To my amazement24 I learned that for nearly a fortnight the vessel25 had been ready for sea, but the old man was so enamoured of his snug26 quarters behind the bar of the little pub, that he could not tear himself away. Nobody seemed to care very much. They killed time in a variety of ways, making believe to do some work, but principally occupied in "dodging27 Pompey." This state of things was broken into by my advent29. Whether the act of engaging me had recalled Captain Bunker to a sense of his duty or not, I can not tell; but in the course of a couple of days we were joined by an elderly Yankee A.B., rejoicing in the name of Oliver Peck, an ex-mounted policeman, whom we always called Joe; a tall, merry Suffolk man, who was the very incarnation of good-humour; a white-faced Scotchman, who said he had been chief cook of a huge steamship30 called the Mikado, and had just shipped with us as cook to work his passage home; another ordinary seaman, like myself, a Londoner, but twice the man I was; and a delicate, artful little fellow, about my own age, who shipped as cabin-boy. Now we had a full crew, and soon the skipper made his appearance on board, marching us up to the shipping-office with him in great pomp and putting us all on the articles. Having once broken the spell that had bound him to the pub, he kept free, remaining on board that night, and hauling off into the channel at daylight ready to sail. But while we were actually getting under way a boat came alongside, bearing a lady in deep mourning and an official, who mounted the side, and solemnly presenting the skipper with a piece of stamped paper, informed him that he had come to stop the ship until all charges due to Mrs. Blank, landlady31 of the St. Margaret's Hotel, for board, lodging32, and refreshments33 supplied, had been settled. The old man made a ghastly attempt to smile, but the thing was too palpable. Besides, all his crew were witnesses of his attempt to pay the widow with the "foretopsail sheet," as sailors say, and, hugely as they enjoyed the spectacle, he looked as if he had been suddenly attacked by cholera34 morbus. There was no help for it; he had to pay up, although how he did it I don't know. At any rate he succeeded in satisfying the bailiff, who bade him an elaborate farewell and descended35 to the boat, where the widow was volubly holding forth36, in our delighted hearing, upon the many delinquencies of our skipper. The news of the settlement of her claim only seemed to add fuel to her fire, and, as long as she was within hearing, she continued to favour us with a minute account of the many acts and deeds of meanness of which Captain Bunker had been guilty. As the shrill37 sounds grew fainter, I could not help thinking that it was an inauspicious commencement for our voyage; and, in accordance with an old mental trick of mine, began to run over in my mind the probable state of my feelings had I been in the skipper's place. There was quite a little spell of silence after the boat's departure, during which all hands looked first at one another and then at the rubicund38 face of the skipper, which bore a peculiar39 vacant smile, but not the slightest symptom of shame. At last the uneasy quiet was broken by the harsh voice of Mr. Messenger, our chief, shouting, "Man the windlass!" In an instant we were all busy again, and did not cease our labours until the old barque, under all canvas, was gliding40 gently down the beautiful bay towards the wide Pacific.
At first my hopes were high that we should be going north about, for, in addition to a strong desire to avoid the unpleasantness inseparable from working to the westward41 through the Great Australian Bight, I was anxious to see something of the East Indian Archipelago. But the thought of Torres Straits, with its intricacies and baffling currents, was evidently too much for Captain Bunker's courage or confidence in his navigating42 ability, for we made the best of our way to the southward as soon as we were well clear of the Heads. At the picking of watches I found myself, much to my satisfaction, under the second mate, who seemed to have some little liking43 for me as his townsman. My watch-mates were the Yankee, Oliver, the ex-policeman, and the Suffolker. As I could steer44, and, except for being rather a light weight on a rope, was well up to my work, we felt pretty well manned on our side. But the mate's watch came worse off, as their "ordinary" could not steer. Oh, it was weary work after my late life of ease! The deadly slowness of our progress, too, down the coast I had been used to skirt with the regularity45 of a railway-train, was hard to bear. And, in addition to all this, I soon found that my poor three pounds a month was rankling46 in the skipper's mind, and he was determined47 to try and reduce it if possible. I got a friendly hint or two from