After all, he was born to such experiences; they were his right; and he was equal to them. Nevertheless his conviction of the miraculous22 fortunately was not impaired23. What was impaired was his conviction of his own culture. He was constantly thinking that he knew everything or could imagine everything, and constantly undergoing the shock of undeception; but the shock of the Longchamps Sunday was excessive. He had quite failed to imagine the race-meeting; he had imagined an organism brilliant, perhaps, but barbaric and without form and style; he had imagined grotesque24 contrasts of squalor, rascality25, and fashion; he had imagined an affair predominantly equine and masculine. The reality did not correspond; it transcended26 his imagination; it painfully demonstrated his jejune27 crudity28. The Hippodrome was as formalized and stylistic as an Italian garden; the only contrasts were those of one elegance29 with another; horses were not to be seen, except occasionally in the distance when under their riders they shot past some dark background a flitting blur30 of primary colours with a rumble31 of muffled32 thunder; and women, not men, predominated.
On entering the Hippodrome George and Lois had met a group of fashionably attired33 women, and he had thought: "There's a bunch of jolly well-dressed ones." But as the reserved precincts opened out before him he saw none but fashionably attired women. They were there not in hundreds but in thousands. They sat in rows on the grand stands; they jostled each other on the staircases; they thronged34 the alleys and swards. The men were negligible beside them. And they were not only fashionably and very fashionably attired—all their frocks and all their hats and all their parasols and all their boots were new, glittering, spick-and-span; were complex and expensive; not one feared the sun. The conception of what those innumerable chromatic35 toilettes had cost in the toil36, stitch by stitch, of malodorous workrooms and in the fatigue37 of pale, industrious38 creatures was really formidable. But it could not detract from the scenic39 triumph. The scenic triumph dazzlingly justified40 itself, and proved beyond any cavilling41 that earth was a grand, intoxicating42 place, and Longchamps under the sun an unequalled paradise of the senses.... Ah! These women were finished—finished to the least detail of coiffure, sunshade-handle, hatpin, jewellery, handbag, bootlace, glove, stocking, lingerie . Each was the product of many arts in co-ordination. Each was of great price. And there were thousands of them. They were as cheap as periwinkles. George thought: "This is Paris."
He said aloud:
"Seems to be a fine lot of new clothes knocking about."
Evidently for Lois his tone was too impressed, not sufficiently43 casual. She replied in her condescending44 manner, which he detested45:
"My poor George, considering that this is the opening of the spring season, and the place where all the new spring fashions are tried out—what did you expect?"
The dolt46 had not known that he was assisting at a solemnity recognized as such by experts throughout the clothed world. But Lois knew all those things. She herself was trying out a new toilette, for which doubtless Irene Wheeler was partly sponsor. She could hold her own on the terraces with the rest. She was staggeringly different now from the daughter of the simple home in the Rue47 d'Athènes.
The eyes of the splendid women aroused George's antipathy48, because he seemed to detect antipathy in them—not against himself but against the male in him. These women, though by their glances they largely mistrusted and despised each other, had the air of having combined sexually against a whole sex. The situation was very contradictory49. They had beautified and ornamented themselves in order to attract a whole sex, and yet they appeared to resent the necessity and instinct to attract. They submitted with a secret repugnance50 to the mysterious and supreme16 bond which kept the sexes inexorably together. And while stooping to fascinate, while deliberately51 seeking attention, they still had the assured mien52 of conquerors53. Their eyes said that they knew they were indispensable, that they had a transcendent role to play, that no concealed54 baseness of the inimical sex was hidden from them, and that they meant to exploit their position to the full. These Latin women exhibited a logic55, an elegance, and a frankness beyond the reach of the Anglo-Saxon. Their eyes said not that they had been disillusioned56, but rather that they had never had illusions. They admitted the facts; they admitted everything—economic dependence57, chicane, the intention to seize every advantage, ruthless egotism. They had no shame for a depravity which they shared equally with the inescapable and cherished enemy And it was the youngest who, beneath the languishing58 and the softness and the invitation deceitful and irresistible, gazed outmost triumphantly59 to the enemy: "You are the victims. We have tried our strength and your infirmity." They were heroic. There was a feeling in the bright air of melancholy60 and doom61 as the two hostile forces, inseparable, inextricably involved together, surveyed the opponent in the everlasting62 conflict. George felt its influence upon himself, upon Lois, upon the whole scene. The eyes of the most feminine women in the world, denying their smiles and their lure63, had discovered to him something which marked a definite change in his estimate of certain ultimate earthly values.
