomb of warriors24, is it not as if the blueness of the deep sea had heaved itself up aloft, and turned from coloured air into rock and stone, so wondrous25 blue it is? But that is because those crags and mountains are so far away, and as we draw nigher to them, thou shalt see them as they verily are, that they are coal-black; and yonder land is an isle, and is called the Isle of Ransom26. Therein shall be the market for thee where thou mayst cheapen thy betrothed. There mayst thou take her by the hand and lead her away thence, when thou hast dealt with the chapman of maidens28 and hast pledged thee by the fowl29 of battle, and the edge of the fallow blade to pay that which he will have of thee.”
As the big man spoke30 there was a mocking in his voice and his face and in his whole huge body, which made the sword of Hallblithe uneasy in his scabbard; but he refrained his wrath31, and said: “Big man, the longer I look, the less I can think how we are to come up on to yonder island; for I can see nought but a huge cliff, and great mountains rising beyond it.”
“Thou shalt the more wonder,” said the alien, “the nigher thou drawest thereto; for it is not because we are far away that thou canst see no beach or strand32, or sloping of the land seaward, but because there is nought of all these things. Yet fear not! am I not with thee? thou shalt come ashore33 on the Isle of Ransom.”
Then Hallblithe held his peace, and the other spake not for a while, but gave a short laugh once or twice; and said at last in a big voice, “Little Carrion-biter, why dost thou not ask me of my name?”
Now Hallblithe was a tall man and a fell fighter; but he said: “Because I was thinking of other things and not of thee.”
Then Hallblithe said: “Art thou a Fox? It may well be that thou shalt beguile35 me as such beasts will but look to it, that if thou dost I shall know how to avenge36 me.”
Then rose up the big man from the helm, and straddled wide in the boat, and cried out in a great roaring voice: “Crag-nester, I am one of seven brethren, and the smallest and weakest of them. Art thou not afraid?”
“No,” said Hallblithe, “for the six others are not here. Wilt thou fight here in boat, O Fox?”
“Nay,” said Fox, “rather we will drink a cup of wine together.”
So he opened the locker again and drew out thence a great horn of some huge neat of the outlands, which was girthed and stopped with silver, and also a golden cup, and he filled the cup from the horn and gave it into Hallblithe’s hand and said: “Drink, O black-fledged nestling! But call a health over the cup if thou wilt.” So Hallblithe raised the cup aloft and cried: “Health to the House of the Raven and to them that love it! an ill day to its foemen!” Then he set his lips to the cup and drank; and that wine seemed to him better and stronger than any he had ever tasted. But when he had given the cup back again to Fox, that red one filled it again, and cried over it, “The Treasure of the Sea! and the King that dieth not!” Then he drank, and filled again for Hallblithe, and steered with his knees meanwhile; and thus they drank three cups each, and Fox smiled and was peaceful and said but little, but Hallblithe sat wondering how the world was changed for him since yesterday.
But now was the sky blown all clear of clouds and the wind piped shrill37 behind them, and the great waves rose and fell about them, and the sun glittered on them in many colours. Fast flew the boat before the wind as though it would never stop, and the day was waning38, and the wind still rising; and now the Isle of Ransom uphove huge before them, and coal-black, and no beach and no haven39 was to be seen therein; and still they ran before the wind towards that black cliff-wall, against which the sea washed for ever, and no keel ever built by man might live for one moment ’twixt the surf and the cliff of that grim land. The sun grew low, and sank red under the sea, and that world of stone swallowed up half the heavens before them, for they were now come very nigh thereto; nor could Hallblithe see aught for it, but that they must be dashed against the cliff and perish in a moment of time.
Still the boat flew on; but now when the twilight40 was come, and they had just opened up along reach of the cliff that lay beyond a high ness, Hallblithe thought he saw down by the edge of the sea something darker than the face of the rock-wall, and he deemed it was a cave: they came a little nearer and he saw it was a great cave high enough to let a round-ship go in with all her sails set.
“Son of the Raven,” quoth Fox, “hearken, for thy heart is not little. Yonder is the gate into the Isle of Ransom, and if thou wilt, thou mayst go through it. Yet it may be that if thou goest ashore on to the Isle something grievous shall befall thee, a trouble more than thou canst bear: a shame it may be. Now there are two choices for thee: either to go up on to the Isle and face all; or to die here by my hand having done nothing unmanly or shameful41: What sayest thou?”