the second mate, who, although he liked me well enough, certainly did not intend to openly side with me against the old man. In most matters, it is true, he treated the skipper with such scant48 courtesy that I was amazed, but he put in no word of backing for me. A fortnight passed away, and we had all fairly shaken down into sea-life, while I, by strenuous49 efforts, had managed to recall all my previous experience and use it, with the added benefit of my additional strength. What troubled me most were the stun'sails. Studding-sails, as the word should be spelt, are the betes noire of seamen. Modern vessels50 have practically discarded them, happily for their crews; but such vessels as the Harrowby cling to them as long as they live. They are temporary sails, which in fair weather are set at the ends of some of the yards, thereby51 extending the spread of canvas (when they are carried on both sides) to nearly double its normal width. They are set by means of booms, which slide along in two hoops52 screwed into bands on the yards. These booms vary in size, of course, with the ship, and also with the height at which they are carried; but even a top-gallant stun'sail-boom, the size of an average scaffold-pole, which has to be rigged out by one man, or even a boy, is a quite heavy enough piece of timber to have loose on your hands, or hand (since you must hold on), while swaying on a footrope some eighty or ninety feet above the deck. Then the sails themselves, with their complicated gear, require deft53 handling to get them adjusted in their lofty positions, and as the upper ones need to be taken into the tops, there is some fancy gymnastic work involved in handling them, which generally falls to the boys. But when they are set, if there is any wind worth mentioning, and the vessel does not steer well, the helmsman has a bad time, for their gear being necessarily slight and simple, catching54 them aback is apt to bring them down by the run in a raffle55 of ropes, torn canvas, and splintered booms. These delights on a dark, wet night cannot be explained; they must be endured to be appreciated. No doubt a ship with stun'sails set below and aloft, flying along with a steady breeze just abaft56 the beam, the golden sunlight glancing on her canvas, and making her look like a mountain of snow, while the sparkling wavelets leap around her or are churned into lovely wreaths of dazzling foam57 by the eager sheer of her cutwater, makes a magnificent picture, and one that will be soon only seen in pictures. But when one remembers the cruel toil58 and deadly danger attached to these "flying kites," as sailors term them, one can only feel devoutly59 thankful that their day is done. Unfortunately, in the Harrowby we were continually harassed60 by these wretched things, which was the more aggravating61 as she was a dull sailer, to whom they made not a shadow of difference as far as any acceleration62 of her speed went. But we accepted them grumblingly63, as sailors do any other crook64 in their never very straight lot. Nevertheless I felt pretty sure that, sooner or later, I should suffer in some severe way from them, and the fulfilment of my forebodings was not long delayed. We got a heavy breeze from the north-east off Cape65 Leeuwin, and the skipper, laudably anxious to get round that awkward corner and up north into finer weather, carried on all the sail the old barkey could stagger under, including topmast and lower stun'sails. Now the Harrowby steered66 none too well at the best of times, for she was fitted with the old-fashioned chain and barrel steering-gear, that made a two hours' trick at the wheel a fairly stiff ordeal67 for a youngster like me. By dint68 of the hardest trying, however, I had managed so far to get along without more than an occasional growl69 from the skipper to the effect that I was making a devilish bad course. At last, on the night in question, I came aft at four bells, fully70 equipped in oilskins, for it was raining as well as blowing. As I reached to take the spoke71 from Oliver, he muttered, "Yew'd better shed them oilskins, er she'll sweat yer hull72 soul out. She's kickin' like a broncho." I took his advice, preferring to get wet than to be hampered73 by too many coverings at such a task. It was as dark as the inside of a coal-sack, so that there was nothing to steer by but the compass and the "feel" of the wheel, which every sailor knows is not conducive74 to keeping a straight course, as the compass, however lively, never moves at the same moment the ship's head does, and consequently you can't meet her with the helm as quickly as when the stars or clouds are visible and indicate her slightest movement. Besides, the "old man" was on deck, and, before I had time to get into her present peculiarities75, he was at me with, "Now, then! mind y'r weather hellum. Where