Lois said:
"Perhaps a telegram is waiting for you at the hotel."
He thought, looking at her by his side:
"She is just like these Frenchwomen!" And for some reason he felt proud.
"You needn't," said Lois, "We can telephone from under the grand stand if you like."
"But I don't know the number."
"We can get that out of the book, of course."
"I don't reckon I can use these French telephones."
"Oh! My poor boy, I'll telephone for you—unless you prefer not to risk knowing the worst."
Yes, her tone was the tone of a strange woman. And it was she who thirsted for the result of the competition.
Controlling himself, submissively he asked her to telephone for him, and she agreed in a delightfully65 agreeable voice. She seemed to know the entire geography of the Hippodrome. She secured a telephone-cabin in a very business-like manner. As she entered the cabin she said to George:
"I'll ask them if a telegram has come, and if it has I'll ask them to open it and read it to me, or spell it—of course it'll be in English.... Eh?"
Through the half-open door of the cabin he watched her, and listened. She rapidly turned over the foul66 and torn pages of the telephone-book with her thumb. She spoke67 into the instrument very clearly, curtly68, and authoritatively69. George could translate in his mind what she said—his great resolve to learn French had carried him so far.
"On the part of Monsieur Cannon70, one of your clients, Monsieur Cannon of London. Has there arrived a telegram for him?"
She waited. The squalor of the public box increased the effect of her young and proud stylishness71 and of her perfume. George waited, humbled72 by her superior skill in the arts of life, and saying anxiously to himself: "Perhaps in a moment I shall know the result," almost trembling.
She hung up the instrument, and, with a glance at George, shook her head.
"There isn't anything," she murmured.
He said:
"It's very queer, isn't it? However ..."
As they emerged from the arcana of the grand stand, Lois was stopped by a tall, rather handsome Jew, who, saluting74 her with what George esteemed75 to be French exaggeration of gesture, nevertheless addressed her in a confidential76 tone in English. George, having with British restraint acknowledged the salute77, stood aside, and gazed discreetly78 away from the pair. He could not hear what was being said. After several minutes Lois rejoined George, and they went back into the crowds and the sun. She did not speak. She did not utter one word. Only, when the numbers went up for a certain race, she remarked:
"This is the Prix du Cadran. It's the principal race of the afternoon."
And when that was over, amid cheering that ran about the field like fire through dried bush, she added:
"I think I ought to go back now. I told the chauffeur79 to be here after the Prix du Cadran. What time is it exactly?"
They sat side by side in the long, open car, facing the chauffeur's creaseless back. After passing the Cascade80, the car swerved81 into the Allée de Longchamps which led in an absolutely straight line, two miles long, to the Port Maillot and the city. Spring decorated the magnificent wooded thoroughfare. The side-alleys, aisles82 of an interminable nave83, were sprinkled with revellers and lovers and the most respectable families half hidden amid black branches and gleams of tender green. Automobiles84 and carriages threaded the main alley5 at varying speeds. The number of ancient horse-cabs gradually increased until, after the intersection85 of the Allée de la Reine Marguerite, they thronged the vast road. All the humble73 and shabby genteel people in Paris who could possibly afford a cab seemed to have taken a cab. Nearly every cab was overloaded86. The sight of this vast pathetic effort of the disinherited towards gaiety and distraction87 and the mood of spring, intensified88 the vague sadness in George due to the race-crowd, Lois's silence, and the lack of news about the competition.
At length Lois said, scowling—no doubt involuntarily:
"I think I'd better tell you now. Irene Wheeler's committed suicide. Shot herself." She pressed her lips together and looked at the road.
"But how do you know? Who told you?"
"The man who spoke to me in the grand stand. He's correspondent of The London Courier —friend of father's of course."
George protested:
"Then why on earth didn't you tell me before?... Shot herself! What for?"
"I didn't tell you before because I couldn't."
"Of course you could!"
"I tell you I couldn't!" she cried. "I knew the car wouldn't be there for us until after the Prix du Cadran. And if I'd told you I couldn't have borne to be walking about that place three-quarters of an hour. We should have had to talk about it. I couldn't have borne that. And so you needn't be cross, please."
But her voice did not break, nor her eyes shine.
"I was wondering whether I should tell the chauffeur at once, or let him find it out."
"I should let him find it out," said George. "He doesn't know that you know. Besides, it might upset his driving."
"Oh! I shouldn't mind about his driving," Lois murmured disdainfully.