“Thou art of many words when time so presses, Fox,” said Hallblithe. “Why should I not choose to go up on to the Island to deliver my trothplight maiden27? For the rest, slay43 me if thou canst, if we come alive out of this cauldron of waters.”
Said the big red man: “Look on then, and note Fox how he steereth, as it were through a needle’s eye.”
Now were they underneath44 the black shadow of the black cliff and amidst the twilight the surf was tossed about like white fire. In the lower heavens the stars were beginning to twinkle and the moon was bright and yellow, and aloft all was peaceful, for no cloud sullied the sky. One moment Hallblithe saw all this hanging above the turmoil45 of thundering water and dripping rock and the next he was in the darkness of the cave, the roaring wind and the waves still making thunder about him, though of a different voice from the harsh hubbub46 without. Then he heard Fox say: “Sit down now and take the oars, for presently shall we be at home at the landing place.”
So Hallblithe took the oars and rowed, and as they went up the cave the sea fell, and the wind died out into the aimless gustiness47 of hollow places; and for a little while was all as dark as dark might be. Then Hallblithe saw that the darkness grew a little greyer, and he looked over his shoulder and saw a star of light before the bows of the boat, and Fox cried out: “Yea, it is like day; bright will the moon be for such as needs must be wayfaring48 to-night! Cease rowing, O Son of the coal-blue fowl, for there is way enough on her.”
Then Hallblithe lay on his oars, and in a minute the bows smote49 the land; then he turned about and saw a steep stair of stone, and up the sloping shaft50 thereof the moonlit sky and the bright stars. Then Fox arose and came forward and leapt out of the boat and moored51 her to a big stone: then he leapt back again and said: “Bear a hand with the victuals52; we must bring them out of the boat unless thou wilt sleep supperless, as I will not. For to-night must we be guests to ourselves, since it is far to the dwelling53 of my people, and the old man is said to be a skin-changer, a flit-by-night. And as to this cave, it is deemed to be nowise safe to sleep therein, unless the sleeper54 have a double share of luck. And thy luck, meseemeth, O Son of the Raven, is as now somewhat less than a single share. So to-night we shall sleep under the naked heaven.”
Hallblithe yea-said this, and they took the meat and drink, such as they needed, from out the boat, and climbed the steep stair no little way, and so came out on to a plain place, which seemed to Hallblithe bare and waste so far as he saw it by the moonlight; for the twilight was gone now, and nought was left of the light of day save a glimmer55 in the west.
This Hallblithe deemed wonderful, that no less out on the open heath and brow of the land than in the shut-in cave, all that tumult56 of the wind had fallen, and the cloudless night was calm, and with a little air blowing from the south and the landward.
Therewithal was Fox done with his loud-voiced braggart57 mood, and spoke gently and peaceably like to a wayfarer58, who hath business of his to look to as other men. Now he pointed59 to certain rocks or low crags that a little way off rose like a reef out of the treeless plain; then said he: “Shipmate, underneath yonder rocks is our resting-place for to-night; and I pray thee not to deem me churlish that I give thee no better harbour. But I have a charge over thee to bring thee safe thus far on thy quest; and thou wouldst find it hard to live among such housemates as thou wouldst find up yonder amongst our folks to-night. But to-morrow shalt thou come to speech with him who will deal with thee concerning the ransom.”
“It is enough,” said Hallblithe, “and I thank thee for thy leading: and as for thy rough and uncomely words which thou hast given me, I pardon thee for them: for I am none the worse of them: forsooth, if I had been, my sword would have had a voice in the matter.”
“I am well content as it is, Son of the Raven,” quoth Fox; “I have done my bidding and all is well.”
“Tell me then who it is hath bidden thee bring me hither?”
“I may not tell thee,” said Fox; “thou art here, be content, as I am.”
And he spake no more till they had come to the reef aforesaid, which was some two furlongs from the place where they had come from out of the cave. There then they set forth60 their supper on the stones, and ate what they would, and drank of that good strong wine while the horn bare out. And now was Fox of few words, and when Hallblithe asked him concerning that land, he had little to say. And at last when Hallblithe asked him of that so perilous61 house and those who manned it, he said to him:
“Son of the Raven, it avails not asking of these matters; for if I tell thee aught concerning them I shall tell thee lies. Once again let it be enough for thee that thou hast passed over the sea safely on thy quest; and a more perilous sea it is forsooth than thou deemest. But now let us have an end of vain words, and make our bed amidst these stones as best we may; for we should be stirring betimes in the morning.” Hallblithe said little in answer, and they arrayed their sleeping places cunningly, as the hare doth her form, and like men well used to lying abroad.