th' —— er ye goin' with the ship? Meet her—meet her! Blast your eyes, meet her! Goin' to sleep—er what?" and so on. I might have done fairly well but for this brutal76 nagging77; but now I certainly steered badly, and the thought of wiping her up into the wind and bringing all that raffle of stun'sails and gear down about the ears of the watch on deck made me as nervous as a cat. However, I sculled her along somehow—about two points each way, I reckon—the "old man" keeping up a running commentary all the time, until suddenly, along came a howling big sea, hitting her on the weather-quarter and sending a dense78 mass of spray right over the quarter-deck, drenching79 my tormentor80 and twisting her up into the wind till the weather-leech of the lower stun'sails began to flap. Down sprang the second mate to my assistance, and hove the wheel up so that she spun81 off the wind again like a weather-cock. "Oh, we can't have any more of this!" yelled the old man. "That —— fellow's no good. 'Nother hand to the wheel!" "'Nother hand to the wheel!" roared the second mate; and I declare I wasn't sorry, though my pride was sorely hurt at the injustice82 of the thing. The Suffolker came aft, good-humoured as was his wont83, and smiled pleasantly as he took the wheel from my clammy hands. He favoured me with a sly wink84, too, as much as to say, "Now you'll see some fun!" As I went forrard along the lee alley-way, the old man followed me, saying. "I'll log ye to-morrow. I'll show ye how ter come aboard my ship on false pretences85." This did my business, and I turned savagely86 round, saying, "I can steer as well as any man in the ship if I'm let alone, and you know that. You only want an excuse to stop my wages——" Further remarks were drowned in a tremendous roar of tumbling water and cracking spars as the ship flew up into the wind, taking a mighty87 mass of black sea over all, and bringing the stun'sails down with an uproar88 truly terrific. "All hands ondeck! Tumble up, there! Shorten sail!" screamed the skipper, fairly dancing in his excitement. Well, there was a mess, and no mistake! It took us three hours of hard struggle before we got her clear and shortened down, and during that time there were as many curses levelled at the old sinner as would have sunk the British Navy if their weight had been proportionate to the wishes of their utterers. For my part I was speechless with delight, for I felt if ever a poor fellow was vindicated89 promptly90 it was me. The diversion gave us all sore bones, though; and when, at last, we got below, we were almost too weary to growl. Stripping off our drenched91 rags we tumbled into our bunks92, and slept so soundly that the two hours and a half left of our watch seemed only like five minutes. I took my usual trick at the wheel again without comment; but after breakfast, to my amazement, I was called down into the cabin. The skipper solemnly read to me an entry in the Official Logbook to the effect that on the night of ——, in lat. —, long. —, it having been found that I could not steer, I was sent from the wheel as unfit for my work, and, in consequence, my wages were reduced to one pound per month. This libel was signed by the second mate as a witness. I was then invited to sign it; but I refused, saying that the entry was false, and appealing to the second mate to support my protest. He, standing93 behind the skipper, gave me a reassuring94 wink which cheered me mightily95, and after bandying a few more compliments with the skipper, I was told to "Get out of my cabin." The events of the past night were the subject of a good deal of comment forrard, and the general conclusion arrived at was that the old man was no good, and any deference96 or politeness towards him might usefully be dropped in future.
But something happened that day which, although in no wise the skipper's fault, made the feeling of insubordination ten times stronger than it otherwise would have been. Hitherto we had been living fairly well upon fresh meat and vegetables, although the cooking was very bad. The pasty-faced Scotchman who had shipped as cook might have been cook of the Mikado as he said; but, if so, he had certainly forgotten the most elementary portion of his duties. Having just come to an end of the fresh provisions, he informed us pompously97 that he was going to make us "duff" to-day, "An', ma wurrd," said he, with an air, "a'll gie ye somethin' ye can eat! Ye dinna ken28 whatn' duff's like aboord ther win'jammers." As may be imagined, we were in high glee at the prospect98 of such a notable benefit as high-class duff would be. The last stroke was hardly off the bell at seven bells before I was at the galley99 with the kid, my mouth watering in anticipation100 of this superlative duff. But it strikes me that the subsequent proceedings101 were important enough for a new chapter.