点击收听单词发音
1 candidly | |
adv.坦率地,直率而诚恳地 | |
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2 desecration | |
n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱 | |
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3 ornamented | |
adj.花式字体的v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4 alleys | |
胡同,小巷( alley的名词复数 ); 小径 | |
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5 alley | |
n.小巷,胡同;小径,小路 | |
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6 descending | |
n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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7 caressing | |
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的 | |
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8 voluptuous | |
adj.肉欲的,骄奢淫逸的 | |
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9 luminous | |
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
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10 enchantment | |
n.迷惑,妖术,魅力 | |
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11 irresistible | |
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
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12 stunned | |
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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13 apprehensions | |
疑惧 | |
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14 obliterating | |
v.除去( obliterate的现在分词 );涂去;擦掉;彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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15 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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16 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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17 supremely | |
adv.无上地,崇高地 | |
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18 insular | |
adj.岛屿的,心胸狭窄的 | |
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19 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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20 bland | |
adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的 | |
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21 sensuous | |
adj.激发美感的;感官的,感觉上的 | |
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22 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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23 impaired | |
adj.受损的;出毛病的;有(身体或智力)缺陷的v.损害,削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 grotesque | |
adj.怪诞的,丑陋的;n.怪诞的图案,怪人(物) | |
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25 rascality | |
流氓性,流氓集团 | |
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26 transcended | |
超出或超越(经验、信念、描写能力等)的范围( transcend的过去式和过去分词 ); 优于或胜过… | |
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27 jejune | |
adj.枯燥无味的,贫瘠的 | |
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28 crudity | |
n.粗糙,生硬;adj.粗略的 | |
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29 elegance | |
n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙 | |
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30 blur | |
n.模糊不清的事物;vt.使模糊,使看不清楚 | |
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31 rumble | |
n.隆隆声;吵嚷;v.隆隆响;低沉地说 | |
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32 muffled | |
adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己) | |
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33 attired | |
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34 thronged | |
v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 chromatic | |
adj.色彩的,颜色的 | |
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36 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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37 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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38 industrious | |
adj.勤劳的,刻苦的,奋发的 | |
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39 scenic | |
adj.自然景色的,景色优美的 | |
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40 justified | |
a.正当的,有理的 | |
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41 cavilling | |
n.(矿工的)工作地点抽签法v.挑剔,吹毛求疵( cavil的现在分词 ) | |
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42 intoxicating | |
a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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43 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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44 condescending | |
adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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45 detested | |
v.憎恶,嫌恶,痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46 dolt | |
n.傻瓜 | |
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47 rue | |
n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 | |
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48 antipathy | |
n.憎恶;反感,引起反感的人或事物 | |
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49 contradictory | |
adj.反驳的,反对的,抗辩的;n.正反对,矛盾对立 | |
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50 repugnance | |
n.嫌恶 | |
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51 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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52 mien | |
n.风采;态度 | |
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53 conquerors | |
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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54 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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55 logic | |
n.逻辑(学);逻辑性 | |
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56 disillusioned | |
a.不再抱幻想的,大失所望的,幻想破灭的 | |
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57 dependence | |
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属 | |
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58 languishing | |
a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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59 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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60 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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61 doom | |
n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定 | |
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62 everlasting | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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63 lure | |
n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引 | |
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64 stoutly | |
adv.牢固地,粗壮的 | |
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65 delightfully | |
大喜,欣然 | |
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66 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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67 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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68 curtly | |
adv.简短地 | |
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69 authoritatively | |
命令式地,有权威地,可信地 | |
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70 cannon | |
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮 | |
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71 stylishness | |
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72 humbled | |
adj. 卑下的,谦逊的,粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下,贬低 | |
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73 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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74 saluting | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的现在分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
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75 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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76 confidential | |
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的 | |
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77 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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78 discreetly | |
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地 | |
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79 chauffeur | |
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机;v.为…开车 | |
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80 cascade | |
n.小瀑布,喷流;层叠;vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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81 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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82 aisles | |
n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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83 nave | |
n.教堂的中部;本堂 | |
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84 automobiles | |
n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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85 intersection | |
n.交集,十字路口,交叉点;[计算机] 交集 | |
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86 overloaded | |
a.超载的,超负荷的 | |
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87 distraction | |
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐 | |
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88 intensified | |
v.(使)增强, (使)加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89 exclamation | |
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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90 astounding | |
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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91 brutally | |
adv.残忍地,野蛮地,冷酷无情地 | |
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