Hallblithe was very weary and he soon fell asleep; and as he lay there, he dreamed a dream, or maybe saw a vision; whether he were asleep when he saw it, or between sleeping and waking, I know not. But this was his dream or his vision; that the Hostage was standing62 over him, and she as he had seen her but yesterday, bright-haired and ruddy-cheeked and white-skinned, kind of hand and soft of voice, and she said to him: “Hallblithe, look on me and hearken, for I have a message for thee.” And he looked and longed for her, and his soul was ravished by the sweetness of his longing63, and he would have leapt up and cast his arms about her, but sleep and the dream bound him, and he might not. Then the image smiled on him and said: “Nay, my love, lie still, for thou mayst not touch me: here is but the image of the body which thou desirest. Hearken then. I am in evil plight42, in the hands of strong-thieves of the sea, nor know I what they will do with me, and I have no will to be shamed; to be sold for a price from one hand to another, yet to be bedded without a price, and to lie beside some foe-man of our folk, and he to cast his arms about me, will I, will I not: this is a hard case. Therefore to-morrow morning at daybreak while men sleep, I think to steal forth to the gunwale of the black ship and give myself to the gods, that they and not these runagates may be masters of my life and my soul, and may do with me as they will: for indeed they know that I may not bear the strange kinless64 house, and the love and caressing65 of the alien house-master, and the mocking and stripes of the alien house-mistress. Therefore let the Hoary66 One of the sea take me and look to my matters, and carry me to life or death, which-so he will. Thin now grows the night, but lie still a little yet, while I speak another word.
“Maybe we shall meet alive again, and maybe not: and if not, though we have never yet lain in one bed together, yet I would have thee remember me: yet not so that my image shall come between thee and thy speech-friend and bed-fellow of the kindred, that shall lie where I was to have lain. Yet again, if I live and thou livest, I have been told and have heard that by one way or other I am like to come to the Glittering Plain, and the Land of Living Men. O my beloved, if by any way thou mightest come thither67 also, and we might meet there, and we two alive, how good it were! Seek that land then, beloved! seek it, whether or no we once more behold68 the House of the Rose, or tread the floor of the Raven dwelling. And now must even this image of me sunder69 from thee. Farewell!”
Therewith was the dream done and the vision departed; and Hallblithe sat up full of anguish70 and longing; and he looked about him over the dreary71 land, and it was somewhat light and the sky was grown grey and cloudy, and he deemed that the dawn was come. So he leapt to his feet and stooped down over Fox, and took him by the shoulder, and shook him and said: “Faring-fellow, awake! the dawn is come, and we have much to do.”
Fox sat up and growled72 like a dog, and rubbed his eyes and looked about him and said: “Thou hast waked me for nought: it is the false dawn of the moon that shineth now behind the clouds and casteth no shadow; it is but an hour after midnight. Go to sleep again, and let me be, else will I not be a guide to thee when the day comes.” And he lay down and was asleep at once. Then Hallblithe went and lay down again full of sorrow: Yet so weary was he that he presently fell asleep, and dreamed no more.
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收听单词发音
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1
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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2
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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4
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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sluggard
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| n.懒人；adj.懒惰的 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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11
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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mid
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| adj.中央的，中间的 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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fiddles
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| n.小提琴( fiddle的名词复数 )；欺诈；（需要运用手指功夫的）细巧活动；当第二把手v.伪造( fiddle的第三人称单数 )；篡改；骗取；修理或稍作改动 | |
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18
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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29
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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spoke
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| 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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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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beguile
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| vt.欺骗，消遣 | |
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avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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37
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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38
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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40
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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41
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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42
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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43
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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44
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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45
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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46
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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47
gustiness
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| n.狂风，阵风 | |
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48
wayfaring
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| adj.旅行的n.徒步旅行 | |
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49
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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50
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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51
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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52
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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53
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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54
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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55
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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braggart
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| n.吹牛者；adj.吹牛的，自夸的 | |
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wayfarer
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| n.旅人 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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kinless
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| 无亲戚的 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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sunder
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| v.分开；隔离；n.分离，分开 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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