点击收听单词发音
1 abominable | |
adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的 | |
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2 backwards | |
adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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3 cargo | |
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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4 apprentices | |
学徒,徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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5 seamen | |
n.海员 | |
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6 morose | |
adj.脾气坏的,不高兴的 | |
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7 seaman | |
n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
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8 inflexibly | |
adv.不屈曲地,不屈地 | |
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9 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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10 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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11 premiums | |
n.费用( premium的名词复数 );保险费;额外费用;(商品定价、贷款利息等以外的)加价 | |
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12 indentures | |
vt.以契约束缚(indenture的第三人称单数形式) | |
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13 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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14 berth | |
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 | |
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15 disillusioned | |
a.不再抱幻想的,大失所望的,幻想破灭的 | |
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16 shameful | |
adj.可耻的,不道德的 | |
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17 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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18 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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19 interfered | |
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉 | |
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20 muddled | |
adj.混乱的;糊涂的;头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱,弄糟( muddle的过去式);使糊涂;对付,混日子 | |
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21 yarn | |
n.纱,纱线,纺线;奇闻漫谈,旅行轶事 | |
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22 lanky | |
adj.瘦长的 | |
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23 pimply | |
adj.肿泡的;有疙瘩的;多粉刺的;有丘疹的 | |
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24 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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25 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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26 snug | |
adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房 | |
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27 dodging | |
n.避开,闪过,音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 );回避 | |
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28 ken | |
n.视野,知识领域 | |
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29 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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30 steamship | |
n.汽船,轮船 | |
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31 landlady | |
n.女房东,女地主 | |
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32 lodging | |
n.寄宿,住所;(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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33 refreshments | |
n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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34 cholera | |
n.霍乱 | |
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35 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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36 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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37 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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38 rubicund | |
adj.(脸色)红润的 | |
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39 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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40 gliding | |
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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41 westward | |
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西 | |
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42 navigating | |
v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的现在分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃 | |
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43 liking | |
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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44 steer | |
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
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45 regularity | |
n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐 | |
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46 rankling | |
v.(使)痛苦不已,(使)怨恨不已( rankle的现在分词 ) | |
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47 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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48 scant | |
adj.不充分的,不足的;v.减缩,限制,忽略 | |
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49 strenuous | |
adj.奋发的,使劲的;紧张的;热烈的,狂热的 | |
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50 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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51 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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52 hoops | |
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓 | |
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53 deft | |
adj.灵巧的,熟练的(a deft hand 能手) | |
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54 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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55 raffle | |
n.废物,垃圾,抽奖售卖;v.以抽彩出售 | |
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56 abaft | |
prep.在…之后;adv.在船尾,向船尾 | |
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57 foam | |
v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 | |
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58 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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59 devoutly | |
adv.虔诚地,虔敬地,衷心地 | |
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60 harassed | |
adj. 疲倦的,厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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61 aggravating | |
adj.恼人的,讨厌的 | |
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62 acceleration | |
n.加速,加速度 | |
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63 grumblingly | |
喃喃报怨着,发牢骚着 | |
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64 crook | |
v.使弯曲;n.小偷,骗子,贼;弯曲(处) | |
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65 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
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66 steered | |
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导 | |
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67 ordeal | |
n.苦难经历,(尤指对品格、耐力的)严峻考验 | |
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68 dint | |
n.由于,靠;凹坑 | |
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69 growl | |
v.(狗等)嗥叫,(炮等)轰鸣;n.嗥叫,轰鸣 | |
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70 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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71 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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72 hull | |
n.船身;(果、实等的)外壳;vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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73 hampered | |
妨碍,束缚,限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 conducive | |
adj.有益的,有助的 | |
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75 peculiarities | |
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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76 brutal | |
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 | |
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77 nagging | |
adj.唠叨的,挑剔的;使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评(某人)( nag的现在分词 );不断地烦扰或伤害(某人);无休止地抱怨;不断指责 | |
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78 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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79 drenching | |
n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体) | |
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80 tormentor | |
n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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81 spun | |
v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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82 injustice | |
n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利 | |
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83 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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84 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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85 pretences | |
n.假装( pretence的名词复数 );作假;自命;自称 | |
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86 savagely | |
adv. 野蛮地,残酷地 | |
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87 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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88 uproar | |
n.骚动,喧嚣,鼎沸 | |
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89 vindicated | |
v.澄清(某人/某事物)受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 );表明或证明(所争辩的事物)属实、正当、有效等;维护 | |
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90 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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91 drenched | |
adj.湿透的;充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体) | |
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92 bunks | |
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位( bunk的名词复数 );空话,废话v.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 );空话,废话 | |
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93 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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94 reassuring | |
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的 | |
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95 mightily | |
ad.强烈地;非常地 | |
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96 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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97 pompously | |
adv.傲慢地,盛大壮观地;大模大样 | |
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98 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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99 galley | |
n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇; | |
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100 anticipation | |
n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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101 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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